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Company Introduces Country's
First Affordable, Comprehensive Messaging Device and Service
Only Mobile Device Under $100 to Offer IM and E-Mail from
AOL®, MSN®, Yahoo!®, and More
For Release: Monday, September 27, 2004
REDMOND, Wash. - All of those messages typically
confined to the desktop are about to be unleashed with Ogo™
- a radically new, hip, and affordable mobile messaging device
for the masses, particularly teens and young adults. Introduced
today and available exclusively from AT&T Wireless (NYSE:
AWE), Ogo is the first and only wireless messaging device
to provide unlimited instant messaging (IM) and email from
all three leading providers - AOL, MSN, and Yahoo! - plus
text messaging, all in a sleek, simple-to-use device.
At an affordable device price of $99 (after $30 mail-in rebate)
with unlimited messaging plans starting at only $17.99 per
month, Ogo provides customers with a wireless messaging device
priced for the typical consumer. Ogo-ers will be able to experience
instant messaging and email services in a dramatically different
way than most Americans do today. Ogo gives customers the
freedom to stay connected to their online communities while
on-the-go.
Ogo's design requirements and all other elements of its service
experience were created and directed by AT&T Wireless.
While designed specifically for multiple messaging applications,
the company expects instant messaging users to be among Ogo's
earliest adopters, since the device offers a near desktop-like
IM experience. According to figures released by the Pew Internet
and Life Project earlier this month, there are currently more
than 53 million IM users in the US today, and 24% of them
send more instant messages than email messages.*
"With Ogo, we are creating an entirely new category
and the next 'must have' device in the consumer electronics
space," said Andre Dahan, president of AT&T Wireless
Mobile Multimedia Services. "Unlike many of today's disappointing
multi-purpose wireless devices, we created Ogo to do one thing
- mobile messaging - extraordinarily well. Ogo doesn't pretend
to be 'all things to all people,' and is not bogged down by
hardly-used features or an out-of-reach price tag. Instead,
Ogo offers the most desirable mobile applications, on a smartly-designed
device that most people can afford."
Designed to appeal to the youth market and consumers of all
ages, AT&T Wireless believes that Ogo may benefit millions
of parents who simply want to reclaim their home computers.
"With Ogo, parents no longer have to contend with those
endlessly long IM sessions of teenagers and twenty-somethings,"
Dahan continued. "And, today's youth no longer have to
choose between 'logging-on' or 'heading-out' since Ogo lets
them do both at the same time."
In addition to its messaging applications and low price,
Ogo's appealing design and patent-pending technology offers
a variety of features to make mobile messaging fun and easy.
Ogo's unique clamshell case opens to reveal a large, color
screen and full keypad with "hot keys" to all major
messaging functions. With the click of a button, Ogo-ers can
read mail, compose messages, access IM contact lists, insert
emoticons, and view all open messages at a glance. In addition,
customers can get themselves up and running on Ogo by simply
turning it on and following the on-screen activation wizard
- bypassing the hassle of an in-store activation process.
OGO KEY FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS
Ogo is packed with features, including:
- "Clamshell" design unfolds to display large,
color screen and keypad;
- Full QWERTY keypad and 8-way navigation joystick pad;
- 4K color display;
- Compact size and weight: 11.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 2.5 cm (closed)
and 4.8 ounces;
- Special "hot keys" for simple navigation ---
including a special "emoticon" button for inserting
emoticons into IM chats and an "Ogo" button to
view all active messages and chats on one screen for easy
multitasking;
- Instant messaging on all three leading providers --- enables
users to view and conduct unlimited chat sessions with buddies
on Yahoo!, MSN, and AOL® instant messaging services;
- E-mail on all three leading providers --- send and receive
unlimited email from Yahoo!, MSN and AOL® accounts;
- Text messaging or SMS (Short Message Service) --- send
and receive unlimited text domestic messages to and from
standard wireless phones;
- Consolidated inbox --- view all e-mail and text messages
in a consolidated mailbox or sort by individual account;
- Special animated features --- Assign unique sounds and
visual animations to different IM friends/contacts so users
hear a different sound when each IM contact comes on-line
or sends a message;
- Access to e-mail from other select Internet Service Providers
and POP3 accounts at no additional charge;
- No annual service contract --- automatic credit card payment
for new activations;
- "Grab-n-Go" self-activation --- on-device activation
wizard gets users up and running themselves.
ON-BOARD WITH OGO
In bringing Ogo to market, AT&T Wireless teamed with
a number of world-class technology companies - from the major
desktop email/IM service providers to custom application developers
and manufacturers. AT&T Wireless said the combined expertise
and services of these companies enables Ogo to provide a complete
messaging solution for today's mobile consumers and a truly
unique hardware and software platform for the future.
