Nextel Breaks the Sound Barrier for Wireless Email

June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextel Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTL) today announced an alliance with etrieve, Inc. that provides Nextel's customers with the ability to listen to corporate email, calendar and contact information from any Internet-ready Nextel phone. Nextel is the first nationwide wireless service provider to deliver both voice and text access to behind-the-firewall corporate information. The offering, delivered as part of the Nextel Mobile Office Email product suite, provides secure, wireless access to Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes messages and information, making it easy for mobile professionals to stay connected with colleagues and customers while away from the office.

etrieve offers Nextel customers a secure connection to desktop information, enabling users to listen to or view office email, contacts and calendar data and reply to emails by voice or text. The service also allows users to listen to email attachments, such as Microsoft Word(R) documents, and print email and attachments to a fax machine for fast access to hard copies. This innovative application, supporting Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, Lotus Notes, POP3 and IMAP4 email, solidifies Nextel's position as a leader in delivering mobility solutions for business customers.

"Nextel business customers are incredibly focused on increasing productivity," said Greg Santoro, vice president of Internet and Wireless Services for Nextel. "Now, they can use time away from the office to listen to emails and respond by leaving a voice message that appears as an email attachment. This is just another way business people will benefit from the wireless web."

According to Mike Maerz, chairman and CEO of etrieve, "Nextel is an industry leader in making it easier for wireless subscribers to communicate instantly and collaborate with colleagues, customers and business partners. Nextel's selection of etrieve to provide its subscribers with multiple ways to access corporate information is recognition of the strength of the etrieve solution and the importance of voice in providing true mobility to the mobile office."

The etrieve service is offered in individual and enterprise versions. The individual solution, or Desktop Edition, can be easily downloaded by the customer to a Windows based PC system when signing up for the service. Pricing on the Desktop Edition begins at $24.95 per month.

The enterprise solution, or Server Edition, is designed for 20 or more users and provides secure 24 x 7 autoforwarding of email, calendar and address book information. The server software integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure and can be installed and maintained from a central location for server management and end-user account set up. Since etrieve is an application service provider (ASP), the service is easy to implement and cost- effective.

The Server Edition is licensed at $1,995 for the etrieve server software along with a monthly service charge based on the number of subscribers. For both the Desktop and Server Editions, Nextel customers subscribe to Nextel Online Plus Wireless Web service, which is available for $10.00 per month for unlimited use.

More information about this solution and Nextel's entire suite of Mobile Office Email solutions is available at http://www.nextel.com/email . This site includes an interactive demonstration of Mobile Office Email for Nextel phone customers.

About Nextel
Nextel Communications, Inc., based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the United States covering thousands of communities across the United States. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc., currently serve 185 of the top 200 U.S. markets. Through recent market launches, Nextel and Nextel Partners service is available today in areas of the U.S. where approximately 220 million people live or work. In addition, through Nextel International, Inc., Nextel has wireless operations and investments in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines, Peru, Chile and Japan.

About Nextel's Developer Program
The goal of Nextel's Developer Program is to facilitate the development of third party applications for the Nextel platform. The developer website (http://developer.nextel.com ) provides the vital information and support needed to bring these applications to life. Developers who register in the free program gain access to training, technical documentation, development tools, and online support. The developer program also guides developers in post-development sales and marketing activities. Nextel offers significant joint sales and marketing opportunities for developers with products that fit the company's business-oriented customer base.

About etrieve
etrieve, Inc. is focused on building the voice-powered mobile office. With etrieve, mobile business professionals can manage their office information by voice, by text and by importance -- all from the phone they already have. Founded in 1998, etrieve combines the reach of wireless technology, its Wireless Interchange Engine, and robust text-to-speech technology to keep mobile business professionals connected with their critical office information. Headquartered in Hillsboro, Ore., etrieve is a privately held corporation funded by Ignition Corporation, Softbank Venture Capital, Madrona Venture Group, Timberline Ventures and Venture Partner AG. For additional information, contact etrieve via phone at 503-533-2300 or visit http://www.etrieve.com .

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SOURCE Nextel Communications, Inc.