The big names walked into the building just as Elvis decided to leave.
In spite of recent gloomy economic signals, Sony Electronics Inc., Panasonic Telecommunications Systems Co., Cisco Systems Inc. and Siemens AG believe they can leverage their resources and successful histories in other areas to take advantage of new opportunities in the U.S. wireless space.
Cisco, which is rooted in providing end-to-end network enterprises in the wireline sector, moved into wireless late last year with a number of initiatives. The company will offer a slew of applications for business, entertainment and personal management, create an in-building wireless LAN system and build special business content technology to be customized by individual end users.
The goal of Cisco is to provide combined services.
“No one can have all the cool content,” said Mark Milazzo, director of Cisco’s wireless group on his company’s initiatives. “So you need service aggregation.”
The solutions are in tune with the 802.11 wireless in-building model, which feeds on Cisco’s Internet infrastructure, data services core and radio access networks.
“The benefit,” said Milazzo, “is that the user gets free calling on one phone, on one number without a desk phone.”
Two wireless phones known as ProMax and DuraMax mark Panasonic’s onslaught announced in February. They are lightweight, multinetwork devices modeled on the GD-90 GSM form factor that Panasonic has used in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
The initiatives represent the company’s return to the U.S. marketplace.
“We did take a hiatus in the U.S., but we were successful in analog technology in the wireless industry,” said Debra Sachs, Panasonic’s assistant general manager of wireless systems division.
German vendor Siemens AG, which has held sway in Europe, launched into the U.S. this year and debuted in the New York Stock exchange in March.
“The U.S. is their weak point,” said Sylvia Panayi, analyst with Strategis Group, adding that the company has to create market for itself.
Sony’s re-entry to the U.S. market is the slowest, kicking off with its Clie handheld, which allows users access to a variety of Internet content.
“An important part of our product strategy is to offer Clie handheld customers a variety of options in choosing how and when they want to access information that is important to them,” said Cynthia Rennolds, Sony Electronics’ director of wireless.
Cynthia Hswe, a Strategis Group analyst, said Sony would target enterprise and multimedia content.
The company, however, says it plans to roll out a series of initiatives in the summer, mostly revolving around notebooks.
All four companies are not going it alone. Panasonic is leveraging its partnership with AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and will follow the carrier’s technology path.
“We are pleased,” said Sachs, “that AT&T Wireless, one of the largest wireless networks in the nation, has partnered with us to sell our newly designed models of digital wireless phones.”
Sony will work with GoAmerica with its Clie handheld. GoAmerica encrypts and compresses data and enables users to customize their Web browsers to optimize Internet access for the handheld.
Siemens has announced Cingular Wireless as the operator for its S40 phone.
Cisco is partnering with Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. to facilitate GSM technology and teams with Motorola and Samsung for CDMA technology.
