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[January 21, 2004]
OZ Selected By T-Mobile USA To Enable Mass-Market Launch Of IM Services On Mobile Devices
OZ�s standards-based Mobile IM Gateway and mobile IM client solutions an integral part of T-Mobile USA�s IM strategy
London, England � January 21st, 2004 � OZ Communications, the leading enabler of standards-based mobile Instant Messaging and Presence Services, announced today at the IBC Mobile Instant Messaging conference in London that T-Mobile USA has selected OZ�s Mobile IM Gateway to enable the mass-market launch of existing IM services on mobile devices with standards-based mobile IM clients. As part of the agreement, T-Mobile USA has licensed both OZ�s Mobile IM Gateway and OZ�s mobile IM client solutions.
T-Mobile�s IM service gives subscribers access to their favorite IM services through OZ�s Mobile IM Gateway using a single, standards based IM interface on a new generation of IM capable mobile phones now offered by T-Mobile USA. These phones are based on the Open Mobile Alliance specifications for Instant Messaging and Presence Services (IMPS), formerly known as Wireless Village. The OZ Mobile IM Gateway has already been deployed commercially and is in active use by T-Mobile�s subscribers.
Instant Messaging is one of the most popular means of communication today with hundreds of millions of desktop IM users worldwide and billions of IM messages sent each day. Despite its popularity, PC based Instant Messaging has generated little or no revenues so far. Mobile operators are now in a key position to capitalize on the Instant Messaging craze by giving subscribers access to existing IM services on IM capable phones, thereby increasing mobile data traffic.
To successfully deploy mobile IM services, mobile operators however face a number of challenges, including billing, customer support interfaces, IM protocol conformance and overall control of mobile IM services. The OZ Mobile IM Gateway is designed to address these issues and to simplify the process of extending existing IM services to standards-based IM capable mobile phones.
�Mobile Instant Messaging services are a core part of T-Mobile USA�s service offerings and therefore we need to carefully select the partners we work with,� said Joerg Zender, Senior Product Manager for Messaging Applications at T-Mobile USA. �OZ has proven its expertise and truly understands our needs when it comes to mobile IM. The OZ Mobile IM Gateway enables T-Mobile to effectively bill for mobile IM services and to efficiently control our subscribers� mobile IM experience.�
�T-Mobile USA has been very successful at mobilizing existing IM services to date and it is a privilege to power the next version of T-Mobile�s IM offering with our Mobile IM Gateway,� said Skuli Mogensen, CEO of OZ. �The gateway is a truly unique product that addresses the challenges mobile operators and IM providers face when deploying mobile IM services, and is a result of OZ�s extensive work on mobile IM standardization.�
The OZ Mobile IM Gateway provides mobile operators with flexible application-level billing models for mobile IM, supports both post-paid and pre-paid billing, provides dynamic IM protocol conversion to proprietary IM protocols when needed, ensures the efficient use of multiple wireless transports, and ensures IM services� compliance with all different flavors of the OMA IMPS specifications as well as future revisions. The gateway furthermore gives mobile operators full control over mobile IM services through a single operational interface and connection point to multiple IM providers.
About OZ
OZ Communications is the leading enabler of standardized mobile Instant Messaging and Presence Services. OZ works closely with the world's leading mobile operators, IM service providers, handset providers and standardization forums to provide people with the best possible mobile IMPS experience. OZ�s standards based products include the OZ Mobile IM Gateway, a carrier-grade IM billing and protocol gateway, OZ�s Mobile IM Client Software, including the most advanced J2ME IM client available, and OZ�s IMPS server, the most robust and fully featured IM server based on the Open Mobile Alliance IMPS specifications. For more information, please visit www.oz.com.
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is a member of the T-Mobile International group, the mobile telecommunications subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT). T-Mobile operates a national all digital voice and data network based on a single GSM/GPRS 1900 technology standard. In addition, T-Mobile operates the largest carrier owned Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless broadband (WLAN) network in the country, available in more than 2,400 public access locations including Starbucks coffeehouses, Borders Books and Music, airports and American Airlines Admirals Clubs. T-Mobile is committed to providing the best value in wireless service through its GET MORE® promise to provide customers with more minutes, more features and more service than any other wireless provider. For purposes of this press release, references to T-Mobile USA, Inc. consist of T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Powertel, Inc. For more information, visit the company web site at www.t-mobile.com.
For more information please contact:
Hilmar Gunnarsson
VP Sales & Marketing, OZ Communications
Telephone: +1 514 806 2284
e-mail: hilmar@oz.com
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