Draft Wireless Application Protocol specification published on the World Wide Web

WAP will enable Internet/intranet access combined with advanced telephony services on wireless devices

CANNES, France (February 17, 1998) -- At a press conference held during the GSM World Congress the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum introduced the draft WAP specification. The specification is available from the WAP Forum Web site at http://www.wapforum.org.

The publication of the draft specification signifies the beginning of the next phase of the WAP Forum's work. The founding members, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Unwired Planet™ have completed the first phase of their work with this draft. Now the new members of WAP Forum are able to contribute to the draft work and submit their feedback to the WAP working groups. The working groups will finalise the specification based on the feedback and will publish the version 1.0 specification in the spring of this year.

The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is targeted to bring Internet content and advanced services to digital mobile phones and other wireless terminals. WAP Forum aims to create a global wireless protocol specification that works across differing wireless network technology types, for adoption by appropriate industry standards bodies. Applications using WAP will be scaleable across a variety of transport options and device types. A common standard offers potential economies of scale, encouraging mobile phone and other device manufacturers to invest in developing compatible products. Cellular and other wireless net-work carriers and content providers will be able to develop new differentiated service offer-ings as a way to attract new subscribers. Consumers will benefit through more and varied choices in mobile communications applications, advanced services and Internet access.

In addition to the four founding partners, new members are now joining WAP Forum. Membership details are available at http://www.wapforum.org.

Ericsson's 100,000 employees are active in more than 130 countries. Their combined expertise in fixed and mobile networks, mobile phones and infocom systems makes Ericsson a world-leading supplier in telecommunications. Find out about Ericsson on the Web: www.ericsson.se.

Motorola is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communications, semi-conductors, and advanced electronic systems, components, and services. Major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defence and space electronics and computers. Motorola semiconductors power communication devices, computers and millions of other products. Motorola's 1997 sales were $29.8 billion. Motorola (NYSE:MOT) can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.motorola.com.

Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is a broad-scope telecommunications company, supplying mobile phones, mobile and fixed telecommunications networks, data communications solutions, multimedia terminals and PC monitors. With sales in 130 countries, net sales totalled FIM 52.6 billion ($9.8 billion) in 1997. Nokia employs more than 36,000 people worldwide. More about Nokia on http://www.nokia.com.

Unwired Planet, headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA, with overseas offices in the United Kingdom and Japan, is a leading supplier of open standards based servers and microbrowsers to the Wireless industry. Unwired Planet provides secure, vendor-independent solutions, which empower wireless handsets and operators with Email, Personal Organiser, as well as Internet information access applications. Unwired Planet's products support the GSM, TDMA, CDMA, CDPD, PHS and PDC wireless airlink standards. Visit the Unwired Planet Web Site at http://www.uplanet.com ® or http://www.uplanet.co.uk.