STOCKHOLM-L.M. Ericsson is testing a wireless financial information and transaction service
with Dagens Industri AB, a leading business daily publication in Sweden.
The test involves about 40 selected
Internet brokerage customers who will be able to buy and sell shares and options on the Stockholm Stock Exchange
and Options Exchange using handheld computers in conjunction with Global System for Mobile communications
handsets, both from Ericsson.
Users also will be able to access Dagens Industri’s online edition, called di.se.
“Simply stated, wherever the user may be, he or she has an interactive business newspaper in his or her
pocket,” said Hans Jacob Bonnier, executive vice president of Dagens Industri.
The service is called
“di.se powered by Ericsson.” The two companies began working together on the project last year, at which
time only the financial information services were available via the handset/handheld computer model. The current test
expands that service to include the ability to make transactions.
“The strength of this concept lies in the fact
that we are not only delivering pertinent information, but we are also enabling the user to act on the information by
performing financial transactions,” added Lars Stahre, manager of Dagens Industri’s network
services.
Ericsson said it plans to offer the service to GSM operators, content providers, Internet service providers
and others in the wireless Internet field. The trial period will continue through this spring. No mention was made as to
when it will be available to operators or when it may be commercially available.
