Ericsson, Microsoft Launch Mobile Internet Venture

[London, ENGLAND] Ericsson and
Microsoft officially launched
Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB on Monday, a new mobile Internet
company headquartered in Sweden with regional centers around the world.

Ericsson owns 70 percent of the new venture; Microsoft 30 percent. Its
formation has already been cleared by the European Commission, enabling
it to begin operations immediately.

Headed by Ericsson’s Ulf Avrin, Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture
will develop solutions allowing mobile operators to offer mobile
e-mail, calendar, and personal information management services to both
corporate and consumer markets.

“Mobile e-mail should be as easy as talking on a mobile phone, which is
basically what we will help the mobile operators deliver to their
customers,”
said Avrin.

Avrin added that there is broad recognition that mobile e-mail is one of
the key applications needed to create a mobile Internet mass market. He
said the new venture was already in discussions with leading operators
who were showing a strong interest in the types of solution under
development.

Speaking on behalf of Microsoft, Paul H. Gross, senior vice president of
the software giant’s mobility division, said the vision was to work
with mobile operators to provide knowledge workers and consumers faster
and easier access to mobile e-mail and other mobile data services.

Lars Boman, Ericsson’s vice president and general manager of Internet
applications, said the venture was clear proof of the marriage between
mobility and the Internet that is taking us into the new era of mobile
Internet.

However, despite all the hype and the upbeat announcements, the era of the
mobile Internet is still some way off, according to most independent
observers. WAP has largely flopped while third generation technology
has yet to be implemented. When it is, Microsoft and Ericsson are
likely to be two of the very largest players.

The two companies say they will work jointly to support open standards
and technologies such as Bluetooth, WAP and Universal Plug & Play
(UpnP).

Further information about the new venture can be found at
www.em-mobileventure.com.