The 23rd March, 2007 Meeting took place at Busyinternet

Fred Sarpong, Public Relations Officer, GHAJICT


Mawutodzi Abissath, Executive Member GHAJICT


E.K.Bensah II, Ag President GHAJICT

All went well with the meeting, with some very concrete recommendations made, which will be circulated in minutes over the next couple of days!

FW: mtg-busyinternet-230307 (live on the GHAJICT blog)

GHAJICT Constitution Meeting

Date:23.03.2007

Venue: BusyInternet, Ring Road, ACCRA

 

Agenda

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda
2. Membership dues
3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
1. GHAJICT Treasurer should immediately liaise with Kwami Ahiabenu III on this
4. registration of association
1. who will take lead on registration? What signatures needed?
2. which bank?—(ECOBANK)

                                                              i.      individual account for now / savings acct

                                                             ii.      can treasurer take care of this?

3. Fees (GHC150,000/quarter)

                                                              i.      Members can pay in advance/yearly

4. Possible date of launch?

                                                              i.      April-end? Or on World Information Society Day (Thu 17 May^[1])?

                                                             ii.      Coordination / basic communication strategy for launch:

1.      a hotel? BusyInternet? Kofi Annan-IT CE?

2.      which media outlets? Radio? TV? Print media?

3.       aob

5. BLOG Activity
1. Executive members and executive must maintain their blogs
2. We need “blog whip” to remind those GHAJICT members (http://ghajict.blogspot.com/) to keep up
6. Membership cards
1. Talk to Busyinternet

                                                              i.      Find out fees

                                                             ii.      cost

                                                           iii.      Let’s get them done

7. Communication Tools
1. GHAJICT now on blogafrica.com—available to African blogosphere
2. Blog exists—what can be improved

                                                              i.      Executive members should ALL be contributors

3. Ideas for website
4. newspaper

 

8. AOB

 

 

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^[1] “Wednesday, 17 May 2006: First World Information Society Day

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in November 2005, adopted the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, which recognized that there is a need to build more awareness of the Internet. It specifically called upon the United Nations General Assembly to declare 17 May World Information Society Day. (http://www.itu.int/wisd/2006/index.html)

 

KNUST students to benefit from Broadband Wireless Internet

Picture shows Prof. K. K. Adarkwa (2nd left), Vice Chancellor of KNUST trying to access the internet on a laptop at the launch of the wireless service.
Story: Enoch Darfah Frimpong, Kumasi
A Broadband wireless Internet and voice telephony facility has been inaugurated on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Known as the KNUST E-Campus Network, the facility has the potential of transforming the mode of teaching and learning on campus, as it would provide members of the university community with in-room and on-campus wireless Internet and voice telephony.
The provision of the service is a joint venture between Universal Telephone Exchange Limited and Engineering Systems and Services Limited, in collaboration with the KNUST.
The project is the first phase of a comprehensive Information Communication Technology (ICT), which is aimed at integrating all educational institutions into the global ICT network with KNUST as the hub.
According to the Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, the services would be provided at an affordable rate to enable all subscribers benefit from the innovation.
He said with the innovation, students and lecturers could have access to the Internet service from any location on campus for research and recreational purposes at their convenience.
Aside that, he said students would be able to manage their time more efficiently with affordable telephone service.
The vice-chancellor said the cumulative effect of the benefits could result in improved academic performance of students enrolled at the university.
It was also expected that the current range of services provided under the KNUST E-Campus project would be complemented with distance learning, which would leap KNUST into the frontiers of educational excellence, the vice-chancellor said.
He said the network would eventually be interlinked with similar networks in Ghana and beyond to enable members of the university community share resources with other educational institutions to create a serene environment for education and research.
The Chief Executive of Engineering Systems and Services Limited, Mr Ben Adu, in an address, said university teaching and learning was becoming increasingly challenging in the face of limited resources and increasing demand for enrolment.
Mr Adu said physical facilities and lecturers were in short supply, and that access to quality learning and educational resources were limited.
He said the gap between quality of education in the developed economies and the one in the developing countries would further widen if steps were not taken to address the problem.
Mr Adu said distance education and e-learning could help to ameliorate the situation, but without equal access to quality communications infrastructure, distance education would not be able to deliver its promise.

