Socket Communications, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:SCKT) (PSE:SOK) Bluetooth CompactFlash Cards were successfully used as part of a trial of Bluetooth wireless technology by NTT, Japan's largest telecom operator, in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation.
The cards were a component of a location-based system, including navigation that was recently tested in an Osaka shopping arcade. This trial was designed to demonstrate Bluetooth connectivity between Handheld devices and LAN Access Points. NTT West is planning to implement similar networks based on Bluetooth in other locations in Japan.
"This Osaka trial is the world's first real life navigation system based on Bluetooth wireless technology apart from tradeshow demos. We chose to work with Socket on this prestigious project because they have shown they are at the cutting edge of Bluetooth wireless technology," says Mr. Hirokazu Ogawa, Manager, ITS Promotion Office, Business Communications HQ at NTT West. "The Osaka trial has been a success and clearly shows the direction for the technology as a promising enabler for cost efficient wireless services and applications in local environments."
"We are very pleased to partner with top technology players like NTT West and Sumitomo Corporation to successfully demonstrate the viability of Bluetooth wireless technology. The signs are clear that Bluetooth wireless technology is making a successful transition from the laboratory to the marketplace where it can offer real benefits to mobile workers and consumers," says Kevin Mills, president and CEO of Socket Communications.
The Socket Bluetooth Card is a plug-in card that fits in a CompactFlash slot or, via an adapter, the PC Card slot of a mobile computer, offering a convenient way to add wireless connectivity to other Bluetooth-enabled devices within a range of 10 meters (30 feet). The Socket Bluetooth Card was nominated for the Best Bluetooth Consumer Product award by the 2001 Bluetooth Congress and was selected for inclusion in the "Ultimate Wireless Kit," a collection of mobile connectivity products offered by Microsoft Corp. Socket's card is currently available to application developers as part of Socket's Bluetooth Card Evaluation Kit.
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