Mobility Phones - Mobile Phones

Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, today announced the launch of two new innovative voice and data roaming offers, designed to make it easier and cheaper for customers to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues whilst travelling abroad within the EU.These latest additions to the Orange Travel portfolio of roaming offers for both consumer and business customers will be available across the European network footprint from this summer, responding to customer demand for simple, transparent and cost-effective roaming services in line with its Orange Travel philosophy.

The new voice roaming offer, Favourite Countries, is the first service of its kind and will be of particular benefit to those that travel regularly abroad or those that live or operate on borders but will also have appeal to occasional roamers. Customers are charged an upfront monthly fee - EUR5 (EUR4.18 ex. VAT) in France for example and there are no hidden charges. Customers simply select a country or countries of their choice from a list of eligible countries and then benefit from discounted or national rates when calling anywhere in the EU from those countries. Favourite Countries is expected to deliver price reductions of between 18 and 60% off the regulated Eurotariff (outgoing rates), regardless of the network that the customer is roaming on. As an example, customers of Orange France will be charged EUR0.37 per minute (EUR0.31 ex.VAT), instead of EUR0.59 (EUR0.49 ex.VAT) for outgoing calls (this is a 37% saving) when calling abroad in their favourite country. The offer is available today in France and Romania and is being extended (subject to local adaptations(x)) to the UK, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia and Switzerland across the summer and to Poland in September. The offer will be further extended across Orange’s African and Middle Eastern operations under the name ‘Pays Sans Frontieres’ by the end of 2008.

The second new addition to the roaming portfolio, Travel Data Daily makes it simpler and more affordable for occasional data roamers to access their emails and browse the web on their laptop or mobile device when traveling abroad. With Travel Data Daily, customers pay a fixed price removing the need to choose between standard roaming, hotspot or hotel charges. One upfront fee makes the offer simple, good value and predictable. The fixed price of Travel Data Daily will range from EUR12-15 (inc. VAT) for 50Mb for daily internet access within the EU. Travel Data Daily is expected to provide up to 90% savings for customers on standard data roaming prices. The offer will be rolled out across the summer months in UK, France, Spain, Poland, Belgium and Romania and by the end of the year in Slovakia.

The two new offers join Orange’s broad range of Orange Travel roaming offers that respond to customers’ different voice and data needs when roaming. Orange has developed segmented offers taking into the account the frequency of travel, the intensity of usage, and the type of device used. In 2007 Orange had 24 million Orange Travel customers and confirms a two digits increase in users in Q1 2008, compared with Q1 2007, indicating a favourable response to Orange’s approach to roaming.

Orange already provides a range of protective measures to help customers avoid unexpected roaming costs such as SMS prompts that require the customer to agree to roaming rates before connecting. In addition, the company is introducing a number of new measures in 2008 that will see all laptop users across the Orange footprint benefiting from up-to-the-minute clarity on their data usage, both at home and abroad. Additionally, as standard across all Orange markets by the end of 2008, all voice and data roamers will also receive automated SMS alerts highlighting roaming charges and offering solutions such as Travel Data Daily.

“Our research shows that customers are not just looking for better value but also for greater simplicity and predictability in their roaming services,” said Brigitte Bourgoin, Executive Vice President, Mobile Operations, Orange. “These new offers, which are consistent in concept but local in adaptation, directly respond to this customer demand.

“These offers also demonstrate that competition is alive and well in the roaming market. The data roaming market specifically is undergoing transformation from a business to business market to a mass market. As the volume of usage increases, as we are experiencing - with a three digits growth of data volumes (from 2006 to 2007) prices are and will continue to decrease.”

