Small Planet and Lumo Launch a Virtual Pet That "Lives" in the Mobile Phone

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Wireless Developer Network - Daily News

Small Planet and Lumo Launch a Virtual Pet That "Lives" in the Mobile Phone

URL(s): www.smallplanet.fi; www.lumomedia.com

HELSINKI, Finland, April 5, 2001--Small Planet Ltd and Lumo Media Oy have together designed a virtual pet that "lives" in the mobile phone.

The virtual life links SMS, the WAP phone and the Internet in a new way. In addition to the traditional virtual pet features, this pet's knowledge, skills and capabilities can be improved, as well as be tested in various competitions. The pet lives in its own virtual world, with its own virtual history, present and future.

"The virtual pet is proof that a great deal can be achieved with excellent co-operation and in an innovative environment. The virtual life has completely humane characteristics: when treated well it develops its knowledge, skills and capabilities. It even gains and looses weight according to the nutrition given to it," describes Tapio Lofman from Lumo Media. "This development project with Small Planet was carried out superbly, and we already have plans for further co- operation," he continues.

This byte pet lives in the virtual world, and can be obtained by an SMS or via WAP. The Internet is a window into the pet's world. SMS and WAP are the channels to take care of it. The user brings up and takes care of the virtual pet by satisfying its basic needs, as well as by taking care of its emotional welfare.

"We focus on creating completely new products and concepts which shape the market. The virtual pet is a good example of this," says Rami Ryhanen from Small Planet. "Lumo's innovativeness and our know-how of wireless entertainment services perfectly complement each other in creating new dimensions in the wireless world of entertainment," he adds.

Each virtual pet is an individual with its good and bad sides. A pet may, for example, be great in sports but lousy in reading. The user's task is to raise the pet in the best possible way by taking its nature and individual characteristics into consideration. The user can, for example, teach a smart but clumsy virtual pet how to read, and thus with good guiding and fostering the pet grows into a brilliant reader!

The virtual pet's development is completely based on how it is taken care of. It can live up to 150 years, one day of human life being a year of his.

Small Planet is a mobile entertainment application provider developing innovative and lifestyle oriented products for B2B customers, who want to enhance their service offering for the consumer market. Small Planet's customers include companies such as zed, the international mobile portal, McDonald's, the Janton Media Group, and Sonera Corporation, with whom Small Planet has a solid track record from numerous product launches.

Small Planet's innovations include e.g. an international rally game for the mobile phone, the mobile fishing game "Fisupeli", the WAP/SMS nightlife information service "Sonera zed GO!" and the technical platform for the dating service "Deitti.net / mobile".

Small Planet was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. The company has activities also in Central Europe and Asia. Small Planet's core team consists about 40 mobile media pioneers in Helsinki and 14 part-time, field-based resources working on various projects.

For further information on Small Planet and its products, please visit www.smallplanet.fi.

Lumo Media provides value added services together with its partners and clients for the digital media. Lumo Media's business is divided into four sectors: electronic reservation and ticketing services, entertainment services, interactive advertising, and Internet and multimedia services.

The company works together with its partners in order to provide its clients with ready, unique products as well as software development. At present clients include operators, IT, media and telecommunications companies, as well as advertising agencies.

Currently, Lumo Media employs approx. 50 persons. The offices are situated in Helsinki and Oulu. Lumo is expanding its operations abroad in the near future, and is seeking new partners for content providing and distribution.

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