New Consumer Mobile Email Service Launched by SFR Quickly Reaches 150,000 Subscribers Using Critical Path's Memova Messaging Technology
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SAN FRANCISCO - November 2, 2005 - Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH), a
leading provider of messaging software and services, today announced
that SFR, Vodafone's French Network Operator, has reached 150,000 MMS
Mail subscribers in just four months since the launch of the new
consumer mobile email service this summer. SFR's MMS Mail service,
powered by Critical Path's Memova(TM) Messaging technology, has quickly
attracted subscribers by providing a simple, cost-effective way to send
and receive mobile email.
Despite market research indicating that consumers want mobile email, the
cost and complexity of existing solutions were limiting mass-market
adoption. Utilizing Memova Messaging technology, SFR is providing MMS
Mail - a consumer-oriented mobile email service that is affordable,
simple to set up and works on most any mass-market mobile phone.
"MMS Mail makes it easy for SFR subscribers to access email on the go
and send and receive multimedia-rich messages on our standard consumer
mobile phones," said Jean-François Caillard, Messaging Product Line
Director, SFR. "Critical Path's messaging technology has helped us
provide the kind of mobile email service the mass market wants at a
price consumers can afford and thus adoption rates have far exceeded our
expectations."
Critical Path's Memova Messaging technology powers the core messaging
service for SFR MMS Mail. For just 2.50 per month, MMS Mail subscribers
can specify, based on sender, which email messages they would like to
receive on their mobile phone and have messages from multiple ISP or Web
mail accounts pushed to their phone's inbox. The service works with any
MMS-enabled phone and alleviates the need for an expensive phone upgrade
or installation of complicated software on the handset.
"We've learned from our experience with operators worldwide that
ease-of-use and affordability are key to mass-market adoption, " said
Mike Serbinis, CTO, Critical Path. "The rapid growth of SFR's MMS Mail
is proving this to be true yet again. MMS Mail is a good example of how
a mobile email service that is easy to set up and use, has the right
price point, and gives subscribers the messages that matter can rapidly
attract subscribers. We are extremely pleased to be part of SFR's early
success with this service."
In addition to powering SFR's MMS Mail service with Memova(TM) Messaging,
Critical Path's Memova(TM) Mobile has been deployed by leading Indonesian
operator Indosat, and Critical Path is working with mobile operators
worldwide to deliver consumer mobile email and messaging services for
the mass market.
About SFR: www.sfr.fr
SFR is the second-ranking mobile phone operator in France with 35,8% of
market share and 16,2 million customers on 30th June 2005. It recorded
turnover of 7.2 billion euros in 2004.
Its GSM/GPRS network now covers over 98% of the French population and
87% of French territory. As the first mobile operator to launch 3G in
France in November 2004, SFR covers now 50% of the French population in
3G and will cover 60% at end 2005.
About Critical Path, Inc.
Critical Path's Memova(TM) solutions provide a new and improved email
experience for millions of consumers worldwide, helping mobile
operators, broadband and fixed-line service providers unlock the
potential of email in the mass market. Memova(TM) Mobile gives consumers
instant, on-the-go access to the messages that matter most. Featuring
industry-leading anti-spam and anti-virus technology, Memova(TM) Anti-Abuse
protects consumers against viruses and spam. Memova(TM) Messaging provides
consumers with a rich email experience, enabling service providers to
develop customized offerings for high-speed subscribers. Headquartered
in San Francisco with offices around the globe, Critical Path's
messaging solutions are deployed by more than 200 service providers
throughout the world. More information is available at
www.criticalpath.net.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking
statements by the Company and its executives regarding the performance
of our product and service offerings, the future release of our products
and services and our customer's products and services which include our
offerings, the ability of our customers to achieve cost savings and
improve revenues in the provision of services, industry trends, market
and customer requirements, the ability of our products and services to
meet the business needs of our customers, the market for products and
services like ours and the performance of our senior management in
achieving strategic goals. The words and expressions "look forward to,"
"will," "expect," "plan," "believe," "seek," "strive for," "anticipate,"
"hope," "estimate" and similar expressions are intended to identify the
Company's forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks
include, but are not limited to, our evolving business strategy and the
emerging and changing nature of the market for our products and
services, our ability to deliver on our sales objectives, the ability of
our technology and our competitors' technologies to address customer
demands, changes in economic and market conditions, and software and
service design defects. These and other risks and uncertainties are
described in more detail in the Company's filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) made from time to time
including Critical Path's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2004, its Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q for
the fiscal quarters ended March 31 and June 30,2005, Current Reports on
Form 8-K, as may be amended from time to time, and all subsequent
filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
(www.sec.gov). The Company makes no commitment to revise or update any
forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances
after the date any such statement is made.
Note to Editors: Critical Path, the Critical Path logo, Memova and the
Memova logo are the trademarks of Critical Path, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Reporters, Editors - contact:
Fleishman-Hillard - Europe
Ali Lubbock or Sophie Davis
+44 (0) 20 7395 7048
lubbocka@fleishmaneurope.com
or daviss@fleishmaneurope.com
High Road Communications - North America
Carrie Baker
1-416-368-8348 ext. 264, cbaker@highroad.com
Investors - contact:
Critical Path Investor Relations
+1 415.541.2619
ir@criticalpath.net