Over 90% of mobile operator EBITDA growth came from emerging markets in Q4 2007, according to a new Strategy Analytics report, “Wireless Operator Performance Benchmarking, Q4 2007.” Over two-thirds of mobile operators in Western Europe saw margins fall in the quarter, highlighting the need to look further afield for growth.This quarterly report provides a health check for the wireless operator community, tracking the operational and financial performance of 146 individual operators, accounting for 80% of the world’s cellular users. It found EBITDA levels for mobile operators in mature markets increased by just 1.5% between Q4 2006 and Q4 2007, compared to 28% growth in emerging markets, with mature markets accounting for less than 10% of all EBITDA growth between those quarters.

“The problem is most acute in Western Europe, where profitability peaked in mid 2006,” comments David Kerr, Vice President Global Wireless Practice. “By contrast, most emerging markets remain in robust health and now account for 40% of wireless operator EBITDA and over 90% of growth.”

Phil Kendall, Director, Global Wireless Practice, and author of the report, adds, “This trend brings into focus Orange’s reported interest in TeliaSonera or Telenor. Orange has done well to increase its presence in Africa in 2007, even though its reach in other emerging regions is limited. Over 70% of Orange’s proportionate wireless subscribers are still in Western Europe, compared to 20% of TeliaSonera’s and less than 10% of Telenor’s.”

Motorola, Inc., a major contributor to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard, has joined the LTE/System Architecture Evolution (SAE) Trial Initiative (LSTI). This industry group is driving the acceleration of commercial and interoperable next-generation LTE mobile broadband systems through the collaborative efforts of leading telecommunications companies worldwide.”Motorola has significant expertise in OFDM-based technologies and mobile broadband innovation,” said Darren McQueen, vice president, IMS, Cellular and Broadband Network Technologies, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility. “Joining the LSTI supports our commitment from our networks and mobile devices teams to the advancement of technologies that will deliver the media mobility experiences that consumers today have come to expect.”

Motorola is leveraging its success in being among the first to deliver 802.16e commercial systems by reusing a significant amount of its WiMAX research and development, coupled with its rich heritage in cellular networking, Motorola chipsets, network and video head-end solutions, and professional services to deliver its end-to-end LTE solution.

Motorola is among the vendors selected by Verizon Wireless and Vodafone to participate in their joint LTE trials during 2008. Motorola also is planning a number of other field trials during 2008. For more details about Motorola’s LTE solutions please visit: http://www.motorola.com/lte

About LSTI

The LTE/SAE Trial Initiative (LSTI) is a global, collaborative technology trial initiative focused on accelerating the availability of commercial and interoperable next generation LTE mobile broadband systems. The Initiative was formally launched in May 2007 by leading telecommunications companies Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Orange, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Since its inception LSTI has expanded to also include in its membership China Mobile, Huawei, LG Electronics, NTT DoCoMo, NXP, Samsung, Signalion, Telecom Italia, Qualcomm, ZTE, Rohde and Schwarz, and Motorola.

Ericsson aunched the Ericsson Multimedia Communication Suite (MCS) - bringing to consumers popular services they already enjoy on the Internet in a new and enhanced mobile way. The intuitive user interface will be integrated into selected new Sony Ericsson devices such as the W760.With the Ericsson MCS, mobile operators will be able to offer their customers a suite of attractive services. Consumers will be able to access new and existing services from the address book - with an interface including rich presence functionality such as avatars, photos and personal free text. The solution also keeps track of friends and their applications so consumers will always see who is available for different applications. The user has full control over what type of information is available.

The Internet has evolved from being mainly information and content oriented to becoming more communication and people related. Through extensive consumer research done by Ericsson ConsumerLab in Europe, Asia and USA, there are clear signs that communication services on the Internet, like communities, blogs, instant messaging etc, are also demanded in a mobile context. Our study shows that enriched communication services like chat, sending files and presence on the mobile phone, are of very great interest to consumers.

The intuitive user interface integrates new MCS applications such as chat and file transfer smoothly with existing voice, video call, SMS and MMS services. Having all contacts and services available through one presence-enabled address book creates a feeling of being closer to friends and family. This stimulates new types of spontaneous communication using both existing and new services. Ericsson has learned from its consumer research that today’s communication is about so much more than just making announcements: it has evolved into the sharing of everyday experiences. Presence alone with personal messages and avatars will be of great interest to many consumers supporting everyday sharing of experiences.

