Simplewire, Inc. Releases Wireless Instant Messaging Transport Beta

Simplewire, Inc., a worldwide leader in wireless messaging, and member of the Wireless Village, founded by Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia to promote mobile instant messaging, announces the release of the Beta version of its Wireless Instant Messaging Transport. The Transport enables interoperable instant messaging between desktop, web-based, and mobile users. This is made possible through a unique marriage of Simplewire's Wireless Messaging Network and Jabber's Instant Messaging platform.

Detroit, MI, September 26, 2001 - Simplewire, Inc., a worldwide leader in wireless messaging, and member of the Wireless Village, founded by Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia to promote mobile instant messaging, announces the release of the Beta version of its Wireless Instant Messaging Transport. The Transport enables interoperable instant messaging between desktop, web-based, and mobile users. This is made possible through a unique marriage of Simplewire's Wireless Messaging Network and Jabber's Instant Messaging platform.

Simplewire's Transport, in its current Beta version, offers 1-way messaging from Jabber's desktop client to mobile devices on over 300 networks in 118 countries. The goal is a complete Instant Messaging solution, allowing users to communicate in real-time regardless of location. Future Simplewire releases will expand the system to incorporate 2-way messaging. The current Beta version is released with the goal of obtaining customer feedback and feature requests, in order to improve the future release of the commercial version.

Simplewire and Jabber have maintained a partnership involving wireless instant messaging since December 2000. Jabber offers a platform for real-time instant messaging and presence management. Its Jabber Instant Messenger client is a high quality desktop client, which displays the user's list of contacts, as well as information about whether they are present at the desktop or away. It allows such functions as group chats, shared groups, proxy and firewall support, and file transfers. The Jabber Instant Messenger client also allows gateways to be set up, enabling interoperability with such popular Instant Messaging clients as America Online (AOL), ICQ, Yahoo! Chat, and Microsoft Network (MSN) Messenger.

Simplewire's Transport adds the wireless world to this list. Messages sent from the Jabber Instant Messaging client are routed through the Jabber Server, available in both Commercial and free Open-Source versions. They are then delivered to the recipient's desktop or, via the Simplewire Wireless Instant Messaging Transport Beta, to Simplewire's network, which then routes them to the users' mobile device. Hence, the full wireless instant messaging solution consists of three components, the Simplewire Wireless Instant Messaging Transport Beta, a Jabber Server, and access to the Simplewire Wireless Messaging Network.

Users may download the Simplewire Wireless Instant Messaging Transport Beta on the Simplewire Website. The Jabber Server is available in both a Commercial version, and a free Open-Source version. The Jabber Commercial Server was fully developed by Jabber's expert staff, and is available by contacting the Simplewire Sales Team. Meanwhile, the free Jabber Open-Source Server is the result of a collaborative effort between developers throughout the world, and is available at www.jabber.org. Both provide high quality instant messaging capabilities.

Finally, users must gain access to the Simplewire Wireless Messaging Network, in the form of Wireless Message Credits. Simplewire's network is the conduit through which its customers are able to reach wireless users throughout the world. It is one of the largest and most reliable wireless messaging networks in the world, offering a global backbone comprised of industry-leading, high performance architecture. Purchasing Wireless Message Credits will allow the users to route messages through Simplewire's network to wireless devices on over 300 networks in 118 countries. Message Credits may be purchased online in the Simplewire Store. The combination of a Simplewire Wireless Instant Messaging Transport Beta with both a Jabber Server, and Wireless Messaging Network Message Credits, completes the licensing requirements.

Feedback received from the Beta version of the Transport will help Simplewire to perfect a solution that meets the communication needs of businesses and telecommunications carriers. "The new Transport combines the convenience of instant messaging with the versatility and freedom offered by wireless technology," says Simplewire Vice President of Business Development, Dr. Howard Ditkoff. "As our world grows increasingly fast-paced and the workforce becomes more mobile, Simplewire intends to offer products which maximize the ability to communicate efficiently." The commercial version of the Simplewire Wireless Instant Messaging Transport is slated for release in Quarter 4 of 2001.