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Spice Corp Ltd: Leading Indian telecoms corporation launches innovative new global first products(M2 PressWIRE Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) RDATE:11022008 Barcelona - Spice Corp Ltd, a leading Indian telecoms Corporation, is launching several groundbreaking products at the Mobile World Congress 2008: The Peoples' Phone - probably the world's cheapest phone (including a Braille version) at under US$20 to the consumer The Movie Phone - the world's first phone to play movies on a disc MITR (a friend' in Hindi) - a unique user friendly Single Mobile Interface (handset and service operator agnostic) that will deliver a host of must-have web based applications These new products are absolute world firsts and are not to be missed on Spice's stand at Mobile World Congress - Hall 7, B42. Spice is a multi-business organisation with a 30 year track record in automation, technology, IT and telecoms - primarily focused on communication and entertainment. Working with over 448 international operators across 208 countries, Spice is among the top 6 private GSM operators in India, and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The Group is valued at over $2bn; has 10,000 employees; and a customer base in the region of over 6 million. India is currently the fastest growing mobile telephony market - both in terms of services, as well as manufacturing of handsets. India has adopted the latest and most advanced mobile telephony technology available anywhere in the world, putting it ahead of even many of the developed countries'. Even on the VAS front, India has emerged as a very strong developer with a lot of work from across the globe being outsourced to India. India is also being looked at as a preferred manufacturing hub by a lot of manufacturers. Dr B K Modi, Chairman of the Spice Corp said: "Spice has a long history in the Asian telephony market and we are very proud to introduce our exciting new products here at the Mobile World Congress. We at Spice have always focussed on innovation as our key strength and differentiator in delivering value and customer-friendly products to meet changing demands and expectations. Our new handsets add value to operators and users alike. From the readily accessible People's Phone' handset, to the exciting new mobile hardware in the Movie Phone, our objective is to always be the global leader in bringing and providing customer-friendly and innovative products." THE PEOPLES' PHONE The Peoples' Phone is a world first. The phone will be available to the consumer for under US$20, making it accessible to a vast number of people who currently cannot afford the expense of a mobile handset. In addition, the easy to use technology will make the phone usable by a broader audience. Initially, The Peoples' Phone will be launched into India and the Middle East - with further plans in place to introduce the handset to wider regions. The handset package incorporates: Voice Response Technology Stylish looks Universal charger Sing tones Dr B K Modi, Chairman of the Spice Corp said: "The interest in The Peoples' Phone has been incedible. Spice has always worked towards inspiring the Indian masses to connect, and with this phone we are giving people at all income levels the opportunity to own a mobile phone. Internationally, India has become renowned for launching affordable technology and The Peoples' Phone follows this tradition. We are confident that The Peoples' Phone is going to a major global success." Using the same design basis as the People's Phone', Spice Corp is also introducing their innovative new Braille Phone at the Mobile World Congress. Heralded as the most user-friendly braille phone on the market, Spice has incorprated the following functionality into the handset: One touch "Help" Key Voice Response Technology No Screen Braille Language Keypad Universal Charger Sing tones Number call back facility - an automated voice announcement of the number dialled to reasssure the user that they have dialled the correct number Incoming call announcement - the phone number of the incoming call is announced to the user so that the caller can be easily identified before answering the call THE MOVIE PHONE Another world first for Spice, The Movie Phone is an incredibly exciting new product incorporating fantastic, incomparable, and as yet unseen, technology. Launched in partnership with VmediaTM Research, Inc; Longcheer; Cinram; PacketVideo; Panasonic Communications Co., Ltd; the new phone has been developed in response to increasing consumer demand for mobile and converged entertainment and is being shown at Mobile World Congress for the very first time. The Movie Phone will be launched into India and South-East Asia in June 2008, with further plans underway for a global roll-out. Initially, 40 big titles will be available, with big plans in place for further titles. Spice has already partnered with various big entertainment houses like Eros, Shemaroo and T-series who are excited to develop content in v-media disc format for it to be available to mobile phone users across the globe. Compact, versatile and stylish, the Movie Phone combines high-end mobile phone functionality with top-of-the-range entertainment features - allowing the user to play movies on small discs, without compromising on digital quality. The handset comes with a user-friendly interface and features: A large 2.8" TFT screen with 262K colour display Wireless music TV out connection Full movie viewing (up to 3.5 hours) In addition, also included is a standard 3.5 mm stereo headset port and an audio-out port. The audio-out port also functions as a TV-out connection transforming the Spice Movie Phone into a home entertainment player with a single cable connection to any TV. Dr B K Modi, Chairman of Spice Corp, said: "Spice Corp is delighted to be the first to launch a disc-based movie phone. We believe the Movie Phone will become the most popular multimedia communications platform worldwide and may even change the way we all view movies, just as the i-pod changed the way we listen to music. Consumers are increasingly demanding entertainment to be immersive, mobile, engaging and collaborative. With this trend in mind, the phone is developed to meet the needs of consumers seeking entertainment mobility, enabling