Mobile Operators to Define Requirements for Open Mobile Terminal Platform

Mobile Operators to Define Requirements for Open Mobile Terminal Platform LONDON, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A group of mobile operators today announced its intention to define widely accepted requirements for an open mobile terminal platform ("OMTP"). The founding members of this initiative are mmO2, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, SMART Communications, Telefonica Moviles, TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile), T-Mobile and Vodafone. These members will today establish* a new organisation based in London, OMTP Limited ("the OMTP group"), to achieve their goals. The OMTP group aims to define those platform requirements necessary for mobile devices to deliver openly available standardised application interfaces that will provide customers with a more consistent and improved user experience across different devices, whilst also enabling individual operators and manufacturers to customise and differentiate their offering. The OMTP group intends to achieve its goals by identifying common mobile operators' requirements, with the aim of establishing an open framework for mobile device manufacturers and associated software and hardware suppliers to develop open mobile terminal platform compliant products. The OMTP group aims to use existing standards, where they exist, and to further encourage the development of standards by presenting OMTP requirements. As a technology neutral organisation, all technology vendors will be free to contribute to and support OMTP requirements and to provide OMTP compliant products. The OMTP group is an open association, with membership or participation available to organisations wanting to adopt OMTP requirements, to assist the process of achieving the OMTP group's goals or simply to follow the latest efforts and results of the OMTP group. The following companies have expressed their intent to join the OMTP group: Amena, Hutchinson/3, KPN, One Austria, SFR and Telenor. Mobile operators, mobile device manufacturers, software and hardware suppliers interested in participating in the OMTP group can find more information on the OMTP group's website, http://www.omtp.org/. Notes to Editors: * Same day Incorporation Application to be submitted today, Wednesday 23 June 2004. For further information please contact: mmO2 David Nicholas Simon Gordon Director of Communications Press Relations Manager E-mail: E-mail: Tel: +44 (0) 771 575 9176 Tel: +44 (0)771 007 0698 O2 press office: +44 (0) 1753 628402. NTT DoCoMo Eijun Tanaka and Takuya Ori International PR Public Relations Department E-mail: Tel: +81-3-5156-1366 Fax: +81-3-5501-3408 Orange Group Katie Wood Lucy Thoubboron E-mail: E-mail: Tel: +44 7968 534 796 SMART Communications, Inc. Ramon S. Isberto Head, Public Affairs E-mail: Tel: +632 511 3101 Fax: +632 511 3101 Telecom Italia Mobile Gabriele Sciacca TIM Press Office Head of TIM Press Office Tel: + 39 06 3688 2499 Fax: + 39 06 3688 2102 Roberta Vivenzio Tel: + 39 06 3688 2610 Fax: + 39 06 3688 2102 Marina Marchetti Telefonica Moviles Javier Garcia E-mail: Tel: +34 680014607 T Mobile Elaine Devereux Email: Tel: +44 (0) 7950 396249 Vodafone Group Jon Earl Janine Young E-mail: E-mail: Tel: +44 (0)1635 673310 Tel: +44 (0)1635 673310 Emma Conlon E-mail: Tel: +44 (0)1635 673310 mmO2 mmO2 has 100% ownership of mobile network operators in three countries -- the UK, Germany and Ireland -- as well as leading mobile Internet portal business. All of these businesses are branded as O2. Additionally, the company has operations on the Isle of Man (Manx Telecom) and owns O2 Airwave -- an advanced, digital emergency communications service. mmO2 was the first company in the world to launch and rollout a commercial GPRS (or 2.5G) network and has secured third generation mobile telephony ("3G") licences in the UK, Ireland and Germany. mmO2 has nearly 21 million customers and some 13,000 employees. It reported revenues for the year ended 31 March 2004 of 5.646 billion pounds Sterling. Data represented 22.0% of total service revenues in the quarter ending 31 March 2004. All mmO2 Group news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.mmo2.com/ NTT DoCoMo NTT DoCoMo is the world's leading mobile communications company with more than 48 million customers. The company provides a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services. These include i-mode(R), the world's most popular mobile internet service, which provides e-mail and internet access to over 41 million subscribers, and FOMA(R), launched in 2001 as the world's first 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA. In addition to wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe and North America, the company is expanding its global reach through strategic alliances with mobile and multimedia service providers in Asia- Pacific, Europe and North America. NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.nttdocomo.com/ i-mode and FOMA are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and other countries. NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is only available to subscribers in Japan. Orange Orange and wirefree are trademarks of Orange PCS. The Orange group is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies, with operations in 19 countries across Europe and beyond. It provides a broad range of personal communications services, including Orange GSM1800 services and other digital cellular telephone services. The Orange brand operates in the