FunMail and conVISUAL announce Strategic Partnership to bring Next-Generation MMS Services to the German Market

conVISUAL and FunMail announced today at the SMS Congress 2002a strategic relationship for the distribution of FunMail invarious countries starting with Germany and for the integrationof their cutting-edge MMS messaging platforms.

London/Oberhausen 17. 5. 2002 (PROTEXT/ots) - "We are veryexcited to be working with conVISUAL," said FunMail CEO AdamLavine. "This partnership combines FunMail compelling multimediamessaging content with conVISUAL's format translation and MMStranscoding technology and their growing distribution channel.It's a fantastic combination." FunMail is the world's first system to 'translate' textmessages into fun, engaging animation or visuals. Subscriberssend a simple SMS text to their friends, which on passingthrough FunMail's server is magically analysed and a relevantcartoon generated and added to the message. Users have theability to opt for a message preview option allowing them topick and choose from FunMail's content database featuring well-known cartoon series such as South Park and Garfield. TheFunMail system can also be "white labeled" for other content orbrand owners. conVISUAL has developed its Multimedia Message Broker (MMB)which is an intelligent platform for the creation,personalisation, conversion and distribution of mobilemultimedia messages. The MMB supports all of today's commonmessaging standards, such as SMS, Smart Messaging, EnhancedMessaging Service (EMS), WAP Push and Openwave Download Fun, aswell as upcoming GPRS and UMTS technologies such as theMultimedia Messaging Service and i-mode. And, because of itstranscoding prowess, conVISUAL's photo messaging service has fastbecome the world's leading photo messaging service. conVISUALdemoed its photo messaging service in several vendor's boothesat CeBIT in March 2002 including network operators, serviceproviders and device manufacturers. "Our ability to transcode visual messaging formats makes us anideal partner for FunMail's 'killer' animated content,"explained Dr. Thomas Wolf, CEO, conVISUAL. "We just love thesimplicity and power of FunMail. You just type your message anda graphic or animation of your favourite cartoon characterrelevant to your message magically appears." The strategic partnership will initially focus on the Germanmarket and branch out from there. "With almost 60 million mobilesubscribers, Germany affords conVISUAL and FunMail with verylarge opportunities," said Dr. Wolf. "conVISUAL already hasexisting relationships with senior management at most of theoperators and portals in the German market and therefore is aperfect choice for our German distribution partner," said Mr.Lavine. About FunMail, Inc. FunMail Inc. is a wireless messaging company that providescarrier-grade unified visual messaging solutions for mobileoperators. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Pleasanton,California, FunMail's unique technology uses a patent-pendingsystem that analyses short text messages, and dynamicallygenerates relevant animations and visuals. FunMail bringstogether a world-class engineering team that already has twopatents pending for their breakthrough visual messagingtechnology with talented animators from major animationsstudios. To view and experience FunMail please visitwww.funmail.com. For more information on FunMail contact: Randy Boyer E-mail:randy@funmail.com Phone: +1 (925) 455-1200 conVISUAL - The Home of Visual Messaging Services. conVISUALis the first Wireless Application Service Provider focused on therealisation of Visual Messaging Services. Through an innovativeproduct portfolio conVISUAL creates opportunities for networkoperators, service providers, ISPs and media companies to expandtheir businesses by leveraging the extraordinary potential ofmultimedia messaging services. conVISUAL's Multimedia MessageBroker (MMB) is the intelligent platform for the creation,personalization, conversion and distribution of mobile multimediamessages. Using the MMB, conVISUAL operates numerous messagingapplications, that are growing concurrently with the emergingmultimedia facilities of mobile devices: The MMB supports all oftoday's common messaging standards, such as SMS, SmartMessaging, Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), WAP Push andOpenwave Download Fun, as well as upcoming GPRS and UMTStechnologies such as the Multimedia Messaging Service and i-mode. Based in Oberhausen in Germany, conVISUAL employs atalented and experienced team, concentrating highest industryexcellence including Ericsson, Mannesmann Mobilfunk, Nokia andTheron Business Consulting. Pictures Pictures accompanying thispress release are available for download in the picture galleryin the press area on the conVISUAL website. conVISUAL media contact Essener Strasse 2-24 SandraWiewiorra 46047 Oberhausen, Germany Media Relations ManagerE-mail: info@convisual.com E-mail: press@convisual.comwww.convisual.com Phone: +49 208 85 96 - 807

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