April 17, 2009
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) will showcase the power of an all-communicating world as the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race arrives in Boston for a three-week stopover April 27 – May 16, 2009. The Volvo Ocean Race, the world’s premier yacht race, covers 37,000 nautical miles across the globe in nine months.
“Just as the crews in the race must rely on their expertise as they plan their route through the difficult seas, telecommunications operators around the globe are skillfully plotting their network courses to meet the future changes in the industry,” said Angel Ruiz, President and CEO of Ericsson North America. “Ericsson views the Volvo Ocean Race as an ideal stage to bring our industry-leading solutions and expertise to new and existing customers as well as partners in key markets throughout the world. Never before has the communications roadmap been more important, and Ericsson is leading the way.”
The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 began Oct. 11, 2008, in Alicante, Spain. The competition has led racers from Europe to India, South Africa, South East Asia, China and South America. Boston is the race’s only North American stop.
Ericsson has two yachts in the race this year, Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4. Ericsson 4 is led by skipper Torben Grael from Brazil with an international crew, while Ericsson 3 is led by Swedish skipper Magnus Olsson with a Nordic crew.
Ericsson Mobile Portal
For instant coverage of the race, Ericsson’s mobile portal delivers the latest racing news, TV, audio and position updates to mobile phones anywhere on the planet. Each boat is equipped with seven cameras, five fixed and two handheld, as well as two radio microphones, offering fans the best and most extensive multimedia coverage of any offshore sailing event to date. Also, each of the eight boat crews has a dedicated media person responsible for giving audiences a direct view into the most remote and dangerous parts of the ocean. With millions of hits since going live, Ericsson’s mobile portal is available at m.volvooceanrace.org.
Ericsson Pavilion
A landmark of design and technology innovation, the Ericsson Pavilion will be on location during the race’s Boston stopover offering media, customers and partners an ideal meeting place. Over 4,000 customers from operators and enterprises visited the pavilion during the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race stopovers. This year’s pavilion continues this tradition with a full schedule of business and technology seminars, demonstrations and press conferences.
Schedule of Events
In Boston, Ericsson will hold a series of events for customers, partners, analysts, media and the public throughout the three-week port stopover.
Key events include:
| April 27-28 | Children Education Program
Ericsson will host a series of educational sessions with local Boston school children, showcasing the power of communications with demonstrations of new technologies and products. Ericsson will also showcase the link between technology and sailing. For more information, please contact Patricia Maclean at press.relations@ericsson.com. |
| May 7-8 | Ericsson Capital Markets Day
Executives will present Ericsson’s view on market trends and business dynamics, growth opportunities and strategies, and how Ericsson’s technology leadership is shaping the future. For more information, please contact Kathy Egan at press.relations@ericsson.com, or visit: www.ericsson.com/ericsson/investors/events/2009/cmd-invitation.shtml. |
| May 8 | Ericsson Sustainability Roundtable – “Exploring the Role of Technology in meeting the Climate Change”
Ericsson, together with the Columbia Climate Center of the Earth Institute and the World Wildlife Fund, will hold a Sustainability Roundtable Friday, May 8, 2009 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm EDT to share new insights into the importance of global sustainability development, technology innovations impacting sustainability and actions businesses can implement to become more sustainable and to contribute to a carbon-lean economy. Panelists include:
• Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO of Ericsson
• Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General
• Dennis Pamlin, Global Policy Advisor, World Wildlife Fund For more information, please contact Kathy Egan at press.relations@ericsson.com. |
| May 9 | Volvo Ocean In-Port Race
Making up 20 percent of the overall points awarded in the Volvo Ocean Race, the In-Port race offers spectators a close-up view of the action. There is no room for error as crew’s skills are tested in this fast-paced around-the-buoys scoring race in Boston’s outer harbor on Broad Sound. For more information, please visit www.ericssonracingteam.com. |
| May 10 | Volvo Ocean Pro-Am Race
This unique demonstration race puts media, sponsors and local officials alike right in the heart of the action as they climb aboard and help professional crews race through Boston’s historic inner harbor. For more information, please visit www.ericssonracingteam.com. |
| May 11 | Press Conference - Ericsson Mobile Portal
In this highly-informative press conference, Ericsson will discuss the technology and benefits of the mobile portal in the Volvo Ocean Race. First implemented in the 2005/2006 Volvo Ocean Race, the Ericsson powered mobile portal delivers the latest racing news, TV, audio and position updates to a user’s mobile phone wherever they may be on the planet. Panelists include:
Johan Bergendahl, Chief Marketing Officer, Ericsson
Geoff Hollingsworth, Director of Innovation, Ericsson
Guy Salter, Media Crew Member, Ericsson 4
Gustav Morin, Media Crew Member, Ericsson 3 Time: 10:00 a.m. EDT Place: Ericsson Pavilion at Fan Pier, Boston For more information, please contact Kathy Egan at press.relations@ericsson.com |
| May 12 | Press Conference – Race Route, Boston to Galway, Ireland
The next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race will prove to be both challenging and thrilling as crews make the classic transatlantic crossing to Galway, Ireland. Ericsson will share the latest weather and ocean current forecasts and give insight into the challenges that lie ahead on the 2,500 nautical mile journey. Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT Place: Ericsson Pavilion at Fan Pier, Boston For more information, please contact Vicky Lowe at press.relations@ericsson.com
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| May 16 | Race Restart
Crews embark on the next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, taking them across the Atlantic Ocean to Galway, Ireland in what could be one of the fastest legs yet. For more information, please visit www.ericssonracingteam.com. |
Notes to editors:
For more information on Ericsson's participation in the Volvo Ocean Race, please visit: www.ericssonracingteam.com.
For more information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please visit: www.volvooceanrace.org.
For more information on Ericsson's sustainability solutions and initiatives, please visit: www.ericsson.com/ericsson/corporate_responsibility/index.shtml.
Ericsson's standard multimedia content is available at the broadcast room: www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room.
Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 250 million subscribers. The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of ‘communication for all’ through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27 billion (SEK 209 billion) in 2008. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ.
For more information, visit: www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Kathy Egan
Ericsson North America Public & Media Relations
Phone: 212-843-8422
E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com