UK, France, Switzerland, Romania, Denmark, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Thailand, the Ivory Coast, the Dominican Republic, Cameroon, the Netherlands, Botswana and Madagascar. The Orange group also has controlled operations in Belgium (Mobistar). The Orange group has a joint controlling interest in Egypt (MobiNil) and minority interests in Portugal (Optimus), Austria (One), and Mumbai/India (BPL Mobile). As at the end of March 2004, Orange was the largest mobile operator in both the UK with 13.8 million active customers, and France with 20.4 million registered customers. As at the end of March 2004, Orange controlled companies had over 50 million customers worldwide. Orange, along with TIM, Telefonica and T-Mobile, is a founding member of the FreeMove alliance. Further information about Orange can be found on the Orange website at http://www.orange.com/. SMART Communications SMART Communications is the Philippines' leading wireless services provider with 15 million subscribers on its GSM network. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, the country's largest telecommunications carrier, SMART has introduced award-winning, world- first wireless services, including mobile commerce services such as Smart Money and Smart Load. It is a founding member of the Asian Mobility Initiative which promotes cooperation in the development of wireless services among its seven member-operators. Further information about SMART can be found at http://www.smart.com.ph/ TIM TIM (Telecom Italia Group) is the leading Italian mobile operator with 26.1 million lines, and with its subsidiaries and associate companies in Europe, South America and the Mediterranean basin has reached an overall number of 47.7 million lines (as of March 31, 2004). In a competitive environment, featuring a high rate of market penetration and rapid technological innovation, TIM has consolidated its leadership position opening Italy up to the mass market and has made it one of the most advanced markets in Europe. Strong financial capabilities, a solid patrimonial structure, a footprint in international markets with high development rates, the leadership in innovation and testing new technologies, the acclaimed and solid brand name, flexibility and a high professional profile are all factors that have given TIM a key role in the new mobile environment. For further information about TIM please visit http://www.tim.it/. Telefonica Moviles Telefonica Moviles is one of the world's largest mobile operators and the leading cellular company in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking markets. At 31 March 2004, Telefonica Moviles' customer base reached 66 million managed clients in 16 countries, as a result of the agreement to acquire the cellular assets of BellSouth in Latin America. During 2003, Telefonica Moviles obtained revenues of 10.070 billion euros, or 10.2% more than in 2002. EBITDA rose 19.5% to 4.463 billion euros, while net profit totalled 1.608 billion euros. Telefonica Moviles is a founding member of the FreeMove alliance of European mobile operators. The company's shares trade on the Spanish stock exchanges and the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TEM. For further information, see our website at http://www.telefonicamoviles.com/ T Mobile T-Mobile International is one of the world's leading companies in mobile communications. As one of Deutsche Telecom's four strategic divisions, T- Mobile concentrates on the most dynamic markets in Europe and the United States. By the end of the first quarter 2004, more than 96 million people were using the mobile communications services provided by companies in which T- Mobile or Deutsche Telekom have a majority or minority stake. And all that over a common technology platform based on GSM, the world's most successful digital wireless standard. This also makes T-Mobile the only mobile communications provider with a seamless transatlantic service. Vodafone Vodafone is the world's largest mobile community with 133.4 million proportionate customers, equity interests in 26 countries and Partner Networks in a further 13 countries. For further information about Vodafone, please visit the Vodafone Group website: http://www.vodafone.com/. Vodafone is a trade mark of the Vodafone Group. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trade marks of their respective owners. DATASOURCE: Vodafone CONTACT: David Nicholas, Director of Communications, +44-771-575-9176, or O2 press office, +44-1753-628402, , or Simon Gordon, Press Relations Manager, +44-771-007-0698, , both of mmO2; or Eijun Tanaka, or Takuya Ori, International PR, Public Relations Department, +81-3-5156-1366, or Fax, +81-3-5501-3408, , both of NTT DoCoMo; or Lucy Thoubboron, +44-7968-534-796, , or Katie Wood, , both of Orange Group; or Ramon S. Isberto, Head, Public Affairs of SMART Communications, Inc., +632-511-3101, or Fax, +632-511-3101, ; or Gabriele Sciacca, Head of TIM Press Office, +39-06-3688-2610, or Fax, +39-06-3688-2102, , or Roberta Vivenzio, , or Marina Marchetti, , TIM Press Office, +39-06-3688-2499, or Fax, +39-06-3688-2102, all of Telecom Italia Mobile; or Javier Garcia of Telefonica Moviles, +34-680014607, ; or Elaine Devereux of T Mobile, +44-7950-396249, ; or Jon Earl, +44-1635-673310, , or Janine Young, +44-1635-673310, , or Emma Conlon, +44-1635-673310, , all of Vodafone Group Web site: http://www.vodafone.com/ http://www.telefonicamoviles.com/ http://www.tim.it/ http://www.smart.com.ph/ http://www.orange.com/ http://www.nttdocomo.com/ http://www.mmo2.com/