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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Summus Deals up Phil Hellmuth's Texas Hold 'Em
RALEIGH, N.C.--May 20, 2004--
Summus, Inc. (USA) (OTCBB: SUMU), a developer of applications and solutions that optimize the consumer wireless experience, today launched their new multiplayer poker game for wireless phones called Phil Hellmuth's Texas Hold 'Em. The game is available on Verizon's Get It Now(sm) service in the Casino category of Get Games. Verizon Wireless customers can purchase the game for a $2.99 monthly subscription with a Get It Now-enabled cell phone.
Phil Hellmuth's Texas Hold 'Em is being kicked-off today at an event at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. Phil Hellmuth, the World Poker Champion, will be in attendance at the event to answer questions and demonstrate the game. With nine World Series of Poker (WSOP) wins - earning $775,000 at his first championship in 1989, and two titles during 2003 - Phil Hellmuth is the leader on the WSOP money list with over $3.5 million in earnings. At his first win in 1989 Hellmuth became the youngest WSOP champion ever, at age 24.
"I am extremely excited to work with Summus to promote their wireless, multiplayer Texas Hold 'Em game," said Phil Hellmuth, World Poker Champion. "The future of poker is right here. Being able to play poker on your cell phone against other players across various carrier networks has tremendous potential for success."
"Phil Hellmuth has become an icon of the increasingly popular game of Texas Hold 'Em. Phil is a Poker World Champion who is known by fans as one of the game's smartest, brashest, and most relentless players," said Gary Ban, CEO of Summus. "Between the ever-growing poker craze, the rising fame of Phil Hellmuth, and the excitement surrounding wireless multiplayer games, we believe that this will be the most successful wireless multiplayer game on the market to date."
The first-of-its-kind wireless multiplayer game is based on the poker phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. Subscribers can play Phil Hellmuth's Texas Hold 'Em in solo or multiplayer mode. In solo mode, players have the virtual experience of actually playing head-to-head with Phil Hellmuth. In the multiplayer mode, subscribers all over the country can play directly against each other across wireless carrier networks. No real money exchanges hands, but winners get ranked on the Texas Hold 'Em ranking site (http://phil.summus.com), which displays the top money winners by week and month. Players can visit the site often to learn about contests and the chance to win prizes for earning particular rankings.
The Texas Hold 'Em poker craze has hit college students, online gamblers and casino tables all over the U.S. The Boston Globe recently reported that there are currently an estimated 80 million poker players in the U.S. Television shows such as Bravo's "Celebrity Poker," the Travel Channel's "World Poker Tour" and ESPN's coverage of the "World Series of Poker" have amplified the popularity of the game, especially among college students. The youth market, which is the fastest growing fan base of Texas Hold 'Em, is also the largest group of consumers of wireless games. In-Stat/MDR reported that 40% of wireless phone users under the age of 25 use their phone to play games. IDC, the market research firm, put the U.S. wireless game market at just $160 million in 2003, but projects annual revenue will reach $1.4 billion in 2006. Informa Media Group, a London-based media and telecommunications research firm, says that worldwide cell phone games sales could reach about $1 billlion in 2005 and $4 billion in 2007, compared with $584 million in 2003.
About Summus
Summus is a developer of solutions that optimize the consumer wireless experience. The company partners with leading content brands to develop compelling wireless games, news, photo and entertainment applications for the cell phone. Summus currently offers 26 cell phone applications deployed through 21 wireless carriers in the U.S and abroad. Summus builds these applications on its proprietary BlueFuel(TM) platform for efficient information processing. BlueFuel offers a high-powered, low-stress navigation that is designed for a consistently superior user experience. For more information, see www.summus.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning Summus' business, products, and financial results. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted. More information about potential risk factors that could affect our business, products, and financial results is included in Summus' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and in reports subsequently filed by Summus with the Securities and Exchange Commission("SEC"). All documents are available through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov or from Summus' web site at www.summus.com. Summus hereby disclaims any obligation to publicly update the information provided above, including forward-looking statements, to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
BlueFuel is a trademark of Summus, Inc. (USA). All other trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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