NEW ORLEANS-BellSouth Wireless Data said it plans to introduce a portfolio of secure wireless electronic-commerce offerings by the end of this year.
The company also announced several companies it is working with to develop wireless e-commerce infrastructure and applications enabled for the BellSouth Intelligent Wireless Network. BellSouth said it plans to begin testing Diversinet Corp.’s public key infrastructure technology next month using a financial application from Boston-based First Call Corp.
BellSouth Wireless Data and Diversinet said they also are evaluating opportunities in the health-care industry and are in discussions with a national medical company to market wireless e-commerce solutions to the medical community.
“E-commerce is virtually exploding across the Internet, and wireless will play a large role in this incredible growth area,” said Janet Boudris, senior vice president of strategic marketing for BellSouth Wireless Data. “As our society becomes increasingly more mobile, many people who buy goods and services via their computers also will want the same flexibility, freedom and control to easily and securely make purchases when they are on the go as well.”
In other news, BellSouth and Saraide, a company that delivers Internet-based services to wireless devices, formed a partnership to provide mobile data services to BellSouth’s Wireless Application Protocol trial. (See related story on page 10.)
