AirTouch Cellular and Amazon.com Give Customers the Freedom of Wireless E-Commerce
March 15, 2000-SAN FRANCISCO and SEATTLE-AirTouch
Cellular, part of Vodafone AirTouch Plc (NYSE & LSE: VOD), and
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) have signed an agreement that will
allow AirTouch Mobile Web customers to make purchases from the
leading Internet retailer, directly from a mobile Internet ready phone.
Beginning this spring, AirTouch Mobile Web customers will have
direct access to shopping features on Amazon.com's Web site,
allowing AirTouch customers to browse through Amazon.com's
online stores, make purchases, send gifts, and even select gift
wrapping service-all through a wireless phone.
"We're pleased to be working with Amazon.com, the world's
dominant leader in e-tailing. This arrangement will demonstrate how
customers can satisfy their need to browse and purchase from the
Web, conveniently from the palm of the hand," said Cliff Fitterer,
managing director of Internet services for AirTouch Cellular.
"Mobile commerce makes finding, discovering and buying products at
Amazon.com even more convenient," said Lil Mohan, general
manager, Amazon.com Anywhere. "We are pleased to be working
with AirTouch Cellular to help customers use their mobile phones to
get items off their to-do lists before they need to write them down."
About AirTouch
AirTouch serves nearly 10 million U.S. cellular and PCS customers
on a proportionate basis. Its ventures operate in 25 states and 22 of
the top 30 U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit,
Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and
Seattle. AirTouch is part of Vodafone AirTouch Plc, the world's
largest wireless communications firm, based in the United Kingdom.
It has mobile operations in 24 countries on five continents, with more
than 35.5 million proportionate cellular customers. For more
information, visit the AirTouch Web site at www.airtouch.com.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com (Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries) is the
Internet's No. 1 music, No. 1 DVD and video, and No. 1 book retailer.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) opened its virtual doors on the
World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest
Selection, along with online auctions and free electronic greeting
cards. Amazon.com lists more than 18 million unique items in
categories including books, CDs, toys, electronics, videos, DVDs,
home improvement products, software, and video games. Through
Amazon.com zShops, any business or individual can sell virtually
anything to Amazon.com's more than 17 million customers, and with
Amazon.com Payments, any seller can accept credit card
transactions, avoiding the hassles of offline payments. Amazon.com
Anywhere is the leader in mobile e-commerce, providing access from
anywhere in the world to Amazon.com through handheld wireless
Internet devices using the Wireless Application Protocol, at
www.amazon.com/phone/ and on personal digital assistants (PDAs).
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This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties that include, among others, Amazon.com's
limited operating history, anticipated losses, unpredictability of future
revenues, potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results,
seasonality, consumer trends, competition, risk of distribution center
expansion, risks related to fourth quarter performance, risks of
system interruption, management of potential growth, risks related to
auction and zShops services, risks related to fraud and
Amazon.com Payments, and risks of new business areas,
international expansion, business combinations, and strategic
alliances. More information about factors that potentially could affect
Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 and
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
1999, June 30, 1999, and September 30, 1999.
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