Firethorn Teams Up With BECU

ATLANTA and SEATTLE, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company (Nasdaq: QCOM), and Boeing Employees' Credit Union (BECU) of Seattle, Washington, today announced the addition of BECU to its emerging list of financial partners.  As Washington's largest member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution, BECU rolled out Firethorn's mobile application to its more than 650,000 members in the third quarter of 2010, further establishing Firethorn as a leading supplier of mobile financial services for the nation's top credit unions.

"Given the current state of the financial sectors, financial institutions are recognizing the advantage of having mobile strategies so as to increase customer loyalty and retention," said Rocco Fabiano, president of Firethorn Holdings.  "As Washington's largest credit union, BECU is continuing in its tradition of providing its members with the best possible experience, and we are excited to help evolve BECU's mobile strategy."

The collaborative agreement between Firethorn and BECU will enable BECU members to manage their finances through Firethorn's application platform.  The new mobile banking platform will give BECU members the freedom to access accounts conveniently on the go, using comprehensive encryption services.  Users can perform the following functions from their mobile device:

• View account balances
• Access transaction history
• Transfer funds
• Pay bills
• Make BECU loan, credit card and line of credit payments

"At BECU, we strive to offer services that improve the economic and social well-being of our members," said Howe Wu, vice president of BECU.  "Firethorn's mobile banking application provides our members with the freedom to access their personal finances directly from their mobile device."

About BECU

Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, BECU is a not-for-profit credit union owned by the members.  Profits are returned to the members in the form of better rates and fewer fees.  With more than 650,000 members and more than $9 billion in assets, BECU is the largest credit union in Washington and one of the top five financial cooperatives in the country.  BECU currently operates more than 40 locations in the Puget Sound region.  All Washington state residents and students attending Washington colleges and universities are eligible to join.

About Firethorn Holdings

Firethorn Holdings, LLC is an important participant in the mobile commerce ecosystem. With its mobile domain expertise, Firethorn is creating a fresh and exciting mobile revenue channel that will bridge relationships among consumers, retailers, wireless carriers and financial institutions. Firethorn's innovative technology creates easily accessible, branded and personalized mobile commerce channels that give consumers access to their accounts, offers and transactions while on the go. For more information about Firethorn, visit www.firethorn.com.

Firethorn is a registered trademark of Firethorn Holdings, LLC.  Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Firethorn Holdings, LLC; Boeing Employees' Credit Union