Wap Forum announces new members
Worldwide leaders join WAP Forum to further the development of a global specification for advanced wireless Internet and telephony services
(May 8, 1998) - The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum today announced that its membership has increased from four to 37 companies in the short time since the Forum opened for general membership in January of this year. Along with the four founders - Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Unwired Planet - the new members form a solid core to expand the efforts of the Forum.
WAP Forum membership includes leading industry companies and provides the basis for substantial growth and broad industry commitment to the creation of a worldwide open specifi-cation. The WAP Forum is currently represented by wireless network operators, infrastructure and terminal manufacturers, smart card manufacturers, information technology and software companies worldwide.
Members have already been contributing to the draft specifications that was published for review and announced on February 17, 1998. Based on this feedback, the WAP Forum has now published version 1.0 of the specifications as announced today.
WAP specifies Internet content and advanced telephony services access on digital cellular phones and other wireless terminals. The WAP Forum has published a global wireless protocol specification for all wireless networks that will be contributed to appropriate standards bodies. WAP will enable manufacturers, network operators, content providers and application developers to offer compatible products and secure services on all digital devices and networks resulting in greater economies of scale and universal access to information.
WAP Forum membership is open to all industry participants. The specifications and membership details are available at http://www.wapforum.org.
Membership Companies
Alcatel designs, manufactures and markets complete telecommunications systems. Activities include fixed switching networks, transmission systems, access systems, mobile communications infrastructure and terminals, business networking, submarine cable networks, as well as radio communications, space and defense systems. With operations in over 130 countries, Alcatel is a leading-edge supplier in the majority of its business. In 1997, the Telecom segment of Alcatel Alsthom registered total sales of FF 82.9 billion. For more information, please visit Alcatel's Web site at http://www.alcatel.com.
Alcatel press contact: Jean-Christophe Huertas, Alcatel Alsthom Press Office
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 40 761179, Fax: +33 (0) 1 40 761416, Email: jean-christophe.huertas@alcatel.fr
Apion Ltd. employs 130 staff and is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The company specializes in telecommunications infrastructure software and has developed excellent competencies in Switching, Signaling, Intelligent Network Design, Wireless Data, Network Management and Billing. It is the company strategy to leverage these competencies to supply world class, first to market product and solutions to Telecommunications Operators and Equipment Suppliers. Visit Apion's Web site at http://www.Apion-TSS.com.
AT&T Wireless Services. The Wireless Data Division of AT&T Wireless Services is a recognized leader in the development of wireless data communications networks designed to meet the entire spectrum of business data communications requirements. For more information on AT&T Wireless data solutions, check the AT&T Wireless Web site at http://www.attws.com and click on the wireless data icon.
AT&T press contact: Brad Stevens, Director of Marketing, Wireless Data Division
Tel.: +1 (425) 803-4020, Email: brad.w.stevens@attws.com
BellSouth Cellular Corp. companies, BellSouth Mobility and American Cellular Communi-cations Corporation, provide wireless communications services to over 5 million customers in 13 states. BMI operates with its partners in eight southeastern states. ACC markets operate under a variety of names in California, Texas, Virginia and Hawaii and as Cellular One in Indiana.
Certicom Corp. Information Security Architects. Certicom is the only company to offer a commercially available elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) toolkit that supports any platform-software, firmware, or IC. With its optimized ECC implementation offering the highest strength-per-bit of any known public-key system, Certicom is the world leader in integrating strong, fast, efficient public-key crypto into solutions for constrained environments such as wireless devices, electronic commerce, and smart cards. Certicom is a publicly owned company with cryptographic research and product development based in Toronto, Canada and worldwide sales and marketing operations in San Mateo, California. Visit Certicom's Web site at http://www.certicom.com.
DDI Corporation, established in 1984, is the second largest telecom carrier in Japan providing long-distance telephone, cellular-phone, PHS (Personal Handy-Phone System) services and Internet access service. It will also launch the commercial service of IRIDIUM (satellite-based global telecommunications system) in September 1998. The DDI Cellular Group has decided to introduce cdmaOne system and will start the commercial service in 1998.
DDI press contact: Tel.: +81-3-3221-9541, Fax: +81-3-3221-9539, Email: prdpt@ddi.co.jp
De La Rue Card Systems, part of the De La Rue "cash to cards" group, supplies almost 400 million magnetic stripe and microprocessor based smart cards each year. It specializes in solutions for banking, telecoms, PayTV, ID, loyalty, transport and health. Offering total end-to-end solutions for electronic commerce applications, the company's vision is that by 2005, 10% of the world's population will possess a De La Rue smart card. Visit http://www.delarue.com.
