Newsletter Archive 4

Newsletter 4 - 2001

A. Newsletter English

1. Forget ICQ; Here comes icWAP for mobile phones, pagers and PDA's
2. Mobile Gateway - directly access your WAP/GPRS/UMTS-Gateway without using your wireless web provider
3. Flash makes first steps into the wireless world
4. Bush administration might postpone US wireless auctions
5. Qualcomm develops 3D tools for the wireless web
6. Chile's wireless auction
7. Japan Telecom postpones 3G start
8. NTT DoCoMo and AOL Japan
9. Swedish telecommunications giant Telia sees a dark 3G future
10. First WIM Payment tested
11. NTT DoCoMo launches first 3G Network

1. Forget ICQ; Here comes icWAP for mobile phones, pagers and PDA's !

icWAP makes it possible to communicate directly between the regular internet (with PC's) and mobile phones, pagers and PDA's. You can e-mail from mobile phones to internet users, create personal profiles, organize your appointments, arrange meetings and update friends on certain events and much more. The personal organizer software is already included for free. SMS to the internet: icWAP makes it possible for you to send messages to the internet from your mobile phone with a single click. Many companies offer SMS from the computer to mobile phones. icWAP sets a new era of communication with its SMS-to-PC possibility.Within the icWAP application icWAP partners also have a space for text or banner advertising. www.icWAP.net

2. Mobile Gateway - directly access your WAP/GPRS/UMTS-Gateway with your mobile phone or PDA without using your wireless web provider.

In late April we are releasing another product, called MobileGateway for Windows and Linux operating systems which enables you to directly access your WAP/GPRS/UMTS-Gateway with your mobile phone or PDA. Not only is this method a lot cheaper than regular wireless web surfing, but you can also
directly get to your information. It's also possible to remotely start downloads of MP3s, software etc. with your mobile phone. Mobile Gateway is also accessible with icWAP. Four versions of MobileGateway are avaliable: Personel Version, ProVersion, Enterprise Version and a special ISP Version. Ask for a free trial version mobilegateway@icWAP.net

3. Flash makes first steps into the wireless world

The immensely popular application Flash from Macromedia has released a version for wireless devices. The first version is mostly thought for developers and is compatible with Microsoft's Pocket PC. Naturally, the wireless version comes with a lot less features than the Flash Player for regular PC's. The macromedia Flash Player is one of the most popular media tools on todays internet. Macromedia plans to achieve a similar distribution of their technology on the wireless web. (www.macromedia.com )

4. Bush administration might postpone US wireless auctions

As the new president of the United States is starting to establish and tune the federal budget for the next years there has been a question whether the Federal Communications Commission really needs to sell airwave licenses this year. There is a possibility that President Bush might postpone the auction until the fall of 2003, because he doesn't see a need yet for the next generation airwaves.

5. Qualcomm develops 3D tools for the wireless web

Just like Macromedia, the industry giant Qualcomm is also developing multimedia tools for the next generation of mobile phones. There are several products in development for Qualcomm's "BREW" (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), one of them being a 3D tool. Experts are not sure whether Qualcomm's efforts might just be a little too late, since other industry key players such as Microsoft, Sun and Macromedia already are ahead of Qualcomm in matters of development.
(www.qualcomm.com )

6. Chile's wireless auction

Thirty-nine companies are bidding for a mere 6 wireless licenses in Chile. The actual auction will start on March 17. Many foreign companies and their local branches in Chile will be bidding, including big names such as Motorola, Siemens, Telefonica of Spain and many more. The estimates for the outcome are about US $ 130 million.

7. Japan Telecom postpones 3G start

Japan Telecom has announced that its 3G network will not launch at the end of this year, but most likely in the summer of next year. Japan Telecom has explained that they would rather "wait and see" how the international standards develop before starting a network, which might be overaged in a few months. The big question is now whether Japan Telecom's arch-rival NTT DoCoMo will postpone their 3G start or not. NTT DoCoMo has announced a running 3G network by the end of this summer.

8. NTT DoCoMo and AOL Japan

The joint venture between AOL Japan and NTT DoCoMo have established plans to launch their services within the next six months. NTT DoCoMo is setting the first year target at a modest 1 million subscribers. The joint venture contract is over the period of three years. It is rather questionable whether this joint venture will enjoy the successes of the wireless phenomenon NTT DoCoMo. AOL Japan now has only 440'000 customers. (www.nttdocomo.com )

9. Swedish telecommunications giant Telia sees a dark 3G future

A speaker of the Swedish telecommunications company Telia said that in Sweden, 3G might be nothing but a big waste of money for the companies, which invested in it. Only after 10 years, the profits will start to come in. However, after 10 years, there will most likely be another much better technology. These findings are also valuable for other countries which had huge bidding wars over the 3G licenses. Despite all of this, Telia is also owns a 3G licence in a joint venture with another telecommunications
company.

10. First WIM Payment tested

Interpay, KPN Mobile and Nokia have tested a new secure transmission for the wireless web. The so-called WIM technology (Wireless Identity Module), is still in its early stages. How successful the tests were and on what kind of network WIM was tested has not been commented by the participants. WIM is part of the WAP 1.2 standard.
(www.nokia.com )

11. NTT DoCoMo launches first 3G Network

The Japanese NTT DoCoMo is on schedule with releasing FOMA (Freedom Of Mobile multimedia Access), the world's first 3G network. The technology is based on W-CDMA and features multimedia such as video, gaming and other applications. The release is set for the beginning of May 2001. (www.nttdocomo.com )

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