SAN DIEGO, March 6, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Michael Pousti's opening-day keynote at MMS China in Beijing today was as much a look back, as it was a glimpse into the future. The chairman and chief executive officer of SMS.ac, Inc. (www.sms.ac) spoke to the conference crowd about integrated billing with mobile operators, interoperability and how to avoid history repeating itself.
"The Internet mantra 'Content is King' was pervasive during the 1990s," said Pousti. "Of course, 95% of activity on the Internet was and still is related to personal communications. Content isn't king and never has been; Communication is king. That is a message we have been preaching since 2001 and it is more relevant now than ever before. In speaking with attendees at MMS China, I have encouraged companies to steer clear of offering pure content plays, in favor of products and services that are founded in person-to-person communications."
"The fact that SMS.ac accomplished the largest product launch of any company in history, without an advertising or marketing budget demonstrates the incredible global demand for wireless, peer-to-peer messaging," continued Pousti. "As MMS becomes available across more networks, it makes sense to stick with what consumers are telling us they want -- killer applications that enable them to communicate in new ways, using their wireless device. There has never been a more optimistic outlook for mobile operators, due to the phenomenal amount of messaging that will be generated globally through the emergence of MMS communications."
Pousti noted that industry growth and increased revenues for operators are largely contingent upon the operators making it easy and affordable for third parties to integrate with their billing systems.
The CEO of the world's largest mobile community (www.sms.ac) presented a case study to MMS China attendees, pertaining to its U.K. operations (billing currently integrated with T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2 and Orange) that show annual ARPUs already being generated in excess of $48 (USD). "Compare the ARPU we are delivering today -- more than $4 per month, or approximately $48 per year -- to the total data ARPU projected annually for 2006 ($4.71) by a Morgan Stanley report dated March 2, 2003 and you know we've got a compelling story," said Pousti.
SMS.ac (www.sms.ac) is host to the largest mobile community in the world, with nearly 10 million users in more than 200 countries. To learn more about SMS.ac and to discover how its brandable text and multimedia-capable technology can be integrated into your company's existing infrastructure, visit www.sms.ac/corporate or contact bizdev@sms.ac.
SMS.ac's proprietary MMSbox is a technology platform that was designed for the interoperable delivery of text and multimedia messages to virtually any enabled wireless device. For more information on SMS.ac's core technology, visit www.sms.ac/mmsbox.
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About SMS.ac
SMS.ac is host to the largest wireless community in the world. With nearly 10 million members registered in 220 countries, SMS.ac is a truly global mobile community that has connectivity to more than 400 networks worldwide. Through its core MMSbox(tm) technologies, SMS.ac, Inc. enables worldwide wireless interaction between network operators, technology standards, the Internet, businesses, consumers and application/content developers. The result is interaction not previously possible amongst a critical mass of developers, consumers and businesses - igniting the widespread adoption and use of wireless data.
SMS.ac drives revenues through technology licensing, subscriptions, sponsorships and shared revenue opportunities. SMS.ac's consumer site (www.sms.ac) is an example of the brandable web interfaces to MMSbox(tm) technologies available for licensing. SMS.ac and MMSbox are trademarks of SMS.ac, Incorporated. Other trademarks or service marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. To view the SMS.ac corporate Website, visit www.sms.ac/corporate.