To: Maurice Winn who wrote (4245 ) 4/18/2000 9:02:00 AM From: Ruffian Respond to of 34857
LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - Shares in Internet video software group GEO Interactive Media Group surged more than 10 percent on Tuesday as the market weclomed news that it and other tech companies had grouped together to discuss interoperability of multimedia protocols in the wireless Internet market. GEO jumped 12 percent or 150 pence to 1,412-1/2p by 0711 GMT, having touched 1,450p. GEO said it joined a group of nearly 20 vendors inthe Wireless Media Forum (WMF), a group of domestic and international hardware and software makers, carriers, service providers, and content developers. The WMF would work together to reach industry-wide consensus on the use of certain protocols and service delivery platforms in the mobile arena, GEO said. "This has been well-received in the market. There are some big names in the group and good chances for GEO to make tie-ups," said one dealer, noting that Nasdaq's 6.6 percent rebound overnight was also supporting the GEO price. "The Holy Grail is to circumvent fragmentation in the wireless content arena caused by the use of multiple protocols," said Martin Hall, Chief Technology Officer at Stardust.com, the organization that oversees the WMF's activities. "Without such implementation agreements among vendors, content developers would either have to choose among protocols and development platforms -- which would limit the availability of content to mobile users -- or go through the time and expense of developing the same content again and again for multiple platforms," Hall said. Others in the group include AT&T <T.N>, QualComm Inc <QCOM.O>, Intel <INTC.O>, Kyocera <6971.T>, Samsung <06400.KS>, Siemens <SIEGn.F> and Matsushita <6781.T>, GEO said. 03:21 04-18-00