Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Access Anywhere, Anytime. Cell Phones/PDA's join the Net -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ray Dopkins who wrote (189)	8/31/1999 9:44:00 AM
From: Mark Oliver	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 332

Ray, it seems to me that Nokia poses the greatest threat to Phone.com's potential to control the WAP server market. Some say their product is less mature, but I see them having a few strong relationships including France Telecom. What do you think? Here's an article on PDA's. Some people suggest we need to watch out for Sun, and their desire to see Java have a more important role? Regards, Mark Trio seeks to jump-start Java-based PDAs ISI, Mitsubishi and Sun team up on reference platform for building wireless Internet appliances By Anne Knowles, PC Week Online August 30, 1999 9:00 AM ET A small real-time operating system vendor, along with some heavyweight partners, this week will launch a new platform for wireless devices that could pose a threat to the PalmPilot and Windows CE platforms in vertical markets such as sales force automation. Integrated Systems Inc., developer of the pSOSystem real-time operating system, will announce a hardware reference platform to help OEMs build a new handheld device called the WebPDA, a personal digital assistant created by ISI, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. The WebPDA, which looks like a Windows CE Palm-size PC, is the first in a series of a half-dozen planned reference platforms ISI is developing in an effort to jump-start the Internet appliance market. The idea is to give OEMs the necessary hardware and software building blocks to quickly develop and deliver a range of devices, including the WebPDA, said Charles Boesenberg, president and CEO of ISI, in Sunnyvale, Calif. The WebPDA platform, for example, is based on Mitsubishi's "virtual remote computer" hardware design, which uses the Japanese electronics giant's M32R/D processor and runs ISI's pSOSystem and Sun's pJava. It also features a personal information manager, called Assistant, and an e-mail client, called Ebox, both from Espial Group Inc., of Ottawa. The final specifications for the platform, from which vendors can build products, will be available in October. Boesenberg said he expects WebPDA devices to be commercially available by the middle of next year. The hardware reference platform is appealing to vendors because all the components are already integrated, said Eric Nguyen, advanced technology marketing manager at Mitsubishi Electronics America Inc., in Sunnyvale. "There is much less headache for them since it is already coordinated," Nguyen said. He added that "a handful" of hardware makers are currently evaluating the platform and said he expects it to be deployed primarily as a vertical platform for mobile workers such as claims adjusters and auditors. Because the platform is based on a real-time operating system whose kernel takes up 30KB of memory, Boesenberg anticipates it will be used in applications that require reliable, real-time processing or immediate responses to input signals or transactions. One application can be found in oil fields, where workers acquiring data need devices that can make decisions on the fly, said Art Monk, vice president of marketing at PointBase Inc., of San Mateo, Calif. PointBase makes a Java database under the PointBase name and is a member of ISI's Vantage IA Internet appliance program. "A real-time operating system is advantageous in interrupt- driven processing, where multiple imports are contending for user attention and the device needs a way to manage those requests in real time," Monk said. PointBase will demonstrate its database on another ISI platform—a handheld PC—at the Embedded Systems conference in San Jose, Calif., next month, he said. ISI is working on five other reference platforms that will be designated by a specific processor. The company plans to announce each platform, individually, by year's end, Boesenberg said. To that end, the company is working with a number of semiconductor manufacturers, including National Semiconductor Corp., which last month announced the Geode family of systems on a chip. Geode is also targeted at information appliances. Boesenberg declined to say what ISI and National Semi are working on together, but in addition to its Geode chip, National Semi has shown prototypes of an Internet appliance called WebPad. To date, the Santa Clara, Calif., company has said only that WebPad, a magazine-size tablet PC, will use an embedded operating system, but not which one. Members of ISI's Vantage IA program include Mitsubishi; National Semi; Sun; Espial; PointBase; and ANT Ltd., maker of the Fresco browser and SimplEmail client for embedded devices. zdnet.com

To: Ray Dopkins who wrote (189)	9/3/1999 10:01:00 AM
From: Mark Oliver	Respond to of 332

