VeriSign’s Ojom and Universal Studios Announce
an Agreement to Deliver Mobile Entertainment
Agreement Extends Ojom’s Capabilities as a Major Provider of Mobile
Games and Entertainment Titles
NEW ORLEANS - Spring CTIA Wireless 2005 – March 15, 2005 –
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure
services for the Internet and telecommunications networks and Universal
Studios Consumer Products Group, today announced that VeriSign’s mobile
games publishing unit, Ojom, has signed a long term multi-product licensing
agreement to distribute the latest mobile games to mobile carriers and
wireless users.
The agreement will enable mobile carriers to offer
a wide range of popular games to users developed from well-known movie
and television properties including Universal Pictures’ October 21st,
2005 release George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead, as well as the classic
Universal properties ET The Extra-Terrestrial, Back to the Future and
Magnum P.I.
“VeriSign has been expanding its service offerings
in the mobile content space and has already seen success due to increased
interest in and availability of new services, and now in keeping with
VeriSign’s overall strategy, Ojom will contribute original high-quality
content to operators and virtual retailers worldwide,” said Mahi de
Silva, senior vice president and general manager, VeriSign Wireless
Services. “The agreement with Universal pairs two leaders in content
publishing and entertainment and creates a new opportunity to produce
quality, innovative and exciting content that will help drive the overall
mobile market.”
“Mobile games are really working for Universal right
now and we’re finding that the key to success is working with global
companies like Ojom that have proven distribution power and that produce
outstanding applications,” said Jeremy Laws, vice president of media
licensing and strategy, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group.
“We were particularly attracted to Ojom’s creativity in developing and
publishing games that really take advantage of the functionalities of
mobile devices. We truly believe that by virtue of this collaboration
Universal and Ojom will push the boundaries of mobile entertainment.”
Under the agreement, content will be available for
distribution directly to consumers from major global operators as well
as virtual retailers such as Jamster!,a wholly owned subsidiary of VeriSign.
About Land of the Dead
George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead is the acclaimed director’s
long-awaited return to the horror genre he invented, beginning with
the seminal Night
of the Living Dead and continuing with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead.
In this new tale, Romero creates a harrowing vision
of a modern-day world where the walking dead roam an uninhabited wasteland
and the living try to lead “normal” lives behind the walls of a fortified
city. A new society has been built by a handful of enterprising,
ruthless opportunists, who live in the towers of a skyscraper, high
above the hard-scrabble existence on the streets below. But outside
the city walls, an army of the dead is evolving. Inside, anarchy
is on the rise. With the very survival of the city at stake, a
group of hardened mercenaries is called into action to protect the living
from an army of the dead.
George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead is written and directed
by Romero and stars Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia
Argento and Robert Joy. The film is produced by Mark Canton, Bernie
Goldmann and Peter Grunwald.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), operates intelligent infrastructure services
that enable businesses and individuals to find, connect, secure, and
transact across today’s complex global networks. Additional news and
information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.
About Ojom
Ojom GmbH, part of the VeriSign, Inc. family, is a leading publisher
of mobile entertainment. Ojom offers an exceptionally diverse portfolio
of premium, innovative, branded content to mobile operators, virtual
retailers, and handset manufacturers worldwide. As the premier
mobile entertainment publisher within VeriSign’s Digital Content Services
Unit, Ojom’s publishing and development services enable service providers
to generate revenue while providing an entertaining consumer experience.
Ojom has published titles in more than 50 countries, through major mobile
operators and leading consumer content portals, as well as directly
to top handset manufacturers.
About Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG) is responsible
for global licensing and retail strategies as well as building brand
recognition of the extensive catalogue of NBC Universal properties.
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is a unit of NBC Universal,
one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the
development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information
to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC
and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates
the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network,
a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion
picture company, significant television production operations, a leading
television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal
is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
For more information, contact:
VeriSign Media Relations: Leslie Rubin, lrubin@verisign.com,
650-426-5363
VeriSign Investor Relations: Tom McCallum, tmccallum@verisign.com,
650-426-3744
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and
information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially
from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The
potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty
of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly
operating results due to such factors as the risk that VeriSign's announced
strategic relationships, including the relationship described herein,
may not result in additional products, services, customers, profits
or revenues; and increased competition and pricing pressures. More information
about potential factors that could affect the company's business and
financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including in the company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 and quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the
forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
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