Winners to be announced on 24 February 2004 at 3GSM World Congress


London, 24 January 2004 /Wi-Fi Technology News/- The shortlist for the 2004 GSM Association Awards is announced. Two rounds of judging lasting more than a month were required to evaluate and shortlist the contenders for the ninth GSM Association awards, as the event continued its tradition of getting bigger and better every year. The winners will be announced at the 2004 GSM Association Awards dinner on 24 February in Cannes, France.

The 2004 event sees Intel Corporation?s second year as Platinum sponsor and Windows Mobile?s first year as Gold sponsor of the world?s premier mobile awards. Each year the number and diversity of entries increases as the international reach of GSM spreads: the mobile technology is now represented in 206 countries and territories globally.


?As GSM continues to mature and grow, the versatility and expertise of players across the industry becomes ever more impressive,? said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association and member of its board. ?This year the shortlist includes global brands alongside relatively new start-up companies ? each contributing to the diversity of products and services available to the world?s one billion GSM users.?


The final round of judging took place earlier this month. An international panel of telecommunications industry specialists debated the merits of the entries, from which they shortlisted entries in the following categories:


Technology Innovation:
Best Mobile Terminal, Handset or Device
Best Infrastructure/Network Solution Product


Applications & Services:
Best Mobile Application or Service ? Corporate Market
Best Mobile Application or Service ? Consumer Market
Best Mobile Application Developer


Marketing & Promotion:
Best TV/Broadcast Commercial
Best Brand, PR or Marketing Campaign


Mobile in the Community - Sponsored by Vodafone:
Best Use of Mobile for Accessibility
Best Use of Mobile for Emergency Situations
Best Use of Mobile ? Special

Full details of the nominees are available on the GSM Association Awards web site: http://www.gsmworld.com/awards/nominees.html

While all the categories created lively debate among the judges, the Vodafone-sponsored Mobile in the Community section created the most discussion. ?It is becoming increasingly apparent how GSM is having an increasingly significant socio-economic impact across the world - enhancing, changing and saving the lives of people globally,? commented Conway.

At the Awards ceremony on 24 February the winner of the GSM Association?s coveted Chairman?s Award, sponsored this year by Fortune Magazine, will also be announced. Established to recognise outstanding achievement in the promoting of GSM, last year?s award was presented to Sir Christopher Gent of Vodafone Group Plc.

?GSM has got the whole world talking, texting, and fascinated by mobile communications? said Conway. ?It has proved to be all of the original vision and more in worldwide terms. The Awards recognise the ingenuity and flair of those people and companies that have made the global system for mobile the success it is today, and who will drive us forward as GSM evolves toward 3GSM services.?

Notes:

The shortlist was selected by an international panel of judges.

Further information on the 2004 GSM Association Awards including categories, judges and booking details for the Awards dinner can be found at: http://www.gsmworld.com/awards

The sponsors of the GSM Association Awards are:

Intel Corporation ? Platinum sponsor
Windows Mobile ? Gold sponsor
Nortel Networks ? Industry sponsor
Vodafone ? ?Mobile in the Community? Category sponsor
Fortune Magazine ? Chairman?s Award sponsor
Convergys Corporation ? Chairman?s Reception Co-Sponsor
Nokia - "A night in a Billion" sponsor

The official broadcast partner is CNBC Europe

Media partners are:

America?s Network
Mobile Communications International
Telecom Asia
TelecomTV

About the GSM Association:

The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association that exists to promote, protect and enhance the interests of GSM mobile operators throughout the world. At the end of 2003, it consisted of more than 600 second and third generation mobile operators and 140 manufacturers and suppliers. The Association's members provide mobile services to more than 970 million customers across more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The GSMA aims to accelerate the implementation of collectively identified, commercially prioritised operator requirements and to take leadership in representing the global GSM mobile operator community with one voice on a wide variety of issues nationally, regionally and globally.

The GSM family of wireless communications platforms, including GSM, GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and 3GSM (EDGE - Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution and W CDMA) account for 73 percent of the total digital wireless market today. The GSM Association is a unique organisation, with truly global reach, offering a full range of business, technical and public policy services to its members. For more information, visit the website at http://www.gsmworld.com.

The GSM Association's Board comprises the following operator companies and multinational groups: AT&T Wireless Group; China Mobile; China Unicom; Hutchison Group; KTF; Maxis Mobile; mmO2 Group; NTT DoCoMo, Inc.; Orange Group; Orascom Telecom Group; SFR Cegetel; SingTel Group; SUNDAY Communications Ltd; Taiwan Cellular; Telef?nica M?viles Group; Telenor Mobile Group; TeliaSonera Group; TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) Group; T-Mobile Group; Turkcell and the Vodafone Group. The Board also includes the GSMA's CEO and Chairman of the Executive Management Committee.

Contact Information:
Mark Smith
Communications Director
GSM Association
Tel: +44 (0)207 518 0545
Fax: +44 (0)207 518 0531
ivolans@gsm.org

Richard Fogg
Companycare Communications
Tel: +44 (0)118 939 5900
Fax: +44 (0)118 959 9595
richard@companycare.com