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wirelessknowledge.com
MICROSOFT AND QUALCOMM FORM BROAD STRATEGIC ALLIANCE AND JOINT VENTURE
For Release 1 p.m. PST
Nov. 10, 1998
Microsoft and QUALCOMM Form Broad Strategic Alliance and Joint Venture
Joint Venture Company Backed by Nine Leading Wireless Carriers
REDMOND, Wash. – Nov. 10, 1998 – QUALCOMM Inc. (Nasdaq "QCOM") and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq "MSFT") today announced the formation of a broad strategic partnership to enable secure and airlink-independent Internet access to all mobile users. As part of the alliance, Microsoft and QUALCOMM have created a new joint venture company named WirelessKnowledge LLC, an equally held company whose charter will be to bring true convergence to the computing and wireless communications industries. WirelessKnowledge's operating strategy includes forming strategic partnerships with computing, software and telecommunications companies as well as with wireless carriers including AirTouch Communications, AT & T Wireless Services, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Bell Mobility (Canada), BellSouth, GTE Wireless, Leap Wireless International, Sprint PCS and US West Wireless.
WirelessKnowledge services are built on an end-to-end architecture based on industry-standard technologies including the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system, the Microsoft BackOffice® family and Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MCIS). WirelessKnowledge will be accessible over all digital wireless wide area networks, including those based on CDMA technology, GSM, TDMA, CDPD and Mobitex. WirelessKnowledge services will enable carriers to offer their mobile customers wireless access to data and applications securely over their choice of wireless networks and enterprise systems.
"Increasingly powerful mobile telephones and computers and WirelessKnowledge services will together enable millions of consumers to access a rich variety of information any time, anyplace," said Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of QUALCOMM. "Further, through this QUALCOMM and Microsoft joint venture, enterprises and small businesses will have the power to retain their familiar enterprise software but extend their reach from the field to the back office at the touch of a button."
"Wireless data is a logical extension of the Microsoft digital nervous system, enabling users to always be connected to their corporate and personal information," said Steve Ballmer, president of Microsoft. "Microsoft is committed to working with partners to provide an end-to-end solution set that is based on Internet standards. WirelessKnowledge is an important component of this overall strategy."
"The WirelessKnowledge services will be rolled out in phases," said John Major, president and chief executive officer of WirelessKnowledge. "With commercial availability slated for the first half of next year, wireless carriers will be able to deliver valuable new services to their customers, regardless of technology or device preference, through the portal of WirelessKnowledge."
Through WirelessKnowledge services, brought to consumers by their wireless carriers, end users will be able to connect to the Internet and their own business networks from digital phones, desktop and laptop computers running the Windows CE, Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows NT® operating systems, smart phones, pagers and Web access terminals (e.g., smart TVs, Web kiosks).
"The formidable partnership between WirelessKnowledge and the carriers should dramatically enhance the wealth of data services available for mobile users," said Andrew Seybold of the Andrew Seybold Consulting Group. "This consortium is poised to become a leader of the wireless data and application services market, which is estimated to be over 20 billion dollars by the year 2002."
In addition to the joint venture and as part of the broader strategic alliance, Microsoft and QUALCOMM will also pursue the following:
The integration of Windows CE into a future QUALCOMM ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) chip
The integration of Windows CE into a wide range of voice- and data-enabled wireless devices
A collaboration to accelerate innovation and adoption of wireless Internet capabilities incorporating existing and developing standards such as XML, HTTP, VoIP, and CDMA IS-95A, IS-95B and IS-95C specific standards and QUALCOMM's High Data Rate (HDR) CDMA technology
The exploration of synergies between the evolution of voice and data over Internet capabilities, utilizing Windows NT and QUALCOMM's innovative and scalable infrastructure architecture
WirelessKnowledge will have headquarters in San Diego. Initial service offerings, available on an OEM basis to carriers in early 1999, will include data services to maintain messaging, e-mail, calendaring, contact list and basic information services through the Internet, plus access to Exchange-based corporate networks. Additional features and services will be added over time.
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