America Online and Sprint Deliver 'AOL Mobile' Services to the Sprint PCS Wireless Web
America Online, the world's leading interactive services company (NYSE: AOL), and Sprint PCS (NYSE: PCS), the nation's fastest growing wireless service provider, today announced that 22 million AOL members and the tens of millions of users of AOL's Web-based brands can easily and conveniently extend their interactive experience to the Sprint PCS Wireless Web via any Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phone.
The new AOL Mobile services debut tomorrow on Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phones nationwide, where they will have premier placement as "AOL" in the prominent third slot on the opening screen of the Sprint PCS Wireless Web. The Sprint PCS Wireless Web will deliver access to popular AOL features such as e-mail, news, weather and stock quotes, as well as content from some of AOL's other consumer-friendly brands, including Digital City and MovieFone. By using any of more than 15 models of Internet-ready Sprint PCS Phones, AOL members across the country will experience the best of interactive content with the best of wireless communications virtually anywhere, anytime on the 100-percent digital, Sprint PCS nationwide wireless network.
Wireless AOL access is a key part of America Online's "AOL Anywhere" strategy of making its industry-leading brands and features available to online consumers anywhere, anytime through a range of devices. The launch of AOL on Sprint PCS Wireless Web is the latest in a series of AOL wireless agreements, including, most recently, a strategic alliance with Carphone Warehouse in Europe.
"By being the first to deliver AOL's popular features and e-mail services to the wireless Internet via the Sprint PCS Wireless Web, we're giving our customers a clear connection to the best of wireless communications," said Andrew Sukawaty, president of Sprint PCS. "We're focused on giving our customers what they want, when they want it, wherever they are, by continuing to deliver world-class brands, content and e-mail communication services to the Sprint PCS Wireless Web nationwide."
"As a company, AOL strives to have a deep understanding of the mass-market audience and to find new ways to deliver products and services that best meet their needs. We're delighted to offer our members and millions of Web users the convenience and benefit of AOL's features and services on their Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phones --wherever and whenever they want," said Dennis Patrick, president, AOL Wireless.
AOL and Sprint PCS will begin a joint marketing campaign to announce these services to consumers later this summer.
Easy Access to AOL E-Mail and Convenient Features on the Sprint PCS Wireless Web
The Sprint PCS Wireless Web offers a suite of AOL's world-class branded content and popular communications features for mobile AOL members.
Specifically, customers can:
-- Stay connected anywhere and anytime by checking their AOL e-mail right from their Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phone as part of their AOL membership;
-- Customize news, weather, stock portfolios and quotes, and other information they want delivered to their phone by setting personal preferences on their PC at My AOL.COM (AOL Keyword: My AOL.COM) as part of their AOL membership;
-- Get quick, on-the-go access to news, weather, sports and stock quotes;
-- Find the best restaurants and clubs, or special happenings in their town or another city, with Digital City's entertainment guide;
-- Get driving directions, traffic updates, or find a nearby gas station, restaurant, hotel or ATM anytime of day using Mapquest's compelling suite of location-based services; and
-- Check local movie times and locations on the fly with AOL MovieFone.
Accessing AOL's wireless content and services via a Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phone is simple -- since the browser is built into the phone, there is no special software to download to get started. From the phone's opening screen, Sprint PCS customers just need to select "AOL" to access the News, Local, Directions and Movies content areas -- it's that easy.
AOL members will need to sign in with their AOL screen name and password to access e-mail and their personal stock portfolio. AOL members can also personalize their news, sports and weather information by registering for the My AOL.COM service at AOL Keyword: My AOL.COM, or on the Web at my.aol.com. There, they can select exactly the news and information they want delivered to their Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phone by clicking on the "Edit" buttons throughout the area.
There is no extra service charge to access AOL while on the Sprint PCS Wireless Web. Customers can choose Sprint PCS Wireless Web as their free option as part of any Sprint PCS Free & Clear Plan to use their minutes for voice or data. Sprint PCS customers who choose not to select a Wireless Web Service Plan can still access the service for a default per minute rate. For more information or to purchase a Sprint PCS Internet-ready Phone or Sprint PCS service, consumers can visit www.sprintpcs.com or AOL KW: Mobile.
Sprint PCS launched its Sprint PCS Wireless Web service in late September 1999, offering customers a suite of simple, user-friendly wireless data products and services. By using Internet-ready Sprint PCS Phones, customers can now shop, trade stocks online, browse select Internet-based content in real time, receive automatic personalized news features, weather, stock quotes, and e-mail updates, and connect to the Internet or corporate Intranet by using their Sprint PCS Phone in place of a modem.
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