MTNT Motient Announces Availability of the MobileModem for Palm V Series PDAs
New Product 'Teaches Your Old Palm New Wireless Tricks' by Delivering
Always-on, Real-Time Email Direct to the Palm Handheld
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Motient Corporation (Nasdaq: MTNT), the
owner and operator of America's largest two-way wireless data network, today
announced the commercial availability of the MobileModem by Motient(TM). The
award-winning MobileModem liberates the estimated six million devoted Palm(TM)
V/Vx series and IBM(R) WorkPad(R) c3 PC Companion users with the availability
of always-on wireless email access directly to their handheld.
The MobileModem is a compact device that attaches to the Palm V series
delivering instant wireless connectivity. This enables the Palm handheld user
mobile access to their corporate or personal email, allowing them to read and
respond to messages on a location-independent basis, from a conference room,
to a taxicab, to an airport lounge. With the MobileModem, Palm handheld users
are always connected.
"New definitions of 'mobility' and 'mobile professional' have entered the
modern vernacular," said Peter B. Belman, vice president of marketing and
brand management for Motient. "Although traveling sales executives are
required to stay connected, connectivity is just as important for the
physician making rounds in a hospital or for managers attending meetings in an
office building away from their desktop workstations. Email has become such
an integral part of everyday life that almost everyone, from corporate workers
to the home office part-timer needs to stay connected."
For business users, the MobileModem effectively extends the real-time flow
of information for millions of Palm handheld users and helps them increase
productivity and exert more control over their business day. "With the
MobileModem you can send and receive encrypted email, and soon the ability to
access the mobile Internet and obtain a variety of enterprise applications all
in the palm of your hand," said Belman. Users of the MobileModem can be
wirelessly connected to all of the popular messaging platforms including
Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, and Novell Groupwise.
The MobileModem's innovative features make it the perfect companion for
both the consumer and business user. The modem is always "talking" to the
Motient network and will automatically "wake up" the Palm with each incoming
message. The MobileModem combines its advanced "always-on" feature with
another uniquely Motient innovation, the Smart-Sync cable that simultaneously
recharges both the modem and the Palm handheld and also syncs the Palm
handheld to the desktop PC. As a result of its sleek and lightweight design,
the MobileModem adds only 5.5 ounces to the Palm device.
Belman cited that the timing of the MobileModem's availability is
especially appealing to today's PDA user as evidenced by the results of the
Fall 2001 Motient-commissioned research survey targeting more than
5,000 registered business and consumer PDA users across the United States.
"The survey results indicated that nearly two-thirds of the respondents
rated the ability to have always-on wireless two-way email as first on their
'wish list' for future services or applications not currently offered on most
handhelds," he explained. "With the availability of the MobileModem, that
wish is now a reality."
The MobileModem is available online at www.motient.com at a special
introductory price of $179, offered in conjunction with an annual airtime
agreement for unlimited service at $49.95 per month. The MobileModem retails
at $279. Motient also offers a "starter" airtime plan for $19.95 for
150 kilobytes per month. The starter plan has enough KB capacity for
approximately 25 average length emails daily.
About Motient
Motient (www.motient.com ) owns and operates the nation's largest two-way
wireless packet data network -- the Motient(TM) network -- and provides a
wide-range of mobile and Internet communications services principally to
business-to-business customers and enterprises. The company provides
eLink(SM) and BlackBerry(TM) by Motient two-way wireless email services.
Motient's wireless email services operate on the RIM 850 and RIM 857 Wireless
Handhelds(TM) and Motient's MobileModem for the Palm(TM) V series handhelds.
Motient serves a variety of markets including mobile professionals, telemetry,
transportation and field service, offering coverage to all 50 states, Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
eLink is a service mark and Motient is a trademark of Motient Corporation.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the
exclusive properties of, and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited and are
used by permission. "BlackBerry by Motient" -- used by permission. Palm V is
a trademark of Palm, Inc.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements in this news release are described in Motient
Corporation's registration statement on Form S-4 (333-63826) and in Motient's
annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 and its other
periodic filings and reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Copies of such reports and filings are available upon request from Motient's
Investor Relations Department.
Contacts:
Kevin Powers Jennifer Shields
Motient Hill and Knowlton
703-758-6073 202-944-3373
kevin.powers@motient.com jshields@hillandknowlton.com
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SOURCE Motient Corporation
-0- 01/08/2002
/CONTACT: Kevin Powers of Motient, +1-703-758-6073, or
kevin.powers@motient.com; or Jennifer Shields of Hill and Knowlton,
+1-202-944-3373, or jshields@hillandknowlton.com, for Motient/
/Web site: motient.com /
(MTNT)
CO: Motient Corporation; Palm, Inc.
ST: Nevada
IN: TLS
SU: PDT
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