Manx Telecom and Network Appliance Team to Launch 3G Technology On the Isle of Man
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SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2001--Manx Telecom, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Telecom (BT), has teamed with Network Appliance (NASDAQ:NTAP - news), the leading provider of network-attached data access and content delivery solutions, to conduct trials of streaming media technology on the Isle of Man as part of the launch of one of the world's first 3G mobile services.
Manx Telecom will use 3G technology for a host of services including Internet access, gaming services, person-to-person conferencing, suite location-based services, mobile office products, video, and WAP. Additionally, the service will be used to test more complex offerings that demand the greater bandwidth offered by 3G, but details of these services will be made public following the launch.
Network Appliance supplies content delivery solutions for BT OpenWorld and BT Ignite hosting. Because of BT's successful deployment utilizing NetApp® solutions, Network Appliance was selected to supply the content delivery technology to power Manx Telecom's 3G network.
``Network Appliance is currently leading the field with its content delivery network developments, and the scalability of its solutions means that we can grow the solution in line with the growth of the service,'' noted Martin Tufft, head of applications and services for Manx Telecom. ``In a 3G world, users won't need to `dial up' to retrieve e-mail, multimedia attachments, and other data. They will simply be downloaded to their mobile devices as soon as they are sent or requested. You will be able to key into proactive services to keep up to date with news feeds, stock prices, even special deals in shops, and transact business from your mobile anytime you wish.''
``The trial will also be using intelligent content delivery and management,'' said Amit Pandey, senior director of content delivery marketing at Network Appliance. ``The whole idea of simple caching is to place content at the edge of the network, closer to the user. 3G users move around, so the content needs to be able to move with them. Network Appliance(TM) center-to-edge(TM) solutions enable Manx Telecom to deliver content wherever they are.''
The Isle of Man is a microcosm of the European market, making it an ideal location for 3G trials. The government has given its full support to the project, to the extent that there will be no charge for the mobile license. However, this is just one attraction of running new technology trials. British Telecom says its preferred reason for using the Island is its demographics. BT also used the Isle of Man with great success for the trial of ADSL services.
Amit Pandey at Network Appliance gives the following example, ``You've called on a customer, assessed its needs, and are ready to supply a quote for the sale. You then enter the details into your mobile device, log into your company's intranet and upload the data. In a few seconds a completed quote is e-mailed direct to the customer, with a copy also sent to you. The idea essentially removes the overhang from the days of analog networks, where connections were circuit switched.''
3G services will add an invaluable mobile dimension to services that are already an integral part of modern business life. 3G will mean speed, intelligence, convenience, and the Internet at your fingertips.
About Manx Telecom
Manx Telecom was formed in 1987 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT. The company holds the license to run both the fixed and mobile network on the Isle of Man, a successful offshore finance centre which currently enjoys the fastest-growing GDP in Europe. Manx Telecom also has a high quality Internet services portfolio and is a key player in the Isle of Man Government's strategy to position the island as the leading offshore e-commerce centre in the world.
About Network Appliance
Network Appliance, Inc., a leader in network file storage and content delivery, has been providing data access solutions since 1992, and is a member of both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 index. Major corporations and service providers, including Lycos, Yahoo!, Citicorp Securities, Siemens, Lockheed, Cisco, Motorola, and Texas Instruments have deployed NetApp solutions.
The company pioneered the concept of the ``network appliance,'' an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function. NetApp storage and content delivery platforms (filers and NetCache(TM) appliances) are coupled with powerful content distribution and reporting software. This center-to-edge solution offers seamless data management from the back-end data center to the edge of the network quickly, simply, and reliably. The Network Appliance product portfolio utilizes the company's innovative data access software, known as the Data ONTAP(TM) operating system, as well as standards-compliant hardware. It also offers multiprotocol support and transparent integration for UNIX® and Windows® environments.
NetApp is a registered trademark and Network Appliance, NetCache, center to edge, and Data ONTAP are trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. UNIX is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.
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Contact:
Network Appliance, Inc.
Heather Fuller, 408/822-3287
hfuller@netapp.com |
