CANNES, FRANCE -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 02/18/2003 -- 3GSM WORLD CONGRESS -- Kirusa, the leading developer and licensor of multimodal wireless platforms, has partnered with DS Group, provider of innovative communications solutions to the Italian market, to deliver Kirusa’s multimodal platform to mobile operators and enterprises in Italy. Through a Value Added Reseller (VAR) agreement, DS Group will incorporate Kirusa’s platform technology into multimodal mobility solutions tailored to consumer and enterprise application requirements.

Kirusa's multimodal platform, offering SMS, sequential and simultaneous multimodality, enables wireless phone and PDA users to access information by speaking a command, or by using visual inputs such as typing or a stylus. Application results can be delivered visually on the device screen, by voice, or through innovative combinations of both voice and visual modes. SMS multimodality addresses the huge deployed base of SMS-capable handsets to deliver engaging multimodal experiences, while sequential multimodality allows users to seamlessly alternate between voice and visual (WAP) interactions on mass market, off-the-shelf mobile handsets. Simultaneous multimodality allows users to use both voice and visual interactions at the same time on advanced PDA-like handsets.

DS Group, a leading Italian IT consulting company, develops and implements integrated solutions for mobility, voice-enabled applications, and digital -- over the internet collaboration. They have delivered advanced applications in the areas of customer care, supply chain, workflow management, mobile messaging and mobile value added services to the leading telecommunications and industrial firms in Italy. With extensive deployment experience in both the voice and visual sides of mobile communications, DS Group is well positioned to introduce Kirusa’s advanced multimodal technologies to these companies.

The Kirusa solution has been deployed at DS Group’s headquarters in Milan, and DS Group staff have been trained in the operation and sales of the Kirusa solution. The agreement between Kirusa and DS Group provides for DS Group to resell Kirusa’s products, to offer systems integration services, and to provide support services for multimodal platforms and applications in production use.

“DS Group has an exceptional track record of delivering mobile and speech-enabled solutions for mobile operators and large enterprises in the Italian market,” said Michael Sajor, vice president of business development at Kirusa. “They have already shown their commitment to Kirusa and multimodality through their ability to quickly generate real customer opportunities in Italy, and their considerable technical expertise in the area of mobile multimodality. We believe DS Group’s local presence will be a tremendous asset in driving Kirusa’s vision of revenue-generating multimodal applications and services for the Italian market, where mobile phone penetration rates exceed 90 percent.”

“Kirusa’s products will allow our customers to achieve major gains in the usability and efficiency of their mobile applications portfolio,” said Romeo Quartiero, president of DS Group. “Italy, with one of the highest percentages of mobile subscribers on the European continent, is fertile ground for the introduction of multimodal technologies, and we see great interest in multimodal applications and services from our existing customer base. Having worked with Kirusa for several months, we know that their solution leads the market in its maturity and its support for industry standards and a wide variety of end-user devices. We believe this relationship will create major revenue opportunities for both DS Group and Kirusa.”

About Kirusa
Kirusa, Inc. is a multimodal infrastructure company that has developed industry leading multimodal technology (with patents pending) for the delivery of data applications using multimodal interfaces. This next generation of wireless technology allows users to customize the presentation of information on wireless devices by either alternating, or simultaneously receiving data through visual and voice interfaces. Kirusa’s customers include the world's leading telecom carriers, such as France Telecom and Bouygues Telecom. Kirusa is funded by France Telecom Innovacom, Deutsche Bank, Silicon Alley Seed Investors, and several angel investors. The company is headquartered in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, and was founded by telecom and Internet industry veterans from AT&T, Lucent and Vodafone Airtouch. For more information about Kirusa please call its headquarters at +1 (908) 464-4467 or visit www.kirusa.com.

About DS Group
DS Group is a leading IT Consulting Company with the mission to help customers to enhance their business by taking advantage of communication technologies. Since its founding, DS Group has capably delivered advanced applications to several markets; DS Group’s customers include leading telecom carriers as well as the leading Italian firms.

DS Group has extensive and proven experience in supporting the entire life cycle of voice-enabled and visual components of mobile services, from customer demand management through the development, delivery and maintenance phases. The company is headquartered in Milan, Italy, and was founded in 1991. For more information about DS Group please call +39 02 252004 1 or visit www.dsgroup.it.

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