Digital Rum Is One To Watch In Mobile Industry

7 November 2005, London

Company named in inaugural '50 to Watch in Mobile'

Digital Rum (dR) today announces it has been selected as one of the most innovative and exciting companies in the UK mobile industry in the inaugural '50 to Watch in Mobile', sponsored by O2.

London based Digital Rum provides high street retailers, entertainment giants and utilities companies with the tools to extend their businesses into the mobile world - creating and managing direct relationships between the brand and its individual consumers. dR clients include Argos, HMV, Littlewoods, BAA plc, Ticketmaster, and Odeon Cinemas.

"dR has a unique position in the mobile sector, offering high street brands an unparalleled opportunity to create a strong and profitable dialogue with its consumers," said Bob Pike, CEO of Digital Rum. "Developing a compelling mobile service that enables seamless consumer interaction across SMS, WAP, i-mode or Instant Messaging is only part of the solution. The key to building effective consumer relationships hinges on a brand's ability to offer trusted and convenient interactivity, understand the buying behaviour, and deliver a highly targeted and relevant service via the consumer's most favoured communications device - the mobile phone. It is the ability to provide this complete service that differentiates Digital Rum."

Compiled by Real Business magazine and sponsored by O2, the '50 to Watch in Mobile' were selected by a panel of expert judges in the technical, marketing and commercial aspects of the UK mobile industry. Digital Rum scored highly in five criteria; financial performance, innovation, management strength, market niche potential and the critical size of the company. For more information visit: http://www.realbusiness.co.uk/mobile.

Mike Short, VP Research & Development, at O2, comments: "Mobile technology is arguably the world's most exportable commodity. It is more deeply entrenched than any other communications technology. 85% of UK households own mobile devices and there are nearly two billion mobile users in more than 210 countries. In comparison, only 40% of households have a PC.