Symbian have launched an affiliate partner program. The new program is targeted at a wide range of third parties, particularly small and medium-sized companies, working with Symbian OS. Symbian is, with his move, fostering the ecosystem. This is a really great move, as it encourages development and helps developers in their co-operation with Symbian and the device manufacturers... So thats another exposium announcement then.. (AEA).

Symbian launches global Affiliate Partner Program bringing leading edge solutions to Symbian OS phone users
London, United Kingdom - 28 April 2003 - Symbian Ltd., developer of Symbian OS™, the global, open, industry standard operating system for advanced mobile phones, today announced the launch of the Symbian Affiliate Partner Program. The new program is targeted at a wide range of third parties, particularly small and medium-sized companies, working with Symbian OS. The program supports the many services, application and content providers worldwide whose after-market products enhance the value of Symbian OS phones to users. Affiliate Partners are therefore vital to the growing success of Symbian and Symbian OS.

Symbian licenses Symbian OS to the world’s leading handset manufacturers including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony Ericsson.

"Symbian Affiliate Partners possess diverse skills and experience, and deliver a variety of compelling after-market technologies, products and services to the growing ecosystem built around Symbian OS," said David Wood, EVP of Partnering at Symbian. “Together with Symbian Platinum Partners, who focus on bringing innovative applications to our licensees which enable them to build winning phones, Affiliate Partners are of huge importance to the creation of a mass market for advanced Symbian OS phones.”

Leading application vendors and solution providers joining the program for launch include Digital-Red, Epocware, Noumena Innovations, WildPalm and Xen Games. The first Symbian Affiliate Partners are showcasing their products and services in the Applications Pavilion and Games Arcade at Exposium03 on in London on 29th-30th April 2003.

“With more than five years experience in the successful creation and distribution of software for Symbian OS, Epocware is ideally positioned to be one of the launch partners for the Symbian Affiliate Partner Program”, said Andrey Scherbakov, Development Director at Epocware. “We look forward to working more closely with Symbian to build on this success and to deliver new solutions for the growing range of Symbian OS phones.”

“Xen Games specializes in producing high quality 3D games for mobile devices. Symbian OS, with its rapidly increasing user-base, is an ideal platform for mobile gaming", said Simon Jacobs, CEO of Xen Games. “As an Affiliate Partner we are keen to work with Symbian to bring our compelling games to a wider audience.”

The Symbian Affiliate Partner Program benefits include the exclusive use of the program logo, a dedicated on-line partner directory, access to key market channels and invitations to participate in feedback sessions, development projects, testing, and publishing programs – helping to shape the community of which they are an intrinsic part.

For further details see: www.symbian.com/partners/affiliate.html

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About the Symbian Partner Programs
The Affiliate Partner Program recognizes the many application, service and content providers worldwide whose after-market contributions are vital to the continued success of Symbian and Symbian OS phones.

The Platinum Partner Program is an invitation only program for companies with a technology, service or strategic position that is key to the success of Symbian OS phones in the market. For further details see: www.symbian.com/partners/platinum.html