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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Acotel Group Partners with The Associated Press to Distribute Coverage of the 2004 Olympic Games
NEW YORK--July 14, 2004--Acotel Group announced today that it has partnered with The Associated Press to deliver AP Olympics Online, AP coverage of the 2004 Olympic Games, to U.S. subscribers on their mobile phones. Acotel Group will package the AP
news and information with other mobile services specifically geared toward Olympics spectators.
Acotel Group also announced an affiliate program which enables media companies, Olympic sponsors and others to provide visitors to their Web site with a direct path to subscribe to its Olympics services.
The new services will be a combination of MMS, Premium SMS, and pay-per-download and will be available to mobile subscribers in the United States for the entirety of the August 13-29, 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Service packages will be available through the major carriers including AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint PCS,
T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.
Subscribers to the Acotel Group services will receive Olympics breaking news and headlines, previews, schedules, results and other pre- and post-event coverage, including opening ceremonies, from AP's onsite team in Athens. The service will also offer robust mobile multimedia enhancements such as:
Olympic Previews - Overviews, capsules by sport and topical
features on torch relays, security, and more
Photos - Hundreds of images including action shots of all
sports
Audio Clips - Pre- and post-game reports
Interactives - Flash packages on history, equipment, venues,
timelines and top photos
"Our coverage of Athens 2004 will be efficiently packaged and delivered in a way that suits display on mobile devices - ideal for sports fans who want to stay on top of comprehensive Olympics news, photos and results around-the-clock," said Jane Seagrave, director of AP Digital. "We are pleased that Acotel's agreement with the AP will enable them to distribute this information to wireless subscribers in the United States."
"Information and entertainment services are extremely popular in Europe and Acotel has been there from the start," said Claudio Carnevale, chief executive officer, Acotel Group. "We are excited to offer AP Olympics Online in a wireless format. Real-time news and multimedia enhancements make this service uniquely attractive and convenient for mobile spectators in the U.S."
Acotel Group will provide the complete wireless services functionality including the mobile portion of the Web site, the SMS and MMS technology and delivery to the end user through the major U.S. mobile operators. The company will also offer a selection of Olympic-spirited mobile entertainment including national anthem ringtones, sports wallpapers and games.
Companies interested in providing their Web site users with AP's Olympic coverage in a wireless format need only add an Olympic-themed banner, designed by Acotel Group, to their Web site. Interested companies should contact Acotel Group at +1.212.849.6883.
About ACOTEL GROUP
Acotel Group is a leading provider of multimedia platforms and
applications to mobile network operators and media companies around
the world. Through its customer base, Acotel services more than 35
million end users and enabled approximately 500 million paid text and
multimedia messages in 2003. Founded in 1992, Acotel operates in 20
countries and is publicly traded on the Milan Stock Exchange. Acotel
customers include IBM, Orange, Radio Hit Channel, Telecom Italia
Mobile, Tiscali and Vodafone. Acotel USA has offices in New York and
Boston. Visit www.acotel.com for more information.
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