edit - just found it: Microsoft, BT to develop mobile Net products
cbs.marketwatch.com
LONDON (CBS.MW) -- British Telecommunications
PLC and Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that they're
combining resources to develop mobile Internet and
multimedia applications and equipment.
Microsoft (MSFT: news, msgs) and
British Telecom (BTY: news, msgs)
said they will create a mobile
multimedia service. It will be designed
to allow customers to display and
access personalized information on
handheld wireless devices such as
phones, music systems and computers.
The two giants will also develop
handheld interactive wireless devices
based on Microsoft's Windows CE
operating system, and establish an
open industry for the development of
third generation mobile Net
applications.
"Microsoft's platforms and services
combined with British Telecom's
mobile networks will enable users to
access rich, interactive information
anytime, anywhere and on any devise,"
Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and
CEO, said in a statement.
"Mobile access to the Internet is a fantastic growth
market," added Peter Bonfield, British Telecom's chief
executive.
In London trading, British Telecom shares initially
jumped 25 pence before coming back a little, to close
11 pence, or 1.1 percent, higher at 983. In the U.S.,
Microsoft rose 5/16 to 91 3/8.
The move comes a day after wireless phone giant Nokia
(NOK: news, msgs) licensed 3Com's (COMS: news,
msgs) palm operating system for use in new phones to
browse the Internet. See story.
'Substantial resources'
Microsoft and British Telecom said they will commit
"substantial resources" to collaborative work as they
believe that the market for mobile Internet and
multimedia products and services represents a
"massive" opportunity for growth.
Last month British Telecom inked a global mobile
communications deal with AT&T Corp. (T: news,
msgs) leading to speculation among some analysts that a
full blown merger between the two could be on the
cards. See full story.
Thursday, British Telecom and Microsoft said they will
give individual, personalized deliveries of Internet
content and services to people who use mobile phones,
laptop computers and new generation devises such as
the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS).
Prior to Thursday's announcement, the two companies
were already working together on Project Nomad which
enables mobile phone users to read , send and receive
e-mail and calendar information.
The two said Thursday that British Telecom will
develop additional consumer items such as games and
music, while the two will co-operate in building a new
generation of mobile phone handsets and computing
devices. |
