Ericsson and World Online International have signed an agreement for an Ericsson WAP system. With this system, World Online International will provide new WAP services for its business and consumer clients. World Online recently expanded its business to 14 European countries and South Africa.
The agreement includes the supply of an Ericsson WAP gateway and other mobile Internet solutions as well as the use of the WAP Hotel, Ericsson's test and trial environment for WAP applications in the Netherlands. Through the Ericsson WAP 1.1 system, World Online will be able to offer WAP services to their clients throughout Europe and other areas.
WAP is a first step towards the mobile Internet and 3G (third generation) offerings, and is therefore a very important technology. Mobile Internet will not only make the current Internet available from mobile terminals, but also create a whole new set of location-based services that will be available anywhere, anytime for any users.
"World Online selected Ericsson because the company is one of the market leaders in mobile infrastructure and WAP application tools; they have a strong global presence and they have the ability to deliver results fast," commented Simon Duffy, Deputy Chairman and CEO of World Online International. "World Online looks forward to offering mobile Internet to both its business and consumer clients, who will be able to achieve greater 'freedom of movement' with this added mobile Internet access capability."
"This agreement illustrates Ericsson's capability in bringing together the Internet, mobility and telephony. WAP applications can be added to the service portfolio and portal of World Online, enabling their users maximal flexibility in using applications in the way they want. It can be done by their PC at home or at work, as well as via the WAP device at any time," says Eric van Soest, General Manager Global & New Operators/ISPs at Ericsson in the Netherlands.
World Online will use Ericsson's WAP gateway as one of the technical platforms for its mobile Internet services. In addition, the two companies intend to jointly develop business-to-business and consumer-oriented WAP services that World Online will offer their clients.
World Online already offers WAP services to its customers in the Netherlands, where WAP e-mail via KPN was launched in December 1999, and in South Africa, where WAP commercial services have been available since March 2000 through WOL's joint-venture partner Vodacom. Together with Ericsson, World Online intends to roll out a pan-European WAP service platform in the near future.
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