Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications established today

Monday, October 1 2001

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, the joint venture between Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and Sony Corporation, will today start its operations, following final approvals from the European Commission and other regulatory authorities. The new company will start its operations today and is aiming to become the number one player in mobile multimedia products within 5 years.

"I am proud to announce that we have received the final approvals and we can start operations according to our initial plans", says Katsumi Ihara, President of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. "We are 3,500 committed employees who are very much looking forward to creating a great company and to launching our first products during next year", says Mr Ihara.

On August 28, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and Sony Corporation signed an agreement to set up Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications as an equally owned joint venture. On September 11, the boards of both companies announced that their respective boards have approved the mobile phone joint venture. President of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications is Katsumi Ihara, and Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing is Jan Wäreby.

Sony Ericsson today also disclosed its new brand name and logo. The new brand name is Sony Ericsson and is accompanied by a symbol in a warm, organic green color. Together they represent the company's vision and ambition and what Sony Ericsson does for its customers. A downloadable version of the logo is available at www.sonyericssonmobile.com/pressroom

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB offers mobile communications products for people who appreciate the possibilities of powerful technology. Established in 2001 by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and Sony Corporation, the joint venture continues to build on the success of its two innovative parent companies. Sony Ericsson creates value for its operator customers by bringing new ways of using multimedia communications while mobile. The company's management is based in London, and has 3,500 employees across the globe working on research, development, design, sales, marketing, distribution and support.