SAN DIEGO and OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Feb. 7, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Cupid just became a little cooler and a lot more convenient for those seeking friendship and romance in time for Valentine's Day-- or, any day. That's because an agreement announced today between SMS.ac (www.sms.ac) and Sprint (NYSE:FON) means that the world's most popular social networking applications from SMS.ac are now available on select Sprint PCS Vision phones while on the Sprint Nationwide PCS network.
The pairing has been a match made in heaven, according to SMS.ac's senior vice president of business development, Brandie Williams. "There is something fresh and fun about Sprint PCS phones," said Williams. "That company's done a phenomenal job of investing in technology and is bringing everything the customer wants to its next-generation of mobile handsets. SMS.ac is clearly dominating the young adult market in terms of adoption and use of mobile data applications, so the relationship between Sprint and SMS.ac makes perfect sense."
SmsFlirt, smsClubs and smsChannels products are SMS.ac's first mobile applications to be rolled out on Sprint PCS phones.
"Many Sprint customers are interested in innovative wireless data applications that provide an easy and convenient way to communicate on the go," said John Styers, director of data services for Sprint. "SMS.ac's brand and networking applications will appeal to young adults - an important customer base for Sprint.
SMS.ac, the world's foremost producer of revenue from mobile data was named to IDC's "10 Emerging Wireless Players to Watch" list for 2005. Companies partnering with SMS.ac have a fast-track to revenues generated from wireless data, as a combined result of SMS.ac's vast user base, its accessibility to global mobile networks and because of its premium billing relationships with mobile operators.
Here is a look at the SMS.ac mobile applications that are now accessible on select Sprint PCS Vision phones:
SmsFlirt (www.sms.ac/flirt) gives anyone over the age of 18 the ability to search for and instantly communicate with potential romantic partners. Searches are based upon a wide variety of criteria, ranging from location, age and gender, to interests, physical characteristics and more.
Other than ease of use, affordability and instant gratification, another appeal to smsFlirt is that photographs and messages can be exchanged in a non-threatening environment, because smsIDs, or avatars are used to retain the users' anonymity. And because messages are exchanged via mobile handsets, users are not tethered to a PC, as they are when exchanging less-desirable emails, for example.
There are currently thousands of user-created smsClubs (www.sms.ac/clubs), with an estimated 1 million people per month joining the picture-capable mobile discussion groups. Topics for smsClubs cover almost any subject matter, but the most popular topics are romance, music, religion and sports. Registered users can join pre-existing clubs, or they can start their own.
Mobile phone users are requesting daily updates be sent to their handsets on subjects that interest them, whether the subject be news, humor, inspirational message, or a wide array of other topics. SmsChannels (www.sms.ac/channels) are now available on select Sprint PCS Vision phones.
SMS.ac's interoperable messaging platform manages the largest community of mobile phone users in the world. To receive SMS.ac press releases via email, register at prsubscribe@corp.sms.ac. You may unsubscribe from this service by sending an email to prunsubscribe@corp.sms.ac.
About SMS.ac
SMS.ac, Inc. is a mobile data communications company whose proprietary MMSbox(tm) platform enables the interoperable exchange of mobile multimedia (MMS and SMS) and micro-transaction billing across all mobile standards, protocols and the Internet. A demonstration of the MMSbox platform is available at www.sms.ac. With tens of millions of self-registered mobile consumers in 170 countries, and connectivity to more than 400 mobile operators worldwide, SMS.ac is host to the largest community of mobile phone users in the world. Through its global initiatives, SMS.ac is igniting the widespread adoption and use of wireless data. To view the SMS.ac corporate web site, visit www.sms.ac/corporate.
About Sprint
Sprint offers an extensive range of innovative communication products and solutions, including global IP, wireless, local and multiproduct bundles. A Fortune 100 company with more than $26 billion in annual revenues in 2003, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network; an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone; and the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/mr.