Minutes of Mtg on 2/2/2007 @ I-Net, A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon

MINUTES OF GHAJICT MEETING on 2 February, 2007 at

I-NET Café, A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon

 

 

Present:

n               Ruby Amable, Ag. VICE-PRESIDENT

n               E.K.Bensah, Ag. PRESIDENT

 

NOTE: this meeting was held at A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon instead of BusyInternet

 

ISSUES

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda
2. Membership dues
3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
4. registration of association
1. which bank?
2. Fees?
3. Possible date of launch?
5. Liasing with blogs on http://www.gjaict.blogspot.com/

6.     GHAJICT intervention in Three ICT Bills Before A-G

7. AOB

 

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda

·         There was dissatisfaction expressed at the quality of the last minutes. It was agreed that whilst each person has his own style of producing minutes, some of the errors were more than typographical. The minutes looked more like a report than minutes.

 

·         The Vice-President is ready to offer capacity-building to any member of GHAJICT who is interested. The Ag President expressed an interest in this capacity-building offer.

 

·         Despite this initial comment, the minutes were adopted, and the current agenda for the meeting approved

 

2. Membership dues

·         There was a suggestion of GHC600,000/yr, translating to GHC50,000/month/member

·         It’s unclear as to whether we want to make it quarterly (GHC150,000/three months), or yearly

·         It was decided that to get the ball rolling, MARCH could be a good time to start getting payments made

 

3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)

·         At the time of writing (2/3/07), Ag President, in a yahoo chat with Penplusbytes chief Kwame Ahiabenu III some weeks back, found out that getting UNDP money is very easy. Important to capitalize on that aspect—maybe GHAJICT treasurer (Veronica) could look into this?

·         Other opportunities for funds include JICA; UNESCO

·         It is important to identify a GHAJICT member who can facilitate this

 

4. registration of association

·         Yet again, the discussion between Ahiabenu III and Ag President on yahoo revealed that a priority to establish and register the association is better than tweaking out details in the constitution

·         It is yet undecided what to operate—only a SAVINGs? Or a CURRENT acct? Or BOTH?

o        Advantage of savings is that money deposited would stay there for longer, and accrue interest as opposed to current one

o        GHAJICT would need to consider whether CORPORATE or INDIVIDUAL account would be better?

• which bank?

                                                              i.      Ag President suggested ECOBANK

• Fees?

                                                              i.      Please see above

• Possible date of launch?

                                                              i.      End of March/early April

 

5. Liasing with blogs on http://www.gjaict.blogspot.com/
• The Vice and President checked almost all the sites on that blog, and realized—with much horror—that a lot NEEDS must be done for the collaboration to be effective
• Given the challenges facing that group, it would be better to focus on motivating members of GHAJICT to get others to blog!!

 

6.     GHAJICT intervention in Three ICT Bills Before A-G

• The Vice President’s experience with parliamentary press corps could be brought to bear on any eventual intervention by GHAJICT

 

7. AOB

• VENUE:
• The I-NET CAFÉ at the A&C Shopping Mall, East Legon is a very comfortable atmosphere, providing sufficient space for all of us to use the fast computers there. The Vice-Prez and Prez find it a VERY amenable place for working, and thinking as a team
• Proposal to hold it there for a while

 

• WORK ON CONSTITUTION:
• It was agreed that we could provide a deadline for comments. Initially, it was going to be end of February, but can be moved forward
• Those comments could be compiled and reflected through the constitution off-line

 

Proposed next meeting:22 March, 2007 @ A&C Shopping Mall

 

ENDs

 

 

ICT Makes the Difference in the Akatsi Community

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200701291780.html

 

ICT Makes the Difference in the Akatsi Community

Public Agenda (Accra)
NEWS
January 29, 2007
Posted to the web January 29, 2007

By Isabella Gyau Orhin and Ama Achiaa Amankwaah
Accra

The use of telecommunication in Akatsi, a community in the Akatsi district south of the Volta Region has improved tremendously over the past six years.

According to a German researcher Mr. Marcus Koll who did a study in the area, mobile phones are now a common household tool in Akatsi.

The study has therefore called for a rural perspective in national Information Communication Technology development strategies.