Claes Odman, head of Multimedia Solutions, Business Unit Multimedia at Ericsson, says: “We see from studies that the communication patterns are changing, messaging type of services is dominating and the demand for enriched communication is here. With our Multimedia Communication Suite we can take the consumer experience one step further, making it easier with intuitive interface and allow people to communicate in a richer way.”

Ericsson MCS will initially be available for selected Sony Ericsson feature phones. In Barcelona the MCS solution will be demonstrated live on popular Sony Ericsson phones. The MCS is built on IMS architecture and is aligned with the industry initiative Rich Communication Suite (RCS) that aims for broad industry interoperability and acceptance by utilizing standardized IMS service features. RCS is a group of key operators, infrastructure and device vendors comprised of Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung, who have joined in an effort to facilitate the evolution of mobile communication toward rich communication.

Since the announcement of its arrival in France, iPhone has already won over more than 63,000 fans who have registered on www.iphone.orange.fr, confirming its status as a “must-have” device. iPhone combines three devices into one-a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device-all based on Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch interface and pioneering software that allows users to control iPhone with just a tap, flick or pinch of their fingers.Its design and interface make it a “one of a kind” mobile, finally offering a genuine mobile Internet experience.

Bringing this to life for customers across France, Orange will be holding late-night openings at 12 of its stores, when iPhone is unveiled on Wednesday November 28, 2007. Bordeaux, Lille, Lyons, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nancy, Nice, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse will be welcoming iPhone fans from 6:30 pm onwards. In Paris, Orange will take this opportunity to inaugurate its brand new store at 125, avenue des Champs-Elysees.

As exclusive carrier for iPhone in France, Orange has developed a range of four “Orange for iPhone” plans. These offers have designed to let customers make the most of this revolutionary device that will change the way customers communicate.

All four “Orange for iPhone” plans include:

*Visual Voicemail, an industry first, which allows consumers to see a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to previous messages. Just like email, Visual Voicemail on iPhone enables users to immediately access the messages that interest them most, in the order they want.

*Unlimited access to email and the Internet 3, which combined with the revolutionary features of iPhone, at last offers true Internet browsing

With this range of dedicated offers, Orange is meeting iPhone customer expectations in terms of voice, sms & wifi, with prices ranging from EUR49 to EUR119 euros per month, and the iPhone available for EUR399.

Orange is also offering iPhone at EUR549 to customers who do not wish to benefit from one of the four “Orange for iPhone” plans and at EUR649, without a plan. The cost of unlocking the handset is 100 euros during the six months following the acquisition of the iPhone, regardless of the package chosen.

Apple and Orange today announced that Orange, the leading wireless carrier in France, will be the exclusive French carrier partner for the revolutionary iPhone(TM) when it makes its debut in France on Thursday, November 29. iPhone combines three devices into one — a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod, and the best mobile Internet device ever — all based on Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch interface and pioneering software that allows users to control iPhone with just a tap, flick or pinch of their fingers. Apple sold its one millionth iPhone just 74 days after it went on sale in the US on June 29.”We are excited to partner with Orange and bring iPhone to France in time for the holidays,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone is an amazing product and we hope mobile users in France will love it as much as we do.”

“The iPhone is a marvelous product and will change how people think about mobile. I’m delighted that it is launching in France through Orange, and I’m sure that our customers share my excitement. Our partnership with Apple is a natural fit because we are two global brands who share the same values of simplicity and innovation. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas for Orange customers all over the country!” said Didier Lombard, CEO, France Telecom.

