Leading 'intelligent' software developer, Argo Interactive Group plc, has joined the Phone.comTM (Nasdaq:PHCM) Alliance Program, with plans to offer complete software solutions allowing mobile phones to receive information from the Internet.
The Phone.com Alliances Program has two aims: to promote the concept of wireless Internet access, and to co-ordinate the exchange of ideas and information between Alliances Program partners and companies developing wireless Internet products or services.
Phone.com develops, markets and supports infrastructure software and applications that enable the convergence of the Internet and wireless telephony. The company co-founded the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum with leading wireless telecommunications companies including Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson.
Phone.com has also developed the Wireless Markup Language (WML) language, which when used by the company's microbrowser and Up.Link Server Platform, enables the new generation of WAP phones to receive Internet-based services.
WAP services can now be complemented by Argo's ActiGate system, which automatically transcodes HTML Web sites directly into WML, in real time, with no need for laborious rewrites by site owners. This allows WAP phone users to receive information, direct from any HTML Web site, dedicated for access by their specific Internet appliance product. ActiGate typically reduces a Web site's size by 90 percent, thus enhancing download times by up to a factor of 10.
With ActiGate, network operators can build attractive, value-added services using Internet content, in as few as six weeks, with no need to rewrite content in WML. Although ActiGate typically converts HTML to WML as part of Phone.com's Up.Link Server suite, ActiGate can also support existing GSM phones via Wireless Messaging Services (WMS) and the Short Messaging Service (SMS). This lets content providers launch new value-added services to the large community of existing phones, as well as to the latest WAP handsets.
Since 1996, UK-based Argo Interactive Group has specialised in the provision of information to 'thin client' devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, set-top boxes and games consoles.
Commenting on the new alliance, Argo Interactive CEO Andrew Foyle said: "Phone.com was one of the very first companies to see potential in the mobile Internet space, which is now growing exponentially. Phone.com has taken a leading position by developing the WAP protocol, for which Argo's ActiGate server technology is the ideal complement. Network providers will be able to construct 'fast to market' value-added services based on existing Web content. Network operators can also choose to offer full Web access using ActiGate, which can convert most sites to run on small-screen devices."
Commenting on behalf of Phone.com, Cindy Dahm, Director of Alliances, said: "We are delighted to have Argo Interactive as part of the Phone.com Alliances Program. As a leader in the convergence of the Internet and wireless telephony, Phone.com hopes to provide Argo with valuable program benefits such as product planning, sales and marketing tools, and referrals to Phone.com's partners - allowing Argo to position ActiGate server technology to ISPs and wireless telecommunications companies as an easy entry to this fast-growing market."
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