INDUSTRY SUPPORT FOR WIRELESS APPLICATION PROTOCOL GAINS MOMENTUM
New language for microbrowsers under development
July 07, 1997 -- Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Unwired Planet (now Phone.com)
today announced growing industry support for the Wireless Application Protocol effort
announced on June 26, 1997, with ALCATEL, Mitsubishi Electric, Nortel, Philips Consumer
Communications and Siemens Private Communication Systems Group (PN) endorsing the
initiative.
Collectively, the group also acknowledged support for the Handheld Device Markup
Language (HDML), as submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), as the basis for the
new Wireless Application Protocol microbrowser. The transport protocol will be based on
the Narrowband Sockets specification.
The Wireless Application Protocol, which will be independent of the underlying airlink
standard, and is initially targeted at GSM-technology networks, aims to align industry
efforts to bring advanced applications and Internet content to digital cellular phones.
For cellular phone manufacturers, a common standard means the potential for realizing
economies of scale. This encourages them to invest in the development of compatible
hardware to support these advanced applications. Likewise, cellular network operators are
encouraged to develop new offerings as a way of differentiating their service and
attracting new subscribers. Ultimately this is beneficial for consumers as it will mean
more and varied choice in mobile communications.
The draft protocol will be made available to cellular phone manufacturers and operators
around the world and is expected to be published on the World Wide Web by September 15,
1997.
Ericsson's 90,000 employees are active in more than 130 countries. Their combined
expertise in fixed and mobile networks, mobile phones and infocom systems makes Ericsson
the world-leading supplier in telecommunications. Find out about Ericsson on the Web: http://www.ericsson.se
Motorola is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communications,
semiconductors, and advanced electronic systems, components, and services. Major equipment
businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging and data communications,
personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics and computers. Motorola
semiconductors power communication devices, computers and millions of other products.
Motorola's 1996 sales were $28 billion. For more information, visit Motorola's web site at
http://www.motorola.com
Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of digital mobile phones and one of the two
largest supplier of GSM networks with sales in approximately 130 countries and with 33 000
employees in 45 countries. Nokia is also the global leader in wireless data. You can visit
Nokia on the Web: http://www.nokia.com
Unwired Planet (now Phone.com) was founded in 1994 to develop and market a
comprehensive, open, communications platform including browser, gateway, and markup
language that provides wireless access from handheld devices to the Internet and corporate
intranets. UP technology is network - and device independent and has been adopted by
leading wireless carriers. For more information, visit http://www.uplanet.com
The Business Systems Division of Alcatel addresses enterprises and private users, and
is with 10 million terminals in 1996, one of the major worldwide manufacturer of
professional and private terminals. Alcatel concentrates its offer on advanced terminals
(screen phones, multimedia devices) and mobile phones (analog cordless technology, digital
GSM and DECT technologies). For more information on Alcatel GSM mobile phones, visit: http://www.alcatel.com/gsm
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) is one of the leading electrical and
electronics equipment firms in the world. The company and its subsidiaries offer a broad
line of information processing and communications systems, semiconductors and electronic
devices, industrial equipment and consumer electronics, including wireless communications
products such as analog, PCS and integrated voice/data phones.
Nortel works with customers worldwide to design, build, and integrate digital networks
- for information, entertainment, education, and business - offering one of the broadest
choices of network solutions in the industry. Nortel reported revenues of $12.85 billion
in 1996, and has approximately 68,000 employees worldwide providing enterprise, wireless
and carrier services.
Philips Consumer Communications, a business group of Philips Electronics N.V., is
headquartered in Le Mans, France. PCC designs, manufactures and markets a complete range
of personal communications products including digital and analogue cellular and cordless
phones, corded phones, answering machines, screen phones and pagers. Its objective is to
be one of the top three manufacturers in consumer telephony by the year 2000. You can
visit Philips on the web at http://www.philips.com
Siemens Private Communication Systems Group (PN) is one of the world's largest
providers of communications solutions for companies and private customers. Siemens PN is a
competent terminals partner for telecom carriers, service providers and trade all over the
world and Siemens PN ranks third in the communication terminals business worldwide. Meet
Siemens PN on the web: http://www.siemens.de/pn/
For more information please contact:
Per Bengtsson, Communications Director
Ericsson Business Area Mobile Systems
Tel : +46 8 757 2159
Sanjay Jhawar, Business Manager, Smart Phones and Data Products
Motorola Cellular Subscriber Sector
Tel : +44 1256 790122
Mikko Terho, Vice President, Wireless Data
Nokia Mobile Phones
Tel : +358 10 5051
Ben Linder, Vice President Marketing
Unwired Planet (now Phone.com) Inc.
Tel : +1 415 596 5251
Vittorio Di Mauro, Marketing Manager
Alcatel Business Systems
Tel : +33 1 46 52 85 68
Stefani Parrish, Marketing Communications
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Tel : +1 408 774 3621
Ian V. Sugarbroad, Vice President, Wireless Terminals
Nortel Enterprise Networks
Tel : +1 972 684 1281
Ellen de Vries
Philips Consumer Communications
Tel : +33 2 4341 1062
Karlheinz Groebmair
Siemens Private Communications System Group (PN)
Tel : +49 89 72 23 61 93
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