The theme of the research by Mr. Koll a Ph.D. Student, from the University of Bonn, Germany was "The use of telephony in the Akatsi District Today."

It was a follow up to a study done in 1999 in Akatsi by another German Researcher Dr. Romeo Bertolini, with The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany.

In 1999 when the first study was undertaken, technology usage in communication was low and comprised of mainly communication centres with the famous one being Westphalia Communication centre.

Today Westphalia has been turned into a bar and a shop where one can buy clothing and have a beer.

The 1999, study showed that about 52 percent of the inhabitants of Akatsi did not use any form of modern technology in communication but today only 12 percent of respondents say they do not communicate via modern technology.

Mobile phone usage is about 85 percent in Akatsi, a Population of 93,483 inhabitants according to 2002 figures. It covers an area of 1000 square kilometers with about 75 percent of the population of the district engaged in agriculture.

Mr. Koll said there are about 20 public telephone booths available in Akatsi Town now outpacing communication centres which were in vogue during the first study.

More than nine percent of the households reported that they have their own landline installed in their homes making them less dependent on communication centres.

Mr. Koll said there are three mobile phone service providers consisting of Areeba, One-Touch and Tigo. Areeba has 75 percent of the clientele followed by One touch with 20 percent while Tigo has five percent of the clientele in Akatsi. Mr. Koll said none of the 362 households sampled in Akatsi-Town, Agbedrafor and Gefia said they use Kasapa.

There is one internet Café in Akatsi Town according to the study, the next closest cafes are in Aflao and Sogakope. The Akatsi café has five computers in use with one dial-up connection.

The proprietor complained that one-third of the time, he is out of business in th past 12 months, due to power cuts, slow dial-up connection and line failures among others.

The study discovered that the main obstacle to internet use in the area is lack of computer skills. Also around 40 percent of the users complained that internet usage in the town is expensive. Users pay 12, 000 cedis per hour of browsing compared to between 6,000 and 8,000 cedis in Accra.

Only 16 percent of respondents said they do not experience any problems with the use of their phones. According to the study the introduction of retail telephony popularly known as "Space to Space" has made telephone services available on a broader scale. "Even if problems are reported, all in all, the quality of services increased," Koll said.

Dr. Amos Anyimadu of the Technology Assessment Project said the problems of inequity in phone usage sometimes stem from lack of electricity to charge mobile phone batteries in certain remote parts of the country.

He said there are technologies in other countries where battery charging does not require electricity but such technologies are not yet in the country.

The Marketing Manager for Kasapa Mr. Clement Asante said the study has brought to the fore that there many areas in Ghana that should be reached with affordable communication services.

"In spite of the fact that a lot of people have cell phones today, they cannot make phone calls as often as they should," he said adding, "This is a challenge Kasapa is ready to meet."

 

Google Loses Copyright Case Involving Belgian Newspapers

How Belgian newspapers fought to get Google to stop (free) archiving of Belgian newspapers’ pay-per-view contents …(unprecedented)?

 

From: http://www.courant.com/business/hc-google0214.artfeb14,0,3973571.story?coll=hc-headlines-business

 

Google Loses Copyright Case Involving Belgian Newspapers

February 14, 2007
By AOIFE WHITE, Associated Press

 

