Tuesday April 25, 8:09 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Nextel Communications, Inc.
Nextel Introduces Nextel Online(SM):Wireless Internet
Service for Business
Nextel Online Features Always-Connected Internet Access; A Four-In-One Wireless
Communications Tool; and a Suite of Wireless Applications Developed Just for Business
RESTON, Va., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextel Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTL - news) today announced that it will
begin rolling out Nextel Online(SM) wireless Internet services in 43 major markets including more than 750 cities across the
country. Nextel Online service is scheduled to become available in all Nextel markets by mid-year.
``With the arrival of Nextel Online, business customers can now easily receive and act on the critical information they need to
do business while they are away from the office,'' said Tim Donahue, president and CEO, Nextel Communications, Inc.
``Nextel Online is a result of our company's commitment to help our mobile business customers be more productive in a world
that values speed.''
With Nextel Online, Nextel now offers a wireless phone that serves as a four-in-one wireless business communication tool.
Nextel's Internet-capable ``plus'' series phones, manufactured by Motorola, integrate wireless Internet service, Nextel Direct
Connect© digital two-way radio service, digital cellular service, and text/numeric paging into one phone. Today, approximately
2 million Nextel customers own ``plus'' series phones.
Nextel Online service rate plans feature simple, flat-rate pricing and include unlimited access to MSN Mobile and Nextel
alliance web sites. Plans begin at $14.95 per month in addition to a customer's existing Nextel rate plan.
Using Phone.com(TM)'s UP.Link(TM) Server and UP.Browser(TM) microbrowser, Nextel, in a partnership with Cisco for
mobile Internet Protocol (IP) networking has delivered the wireless industry's only integrated, packetized voice and data
service. Unlike other wireless data services where you have to ``dial in'' to access the Internet, Nextel Online customers have
immediate access to the most reliable wireless data network in the country allowing instant connectivity to the Internet so they
are never far away from their messages, business information and wireless-enabled applications.
Nextel Online includes unlimited access to online content and commerce
Nextel Online customers can create their own personalized web portal accessible by a personal computer or Internet-capable
Nextel phone using the myNextel.com web portal. Co-branded with MSN, this web portal features business news and
information from MSNBC and provides access to MSN services such as MSN Hotmail, MSN MoneyCentral, Expedia.com,
and MSN Yellow Pages business directory and Hotmail. Users can customize the site so that business information that is
important to them is sent directly to their phone anytime, anywhere on the Nextel National Network.
Amazon Anywhere allows Nextel customers to conveniently shop and open new accounts at Amazon.com, the leading on-line
retailer, via their Nextel Internet-capable phone. Customers can make purchases using Amazon's easy and secure 1-Click(SM)
shopping feature available at Amazon.com, including books, videos, software, tools, hardware and more. Customers can also
check the status of pending orders and search by keyword to view product information including details, reviews, price,
shipping and customer comments.
Nextel Online offers online productivity solutions
List Manager is the first of many planned productivity solutions, and will allow customers to manage their Nextel phone lists and
Nextel Direct Connect private ID and group lists from their desktop PC or from their Internet- capable Nextel phone. List
Manager synchronizes information over the air and allows an administrator to manage multiple phone lists at once.
Nextel Online features wireless business applications and connectivity solutions
Nextel Online features wireless business applications developed to increase productivity and customer satisfaction by moving
data instantly between mobile workers and their headquarters. Wireless business and mobile connectivity applications available
in the initial launch phase through Nextel Online will include:
* eDispatch, a web-based productivity tool for the transportation,
construction and field service industries that allows dispatchers to
receive job status and job completion information in near real-time from
the field, enabling field workers to receive, acknowledge and close out
work orders from the road. Service rate plans for eDispatch begin at
$39.95 per month per unit.
* IBM Mobile Connect, a component of IBM's Websphere Everyplace Suite,
will allow mobile professionals to access e-mail, calendar, contacts and
tasks using a Nextel Internet-capable phone as a wireless modem when
connected to their personal digital assistant (PDA). Corporate customers
can establish dial-up access accounts for $9.95 per month using minutes
of airtime from their rate plan.
The Nextel Developers Program currently consists of more than 200 organizations that have registered and qualified to develop
wireless applications for vertical markets such as professional medical services and the building and construction industry.
Nextel plans to announce additional wireless applications in the coming months that it expects will become available from
participants in this program.
``Extending the Internet into the wireless environment is a logical step for businesses around the world,'' said Iain Gillott, vice
president of Worldwide Consumer & Small Business Telecom at IDC. ``Obvious applications such as e-mail and calendaring
will be quickly supplemented with wireless commerce, location services, and vertical applications.''
Additionally, through Nextel's web site, nextel.com, customers can: get valuable information about Nextel's
services, including current rate plans, promotions, user guides, and interactive product demos; administer their accounts,
including the ability to view and pay their Nextel bill online, sign up for Nextel service, purchase new phones and accessories;
and manage their mobile services such as set alerts, filter mail and manage online community information.
``Nextel Online extends the power of the desktop and the web to today's mobile worker,'' added Donahue. ``With this service,
our customers now have access to a suite of business applications developed to help them transact business no matter where
they are on the Nextel National Network.''
All Nextel Online customers will be supported by Nextel Online customer service staff members that have been specially
trained to field data related customer service calls.
Nextel Online service will be rolled out initially in 43 major markets and more than 750 cities across the country including:
Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Greensboro N.C., Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
Seattle and Washington/Baltimore. Next week, service also will be rolled out in the Boston and Providence metropolitan areas.
Nextel Communications Inc., headquartered in Reston, Va. is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications
and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the United States that covers thousands of communities
across the United States. Nextel and Nextel Partners Inc. currently serve 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The Nextel National
Network offers a fully integrated wireless communications tool with digital cellular, text/numeric paging and Nextel Direct
Connect© - a digital two-way radio feature. In addition, through Nextel International Inc., Nextel has wireless operations and
investments in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines, Peru, Japan and Shanghai, China. Please visit our web page
at nextel.com. |
