News Release
Kurt Steinert Lucent Technologies - Mobility Solutions +1 973-386-8438 (office) +1 908-285-1641 (mobile) ksteinert@lucent.com Kim Haneke Novatel Wireless, Inc. +1 858-812-0621 (office) +1 619-300-6437 (mobile) khaneke@novatelwireless.com |
Emily Baxter Lucent Technologies - Europe +44 (0) 20 7004 0140 (office) +44 (0) 7803 278 821 (mobile) baxtere@lucent.com 3 Australia - Liz Rex +612 9964 4831 3 Denmark - Mika Lassen +45 3527 5452 3 Italy - Gian Marco Litrico +39 0244 582129 3 Sweden - Georg Ebert +46 8505 673 15 |
with UMTS PC card modems to support mobile high-speed data services
3 to offer high speed mobile internet access to laptop PC users in Australia, Denmark, Italy and Sweden using Merlin U530TM Wireless PC Card Modem from Lucent and Novatel Wireless.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, APRIL 6 2004
Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU), Novatel Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVTL) and 3 today announced an agreement to provide Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) wireless PC cards to 3 customers in Australia, Denmark, Italy and Sweden. The agreement is available to other 3 markets worldwide.
The Merlin U530TM PC cards were jointly developed by Lucent and Novatel Wireless and will enable 3 to offer its customers high speed wireless access to the internet and corporate intranet.
The PC cards operate on 3's 3G networks at speeds up to 384 kilobytes per second, allowing customers to have all the benefits of high speed access to the internet and corporate intranet, while allowing them to be fully mobile.
Under the terms of the contract, Lucent and Novatel Wireless will supply 3 with the Merlin U530TM PC cards, as well as system software and services.
"The Merlin U530 PC cards are a great addition to our 3G mobile product offerings," said Tim Gallagher, from 3's global procurement team. "This agreement with Lucent and Novatel Wireless puts 3 in a great position to meet the demand from business customers for high-speed access to internet-based services and corporate networks on their laptop PCs," Mr Gallagher said.
"3 already offers a high-speed data mobility capability with its 3G network and handsets. The cards supplied by Lucent and Novatel provide the ideal complementary device to provide PC data mobility," Mr Gallagher said.
Lucent has conducted substantial primary research on the market for mobile high-speed data services, sponsoring a series of in-depth market studies that revealed substantial demand for 3G mobile data access among businesses, particularly for mobile office types of applications such as e-mails with data-heavy attachments, and corporate Intranet and Internet access.
Lucent also has been conducting joint UMTS pilot networks deployments with operators in Europe, and recently conducted evaluations of these efforts. Feedback from the pilots has demonstrated the readiness of Lucent's UMTS offer and the benefits of its high-speed data solutions with end users. Businesses involved in the trials have outlined benefits such as increased customer facing time by up to 11% on average per week, more effective out of office employee productivity and increased potential for sales growth.
"The Merlin U530 cards will enable 3's customers to take advantage of the super-fast mobile data services that 3G UMTS networks make possible," said David Poticny, president, Lucent Europe, Middle East and Africa. "These services are particularly attractive to business users, and these agreements put 3 in an ideal position to start tapping the enormous demand for mobile data services in the business market."
"We look forward to working with 3 and Lucent on this deployment, and appreciate this opportunity to demonstrate the advantages that 3G UMTS has to offer consumers and businesses," said Peter Leparulo, CEO of Novatel Wireless. "This represents another key milestone in our efforts to promote the rapid adoption of mobile high-speed data solutions and further expands our market penetration in Asia-Pacific and European regions," Mr Poticny said.
ABOUT 3
3 is the global brand name for Hutchison Whampoa's 3G services. The Group operates 3 in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with over 1 million customers worldwide. The Group also holds 3G UMTS licences in Ireland, Israel and Norway.
ABOUT LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES
Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit www.lucent.com.
ABOUT NOVATEL WIRELESS, INC.
Novatel Wireless, Inc. is a global leader in the design and development of wireless modems, software and custom engineering for use in mobile computing devices. Novatel Wireless MerlinTM PC Cards, ExpediteTM Embedded Modems, and Freedom BoxTM Ruggedized Modems enable high-speed wireless access to personal, corporate and public information via portable computers, handheld devices and vertical market applications. The company delivers innovative 2.5G and 3G solutions to operators, distributors and vertical markets worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novatel Wireless is listed on NASDAQ: NVTL.
© 2003 Novatel Wireless. All rights reserved. The Novatel Wireless logo, Merlin, Merlin U530, Expedite, and Freedom Box, are trademarks of Novatel Wireless, Inc. All other brands, products and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holders.
This release may contain forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended to date. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. These factors include risks relating to technological changes, continued acceptance of Novatel Wireless' products and dependence on intellectual property rights. These factors, as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, are discussed in more detail in Novatel Wireless' filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (available at www.sec.gov) and other regulatory agencies.