THE 2003 GSM ASSOCIATION AWARD NOMINEES ARE...

Finalists announced for 2003 GSM Association Awards - winners to be revealed on 18th February 2003

London, 14 January 2003 - The GSM Association today announced the finalists for its eighth annual wireless industry Awards, which yet again attracted a record number of entries from the global GSM community. The winners will be announced at the 2003 GSM Association Awards dinner on Tuesday 18th February in Cannes, France during the 3GSM World Congress.

Sponsored by Intel, the 2003 Awards programme has attracted more than 360 individual entries. "Each year we are encouraged by the quantity and quality of entries into our awards programme and this year is no different," commented Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association. "The 2003 Awards have attracted a huge geographical and technology diverse spread of entries - highlighting the global breadth and depth of our industry."

The 2003 judging panel, a 'who's who' of independent wireless technology and business experts, met last week to discuss the entries. After an intensive judging session, the nominees are announced as:

Category One: Technology Innovation

BEST WIRELESS HANDSET/TERMINAL OR HANDHELD DEVICE

Danger, Inc., USA for the Hiptop
Orange, UK for the SPV
Sharp Corporation, UK for the Sharp GX10
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, UK for the T68i

BEST INFRASTRUCTURE OR NETWORK SOLUTION PRODUCT

ip.access, UK for nanoGSM
ipUnplugged, Sweden for Seamless Roaming
LGC Wireless, USA for MetroReach® Focus EX System
Telos Technology & Globecomm Systems Inc., Canada for Telos' Packet Switching Technology

Category Two: Applications & Services - Sponsored by Motorola.

BEST CORPORATE WIRELESS APPLICATION OR SERVICE

Commtag, UK for Duality Always-on Mail
Ducont.com, UAE for E-Police System
Oracle, USA for the Oracle E-Business Suite
Wolfpac Communications, The Philippines for Text SSS

BEST CONSUMER WIRELESS APPLICATION OR SERVICE

The HyperFactory, New Zealand for ClubZM
Optimus Telecommunications, Portugal for Mobile Health Optimus
Wireless Information Network, UK for WIN and the AA: Roadside Assistance Alerts
Vodafone Group, Germany for Vodafone Live!

BEST WIRELESS APPLICATION DEVELOPER

3G Lab, UK
ACCESS, Japan
Anthropics Technology, UK
TTPCom, UK
XIAM, Ireland

Category Three: Marketing & Promotions

BEST TELEVISION OR BROADCAST COMMERCIAL

Entel PCS, Chile for 'Bet'
Omnitel, Lithuania for 'Weight'
Optimus Telecommunications, Portugal for 'Sofa'
Vodafone Group, Germany for 'Vodafone Live!'

BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Entel PCS, Chile for the 'XAT' Campaign
Legion Interactive, Australia for the 'Coca Cola SuMmerdayS' campaign
MobileOne, SingTel & StarHub, Singapore for the 'MMS Market Making' campaign
StarHub, Singapore for the 'The Ringing Dog' campaign

Category Four: Wireless in the Community

USE OF WIRELESS FOR ACCESSIBILITY

EuroTel, Czech Republic for People Afflicted with Hearing or Speech Handicap (PAHSH)
Motorola, UK for Magticom GSM coverage in Georgia
Telephone Systems International, USA for the Afghan Wireless Communications Company
XIAM, Ireland for XIAM Information Router/West Midlands Police

BEST USE OF WIRELESS FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

ARIA, Turkey for Emergency Aid in the event of an Earthquake
Cesky Mobil (OSKAR), Czech Republic for Oskavalir
MTN Networks, Sri Lanka for the SMS Blood Appeal, Matching and Donor Management Application
Wavecom, France for The WISMO Pac Range

"The technology behind the GSM family of wireless communications is evolving so rapidly that identifying up-to-the-minute innovation from the dozens of deserving entries was challenging," said judge Bill Best, CTO, GSM Association. "But the years of industry experience sitting around the judging table ensured it was not an impossible task - and consensus on the nominations was very clear indeed."

Now in its second year, the Applications and Services category, sponsored by Motorola, was especially popular. "The Applications & Services category entries really demonstrate how the wireless industry is actively changing course, emphasising more on a positive customer experience than merely pushing the technology" commented judge Michelle de Lussanet, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research. "More than 130 compelling corporate and consumer-orientated services were entered from across the world - this is really encouraging for the future of the wireless industry."

The final category, the GSM Association Chairman's Award, is designed to recognise an organisation, individual or company that has made an outstanding contribution to the development, success or growth behind the GSM family of wireless communications. The Chairman's Award will be announced and presented during the Awards ceremony in Cannes.

"This year our Awards have attracted record entries, top class judges and global representation - I am sure the Ceremony in Cannes will be one of the most talked-about showcases of the wireless industry in 2003," concluded Conway.

- Ends-

Notes for Editors:
The 2003 GSM Association judging panel comprised:

-   Anne-Marie Huby, Managing Director, Justgiving.com (GSM in the Community Category judge)
-   Bill Best, Chief Technology Officer, GSM Association
-   Donald Longueuil, Independent Analyst & Author of Wireless Messaging Demystified
-   Dr. Jack Rowley, Director Environmental Affairs, GSM Association
-   Dr. John Massey, Research Director & 3GSM World Congress Programme Director, Telecoms & Media Division, IBC
-   Dr. William Webb, Managing Consultant, Wireless Technologies Practice, PA Consulting
-   Graham Trickey, Technical Director, GSM Association
-   Hans G. Geyer, Vice President, General Manager, Intel PCA Components Group (Principal sponsor)
-   Jason Chapman, Senior Analyst, Gartner
-   Mark Newman, Publisher, Informa Telecoms
-   Martin Garner, Director of Research Programmes, Ovum
-   Michelle de Lussanet, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research
-   Mike Hibberd, Editorial Director, Informa Telecoms and Technology Magazines & Editor, Mobile Communications International
-   Paul Baird, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Motorola PCS (Applications & Services Category judge and sponsor)
-   Tunc Yorulmaz, Senior Manager, Accenture's Communications and High Tech Business

For further details on the judging panel and award categories, please visit: http://www.gsmworld.com/awards

About the GSM Association:
The GSM Association (GSMA) consists of more than 550 second and third generation wireless network operators working collaboratively to accelerate the implementation of collectively identified, commercially prioritised operator requirements. The GSMA also represents 140 key manufacturers and suppliers to the wireless industry. The Association's members provide digital wireless services to more than 787 million customers (end December 2002).
The GSM family of wireless communications platforms account for approximately 71 percent of the total digital wireless market today. The GSM Association is a unique organization, with truly global reach, offering a full range of business and technical services to its members. For more information, visit the website at www.gsmworld.com.
GSM is a registered trademark, registered and owned by the GSM Association.

The 2003 GSM Association Awards ceremony will be held in the Palm Beach Casino and is a Tuxedo/Dinner Jacket event. Tickets are available from http://www.gsmworld.com/awards/booking.html or through:

Sarah Pope
Informa
Tel: +44 20 7017 4166
Email: sarah.pope@informa.com

For more information, please contact:
Liz Macfarlan
GSM Association
Tel: +44 207 518 0533
Email: lmacfarlan@gsm.org

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