NeoMedia Technologies, Inc (NEOM)

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OT DD Firethorn Teams With Cingular Wireless to Bring Mobile Banking and Payments to Cingular Wireless Subscribers

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-15-2006/0004474632&...


Firethorn is the Only Mobile Banking and Payments Provider Cingular has
Authorized on its Network
Through Firethorn, Customers of U.S. Financial Institutions Gain Wireless
Connectivity on Nation's Largest Wireless Carrier

ATLANTA, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile banking and payments enabler
Firethorn Holdings, LLC (http://www.firethornmobile.com) today announced a
strategic alliance with Cingular Wireless (http://www.cingular.com), the nation's
largest wireless carrier, which will bring mobile banking and payments
services to Cingular Wireless customers. Atlanta-based Firethorn is the
only mobile banking and payments provider Cingular has authorized on its
network.

With Firethorn, Cingular gains a sophisticated solution for the
financial services industry that expands the versatility of today's mobile
devices. Through Firethorn, consumers gain the ability to perform
comprehensive banking and payments functions on all supported Cingular
handsets.

Currently being trialed, Firethorn anticipates an initial commercial
launch of its mobile banking and payments application in early 2007.

"Firethorn is the gateway between wireless carriers and financial
institutions that enables mobile banking and payments for consumers
anytime, anywhere and on virtually any device they choose," stated
Firethorn Chairman and CEO Tripp Rackley. "Firethorn is uniquely qualified
to deliver mobile banking and payments because our heritage and leadership
represent unparalleled success in wireless communications, banking and
electronic payments."

According to Rackley, Firethorn's mission is to assemble and manage the
complex network of partners, technology certifications and platform
interfaces that make mobile banking and payments possible. Firethorn is
different because its federation strategy represents wireless carriers and
financial institutions independently and equally.

"It is the right time for the wireless industry to begin moving ahead
with mobile banking," said Mark Collins, Cingular's vice president for
long-term products and services planning. "Two-thirds of America's 300
million people now use wireless phones and nearly 60 percent of wireless
customers use their handsets for something other than making calls. It is
only natural that we move the ease, convenience and efficiency of
electronic banking onto the wireless device. With the simplicity of its
single pathway, Firethorn will make it easy for Cingular to work with
financial institutions who want to deliver mobile banking services to our
customers," Collins said.

From a single, secure, Cingular-signed application, consumers will be
able to view account balances, transfer funds, receive and pay bills, and
quickly clear contents if their mobile device is ever lost or stolen. And
because Firethorn is a downloadable application, consumers can perform
functions on all supported Cingular handsets, even when the device is
offline.

About Firethorn

Atlanta-based Firethorn is a mobile banking and payments enabler that
links financial institutions and wireless carriers through a unified,
secure and scalable technology platform that seamlessly extends
full-service banking and payments capabilities to consumers from any
financial institution to virtually any wireless device. By partnering with
Firethorn, financial institutions and wireless carriers alike gain a
competitive service differentiator that improves customer retention,
generates revenue and answers consumer demands for more product/service
convenience. For more information on Firethorn, visit
http://www.firethornmobile.com or call 678.507.2500.

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