PUMA ipoed at 12..
Risk here 5 3/4 upside is another GMGC..
Read the attached announcement carefully ,,
PUMA CC info tomorrow:
Conference call info:
Live 2:00 tomorrow 415-904-7338
Replay 4:00 800-633-8284 reservation 4231485
Wireless LANs Blueprinted
By John G. Spooner, PC Week
May 15, 1998 3:04 PM PDT
A broad industry alliance including Intel Corp., PC makers and software vendors this week will announce a consortium aimed at developing and promoting the use of wireless communications worldwide.
The initiative, code-named Blue Tooth, will work to create a hardware specification for PCs, smart phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants) that will enable such devices to connect to corporate networks over wireless LANs, sources said.
The group's initial goal is to base the specification around networks comprising radio transmitters and receivers that operate at an RF (radio frequency) of 2.4GHz.
Blue Tooth's roster is a veritable who's who of industry luminaries, including Intel, Puma Technology Inc., IBM, Toshiba Corp., Nokia Group and Ericsson Inc. Each of these founding members plans to develop products based on the specification.
Technology based on the Blue Tooth specification is expected to allow data to be transmitted over distances of between 30 and 100 feet with no line-of-site interference, sources said. It will be slightly more expensive than traditional infrared networks.
"Anywhere that you'd normally find a cord--like printers or cellular phones--could be Blue Tooth-enabled," said a source familiar with the project.
On the road, the technology would allow notebook users to use a smart phone as a modem to dial in to a corporate network. Within an office, the technology could be used in network hubs to keep users connected to the network as they move about the corporation. It would also allow users to synchronize personal data, such as an address book, between a PDA and a PC.
Intel, of Santa Clara, Calif., will help craft the specification as well as manufacture silicon to go inside such devices as smart phones and notebook PCs. The company is developing a low-cost, low-power daughtercard that contains an RF chip set, as well as crafting a set of reference specifications for RF antennas for each device that is based on Blue Tooth, according to sources.
Puma's role in Blue Tooth will also be pivotal. The San Jose, Calif., company will develop a version of its IntelliSync synchronization software to let Blue Tooth-enabled devices exchange data over radio frequencies, sources said.
The Blue Tooth specification is expected to be completed by the end of the year, sources said.
It's anticipated that vendors will integrate the hardware into their notebook PCs and smart phones beginning in mid-1999, according to sources.
Officials at Intel, Puma, IBM, Toshiba, Nokia and Ericsson declined to comment on unannounced products.
Additional reporting by Lisa DiCarlo
Drilling down on 'Blue Tooth'
What it is: A wireless networking consortium founded by Intel, IBM, Puma, Toshiba, Nokia and Ericsson
Its charter: To create a specification for low-cost wireless LANs using an RF of 2.4GHz, with a range of 30 to 100 feet, for corporations
How it works: 2.4GHz chip set and antenna integrated into desktops, notebooks and cellular phones allow users to connect to their LAN
Updated May 20, 1998
10:04 AM PST
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