DENVER, United States—European wireless giant Mm02 announced a series of major deals that further the carrier’s strategy to offer a range of unique products and services in the European market during the next several months.
First, the carrier announced an agreement with Handspring to sell the U.S.-based personal digital assistant (PDA) maker’s much-praised Treo wireless communicator through various outlets in Europe. The companies will develop joint marketing programs to sell the PDA/mobile-phone device, which will launch during the first quarter of this year. The deal is currently for GSM-based products, but Handspring has said it will develop a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)-based line of Treos.
Separately, Handspring announced a deal with Swedish wireless distributor APE Telecom, which will sell the company’s Treo line of products throughout Sweden starting immediately.
Handspring’s moves are an extension of its ongoing strategy to enter the European market.
Mm02’s other major announcement involves software giant Microsoft. Under the deal, the two companies will sell a package of new corporate services running over mm02’s GPRS network. The services, based on Microsoft’s Mobile Information Server Enterprise and Carrier Editions, will offer secure wireless access to corporate intranets and Exchange data, including e-mail contacts and calendars, as well as Web browsing and access to corporate virtual private networks. The move is part of Microsoft’s wide-ranging .NET strategy, which includes offering a one-time sign-on to access Web-based services.
Mm02 said the deal with Microsoft will also better position the carrier to release its new 02 XDA, which is its Pocket PC-based integrated mobile phone and PDA.
The carrier is already selling GPRS-based BlackBerry wireless e-mail and mobile-phone devices.
