NEC Europe Endorses Microsoft’s New Computer Platform for Handheld PCs
LONDON — September 18, 1996 — NEC Corporation (NEC) announced today that it endorses, and plans to manufacture the handheld personal computers (HPCs) based on Windows CE platform developed by Microsoft Corporation. NEC is expected to ship this product to the US market later this year.
Windows CE, is a new open, scaleable Windows platform for a range of consumer electronics and non-PC devices that are compatible with, or are mobile extensions of, Windows personal computers. It maintains its compatibility to current Windows platform products in the office today and extends to the outside office. NEC will adopt the platform to provide powerful and yet easy to use HPCs. NEC has contributed its development from the early stage of this platform.
"It is now time for long awaited mobile professionals," said Yoshi Takayama, senior vice president of NEC. "Convergence of NEC's hardware technologies and Microsoft's enabling software technologies are predicted to create the new handheld PC platform."
Takayama added: "The combination of NEC's strength in HPC development and Microsoft's operating system is expected to satisfy the needs of mobile professionals today."
"Microsoft is pleased to announce that one of the world leaders in semiconductor and miniaturised PC technology has chosen to develop and manufacture HPC devices based on the Microsoft Windows CE platform," said Craig Mundie, senior vice president, consumer platforms division at Microsoft. "We believe that the combination of the Windows CE platform with HPC devices from NEC will help us achieve our shared goal of expanding the handheld computing market to its full potential."
Note: Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Corporate Profiles NEC Corporation, founded in 1899, had net sales of $43 billion (US) in the 1994-5 fiscal year. The NEC headquarters are based in Tokyo, Japan. NEC manufactures and markets a broad range of products, including computer systems, communications systems, which extends from switching systems to cellular phones, and electronic devices, which extends from microprocessors to memory chips.
CONTACT:
Lorraine Pitt, NEC Europe Ltd, London PR
Tel: +44 (0)171-353-4383
Fax: +44 (0)171-353-4384
e-mail : [email protected]