BERN, Switzerland -- Today's acquisition of Minick Holding AG gives Swisscom Mobile AG one of Europe's leading mobile Internet portal and interactive application solution providers. The company, whose head office is in Zollikon, employs 68 staff in Switzerland, Germany, the UK and Spain. The acquisition will allow Swisscom Mobile to expand its activities into a closely-related business area.

With the acquisition of Minick Holding AG, Swisscom Mobile consolidates its strategic goal of strengthening its activities in the value added services sector, to become active in related business areas and thereby to capture new market segments. Minick develops and operates mobile Internet portals, multimedia services and news applications such as M-Voting, Teletext-Chats, SMS and MMS. The company is also active in mobile marketing and plays an innovative role in the area of mobile video streaming.

THQ Inc., an American company which develops console and video games, had until now held 50 per cent of Minick shares via a subsidiary company, with the other half being held by the management and present and former employees. Swisscom Mobile has today acquired all Minick Holding AG's shares. No details have been released about the acquisition price.

Minick Holding AG's core business will continue unchanged as a fully-owned subsidiary of Swisscom Mobile AG and the acquisition will have no direct consequences for its employees. Minick Holding AG's minority stake - via a joint venture in Minick (USA) Ltd - is not affected by the deal.

Swisscom Mobile AG