The Lexicus Division of Motorola Inc. introduced its iTAP keypad text entry system, which requires one key press to select a letter instead of several, based on a dictionary of more than 40,000 words.
The initial iTAP version supports English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and simple and traditional Chinese. Motorola said it expects to add eight other languages next year.
In addition to the 40,000-word dictionary, users also may enter custom, commonly used words.
The system supports the Wireless Application Protocol platform-specifically Phone.com’s UP.Browser-and short messaging service technology, the company said.
According to Jackie Peterson of the Lexicus division, iTAP was developed three years ago, but Motorola felt the SMS market was not developed enough to support the product, so the company put it aside.
“The demand wasn’t what it is today,” Peterson said.
Motorola first released the product to the Chinese market, where SMS services were more abundant.
Motorola’s integrated Digital Enhanced Network group wanted to incorporate iTAP into its line of WAP phones, but Lexicus had optimized the technology for the Chinese language market at the time. So Motorola licensed similar technology from Tegic, the T9 text input system.
Tegic’s T9 technology has been licensed by several handset manufacturers, including Nokia Corp. and L.M. Ericsson. Motorola’s iTAP is the first competitor to T9 since its introduction. Motorola said it plans to license iTAP to other manufacturers.
Peterson said iTAP is just the first in a suite of alternative input technologies the Lexicus group hopes to introduce. Other technologies include speech-recognition and handwriting-recognition systems.
Motorola said the iTAP system will be included in its Timeport L7089 Global System for Mobile communications phone later this quarter.
Motorola bought Lexicon six years ago in a private transaction to meet its alternative input needs. It is part of Motorola’s Personal Networks Group, under the umbrellas of Motorola’s PCS sector and Internet Networks Group. The group also created the client and server applications used in Motorola’s instant messaging demonstration at Telecom ’99 in Geneva, Peterson said.
