Cingular Launches Three Integrated Business and Channel Programs at WAVE 2001.

Business Editors

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2001

Building Relationships with Alliance Members to

ease creation of customized wireless data solutions

Cingular Wireless today launched three integrated Web-based business and channel programs that will ease and speed the development, availability and deployment of wireless data solutions on Cingular Wireless networks.

The announcement was made during WAVE 2001 (Wireless Alliances and Vision Exchange), the three-day conference presented by Cingular Wireless in Las Vegas.

The three alliance initiatives - the Developer Program, the Solution Alliances Program and the Channel Program - are part of a multi-pronged effort that will provide program participants with a marketplace for creating simple, flexible options to meet their unique needs of their customer base - via a Cingular Web portal. The initiatives will feature a range of programs and participation levels.

The Developer Program is in effect today. The Solution Alliances and Channel Programs will be available later this year through Cingular Interactive, a business unit of Cingular Wireless.

"Through these integrated programs Cingular Wireless is creating a marketplace where there will be an explosion of innovative applications in which enterprises and individuals will be able to customize and personalize the precise combination of solutions that they need in a mobile environment," said Janet Boudris, Vice President, Cingular Solutions, for Cingular Wireless. "Cingular Wireless is evolving from being a carrier that is merely a transport to one that focuses on the full value chain and aggressively encourages a vast number of, for example, developers to actively create and deploy applications in an open development environment. It's a unique concept in our industry."

The three programs announced today form the foundation for Cingular's EM (Electronic Mobile) Business strategy, a seamless electronic environment that creates an integrated marketplace for developers, solution alliances and channels. The programs include:

      --  Developer Program - developers can more quickly develop, test,
        manage and deploy their solutions, as well as initiate
        relationships with other wireless developers and channels of
        distribution.

      --  Solution Alliances Program - The goal of this program is to
        attract thousands of solution providers who would get the
        support and resources needed to successfully bring their
        solutions to market, bundle those solutions with those of
        other Solution Alliances Program members and generate new
        revenue streams through Cingular distribution channels. The
        program contains different levels of membership and different
        levels of participation.

      --  Channel Program - dealers can leverage the Cingular brand and
        services to extend their product base without the expense and
        responsibility of providing end-to-end customer care.
        Resellers can extend their product lines without the expense
        and commitment of building out network infrastructure. The
        program will take into account the full scope of bringing a
        Cingular-enabled solution by a channel, including training and
        fulfillment.

Ultimately, these programs will lead to the creation of an E-Storefront, where end-users and enterprises will have access to a catalogue of solutions, both those branded for Cingular Wireless and those of participants in the Developer and Solution Alliances Programs.

More detailed information about the programs can be found by visiting: www.cingularinteractive.com.

About WAVE 2001

WAVE 2001 offers a wide variety of business and technology sessions designed to demonstrate the advantage of wireless data solutions that utilize the Cingular Wireless networks, including Mobitex, GPRS, GSM and TDMA. Sessions include in-depth discussions, as well as demonstrations and presentations from industry experts, leading platform and solution providers, manufacturers and end-users.

Developer workshops on May 17 are designed for commercial and corporate developers to walk away with the tools needed to immediately begin the development process on various Cingular Wireless networks including Mobitex, GPRS, GSM and TDMA.

Major sponsors of WAVE 2001 include Palm, Sun Microsystems, Panasonic Personal Computing, Ericsson, Research In Motion, Siebel Systems, PeopleSoft, Oracle, Certicom, Geoworks, Mobile Data Solutions, Inc. (MDSI) and GlobeRanger.

About Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless is the second largest wireless carrier in the U.S., and is dedicated to self-expression and customer-friendly service. As a leader in mobile voice and data communications, Cingular, a joint venture between SBC Communications and BellSouth, currently serves more than 20 million customers nationwide. Cingular offers customers advanced technologies in simple, cost-effective ways that permit them to tap the creative potential of wireless through their own self-expression. Details are available at www.cingular.com.

Cingular Wireless' business unit, Cingular Interactive, headquartered in Woodbridge, N.J., is an expert in providing proven wireless data communications solutions that eliminate the barriers between critical information and mobile users; it also provides telemetry and transactions applications. Cingular Interactive operates its wireless data service throughout the United States, covering more than 93 percent of the urban business population located in 492 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and non-MSAs with a total population of 200 million people. Recognized as the industry leader, the company was the recipient of several major awards from such entities as Microsoft, Smart Business, FedEx, PC Computing, Frost & Sullivan, Wireless Week and Mobile Insights. Web site address: www.cingularinteractive.com.