Ericsson integrates, hosts and manages ALLTEL Axcess Picture Messaging service

Press release

February 25, 2004, 10:01 (CET)

In addition to hosting and integrating the MMS platform with ALLTEL's network, Ericsson is operating and maintaining the service on a round-the-clock basis.

"By taking a managed services approach to MMS, we were able to quickly bring our Axcess Picture Messaging services to market in the fourth quarter of 2003," ALLTEL Executive Vice President of Network Services Chris Smith said. "This allowed us to focus on other core products and services in the fourth quarter."

"Ericsson's managed services hosted offering is a cost-effective way for operators to introduce advanced mobile applications to market quickly," Ericsson Inc. Vice President Jerry Nichols said. "ALLTEL was able to concentrate on marketing picture messaging to its customers while Ericsson got the service up and running."

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
James Borup, Ericsson Communications
Phone: +46 70 590 9261; +46 719 6992
E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com

Kathy Egan, Ericsson Inc. Corporate Communications
Phone: +1 212 685 4030
E-mail: pressrelations@ericsson.com

Glenn Sapadin, Ericsson Inc. Investor Relations
Phone: +1 212 685 4030
E-mail: investor.relations@ericsson.com

About Ericsson Hosted Managed Services
Ericsson's Managed Services Hosting offering is a fast and cost-efficient way for operators to bring services to market. Ericsson's offering includes applications and enablers (MMS, streaming media. Prepaid, etc.), as well as content such as music, entertainment and games provided by Ericsson's content partners. Ericsson takes the responsibility for integration, around-the-clock operation and maintenance of the hosting solutions through regional hosting operation centers.

About Ericsson's MMS
Ericsson is the world leader in providing MMS solutions to operators. The company has delivered on 78 commercial MMS agreements, and about 50 percent of the world's MMS subscriber base is using an Ericsson MMS platform. Ericsson's MMS technology offers dramatic enhancements in mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-e-mail messaging capabilities by enabling users to send color pictures, animations, audio and video clips along with text.

About ALLTEL
ALLTEL is a customer-focused communications company with more than 12 million customers and nearly $8 billion in annual revenues. ALLTEL provides wireless, local telephone, long-distance, Internet and high-speed data services to residential and business customers in 26 states.