Microsoft Rings in Pocket PC Phone Edition

Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition Software Brings Integrated Wireless and Telephony Functionality to Technology-Leading PDAs

Cannes, France -- Feb. 19, 2002 -- Today at the 3GSM World Congress 2002 in Cannes, France, Microsoft Corp. unveiled the latest addition to the Pocket PC 2002 family -- Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition. Ben Waldman, vice president of the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft, demonstrated a new Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software-based device from Hewlett-Packard Co., the HP Jornada 928 Wireless Digital Assistant (WDA), during a press conference at the show. Microsoft® Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software is a revolutionary platform that combines the best of the PDA with integrated wireless voice and data capabilities. With devices using Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software, customers can choose voice and text communication for wireless access to personal and corporate data. Either way, they're always in sync with their most essential information.

"With Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition, we've worked hard to make integration of the phone and Pocket PC applications seamless for customers," Waldman said. "As a result, we think these will be the most productive devices for mobile professionals ever delivered."

The enhanced features of Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition, which build on the Pocket PC 2002 software platform, focus on three main areas:

• Pocket PC and phone integration. Pocket PC Phone Edition software has been designed for seamless integration between the PDA and phone functionality. Examples include one-touch dialing from contacts, the ability to view and edit PIM data from the phone application, and subscriber identity module (SIM) migration services.
• Great phone functionality. Pocket PC Phone Edition software delivers the capabilities people expect from a great mobile phone -- including an intuitive dialer, call log, call notification, caller ID, speed dial, conference calling and a speaker phone, while also providing a new level of functionality including SMS/Inbox integration and personalized ring tones with any WAV file.
• "Smart" connectivity. Pocket PC Phone Edition software offers more options for connectivity, including support for multiple wide area networks (WANs) and Wi-Fi, and gives users the means to intelligently manage these multiple connections. Used with Server ActiveSync® technology and remote desktop synchronization, Pocket PC Phone Edition software provides the ability to securely connect to and synchronize personal and corporate information over the air.

"Pocket PC 2002, launched in fall 2001, set a new standard for functionality-rich handheld platforms," said Alex Slawsby, an analyst with International Data Corp. (IDC). "Phone Edition brings wireless voice and data capability to the Pocket PC 2002 family in preparation for a wireless future."

Since the launch of Pocket PC 2002, Microsoft and industry partners have seen tremendous support from consumers, developers and enterprise customers:

• Pocket PC 2002 devices are flying off store shelves. Customer demand for Pocket PC 2002 devices has been high since their introduction just six months ago. According to IDC, Windows CE and Pocket PC experienced a substantial growth increase of 120 percent in worldwide shipments in 2001.
• Partner and developer interest are on the rise. The Mobility Solutions Partner Program is growing strong, with more than 5,000 members worldwide. Microsoft just announced the Mobility Partner Advisory Council, with expanded benefits for strategic partners. Developer interest is also heating up: More than 250,000 copies of the Pocket PC Software Development Kit have been downloaded.
• Enterprise customers see the value in Pocket PC 2002. Pocket PC continues to get great traction in the enterprise space, and customers are realizing the benefits of the Pocket PC platform. In the past few months, several major companies have made significant commitments to the Pocket PC Platform including Brunata-Metrona, AstraZeneca Group, British Telecommunications plc and France Telecom. More information about some of the enterprise customer success stories is available at http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/enterprise/default.asp.

Microsoft is working with a number of industry partners, including HP and mm02, to bring devices using Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software to market. Today, HP announced its intent to bring a Pocket PC Phone Edition software-powered device to customers in Europe and Asia. The HP Jornada 928 Wireless Digital Assistant is HP's first full-color, high-speed GSM/GPRS-integrated Pocket PC. Intelligently designed inside and out, the ultra-slim HP Jornada 928 WDA uses Texas Instruments' new OMAP710 integrated GSM/GPRS modem and application processor, and offers the seamlessly integrated capabilities of a GSM/GPRS-enabled phone and a Pocket PC.

"HP is proud to be a leader in the wireless PDA arena," said Kok-Khoon Lim, general manager of the Jornada organization at HP. "Using Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition software, we have created a WDA that is ideal for the on-the-go professional who needs to access data through e-mail or the Web and to place and receive phone calls -- all in one sleek device."

Also to be announced this week is Mobile Information Server (MIS) 2002 Enterprise Edition. MIS 2002 extends Microsoft's commitment to mobility by adding Server ActiveSync functionality that enables over-the-air synchronization of e-mail, calendar and contacts to Pocket PC 2002 devices.

About Pocket PC 2002

Microsoft Windows® Powered Pocket PCs, the next-generation PDAs, can offer customers the best way to connect to their most essential information while away from their desk, yet are versatile enough to satisfy the personal needs of today's busy mobile professional. Pocket PCs already include a broad range of native business, personal productivity and entertainment applications, and can easily be expanded to adapt to each customer's changing needs through a continually growing number of industry-standard hardware and software options.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.

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