NEW YORK, April 3, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- VIRTUAL WORLDS -- FIX8, a divisionof Mobinex, Inc., a leader in virtual communications technology, todayannounced the company has secured an additional $2 million in Series Afinancing from SK Telecom, the top wireless communication provider in Korea,with revenue of KRW 11.28 trillion ($11.4 Billion US). FIX8 now closes itsinitial round of financing having successfully raised over $5 million. Inaddition, SKT has awarded FIX8 with a contract to lead the development ofSKT's 3D avatar animation technology, which will enhance mobile and onlinecommunications.
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"SKT's investment is a testament to FIX8's growing consumer popularity andexpanding interest in video and mobile User Generated Content," said FIX8 CEO,Linh Duy Tang. "We are proud to partner with a world-renowned telecom companythat shares in our commitment to delivering innovative solutions for virtualcommunications across Internet, TV and mobile phones."
FIX8's premium content offerings include virtual communications technologythat digitizes human expressions via webcam in real time. Users can animatelive video on IM services including MSN, Yahoo, AIM and Skype. FIX8 videos canalso be saved and posted across Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. FIX8 Mobilewill soon offer animated video chat and sharing on camera phones.
"Investing in FIX8 was a strategic decision based on the company'spioneering vision and technology leadership in the area of virtualcommunications coupled with explosive growth in mobile User GeneratedContent," stated the investment manager of SK Telecom. "We also look forwardto continued collaboration with FIX8 as SKT introduces additional mobile UGCservices across Korea."
In addition to SKT's $2 million investment in FIX8, the wireless operatoralso awarded the company a contract to lead the development of SKT's 3D avataranimation technology to enhance mobile and online communications. The FiX8solution will allow users to communicate using interactive avatars that map totheir facial movements and expressions. Each socially interactive characterwill offer characteristics of personal identity, lifelike emotions and otherfun features.
"Not only did SKT invest in FIX8, but we contracted the company to developour interactive avatar technology. FIX8 is a true innovator in the Web 2.0 andnow 3.0 space. The technology will be central to social interactivity andmedia-enhanced communication for our users," added the project manager ofSKT's 3D avatar animation project.
About FIX8
FIX8 is a new media company that blends Internet and mobile platforms withrich streaming video creation, editing and sharing capabilities. FIX8 is aFUN, creative new way of communicating. Developed in response to rapid growthin video sharing, social networking and user-generated content, FIX8 is thefuture of rich interactive communication. Headquartered in Los Angeles, FIX8has offices in China and Vietnam. FIX8 is a division of Mobinex.http://www.FIX8.com
About SK Telecom
SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670) is the top wireless communicationprovider in Korea, where it has over 22 million subscribers and more than 50%of the total market. Established in 1984, the company reached KRW 11.28trillion in revenue in 2007. SK Telecom was the first to launch andcommercialize CDMA, CDMA 2001x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, and currentlyprovides cellular, wireless Internet, mobile media, global roaming servicesand more. For more information, please visit http://www.sktelecom.com or emailpress@sktelecom.com.
SOURCE FIX8