AT&T Wireless delivers only mobile device under $100 to offer IM and e-mail from AOL(R), MSN(R), Yahoo!(R), and more. Ogo, it does e-mail, IM and text, in line, on the street, at large.
Redmond, WA (PRWEB) Sept. 27, 2004 -- AT&T Wireless
(NYSE: AWE), AT&T Wireless introduces the OGO (TM)
All of those messages typically confined to the desktop are about to be unleashed with Ogo(TM) -- 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
- 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(R) Mail and AOL(R) Instant Messenger(TM)
(AIM(R)) 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., http://www.ixi.com, to manage overall development and delivery of Ogo's software and hardware based on their PMG(R) (Personal Mobile Gateway) technology. In addition, custom middleware software from OZ,
http://www.oz.com, enables device interoperability between Ogo and the major email and instant messaging service platforms.
Pricing and Availability
- is available nationally for just $99 (after $30 mail-in rebate) at AT&T Wireless stores and via the web at 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(TM) 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 attwireless.com/ogo.
- Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project press release dated
9/1/2004, http://www.pewinternet.org.
NOTE: All trademarks are owned by their respective companies.
About AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless 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 annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 5, 2004.
Jeremy Pemble Danielle Perry
425-580-5997 (office) 201-576-7707 (office)
425-894-5012 (wireless) 646-256-1477 (wireless)
jeremy.pemble@attws.com danielle.perry@attws.com
Name: Jeremy Pemble
Company: AT&T Wireless
Office: (425) 580-5997
Wireless: (425) 894-5012
E-mail: jeremy.pemble@attws.com
Name: Danielle Perry
Company: AT&T Wireless
Office: (201) 576-7707
Wireless: (646) 256-1477
E-mail: danielle.perry@attws.com
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