LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., March 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Bitfone Corporation (www.bitfone.com), the company that pioneered firmware over-the-air (FOTA) update technology for mobile phones, today announced that QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) has made a strategic investment in Bitfone, adding to QUALCOMM's portfolio of innovative companies driving the market for 3G wireless.
"QUALCOMM Ventures invested in and executed a strategic agreement with Bitfone because it sees the company's technology as an important element of the wireless value chain," said Prashant Kantak, senior director of business development for QUALCOMM Ventures.
"Bitfone's over-the-air device management solutions provide a faster time-to-market path, significant cost savings and risk reduction for manufacturers and operators rapidly deploying increasingly sophisticated handset devices by avoiding recalls and manual repairs of device software. In return, companies are able to offer more convenient support to their subscribers."
"We are honored to become a portfolio company for QUALCOMM, who is known for selecting companies that demonstrate leadership in wireless innovation and pursue robust IP strategies," said Gene Wang, chairman and CEO for Bitfone. "Our patented FOTA technology complements QUALCOMM's own device management initiatives on the BREW(r) solution, and we are excited to contribute to the creation of a dynamic, easy-to-maintain, and easy-to-use mobile environment for QUALCOMM's handset customers, operators and end-users."
Bitfone recently announced that QUALCOMM and Bitfone will provide software update capabilities initially for QUALCOMM's Mobile Station Modem(tm) (MSM(tm)) MSM6250(tm) chipset using Bitfone's mProve technology. mProve offers both firmware and file-based update capabilities, allowing manufacturers and wireless operators to remotely service a device's operating system, run-time libraries and other core software functions while the device is in the subscriber's hands.
QUALCOMM Ventures supports QUALCOMM's mission of enabling and fostering CDMA and wireless Internet markets through strategic investments in privately owned startup ventures. These strategic investments include companies focusing on wireless communication technologies and products serving consumer, enterprise and vertical markets worldwide.
About QUALCOMM Incorporated
QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2004 FORTUNE 500(r) company. For more information, please visit http://www.qualcomm.com.
About Bitfone Corporation
Bitfone Corporation provides unparalleled expertise and innovative software solutions for customer care automation and mobile device management to wireless operators and handset providers. Bitfone's SmartCare, mProve and MVP products improve usability of mobile devices by diagnosing and repairing software problems and delivering software updates and configuration settings over the air. Bitfone's solutions allow customers to analyze, fix and enhance mobile devices, safely and efficiently. Bitfone's customers also benefit from significant cost savings in the areas of customer service and warranty, improved device quality and subscriber satisfaction, and broader adoption of advanced wireless services. Bitfone is a private company headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with offices in Canada, China, Japan, Korea, and the U.K. For more information, please visit www.bitfone.com. QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. BREW is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. MSM6250, Mobile Station Modem and MSM are trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.