Source: Business WireAlameda, CA. -(BUSINESS WIRE)- June 9, 1997 - Furthering its goal of providing the emerging smart phone market with valuable software aftermarket solutions, Geoworks (NASDAQ:
GWRX) today announced a cooperative effort with Financial Times Information that will deliver targeted worldwide business, economic and political news and information to cellular operators for delivery to smart phone customers.Under the agreement, Financial Times Information will utilize Geoworks' software technology to provide headlines and news story summaries about specific markets or regions to smart phone users.
"Financial Times Information has always been keen to investigate new delivery channels for the whole range of business information we supply," commented David Clarke, director of Financial Times Information's Broadcast Monitoring Company. "Working with Geoworks allows us to open up our content to the growing number of people who rely on smart phones to keep them informed with news that's important to them."
"Enabling a significant information resource like Financial Times Information to reach smart phone users is an important step in the continued evolution of electronic media and news distribution," said Grover Righter, Geoworks' vice president of Wireless Content and Services. "Geoworks will continue to work with leading content providers to enable mobile professionals to access critical information and services."
Smart phones, such as the Nokia 9000 Communicator, integrate voice with additional communications features such as e-mail, paging, facsimile, and Internet access to online information and services.
In total, the worldwide market for smart phones is expected to reach $2 billion by the year 2000, according to research firm Mobile Insights, with the U.S. market expected to develop in 1997 as digital-cellular networks are launched and smart phones become available.
In 1996, Geoworks formed a separate Wireless Content and Services group that provides products and services to cellular operators worldwide. These products and services are targeted toward mobile professionals, the most valuable subscribers for cellular operators.
By teaming with Geoworks, cellular operators can offer new services to users of smart phones with access to a wide range of customized information and services such as travel, financial data, news, entertainment, electronic commerce and directory services in Europe, Japan and the United States.
About Geoworks
Based in Alameda, California, Geoworks is a leading software provider for the cellular industry and manufacturers of mobile communicating devices, including smart phones. The company has licensed its GEOS(R) operating system to leading manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, NEC, Toshiba Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, Brother International Corp. and Canon Business Machines.In addition, the company intends to work with content and services providers, and international cellular operators. For additional information on Geoworks and the GEOS operating system, contact Geoworks on the World Wide Web at www.geoworks.com .
About Financial Times Information
Financial Times Information is one of the world's leading suppliers of specialist financial and business information to the asset management, investment research and general business information markets. It comprises FT Profile, Extel, Interactive Data, Broadcast Monitoring Company, Asia Intelligence Wire (AIW) and joint venture news agency AFX News.Financial Times Information employs 1650 people in 25 offices worldwide. It is part of the Information Division of Pearson plc, the international media group engaged in the information, education and entertainment markets. Other Pearson Information Division companies include the Financial Times newspaper, Les Echos, Recoletos and Pearson Professional.
About Broadcast Monitoring Company
Broadcast Monitoring Company (BMC) is the U.K.'s leading media monitoring organization covering news and commentary from the press, radio and television. The 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week operation keeps organizations continually alerted to companies, markets, issues, brands, and personalities in the news. Acquired by Pearson in 1994, BMC is part of Financial Times Information.For more information contact Broadcast Monitoring Company by email at bmc.co@ft.com , on the World Wide Web site at www.info.ft.com/media , or by calling +44-171-377-1742.
In keeping with U.S. law, Geoworks notes that this press release includes forward-looking statements, including the Company's intention to license certain technologies, third-party estimates concerning market growth, the establishment of key partnerships, and the timing and availability of porting technologies to the GEOS platform.
Actual results may vary significantly due to various risks and uncertainties. Those include, but are not limited to, the following: i) the smart communicator market and third-party application market may not emerge to the degree or in the timing anticipated; ii) the Company must consummate definitive agreements with key partners; and iii) new technologies are inherently subject to development, timing and consumer acceptance risks.
Additional information is available in the Risk Factors and Business discussions in the Company's Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other filings available from the Company or from the Securities and Exchange Commission.