ALCATEL AND 3COM ENTER WIDE RANGING COOPERATION

Companies will establish open industry forum and deliver mobile communications products within a year

Hannover, 17 March, 1999 – Alcatel and 3Com Corporation today announced a wide-ranging cooperation to promote the convergence of handheld computing and mobile telecommunications devices. The cooperation between the two companies, both leaders in their respective markets, is expected to result in products to customers this year.

In addition, the two companies intend to co-operate through an open public forum to define high level, standard Application Programming Interface (APIs) between any handheld computing device and any mobile phone or telecommunication terminal. The forum will be open to all industry players, who are invited to contribute to, and adopt, the resultant API.

The companies also intend to develop and market a software platform - based on existing server technology from both Alcatel and 3Com - to service providers and their customers. 3Com’s existing Web Clipping server and Alcatel Home TopTM software server products will deliver a continuous range of value added services using wired and wireless technologies, both existing and future. Examples of services such a solution might deliver include personal information management, unified voice and data messaging, personal telecom management and access to Web-based information via web clipping techniques. Services would be available to users via information terminals such as PCs, handheld computers, screenphones or mobile phones.

Initially, 3Com’s Palm Computing connected organisers, which account for 72 per cent of worldwide handheld companion market (IDC 1999), will be combined with Alcatel’s One TouchTM range of GSM mobile phones to create an integrated two-part communications device. Later, the companies plan to deliver optimised products which will share the ability to synchronise applications seamlessly across a single platform. This could result in the migration of GSM terminal functions to the organiser or inversely, increased organiser functions on the terminal. Existing standards, such as Bluetooth, will be adhered to in the development of such solutions.

"We strongly believe in the benefits of open standards," said Patrick Liot, President of Alcatel Professional and Consumer Division. " Contrary to other initiatives, which are closed or proprietary, this Alcatel/3Com open public forum will bring fast results to the whole of the industry." He concluded: "This opens the way to a completely new breed of compact, handheld, professional and consumer communications-related devices. It’s the birth of a new product category. We are very excited to work with 3Com which is enjoying unprecedented success on the PDA market."

Robin Abrams, President, Palm Computing and Senior Vice President, 3Com, said today : " This announcement has far-reaching implications for customers and the technology industry in its widest sense. 3Com and Alcatel enjoy clear leadership in their respective markets : the combination of our expertise turns the vision of genuinely pervasive access to all types of information into a reality. " She added : " The door is open for all players in the computing and communications sector to join with us to drive standards and develop real benefits for customers. "


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