Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Rush Communications, InPhonic Connect Hip Hop Culture with Designer Wireless Phones; InPhonic Provides Online Activation of Phat Farm, Baby Phat Phones for Rush Mobile

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 12:14:06 -0500

( BW)(DC-INPHONIC) Rush Communications, InPhonic Connect Hip Hop Culture with Designer
Wireless Phones; InPhonic Provides Online Activation of Phat Farm, Baby Phat Phones for
Rush Mobile

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2003--Citing a new opportunity in hip-hop fashion
accessories, media conglomerate Rush Communications, LLC and InPhonic Inc. have teamed to
provide signature Motorola wireless phones through Rush Communications' newest subsidiary
Rush Mobile. InPhonic will serve as the online fulfillment and distribution partner for
Rush Mobile.
The partnership will provide late-model Motorola wireless phones including the limited
edition Phat Farm by Russell Simmons i90c and Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons i95cl
designer phones to Rush Mobile customers.
"With InPhonic's support, Rush Mobile has created a virtual marketplace that caters
specifically to our audience," said Russell Simmons, hip-hop mogul and founder of Rush
Communications. "Now our customers nationwide can purchase new phones that fit their
style, personality and budget with the flexibility and convenience of online shopping."
InPhonic will manage the Rush Mobile online portal, www.rushmobile.com, where customers
can log on to purchase the designer Phat Fashions phones or choose free or discounted
Motorola communication devices. Customers can also select competitive rate plans from
national wireless service providers including T-Mobile, ATT Wireless, Cingular and Nextel.
InPhonic will activate and ship phones to customers usually within 24 hours of their
online or telephone purchase. By the end of the year, InPhonic intends to offer text
messaging and other advanced wireless capabilities on the Motorola phones to Rush Mobile
customers.
"Working with InPhonic will allow Rush Communications to easily develop customized
wireless phones and services for all our subsidiaries on a nationwide level, and
seamlessly integrate them into our existing businesses," said Craig Marshall, COO of Rush
Communications. "Through features like wireless messaging, Rush will now be able to
instantly provide its end-users with exclusive offers, promotions and requested
information."
Rush Mobile will promote its new wireless phones through the Rush Communications network
of companies with online and magazine campaigns. Rush Communications operations including,
UniRush Financial Services, the Phat Farm and Baby Phat clothing label web sites and
retail stores will also advertise the wireless phone promotion.
The sleek new Russell Simmons i90c phone from Motorola features the Phat Farm logo and
advanced four-in-one communications capabilities. The corresponding limited edition Baby
Phat i95cl handset features the same voice, wireless Internet, two-way pager and
walkie-talkie functions, flavored with a distinctive light pink color with the Baby Phat
logo and CEO Kimora Lee Simmons' signature on the face.
"This partnership helps InPhonic penetrate the music and entertainment industry popular
with youth culture," said David Steinberg, CEO of InPhonic. "Partnering with cultural
icons such as Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons helps to bring wireless to the masses
and helps to validate us as a leading provider in the wireless distribution market."

About InPhonic

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., InPhonic Inc. (www.inphonic.com) is a leading provider
of wireless voice and data communication solutions to enterprises, online businesses,
national retailers and their end-users, offering an integrated platform for distributing
and managing wireless communication devices and data services. The company provides
nationwide coverage through major wireless carriers, and it distributes wireless devices
from some of the world's leading equipment manufacturers.

About Rush Communications

Russell Simmons has spent his career cultivating and developing businesses that focus on
the young and the hip--the cultural leaders of the American youth movement. He has
parlayed his expertise and understanding of hip-hop and its influence on mainstream
America into a fashion and entertainment empire. As one of the hip-hop movement's
founders, Russell never doubted hip-hop as the future and he leveraged its underground
vibe and voice to create a multi-media empire that effectively encompasses and influences
an entire lifestyle.
In 1990, Russell founded Rush Communications. Under that banner, he began incubating
businesses focused on targeting contemporary Americana. Each business focused on an aspect
of the lifestyle that he had helped to create. Ultimately, these businesses would each
represent a piece of the puzzle, creating an inter-connected network that would encompass
fashion (phatfarm.com, babyphat.com), music (defjam.com), television (simmons/lathan tv),
film (rush project), publishing (oneworldmag.com), financial (rushcard.com), advertising,
and philanthropy (rushphilanthropic.org). Separately, the businesses would reach out to
its particular niche and dominate that market. Together, the businesses would help to
develop interconnected marketing and advertising plans for a broad and varied
audience--ultimately, helping to define generations.
A company mandate for all new ventures being formed within the Rush Communications network
is it must provide a benefit to the community at large with the overall mission of access
and inclusion.

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/cb_headline.cgi?&story_file=bw.031703/230765083&directory=/altavista&header_file=header.htm&footer_file=

--30--DM/ph*

CONTACT: InPhonic
by
Merritt Group, Inc.
Debra Masters, 703/556-6300 ext. 6827
[email-masked]
or
Rubenstein Associates
Holly Taylor, 212/843-8000
[email-masked]

--
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Your own Online Store Selling our Overstock.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/rZll0B/4ftFAA/46VHAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/