Tiger Telematics'® Gizmondo™ Announces European Street Date
Gizmondo shifts up a gear and stamps a date of 19th May for its pan-European launch
LONDON, 19th April 2005 - Gizmondo Europe Ltd, subsidiary of Jacksonville, Florida-based Tiger Telematics Inc. (other OTC, TGTL), today announces the eagerly awaited street date for the Gizmondo multi-entertainment handheld in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Nordic regions as the 19th May, in an aggressive expansion of its European launch activity.
Combined these countries represent a population of over 250million, 12% of which constitutes the Gizmondo's target demographic with interests in the amazing functionality delivered by the revolutionary entertainment console.
European consumers will be able to get their hands on the feature-loaded Gizmondo packs, which include the standard Gizmondo pack at 349, the revolutionary Smart Adds-enabled pack at 189, and the Value Pack at 289. As with the UK, subscribers to the 'added value' Smart Adds devices will get twenty free music downloads as well as a host of other free items.
Mike Morgan, VP of Global Sales for Gizmondo, offered: "We have witnessed tremendous enthusiasm and excitement from all our retail partners. Our commitment over the coming months will be to support the channel and aggressively drive sales with them. We will be bringing all our sales and marketing resources to bear, as we engage these strategically important territories."
Carl Freer, Co-founder and Chairman, Tiger Telematics, says: "Gizmondo's local offices have primed each of these mainland Europe launch territories ready for a 19th May launch date and the response in each has been overwhelming. The product, the company and the content are gaining momentum all the time. These launches are landmark achievements for us and place us several steps closer to our US debut."
FRANCE:
Mr Baeza Console and Multimedia Buyer, Virgin Megastore France, says: " The arrival of Gizmondo in the French mobile entertainment market is a real revolution. All of the functions available make this product totally unique and we are sure it will be incredibly successful in seducing our customers."
GERMANY:
Andreas Kniza, Central Buyer, Software and Consoles, Karstadt AG, says: "We are looking forward to the Gizmondo and we will massively support the launch throughout all of our outlets."
NORDIC:
Kent Thoresen, Dinpris.no, says: "Our pre-launch campaign in Norway, has by far exceeded our expectations."
Ulf Abrahamsson, Managing Director, 24 STORE, says: "This is a unique product that the market has never experienced before, and we intend to market the Gizmondo as one of our main products through our web shop."
Stefan Olsson, IT- Varuhuset, says: "This is a technically innovative, advanced and above all, fun product. And we at IT- Varuhuset will target the southern parts of Sweden where the product has been especially well received."
ITALY:
Francesco Iliceto, Agenta Generale, Kenwood Italia & Harmon Kardon says: "In the rapidly changing marketplace, the industry leaders are those companies that pioneer quality based innovation that fulfils a wide market requirement. The youth focused mobile electronics market is a truly volatile sector that is insatiable. The Gizmondo product is so diversified of a product that its resounding success is guaranteed in Italy."
Matteo di Silvia, Former owner and Chairman of Teleherz, says: "Our company was responsible for leading a revolution in the electronics entertainment industry in Italy in being the first company to bring colour television to Italy. We feel that now with Gizmondo we are leading an even greater revolution in the electronics entertainment industry by introducing a revolutionary new product to Italy, the first truly mobile entertainment system. We know intrinsically that this system will sweep the market, as colour television did and change forever our entertainment priorities."
(ENDS)
For further information please contact:
Global Media:
James Beaven
Indigo Pearl
+44 208 964 4545
US Media:
Bryan Lam
Kohnke Communications
(415) 777-4000
German Media:
Torsten Oppermann
Indigo Pearl DE
+49 40 25330267
French Media:
Frederic Henry
Frederic Henry Communications
+33 1 55 34 24 24
Editors Notes
About Gizmondo
The Gizmondo is powered by Microsoft Windows CE advanced real-time operating system, boasting a 2.8-inch TFT colour screen with a Samsung ARM9 400Mhz processor and incorporates the GoForce 3D 4500 NVIDIA graphics accelerator. It provides cutting-edge gaming, multimedia messaging, an MP3 music player, Mpeg4 movie playing capability, a digital camera and a GPRS network link to allow wide-area network gaming. Additionally, it contains a GPS chip for location-based services, is equipped with Bluetooth for use in multi-player gaming and accepts SD and MMC card accessories.
The Gizmondo device and its games are in retail stores now in the UK, and in North American and Continental Europe markets from Spring 2005
About Tiger Telematics and Gizmondo
Gizmondo Europe Ltd. is an owned subsidiary of Tiger Telematics Inc (TGTL) and is the maker of Gizmondo, a next-generation mobile entertainment device. Launched in 2004, the gaming device includes built-in music, video, messaging and picture functions and GPS.
Tiger Telematics is a designer, developer and marketer of mobile telematics systems and services that combine global GPS functions and voice recognition technology to locate and track vehicles and people down to street level in countries throughout the world. The systems are designed to operate on GPS and are currently being marketed to GSM current and potential subscribers, primarily by the company's United Kingdom based subsidiaries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. 'Gizmondo', 'Smart Adds', 'Tiger Telecom', 'Gizmondo Games' and the 'Gizmondo' logos and devices are trademarks of Gizmondo Europe Limited. All rights reserved.
Except for historical matters contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect Tiger Telematics, Inc. and its subsidiary businesses and prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ are Tiger Telematics Inc.'s operating history; competition; low barriers to entry; reliance on strategic relationships; rapid technological changes; inability to complete transactions on favourable terms; the schedule and sell-through for new software release; consumer demand for video game hardware and software; the timing of the introduction of new generation competitive hardware systems, pricing changes by key vendors for hardware and software and the timing of any such changes, and the adequacy of supplies of new software product and those risks discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC.
In light of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements, these statements should not be regarded as a representation by Tiger Telematics, Inc. or any other person that the projected results, objectives or plans will be achieved. Tiger Telematics, Inc. undertakes no obligation to revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof