UK tech company bucks “doom and gloom” trend with nomination for prestigious global award

Newcastle-based Palringo shortlisted with Finland’s Nokia and India’s Bharti Airtel

Newcastle-based Palringo has been shortlisted in the Best Mobile Internet Service category in the 2009 GSMA Global Mobile Awards – the most prestigious annual awards in the world of mobile.

Revealed by the GSMA today, the shortlist pitches Palringo against Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia, Indian telecoms giant Bharti Airtel, Germany’s Blue Lion Mobile and, also from the UK, Volantis Systems.

Kerry Ritz, CEO of Palringo, said: “This is a terrific achievement for Palringo. These awards are open to companies from just about any country in the world, so even to make the shortlist – to be up against companies like Nokia and Bharti – is a terrific indicator of just how good the UK is at ‘mobile’.”

Palringo’s service is rewarded for successfully making instant messaging ‘work’ on mobile phones. Instant messaging is hugely popular on desktops around the world, with an estimated 1.5 billion instant messaging ‘accounts’ in existence.

Palringo enables not only text-based messaging, but also makes it possible to send voice messages and picture messages to another phone user or a group – or even to someone sitting at their home computer. Mobile users can also permit their current location – computed by the software – to be displayed for their friends to see.

Award winners will be announced on Tuesday 17th February 2009 at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards Gala Dinner, held in The National Palace (Palau Nacional) in Barcelona.

Mobile World Congress – the world’s largest mobile industry show – is held annually in Barcelona, and this year runs from 16th-19th February.

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Notes to editors

Palringo makes instant messaging work on mobile. The Palringo service combines walkie-talkie style voice (vocal instant messaging) with the real-time text chat functionality of instant messaging and also enables picture-sharing within the context of a discussion. It supports both one-on-one and group discussions, and enables real-time dialogue that can incorporate users from across the globe, on any mobile network or connected PC. The Palringo service also supports connections to other popular instant messaging services. Palringo is a privately held company based in Newcastle, UK.

Media contact:

Tim Donnelly Smith, Both Barrels Communications,
Tel. +44 7978 800275, timds {at} bbcomms.co(.)uk