[OpenMoko announces availability of an integrated Linux mobile platform in partnership with FIC and its joint announcement of the Neo1973 smartphone - the first smartphone powered by OpenMoko.]

Amsterdam -- OpenMoko announced the immediate availability of a completely integrated open source mobile communications platform in partnership with FIC, a world leader in motherboards, graphics cards, mobile solutions, and electronic devices. The announcement of the OpenMoko mobile communications platform coincides with the unveiling of FIC's Neo1973 smartphone, which utilizes the full OpenMoko platform and will be available in January 2007.

Until now, mobile platforms have been proprietary and scattered. With the release of OpenMoko, which is based on the latest Linux open source efforts, developers now have an easy way to create applications and deliver services that span all users and provide a common "look and feel." OpenMoko also offers common storage models and libraries for application developers, making writing applications for mobile phones fun and easy while guaranteeing swift proliferation of a wide range of applications for mobile phones. With such extremely high quality open frameworks, developers will be armed with exactly the tools they need to revolutionize the mobile industry.

"For the first time, the mobile ecosystem will be as open as the PC, and mobile applications equally as diverse and more easily accessible," said Sean Moss-Pultz, architect of OpenMoko and Product Manager of FIC's Mobile Communication Business Unit. "Ringtones are already a multi-billion dollar market. We think downloading mobile applications on an open platform will be even bigger.

"Open platform standardization will kick-start an entire ecosystem of mobile phone developers." stated Dr. Ming J. Chien, Chairman of FIC, "I'm excited because I believe carriers will see an increase in revenues from new data traffic. And being able to customize your mobile phone in any way you see fit should be very appealing to end-users."

Fundamental to OpenMoko's goal of increasing data traffic and effortless mobile application delivery is a software manager that makes it trivial to add, remove, and update applications. These applications will be available through feeds including "OpenMoko Certified" as well as other commercial and community sources. The OpenMoko platform is based on OpenEmbedded. "This gives end-users access to literally thousands of existing open source applications from the OpenZaurus, Familiar Linux projects as well as many other open source efforts," explained Michael Lauer, a founder of the OpenEmbedded project and early OpenMoko developer.

"The ease of application development, and the wealth of open source applications, combined with a repository of OpenMoko smartphone applications specifically designed for OpenMoko, ensure that this is one platform ready to change an industry" said David Huang, COO of FIC. "While OpenMoko may revolutionize development in mobile communications, it also respects and works with existing infrastructure, and such core data objects as email, contacts, and calendars."

OpenMoko has partnered with mobile open source software company, Funambol, to provide full push email and PIM synchronization support to all applications running on the OpenMoko platform. Connecting to corporate messaging and collaboration servers will be as transparent as sending a SMS and installing a new application will be possible from virtually anywhere. With OpenMoko and Funambol, mobile phones will stay in sync with their environment while automatically update themselves as new features are added and bugs are fixed.

First International Computer (FIC) announced that OpenMoko is the platform of choice for their next generation smartphones. Joining OpenMoko at the Open Source in Mobile Conference in Amsterdam, FIC announced that their latest smartphone, called the "Neo1973," will be the first commercially available smartphone powered by OpenMoko.

Key features of the Neo1973 smartphone include:

* 2.8" VGA touch screen

* A-GPS for location and navigation services

* GSM850/900/1800/1900 compatibility for network support in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Africa and the US

* Application manager to install / remove / update applications

* Push email, contacts, and calendar synchronization

* OpenMoko Software Development Kit (SDK) for application development

The Neo1973 smartphone, along with OpenMoko, will be internationally available January 2007. More information on features, specifications, availability and other details can be found at www.openmoko.com

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