a la Mobile, Inc.,(www.a-la-mobile.com) the premier Linux systems
platform company for mobile phones, today announced that it has
successfully landed its first handset customer. GUPP Technologies Inc,
(GUPP), a subsidiary of 3P International Corporation Ltd (3P), has
selected a la Mobile's Convergent Linux Platform to be the software
engine that drives its Dual-Mode VoWiFi/GSM Smartphone to be offered
under the brand name GUPP(TM).
"Our success in signing the first customer shortly after the
release of our Convergent Linux Platform version 1.0 on September 1,
2006 is an encouraging endorsement of a la Mobile's vision and
positioning," said Pauline Lo Alker, President and CEO at a la Mobile,
Inc. "With a complete Linux system stack readily adaptable to GUPP's
handset hardware, from device drivers and Linux kernel to
applications, a la Mobile enables GUPP to bypass a long and
technically challenging development cycle, accelerating their
time-to-market. We are pleased to partner with GUPP to quickly deliver
an advanced Dual-Mode WiFi/GSM Linux Smartphone to market."
In recent years, VoIP has evolved from a primarily corporate
adoption to a mainstream consumer deployment. Fueled by today's
increasingly mobile lifestyle coupled with the demand for "non-stop"
high-speed access made possible by WiFi hot spots in hotels, airports,
coffee shops and throughout entire metropolitan cities, the dual-mode
WiFi/cellular phone market is emerging as a fast-growing segment. More
carriers are deploying wireless networks capable of providing
high-speed Web connections via mobile phones and laptops. According to
a Wall Street Journal Online article published on September 26, 2006,
"dual-mode phones will take advantage of existing WiFi networks while
extending its reach into homes." ABI Research, a market research firm,
projects that handset manufacturers are expected to ship more than 300
million dual-mode phones by 2011.
"We see a growing market trend for a new class of providers to
offer handsets and services from a variety of wireless companies in
the next few years," said Guy Tessens, Managing Director of GUPP. "Our
plan is to capitalize on the combined strength of a la Mobile's mobile
Linux expertise together with 3P's long-term relationships with a
broad network of distribution channels to gain traction on a mobile
playing field worldwide."
The GUPP VoWiFi/GSM Smartphone is the first Dual-Mode Linux
Smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, specifically designed to
deliver ease of WiFi connectivity and superior battery life. The GUPP
will give the end user full mobility to make SIP-based (Session
Initiation Protocol) VoIP calls, Internet browsing, music download as
well as sending and retrieving emails from any WiFi hotspot. The GUPP
Smartphone is targeted to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
in January 2007 at the Sands, booth 70648.
About Convergent Linux Platform
a la Mobile's Convergent Linux is the only complete operating
system (OS) for mobile phones with an entirely open and configurable
platform. It is also the first mobile OS platform that enables a
single software stack in binary form to move across different handsets
-- even those based on processors from different manufacturers --
without tedious and costly porting or modifications, thereby
dramatically accelerating time-to-market and ensuring device software
interoperability. The open nature of Convergent Linux provides handset
manufacturers with the opportunity to choose the software components,
functionality and device look-and-feel that are best-suited for their
target customers. Furthermore, the platform is a full and complete
mobile software stack (from device drivers and Linux kernel to
middleware and applications): integrated; tested; certified;
supported; and maintained, giving manufacturers the peace-of-mind to
roll-out new product families based on the Linux operating system.
About a la Mobile
a la Mobile, Inc. (www.a-la-mobile.com) is the premier open Linux
system platform and open source technology provider to the mobile
industry. Led by President and CEO Pauline Lo Alker, a serial
high-tech entrepreneur with multiple success track records, the
company's veteran executive management team includes David Rivas, CTO
(former CTO of Consumer Software Business Unit (J2ME) at Sun
Microsystems) and Francis Yu, SVP Engineering (former VP of Device
Product Group at Openwave Systems). Founded in 2005, a la Mobile is
backed by Venrock Associates (www.venrock.com), a top-tier venture
capital firm in the U.S. with offices in Menlo Park, Boston and New
York.
About GUPP Technologies Inc.
GUPP Technologies Inc. (www.gupp.com) is a leading one-stop
solutions provider of Dual Mode Smart Communication Devices for
consumers and business professionals. Founded in 2005 by Guy Tessens
(Managing Director), a former senior management executive at Philips
in Asia Pacific and Sanjay Varma (CEO), a former McKinsey & Co.
consultant and VP of Business Development at Alibaba.com, GUPP is
based in Penang, Malaysia. GUPP is backed by 3P International, a
global supplier of consumer electronics to mass-market retailers in
over 15 countries. For additional information on the GUPP Smartphone,
please contact info@gupp.com.
