Symbian releases its first fully integrated software platform for next generation mobile phones.

European Developer Expo heralds launch of Symbian platform v6.0 - designed to drive the convergence of wireless telecommunications and mobile computing

LONDON, Symbian Developer Expo (November 6, 2000) - Symbian today publicly launched its fully integrated, open software platform that has already been widely licensed by industry leading handset manufacturers for next generation mobile phones. The Symbian platform v6.0 is optimised for pen- and keyboard based Communicators, delivering integrated mobile phone technology with email, SMS, WAP, HTML and other messaging and browsing capabilities to suit all types of end-user - consumers, professional or enterprise. Products from licensees based on the Symbian platform v6.0 are expected to ship during the first half of 2001.

The Symbian platform provides core compatibility for third-party applications, content and services. Symbian provides reference designs based around common Generic Technology components that provide powerful and robust services- the multi-tasking EPOC kernel, data management, communications, graphics, multimedia, security, application engines, messaging engine, browser engines for WAP and HTML, Java™ runtime environment, and support for data synchronization and worldwide locales. These reference designs are licensed to leading handset and mobile computing manufacturers to enable them to rapidly bring to market next generation mobile phones.

Two reference designs - with fully integrated voice capabilities central to their design and optimised for different form factors, have been released today:

• Keyboard communicators: code named 'Crystal', and shown for the first time at the Symbian Developer Expo. This reference design is for mobile phone devices with 640x200 color screen, keyboard operation, a graphical user interface evolved from previous keyboard communicators and a rich, integrated, application suite optimised for mobile professionals.
• Tablet communicators: code named 'Quartz' and previewed earlier this year. This reference design is for devices with 240x320 color screen, pen operation, a new user-friendly graphical interface, and powerful integrated application suite. Combining all the features of a hand-held PDA with a phone, Quartz offers easy and attractive viewing of rich media data and information.

"Symbian's goal is to set standards and create a mass market for Wireless Information Devices. Voice is still the killer application at the heart of these devices, and with our open software platform we're driving the development of next generation mobile phones by enabling third party companies to deliver additional applications, services and content." said Colly Myers, CEO of Symbian. "We've already seen the first Symbian-based Smartphone enter the market - the Ericsson R380. Now at our second European Developers Expo we're showing for the first time our full versions of our Communicator reference designs, and unveiling the keyboard-based communicator reference design code named 'Crystal'. Targeted at the mobile professional market, Crystal offers unparalleled computing and mobile phone integration, based on technology that's core to all Symbian based Wireless Information Devices."

"Nokia is delighted to see that Symbian is now releasing the platform v6.0 with fully integrated mobile Internet technologies and robust stand alone personal information management applications. The v6.0 platform is the one on which Nokia will be building its first Symbian based products. We also warmly welcome the introduction of the Crystal reference design, which is naturally Nokia's choice for its future Communicator category products", said Jouko Häyrynen, Vice President, Markets and Business Development, Nokia Mobile Phones.

The Symbian Developer Expo, with a packed exhibit hall, presentations and workshops focusing on the Symbian platform, has attracted over 1,000 registrants worldwide. At the conference third-party software developers are being issued with the new Software Development Kits (SDK's) for Java, EPOC C++, and PC-based data synchronization.

Notes for editors

Full technical information and supporting images can be found on Symbian's website at www.symbian.com. A summary of what's new in v6.0 is included below:

• two full reference designs: Quartz and Crystal, for direct integration into real devices
• integrated wireless telephony for fully integrated Communicators and Smartphones, which seamlessly combine voice and advanced data functionality
• integrated Bluetooth and WAP
• security including full-strength encryption and certificate management, integrated into communications (SSL, HTTPS, WTLS) and application installation
• many application improvements, and increased integration between applications
• full international locale support: EPOC C++ now uses 16-bit Unicode characters; text formatting, text input and font management systems have been amended to support a wider range of locales
• many Java enhancements, including implementations of PersonalJava 3.0, and JavaPhone 1.0
• new connectivity package, Symbian Connect, offering increased usability
• a media server with support for several audio and image formats
• many system and performance enhancements, including amended client-server architecture designed to support enhanced Java performance
• new toolchain supporting ARM4 and Thumb instruction sets, an ARMI interworking binary standard, improved GCC compiler and more convenient program building building

About Symbian
Symbian owns, develops and licenses a software platform for next generation mobile phones. Owned by Ericsson, Matsushita (Panasonic), Motorola, Nokia and Psion, Symbian's mission is to license the Symbian platform to all mobile phone manufacturers and to create a mass market for next generation mobile phones by working closely with wireless networks, content, messaging and enterprise wide solution providers.

Symbian is holding a Developer Expo, focusing on version 6 of its platform, in central London, November 6th-7th. Sponsored by BrainDock, Nokia and Sun Microsystems, attendees can hear keynotes from Colly Myers, CEO Symbian, Hans Snook, CEO Orange and Charles Dunstone, CEO Carphone Warehouse as well as workshops, demos and presentations from other partners. For more information see www.symbian.com/devexpo