De La Rue Card Systems press contact: Margaret Rice-Jones, Marketing Director
Tel.: 44 (0) 1256 329 122, Email: margaret.rice-jones@delarue.co.uk
Ericsson is a co-founding member of the WAP Forum. 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 at http://www.ericsson.se.
Ericsson press contact: Joakim Nelson, Sr. Manager, System Coordination, Ericsson Mobile Communications, Tel.: +46 46 193 015
Fujitsu Software Corporation (FSC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, a $36 billion international leader in computers, telecommunications, software and other electronic devices. Founded in 1991, Fujitsu Software Corp. focuses on key technology markets including wireless technology, Internet/Intranet groupware and workflow. FSC is headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit http://www.fsc.fujitsu.com and http://www.byedesk.com.
FSC press contact: Timo Salomaki, Director of Wireless Product Marketing
Tel.: +1-408-456-7801, Email: salomaki@fsc.fujitsu.com
Geoworks Corporation, based in Alameda, Calif., is a leading software provider for manufacturers of mobile communicating devices, including smart phones, as well as the cellular industry. The company has licensed its GEOS and GEOS-SC operating systems to leading manufacturers, including Nokia, Mitsubishi, Toshiba Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Brother International Corp. and Canon Business Machines. In addition, the company is working with content and services providers and international cellular operators. For more information, visit http://www.geoworks.com.
Geoworks press contact: Bob Bogard, Public Relations Manager
Tel.: +1 510-814-5811, Email: bbogard@geoworks.com
Hongkong Telecom. The mobile services of Hongkong Telecom has been providing mobile communications service in Hong Kong for more than fifteen years. Operating high-quality GSM, PCS and D-AMPS systems, Hongkong Telecom mobile services is serving more than 860,000 through its three reputed brands, 1010, One2Free and Pacific Link. The mobile services of Hongkong Telecom has been the pioneer of many mobile technology innovations in Hong Kong. It engineered the world's first mobile service in the MTR, and led the industry in introducing China to automatic roaming, as well as full coverage in all major tunnels. Quality, innovations and value are commitments Hongkong Telecom mobile services delivers to customers. Hongkong Telecom is a Cable & Wireless company which is Hong Kong's only full-service telecommunications provider, offering a comprehensive portfolio of quality voice and data telecommunication services backed by a state-of-the-art, fully-digital fibre optic network. Cable & Wireless is one of the world's leading providers of international telecommunications services. Its businesses provide 15 million customers in 70 countries with a complete range of international, domestic and mobile communications.
IBM, the world's largest software provider, creates, develops and manufactures some of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM offers information about the company, its products, services and technology through the World Wide Web. The fastest and easiest way to get information about IBM is to go to IBM's home page at http://www.ibm.com.
IBM press contact: Heike Odermatt, Communications
Tel.: 0049-7031-2970, Fax: 0049-7031-2898, Email: ODERMATT@DE.IBM.COM
Matsushita Communication Industrial Company, Limited is an affiliated company of Matsushita Electric Industrial Company, Limited, whose charter is to address mainly telecom-munications, professional/industrial audio-video, automotive electronics, and information systems industries. In the telecommunications product arena, Matsushita Communication Industrial is a leading supplier of infrastructure products of PHS, a part of PDC (Japan digital cellular system) and a variety of business communication systems, as well as cellular, cordless and pager terminal products. The company is known as the largest supplier of PDC cellular phones and PHS handsets for the Japanese market, as well as a leading supplier of GSM handsets for the global market.
MD-Co, founded in 1996, is a high tech software development company with a clear focus on delivering open solutions for the mobile data-communications market. MD-Co's core competence covers:
MD-Co press contact: Mr. Filip de Geijter
Address: Prins Boudewijnlaan 5, 2550 Kontich, BELGIUM
Tel.: +32 3 451 30 60, Fax: +32 3 451 30 66, Email: FilipDG@md-co.com
Motorola is a co-founding member of the WAP Forum. 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's 1997 sales were $29.8 billion. Motorola (NYSE:MOT) can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.motorola.com.
