Ericsson Selected by Telecom Italia Mobile -TIM- to Supply IMS Based Combinational Services

Business Wire, Feb 14, 2005

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) has been selected as supplier of its IP Multimedia System (IMS) including combinational services to TIM Italy. The implementation of the IMS based services will enable TIM's mobile users to share videos, images, and collaborate on whiteboards while having an ongoing phone conversation. The new services will be available on a number of different terminals from a variety of suppliers.

Under the contract Ericsson has supplied its IMS system, terminal client software and support and integration services. Ericsson's IMS enables full interoperability between operators, network types and handsets, something that is essential for fulfilling the mass-market potential of the services.

Ericsson's combinational services demonstrate a new paradigm in richer communications. A main benefit with combinational services is to enrich and enhance end user's experience, providing the consumers with an instant way of sharing different media during an ongoing voice call. Ericsson's combinational services are based upon existing user behavior, which will improve service take-up rates. It will also create a number of new business opportunities for mobile operators.

"We have identified significant opportunities for IMS based combinational services in multiple market segments, and will offer an important enhancement to our current service portfolio using a range of terminals," says Luca Luciani, Head of Operations of Telecom Italia Mobile "This is an excellent way to build on our current revenue base. Ericsson delivers on the promise of interoperability and our initial trials have already started."

"Ericssons strong relationship with TIM allowed us to leverage on synergies between the existing infrastructure and services and the new system introduced," says Valter D'Avino, Ericsson's Key Account Manager for Telecom Italia and Telecom Italia Mobile. "Ericsson's combinational services fit very well TIM's vision for further evolving communications business."

Ericsson IMS is based on 3GPP/PP2, OMA and ETSI TISPAN. Ericsson's combinational services follow the new standard being currently agreed in 3GPP. Up to date, Ericsson has signed 25 IMS contracts for commercial launch or trial.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press

About Ericsson combinational services

Ericsson's implementation of combinational services - Ericsson weShare- is a scalable solution developed for GSM/GPRS/EDGE and WCDMA networks. The solution is based on the Ericsson IMS, which is a corner stone in future converged networks. The IMS based combinational services solution enables operators to leverage their circuit switched networks when offering new multimedia services, combining both voice and other media. A user with a weShare-terminal is able to share images, video and other media while in a mobile voice call, and will be prompted to do so when the service is available.