Synchronica Launches Backup and Restore for the Masses

GSM 3G MEG Show, Dubai, Stand 1, September 3, 2007. - Synchronica plc, international provider of mobile synchronization and device management solutions, launches Mobile Manager Backup & Restore 1.3 today. The software - part of Synchronica Mobile Manager Suite - enables mobile operators and application service providers (ASP) to generate additional, subscription-based revenue streams from consumers who want to know that the data stored on their mobile phones can be returned to them immediately in the event of their phones being lost or stolen.

Synchronica's SyncML (OMA DS) industry standard-based solution works with the vast majority of feature phones being used by consumers today, making it an ideal option for operators and service providers in Middle East and Africa (MEA). Subscribers in the region increasingly often rely on their mobile phones as the primary repository for vital contact information, so a backup and restore facility will allow them to guard against losing this data, should their phones be lost or stolen.

In 2004, Zelos research group found that 15 to 20 percent of mobile subscribers expressed a strong need for a mechanism to backup data, with 66 percent ranking contact data as the top priority - a service for which consumers were willing to pay up to USD 6 per month. This need has probably increased substantially over the past three years, as the mobile phone continues to play an ever larger part in daily life.

"Mobile operators are always looking for new revenue streams, and an over-the-air backup and restore service may be the first mobile data application beyond SMS to be successful in the mass market. As well as providing an additional revenue stream for operators and service providers, the service can also reduce churn and maintain ARPU", said Synchronica CEO Carsten Brinkschulte.

Brinkschulte added: "For many consumers, the mobile phone has become their main communication channel, and they often use only the phone's address book to store phone numbers. If they lose their phone, they lose contact with their social network. Think of our Mobile Manager Backup & Restore as an insurance policy for your personal data."

As well as providing a safety net for consumers who lose their phones, a backup and restore service also makes upgrading to a new phone easier. Customers can use the backup and restore facility to transfer their personal information over the air (OTA) to their new phone. Mobile Manager Backup & Restore provides users with an easy to use, web-based interface for setting up and configuring their phone and for restoring data.

One of the first customers using Synchronica's backup and restore solution is the Norwegian mobile operator NetCom. NetCom has 1.4 million subscribers and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the TeliaSonera group.

"We wanted to be able to offer our customers an OTA backup and restore facility for their personal data which would mean that a change of phone - either due to loss or upgrading - would not mean losing all important information", said Arne Igesund, Manager of Data Services at NetCom. "With the Synchronica solution, we can provide our customers with seamless data migration from one device to another, quickly and easily. We also liked the fact that Synchronica's software is based on the SyncML open standard, meaning it works on a wide range of devices."

Synchronica's Mobile Manager backup and restore module is based entirely on the dominant SyncML / OMA DS industry standard supported by the majority of feature phones and smartphones from all leading vendors. Unlike other solutions, it does not require a client to be installed on the device, but instead uses the built-in SyncML client on the device. Since it does not require an additional client, it works with mass market feature phones - a clear requirement for a successful product introduction in the consumer market. According to a recent study from Visiongain, more than 1.3 billion devices in the market already have a built-in SyncML client.

The solution includes built-in connectors to carrier-grade personal information management (PIM) systems, such as Sun Java System Communications Suite, providing a web interface for end-users to view and edit their data. Alternatively, it can be integrated with existing address books and PIM systems, using its flexible plugin architecture.

About Synchronica

Synchronica plc develops and markets synchronization and device management solutions for mobile operators, device manufacturers, and enterprises. Its product portfolio ranges from data synchronization (DS) to device management (DM) and firmware updates over the air (FOTA). Products include the mobile device management product set Mobile Manager Suite and the push email and synchronization solution Mobile Gateway. Headquartered in the U.K., with a development center in Germany and offices in the USA, Hong Kong, and Dubai, Synchronica plc is a public company traded on the AIM list of the London Stock Exchange (SYNC.LN). More information is available at http://www.synchronica.com

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Meissner
Chief Marketing Officer
Tel.: +44 1892 552 780
Mobile: +44 7977 256 412
Fax: +44 1892 552 721
nicole.meissner@synchronica.com