At the CTIA Wireless 2001 Convention today in Las Vegas, Socket Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: SCKT; PSE: SOK) today demonstrated for the first time a Windows-powered Pocket PC using Bluetooth wireless technology to send and receive email by making a cable-free connection to a DENSO Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone on the Sprint PCS nationwide wireless data network. The software that allows a Pocket PC to communicate with a Bluetooth-enabled phone will be available this month to developers who purchase Socket's Bluetooth Personal Network Card Evaluation Kit.
"Giving a Pocket PC cordless access to a mobile phone for dial-up networking on the Sprint PCS network is a major milestone for Socket," said Peter Phillips, director of product marketing for Socket. "We've worked closely with Sprint PCS, DENSO and Microsoft to create a virtual single-body solution -- an Internet-connected Pocket PC that offers the convenience of an embedded wireless modem but that takes advantage of Socket's low-power, general-purpose Bluetooth card to communicate with a mobile phone that could be stored out of the way in your pocket or purse."
"Socket's Bluetooth demonstration is great news for anyone who can benefit from the instant availability of wireless data," said Brian Finnerty, senior director, subscriber equipment, Sprint PCS. "This technology will make it easy for our customers to increase both personal and professional productivity by accessing the Internet or their corporate network on their mobile computers anywhere on the Sprint PCS nationwide wireless network."
"Socket has demonstrated how convenient it can be to use your Pocket PC and your mobile phone to get connected to the Internet whenever and wherever you want," said Roger Berg, Vice President of Engineering of DENSO. "We are excited to be working with Socket to ensure the compatibility between our mobile handsets and Socket's plug-in cards."
"Socket has again shown the advantage of the Pocket PC's standards-based expansion capability," said Rogers Weed, general manager of the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. "Socket's CompactFlash Bluetooth card will help usher in an exciting new era of wireless connectivity options for the Pocket PC."
Socket's Bluetooth Personal Network Card is a CompactFlash card that fits in the expansion slot of a Windows-Powered Pocket PC or, via an adapter, the PC Card slot of a Windows CE-based handheld or notebook PC. Socket's Bluetooth Personal Network Card Evaluation Kit includes two Bluetooth cards and adapters plus software for the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. Interested developers should complete the qualification form accessible from Socket's web site at http://www.socketcom.com/btintro.htm.
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