Sonopia Partners to Kick-Start the Mobile Revolution

MEDIA CONTACTS

Heather Cox
FierceMarkets, Inc.
202-628-8778 x13
heather@fiercemarkets.com

 

Juha Christensen
Sonopia Public Relations
(650) 587-1518
press@sonopia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 02, 2007

Sonopia Partners to Kick-Start the Mobile Revolution

Leading Non-Profits, Professional Organizations and Sports Franchises Launch Branded Mobile Services that Better Suit Consumers' Lifestyles, Priorities and Preferences

Menlo Park, Calif. – April 2, 2007– Sonopia Corporation today announced partnerships with a number of leading non-profits, professional organizations and sports franchises that are introducing their branded mobile services offerings in conjunction with the company's own launch (see today's related announcement "Sonopia Drives Massive Proliferation of Mobile Carriers.") With Sonopia, any organization or individual can become a mobile carrier in a matter of minutes.

A sampling of the diverse organizations with which Sonopia has already partnered, all that are launching their branded mobile services offerings today include:

  • National Wildlife Federation® (NWF), America's conservation organization, inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. Details are available at www.nwfmobile.com.
  • Long Island Ducks, a minor-league baseball team entering its eighth season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Details are available at www.liducksmobile.com.
  • American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Details are available at www.amsamobile.com.
  • National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), whose mission is to protect and enhance America's National Park System for current and future generations. Details are available at www.npcamobile.com.
  • International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood), a California non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of animation. Details are available at www.animationwireless.com.
  • Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the national leadership honor society. Details are available at www.odkmobile.com.
  • Chicago Bandits, of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Women's Softball League. Details are available at www.banditsmobile.com.

Members and affiliates are now able to get their wireless phones and services through these trusted organizations. Subscribers enjoy all the standard features they've come to expect from a mobile plan – plus they get exclusive content delivered directly to their phones, are able to connect with like-minded subscribers via online social networking functionality, and know that a portion of every dollar they spend on their monthly cell phone bill goes directly to the organization they care about.

"These organizations know their members very well – certainly better than the traditional wireless carriers that offer everyone cookie-cutter choices," said Juha Christensen, founder and CEO of Sonopia Corporation. "We work closely with our partners to put together mobile services tailored to their members' lifestyles and preferences. By providing consumers more choice and control and enabling them to support the causes they care about just by making their daily calls, we're serving a previously unmet need in the marketplace and changing the way people think about their cell phones."

What Partners Are Saying About Sonopia
"Our members are people of widely varying ages and interests. The common thread that ties them together is a strong interest in and deep commitment to protecting America's wildlife. By providing a new way to get up-to-the-minute information on the issues that matter to them, fostering an online community of like-minded wildlife enthusiasts, and facilitating an easy way to increase their contributions to our organization, we expect not only to grow our revenues but also to enhance our relationship with members who will now integrate the NWF into their daily lives through their cell phones."
– Jaime Matyas, Chief Operating Officer of the National Wildlife Federation

"Our relationship with our fans and providing them with the ultimate fan experience is our number-one priority. Working with Sonopia to create Ducks Mobile is a fantastic initiative that will allow us to create an even stronger connection with our constituents while keeping them up to date whenever, wherever they are. A branded mobile phone service for any organization that has an affinity-based audience just makes sense."
– Frank Boulton, Principal Owner of the Long Island Ducks

"Our nearly 70,000 members across the country–medical students, premedical students, interns, residents and practicing physicians–live exceptionally busy lives and are always seeking new and better ways to get the information they need quickly and easily. With Sonopia, we're able to offer them mobile services that suit their lifestyles and enable them to connect with others who share their passion."
– Jay Bhatt, President of the American Medical Student Association

"Launching this mobile service offers the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) an exciting initiative for 2007. We're always looking for new ways to share information with our members, and using mobile phones gives us another communication channel to do just that. Our constituents care deeply about America's national parks, and the opportunity to support the parks just by making their daily calls is an innovative way to make a positive impact every day."
– Tom Kiernan, President of the National Parks Conservation Association

"ASIFA-Hollywood members are a technically savvy bunch with on-the-go lifestyles. For this group, sharing and receiving content directly on their phones is tremendously exciting. Hot-off-the-wire industry information and the ability to connect with other professionals and enthusiasts via the social networking capabilities built into animationwireless.com are also real value-adds. We expect great benefits both for our members and our organization."
– Antran Manoogian, President of the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood

"ODK members are elite upperclass college students and alumni from more than 300 universities across the country. Our new Sonopia-powered mobile service provides them another way to connect with peers and mentors in scholastics, athletics, public service, journalism and the arts, which is important as these individuals continue along the course of their lives and careers."
– Dr. John Morgan, Executive Director of Omicron Delta Kappa

"Chicago Bandits fans are among some of the most enthusiastic in local sports, and Bandits Mobile gives them a great new way to show off their team spirit. As professional women's fastpitch softball continues to gain popularity, the Bandits organization is at the forefront of building a strong franchise and creating new and exciting ways to spread the word – Sonopia is helping us do that."
– Bill Conroy, General Manager and CEO, of the Chicago Bandits

About Sonopia
Sonopia Corporation is driving a massive proliferation of mobile carriers and changing the way people think about cell phones. The company makes it easy for anyone – whether a major corporation or an entrepreneurial individual – to become a mobile carrier in a matter of minutes. Sonopia partners can offer their constituents a full-service wireless package – complete with a selection of branded handsets, calling plans to suit a variety of lifestyles, and access to exclusive content tailored to their personal interests. Sonopia handles all the backend details. Together with its partners, Sonopia is empowering consumers to take more control over their mobile phones and calling plans, connect with other subscribers who share their interests, and support an organization or an individual they care about just by using their cell phones. The privately-held company is based in Menlo Park, Calif. and Kyiv, Ukraine, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and London. Investors include leading venture capital firms ComVentures and Sevin Rosen Funds. More information is available at www.sonopia.com.