SOHU, China Mobile and Motorola Cooperate on
Mobile Messaging at Mount Everest, Bringing Modern Communication to New
HeightsSOHU CEO Charles Zhang
Co-leads the '2003 China SOHU Team'
ExpeditionBEIJING, China – 16
April 2003 -- Aiming to reach new heights in modern communication, Internet
company SOHU.com Inc. (Nasdaq: SOHU), China Mobile Communications Corporation
and Motorola Inc. will jointly introduce short messaging and multimedia
messaging services at the Mount Everest, where some twenty international teams
have gathered to commemorate the first human conquest of the world's highest
mountain half a century ago.
Charles Zhang,
CEO, President and Chairman of SOHU.com and an experienced mountain climber,
will join the '2003 China SOHU Team', organized by the China Mountaineering
Association (CMA) and sponsored by SOHU, as assistant captain until the Northern
Valley at 7,028 meter. He will use text-based short messages services (SMS) and
multimedia messaging service (MMS) throughout the journey to report on the
expedition's progress. The twelve member team, led by renowned alpinist and
Assistant Secretary-General of the CMA Yongfeng Wang, is expected to reach the
8,848 meters high summit on May 20 and plant the team
flag.
The three companies' joint operation aims
to enable the '2003 China SOHU team' to enjoy uninterrupted wireless
communication capabilities through GPRS, MMS and SMS during their expedition.
China Mobile, the largest mobile operator in China, will set up a mobile
telephone system at the Base Station to provide the wireless signal. Motorola,
the largest mobile handset manufacturer in China, will contribute 388C
multimedia messaging enabled phones. Meanwhile, SOHU will provide the
value-added content services for live SMS and MMS broadcasting throughout the
expedition and bring exclusive online reporting on the SOHU website
(
www.sohu.com).
"These
three companies, all leaders in their respective fields, are pooling their
products and services to launch a pioneering venture. We strive to give the
notion of 'wireless communication anytime, anywhere' a new meaning. We expect
this unprecedented collaboration against the backdrop of the spectacular Everest
to boost the popularity of wireless multimedia messaging, following the earlier
successes of short messaging in China. For SOHU, a leading wireless value-added
service provider in China, this ascent marks the symbolic start of our MMS
services," said Charles Zhang, Chairman and CEO of
SOHU.
"The joint effort of these three parties
to bring SMS and MMS to the Mount Everest is a new milestone in the IT industry.
It is the dream of every mobile operator to bring wireless communication to the
top of the world. To date, nobody has attempted to bring communication to every
corner of the earth through mobile phone messaging from the tallest mountain
peak," said Hongyu Wang, vice-director of China Mobile's Database
Department.
The SOHU mountain climbing team
will use Motorola's soon-to-be-launched 388c MMS to bring live reports on the
expedition. The mobile phone, enhanced with an extra large 65,536 colored
TFT-LCD screen as well as Motorola Dragonball CPU, will be connected with a
digital camera to allow the team to document their historical journey and report
on their progress with the unparalleled impact of live visual content. "2003
marks the 75th anniversary of Motorola Corporation's establishment. It is also
precisely twenty years ago that we invented the mobile phone, which changed
people's lives completely. Today, the mobile phone is an essential part of
people's lifestyle. In recognition of these anniversaries we contribute the
388c MMS as a platform for carrying out this challenging Mount Everest venture.
If the team successfully completes the ascent, the Motorola 388c MMS will be the
first wireless device used for mobile connectivity on top of the world's 'third
pole' and multimedia messaging exchange from a height of 8,848 meters,' said
Brian Lu, Motorola Corporation Vice-president and General Manager of Personal
Communications Sector of Motorola
China.
Generally, wireless operating equipment
can only work below a height of 4,000 meters. China Mobile is the first carrier
to bring wireless applications to a level above 5,100 meters. "We want the
China Mobile subscribers to enjoy an uninterrupted signal anywhere and
experience the richness of multimedia messaging. This undertaking will be an
momentous test for our equipment, technology, staff and organization," commented
Hongyu Wang of China Mobile.
About SOHU.com
IncSOHU.com is one of China's most recognized
and established Internet brands and indispensable to the daily life of millions
of Chinese who use the portal for e-mail, alumni club, short messaging services,
news, search, browsing and shopping. Apart from continuous product and services
development, SOHU.com also concentrates its efforts on making the Internet
ubiquitously available, whether in the office, at home or on the road. SOHU.com
Inc., established by Dr. Charles Zhang, one of China's Internet pioneers, is in
its seventh year of operation.
About China
MobileChina Mobile Communications Corporation
was founded on April 20, 2000, under the communications industry management of
the Ministry of Information Industry. Its subsidiary China Mobile (Hong Kong)
Co., Ltd (NYSE: CHL) is listed in Hong Kong and New York. China Mobile
Communications Corporation, with a registered capital of 51.8 billion RMB and
assets of over 320 billion RMB, ranks 336 in the Fortune
500.
About
MotorolaMotorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global
leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions.
Sales in 2002 were $26.7 billion. Motorola is a global corporate citizen
dedicated to ethical business practices and pioneering important technologies
that make things smarter and life better for people, honored traditions that
began when the company was founded 75 years ago this year. Sales in 2002 of
Motorola China were $5.7 billion. For more information, please visit
www.motorola.com.cn.
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