In addition to all the revolutionary features that made iPhone so popular in the US, iPhone users in France will have access to Apple’s latest music offerings on iPhone including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store offers customers the ability to browse, search, preview, purchase and download songs and albums from iTunes over the built-in Wi-Fi on their iPhone. Music fans can start enjoying their music purchases immediately on their iPhone with no computer required. Once they connect their iPhone back to their PC or Mac, downloaded music will automatically sync back into their iTunes library.

Pricing & Availability

iPhone is scheduled to go on sale on November 29 and will be sold in France through Orange’s online and direct retail stores. iPhone will be available in an 8GB model for euro 399 including V.A.T. for any subscription to one of the dedicated rate plans and will work with either a PC or Mac.

iPhone activation will require an Internet connection; an iTunes Store account; the latest version of iTunes available at http://www.itunes.fr and a PC or Mac with a USB 2.0 port and one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later; Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later; or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise or Ultimate Edition.

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom.

Palm and Orange have announced the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 680 smartphone, running on the Palm OS(R) platform. The Treo 680 smartphone is ideal for the professional consumer who wants a more advanced phone experience on a single device, including access to email, web browsing, messaging and a range of features that are easy to use.(1)”Orange is pleased to bring the new Palm OS Treo smartphone to its customers in Switzerland,” said Sebastian Petit, product manager, Orange. “The Treo 680 empowers users with a mobile connection to their email, calendar and contacts, as well as web browsing, messaging, multimedia, and more. We believe the Treo 680 smartphone, combined with the Orange Business Mail offering, will serve our customers’ needs and help expand our customer base.”

The Palm Treo 680 smartphone is easy to use because of the multiple innovations it encompasses, including the following:

– A new internal antenna enables a sleeker design;

– An improved phone application on the Treo 680 allows users to dial faster;

– The ability to ignore calls with a quick text message lets users tell a caller “I’m in a meeting” or “Can’t talk now”;

– The large, bright color screen is perfect for viewing email, documents or spreadsheets via DataViz Documents To Go(R), and even photos and movies;

– The highly regarded built-in QWERTY keyboard has improved buttons, making it even easier to type emails or SMS messages;

– The messaging application displays text-messaging conversations as “threaded chats,” similar to IM, so users can see their entire conversation with a particular person; and

– The Treo 680 also can be used as an MP3 player and has an integrated digital camera with video-capture support and video player, with simpler organization for photos and photo slideshows.

“Bringing the Treo 680 to Orange customers in Switzerland is the latest step in growing our Treo customer base geographically and demographically,” said Roy Bedlow, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Palm, Inc. “With its affordability, ease of use and style, the Treo 680 announced today with Orange is bringing Treo smartphones to the attention of new customers and markets.”

More information about the Treo 680 smartphone is available at www.palm.com/Treo680.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc., a leader in mobile computing, strives to put the power of computing in people’s hands so they can access and share their most important information. The company’s products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm(R) Treo(TM) smartphones, Palm handheld computers, and Palm LifeDrive(TM) mobile managers, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm Retail Stores and Palm online stores (http://www.palm.com/store).

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at http://www.palm.com/ch.

(1) Within wireless service coverage area only. Availability and coverage depends upon carrier and the geographic scope of international roaming agreements. Email, messaging and web access requires data services from a mobile service provider at an additional cost. Email account not included. EDGE service not available in all areas.

Broadcast Video and Other Palm Materials

Broadcast video and other materials are available online from Palm’s Multimedia Library (www.palm.com/MultimediaLibrary). Press can register at the site, which is hosted by The NewsMarket (www.TheNewsMarket.com), a web-based news and video archive, to browse and preview an extensive content library and order footage directly from their desktops. Registration and ordering on the site is free.

Palm, Palm OS, Treo and LifeDrive are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to Palm, Inc. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.

