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MobileSpring and Illuminet Providing Intercarrier Messaging Solution to Sprint to Drive Text Messaging Growth in U.S.
Orlando, FL, March 19, 2002 - MobileSpring and Illuminet, a wholly owned subsidiary of VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), today announced that Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS), which operates the largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide network and is the fastest growing wireless carrier, will deploy MobileSpring/Illuminet's intercarrier text messaging solution, Metcalf Global Messaging (Metcalf GM).
Metcalf GM is designed to enable wireless customers to easily exchange text messages with other wireless subscribers on virtually any digital network—regardless of the carrier—via a common interface and addressing scheme.
Sprint PCS Short MailSM currently enables customers to input the 10-digit phone number of a Sprint PCS customer and send a new or "canned"/pre-set text message. Starting April 1, 2002, Sprint will launch the new Intercarrier Messaging feature of Sprint PCS Short Mail. Intercarrier Messaging through Sprint PCS Short Mail offers customers the ability to enter in even more wireless numbers and enjoy a conversation even when it is not convenient to make or take a call. The ability for other carriers' customers to respond to Sprint messages will vary by service provider.
"Sprint's wireless customers want the ability to communicate using text messaging with a broader base of people, and MobileSpring and Illuminet will enable them to do that," said Chip Novick, vice president of consumer marketing for Sprint's PCS division. "As we assessed our messaging needs, it was clear that the combination of MobileSpring's messaging expertise and Illuminet's vast experience running complex Internet and telecommunications services was the strategic choice for Sprint."
The implementation of Metcalf GM is expected to remove a significant barrier to text messaging for Sprint's wireless customers—a barrier previously encountered by wireless subscribers in the United States. Due to the existence of multiple network technologies in the United States, most wireless users to date have only been able to exchange text messages with other users on the same network. With Metcalf GM, Sprint customers will be able to send and receive messages to and from friends, family and co-workers on other participating carriers' networks by simply addressing the message to the recipient's wireless phone number.
Metcalf GM is compatible with the text messaging systems of more than 400 carriers worldwide. The service handles routing, protocol conversion, reformatting, and delivery of messaging between incompatible network protocols (such as CDMA, TDMA, GSM, PDC/I-Mode, iDEN, and two-way paging) and different messaging system protocols (such as SMPP, UCP, CIMD, SNPP, SMTP, HTTP and Mobitex). Metcalf GM supports advanced end-to-end features such as confirmed delivery, validity period and urgency indicator, and provides message rating capabilities and integration into carrier billing systems and has advanced provisioning and reporting capabilities for greater carrier control.
Metcalf GM was the first intercarrier messaging system developed specifically for the U.S. market and has been deployed in a commercial environment continuously since April 2001. Metcalf GM is deployed on fully redundant hardware managed and supported by Illuminet's world-class, carrier grade dedicated data center that has been supporting intercarrier service bureau solutions for over 10 years.
"Sprint's deployment of Metcalf GM will enable Sprint to realize the revenue potential associated with text messaging and we anticipate other carriers will move towards deploying service bureau solutions in order to conserve capital, gain speed to market and operate more efficiently," said Terry Kremian, VeriSign's executive vice president, telecommunications. "Our strategic alliance with MobileSpring reflects the importance Illuminet and VeriSign place on intercarrier messaging."
"Interoperability drove significant increases in text messaging traffic in Europe and Asia and with the United States playing catch-up in terms of mobile messaging, the deployment of Metcalf GM by Sprint will give them a competitive advantage in a growing marketplace," said Mark Caron, president and CEO of MobileSpring. "We are pleased to be working with Sprint because our companies share a long-term vision about the services that will drive the marketplace in the future, like mobile IM."
About MobileSpring
Established in 2000, and based in New York City, MobileSpring is a developer
of messaging services that enable wireless carriers and other companies
to profit from mobile messaging. MobileSpring's lead product—Metcalf
Global Messaging (Metcalf GM)—was the first intercarrier messaging system
developed to address the unique demands of US carriers, having operated
in live carrier networks since February 2001. By ensuring connectivity
between disparate technologies, Metcalf GM allows wireless carriers
to capture the full revenue potential of mobile messaging. With Metcalf
GM, a carrier's subscriber can exchange text messages with other mobile
phone users on virtually any digital network around the world by simply
addressing the message to the recipient's phone number. Metcalf Global
Messaging is a joint offering of MobileSpring and Illuminet, a wholly
owned subsidiary of VeriSign, and the largest outsource provider of
advanced signaling and intelligent network services for the communications
industry.
