May 1 2004

Encorus, a mobile payments services company majority owned by First Data Corp. has been announced as Simpay's transaction processor in a multi-year deal covering both Europe and the USA. Simpay, the consumer m-payment brand formed by Orange, Telefónica Móviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone in 2003, along with Encorus' processing capabilities will make large-scale m-commerce a reality. The Founding members of Simpay represent more than 280 million wireless subscribers worldwide.

Simpay's commercial launch is scheduled for the first quarter of 2005.

Encorus' m-commerce knowledge and expertise coupled with First Data's scale and processing experience met Simpay's requirements for interoperability, revenue sharing and scalability.

"The history of the mobile phone industry demonstrates that major business volume comes when customers have the freedom to reach across and interact with any network," comments Tim Jones, CEO, Simpay.

"Our mission is to deliver that freedom in the field of mobile payments, and our agreement with Encorus is fundamental to achieving this mission. After a thorough selection process, we are satisfied that Encorus will deliver Simpay's Central Processing Platform and supporting business processes to our specifications and timelines."

Simpay brings together consumers, mobile operators and merchants to deliver convenient and accessible m-payments across national borders. The initiative has captured the imagination of the mobile industry and 3, debitel, Elisa (previously Radiolinja), KPN Mobile Group, Mobilkom, O2, Optimus, SFR, TeliaSonera and TMN have already expressed interest in joining.