(March 22, 1999) - A number of leading operators are to begin trials for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-based services, using complete Nokia solutions. Agreements have been signed with T-Mobil in Germany, Europolitan in Sweden, NetCom in Norway, Orange in the UK, Hongkong Telecom Mobile Service and New World Mobility in Hong Kong S.A.R., as well as Radiolinja and Sonera in Finland.
Nokia has previously announced agreements with France Telecom Mobiles and Telia Mobile in Sweden - each are piloting new WAP value added services, such as Internet and intranet access for GSM mobile phones.

With these pilots, Nokia enhances its offering to mobile operators with the Nokia Artus Messaging Platform. This allows access to information available on the World Wide Web through WAP-enabled GSM phones, as well as current GSM phones with Short Messaging capability.

"With this comprehensive Nokia solution, we have together with on-line stockbrokerage firm Aktiedirekt and the telecoms company Aspiro developed the world's first service for mobile stock trading based on WAP technology," says Mikael Kluge, Marketing Director, Europolitan AB in Sweden. "WAP will be an important tool when large-scale mobile electronic commerce begins. WAP also gives us the possibility to develop other exciting services that give our customers access to information on the Internet directly from mobile phones."

"Value Added Services based on WAP are becoming a reality today. With Nokia's wireless data solutions, Internet services can be delivered straight to your hands, whether you are on the move or not," says Pekka Salonoja, Vice President, Wireless Data Server Systems, Nokia Telecommunications. "We are pleased to be working with these operators, together with us they have taken an important step in the delivery of personal multimedia services to their subscribers."

To complete the end to end solution, Nokia launched the world's first media phone based on the Wireless Application Protocol in Mobile Media Mode (WWW:MMM), in February. The Nokia 7110 dual band GSM 900/1800 media phone was introduced at the GSM World Congress in Cannes, France. This new phone has been designed to enable easy access to Internet content from a mobile phone, has a large graphics display and a number of new and innovative features for ease of operation and text input.

Nokia is a founding member of the WAP Forum, which standardises intelligent messaging for creating Internet services and applications for digital mobile phones and wireless terminals. Nokia offers a complete wireless data solution for telecommunications, offering operators the possibility to provide their customers with a range of value-added services.

The WAP Forum has published a global wireless protocol specification for all wireless networks that will be contributed to appropriate standards bodies. WAP enables manufacturers, network operators, content providers and application developers to offer compatible products and secure services on all digital devices and networks. WAP Forum membership is open to all industry participants. WAP version 1.0 specification and membership details are available at http://www.wapforum.org