Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Biddle who wrote (32565)	2/18/2003 7:07:23 AM
From: John Biddle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197760

New GSMA board to address critical industry issues - through building a global trade organisation CANNES, France, Feb. 18 /CNW/ - The GSM Association (GSMA) today unveiled the membership of its new Board. In a major departure from the past, the Board will position the GSMA as the global trade organisation for the mobile world and will focus on a high-profile series of commercial and strategic wireless industry initiatives. With 23 of the world's leading operator executives from the operator community on the new Board, the GSM Association plans to unite the industry by providing strategic guidance that will drive global development of new services forward at an even faster pace. The Board, approved by a vote of the full GSM Association membership, comprises Boardroom level representatives of the following operator companies and groups: AT&T Wireless Group; China Mobile; China Unicom; Hutchison Group; KT ICOM; Maxis Mobile; mmO2 Group; NTT DoCoMo, Inc.; Orange Group; Orascom Telecom Group; SFR Cegetel; SingTel Group; SUNDAY Communications Ltd; Taiwan Cellular; Telefonica Moviles Group; Telenor Mobile Group; TeliaSonera Group; TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) Group; T-Mobile Group; Turkcell and the Vodafone Group. Board member companies and groups represent more than 80 percent of the total GSM customer base, which is currently over 800 million. Craig Ehrlich, Chairman of the Board: "The GSM world will reach one billion customers by end 2003, or early 2004; the new GSMA Board is about ensuring we have the right platform to take us as an industry to the next billion." "We aim to learn from the recent past, avoiding fragmented approaches to developing seamless mobile products and services through a unified voice that speaks for our members. The Board will bring greater clarity and focus to critical issues such as interoperability and ease of use for customers, among many other fundamental issues for operators going forward." "High on the agenda are some specific actions to improve the commercial environment for the GSMA's members," added Ehrlich. "Such as MMS (Mobile Multimedia Services) interoperability, terminals and content platforms, along with the aggressive advancement of 3G services." "The operator community's global leadership has now engaged and is refocusing resources to reinvigorate the wireless space," said Ehrlich. Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association and Member of the Board said: "We are entering a new era for the GSMA and the wireless world. The new Board seeks to truly revitalize the way we do business, bringing industry critical matters into sharp focus - providing faster cycle times for new service introduction, enhanced value for customers and more targeted results for operators and shareholders alike." "By bringing together the global operator community we will have the collective strength to address and accelerate the real issues of complexity that have slowed our progress in the recent past. Only by delivering this global clarity of purpose and direction can we speed the introduction of compelling new interoperable services on a common global platform," he added. About the Board The Board will meet frequently and will work to a tight agenda, focusing on a number of prioritised issues, including putting in place global platforms and global interoperability, ensuring a closer market based and strategic focus on the collective needs of all GSM Association operator members. The Board comprises a strong mix of the largest operators in the world (based on global GSM subscribers) in addition to geographically diverse and other network operators, rotating on a two-year basis. In addition, the CEO of the GSM Association and the Chair of the Executive Management Committee will also sit on the new Board. For further information: Mark Smith, Communications Director, GSM Association, Tel: +44 207 518 0549, Fax: +44 207 518 0531, msmith@gsm.org; Clare Bragg/ Richard Fogg, Companycare Communications, Tel: +44 (0) 118 939 5900, Email: clare@companycre.com, Richard@companycare.com; At the 3GSM World Congress: Clare Bragg, +44 (0)7050 231 669; Richard Fogg, +44 (0)7887 845 236