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Press Release
"Narrowband Sockets is a key technology for enabling new uses of PCs with wireless
messaging networks," said Jim Valerio, Director of Mobile Communications at Intel.
"Applications using NBS can automatically deliver your e-mail, calendar updates, and
personalized news to your mobile PC, wherever you are. And because wireless messaging
networks provide store and forward services, the data can be stored in the network until
your PC is turned on and in coverage."
MobileWare* Corporation, an independent software vendor, demonstrated a pre-release
version of its WebMirror Communications Server Software utilizing Narrowband Sockets
to connect mobile PCs using GSM's Short Messaging Service (SMS) at the CeBIT'97
conference in Hannover, Germany. "A combination of WebMirror and the NBS services
will provide customers complete integration between their notebook PCs, GSM* digital
wireless phones, and their corporate network systems. This solution will support a wide
variety of applications including e-mail, database, file transfer, and internet access.
We are excited to be working with Nokia and Intel on this technology," said Jack
Blount, President and CEO of MobileWare Corporation.
In addition, Nokia demonstrated an implementation of NBS for the Nokia 8110i* mobile phone which
enabled dynamic ring tone and menu item downloads, as well as routing messages to Nokia's
new phone browser, Nokia Artus Netgate*.
Narrowband Sockets defines an efficient implementation of UDP datagram, and store and
forward services over wireless messaging networks. NBS allows developers to use existing
WinSock 2 and MAPI* programming interfaces to send and receive short messages without
needing expert knowledge of the underlying network. The current NBS implementation,
developed by Intel and Nokia, provides NBS functionality for GSM networks, the most
deployed digital wireless technology worldwide. NBS is based on Windows Open System
Architecture (WOSA), thus any third party developer can provide implementations for
other messaging networks, such as REFLEX, pACT, and SMS in CDMA and TDMA.
"Narrowband Sockets clearly addresses the growing demand for information, anywhere
at any time," said Steve Ballard, Director, Nokia Telecommunications, Wireless Data
Systems. "NBS utilizes Nokia's experience in providing standards-based, easy to use
and cost effective data access over wireless networks, and Intel's experience in providing
solutions for mobile PCs and hand-held devices. NBS technology will allow existing and
new applications to be "mobile-aware", using existing WinSock APIs without
having to know about the actual wireless network that is being used."
"The integration of circuit switched and short messaging services for communication
over the GSM network will make the use of wireless data easier and more efficient. The
announced products will help deliver on the Mobile Data Initiative promise of bringing
together the PC and GSM industry, and develop better solutions for GSM connected PC
user," added Johann Weber, Director of Wireless Communications at Intel.
Intel and Nokia are offering royalty free licenses to the Narrowband Sockets specification
and implementations. Revision 1.0 of the Narrowband Sockets specification, beta release,
and license agreement can be found on the Internet at:
http://developer.intel.com/ial/nbs/ and
http://www.club.nokia.com/.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of personal computer,
networking, and communications products. Through innovative technologies, Intel is
committed to improving the Internet experience for PC consumers. Additional information
is available at www.intel.com.
Nokia is an international telecommunications group with net sales of USD $8.4 billion
in 1995. Nokia is a pioneer in digital switching and digital wireless phone technology
and is the world's largest supplier of DCS 1800 networks and one of the two leading
suppliers of GSM networks. To date, Nokia GSM/DCS technology has been supplied or ordered
by 53 operators in 31 countries.
MobileWare Corporation is a privately held company, funded by Compaq* Computer Corporation,
Informix* Software, Inc., InterWest* Partners, ITOCHU TECHNO-SCIENCE* Corporation, Sevin
Rosen Funds* and SVM STAR Ventures*. For more information about MobileWare Corporation,
visit its web site at www.webmirror.com.
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