SAN FRANCISCO (March 18, 2003) — Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH), a global leader in digital communications software and services, today announced a SyncML server that enables over-the-air synchronization of data with wireless phones and PDAs, providing global carriers and service providers new opportunities to increase wireless data traffic and revenues from premium data services targeting consumers and businesses. Expanding the wireless capabilities of its carrier-class messaging platform, Critical Path's new SyncML server will help reduce churn and increase customer loyalty. It offers subscribers the ability to easily synchronize their personal data to and from any compliant mobile device — from wireless phones and email devices to handheld devices and even PCs.
The Critical Path™ SyncML Server provides over-the-air synchronization between wireless devices and the Critical Path™ Personal Information Management (PIM) solution. Subscribers can manage their personal data on any device — adding, changing or deleting phone numbers, email addresses, calendar events, tasks or other personal information. SyncML will easily synchronize those changes over the air to their other devices, maintaining up-to-date information, and avoiding the tedious and repetitive task of re-entering information multiple times. So, a subscriber's most important information is entered once, and then made available on any of his devices, any time.
"For the mobile work force, keeping offline data updated is just as important as mobilization itself. The Critical Path SyncML solution provides a very reliable and efficient way to synchronize the data," said XJ Wang, senior analyst with Yankee Group's Wireless Mobility Technology service. "Carriers are investing more and more on enterprise customers and applications. A SyncML server that is carrier-grade and easy to integrate is crucial to that strategy. With an open architecture that allows it to be easily integrated with most of the vendors' back-end data stores, the Critical Path SyncML server is an ideal choice for carriers."
SyncML also addresses a major pain point with cell phone users — the loss of their most important personal data when they lose or upgrade their phone. With SyncML, they no longer have to re-key phone numbers because they can always synchronize their data with a new phone or mobile device. As such, the technology is expected to spur demand for next-generation SyncML phones and wireless data services, and attract high-value customers who work for large enterprises.
The SyncML Server extends Critical Path's industry-leading PIM solution, providing support for next-generation devices. Based on Critical Path's messaging technology, the SyncML Server complements what Critical Path already provides for the installed base of phones and wireless PDAs. Currently, subscribers can access and manage their contacts, tasks and events in real time via SMS and WAP, as well as receive timely notifications when the data that they care most about changes. When subscribers upgrade to more advanced devices, data can then be easily transferred via SyncML to the new device, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
"The new Critical Path SyncML Server builds on our experience powering revenue-generating wireless and wireline messaging solutions for 200 carriers and service providers around the world," said Dan Auker, senior product manager for SyncML at Critical Path. "Its tight integration with our personal address book and calendar solution will enable carriers and service providers to rapidly deliver premium services to consumers and businesses — immediately stimulating usage and driving additional data traffic on their existing network infrastructure."
With today's announcement, Critical Path now offers a comprehensive synchronization solution. In addition to the SyncML server, Critical Path offers a PC-based synchronization product that enables Microsoft© Outlook©, Lotus© Notes™ and cradle-based personal digital assistants — such as those based on PocketPC© and PalmOS© — to synchronize with Critical Path's wireless PIM applications.
Critical Path's SyncML Server is a fully compliant implementation of the Open Mobile Alliance's (OMA) SyncML standard. It comes pre-integrated with Critical Path's personal address book and calendar products, and can be easily integrated with third-party applications. The Company expects the software to be generally available in April from Critical Path and its partners.
About the Critical Path Communications Platform
The Critical Path Communications Platform enables carriers, service providers, government agencies and enterprises to more rapidly deploy new messaging services and incrementally add services as their business grows. The open, highly scalable technology helps customers cut costs by taking greater advantage of existing hardware, leveraging in-house and 3rd party communications applications, using less storage space, and consuming fewer IT resources. With a modular, standards-based design, the platform provides customizable services and applications whose easy integration with current and future environments helps protect customers' investments. It takes advantage of the latest approaches in identity management to consolidate and centrally administer user profiles, preferences, and desired classes of services for easier use, increased security and lower cost of ownership.
About Critical Path, Inc.
Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH) is a global leader in digital communications software and services. The company provides messaging solutions — from wireless, secure and unified messaging to basic email and personal information management — as well as identity management solutions that simplify user profile management and strengthen information security. The standards-based Critical Path Communications Platform, built to perform reliably at the scale of public networks, delivers the industry's lowest total cost of ownership for messaging solutions and lays a solid foundation for next-generation communications services. Solutions are available on a hosted or licensed basis. Critical Path's customers include more than 700 enterprises, 190 carriers and service providers, eight national postal authorities and 35 government agencies. Critical Path is headquartered in San Francisco. More information can be found at www.criticalpath.net.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements by the Company and its executives regarding the performance, security, scalability and interoperability of our product and service offerings, the ability of our customers to achieve cost savings in the provision of services, industry trends, market and customer requirements, the ability of our products and services to meet the business needs of our customers, the market for products and services like ours and the performance of our senior management in achieving strategic goals. The words and expressions "look forward to," "will," "expect," "plan," "believe," "seek," "strive for," "anticipate," hope," "estimate" and similar expressions are intended to identify the Company's forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, our evolving business strategy and the emerging and changing nature of the market for our products and services, our ability to deliver on our sales objectives, the ability of our technology and our competitors' technologies to address customer demands, changes in economic and market conditions, unplanned system interruptions and capacity constraints, software and service design defects. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in more detail in the Company's filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) made from time to time, including Critical Path's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 30, June 30, and September 30, 2002, all as may be amended from time to time.
Note to Editors: Critical Path and the Critical Path logo are the trademarks of Critical Path, Inc.
Contact Information:
For Reporters:
Critical Path, Inc.
Marcie Powers
415.541.2662
marcie.powers@criticalpath.net For Financial Analysts:
Critical Path, Inc.
Mike Bishop
415.541.2619
mike.bishop@criticalpath.net
Ernst van der Ploeg
Regional Sales Director
for Critical Path Net erlands
+31 (0) 6 512 77060 phone
+31 (0) 6 105 48013 fax
A Global Leader in Digital Communications Software and Services