Nokia Announces WAP Technology Licensing and WAP Toolkit Availability

Nokia Announces WAP Technology Licensing and WAP Toolkit Availability

(January 21, 1999) - Nokia, a world leader in wireless data development and co-founder of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum, is to license WAP technology to several organizations, such as IT and telecom vendors, software houses and system integrators. In addition, Nokia offers a software development toolkit for WAP application developers.

WAP is an open global standard for communication between a mobile handset and Internet or other computer application. WAP-based technology enables the design of advanced, interactive and real-time mobile services, such as mobile banking or Internet based news services, which can be used in digital mobile phones or other mobile devices. The WAP specification enables solutions from various equipment suppliers to work consistently for end-users on the digital networks.

"Nokia boosts the adoption of the WAP standard by licensing Nokia WAP technology to IT- and telecom vendors, software houses as well as to system integrators. By doing this Nokia wants to encourage a broad adoption of this open standard also within the main players in the IT industry. This new technology opens up a new channel for service providers to reach their mobile customers." says Mr. Pertti Lounamaa, Vice President, Nokia Wireless Software Solutions.

The WAP technology implementation includes a full WAP protocol stack as defined in the WAP standard 1.0. The Nokia protocol stack implementation is the first to support end-to-end security as defined in the WAP specification. It is bearer transparent to allow a wide usage of wireless transport mechanisms such as short messaging, USSD and circuit switched data. The implementation is also independent from the underlying network technology being it e.g. GSM, CDMA, TDMA, D AMPS or PDC.

Nokia also offers a compact Wireless Application Environment (WAE) that implements a complete WAP browser as defined in the WAP specification. The browser technology can easily be adapted for various platforms, including mobile phones, PDA's and pagers. This technology enables mobile subscribers to access WAP services on digital wireless networks worldwide.

The WAP Software Development Kit (SDK) contains compilers, a WAP browser, authoring and debugging tools and a simulator that shows how the content would look like on a WAP- enabled client. With the SDK the developers are able to write, compile, test and debug WAP applications, thus create WAP content. No wireless infrastructure is required, everything the developer needs are a PC and the toolkit software. The SDK is now available from the web at www.forum.nokia.com.

Technology licensing is offered by Nokia Wireless Software Solutions, a Nokia unit that focuses on the development of WAP technology and mobile applications and solutions for service providers and corporations.

Nokia is the world's leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile and fixed telecom networks including related customer services. Nokia also supplies solutions and products for fixed and wireless datacom, as well as multimedia terminals and computer monitors. In 1997, net sales totaled FIM 52.6 billion (USD 9.8 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on five European Stock Exchanges and on the New York Stock Exchange (NOK.A), has sales in 130 countries and employs more than 42,000 people world-wide.

Contact information:
Timo Teimonen, General Manager, Nokia Wireless Software Solutions
Tel: (Int.) +358 9 18071