Motorola press contacts: Sanjay Jhawar, European Business Manager, Smart Phone and Data Products, Motorola Cellular Subscriber Sector, Tel.: +44 1256 790122; or Barbara Jankowski, Public Relations Manager, Motorola Cellular Subscriber Sector, Tel.: +44 1256 790173
Nokia is a co-founding member of the WAP Forum. Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is a broadscope 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 totaled FIM 52.6 billion ($9.8 billion) in 1997. Nokia employs more than 38,000 people worldwide. Find out more about Nokia on http://www.nokia.com.
Nokia press contacts: Mikko Terho, Vice President, Wireless Data, Nokia Mobile
Phones
Tel.: +358 10 505 6868; or Eija-Riitta Huovinen, Press Officer, Nokia Mobile Phones,
Tel.: +358 10 5051
Nortel works with customers in more than 150 countries to design, build and integrate their communications products and advanced digital networks. Customers include public and private institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular mobile and PCS communications companies; cable television companies; and utilities. Nortel's research capabilities around the world include a network of research and development facilities, affiliated joint ventures, and other collaborations fostering innovative product development and advanced design research in 16 countries. Nortel had 1997 revenues of US$15.5 billion and has approximately 73,000 employees worldwide.
Nortel press contact: Paul Rubin, Manager, Media Relations
Tel.: +1 (972) 685-6652, Email: paul.rubin@nortel.com
Philips Consumer Communications, a Lucent Technologies and Philips Electronics venture, designs, manufactures and markets a complete range of personal communications products including digital and analog cellular and cordless phones, corded phones, answering machines, screen phones and pagers. The union of the two businesses has created a company that is the world leader in corded and cordless phones and answering machines. The partnership was formed October 1, 1997 with 60 percent interest in the venture held by Philips Electronics and 40 percent held by Lucent Technologies.
Philips Consumer Communications press contact: Richard Burger, Brodeur Porter
Novelli
Tel.: +1 602.954.0044, Email: rburger@brodeur.com
Psion Software PLC designs, licenses and supports the EPOC operating system, applications and software development tools. EPOC is designed for mobile data enabled devices such as Communicators, Smartphones, Palmtops and Mobile Network Computers. A real-time, multithreaded, multitasking operating system, EPOC lies at the heart of award winning products such as the Psion Series 5 and the Philips Synergy clip-on Smartphone.
Psion Software PLC press contact: Paul Cockerton, Marketing Communications Manager
Tel.: +44 171 208 1800, Email: paul-cockerton@psion.com
QUALCOMM Incorporated develops, manufactures, markets, licenses and operates advanced communications systems and products based on its proprietary digital wireless technologies. The Company's primary product areas are CDMA digital wireless communications systems and products, OmniTRACS products and, in conjunction with others, the development of the Globalstar low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communications system. Other Company products include the Eudora Pro electronic mail software, ASIC products, and communications equipment and systems for government and commercial customers worldwide. For more information on QUALCOMM products and technologies, please visit the Company's Web site at http://www.qualcomm.com.
QUALCOMM press contact: Joanne Coleman, Director, Marketing, Consumer Products
Tel.: +1 (619) 651-8768, Email: jcoleman@qualcomm.com
SBC Communications Inc. is a global leader in the telecommunications industry. Southwestern Bell Wireless, together with SBC's other wireless affiliates, is a leading provider, serving 5.6 million customers and seven of the top 10 markets nationwide. SBC (http://www.sbc.com) has more than 118,000 employees and reported 1997 revenues of $25 billion.
SBC Communications Inc. press contact: Brian Kyhos
Tel.: +1 314-982-1721, Email: kyhosb@fleishman.com.
Schlumberger is unique in that it provides both smart cards and turnkey solutions along with a full range of tools and services for Telecom, Banking, Retail, Mass Transit & Parking, Health-care and Networks. The company has design and manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America. Under The Smart Village brand, the Schlumberger offer includes the milestone Cyberflex card, the industry's first Java-based smart card. For more information visit http://www.slb.com.
Schlumberger press contact: Isabelle Marand, Public Relations Manager, Smart
Cards
Tel.: +33 1 47 46 55 42, Email: marand@montrouge.ts.slb.com
Sema Group Telecom is a global market leader in high-performance value added messaging systems, enhanced services, prepaid and customer care and billing systems for all the major mobile telecommunications technologies. Sema Group provides a full range service to enable telecom operators to enter the market with minimal investment and to enable them to seamlessly grow their systems to handle increased service success. For more information visit http://www.semagroup.com/telecoms.
