This thread's been awfully quiet as the stock retrenched/consolidated/corrected (you decide!). But this announcement has sure taken the Street by storm -- up$5 1/2 this morning...
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Sprint and Software.com Unite to Deliver Instant Access to Internet Messages via Wireless Telephones
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug 17, 1999 (BUSINESS WIRE via COMTEX) --
Software.com's Market-Leading Solution Transforms the Mobile Phone
Into the Ultimate Communication Device
Software.com (NASDAQ: SWCM) Tuesday announced that Sprint PCS (NYSE: PCS) has licensed Software.com's carrier-scale InterMail(R) software to provide the Internet Protocol-based (IP) communications infrastructure for the Sprint PCS 100 percent digital wireless messaging service.
The Sprint PCS service delivers electronic messages directly to wireless telephones from the Internet or other wireless devices.
Software.com(R) InterMail software provides the infrastructure for storing and forwarding e-mail and other Internet content throughout the Sprint PCS nationwide network, allowing nearly 4 million Sprint PCS customers nationwide to receive electronic messages from the Internet via their handheld wireless telephones.
"Providing the messaging architecture for the new Sprint PCS service extends Software.com's Internet infrastructure solutions for service providers into the rapidly growing wireless telephony marketplace, where the high scalability and performance of the InterMail software fulfills a critical need," according to Valdur Koha, president of Software.com. "Just as Internet-based communications services such as e-mail need to be delivered in a scalable, standards-based format, so too must the services that are increasingly being delivered to wireless devices via Internet connections."
The Sprint PCS Wireless Web Connection will allow users with laptops, palmtops or other personal digital assistants (PDAs) to connect to the nation's largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide wireless network. Software.com's InterMail intelligent messaging software is an integral part of Sprint's unified messaging offering. The connection allows customers to use their Sprint PCS to connect to networked content, such as e-mail, schedules, task lists, contacts/address books, order forms and key documents.
"When Sprint PCS approached Software.com about providing the communications infrastructure for its network service, both companies immediately recognized the tremendous opportunities in this exciting convergence between Internet and wireless technology," said Koha. "Our goal has always been to provide messaging for our service provider customers, and this new partnership with Sprint PCS will help Software.com bring IP-based standards and massive scalability to the wireless market."
Using Software.com's suite of infrastructure solutions, including its scalable multimedia Message Store and Integrated Services Directory, Sprint PCS will be able to deliver electronic messages directly to the wireless telephones of its customers via short messages, or notifications, and bulk messages using the Short Message Service (SMS). These messages can include content-filled notifications provided by services such as Yahoo!, as well as traditional wireless communications.
"As wireless services and the Internet continue to converge, it becomes increasingly important that Sprint PCS chooses network software that provides the maximum benefits to our customers," said Keith Paglusch, senior vice president of operations at Sprint PCS. "Software.com is providing Sprint PCS with the solutions our company requires and the scalability it needs to effectively manage its quickly expanding customer base."
About Sprint
Sprint PCS operates the largest 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCS has licensed PCS coverage of nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit the Sprint PCS Web site at sprintpcs.com. Sprint PCS is a wholly owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE under the symbol "PCS."
Sprint is a global communications company at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber optic network and is a leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $17 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 20 million business and residential customers.
About Software.com
Founded in 1993, and with more than 47 million mailboxes licensed, Software.com is a leader in carrier-scale software infrastructure solutions for service providers. Built on native Internet standards and proven in real-world deployments to be scalable, highly reliable, available and manageable, Software.com's products and services are specifically designed to enable service providers to market Internet-based services to businesses and consumers.
Customers comprise many of the largest service providers worldwide, including: Excite@Home, Ameritech Interactive Media Services, AT&T Canada, AT&T WorldNet(R) Service, Bell Atlantic Internet Service, GTE Internetworking Services, Hong Kong Telecom, Pacific Internet, PSINet, Road Runner, Telecom Italia Net, Telekom Malaysia, Telecom New Zealand and TeleDanmark. The company hasalso established strategic relationships with Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Telcordia Technologies (formerly Bellcore), in order to further develop, market, and sell its messaging solutions.
With headquarters in Santa Barbara, the company maintains offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Software.com can be reached in the United States at 805/882-2470 or software.com.
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