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Google Inc. lost a copyright lawsuit Tuesday to Belgian newspapers that had demanded it remove headlines and links to articles posted on its news site without their permission. The ruling, if it stands on appeal, could set a precedent for how Web search engines link to copyrighted material in the tumultuous arena of online news, according to the Belgian copyright group that launched the case. ADVERTISEMENT     SPONORED LINKS Google said it would appeal, arguing that its Google News service was "entirely legal" and that the Belgian ruling did not set any precedent. The Brussels Court of First Instance ruled that Mountain View, Calif.-based Google could not rely on exemptions, such as asserting "fair use," because it says it reviews press articles when it displays headlines, a few lines of text, photos and links to the original page. "Google is reproducing and publishing works protected by copyright," it said. "Google cannot call on any exceptions set out by law relating to copyright or similar rights." It decided in favor of Copiepresse, a copyright protection group representing 17 mostly French-language newspapers that complained the search engine's "cached" links offered free access to archived articles that the papers usually sell. Copiepresse said the ruling was based on EU law and could trigger similar cases against Google in other nations, saying it had been in touch with copyright groups in Norway, Austria and Italy. But Google said the judgment - which confirms an initial ruling in September - would not necessarily carry influence in other areas. "This ruling does not mean that everywhere else or every other judge in any other country would rule the same, even in Belgium," said Yoram Elkaim, legal counsel for Google News. U.S.-based technology lawyer Jonathan Band said the ruling was neither final - as it can be appealed in Belgium - nor did it bear much weight because legal precedent is not as important in Continental European law. Google said the court still had not settled the debate about what the ruling covered, arguing that it only applied to Google News Belgium and google.be. "In our view, we have complied with the ruling fully since September," Elkaim said. If the court agrees, Google would not have to pay retroactive daily fines of more than $32,000 for each day that Google did not comply - far lower than an earlier judgment that threatened $1.3 million a day. But Copiepresse lawyer Bernard Magrez said Google was still not complying fully with the ruling - saying it covered google.com and other versions. If the court agrees, fines could run as high as $4.3 million. Copiepresse is still negotiating similar copyright issues with Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft's MSN. The group's secretary general, Margaret Boribon, said all companies that republish copyrighted works need to seek permission and pay compensation. "Content made available by editors is quality content that is very expensive to produce, and which has value ... and that value should be recognized," she said. Elkaim, however, ruled out paying to display content - Copiepresse's key demand - but said Google was willing to discuss terms with the Belgian newspapers. "It shouldn't preclude us from continuing to collaborate with news publishers who generally ... do want their content to be searchable so that more people can find their content on their website," he said. "The vast majority of publishers are happy to be included in Google News, and actually we receive more complaints from publishers that are not included." In the future, the court said it would be up to copyright owners to get in touch with Google to complain if the site was posting content that belonged to them. Google would then have 24 hours to withdraw the content or face a daily fine of $1,295.

 

"Commmunication Centres" need protection

From: http://www.myzongo.com/Communication-centres-need.html

 

“Commmunication Centres” need protection

 

An Information Technology and Telecom Research Expert has asked the government to come up with policies, regulations and guidelines that would protect communication centres against the onslaught of wireless telecommunication services, popularly called "space-to-space", spreading across the country.

Dr Amos Anyimado, Director of the Africa Next Knowledge Brokerage and Interaction (ANKBI), the technology assessment wing of Ghana Telecom University College, said unlike the wireless service, communication centres also served as development centres in the rural communities.

He made the call at a video conference, where a German Ph D student from Bonn University Mr. Marcus Koll, presented preliminary results of a study he carried out in the Akatsi District in the Volta Region.

In his study, Mr. Koll found that communication centres were completely out of business in the district and in their place there were several "space-to-space" services, which offered only telephone calls usually from mobile phone handsets.

He found that all the communication centres in the District had been turned into either stores that sold textiles or drinking bars. Dr Anyimado noted that the phenomenon of "space-to-space" denied rural communities several other services communication centres offered.

He said communication centres, offered secretarial services, provided telephone directories for people to easily access phone numbers, had televisions for people waiting to make calls but the "space-to-space" service did not offer such services. "Most of the ’space-to-space’ operators move around with their tables and bicycles," he said.

Dr Anyimado said he was also concerned about the introduction of wireless technology with its attendant General Packet Radio System (GPRS) to the seeming neglect of the V-SAT technology in which most of the district assemblies had invested huge funds. He said the V-SAT technology, on which the fixed line system ran, cost not less than 15,000 dollars to install and at least 1,000 dollars monthly in operation cost.

"That is why the government must intervene and protect the interest of the communication centres to ensure maximum benefit from the V-SAT technology."

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a platform designed to offer access to data networks. GPRS is a new wireless communication system that allows a Highway Telematics System to deliver real-time traffic data without the inconvenience of a permanent infrastructure of ducts and cables.

Data are routed using secured channels from the field stations to a private network via the mobile network supplier. Dr Anyimado said the university was working hand-in-hand with Ghana Telecom and Kasapa Telecom to host the Jubilee Mobile Ghana Conference next month.

