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Bitfone And SK Telecom Collaborate to Deliver Over-The-Air Firmware Updates to Wireless Subscribers

Posted on: Monday, 27 October 2003, 06:00 CST

Bitfone's mProve is First to Enable Remote, Fault-Tolerant Reflash of Mobile Phones

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., Oct. 27, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Bitfone Corporation (www.bitfone.com) today announced that it has completed a project with SK Telecom to deploy Bitfone's mProve(tm) within the Korean wireless market. Using mProve, SK Telecom will remotely update, over-the-air (OTA), the entire core software image on mobile phones within SK Telecom's network. The mProve project marks the first commercial deployment of an OTA firmware update solution that allows remote reflashing of a mobile phone's memory image without dependence on a physical power or network connection.

"SK Telecom strives to provide the highest quality products, service and user experience for our customers," said Dr. Won-hee Sull, vice president of Platform R&D Center, SK Telecom. "Deploying Bitfone's mProve solution is a major step in that quest, helping us to deliver the latest software enhancements to our customers very conveniently, after they have already purchased one of our mobile phones. Bitfone's expertise, flexible product architecture and ability to ensure 100 percent fault-tolerance were clear differentiators that led to our decision to use mProve."

"Bitfone is proud to announce SK Telecom, a company known for its commitment to high quality and technology leadership, as our first client to commercially deploy mProve," said Gene Wang, chairman and CEO, Bitfone. "With this initiative we are proving that firmware updates can be truly remote -- with no requirement for a physical power or network connection. mProve will help SK Telecom and other wireless operators to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction through convenient, fault-tolerant updates to their subscribers' mobile handsets."

"SK Telecom is a leader in a region where technology innovation drives the wireless industry worldwide, so it's no surprise that they would be among the first in the world to commercially deploy an OTA firmware update solution for their subscribers," said Bob Egan, president, Mobile Competency. "Without a strong OTA solution, wireless carriers face skyrocketing costs of provisioning and support for mobile devices that have now taken on Pentium class attributes."

SK Telecom and Bitfone worked together on handset integration of the mProve Update Agent, network integration with SK Telecom's download server, and compliance testing of the complete, end-to-end solution. The commercial agreement with Bitfone allows SK Telecom to offer mProve to its handset vendors for use within SK Telecom's network.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom is Korea's leading provider of information and telecommunications services spanning Mobile Services, M-Commerce, overseas operations and subsidiaries. SK Telecom's SPEED 011, Korea's leading cellular service brand, NATE wireless Internet service and multimedia service, which offers Video Phone, VOD (Video On Demand) and AOD (Audio On Demand) for CDMA2000 mobile phone users, are providing unrestricted access to communication anytime, and anyplace. SK Telecom already has established a presence in China, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the USA. The company, which has extensive experience and technology related to first-generation analogue and second-generation CDMA wireless communications, is leading the race to develop the third-generation IMT-2000 system and services. For details, please visit http://www.sktelecom.com.

About Bitfone Corporation

Bitfone Corporation provides innovative software solutions for mobile device management. Bitfone's mProve(tm) is the wireless industry's leading technology that updates a mobile phone's core embedded operating system over the air, in a secure and fault-tolerant manner. mProve offers wireless manufacturers and carriers significant cost savings in the areas of warranty, recall and customer service, and expedites the time to market for mobile phones. Bitfone is a global company headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with offices in China, Finland, Japan and Korea. Bitfone's investors include Nokia Venture Partners, St. Paul Venture Capital, 3i, Nexit Ventures, Motorola, Inc., Orange Ventures, KTB Ventures and CIR Ventures. For more information, please visit www.bitfone.com.

CONTACT: Bock Communications Ricca Silverio Valerie Christopherson +1 (714) 540-1030 ext. 14 or 15 rsilverio@bockpr.com vchristopherson@bockpr.com

Copyright © 2003 PrimeZone Media Network, Inc.

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