Sema Group Telecom press contact: Peter Green, General Manager
Tel.: +1 416-497-5540 ext 111, Email: peter.green@ca.semagroup.com
Sendit, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and Seattle, is the leading provider of open Wireless Internet client-server solutions to GSM cellular operators with operational sites at Europolitan, Vodafone, Hongkong Telecom CSL, Telenor Mobil, Powertel and other GSM operators worldwide. Its Internet Cellular Smart Access (ICSA) enables these operators to offer their subscribers a range of value added services such as wireless Email, secure Internet and Intranet access and other wireless Internet applications from a single server. Optimized wireless Email and content delivery applications for SIM Toolkit phones, smart phones, Personal Digital Assistants and laptops are an integral part of the ICSA solution. Sendit is listed on the SBI in Stockholm and its Web site is located at http://www.sendit.se.
Sendit press contact: Hjalmar Winbladh, Managing Director Tel.: +46 85 626 6000, Email: hjalmar.winbladh@sendit.se
SFR, the GSM brand of CEGETEL, headquartered in Paris, FRANCE, is the first private GSM carrier on the French market with a subscriber base of more than 2.6 Million users, mid-1998. SFR addresses all market segments including, Corporate, Professional, and Consumer, by providing a full range of GSM services based on flexible tariffs, pack offers and value added services for customers who require office and information services while on the move. Visit http://www.sfr.fr.
SFR press contact: Alexis Pham, Marketing Manager Data Services
Tel.: +33 1 41 97 79 65, Email: alexis.pham@mail1.sfr.fr
Softline is the leading producer of technology providing communication between cellular phone networks, Email, pagers and fax networks. Since 1984 Scandinavian Softline Technology has provided Easy Connections to business people in over 30 countries around the world. Visit http://www.softline.fi.
Softline press contact: Jussi Pollari, Senior Software Engineer, Scandinavian Softline Technology Oy, Tel.: +358 9 5495 6200, Fax: +358 9 5124 629, Email: jussi.pollari@softline.fi
Sonera Corporation is Finland's leading telco, functioning both as a provider of mobile and telecommunications services and as a network operator in Finland and abroad. In 1997, Sonera's turnover was FIM 7.7 billion, and the company employed 7,900 people. Visit us on the Web at http://www.sonera.fi.
Sonera Corporation press contact: Heidi Kaila, Corporate Communications
Email: heidi.kaila@sonera.fi
Spyglass, (NASDAQ:SPYG), provides Internet expertise, software and services for making devices work with the Web. Particularly active in the cable and satellite television, wireless telecommunications, consumer electronics and office equipment markets, Spyglass solutions are used by market leading companies including 3Com, Daimler-Benz, GTE, JavaSoft, Nokia, Thompson Consumer Electronics (RCA) and Xerox. Spyglass headquarters are located at 1240 East Deal Rd., Naperville, Ill., 60563. Visit http://www.spyglass.com.
Spyglass contact: Tel.: +1 630 245 6512, Fax: +1 630 245 6693, Email: astokes@spyglass.com
Starfish is the leading supplier of core technology for Connected Information Devices. Starfish works closely with leading device manufacturers and cellular, paging and telecommunications operators to develop complete, customized solutions built on the Starfish TrueSync Technology Platform. Starfish's partners include Motorola, Franklin Electronic Publishers and Hewlett-Packard. More information can be found at http://www.starfish.com.
Starfish press contact: Lesa Wheeler, Public Relations Manager
Tel.: +1 (408) 4615815, Email: lesa@starfish.com
Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) is a joint-stock company of the Telecom Italia Group. TIM is the biggest mobile phone service operator in Europe in terms of number of customers (more than 10 million). It operates the TACS 900 MHz analogue network, the GSM 900 MHz digital network as well as the paging service. TIM's networks cover 98% of the population. TIM is strongly customer-oriented with its different mobile phone services, its flexible tariff structure and its consistent customer care. This makes TIM a strong player on the market, ready to accept the challenge of the second millennium. Visit http://www.tim.it.
Telenor is Norway's leading telecommunications company, offering a wide range of services varying from installation and operation of complete information technology systems, to normal telephone subscription services. Telenor is expanding its business opportunities abroad, with a major focus on mobile and satellite communications networks, but also with a focus on the fields of value added network services and media related directory services. Telenor's international presence is already established in more than 15 different countries in Europe, North America and the Far East. The Telenor Group is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. With more than 20.000 employees and an annual revenue of 25.5 billion NOK, Telenor is one of the largest companies in Norway. Visit http://www.telenor.no.
