MIAMI, Sept. 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today announced the winners of the 3G CDMA Industry Achievement Awards, presented yesterday during the CDMA Americas Congress, taking place this week at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Both companies and individuals were recognized for excellence in deploying CDMA2000(r). The awards were presented by Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG, and Gerry Flynn, vice president, industry relations of the CDG and director, advanced technology strategy/standards for Verizon Wireless.
This year, the CDG added new award categories to recognize the most innovative applications and developers in both the consumer and enterprise markets. Ralph Simon, chairman of the Mobile Entertainment Forum's Americas group, selected and presented the consumer awards, while Ed Meskill, publisher/founder of Mobile Enterprise Magazine, selected and presented the enterprise awards.
"The CDMA community is leading in the delivery of 3G wireless services across the globe, and there are many accomplishments to recognize," said LaForge. "The CDG congratulates all recipients of this year's awards, and applauds their contributions to making CDMA2000 the technology of choice for 3G."
This year's 3G CDMA Industry Achievement Award recipients are:
-- Industry Leadership Award: Mr. Wang Jianzhou, China Unicom
This award is given to the individual who has provided dynamic
leadership in 3G CDMA industry activities, including contributions
to standards development and the growth and evolution of CDMA.
Wang Jianzhou of China Unicom, for demonstrating extraordinary
leadership in CDMA activities throughout Asia and worldwide.
-- International Leadership: KDDI, Reliance Infocomm
This award is given to the company that has contributed
significantly to the expansion of 3G CDMA through system
deployments.
KDDI, for its top share of net subscriber increase in the Japanese
market and its leadership in 3G in Japan, as well as for its
launch of 1xEV-DO services, branded as WIN.
Reliance Infocomm, for emerging as the largest wireless operator
in India since deploying CDMA2000 in March 2003, with more than 8
million customers.
-- Service Innovation: SK Telecom
This award is given to the carrier that has leveraged the
capabilities of 3G CDMA to introduce innovative services to the
market.
SK Telecom, for launching the world's first video telephony
service over 1xEV-DO.
-- Subscriber Technology Innovation: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
This award is given to the company that demonstrates forward
thinking in terms of services supported and terminal design.
Resulting products take advantage of the inherent benefits and
latest technological developments of 3G CDMA, offering consumers
state-of-the-art terminals in terms of both features and
packaging.
SANYO Electric Co. Ltd., for INFOBAR, a design-centric slim
candybar handset offering a variety of multimedia capabilities.
-- Network Technology Innovation: Lucent Technologies
This award is given to the company that has introduced network
capabilities that allow CDMA carriers flexible and cost-effective
solutions for implementing advanced features and an easy solution
path to further enhancements.
Lucent Technologies, for demonstrated global leadership in the
development of CDMA2000 standards, contributing to the growth of
CDMA2000 worldwide.
-- Innovative Solutions: Comverse
This Award is given to the company that has brought new ideas and
different approaches to product deployment. Solutions provide
value-added, cost-effective implementations for operators
supporting the advancement of CDMA into the market.
Comverse, for the implementation of its Multimedia Messaging
Service Center and eXtensible Messaging Framework, which enable
users to send and receive messages with media elements such as
text, image, sound and video.
In the Consumer awards category, the winners are:
-- Innovative Application of Music/Audio: WIZ Technologies
Given to the application developer that has leveraged the
capabilities of the 3G wireless medium to offer unique and
appealing music and/or audio applications to the consumer market.
WIZ Technologies, for its CrazyTones ringtone application that
takes advantage of QCELP to provide truly unique ringtones.
-- Innovative Mobile Game Development: JAMDAT Mobile Inc., Sprint
Given to the game developer that has leveraged the capabilities of
the 3G wireless medium to introduce a unique title or re-develop a
console game with broad appeal to the consumer market.
JAMDAT Mobile Inc., for its JAMDAT Bejeweled and JAMDAT Bowling 2
Multiplayer games, offering a real-time, one-on-one mobile
multiplayer gaming experience.
Sprint, for the Sprint Game Lobby, the first carrier-based game
community in the world, which attracted more than 150,000
subscribers in just a few months after launch.
-- Innovative Use of Messaging: LightSurf
Given to the application developer that has leveraged the
capabilities of the 3G wireless medium to offer applications to
the consumer market that have an innovative use of messaging.
LightSurf, for its PictureMail picture messaging service, a user-
friendly system that manages more than 5 million picture messages
a month.
-- Innovative Entertainment Technology Development: Tira Wireless
Given to the platform developer that has leveraged the
capabilities of the 3G wireless medium to develop technologies
that enable developers to create innovative entertainment
applications.
Tira Wireless, for its Tira Jump patent-pending software platform
that enables handset manufacturers, mobile operators, application
developers and publishers to overcome the challenges of device
fragmentation and port applications across a broad range of
handsets, languages and mobile operator requirements.
In the Enterprise awards category, the winners are:
-- Innovative Wireless Enterprise Solution Implementation: Valkyrie
Commissioning Services, Inc.
Given to the company that has implemented a wireless enterprise
application via a 3G network with the aim of streamlining
operations, increasing worker productivity and achieving a
compelling return on investment.
Valkyrie Commissioning Services, Inc., for implementing a CDMA2000
wireless productivity mobile application solution using mobile
phones to access e-mail and supplier information.
-- Innovative Wireless Enterprise Solution Development: Telefonica
Moviles (Peru)
Given to the application developer that has leveraged the
capabilities of the 3G wireless medium to offer innovative mobile
applications that enable companies to streamline their operations,
increase worker productivity and achieve a compelling return on
their investments.
Telefonica Moviles (Peru), for its wireless security application
designed to let users send alarms, emergency signals and event
location data remotely to security management centers. Used by the
San Miguel Municipality Security Division, Peru.
About the CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030 or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
Note to editors: cdmaOne is a trademark of the CDG. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA).