OMAHA, Neb. and KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct 13, 1999 /PRNewswire via
COMTEX/ -- Ameritrade Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: AMTD), one of
America's leading online brokerage firms, and Sprint PCS (NYSE: PCS),
the nation's largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide wireless network,
today announced an agreement that will enable Ameritrade and Sprint PCS
customers to access their accounts, place trades and receive stock
alerts using the Sprint PCS Wireless Web. The two-way transactional
service is the first of its kind via wireless phones and is expected to
be available in late October.
"As a provider of online brokerage services to the Sprint PCS Wireless
Web, Ameritrade will enable investors to have anytime, anywhere access
to its Web site via Sprint PCS Phones," said Thomas K. Lewis, Jr.,
co-chief executive officer of Ameritrade Holding Corporation. "We're
excited to be working with another market leader, Sprint PCS, which was
the first carrier to launch wireless Internet services nationwide,
making it easy for customers to put the power of the wireless Internet
in the palm of their hand. After extensive reviews, we selected Sprint
PCS as our wireless provider of choice because the company offers the
highest quality and best overall coverage in the metropolitan areas
where Ameritrade customers live and work."
Andrew Sukawaty, Sprint PCS President, said, "We are tremendously
excited to be the first wireless provider to offer Ameritrade's
transactional brokerage services to consumers nationwide. This marks
the first time that customers in the United States can open an account
and place trades directly over the wireless Internet via a wireless
phone. Similar to the evolution of online services, our agreement with
Ameritrade represents the next phase of the Sprint PCS Wireless Web,
moving from anytime, anywhere information access to a mobile
environment that offers consumers a full suite of clear, simple
transactional shopping and financial services."
Lewis noted that the addition of wireless web access is another step in
Ameritrade's continuing effort to extend the ability of its customers
to invest when and how they choose.
"Ameritrade is a customer-oriented organization," Lewis said. "We know
that our customers want to be empowered to act on their investment
decisions at any given moment. That's why, in addition to this new,
convenient Sprint PCS Wireless Web access channel, we're offering our
customers extended hours trading. We also have customer service
professionals available 24 hours-per-day Monday through Friday."
Sprint PCS customers who have an Internet-ready Sprint PCS Phone will
be able to access their Ameritrade account at no extra charge as part
of any Sprint PCS Wireless Web Service Plan -- starting at less than
$10 a month when added to an existing voice plan $29.99 and higher.
Once an Ameritrade account is accessed via a Sprint PCS Phone, all
Ameritrade fees apply in the same manner as if a customer had accessed
Ameritrade from a desktop computer for standard online brokerage
services -- currently $8 per equity market order.
About Ameritrade Ameritrade Holding Corporation is a pioneer in the
discount and online brokerage industry. The Company provides brokerage
services and clearing services to self-directed individual consumer
investors and other financial institutions through its subsidiaries.
Subsidiaries of Ameritrade Holding include: Ameritrade Inc. (
www.ameritrade.com ), a leading online discount brokerage firm;
Accutrade, Inc. ( www.accutrade.com ), a discount brokerage firm
delivering superior levels of personal service and support to its
clients; AmeriVest, Inc. ( www.amerivestinc.com ), a provider of
third-party discount brokerage services and other financial services to
commercial banks, credit unions and thrift institutions; as well as
Advanced Clearing, Inc. ( www.advancedclearing.com ), a securities
clearing firm providing clearing services to each subsidiary as well as
other financial institutions. For more information on Ameritrade
Holding Corporation visit the Company web site at www.amtd.com .
About Sprint Sprint PCS operates the largest 100 percent digital, 100
percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already
serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more
than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCS has
licensed coverage of nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit the
Sprint PCS Web site at sprintpcs.com . Sprint PCS is a
wholly-owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE
under the symbol PCS.
Sprint is a global communications company at the forefront in
integrating long distance, local and wireless communication services
and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint
built and operates the United States only nationwide, all-digital,
fiber optic network and is a leader in advanced data communications
services. Sprint has $17 billion in annual revenues and serves more
than 20 million business and residential customers.
SOURCE Ameritrade Holding Corporation
(C) 1999 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
prnewswire.com
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CONTACT: Michael Anderson, Corporate Vice President, Investor and Public
Relations of Ameritrade, 402-827-8935, or Media, Kim Shepherd,
and Marsha
Burton, 312-553-0700, or Analysts, Ray McNulty, 212-922-0900,
all of the
Dilenschneider Group for Ameritrade, or Tom Murphy, Director
of Media
Relations of Sprint PCS, 816-559-6703
WEB PAGE: sprintpcs.com
http:// www.amtd.com
GEOGRAPHY: Nebraska
Missouri
INDUSTRY CODE: MLM
FIN
SUBJECT CODE: JVN |