Telenor press contact: Anne Ekern
Tel.: +47 22 78 4500, Fax: +47 918 1100, Email: anne.ekern@oslo.mobil.telenor.no
Telstra enjoys clear leadership in both analogue and digital mobile markets, having connected its 3 millionth customer earlier this year. Telstra MobileNet offers the biggest and most popular digital mobile network in Australia; GSM geographic coverage is over 400,000 square kilometres and reaches over 94 per cent of the Australian population. Telstra's independently audited testing again proved that Telstra provides the best in-building coverage and call clarity of the three GSM networks in Australia.
Telstra press contact: Paul Schofield, Senior Product Manager, Wireless Data, Telstra Products & Marketing, Tel.: +61 2 9298 4667
T-Mobil, headquartered in Bonn, is Germany's largest provider of mobile communications services with approximately 5 million subscribers and 5'500 employees. T-Mobil started operations in 1993 as an economically independent company and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutche Telekom AG. In 1997, T-Mobil attained sales of approximately 6 billion marks. At present, there are approximately 4 million subscribers to the T-D1 network and T-C-Tel. The company's radio paging services, Skyper, Scall and Cityruf, have a total of over one million subscribers. The range of services of the company also includes the operational mobile data communications system Modacom and the satellite communications system Inmarsat. Together with Daimler-Benz InterServices AG (debis), T-Mobil has founded a joint venture called "TEGARON Telematics GmbH" with headquarters in Bonn. TEGARON´s goal is to develop and market new traffic telematic services. T-Mobil and debis both have a 50 percent share in the company.
Uniden Corporation is a billion dollar consumer electronics company, and Uniden San Diego Research and Development, Inc. is a subsidiary of Uniden. Uniden San Diego develops, manufactures and markets wireless and multimedia communication products. These include AMPS, IS136 and GSM handsets as well as data communication products including CDPD Internet phones. For more information about Uniden, please call +1 (888) 6-UNIDEN or visit Uniden's World Wide Web site at http://www.uniden.com.
Unwired Planet is a co-founding member of the WAP Forum. Unwired Planet, headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA, with overseas offices in the United Kingdom and Japan, is an international leading supplier of open standards based servers and microbrowsers to the Wireless industry. The UP.Link Platform, commercially available since 1996, offers interactive live access to a full WAP-compatible suite of value added Infranet telephony services and Web-based applications, including Email and Personal Organizer. UP is a contributor to the emerging WAP worldwide standard and will deliver WAP-based products in 1998.Unwired Planet's products support the GSM, TDMA, CDMA, CDPD, PHS and PDC wireless airlink standards. Visit the UP Web site at http://www.uplanet.com.
Unwired Planet press contacts: Benjamin Linder, Vice President, Marketing, Unwired Planet, Inc., Tel.: +1 650 596 5251, Fax: +1 650 596 5251, Email: pr@uplanet.com; or Malcolm Bird, Managing Director, Unwired Planet Europe, Tel.: +44 1707 828 051
Vodafone is the UK's most popular mobile phone network, providing service for
over 3.4 million UK customers, and has been the market leader in the UK since 1986.
The Vodafone Group has interests in mobile phone networks in 12 countries around
the globe, as far apart as Australia and South Africa, which provide coverage for
a population of over 300 million people. Vodafone press contacts: Mike Caldwell
or Emma Terleske, Vodafone Press Office
Tel.: 07000 500100, Email: emma.terleske@vf.vodafone.co.uk
VTT Information Technology is an independent Finnish R & D lab and technology provider of 200 professionals. Our expertise includes software platforms and tools for: communication protocols, GSM data and multimedia applications, Web servers and electronic document transfer and management. Visit http://www.vtt.fi/tte.
VTT Information Technology press contact: Mr. Juha Ylä-Jääski, Professor
Tel.: +358 9 4564541, Email: Juha.Yla-Jaaski@vtt.fi
About the WAP Forum
WAP specifies Internet content and advanced telephony services access on digital
cellular phones and other wireless terminals. 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 resulting in greater economies of scale and
universal access to information. WAP Forum membership is open to all industry participants.
WAP version 1.0 specification and membership details are available at http://www.wapforum.org.