Digital Bridges, the UK-based wireless entertainment content developer, has become a member of the Phone.com Alliance Program, the world-wide forum set up by California based Phone.com which provides marketing and sales service for companies developing wireless Internet products and services.

Founded by Dr Kevin Bradshaw in 1998, Digital Bridges, was created with the specific aim of providing a set of new entertainment content channels for wireless device users.

Spearheading the launch of these targeted entertainment channels will be 'wirelessgames.com' - a full suite of fun, high quality interactive games tailored to the various interests of mobile device users, ranging from simple quiz and puzzle games, to more elaborate multi-user gaming experiences.

"Our vision is to give people access to entertainment any place, at any time using the device of their choice," said Digital Bridges MD, Kevin Bradshaw.

"Using our unique multi-participant content delivery platform, we generate interactive content, automatically optimised for use over the full range of WAP devices. Using this technology, users will be able to engage one another as never before, exploring and interacting with others in a shared virtual space via a variety of platforms," he added.

Phone.com, with offices in Redwood City, California, London and Tokyo is one of the world's foremost developers and publishers of infrastructure software and applications that enable the convergence of the Internet and wireless telephony.

Co-founders of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum, Phone.com has combined the power of Internet connectivity and wireless telephony to provide online information access to the growing global community of wireless subscribers anywhere, anytime.

"Digital Bridges interactive games feed the need for fun in all of us and give us something challenging to do when we're stuck waiting for a train or airplane," said Cindy Dahm, Director of Marketing for Phone.com Europe. "Fours, Hangman and the like are games that have stood the test of time, and Digital Bridges has a unique approach that appeals to the 'kid' in all of us. Every mobile operator should seriously consider games like this as a key part of their service offering."

Background Information

Wireless Games is the content division of Digital Bridges, with the aim of bringing the highest quality entertainment content to market. Wireless Games is already building relationships with the best game designers and developers in the games industry.

Games in development for WAPs include single player offerings, such as Quizcall, a multichoice quiz game, and Hangman, a version of the classic. Multiplayer titles in development include:

A suite of classic card games is also in development, to include Blackjack and Craps, alongside perennially popular offerings such as CodeBreaker, Horse Racing, Golf and Maze games.

Wireless Games recently successfully demonstrated a set of multi-player WAP games, involving interaction between multiple remote users with WAP handsets, over the GSM wireless service. A full array of further device testing has been planned for the coming months.

Working with both cellular operators and device manufacturers, this innovative technology will be used to deliver a number of entertainment content channels, to be launched over the next year. Content will be available for use by WAP enabled mobile phones and wireless PDAs, as well as the growing market for portable, wireless game consoles.

The simultaneous advances in Wireless Internet technology that WAP will bring, and the growing use of PDAs that will soon be wirelessly connected to the Internet, have created the potential for a vast, new entertainment medium. Digital Bridges aims to be at the forefront of delivering engaging entertainment content to this market.

Issued on behalf of Digital Bridges by 1-UP Media. For more information contact Chris Knight. Tel: 07003 952 991. Fax: 0171 821 5811. E: [email protected].

For information about Phone.com, visit the phone.com website at www.phone.com or contact the UK office on 07971 952 943.