He expressed the hope that all the other players in the industry, Areeba (MTN), Tigo and Westel would come on board to give the conference a holistic industrial character.

"We also expect the World Bank Country Office to make some funding available to make the conference a success," he said.

 

The Meeting is Taking Place...

...even without a quorum:-( Ruby is here with me at the A&C SHopping mall. It's just gone 7.02pm, and we are pressing one. Fred says he'll be here soon. This is for accountability purposes...so you know what has transpired. We shall press on, and communicate results accordingly.

Agenda for 2/2/07 mtg of GHAJICT

 

Pls note that this mail is being posted automatically on: http://ghajict.blogspot.com

 

Pls find below the agenda for the 2/2/07 mtg:

 

Agenda

1. Adoption of Minutes / Agenda
2. Membership dues
3. Fundraising opportunities (UNDP, etc)
4. registration of association
1. which bank?
2. Fees?
3. Possible date of launch?
5. Liasing with blogs on http://www.gjaict.blogspot.com/ [we need to appoint s.o to monitor this blog!]
6. GHAJICT intervention in Three ICT Bills Before A-G (http://businessweekafrica.com/three-ict-bills-before-a-g/#more-1027)?
7. AOB

 

Incidentally, pls bring along COPIES of the GHAJICT constitution, which you can find on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ghajict2006, as well as minutes from Listowell’s minutes last year, which I am copying FYI: (you can find original version on the group FILES section; this is an EDITTED version)

 

 

MINUTES FROM OUR MAIDEN OFF LINE MEETING HELD AT BUSYNET ON THE 22, SEPTEMBER 2006

 

On the 22ND September 2006, at about 7:30pm as
scheduled, we the members of the Ghana Association of
Journalist in ICT (ICT) had our maiden off line
meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was not only to ensure
our total commitment to the growth and the sustenance
of the association but also, to meet as team players
together with the executives.
Although the number of members that turn up
were not as we had expected, it was not bad at all for
a start. CHEERS.


MEMBERS ATTENDED.
The ff members registered their presence.
1, MR. EMMANUEL K.BENSAH--ACTING PRESIDENT.
2,MRS.RUBY N.AMABLE ACTING VICE PRESIDENT
3,MR.LISTOWELL FORDJOUR ACTING SECRETARY
4,MR.FRED YEBOAH SARPONG LIASON OFFICER
5,MRS.EMILY NYARKO EXECURTIVE MEMBER
6,MR. MAWUTODZI A. BISSAH.

AGENDA
The meeting was as usual opened with a prayer by
a member.
The draft constitution became the major issue
for discussion.

AMENDMENT OF DRAFT CONSTITUTION.

The president proposed that the blog name of
the association be changed from ghjict to ghajict to
reflect on our mission.

ARTICLE:ONE
The article one of the constitution which
talks about the name of the association was amended to
make the name reflect the values of the group. It is no
longer Ghana Journalist in ICT. We are now GHANA
ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALIST IN ICT.(GHAJICT)

 

ARTICLE:TWO
Advocacy was added to our duties and
responsibilities to enable the group to advocate for
certain things that will enhance the progress of ict
in the country, i.e. advocacy to ensure ict becomes part
of the curriculum of media training institution in the
country.

ARTICLE:THREE
The above article which talks about the
membership of the association on who qualifies to be a
member was redefined to ensure that members a
professionals media practitioners of variable
backgrounds.

OTHER MATTERS
The meeting agreed that 27th October will be
our next meeting date. The venue will be at MR.BIGGS in
circle. Time 6:30PM.
We in addition agreed that every last Friday
of the month is our meeting day.

The president moved the meeting to close due
time constraints.
BRETHREN IN THE ICT WORLD, HOPE TO SEE YOU IN
OUR NEXT MEETING.I REMAIN, ACTING SECRETARY. CHEERS

 

 

Hope to see you on Friday at 6pm sharp!!

Cheers,
Emmanuel

 

 

RE: [ghajict2006] voting, INFO RE: Venue/TIME

Morning all on this beautiful Monday morning!!!

