Wireless ISPs Here To Stay
Sun May 21 00:31:00 EDT 2000
New York, May 18, 2000 (123Jump via COMTEX) -- Have you ever been talking over
a cup of coffee when your companion suggests an excellent book you know you're
going to want to read? Today, if you own a mobile phone that is also
Web-enabled, you can whip out your handset, call up Amazon.com, and order the
book. It's all made possible by the wireless Web - a whole new medium. According
to some analysts, by 2004 the number of users with wireless Web access will
exceed the number with wireline access. There are at least three reasons to
mention: email, browsing, and other customized content.
Emailing, unburdened by time or physical location, is compelling unto itself.
Analysts predict that if PDAs, cellular phones, and pagers are enabled with
easier ways to enter text messages, more and more people will adopt this as part
of their communication routine. Stock quotes, ticket prices, movie times, travel
directions, and a whole lot of other reasons make the browser a significant
motivating factor for continuing to iron out the technical bugs. Even more
powerful is the notion of pull content, or Web sites set up to generate
tailored, current content to your PDA, cellular phone, or pager every time you
log on to the wireless Web.
GoAmerica Leads the Way
GoAmerica, Inc. (GOAM) is a nationwide wireless Internet service provider based
in Hackensack, N.J. Through its Wireless Internet Connectivity Center, the
company offers subscribers comprehensive and flexible mobile data solutions for
wireless Internet access by providing wireless network services, mobile devices,
software and subscriber service and support. Go.Web technology and the Wireless
Internet Connectivity Center enable GoAmerica's subscribers to access a wide
variety of Internet content, such as business and financial data, news, sports,
travel, entertainment, personal contact and other information.
Subscribers can also conduct e-commerce transactions, such as shopping,
reservations and stock trading, as well as use wireless ISP services with their
choice of a wide variety of leading mobile devices, including Palm OS-based
computing devices, Research In Motion's (RIMM) interactive pagers, laptop
computers, Windows CE-based computers and WAP-enabled smart phones. In addition,
GoAmerica has engineered wireless ISP services to operate with many next
generation wireless devices.
Emerging Solutions for Handhelds
OmniSky provides mobile individuals with a complete, wireless Internet service
for handheld devices such as the Palm V organizer. The OmniSky service provides
a single, unified user interface for free Web surfing and access to more than
2,200 Web links that have been optimized for use on a handheld device. The
service also includes fast, streamlined access to existing email, a modem
solution for the Palm, 24-hour technical support, and affordable, cost-effective
network coverage across the nation.
OmniSky's wireless email and Internet service uses the Cellular Digital Packet
Data (CDPD) network, which serves most metropolitan areas in the U.S. The
company works closely with leading companies in the wireless community to
accelerate the adoption of high-speed wireless Internet access by consumers and
enterprises. OmniSky's stellar list of partners includes AT&T Wireless Services
(T), Aether Systems, NovAtel Wireless (NGPS), 3Com (COMS) and a wide range of
leading Internet content providers.
AT&T's Wireless Child
The AT&T Wireless Group (AWE) is among the world's premier wireless voice, data
and fixed wireless communications companies. They serve more than 12.5 million
customers, including consumers, businesses, and government.
Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T labs, the company
has one of the largest digital wireless networks in North America. The company's
AT&T Digital One Rate offer revolutionized the industry by introducing a
national wireless plan with no roaming or long distance charges across the U.S.
AT&T Wireless Group was also the first company to provide wireless access to the
Internet with AT&T PocketNet Service and the first company to commercially offer
fixed wireless service through its AT&T Digital Broadband Service.
Wireless Knowledge Anywhere, Anytime
Formed in November 1998 and based in San Diego, California, Wireless Knowledge,
Inc. is a Microsoft (MSFT) and Qualcomm (QCOM) company. Leveraging the
collaborative computing and operating system expertise of Microsoft with the
wireless technology leadership of Qualcomm, Wireless Knowledge has developed
core technology in enabling wireless access to the enterprise environment. The
company's mission is to empower business users with personally relevant critical
information.
Wireless Knowledge's Workstyle Server extends the reach of industry-standard
collaborative computing software to virtually any appliance that can access the
Internet including wireless phones, PDAs, and laptops. Mobile workers have
real-time, remote access to their corporate email, calendar and contacts. The
current Workstyle Server includes support for wireless access to Microsoft
Exchange Server. The server supports a broad range of devices equipped with
HDML, XML, WML and HTML microbrowsers including Microsoft Mobile Explorer, the
dual mode HTML/WML microbrowser.
Aether Systems
Aether Systems (AETH) provides wireless data services, systems and software that
enables people to use handheld devices for mobile data communications and
real-time transactions. The company designs, develops, sells and supports
complete wireless systems for corporations seeking to make data available to
mobile workers or consumers.
Aether seeks to develop and deliver wireless data services across a variety of
industries and market segments all over the world. In the financial services
industry, current services include TradeRunner from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
(MWD), and PocketBroker from Charles Schwab (SCH). Both products offer real-time
wireless trading and financial information services available. Additionally,
Reuters (RTRSY) MarketClip provides real-time financial market price quotes,
alerts, charts and news. There are several services that deliver financial
market information using one- and two-way pagers. The company is currently
developing wireless trading and financial services for other major financial
institutions.
Datalink's Dual Model
Datalink.net, Inc. (DLK) is an Internet company that recognizes the full market
potential of the emerging convergence between two rapidly evolving network
technologies: wireless data and the Internet. There are three primary market
segments for wireless applications: the business market, the business user, and
the consumer. Because growth in one market segment necessarily impacts the
other, Datalink.net embraces the strategy of addressing both the enterprise and
the consumer needs through its two distinct business models: the
Business-to-Business, or B2B group and the Business-to-Consumer, or B2C, group.
Datalink.net applies its Web-to-Wireless technology to meet both the need for
individualized service as well as the competitive enterprise's need for
comprehensive and tailored wireless business solutions. The XpressLink platform
allows Datalink.net to construct and offer an array of information products that
address the needs of consumers and enterprises to receive and distribute
selective data. Datalink.net's products and services feature highly
user-specific selection criteria, allowing both business and consumers to
transmit and receive exactly the information they want.
Synonymous with Wireless Internet Services
Wireless continues to be the biggest opportunity and fastest growing area for
InfoSpace.com (INSP). Nokia (NOK) and Ericsson (ERICY) have both projected that
there will be one billion cellular phones worldwide by 2003. Of those, over half
will be Internet enabled. Jupiter (JPTR) predicts that by the same year, more
people will access the Internet on wireless devices than on PCs.
InfoSpace.com offers worldwide carriers a comprehensive and integrated platform
of wireless services that include: commerce services such as single-click
instant buying; the electronic delivery of promotions that can be used online or
offline; communication services such as device-independent email and instant
messaging; productivity applications such as address book, calendar and "to do"
lists; transaction services such as accessing account information and
transferring money; localized information such as real-time traffic reports and
finding the nearest ATM; real-time alerts such as auction bids and stock alerts;
and security services such as personal authentication for secure transactions. |
