France Telecom, IBM in low-cost Internet access plan
Reuters, Tuesday, October 06, 1998 at 12:09
NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) - France Telecom (SBF:FTE) and IBM
(NYSE:IBM) said on Tuesday they had teamed up to develop software
that will offer a low-cost means of connecting to the Internet
with a new generation of phones instead of personal computers.
In a statement released in Paris, the two companies said
they had formed a partnership to spur development of new types
of low-cost Internet access devices and that they plan to
market the technology worldwide, especially in countries where
PC costs have been a barrier to widespread Internet adoption.
Initially, the partners said, they plan to develop the new
network software system for use in France, building on the
country's established Minitel network, an online and electronic
commerce network developed in the early 1980s that was a
predeccessor to the development of the commercial Internet.
The system will provide Internet access to consumers and
businesses via so-called screen phones, which combine voice and
text communications, and other devices, in a bid to make France
one of the leading markets for electronic commerce services.
The effort will run over a centrally managed network that
allows users simple and quick access, based on a system of
easy-to-navigate software menus, from any device connected to
the network, the statement said.
In the future, these devices could be embedded into a
variety of consumer equipment, such as cars, television sets
and other products, the companies said. The system will be
based on open Internet software standards to ensure that the
system can work in markets worldwide, running over hardware
devices from a range of manufacturers, the companies said.
Copyright 1998, Reuters News Service |
