New red dot product design award for iCON 401 LEUVEN, Belgium – September 11, 2008 – Option N.V. (EURONEXT Brussels: OPTI; OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that its iCON 401 USB modem, recent winner of the red dot award in the product design category, is shipping commercially through distributors in South Africa, Norway, Finland, Germany, Italy and the UK.
Option is working with distribution partners to open up indirect channels to fulfil incremental sales opportunities and expand the overall wireless broadband market. The initiative is expanding Option’s indirect distribution into IT channels and regional mobile operators.
EMCOM, Option’s distribution partner in Norway, was recently awarded an order for the iCON 401 by the local operator Network Norway. Haavard Vinsrygg, managing director EMCOM, said, “Option’s flexibility and customization capabilities coupled with our local support and logistics made this uniquely stylish and high performance device a compelling proposition for our customer.”
The performance and design elements of the iCON 401, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February 2008, were highlighted again in winning the prestigious red dot award in the product design category. The international “red dot design award” ranks among the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world. It is the second major award for the iCON 401 having also won the German iF product design award earlier in the year. The international jury of the red dot organization, a group of jurors made up of renowned designers and design experts from all over the world, praised its unique combination of design and performance:
• The lightweight USB device weighs just 40 grams
• Supporting HSPA 7.2 Mbps, it is capable of downloading a typical MP3 file in less than five seconds. It also offers upload speeds of up to 2 Mbps
• Its micro SD memory expansion slot, supporting up to 8 GB of memory, facilitates the sharing of files with consumer electronic devices and PCs
• Its built-in triple-band HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS enables travelers to access e-mail and the Internet virtually anywhere, anytime
High resolution pictures of the iCON 401 are available at: https://www.option.com/en/site/products/products/usb-modems/icon401/