BOULDER, Colo. – CellPort Labs Inc. is providing drivers an on-ramp to the information highway by connecting them to the Internet’s World Wide Web via Cellular Digital Packet Data networks.
The Boulder, Colo.-based company said its new MobileWeb product turns any vehicle into an untethered Web site. Information can then be shared between fixed and mobile platforms.
MobileWeb evolved from CellPort’s work with wireless-connectivity technology, according to Pat Kennedy, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer.
CellPort had developed a controller and universal wireless port for a hands-free car kit to accomodate the wide variety of cellular telephone designs and airlink standards.
But the controller also acts as a network server, creating a vehicular local area network that links voice and data communications between the phone, on-board digital electronic devices and wireless networks.
Applications for the VLAN could include automatic 911 dialing when an airbag is deployed, short message display on the dashboard, traffic routing using a global positioning system receiver, car-jacking protection, package-delivery management or remote vehicle access.
Now, by adding Internet connectivity to the VLAN controller/server, applications developers can take advantage of powerful programming tools-including Sun Microsystems Inc.’s Java programming language-to drastically cut development time and costs, the company said.
“Programming time savings can be as much as 80 percent of that for custom software.” Kennedy said. By taking advantage of the Internet’s emergence as an applications enabler, product platforms like MobileWeb can reach the 90 percent of the market composed of companies that can’t afford expensive development projects, he said.
CellPort’s efforts in developing MobileWeb as a general purpose platform mirrors initiatives by Pacific Communication Sciences Inc. in developing its Personal Access Link handset. (RCR, March 4, 1996, p.10)
PCSI described PAL as a product platform designed to allow software developers to create application-specific programs. And although there are obvious differences between vehicle-based and hand-held platforms, both products include the Internet’s TCP/IP protocol stack to aid developers in creating application-specific programs.
AT&T Wireless Services-the prime mover behind CDPD-bought an equity stake in CellPort last October to help bring the VLAN technology to market. Although MobileWeb uses CDPD in its initial rollout, Kennedy emphasized that the technology can work with any packet data transport protocol.
“We have to stay Swiss.” he said, refering to CellPort’s neutrality toward competing airlink standards.
Kennedy said he expects to start shipping MobileWeb developer kits in September. Equipment for vertical markets should be available in January for about $500 per vehicle, he said, but the company expects MobileWeb to be optional equipment in new cars by 1999 at a price point of about $150.
“While we see vertical, industrial markets as our first clients, the automobile-driving consumer will eventually be the largest user of our technology,” Kennedy said.
