i3 Mobile Selected by TSR Wireless as Exclusive Provider of Wireless Internet Services
Stamford, Conn. and Fort Lee, N.J., Sept. 6, 2000 – i3 Mobile (Nasdaq: IIIM), a leader in innovative wireless media solutions since 1991, from personalized, localized information to m-commerce and advertising services, and TSR Wireless, America's largest paging retailer with more than 2.6 million subscribers, today announced an agreement in which TSR will utilize i3 Mobile as its exclusive provider of wireless Internet services.
The services will be marketed under the InfoBlast brand, and will be available fourth quarter 2000.
Under the terms of the agreement, a selection of i3 Mobile services including news, business and sports information will be bundled on all TSR one-way and two-way alphanumeric pagers. In addition, all existing alphanumeric paging customers will be able to add InfoBlast services by contacting TSR Customer Service.
A wide range of subscription services will also be available, including real-time stock quotes, company news alerts, U.S. and world news, entertainment news and reports, sports scores and fantasy league sports, and weather reports. As an upcoming enhancement, subscribers with two-way pagers will be able to request and receive information on-demand, including stock quotes, local and national weather forecasts, traffic reports, state lottery results and sports schedules. Select InfoBlast services are currently available at www.tsrwireless.com.
i3 Mobile will deploy its Web and wireless portal technology to allow TSR Wireless customers to activate and manage their personalized services.
TSR will actively promote InfoBlast services in its 277 retail outlets. The services will be featured in collateral material to be made available in the stores as well in special InfoBlast kiosks, also in the stores. In addition, i3 Mobile and TSR Wireless are committed to actively promoting the services through various marketing efforts and financial incentives.
"The scale of this agreement and the rich mix of services involved in it adds up to a significant advance in the state of the wireless Internet for the paging industry," said Kelly Quinn, senior research analyst at Aberdeen Group. "Through this collaboration with TSR Wireless, i3 Mobile is demonstrating its continuing leadership in the wireless Internet space."
"By bundling i3 Mobile's services at the point of sale, TSR has a terrific opportunity to show millions of people that their pagers can be more than just a means of personal communication," said Stephen G. Maloney, president and CEO of i3 Mobile. "This agreement puts the power of the Internet in the hands of TSR Wireless's large and growing customer base."
"Our subscribers increasingly rely on information delivered to them when they want it and wherever they happen to be," said Frank Lynch, Chief Operating Officer at TSR Wireless. "Wireless Internet services are essential to the future of our company, no one has the track record, wide range of innovative products or ability to deliver reliable services like i3 Mobile."
About TSR Wireless
TSR Wireless LLC ("TSR Wireless"), founded in 1974, is the largest privately owned paging company and the 5th largest paging carrier in the United States according to RCR Magazine. The Company has grown its subscriber base internally (without acquisition) at a 75% compound annual rate over the last five years. TSR Wireless currently has about 2.6 million pagers in service and is the country's fastest growing paging company according to the Paging Leadership Association's 1998 Industry Performance Report.
Providing a full line of wireless products, TSR Wireless offers pagers, cellular and PCS phones, two-way radios, batteries and accessories to all distribution channels the Company services. TSR Wireless primarily operates through resellers, direct accounts, and company owned and operated retail stores. Frequent contact with TSR Wireless sales reps and the consultative relationship that is established with all customers makes TSR Wireless the carrier of choice and differentiates TSR Wireless from the competition.
With 277 retail locations nationwide under the TSR Wireless name, TSR Wireless is considered America's largest paging retailer. The goal at TSR Wireless is to become America's business and consumer wireless expert. For more information, please visit www.tsrwireless.com.
About i3 Mobile
i3 Mobile is a leading provider of wireless media solutions that enable wireless network operators, Web sites and enterprises to extend personalized, location-based information, m-commerce and wireless advertising services to their customers. As of the end of the second quarter of 2000, i3 Mobile had more than 875,000 users receiving personalized information on mobile phones, pagers, PDAs and other wireless devices. i3 Mobile's services are available to more than 55 percent of the North American market of wireless phone users through relationships with more than 25 leading wireless network operators and new media distributors, including AT&T Wireless Services, Bell Mobility, Qwest Wireless, Rogers AT&T Wireless, U. S. Cellular, and weather.com. i3 Mobile is included in Upside magazine's "e-business 150" for 2000. For more information, please visit www.i3mobile.com.