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NEWS
Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola
Welcome Evolution of WAP Standard
(August 01, 2001)
New WAP 2.0 protocol based on widely accepted
Internet standards will further advance mobile services
Stockholm (Sweden), Espoo (Finland), Schaumburg, IL (U.S.A.), August 1, 2001
Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola today announce their support of the newest version
of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) standard, WAP 2.0, as developed by
the WAP Forum (TM). The companies also express their intention to develop
products, content, and services based on the new standard.
The new generation of the WAP specification together with improved handsets and
other wireless devices ensure a much better development environment for advanced
mobile services. Based on well-established Internet standards including TCP and
HTTP as well as the necessary components specifically adapted for wireless
environments, WAP 2.0 will provide a simple, yet powerful tool-kit for easy
development and deployment of a multitude of useful and exciting new services.
WAP 2.0 has adopted XHTML Basic as the base for its mark-up language. XHTML,
developed by the World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C), is the language that will be
used to create all content, regardless of whether it is intended for the fixed
Internet or the mobile phone world. By narrowing the gap between wired and
wireless content, XHTML greatly accelerates the pace at which services can be
created and improves the usability of wireless services for consumers.
Other Internet standards that have been adopted in WAP 2.0 include Cascading
Style Sheets (CSS), Transport Layer Security (TLS), HTTP and TCP. By specifying
how these standards are best used in a wireless environment a better
user-experience is achieved. The richer content and multimedia services that
will be available in 2.5G/3G networks are going to be based on these and similar
standards and will therefore integrate seamlessly with WAP technology.
The release of WAP 2.0 includes the first release of Multimedia Messaging
Services (MMS), a service developed jointly together with 3GPP, which allows
users to send multimedia messages, combining sounds with images and text, to
each other in a fashion similar to sending SMS.
Additionally, WAP 2.0 further evolves WAP Push, which can be used for services
such as online auctions, where it is important for users to receive information
at the point of interest (i.e., the moment something interesting happens),
rather than being forced to actively look for the information.
Due to the fact that WAP 2.0 is an open and interoperable standard, it will be a
very valuable component in any future mobile service offering. The companies
believe that the GSM Association will also benefit greatly from including WAP
2.0 as one of its cornerstones when defining future versions of its M-services
initiative.
"Ericsson is proud to have contributed from start to finish to the new WAP
2.0 standard," says Lars Boman, head of Ericsson Mobile Internet
Applications. "The introduction of well-known and established Internet
standards, such as XHTML, will ensure compatibility with content available on
the Internet. Together with new functionality, such as multimedia messaging, it
opens up new possibilities for operators and content developers. Our focus is as
always to create user-friendly products that facilitate these new
services."
"The work of the WAP Forum has brought us a good and solid set of standards
from which we can start developing the next generation of mobile services.
Technologies such as XHTML and Cascading Style Sheets will be key in delivering
high quality user experience and excitement, which are the essential ingredients
of success in the market," said Aage Snorgaard, Vice President, Nokia
Mobile Phones. "Together with the other industry leaders, we are committed
to cooperation and open standards creation in order to drive the global and open
market place for mobile applications and services."
"Motorola is proud to have contributed to the development of WAP 2.0"
stated Janiece Webb Senior Vice President and General Manager of Motorola's
Internet Software and Content Group. "We are excited about the new
applications and services that will be possible with the many enhancements and
additions this release provides. These new features, such as multimedia
messaging, will permit us and our customers to deliver valued services to the
wireless community."
Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola co-founded the WAP Forum (TM) together with Unwired
Planet (now Openwave) in 1997 and the forum has since grown to more than 450
members, representing manufacturers, carriers and content developers from all
parts of the world. The primary goal of the WAP Forum is to bring together
companies from all segments of the wireless industry value chain to ensure
product interoperability and growth of the wireless market.
About Ericsson
Ericsson is shaping the future of mobile and Broadband Internet communication
through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in
more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful
communication companies in the world. Further information about Ericsson can be
found at www.ericsson.com.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience,
innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the
leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP
networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for
companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly
held company with listings on six major exchanges. Further information about
Nokia can be found at www.nokia.com.
About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. is a global leader in providing integrated communications
solutions and embedded electronic solutions. These include software-enhanced
wireless telephones, two-way radios, and messaging products and systems, as well
as networking and Internet-access products, for consumers, network operators,
and commercial, government and industrial customers. Sales in 2000 were $37.6
billion. Further information about Motorola can be found at www.motorola.com.
Motorola and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc. (R)
Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. (C) 2001 Motorola, Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.