D2 Selects Siemens and Phone.com to Supply Commercial WAP Platform REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Phone.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHCM - news) and Siemens today announced that Mannesmann Mobilfunk has awarded Siemens a contract to implement a commercial WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Siemens will provide Mannesmann Mobilfunk a turnkey solution, including the Phone.com(TM) UP.Link(TM) server suite, which will allow Mannesmann Mobilfunk, the leader in the German cellular market, to provide new wireless Internet service offerings to its mobile customers starting in September 1999. Being a turn-key provider Siemens provides a complete WAP solution comprising infrastructure systems, WAP platform and WAP applications. (Photo: newscom.com ) Siemens will integrate Phone.com's UP.Link server solution in Mannesmann Mobilfunk's GSM network which will enable Mannesmann Mobilfunk to offer mobile customers with WAP-capable mobile phones access to a variety of D2 information services. The services will be accessed through mobile phones equipped with a WAP-compatible microbrowser. The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is an open, global specification that empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and interact with information and services. WAP standards make it possible for wireless devices to quickly access Web sites and optimize the information displayed. Also, the access to standard HTML web sites is possible via automatic translation. Through WAP, the user cannot only access typical Web sites such as Sports, News and Email on the public Internet, but also have available protected, corporate application specific information over the wireless network. The user can, for instance, check the cost, length and time of call. Furthermore, WAP enables a multitude of services, from games to PIM functionality such as calendar and address book, which can be accessed through a mobile phone. WAP based services are also an ideal way to open and combine the many possibilities for IN (Intelligent Network) innovative mobile applications. Beside the typical GSM data communication available today on mobile networks, GPRS represents the future packet data service, which will enhance WAP-based services. GPRS is expected to be available commercially next year. Siemens has been a system supplier to Mannesmann Mobilfunk since 1993 and installed digital Switching Stations for voice and data services (GPRS), Base Stations, and system solutions for IN into the D2 Network. Siemens is a provider of the complete GSM systems. This is made possible by the rich product portfolio, from manufacturing to delivering a turnkey solution, mobile devices, switching stations and transmission systems. Siemens also offers comprehensive experience in planning, building and operating GSM systems. As a worldwide leader, Siemens has already provided GSM systems to more than 120 network operators in over 65 countries. About Siemens, Information and Communication Networks Group The Information and Communications business segment is part of Siemens, a global powerhouse in electrical engineering and electronics with more than $66 billion in sales. Information and Communications consists of the three groups Information and Communication Networks (60,000 employees, $13 billion sales), Information and Communication Products (33,000 employees, $11 billion sales) and Siemens Business Services (20,000 employees, $3.9 billion sales). Information and Communication Networks is one of the world's leading suppliers of end-to-end solutions for voice, data and mobile networks. Information and Communication Networks provides products, systems, solutions, servicing and support for setting up, operating and maintaining complete corporate and carrier networks. It also offers ancillary services ranging from network planning and financial consultancy through startup support to user training. Further information on this Siemens Group can be found on the Internet at siemens.com. About Phone.com Phone.com, Inc. is a leading provider of software that enables the delivery of Internet-based services to mass-market wireless telephones. Using its software, wireless subscribers have access to Internet- and corporate intranet-based services, including Email, news, stocks, weather, travel and sports. In addition, subscribers have access via their wireless telephones to network operators' intranet-based telephony services, which may include over-the-air activation, call management, billing history information, pricing plan subscription and voice message management. Phone.com is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California and has regional offices in London and Tokyo. Visit phone.com for more information. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Phone.com's limited operating history, potential fluctuations in Phone.com's operating results, uncertainties related to the Phone.com's long sales cycle and reliance on a small number of customers, Phone.com's dependence on the acceptance of its products by network operators and wireless subscribers, Phone.com's ability to adequately address the rapidly-evolving market for delivery of Internet-based services through wireless telephones, the need to achieve widespread integration of Phone.com's browser in wireless telephones, competition from companies with substantially greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources and the ability of Phone.com to manage a complex set of engineering, marketing and distribution relationships. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Phone.com's prospectus dated June 10, 1999 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NOTE: The Phone.com name and logo and the family of terms carrying the ''UP.'' prefix are trademarks of Phone.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other company, brand and product names may be marks that are the sole property of their respective owners. CONTACT: Rowan Benecke of PR21, 415-439-8811, or rowan_benecke@pr21.co, for Phone.com; or Vicky Ryce of Text 100 Ltd., 44-0-181-242-4248, or vickyr@text100.co.uk, for Phone.com (Europe) Limited; or Hiroko Kimura of Phone.com Japan K.K., 81-3-5325-9204, or hiroko@corp.phone.com; or Gunter Gaugler of Siemens, 49-89-722-36798, or guenter.gaugler@uk.siemens.de; or Tom Phillips of Siemens Corporation, 202-434-4820, or thomas.phillips@sc.siemens.com. biz.yahoo.com