"For WAP users, the entire set of services is available over GPRS. Useful WAP applications are the key to the adoption of GPRS by businesses and I believe this type of functionality will help accelerate the adoption of 2.5G technology. This is real technology with real business benefits," said Nad Nadesan, marketing director of Peramon.

Users can now have the same functionality on their Personal Information Management (PIM) applications whether in or out of the office. For example, they can receive and send e-mail, search, read and create entries in their calendar and access information from the corporate directory, as well as chatting to colleagues over the Internet and participating in newsgroups.

As part of Peramons theMOBILIZER platform of mobile Internet infrastructure, the latest offering provides a number of significant productivity benefits. For example, users are able to set preferences for email, appointments and group meeting via SMS alerts so that they can decide the importance of incoming emails while offline. They can then compose and send email using a voice-only interface, which is synchronised with their office-based desktop environment, and can be listened to on another mobile phone without the need for a Windows AVI player. Any incoming information is converted from text to speech, making it easy to digest while on the move or in a car, where the hands maybe occupied.

"Through such applications, were moving closer to an acceptance of mobile Internet technology within corporates because the productivity benefits are there to be seen. You dont need to carry a laptop, phone and organiser when you leave the office - one device will do and it will keep you fully connected to the office. Access to corporate information via the phone is now quicker than booting up a laptop - the emphasis is on working smarter and voice navigation means you arent restricted by the keypad," said David Townsend, managing director of Peramon.

"Weve applied VoiceXML technology so that users can easily skip from one PIM function to another and back again simply by a voice command so that, for example, they can access their calendar while listening to an email. You dont have to wait to hear all the options before making a choice which means the environment is far more intuitive," said John Kell, R&D director of Peramon.

In keeping with Peramons philosophy of global product development, the interface is available in over 15 languages and through its adaptive access technology, the display is optimised for whichever access device the user has.

The features available via theMOBILIZER Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange Connectors include: email, address lists, calendar, attachments, SMS alerts, network security, flexible voice access and language definition. These are all designed to integrate easily into existing enterprise applications and are available immediately.

* According to Jean Gabriel Henry, senior analyst Jupiter, Lotus Notes currently has 78 million licensed users and Microsoft Exchange has 67 million

Editors Note:
According to senior analyst Mark Plakias of the Kelsey Group, the size of the voice technologies market is likely to be worth $16.3bn by 2005. This includes the software market automated speech recognition, text-to-speech generation and natural language understanding with platforms, voice-browsing technology and professional.

Peramon a history of groundbreaking firsts:

Jun 1999
Peramon demonstrates first ever fully functional email system on WAP mobile phone

Sep 2000
Peramon launches theMOBILIZER, the most comprehensive suite of WAP & SMS infrastructure and applications available

Jan 2001
Introduction of first implementation of WAP outside of the mobile Internet environment - Sky TV

April 2001
Peramon delivers first mobile Internet technology to integrate with both Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino
Comprehensive voice navigation for PIM applications

About Peramon
Peramon leads the world in developing software to drive the mobile Internet marketplace. Its vision is to provide access to information anytime, anywhere and from any device. Founded in 1999, Peramon now employs 37 staff at its UK headquarters and Asia Pacific office in Australia.

Peramons world class software applications are used by over 5 million people worldwide through services provided by blue chip organisations such as Critical Path, Star Media, Freeserve and BSkyB.

To make the mobile Internet vision a reality, Peramon is working with like-minded innovators including Motorola, Nokia, HP, Sun and Openwave.

http://www.peramon.com