Wednesday April 12, 7:55 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
China Mobile Selects AsiaInfo to Build China's First National Wireless Internet Backbone: AsiaInfo Leads Wireless Internet Development in China with Convergent Solution
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2000--AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASIA - news) announced today that it has signed a contract with China Mobile to build the first national wireless Internet backbone in China.
Under the terms of the agreement, AsiaInfo will build an Internet backbone to initially cover six major cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou. This will be China's fourth national commercial Internet backbone.
In addition, the company will provide its convergent billing software product (AIOBS) as well as its messaging software product (AIMC) to support China Mobile's convergent voice and data services. Both products are WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) enabled to support the new generation WAP services to be provided by China Mobile.
AsiaInfo expects that this contract will establish it as the market leader for wireless Internet infrastructure solutions and software products. It positions the company to capture the rapid growth of the wireless Internet market in China. According to government statistics, the number of wireless phone users in China reached 40 million by the end of 1999 and is expected to double in 2000.
``This is not just another Internet backbone contract win,' said James Ding, CEO of AsiaInfo. ``It gives AsiaInfo strong first mover advantage in the world's largest wireless market for providing wireless Internet solutions and software products. AsiaInfo is the only company in China that provides both Internet and wireless Customer Management & Billing (CM&B) products that supports millions of users. This first wireless Internet backbone contract win paves the way for strong growth of AsiaInfo's software products in the wireless segment.' |
