LAS VEGAS, March 20, 2001 — The MSN® network of Internet services, a division of Microsoft Corp., together with Motorola Inc. and Arch Wireless Inc., a leading wireless Internet messaging and mobile information provider, today announced an agreement to provide consumers with access to the popular MSN Hotmail® and MSN Messenger Service communications services, as well as additional content from MSN Mobile, on Motorola’s wireless messaging device, the Talkabout® model T900 2-way.
The relationship brings together three leaders in the communications and services industries to expand consumers’ choices with the development of a new on-the-go wireless communications solution for any time, any place access, based on network availability. This new MSN Mobile messaging solution enables the millions of users of the MSN Hotmail Web-based e-mail service and MSN Messenger in the United States to communicate and stay connected.
“This solution is perfect for anyone that wants an affordable, wireless way to stay connected to family and friends”
said Yusuf Mehdi, vice president of MSN.
“And teenagers are going to love it! This device is perfectly suited for the way they communicate.”
MSN, Motorola and Arch Wireless will be offering an MSN-branded wireless e-mail solution that will allow users to send and receive MSN Hotmail messages and a wireless instant messaging solution that will allow users to communicate with their MSN Messenger contacts using their Motorola Talkabout T900 2-way messaging device. This service, available in the United States only, will use Arch’s nationwide two-way network, which currently covers every major market, scheduled to start in the second half of the year. MSN and Arch Wireless have entered into a marketing agreement to distribute these MSN-branded devices over the next three years.
“We are excited about this new relationship among MSN, Motorola and Arch Wireless,”
said Mike Pellon, vice president and general manager of Wireless Messaging at Motorola.
“E-mail and instant messaging have been the ‘killer apps’ on the Internet. This relationship will enable users of MSN to untether themselves from their PCs while retaining all the online functionality.”
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As a result of this agreement, soon millions of users of MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger will have the opportunity to experience the virtues of Arch’s two-way wireless messaging network based on Motorola’s ReFlex âprotocol,”
said C. Edward Baker Jr., chairman and CEO of Arch Wireless.
“Our two-way network, one of the most ubiquitous and reliable networks in the country for data communications, provides users with the ability to communicate wirelessly anytime and virtually anywhere in the United States while receiving the high-quality functionality they experience online at the desktop. We’re extremely pleased that MSN has chosen to work with Arch Wireless.”
MSN Hotmail has more than 90 million active users, and it was recently announced that MSN Messenger is the No. 1 free instant messaging service in the world, with over 29.5 million users.
The Motorola Talkabout T900, a lightweight, pocket-sized wireless device with a four-line display screen and full QWERTY keyboard that makes reading and composing messages easy, is the leading consumer-targeted two-way text messaging device that has shipped more than 850,000 units in the United States since its introduction last year.
Using the Motorola Talkabout T900, users of MSN will be able to access their MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger accounts from the palm of their hand, where they can read, reply to, forward, delete and store e-mail messages, and engage in real-time conversations on MSN Messenger.
About Motorola
Motorola Inc. (NYSE
“MOT”
) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2000 were $37.6 billion. More information can be found at Motorola’s company Web site: http://www.motorola.com/ .
About Arch Wireless
Arch Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: Arch), headquartered in Westborough, Mass., is a leading two-way wireless Internet messaging and mobile information company with operations throughout the United States. The company offers a full range of wireless messaging services, including wireless e-mail, two-way mobile data and paging. It provides local, regional and nationwide wireless services to customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Additional information on Arch is available on the Internet at http://www.arch.com/ .
About MSN
MSN gives consumers a new home on the Internet — a central place where they can get everything they need from the Web and make the most of their time online. With more than 230 million visitors per month, the MSN integrated network of content and services is the most popular destination on the Internet. MSN is available in 33 markets and in 17 languages — a broader global presence than any other network. MSN takes advantage of the Microsoft® .NET platform to offer leading services, any time, any place and on any device, with an integrated and personalized user experience for communications, search, shopping, personal finance and entertainment. MSN Internet Access and the recently introduced MSN Explorer offer quick, personal and exciting ways to get on to and take advantage of the Web. Best-of-breed services include the MSN Hotmail Web-based e-mail service, the world’s largest Web-based e-mail system; MSN Messenger Service, one of the fastest-growing instant messaging services on the Web; MSN Search, the second most popular online search service; MSN Mobile, the customizable wireless information service; the award-winning MSN MoneyCentral™
online personal finance guide; MSN eShop, the one-stop online shopping resource; and MSN Custom Web Sites, the easy way to share information on the Web. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, MSN, Hotmail and MoneyCentral are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
©2001 Microsoft Corp.
MOTOROLA, the Stylized M Logo and all other trademarks indicated as such herein are trademarks of Motorola Inc. Ò Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Ó 2,001 Motorola, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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