PowerByHand Joins Microsoft Mobility Partner Advisory Council; Working Together with Other Industry Leaders to Bring New Mobile Technologies, Applications and Services to Market

Business Wire, Oct 12, 2004

DURHAM, N.C. -- PowerByHand, the premier provider of mobile content and solutions, today announced that it has accepted an invitation to become a member of the Microsoft Mobility Partner Advisory Council (MPAC). MPAC was developed by Microsoft Corp. to establish synergies among leading industry partners, in an effort to accelerate the introduction of innovative and successful mobile solutions to the market. PowerByHand owns PocketGear.com and Smartphone.net, two of the leading sources for Windows Mobile-based software applications.

Mobility Partner Advisory Council (MPAC) is an invitation-only program developed by Microsoft to empower top partners to create software solutions for Windows Mobile-based devices. As a member, PowerByHand will provide feedback to Microsoft based on its experience and success in provisioning and distributing Windows Mobile content. PowerByHand will also gain access to other MPAC (members), key Microsoft mobility experts, dedicated technical support and exclusive marketing programs.

"We are honored to accept Microsoft's invitation to join the Mobility Partner Advisory Council," said Ryan Wuerch, PowerByHand CEO. "MPAC offers us a unique opportunity to work with Microsoft and other mobile industry leaders to improve the quality of Windows Mobile applications and services that are available today as well as tomorrow. We look forward to leveraging the knowledge and insight we gain to ensure the best possible experience for our development partners and consumers."

"The vision of MPAC is to bring together leading companies in the mobile industry that are committed to furthering the success of the mobile ecosystem," said Julie Wymetalek, manager of the MPAC program at Microsoft. "PowerByHand's invitation to be a member of MPAC reflects the company's ongoing commitment to delivering innovative content for Windows Mobile-based devices."

Developers around the globe also see the value PowerByHand offers to the Windows Mobile development community. Canadian-based Visual Byte, Inc. specializes in providing enterprise business solutions on Microsoft platforms, including handheld devices, and distributes content through PowerByHand. "As a Windows Mobile ISV, I appreciate PowerByHand's focused approach to both the Pocket PC and Smartphone markets. It is easier to deal with a distributor who understands and pays attention to the particular needs that are most important for both Windows Mobile customers and developers," explained Dwayne Lamb, president at Visual Byte and editor of www.mobidogs.com. "PowerByHand's participation in MPAC is bound to benefit ISVs that are focused on the Windows Mobile platform."

Russian-based Spb specializes in custom Pocket PC software development and maintains the Pocket PC Developer Network and Smartphone Developer Network websites. "PowerByHand is one of the leading Pocket PC software distributors and provides excellent service for Pocket PC developers and users," said Vassili Philippov, CTO, Sph. "PowerByHand's strong developer support and proven track record help us successfully develop competitive products and deliver top-level service for our customers."

About PocketGear.com

PocketGear.com is the world's leading provider for consumers to obtain software applications for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs. PocketGear.com has over 5,000 developers, over 13,000 software applications and serves millions of customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.pocketgear.com.

About Smartphone.net:

Smartphone.net is the leading commercial Internet site devoted to third-party software solutions for the Windows Mobile software for Smartphones platform. Providing content distribution services for thousands of registered Windows Mobile developers to millions of mobile customers, Smartphone.net is providing unparalleled distribution resources for the developer community, encouraging the development of new smartphone solutions and further expanding the mobile handheld market. For more information, visit http://www.smartphone.net.

About PowerByHand

PowerByHand is the leading provider of mobile content and solutions. Through our industry leading technology, we deliver over 60,000 digital media titles to millions of customers monthly worldwide through our content sites PalmGear.com, eReader.com, Smartphone.net, PocketGear.com and Mobile2Day.de, and provide mobile content solutions which support over 50 million mobile subscribers through partners such as Verizon Wireless, mmO2, Lycos, PalmSource and palmOne. For more information, visit www.powerbyhand.com.

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