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Handspring Press Release Archive
HANDSPRING AND SFR TO LAUNCH TREO COMMUNICATOR IN FRANCE
Partnership brings first Palm OS phone with wireless voice and data capabilities to French market
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF., GENEVA, SWITZERLAND and PARIS, FRANCE (Feb 19th, 2002) Handspring (NASDAQ: HAND), a leading maker of handheld computers and wireless devices, and SFR (Groupe Cegetel), a leading French provider of mobile communications services, announced today that they will jointly distribute and market Handspring's Treo family of wireless communicators in France. The companies will work together to make Treo available at the beginning of April via SFR Shops "Espaces SFR" and other leading retail stores throughout France. Handspring will also make the product available direct from it's web site www.handspring.fr.
Treo is the first Palm OS wireless communicator to be launched in France. Treo will operate on SFR's extensive GSM networks and will provide French customers with a pocket-sized, lightweight and elegant device that seamlessly integrates a GSM mobile phone, a Palm OS organizer, wireless email, web and SMS text messaging applications. Treo is ideally suited for people who currently carry both a mobile phone and a handheld computer but wish to have all their information in one device.
Patrick Hoffstetter, marketing director of SFR's Professional and Corporate Market business unit stressed, "Treo is a real opportunity for our customers to simplify their use of SFR Mobile Office Solutions. Sending an SMS or e-mail with the Treo is as easy as making a phone call, and looking for information on the web is very simple, especially since SFR's Internet access is pre-registered. Also, SFR customers can easily add further functionalities to Treo thanks to the availability of thousands of Palm OS applications".
"Both SFR and Handspring share the same conviction on the future of voice and data integrated wireless devices and services," said Roger Kermisch, vice president and general manager of Handspring EMEA. "Launching Treo together in France is an exciting starting point, and we look forward to a long term collaboration. As we continue to focus further on delivering innovative communicator products like Treo, association with operators like SFR will be essential to our success in this industry."
Treo will initially be available in two versions - the Treo 180, which has a built-in keyboard for text input, and the Treo 180g for those who prefer Palm OS 'Graffiti' handwriting recognition. The built-in keyboard of the Treo 180 and customisable auto-text templates for SMS and email make messaging fast and simple. With its integrated applications, Treo allows easy dialling and caller recognition from contact databases. Also, Treo users will have access to the Internet through Handspring's award-winning Blazer web browser, which is optimised for use on communicators and handheld computers to provide fast access to almost any site on the Internet, not just those web sites designed exclusively for mobile access. Treo also includes standard Palm OS features like desktop synchronization with email clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes, and compatibility with thousands of Palm OS applications.
ABOUT HANDSPRING
Handspring is a leading innovator in personal communication and handheld computing. The company develops, manufactures and markets the Treo family of communicators, the Visor family of expandable handheld computers, and client and server software for fast web access from handheld devices and mobile phones. Founded in 1998, the company established itself as an industry leader with its Springboard platform, which provides a simple and easy method for hardware and software expansion. Today Handspring sells its Treo and Visor lines of products, Springboard expansion modules and accessories at www.handspring.com and through select Internet and retail partners in the United States, Asia, Canada, the Middle East and Europe.
ABOUT GROUPE CEGETEL / SFR
Groupe Cegetel is the second largest telecommunications operator in France and the first challenger operator. This position is a result of a global operator strategy covering all telecom activities. In mobile telephony, SFR has more than 12.6 million subscribers (2001 year-end) and in fixed, their "7" service has 2.9 million subscriber lines.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to: the ability of Handspring and SFR to effectively launch and market Treo, the degree to which Treo will simplify the way people communicate and access information, the timing and availability of the GPRS software upgrade for Treo, and Handspring's ability to develop and maintain partnerships with wireless operators such as SFR. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors including, among others: future economic conditions; consumer acceptance of and demand for Handspring's Treo communicator products; the availability of Treo communicator products in the US and internationally; the timing of the build-out of advanced wireless networks and the quality and scope of voice and data service coverage offered by wireless carriers; the degree to which wireless carriers will facilitate the successful introduction of Handspring's wireless products; and the rapid pace of technological change and competitive developments in the handheld computer and wireless communications industries. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties described in Handspring's most recent Form 10-Q. Handspring assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
Handspring, the Handspring logo, Treo, Blazer, Visor, VisorPhone and Springboard are trademarks of Handspring, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other brand names are trademarks of their respective owners.
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