Palm Inc. and Orange France Business Services have announced the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 680 smartphone, running on the Palm OS(R) platform. The Treo 680 smartphone is ideal for the professional consumer who wants a more advanced phone experience on a single device, including access to email, web browsing, messaging and a range of features that are easy to use.(1)”Orange Business Services France is pleased to introduce the new generation of Palm OS Treo smartphone in its portfolio,” said Jean-Marie Culpin, vice president, Orange France Business Services. “The Treo 680 messaging solution is targeted toward any business that wants to empower its employees with a mobile connection to their Outlook email, calendar and contacts. We believe the Treo 680 smartphone, combined with the Orange Business Mail offering, is a compelling device to serve our customer needs and expand our current business customer base.”

The Palm Treo 680 smartphone is easy to use because of the multiple innovations it encompasses, including the following:

– Improved phone application, which allows users to dial and navigate the phone features more quickly;

– Ability to ignore calls and send a quick text message, such as “In a meeting” or “Can’t talk right now”;

– A full QWERTY keyboard with improved buttons, making it even easier to type emails or SMS text messages; and

– A messaging application that displays text-messaging conversations as “threaded chats,” meaning users can see their entire conversations with a particular person.

“Palm remains focused on introducing Treo smartphones that will be user-friendly and affordable for both business and consumers,” said Roy Bedlow, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Palm, Inc. “The Treo 680 announced today with Orange is a good proof point.”

More information about the Treo 680 smartphone is available at www.palm.com/Treo680.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc., a leader in mobile computing, strives to put the power of computing in people’s hands so they can access and share their most important information. The company’s products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm(R) Treo(TM) smartphones, Palm handheld computers, and Palm LifeDrive(TM) mobile managers, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm Retail Stores and Palm online stores (http://www.palm.com/store).

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at http://www.palm.com.

(1) Within wireless service coverage area only. Availability and coverage depends upon carrier and the geographic scope of international roaming agreements. Email, messaging and web access requires data services from a mobile service provider at an additional cost. Email account not included. EDGE service not available in all areas.

Broadcast Video and Other Palm Materials

Broadcast video and other materials are available online from Palm’s Multimedia Library (www.palm.com/MultimediaLibrary). Press can register at the site, which is hosted by The NewsMarket (www.TheNewsMarket.com), a web-based news and video archive, to browse and preview an extensive content library and order footage directly from their desktops. Registration and ordering on the site is free.

Palm, Palm OS, Treo and LifeDrive are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to Palm, Inc. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.

Orange France has launched the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) services in Toulouse and Bordeaux, using Nokia’s HSDPA solution. Orange will be able to operate its network more cost-efficiently with the Nokia solution, and offer its customers faster data services and an enhanced service experience.
 
“HSDPA will offer significant speed and efficiency benefits to us and our customers. We are delighted with the excellent performance of Nokia’s HSDPA solution, which supports us in bringing mobile broadband services to the market,” says Nicolas Roy, Technical Director, Orange France.
 
In addition to WCDMA 3G and HSDPA infrastructure, Nokia has provided Orange with radio optimization services for optimal HSDPA experience.
 
“We are extremely pleased to further contribute to Orange’s expansion to mobile broadband services,” says Damien Santé, Account Director, Networks, Nokia. “We believe that HSDPA will be yet another improvement to the experience of Orange mobile users, not only in terms of higher bit rates, but also because of a better latency, enhanced usability of current applications and enabling new types of real-time applications, in particular in the enterprise sector. This means, for example, that a typical music song can be downloaded in 20 seconds with HSDPA, while it would last a bit less than two minutes with WCDMA.”
 
In WCDMA 3G, Nokia has 63 customers to date. High-performing Nokia HSPA is a simple software upgrade to Nokia WCDMA networks, thus enabling a fast, cost-effective rollout. Nokia HSPA is made up of two key technologies, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), enabling true mobile broadband with breakthrough data speeds up to 14.4 Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.8 Mbps in the uplink.
 
Nokia HSDPA offers almost 10-times faster data services than current 3G networks, generating an enhanced service experience. Nokia is a leader in the HSDPA market, with a large number of HSDPA contracts. Many network operators have already opened their HSDPA networks with the Nokia solution.
 
