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Ecrio, Inc. Announces Rich Instant Messaging for General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

Company demonstrated instant messaging support for networks with high bandwidth and persistent connections at SMAU 2000

Cupertino, California. - February 5, 2001 — Ecrio Inc., a provider of rich instant messaging applications and infrastructure, today announced that it has developed the industry’s first rich instant messaging application for General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) phones. The Ecrio Rich Instant Messaging Platform™ provides a highly scaleable and reliable end-to-end solution for wireless carriers, portals, ASPs and ISPs to deliver rich Instant Messaging on wireless and desktop appliances. Ecrio’s Rich Instant Messaging Platform enables users to send handwritten notes in any language, drawings, images and text to and from any internet-enabled wireless or desktop appliance, including SMS and WAP-enabled phones, PDAs running Palm OS and Windows CE, as well as personal computers. Ecrio demonstrated this technology in the booth of Omnitel Pronto Italia, a Vodafone company, during SMAU 2000, an international exposition of information and telecommunications technology, from October 19 – 23.

“Ecrio continues to advance its Rich Instant Messaging Platform to support both the wireless networks of today as well as those advances being made for the global market,” said Nagesh Challa, president and CEO of Ecrio. “GPRS provides a persistent connection and high bandwidth which allows for an enhanced instant messaging experience with improved response time and reliability for data transmission.”

“The implementation of GPRS expands the type of applications and services carriers can provide all phone users,” commented James Carter, CEO of HiuGO. “Ecrio’s ability to adapt its rich instant messaging for GPRS will further extend the level of personal communication currently available through WAP services such as our own events platform.”

About Ecrio Rich Instant Messaging Platform

Ecrio’s solution consists of server-based host applications as well as a multitude of client applications running on appliances such as PDA devices, desktops, SMS and WAP-enabled phones. With the Ecrio Rich Instant Messaging Platform, users can instantly send handwritten notes in any language, drawings, and images to and from wireless and desktop appliances. The Ecrio Intelligent Delivery Engine™, the core technology behind the platform, dynamically formats incoming and outgoing messages to the sender’s and recipient’s device resources (e.g. display, memory and bandwidth availability) to optimize the readability of the message. With real-time presence and client device detection, users not only know which buddy is online, but also if that buddy is logged in from a PDA, a WAP-enabled phone or from a desktop computer. Currently, the Ecrio Rich Instant Messaging Platform supports the exchange of ASCII, GIF, TIFF and ink data types. Rich Instant Messaging providers, using Ecrio technology, can also deliver animated inserts with Ecrio Animink™.

The Ecrio Rich Instant Messaging Platform relies on open standards and is interoperable with third-party instant messaging platforms and future IETF standards-based instant messaging technologies. Ecrio’s platform helps maximize hardware investments and delivers the performance to handle high volumes of simultaneous wireless users.

About GPRS

The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is designed to provide packet radio access to mobile GSM and TDMA users. Chief among its features are increased bandwidth, a persistent connection and a packet-based cost structure, charging users for data used as opposed to time spent on line. This improved quality of data services, combined with a decrease in incremental costs to provide these services, will increase the range and penetration of applications that carriers can offer subscribers. GPRS is also an important stepping-stone toward third-generation (3G) networks.

About Ecrio

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Ecrio is the leading vendor of real time commerce and communications software for mobile phones. Ecrio provides interoperable and standard compliant software to mobile phone manufacturers and mobile operators. Solutions include mobile commerce applications, including NFC and MoBeam mobile barcode redemption, along with 3G communications applications such as Instant Messaging and Presence Services (IMPS), VideoShare, Voice over IP (VoIP), and Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC). Ecrio's customers include industry leaders such as ASUSTeK, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic and Visa. Visit www.ecrio.com

Ecrio and MoBeam are trademarks of Ecrio Inc. All other brands, products, and company names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holders.

Press Contact:

Larry Loper,
Ecrio lloper@ecrio.com
+1 408 596 1500

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