Brightstar And HzO Partner To Bring WaterBlock™ Technology To The Mobile Device Ecosystem

-- New technology set to revolutionize where consumers use electronics

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Brightstar Corp., the world's largest specialized wireless distributor and HzO, Inc., creator of WaterBlock™, a revolutionary nano-coating that offers water damage protection for electronic devices, today at the 2013 Mobile World Congress announced a partnership agreement  to market WaterBlock™  to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and repair & refurbishment processors worldwide.

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"HzO's WaterBlock™ sets a new standard of water protection available to manufacturers of mobile devices," said Daniel Ghelman, Vice President of Global Business Development for Brightstar. "This partnership gives us the opportunity to deliver HzO's cutting edge technology across the mobile device ecosystem, to help eliminate the plague of water damage resulting from drips, splashes and prolonged submersion."

With a local presence on 6 continents and operations in 50 countries and territories, Brightstar offers customized solutions to manage every critical step in the mobile device lifecycle. Through the partnership, Brightstar will enable its device manufacturers and device repair and refurbishing customers and partners to integrate WaterBlock™ technology directly into new devices. This eliminates the extra cost and hassle of secondary forms of water protection; and provides a solution that can be supported by manufacturer warranties.

"Our relationship with industry giant Brightstar brings WaterBlock's to the global stage and ultimately to the end consumer," said Rick Peterson, Vice President of Business Development for HzO, Inc. "Aligning with one of the fastest growing global wireless companies expedites delivery of our technology to consumers who are eager to have the freedom to use their devices near water and in the rain without the worry of catastrophic failure."

WaterBlock™ technology creates a thin, impenetrable layer of protection that guards electronics not only against drips to splashes, but from full submersion.  Through a proprietary vapor deposition process, the protective nano-coating is applied in a vacuum chamber and works from the inside out to shield even the most intricate parts of electronic devices.  It forms a seamless barrier that is invisible to the naked eye and 100 times the thickness of traditional plasma coatings.

"WaterBlock™ offers an unprecedented level of protection without changing the look and feel of the device, which leads to a high level of customer satisfaction," Peterson said.  "Customers are not the only ones who will be pleased; OEMs, operators and retailers will be able to offer superior devices with the security that comes with WaterBlock™ technology already inside."

About Brightstar
Brightstar is the world's largest specialized wireless distributor and a leading global services company, serving mobile device manufacturers, wireless operators and retailers, with a local presence on six continents. Brightstar's industry-leading services include value-added distribution, supply chain solutions, handset protection and insurance, buy-back and trade-in solutions, multi-channel retail solutions and financial services. Annual revenues were US$6 billion for the period ended September 30, 2012. The company is ranked #58 on the Forbes 2012 List of America's Largest Private Companies. Brightstar is also the largest Hispanic-owned business in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.brightstarcorp.com.

About HzO, Inc.
HzO, Inc., headquartered in Draper, Utah, is an industry leader in the field of thin film nano-coating technology. With its revolutionary and proprietary WaterBlock™ vapor deposition process, HzO protects electronic devices from damage due to water, other liquids and small debris without the additional bulk, weight or change to aesthetics added by mechanical seals, gaskets, plugs, cases and covers. HzO is commercializing WaterBlockä in consumer electronics, military, first responder devices, medical, industrial and other markets. Winner of the 2012 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award and Utah Innovation Award. 

Visit http://www.hzoinside.com for more information.