i3 Mobile to Launch 'Pronto' Wireless Service

Business Wire, Sept 26, 2001

Business & Technology Editors

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2001

Hartford/New Haven Consumers First to Use Flat Menu, Voice-Activated

Subscription Service That Turns a Mobile Phone Into a

"Mobile Personal Assistant"

i3 Mobile, a leading provider of premium wireless content and services, announced today the launch of Pronto(SM), the first easy-to-use, flat menu, voice-activated subscriber service that brings premium information and critical communication tools to mobile phone users.

Beginning in October, residents in the Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut area will be the first to be offered the new service, which will be marketed directly to consumers.

With Pronto voice command technology, Hartford/New Haven subscribers simply speak into their phones to ask any question or communicate with colleagues, friends and family via email or text-based wireless messaging.

For a monthly subscription fee of $14.95, Pronto turns any phone into a "mobile personal assistant," giving consumers voice and text access to the best of the Internet when they're on the go -- from stock quotes, weather reports, driving directions and airline schedules to sports scores, movie schedules and restaurant reviews. Pronto also features state-of-the-art voice recognition technology which allows subscribers to use their voice to send email or text-based messages to up to 50 people.

Pronto's innovative "ask a question get an answer" approach to information-on- demand ensures that consumers quickly get the information they want. Pronto's flat menu design eliminates the need to push multiple buttons, program special functions, or "drill down" a lengthy voice menu to access the desired information. If subscribers have more detailed requests or complex questions, Pronto's Mobile Concierge operators are available 24/7 to guarantee a successful experience with every call.

Following the Hartford/New Haven launch, the company plans to roll out and market Pronto in the Washington, D.C/Baltimore area and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Pronto is a new, unique product for the wireless medium. We've designed it from the ground up after listening to consumers tell us what they want," said John A. Lack, President and CEO of i3 Mobile. "We've created a new mobile experience built around two key propositions - customer service and giving mobile phone users quick and easy access to what they want when mobile - without the hassle of prompts, drilling down or pushing buttons," he continued.

Over the past six months, i3 Mobile invested more than one million dollars in consumer research, including a national study by Nielsen Media Research that highlighted the features consumers valued most in a wireless content service. The key findings of this research helped i3 Mobile develop Pronto:

-- Nearly all (97%) of consumers surveyed said they like the idea of voice
control and confirmed that they did not want to push a lot of buttons.

-- More than 90% said they would prefer to get information from one source.

-- Ninety five percent agreed that Pronto is unlike any other service that is
currently available.

-- Seventy-five percent of consumers expressed positive purchase consideration.

Pronto includes the following core components:

Instant Info

Instant Info provides quick voice access to virtually any kind of information by using a flat menu structure, eliminating the need to push multiple buttons. With Instant Info, Pronto subscribers can find up-to-the-minute stock quotes, weather, airline schedules, sports scores, betting odds, movie schedules, driving directions, restaurant reviews and much more -- simply by asking a question.

Mobile Concierge Service

Pronto ensures that if a user asks a complex or detailed question, a live mobile concierge operator is available to provide a response, ensuring 100% customer satisfaction with every call.

Phone Mail

Phone Mail lets subscribers communicate at an entirely new level by using their voices to send quick email and text updates from a library of commonly used phrases. Consumers create buddy lists allowing them to send text messages to mobile phones and email accounts . Messages can be sent to one person or to a group of up to 50 people at a time. It's as easy as saying, "Email the committee that Dan is going to be 15 minutes late," and Pronto delivers the email to the entire committee.

Customizable Features

Pronto lets subscribers with ringtone- and graphics-compatible mobile phones customize their phones by downloading ringtones or by displaying graphics they've chosen from hundreds of different designs. They can even create their own tones or designs using Pronto's exclusive ringtone and graphic creators.

In addition to voice access to enhanced content, Pronto offers integrated SMS (Short Message Service) and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) access platforms.

Consumers in the initial launch markets will learn about Pronto through a targeted advertising campaign that includes television, radio, outdoor, and newspaper advertising.

About i3 Mobile