Ericsson Brings New WAP Features To Mobile Internet Portal

Ericsson has partnered with several application providers to bring a range of new services to the company’s wireless application protocol-based Mobile
Internet portal.

New features include restaurants and travel tips, news, weather forecasts and stock updates, as well as limited online shopping.

While most current WAP services are one-way activities with consumers only receiving information, Ericsson hopes to become a frontrunner in future interactive services.

Ericsson teamed with European entertainment e-tailer Boxman, which will
soon launch its first WAP-based application, to provide multi-channel sales.

“We believe that mobile technology will play a major role in the future of
online retail and are very excited to be one of the key participants in
Ericsson’s aggressive expansion into this new market,” said Tony Salter,
Boxman’s chief executive officer.

CitiKey, a mobile platform for city information and services, will soon
bring a solution enabling users to reserve and pay for movie or theatre
tickets directly on a WAP device, as well as find directions through
digital maps. Pactive will supply news to the portal.

Ericcson’s immediate launch priority is the MC 218, an EPOC-based handheld computer, which it says will be the first WAP-based product on the market. The device runs e-mail, fax, SMS messages and Internet access. An EPOC-based smart phone with WAP capabilities will be rolled out at the end of the year.