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AIRTOUCH LAUNCHES WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS WITH PHONE.COM'S UP.LINK SERVER SUITE AirTouch Rolls Out Mobile Web Service to Select Markets REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (March 15, 2000) - Phone.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHCM), a leading provider of mobile Internet software and services, today announced that AirTouch Cellular, part of Vodafone AirTouch Plc (NYSE and LSE:VOD), has launched its Mobile Web Service using the Phone.com UP.Link Server Suite. This launch announcement is being made only weeks after the original agreement between the two companies was announced on February 3, marking rapid time-to-market. Under the terms of the original agreement, AirTouch will use Phone.coms UP.Link Server Suite to provide wireless Internet access to its customers through any Internet-enabled phone equipped with a microbrowser such as the Phone.com UP.Browser microbrowser.
AirTouch will initially offer the Mobile Web service in digital markets throughout Michigan and Ohio, and in Washington and Oregon, ahead of an expanded launch planned for second quarter. The Phone.com UP.Link Server Suite will enable AirTouch to bring to its Mobile Web subscribers a wide variety of Internet information services, including email, news, stock quotes, weather, travel and sports.
"Phone.com is very excited to be working with AirTouch, with its worldwide reputation for innovative communication and connectivity products," said Ben Linder, vice president of marketing for Phone.com. "This commercial launch will provide AirTouch subscribers in select areas the opportunity to experience first-hand the convenience and effectiveness of wireless web access."
"The ability to access web-based information from the mobile phone is a truly compelling enhancement that will bring even more convenience to both business users and consumers alike," said Cliff Fitterer, managing director of wireless Internet services. "Were excited to bring the AirTouch Mobile Web to market."
The UP.Link Server Suite offers network operators a complete WAP-based solution to enable their subscribers to gain access to Internet-based content and applications. The Phone.com UP.Link Server Suite is in its fourth generation, providing a scalable and robust implementation of the WAP protocol. Since 1997, Phone.coms solutions have been licensed to over 50 of the worlds leading operator networks.
About Phone.com Phone.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHCM) is a leading provider of software and services that enable the delivery of Internet-based information services to mass-market wireless telephones. Using its software, wireless subscribers have access to Internet- and corporate intranet-based services, including Email, news, stocks, weather, travel and sports. In addition, subscribers have access via their wireless telephones to network operators intranet-based telephony services, which may include over-the-air activation, call management, billing history information, pricing plan subscription and voice message management. Phone.com is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California and has regional offices in Belfast, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Seoul, and Tokyo. Visit http://www.phone.com for more information.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Phone.coms limited operating history, potential fluctuations in Phone.coms operating results, uncertainties related to Phone.coms long sales cycle and reliance on a small number of customers, Phone.coms dependence on the acceptance of its products by network operators and wireless subscribers, Phone.coms ability to adequately address the rapidly-evolving market for delivery of Internet-based services through wireless telephones, the need to achieve widespread integration of Phone.coms browser in wireless telephones, competition from companies with substantially greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources and the ability of Phone.com to manage a complex set of engineering, marketing and distribution relationships. Further information regarding these and other risks are included in Phone.coms Form 10-Q for quarter ended December 31, 1999, in its prospectus dated November 16, 1999 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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