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Southern LINC and Bytemobile Team to Enhance Mobile Data Experience

Bytemobile Optimization Services Node Enables Southern LINC iDEN Network to Deliver Faster Speeds and a More Desirable Mobile Data Service to Customers.

Atlanta, GA and Mountain View, CA - May 19, 2003

Southern LINC, the wireless communications service from Southern Company (NYSE:SO), and Bytemobile, the company dedicated to delivering pure, optimized access to network operators, service providers and enterprises, today announced a new relationship to enhance the mobile data experience. Southern LINC has deployed Bytemobile's Optimization Services Node (OSN) in its iDEN network to enhance its mobile data service offerings. Southern LINC business and government customers can now benefit from increased data speeds and improved reliability when accessing any web-enabled content from PDAs and laptops.

"This gives our customers the opportunity to become more efficient through faster access to wireless data," said Bob Dawson, president and CEO of Southern LINC. "By teaming with Bytemobile, our customers are able to closely simulate desktop computing in a wireless environment."

Southern LINC selected Bytemobile's inline Web and email optimization solution deploying Macara's network-based OSN and end-user client software. The standalone client delivers optimization benefits with the most commonly used data protocols, including those supported by Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes. As a result, customers can access email and other web-enabled data faster than before.

"Wireless carriers like Southern LINC realize the need to deliver fast, reliable mobile data solutions that help replicate the office environment for customers," stated Steve Livingston, executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing, Bytemobile. "While compression and optimization are critical to enhancing the mobile customers' experience, progressive carriers also need to leverage solutions that will provide a platform from which to provision new services for mobile customers."

"Understanding the need to evolve service offerings to meet the growing demand of customers and leveraging the right technologies to meet these needs will help carriers like Southern LINC maintain leadership positions and further differentiate themselves with competitive offerings," Livingston added.

The OSN employs Bytemobile's proprietary Macara™ Dynamic Optimization Technology, which uses existing radio spectrum and infrastructure resources to offer expanded data services and enhance customers' wireless data experience.

About Southern LINC

Southern LINC, which stands for Long-range Integrated Network Communications, covers 127,000 square miles in the Southeast, including major metro and rural areas in Alabama, Georgia, southeastern Mississippi and northwest Florida. Using Motorola's iDEN technology, Southern LINC combines multiple communication services into one handset or installed device including Instant LINCSM two-way radio, phone service, 1-way and 2-way text messaging, wireless Internet access and wireless data access. Southern LINC is also recognized by Motorola as the most reliable iDEN network in the world. More information about Southern LINC can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visiting the Southern LINC Web site at www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern Company

With 4 million customers and nearly 37,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a fast-growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service and high reliability. Southern Company has been named No. 1 on Fortune magazine's 2002 "America's Most Admired Companies" list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.

About Bytemobile

Bytemobile delivers on the promises of mobile data by enabling the way people really want to work and play in the wireless world.

Bytemobile solutions allow mobile operators, enterprises and other service providers to significantly enrich the user experience of current and future data networks. By making applications more desirable and valuable, Bytemobile customers can maximize returns on existing and future mobile network investments.

The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in East Sussex, England and Tokyo, Japan.

Contact:

  • Bytemobile US Contact:
    Jean Serra
    Fitzgerald Communications
    T: +1 617-585-2262
    F: +1 617-488-9501
    jserra@fitzgerald.com
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