Cingular Wireless offers business customers a migration solution from Mobitex to 3G
New Data Products Leasing Program Allows Customers To Implement Wireless Data
Solutions Today And Migrate To Next Generation Technologies Tomorrow
Las Vegas - February 11, 2003 - Cingular Wireless today announced its Full Protection
Lease program, a new wireless equipment leasing program that allows business customers
to acquire Cingular mobile data products and services that operate today on Cingular's
Mobitex network and migrate during the term of the lease to GPRS/EDGE-based products.
The program allows Cingular data customers to sign up for equipment leases starting
at 24-months, with an option to migrate to next generation devices at 12 or more
months. Pricing is variable according to the lease terms, but is approximately $30
on the $24 month lease. The Full Protection Lease/ program, which will initially
be available for the RIM 950™ and 957™ wireless handhelds, provides three primary
benefits to enterprises: it eliminates the initial expense of purchasing devices,
provides a 24x7 loss and damage replacement service, and protects the company's
solution investment with a technology refresh option during the term of the lease.
"Today, there is no better wireless data network than Mobitex for our data customers,
but we recognize that some customers will want to migrate to GPRS/EDGE technology
and devices as they mature or become available in their markets", said Charles Nelson,
president, Cingular Interactive. "Our new equipment program allows customers to
realize all of the benefits of wireless messaging, email and corporate applications,
while protecting their investments with a simple, cost effective migration path
to next generation technologies"
The program is offered through Asurion, a leader in wireless equipment leasing and
insurance services. "Asurion's expertise in protecting wireless investments makes
them a perfect partner to help us kick-off this program," said Nelson. "Our customers
have been asking for a way to spread out the initial costs of devices as they deploy
wireless solutions and this program does this and more."
For more information about Cingular's new data equipment leasing program, please
visit Cingular's website at www.cingular.com/business.
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications (NYSE - SBC) and BellSouth (NYSE - BLS), serves more than 22 million voice and data customers across the United States. A leader in mobile voice and data communications, Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover, the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Cingular provides cellular/PCS service in 43 of the top 50 markets nationwide, and provides corporate e-mail and other advanced data services through its GPRS and Mobitex packet data networks. Details of the company are available at www.cingular.com.