them to play their favourite video content whilst on the move without the effort and technical requirements involved in downloading. Global interest in the Movie Phone has been phenomenal - with big media houses showing a particular enthusiasm in the opportunity to develop original content to a massive new audience of mobile users." Steve Volk, CEO and founder of VmediaTM Research, said: "Spice Mobile has created an innovative mobile phone that gives consumers an entirely new mobile entertainment experience. VmediaTM transforms the mobile phone into a personal theatre so you can watch exactly what you want, on your schedule, any place you happen to be. VmediaTM discs are a new standard in mobile entertainment - full-length, new release movies with no compromise in quality or ease of use." MITR' - THE INNOVATIVE MOBILE INTERFACE FOR A RICH USER EXPERIENCE MITR' (meaning a friend' in Hindi), being launched at Mobile World Congress (by MobiSoc, a company promoted by Spice), is a groundbreaking innovation in mobile Internet. Easy-to-use and easy-to-navigate, MITR is an intuitive user interface that works across all handsets and networks. MITR is ready to be rolled out across any region or platform. For operators, MITR will provide a rich graphic interface, automatic upgrade for new releases; minimal latency; intelligent data catching and an optimised network layer. Operators will be able to securely offer their customers the latest applications quickly and efficiently with easy payment processes and management. In addition, MITR integrates with all usual handset features, including SMS, voice, phonebook and multimedia functions. For content providers, MITR provides rapid application development for creating feature rich and handset optimised applications; automatic application upgrade; and integrated payments and advertising engines. MITR also provides a sophisticated testing framework. The interface creates a perfect environment for users to discover' content and services. The powerful and exhaustive web architecture has a web interface for application deployment and management, a web services framework for data exchange, an integrated powerful data exchange framework as well as monitoring and logging. The ad server integates with the web service to provide profile-based, personalised ads and a suite of tools to create, deploy and monitor ads. The integrated advertising client displays contextual ads, clickable ads (as on the Internet) and monitors ad impressions and user inputs. Dr B K Modi, Chairman of the Spice Corp said: "Until now, utility-based services have promised the earth and delivered very little. The technology behind MITR will ensure that up-to-date and personalised mobile applications are delivered to the end-user. With MITR, surfing the Internet will be truly interactive and fun for the consumer, while increasing revenues for the operators and content providers. MITR will make the mobile Internet extremely user-friendly and we see potential in taking this interface forward for the PC-based environment. MITR is where the future of mobile Internet lies." Mr. Sachin Bhatia, Co-Founder & CMO, MakeMyTrip.com said: "'MITR' is a fantastic platform which gives access to a whole world of applications at just a press of button. We are evaluating a tie-up with MobiSoc for this innovative Mobile Travel solution". (MakeMyTrip is the no. 1 online travel agency and a pioneer and leader of the mobile travel platform in India. MakeMyTrip offers users comprehensive mobile based and user friendly end to end solution for flights, hotels, holidays & cabs bookings, allowing its users to Search-Book-Pay and get delivery of tickets/travel vouchers on mobile.) Notes to Editors: Spice Corporation Ltd is a multi-business organisation with a 30 year track record in automation, technology, IT and telecoms - primarily focused on communication and entertainment. Working with over 448 international operators across 208 countries, Spice is among the top six private GSM operators in India, and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The Group is valued at over $2bn; has 10,000 employees; and a customer base in the region of 3 million. Spice Corp's objective has been to develop and establish the "Mobile Ecosystem" - a seamless and comprehensive offering, extending from GSM mobile services, to mobile handsets, content development, mobile solutions and VAS, as well as retail services. Spice's brand's ethos is summarised as a "Synchronized Performance through Innovation in Communication and Entertainment" - the Group aims to fulfill the integrated technological needs of global customers. Spice Corp has a 360-degree presence across the mobile market, with a presence in many emerging and hi-growth sectors including: Telecom - Spice Communications BPO - Spice BPO Services Technology Retail - Hotspot Mobile Phones - Spice Mobile Mobile Value Added Services - Spice Mobile VAS Entertainment Centers - Spice World It operates through the following businesses: 1. Spice Telecom www.spiceindia.com Spice Communications Ltd (Brand Spice Telecom) is the sixth largest player in the GSM services arena with a subscriber base of 3.7 million subscribers across Punjab and Karnataka. 2. Spice Mobiles www.spicemobile.in <http://www.spicemobile.in> This listed company has a strong presence in the indian handset market and is now ready to roll out in various South-East Asian countries. With innovation' as the company's mantra, Spice mobiles has heralded a new chapter in the history of Indian Mobile Telephony by launching the first ever DUAL MODE PHONES in the country. Spice partnered with Reliance to bundle the Dual SIM CDMA-based phone. 3. Spice Mobile VAS www.cellebrum.com <http://www.cellebrum.com> This company develops Mobile VAS and other operating solutions, as well as content for Mobile Service Providers. Spice Mobile VAS has partnered with the likes of Airtel, Idea and Reliance. This company specializes in mobile VAS and tech platform solutions (TELCO-centric), social networking, gaming solutions and mobile marketing. 4. Mobisoc www.mobisoc.com <http://www.mobisoc.com> MobiSoc, a new venture promoted by Spice Corp, is driven by the commitment to spread the usage of mobile internet across the world through its product suite Mitr'. 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