 

Here’s the lowdown:

 

Date: 2/2/2007

Venue: busy internet

Time: 6pm

 

(this is being posted automatically on http://ghajict.blgospot.com)

 

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Onetouch Brings Ogo, the First Mobile Data Service for the Masses to Ghana

From: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/12-04-2006/0004484589&EDATE=MON+Dec+04+2006,+08:38+AM

 

 

Onetouch Brings Ogo, the First Mobile Data Service for the Masses to Ghana

 

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and ACCRA, Ghana, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Onetouch, one of the leading mobile operators in Ghana, has announced today

that it plans to bring a revolutionary mobile data service for the masses

to Ghana. Based on the Ogo platform by IXI Mobile, Onetouch, will make the

Ogo device and associated services available in Ghana, mainly focusing on

young adults, with services such as mobile e-mail, mobile Instant

messaging, RSS, and Web Browsing.

    "We recognized a significant need in the market which is not served by

any other offering today," said Mr. Philip Sowah, Chief Executive at

Onetouch. "Practically all mobile data services available in the market are

focused on the elite enterprise market, leaving the mass market completely

underserved. We believe the mass market wants mobile data access, and the

Ogo end to end solution is a wonderful solution for that market," said Mr.

Sowah.

    "Bringing a mass market mobile data product to the market was not only

about price. Usability and functionality were just as important," Mr. Sowah

continued. "We searched for an offering that would be affordable, without

compromising the rich experience expected by users who are accustomed to

the online experience of email, instant messaging, RSS, and other

applications."

    "The Ogo device, coupled with the hosted services we provide gives

innovative operators such as Onetouch the ability to bring mobile data to

the masses with ease, and at a price point that makes it a mass market

play," said Amit Haller, President and CEO of IXI Mobile, the maker of the

Ogo device and provider of the hosted services associated with it. "We

believe mobile data services geared towards the mass market is a huge,

completely untapped opportunity for the operators, which was the guiding

principle behind creating the Ogo end-to end solution that includes the Ogo

device and the hosted back end data services that eliminate the need for a

large infrastructure investment on the part of the carrier."

    Ogo devices deliver a true on-the-go mobile messaging experience with

their large screen, QWERTY keyboard, easy-to-use interface and clamshell

design. The offering in Ghana includes the following services: MSN Instant

Messaging, email, contact book, calendar, Web browser, GSM voice, and SMS.

    About Onetouch

    Onetouch, the mobile division of Ghana Telecom, is headquartered in

Accra, Ghana. Onetouch has enjoyed significant subscriber growth over the

last 12 months and has expanded its network coverage throughout most parts

of Ghana. Nationwide GPRS services have been launched on their network with

EDGE available in some areas. Onetouch continues to differentiate itself by

providing innovative products and value-added services to their customers.

    About IXI Mobile

    IXI Mobile, Inc. offers solutions that bring innovative, data-centric

mobile devices and services to the mass market. IXI Mobile's Ogo devices

are designed to improve the mobile user experience and increase mobile

voice and data usage. The company provides a turn-key solution to mobile

operators and Internet service providers worldwide to launch and support

Ogo products.

    IXI Mobile is headquartered in Redwood City, California, and has

research and development facilities in Israel and Romania. IXI Mobile also

maintains regional sales offices. For more information on IXI Mobile,

please visit http://www.ixi.com.

    On February 28, 2006, IXI Mobile and Israel Technology Acquisition

Corporation (ITAC) (OTCBB: ISLTU.OB, ISLT.OB, ISLTW.OB) entered into a

definitive agreement pursuant to which a wholly owned subsidiary of ITAC

would merge with and into IXI Mobile, with IXI Mobile surviving the merger

and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of ITAC. Upon consummation of the

merger, ITAC will change its name to IXI Mobile, Inc. and IXI Mobile will

change its name to IXI Mobile (USA), Inc.

    About Ogo

    The Ogo family of devices delivers popular applications, including

email, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, voice and Web browsing on optimized,

easy-to-use handheld devices for a true on-the-go mobile messaging

experience. Ogo was launched in the United States by AT&T Wireless (now

Cingular Wireless), Switzerland by Swisscom Mobile, Turkey by e-kolay.net.,

Germany by 1&1, and Uruguay by ANCEL. More information on Ogo is available

at: http://www.ogo.com.

    CONTACT: Dror Liwer, 917.559.2104