Nokia, Ericsson, Unwired Planet and Motorola unite to create an open common protocol for interactive wireless applications

(June 26, 1997) -- Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Unwired Planet, today announced plans to co-operate in defining a common Wireless Application Protocol. The initial proposal to develop the new protocol was first presented at MDI (Mobile Data Initiative) this spring in Munich.

The initiative is aimed at aligning the companies' efforts to bring advanced applications and Internet content to digital mobile phones. The alignment will result in numerous benefits, among them providing operators differentiation and new business opportunities. In addition, developers of applications and content will be aided, since a single protocol and markup language will work with any vendor's compatible handsets.

For the end-users, this cooperation will permit, via mobile phones supporting the Wireless Application Protocol, access to applications and functions such as:

Management of personal telephone profiles, handling of voice, fax, and e-mail, i.e. unified messaging. Information services: taxi, restaurants, hotels, stock trading, banking, directory services, etc. Internet services by transforming intelligent mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices into first class citizens of the Internet. Improved user interface to existing and addition of more advanced telephony related services.

The goal of this effort is to produce a refined, license free protocol which is independent of the underlying airlink standard. The Wireless Application Protocol will inherit its main characteristics and functionality from HDML (Handheld Device Mark-up Language) and HDTP (Handheld Device Transport Protocol) developed by Unwired Planet, the Smart Messaging specification developed by Nokia, and the ITTP (Intelligent Terminal Transfer Protocol) specification developed by Ericsson. The aim of the Wireless Application Protocol is to leverage the best of the three approaches - the Internet standards of HDML and HDTP, the service and feature control as well as Internet access of Smart Messaging based on TTML(Tagged text Mark-Up Language), and the call control and messaging functionality of ITTP.

By working together, each of these leading companies will contribute to the prompt development of a open wireless application protocol that will encourage growth in the market for intelligent mobile phones. The participating companies stress the importance of a totally open and license as well as royalty free protocol toward this end.

The protocol will be available to vendors and mobile operators around the world. The result will be innovative information access and applications for a new generation of mobile phones. The first protocol specification will be published on the World Wide Web by September 15, 1997. It is important to note that the new protocol will be transport independent and it will utilize the Narrowband Sockets specification for wireless communication. The protocol will accommodate the different capabilities and functions - memory, displays, and keypads of various manufacturers' devices, in a modular fashion.

Motorola is the world's largest manufacturer of cellular telephones and provides wireless communications, semiconductors and advanced electronic systems services. Other major equipment businesses include two way radio, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics and computers. Visit Motorola on the Web at http://www.mot.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. Nokia is also the global leader in wireless data. With the net sales totaling USD 8.5 billion in 1996, Nokia employs over 33 000 people in 45 countries. Nokia’s shares are listed on the Helsinki, London, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges. You can visit Nokia on the Web:
http://www.nokia.com

Unwired Planet 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.- UPLANET.COM, and the Unwired Planet name and logo are trademarks of Unwired Planet,Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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