Andrew Seybold Choice Awards Honor 2008 Achievements in Mobile Communications

Las Vegas, NV - April 2, 2009. The 2009 Andrew Seybold Choice Awards, announced at the annual Andrew Seybold Wireless Dinner in conjunction with CTIA Wireless 2009, clearly demonstrate that wireless communications firms continue to bring innovation, versatility and value to consumers and business organizations in more ways and in more places, Andrew Seybold said in naming the winners.

The invitation-only Andrew Seybold Wireless Dinner is one of the most prestigious events associated with the annual CTIA Wireless exposition, and the Choice Awards are the highlight of the evening, eliciting scores of nominations representing the best efforts in each wireless category and signaling the industry’s future directions.

Selected from among three finalists in each category, the winners were: Alcatel-Lucent, for its Rich Communications Manager application; TeleNav, Inc., for its TeleNav Shotgun device; Celio Corp., for its REDFLY Mobile Companion service; and Qualcomm MEMS Technologies for its .9” mirasol Color Display technology.

“There is a commonality among all of these entries that struck the judges,” Seybold said. “In one way or another and whether an application, device, service or a breakthrough technology, each of these award-winners extends the ability of its customer-users to do more things in more places, faster and more effectively. Couple ever-increasing functionality with the versatility and flexibility that is inherent in mobile communications and you are looking at ‘must-have’ technology.”

The categories and the winners are:
Application: Rich Communications Manager -- Alcatel-Lucent’s winning application, a converged IP messaging solution, is built on a standards-based platform-level solution that allows end-users previously limited to dedicated, purpose-built systems optimized individually for voice, video, text or email, to access all types of messaging regardless of location or device. The modular, scalable solution is based on new multi-core Intel architecture and it allows carriers to deliver new services without compromise.

Device: TeleNav Shotgun -- A slim, hand-held, interconnected GPS navigation device, the TeleNav Shotgun not only provides travelers with navigation support in finding addresses and avoiding traffic bottlenecks with real-time traffic information, on-screen and voice directions, and a database of more than 11,000,000 business listings. The device features a 4.3-inch high LCD touch screen, a mini-USB port, 3.5 MM headphone jack and a microSD card slot. Annual/biannual and monthly service plans are available.

Service: REDFLY Mobile Companion -- Celio introduced the world’s first smartphone terminal with no operating system, CPU, syncing or storage, enabling users to see more and do more when using use the phone-resident applications. It connects to any Windows Mobile by Bluetooth or USB and changes the phone’s output resolution for display on 480 x 800 eight-inch screens. The 1.9-pound REDFLY Mobile Companion can run for five or eight hours in a single charge, depending on the model.

Technology: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies has solved critical problems of screen visibility and power consumption with the introduction of its .9-inch mirasol color display. While most computer and smartphone screens range from difficult to impossible to read in bright light conditions, the MEMS technology employs reflected light to provide high quality screen aesthetics and clarity even in bright sunlight. It also brings the advantage of extremely low power consumption, with near-zero battery drain when display images are unchanged.

“Overall, the field of entries continues to be impressive year-to-year, displaying a level of creativity that may be unique among business sectors,” Seybold said. “Winnowing the field to a group of 12 finalists was challenging, not to mention selecting the final four to be the Choice Award Winners. So it is important to note that while we have winners, we have no losers because every good idea can become a new engine for growth for a company and a further advance for the mobile communications industry.”

About Andrew Seybold, Inc.
Andrew Seybold, Inc. is dedicated to solving client challenges through strategic consulting, client-specific research and analysis, publications, speaking engagements and educational programs. Company founder Andrew M. Seybold and his partners provide deep technology and business expertise, proven best practices and long-established relationships with industry leaders. Mr. Seybold is highly regarded for his COMMENTARY e-newsletter and the Andrew Seybold Wireless University. For more information, visit www.andrewseybold.com.