Wireless Application Protocol pioneer Phone.com Inc. introduced a WAP 1.1 compliant UP.Link Server, and announced a major strategic agreement with Motorola Inc. for both its server and microbrowser products.
Release 4 of the UP.Link Server is fully WAP 1.1 compliant, the company said. Previous UP.Link Server versions used only Wireless Markup Language technology. Because some handsets are WML compliant and others WAP compliant, the R4 Server can support the widest selection of such handsets available today. Operators implementing the server in their networks will be able to offer customers with WAP-enabled phones Internet and intranet content, the company said.
Motorola entered into a strategic software licensing and distribution agreement with Phone.com, under which Motorola will incorporate the server in its new Mobile Internet Exchange Communications Platform (see story on Page 41). Additionally, Motorola will incorporate Phone.com’s UP.Browser WAP 1.1 compliant microbrowser across its entire line of handsets, regardless of airlink protocol.
“This agreement is a significant milestone for Phone.com,” said Alain Rossmann, chairman and chief executive officer of Phone.com. “This strategic relationship with Motorola gives us the opportunity to broaden our distribution channels, accelerate our footprint growth in carriers around the world and extend our collaboration with Motorola to create wireless handsets and services. We anticipate modest revenues this fiscal year as a result of this working relationship with added potential for revenues beyond this fiscal year.”
Investors responded in an overwhelmingly positive manner to both announcements. After the new server was introduced, Phone.com stock jumped almost $20 to $174. The day after the Motorola announcement was made, Phone.com stock jumped another $16 to an all-time high of $190. Phone.com stock was trading slightly lower at $184.50 at press time.
In late-breaking news, Phone.com said Hong Kong personal communications services operator Sunday has licensed the R4 UP.Link Server.
