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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John F. Dowd who wrote (35463)	12/14/1999 10:21:00 PM
From: John F. Dowd	Respond to of 74651

To All: Here is another example of why MSFT will always prevail- they cater to and support third party developers. JFD SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1999 DEC 14 (NB) -- By Steve Gold, Newsbytes. SnapTrack has agreed with Microsoft [NASDAQ:MSFT] to include its wireless location technology within future versions of the Windows CE operating system. John Cunningham, a spokesperson for SnapTrack, told Newsbytes that the deal will mean that programming hooks, for example, will be available to Windows CE software and firmware developers in the near future. "If you're developing an application for Windows CE, this means that the hooks are already there for you to link a wireless location system into the Windows CE environment," he said. Cunningham added that, although wireless location systems are already accessible on Web-based systems, they usually require some form of interaction on the part of the user. "You'll find this will involve the user tapping in where they are and waiting for the data to return," he said. "With our technology available under Windows CE, users will simply be able to see or receive information that is relevant to their location, without any data input being required on their part," he said. Microsoft is now working with SnapTrack on integrating the wireless location technology within its Mobile Explorer environment. Cunningham said that he expects to see the first mass market applications of this technology on the shelves in the US by the end of 2000. "Our personal location technology can pinpoint users down to within five meters or so, but averages to within 10 to 20 meters," he said, adding that this location accuracy can also be achieved in situations where other systems fail. "Multipath cellular reception can mean problems for most wireless location systems. On our system, because we work with both data from GPS (global positioning system) and the cellular network, it's not a problem," he said. Cunningham added that, although the requirement of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for wireless operators to have a E-911 wireless location system in place by the fall of 1991 is driving the development of such technologies in the US, location-relevant information systems are also moving the industry along. "You've only go to look at Europe and Asia to realize the potential that this technology has," he said. Kevin Dallas, Microsoft's group product manager, meanwhile, said that two firms are delivering an open, modular mobile phone platform, Microsoft Mobile Explorer, that will enable a variety of new technologies. These will include, among other products, "...smart phones that provide compelling new services and features like offline e-mail, mobile yellow pages, multimedia, search tools, remote banking and location-based services," Microsoft says that the Mobile Explorer platform with SnapTrack's personal location technology, will enable the design of smart phones that can provide real-time driving directions and route guidance, concierge services and guidance to points of interest or convenience, such as restaurants or ATMs (automated teller machines).