Las Vegas, CES 2011 Booth #35469 – January 5, 2011 — The ng Connect Program, founded by Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), today announced the program will showcase six new solution concepts focusing on the benefits provided by high bandwidth networks that will transform the retail industry, in-store customer service, comparative shopping, and how consumers shop in-store, at home or on-the-go. The new service concepts are on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 6-9, 2011, Las Vegas, NV, Booth #35469 South Hall.

Additionally, the program today announced that eight new members have joined the global initiative bringing membership to 54 companies since its launch in 2009. The ng Connect Program is the telecom industry’s leading ecosystem for the creation of next-generation fixed and mobile consumer services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) and other technologies.  The new members announced today bring expertise in a wide range of categories including game development, 3D scanning and imaging solution for apparel and virtual fashion, magazine publishing, and IT software and services.

“After the development of the program’s highly successful LTE Connected Car which showed the automotive industry the impact of high bandwidth networks on new services and business models, our program members took a fresh look at the retail industry and how technology can help make shopping simpler and more convenient,” said Steve West, Vice President of Emerging Technology & Media at Alcatel-Lucent. “Through the ng Connect Program  we are proud to work with such a diverse group of companies to help realize the value LTE and next generation broadband technologies can have on everyday life.”

The new ng Connect Program members include:

Brass Monkey – leading software developer whose patent-pending technology transforms smart devices such as the iPhone or the Samsung Galaxy S™ into an intuitive controller for web-based single- or multi-player games.

Ecrio, Inc. – provides products and solutions for IP communications, including Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Rich Communications Services (RCS) over 3G and 4G networks. Ecrio’s commercially proven products and solutions accelerate the innovation and use of IP voice and messaging, rich messaging, content sharing and location service functions in applications across a variety of connected devices.

Genetec – a pioneer in the physical security and public safety industry and a global provider of world-class IP video surveillance, access control and license plate recognition (LPR) solutions to markets such as transportation, education, retail, gaming, and government. Genetec will contribute expertise in advanced IP security solutions to its collaboration with program members.

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. – a leading media company serving consumers through trusted, expert content that entertains and inspires on all media platforms. Illustrated with extraordinary images, these engaging editorial environments combine with highly-targeted demographics and scale to create rich opportunities for advertisers. Prestigious brands include: Fashion, Beauty and Design (ELLE, ELLE DECOR, and ELLEgirl); Women & Wellness (Woman’s Day, Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications); Automotive (Car and Driver and Road & Track as part of Jumpstart Automotive Group); Motorcycling (Cycle World) and Entertainment (Premiere).

Infrared5 – a consulting company that specializes in customizing experiences for the Flash platform, Unity 3d and the iPhone. Infrared5 excels at building sites, games, components, virtual worlds and RIAs for leading brands including NBC, Universal, Wrigley’s and Ribbit.

mental images – a global leader in rendering software and visualization tools, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of NVIDIA. The company will contribute its expertise to the ng Connect Program through collaboration with members on rendering and 3D visualization technology to the retail, entertainment, computer-aided design, scientific visualization, architecture, and other industries that require sophisticated images.

Neusoft Corporation – a leading IT Solutions and Services provider in China, the company has 18,000 professionals worldwide. Neusoft serves multiple global industries including telecom, utilities, social security, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, automobile, and transportation, health care, automobile and telecommunications. It is the first Chinese company to join the ng Connect Program.

[TC]2 - the world’s leading developer in the area of 3D body scanning equipment, avatar creation and virtual try-on, shape analysis and measurement extraction software. Its scanners have been adopted among major apparel companies in the U.S. and internationally for custom fit/made-to-measure clothing.

New Services, Devices and Business Models

ng Connect Program members have developed a number of innovative solution concepts that are making their debut at CES 2011 which represent new opportunities for retailers, content providers, device manufacturers and network operators. These include the Virtual Personal Stylist, a look into the future of shopping where shoppers create a personal avatar that can be accessed at the store, at home, or on-the-go to try on clothes and cosmetics virtually using a smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy S. In this concept, the world’s #1 fashion brand – ELLE – provides style and beauty advice via video conference.

Through the auspices of HFMUS’ ELLE, beauty industry global leader L’Oreal USA and upscale retail icon Bloomingdale’s contributed cosmetics and skincare products, and the AQUA apparel line used in the Virtual Personal Stylist solution concept.

With the Virtual Concierge concept, help for business or vacation travelers is a click away whether at a hotel or in an airport when local advice is needed – supported by a two-way video conversation in any language. The new Gametime Media Table concept allows consumers in bars, restaurants and other popular venues to experience a game on a tabletop screen before purchasing it for their mobile phone. And the standard jukebox gets an upgrade thanks to LTE. Enjoying the song on the jukebox? Download it immediately to your phone and take it with you.

The Virtual Venue demonstration adds connectivity to your favorite sporting events – view replays, get stadium info, and purchase items from your seat with your mobile phone. With the Global Bazaar, a new kiosk concept displays products in 3D, allowing passersby the opportunity to browse items from around the world and purchase them in seconds.

The ng Connect Program will also feature in the booth the highly popular LTE Connected Car which was developed by Alcatel-Lucent, Atlantic Records, BUZZMEDIA, chumby, Gamestreamer, Intamac, Kabillion, Nuance Communications, QNX, and Toyota Motor Sales USA.