Sun and Symbian announce alliance to incorporate JavaTM technology in over 40 million EPOCTM Wireless Information Devices

Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Philips, Psion and Others to Have Access to Java Technology for Future Smartphones and Communicators

Hannover, Germany - March 17th, 1999 - At CeBIT today, Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Symbian announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to incorporate Java technology, designed specifically for the wireless market, as part of Symbian's standard EPOC platform solution. This joint initiative, which is subject to further negotiation and the closing of a definitive agreement, is expected to benefit between 40 and 60 million users of Wireless Information Devices within the next five years.

Together, Java technology and the EPOC operating system will provide a strong foundation for developers and service providers to expand their businesses with new content and services. Java technologies help address business and consumer problems of incompatibility, complexity and security across networked appliances, allowing service providers to seamlessly deploy their content to a wide range of Wireless Information Devices. Service providers can also capture after-market sales by taking advantage of remote upgrading to deliver new capabilities to devices over the network.

"With the number of mobile phone subscribers forecast to reach one sixth of the world's population in the year 2005, the potential impact of the Sun and Symbian alliance on the wireless market is enormous," said Scott McNealy, President and CEO, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "The Wireless Information Device is likely to be one of the most influential networked devices to drive customers into the PostPC era, providing a vast new market for wireless networked services and applications."

The combination of EPOC with Java is an attractive solution for Symbian licensees, including Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Philips and Psion, because of the key advantages it offers in the deployment of applications in a multi-platform environment. Users can work with the same applications across a wide range of networked consumer devices utilizing different microprocessors and operating systems. Developers can quickly and cost-effectively create applications, with unparalleled ease-of-use, scalability and security.

Colly Myers, CEO of Symbian comments "Symbian's alliance with Sun continues our stated aim of encouraging and developing open standards to enable the development of the Wireless Information Device industry. This relationship will further assist the momentum behind the adoption of EPOC and Java technologies as world-wide industry standards - providing significant opportunities for licensees, developers and technology partners."

Sun and Symbian are both committed to adopting open standards and working with key stakeholders in the wireless industry. In related news, both companies announced this week separate strategic relationships with NTT DoCoMo, one of the world's largest mobile communications operators. Such alliances will encourage the development and emergence of a strong Wireless Information Device industry offering attractive and enchanting solutions for end-users. The first products to be developed as a result of the Sun and Symbian agreement are currently expected to ship before the end of 1999.


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