"The Ogo is uniquely designed and ideally priced for
the generation that has literally grown up on instant messaging
and sees email as their primary mode of written communication,"
said Himesh Bhise, vice president and general manager, AOL
Mobile, America Online, Inc. "We are very pleased to
have worked with AT&T Wireless to offer our members and
users such a convenient and flexible extension of the AOL®
Mail and AOL Instant Messenger services."
"MSN's goal is to bring our customers closer to the
people and information that matter most to them. We're thrilled
to work with AT&T Wireless to help make this connection
real for our customers, even while on the go," said Brian
Arbogast, corporate vice president for the MSN Communications
Platform at Microsoft Corp. "Whether it's checking their
Hotmail or keeping in touch via MSN Messenger, with Ogo, MSN
customers will have their families and friends right at their
fingertips."
"Yahoo!'s services are essential to the lives of millions
of people, and AT&T Wireless' new Ogo gives us another
way to be there for our customers when they are on the move,"
said Doug Garland, senior vice president, broadband and mobile
services, Yahoo! Inc. "We are excited to give our loyal
consumers a new, easy way to access our leading Yahoo! Mail
and Yahoo! Messenger services on the latest mobile device.
Ogo is really designed to appeal to young consumers who have
grown up using both the desktop and mobile messaging."
After developing the idea for Ogo internally at AT&T
Wireless, the company selected IXI Mobile Inc., www.ixi.com,
to manage overall development and delivery of Ogo's software
and hardware based on their PMG® (Personal Mobile Gateway)
technology. In addition, custom middleware software from OZ,
www.oz.com, enables device
interoperability between Ogo and the major email and instant
messaging service platforms.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Ogo is available nationally for just $99 (after $30 mail-in
rebate) at AT&T Wireless stores and via the web at www.attwireless.com.
Monthly services plans start at $17.99 per month and include
access to one premium email/IM provider (AOL, MSN, or Yahoo!)
and unlimited incoming and outgoing messages. Access to additional
premium email/IM accounts costs $3 each, per month. All plans
include unlimited domestic text messaging. In addition, existing
AT&T Wireless customers on postpaid GSM™ accounts
can receive a special $3 per month discount when they add
Ogo to their current AT&T Wireless account. Additional
information can be found at www.attwireless.com/Ogo.
Attention Print Reporters: An on-line press kit with downloadable
images is available at www.attwireless.com/press.
Attention Broadcast Outlets: AT&T Wireless will issue
two satellite feeds with B-roll footage and executive interviews
related to Ogo. The feeds will occur on Monday, 9/27/04 at
1:00 PM - 1:15 PM (EASTERN) and again at 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
(EASTERN) on IA5 C09, 97 degrees West. Download frequency:
3880.000 Vertical. The feed point will be Fisher Pathways.
Tech Support Number: 206-404-4172. Beta copies available upon
request.
*Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project press release
dated 9/1/2004, http://www.pewinternet.org.
All trademarks are owned by their respective companies.
About AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless (NYSE: AWE) is the second-largest wireless
carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With 21.737
million subscribers as of June 30, 2004, and revenues of more
than $16.8 billion over the past four quarters, AT&T Wireless
delivers advanced high-quality mobile wireless communications
services, voice and data, to businesses and consumers, in
the U.S. and internationally.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements''
which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number
of assumptions concerning future events made by management
with information that is currently available to management.
Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation,
management's expectations regarding: our future financial
and operating performance and financial condition, including
the company's outlook for the fiscal year 2004 and subsequent
periods; the outcome of our pending transaction with Cingular;
subscriber growth; industry conditions; the strength of our
balance sheet; our liquidity and needs for additional financing;
and our ability to increase revenue, margins and operating
free cash flow.
Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking
statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are
subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many
of which are outside AT&T Wireless' control, that could
cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.
Without limitation these factors include: the risks associated
with the implementation of our technology migration strategy,
uncertainty concerning the effects of our pending transaction
with Cingular, our ability to continue to reduce costs and
increase the efficiency of our distribution channels, the
potential competitive impacts of industry consolidation or
alternative technologies, potential impacts on revenue and
ARPU from competitive pricing and slowing penetration in the
wireless industry, the effects of vigorous competition in
the markets in which we operate, the risk of decreased consumer
spending due to softening economic conditions, acts of terrorism,
and consumer response to new service offerings.
For a more detailed description of the factors that could
cause such a difference, please see AT&T Wireless' filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the
information under the heading "Additional Factors That
May Affect Our Business, Future Operating Results and Financial
Condition" and "Forward Looking Statements"
in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on August 6, 2004.
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