About Orange
The Orange group is one of the world’s largest mobile communications companies and a subsidiary of the France Telecom group, with operations in 17 countries across Europe and beyond as at the end of September 2005. It provides a broad range of personal communications services, including Orange GSM1800 services and other digital cellular telephone services. Within the Orange Group, the Orange brand operates in the UK, France, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Slovakia, 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) and in Austria (One). As at the end of June 2005 Orange had 14.46 million active customers in the UK, and over 21.4 million registered customers in France. As at the end of June 2005, and not including customers in Poland (8.02 million customers), Orange controlled companies had over 56.1 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 www.orange.com.
 
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. 

Pantech to supply modern, stylish UMTS phones to Orange under Pantech brand

Plans to be a top five mobile phone brand in France by the end of 2008

Pantech Group, the leading Korean handset manufacturer, today announced that it has signed a landmark agreement with Orange - the second biggest mobile service carrier in Europe, - to supply branded UMTS phones in France.

The agreement with Orange, which is also the largest mobile service carrier in France, with around 23 million subscribers, marks Pantech’s first partnership with a Europe-based global mobile operator.

The new product which will be made available through Orange, - the U4000 - is a modern and stylish UMTS phone. It features a video telephony function incorporating a 1.3 mega pixel camera and VGA camera, a 1.9 inch 260,000 color TFT and 72 polyphonic ringtones. Other features include Bluetooth, a Micro SD card slot and an MP3 player.

Dennis Cheong, President, Pantech Europe, said: “This major partnership with Orange is an outstanding testament to the quality of Pantech’s advanced mobile handset technologies. More significantly, the agreement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers in Europe.”

“By supplying handsets through this deal with one of Europe’s most prestigious operators, we can build our position in the market and support the development of our brand in France and beyond. In turn, this will help us move closer to achieving our goal of positioning ourselves as a leading mobile handset manufacturer in the European handset market,” said Mr. Cheong.

Céline Thomas, Head of Product Marketing, Orange France, said: “We are happy to extend our supplier portfolio with Pantech’s U4000, a product compatible with key services of Orange such as TV Live, Music download and video telephony.”

With the signing of this deal, Pantech now provides its phones to all the three biggest carriers in France, having secured agreements with SFR and Bouygues Telecom earlier this year. Pantech Group plans to accelerate its business in France, with the aim of becoming one of the top five mobile phone brands in France by the end of 2008. U4000 features include:

• Network: Tri-band / UMTS
• Size & weight: 95 x 43 x 16.5 mm, 90g
• Display: 1.9” 260K TFT (size: 176 x 220 pixels)
• Camera: 1.3 Mega pixel + VGA dual camera72 polyphonic & MP3 ringtonesMemory: 30MB of user memory (+ Micro SD card slot provided)
• Video telephony / Bluetooth
• MPEG4, H.263, H.264
• WAP 2.0, JAVA MIDP 2.0, DRM 1.0

About Pantech:
Pantech, through its affiliates - Pantech Co., Ltd., Pantech&Curitel Communications, Inc. and Pantech C&I Co. - is one of Korea’s top three mobile handset makers and is the seventh largest handset manufacturer in the world. Pantech has been responsible for a number of breakthrough innovations in the mobile technology sector, including the introduction in 2004 of the world’s first fingerprint recognition camera phone, as well as award winning camcorder, MP3 and DMB phones. In 2005, Pantech affiliate Pantech&Curitel Communications acquired SK Teletech Co., the handset manufacturing arm of SK Telecom, the number one mobile network operator in South Korea. The SKY brand, originally marketed by SK Teletech as the most popular premium handset brand in South Korea, has since become part of the Pantech brand portfolio. Pantech markets its products under the SKY and Curitel brands in the domestic Korean market and under the Pantech brand overseas. Pantech collectively has approximately 3,500 employees and 21 regional sales offices worldwide. For more information on Pantech, please visit www.pantech.com.