For more information, see MobileSpring's website at www.mobilespring.com
About Illuminet
Founded in 1981, Illuminet, a wholly owned subsidiary of VeriSign, Inc.
(NASDAQ: VRSN), is the largest independent provider of nationwide SS7
signaling and intelligent network services to the communications industry.
Connection to the Illuminet network gives carriers access to virtually
the entire U.S. public-switched telecommunications infrastructure through
a single source. Carriers using legacy, wireless, and next-generation
networks rely on Illuminet's service bureau solutions to help them interconnect,
operate efficiently and compete effectively. In addition to enabling
today's essential telecom services, Illuminet is working to realize
the value of converged communications networks for the future. Beyond
SS7, Illuminet services include number portability, calling name delivery,
toll-free database, network management, Internet offload signaling,
OSS interconnection, and a full complement of wireless services, including
domestic and international roaming, clearing, prepaid, fraud management,
and intercarrier messaging. Illuminet's headquarters are at 4501 Intelco
Loop SE Lacey, WA 98503; (360) 493-6000; www.illuminet.com.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the leading provider of digital trust
services that enable everyone, everywhere to engage in commerce and
communications with confidence. VeriSign's digital trust services create
a trusted environment through four core offerings—Web presence services,
security services, payment services, and telecommunications services—powered
by a global infrastructure that manages more than five billion network
connections and transactions a day. Additional news and information
about the company is available at www.verisign.com.
VeriSign, a global leader in shaping the way people work and use the Internet, recently expanded its business into telecommunications through the acquisitions of Illuminet and H.O. Systems. This combines VeriSign's Internet infrastructure with Illuminet's SS7 signaling network and H.O. Systems' billing and customer care solutions, enabling VeriSign to deliver an end-to-end suite of network, data, mediation and billing services that meet telecommunications carriers' needs for growth, customer retention and revenue generation. This infrastructure and expertise positions VeriSign in a leading role to develop the promise of convergence of voice and data networks.
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: VeriSign's limited operating history under its current business structure; the risk that VeriSign and its acquired businesses will not be integrated successfully and unanticipated costs of such integration; uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results; failure of the combined company to retain and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees; failure of the combined company to manage its growth and the difficulty of successfully managing a larger, more geographically dispersed organization; failure of the combined company to successfully manage relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic customers; network outages, network capacity constraints or security breaches; failure of the combined company's customers to accept new services or to continue using the products and services of the combined company; and competition in the various markets serviced by the combined company. 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, especially in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
VeriSign is a registered trademark of VeriSign, Inc. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
About Sprint
Sprint is a global communications company serving more than 23 million
business and residential customers in more than 70 countries. With 80,000-plus
employees worldwide and more than $26 billion in annual revenues, Sprint
is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state
of the art network technologies, including the United States' first
nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network. Sprint's award-winning
Tier 1 Internet backbone is being extended to key global markets to
provide customers with a broad portfolio of scalable IP products. Sprint's
high-capacity, high-speed network gives customers fast, dependable,
non-stop access to the vast majority of the world's Internet content.
Sprint also operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS
wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority
of the nation's metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities
and communities.
For more information, visit the Sprint PCS web site at http://www.sprintpcs.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This press release includes certain estimates, projections and other forward-looking statements. Future performance cannot be ensured. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The words "estimate," "project," "intend," "expect," "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Sprint, MobileSpring, Illuminet and VeriSign are not obligated to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this press release or unforeseen events. Sprint provides a detailed discussion of risk factors in periodic SEC filings.
Contacts:
Penny Thomas
Sr. Manager Corporate Communications
Illuminet
Illuminet/VeriSign Booths #2731 and #3103
(360) 493-6724 Office
(360) 951-8588 Mobile
Paul Hanna
VP, Marketing and Product Management
MobileSpring
(212) 391-9889 Office
(201) 893-9952 Mobile
Nancy Sherrer
Group Manager, Sprint Media Relations
(913) 762-7032 Office
(913) 706-9051 Mobile