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 : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ruffian who wrote (1650)	7/31/2000 1:24:44 AM
From: brian h	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 196650

Ruff, Rumors continue ----- From a different reporter, Ford, Qualcomm in Wireless Venture, Journal Says (Update1) By Greg Gardner Dearborn, Michigan, July 31 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., the world's No. 2 automaker, and Qualcomm Inc. will form a joint venture to provide information services to cars through wireless devices, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the venture. Qualcomm said Friday that Chairman and Chief Executive Irwin Jacobs will unveil a joint venture at a news conference in New York on Monday. The company, which developed mobile-phone standards and equipment used by 65 million people worldwide, wouldn't identify its venture partner. ``I have no comment,'' Qualcomm spokeswoman Christine Trimble said. Farah Warner, a spokeswoman for Ford, said, ``We don't comment on rumor and speculation.'' Ford has trailed larger rival General Motors Corp. in putting safety, emergency assistance and Internet services into its new vehicles. General Motors installed a service called OnStar that provides emergency roadside assistance in about 300,000 vehicles. Ford plans to upgrade its Rescu emergency aid option this fall and offer it in all Lincoln models, including the Navigator luxury sport-utility vehicle. Automakers see wireless information services, known as telematics, as a growing source of revenue they can tap after a vehicle is sold, generating as much as 25 percent of U.S. automakers' sales by 2010. The Ford-Qualcomm joint venture will be called Wingcast, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the plan. The venture will be based in San Diego, the newspaper said. It will try to sell its technology to other automakers, the way General Motors has sold OnStar to Honda Motor Co., which plans to introduce it in 2002 models of its Acura luxury brand. OnStar hopes to have OnStar satellite navigation, emergency assistance and travel information services in about 1 million vehicles by year-end. It is expected to sign up 4 million customers and generate $1 billion in annual revenue by 2002, according to Gary Lapidus, a Goldman Sachs analyst. Brian H.