RadioMail API Gives Application Developers Easy Access to Radiomail Gateway and Nationwide Wireless Infrastructure
SAN MATEO, Calif. — November 3, 1993 — An application programming interface (API) that provides the foundation for building wireless message-based applications — significantly easing and shortening the developer's task — is now being offered by RadioMail Corp.
The RadioMail API (RAPI) is available currently for DOS-based personal computers. By the end of first quarter 1994, RAPI development kits will be available for the HP100LX Palmtop PC, MS-Windows PCs and Macintosh PowerBooks. APIs for additional platforms, including recently-announced personal digital assistants (PDAs) and personal communicators, will follow.
RAPI provides an interface to the wireless transport infrastructure on top of which developers can build applications that send and receive information. Collectively known as "mail- enabled" applications, these include electronic mail, database inquiry (e.g., accessing airline schedules or customer order information), and collaborative activities such as calendar scheduling.
RadioMail President William Hipp said, "A major frustration for developers eager to do wireless applications has been the lack of a coherent set of tools to seamlessly handle both ends of a wireless connection. RAPI and its related service offering are the first widely-available solution that, for a small initial investment, lets developers quickly get 'on the air.' The entire infrastructure — even the ability to bill for services — is already in place."
Besides providing a complete set of public gateway services, including message store-and-forward, guaranteed delivery, nationwide coverage and instant notification, RAPI hides the underlying network complexity from developers, allowing them to focus on the application itself rather than on the inherent complexities of wireless networks. RAPI also includes the unique "bandwidth-friendly" algorithm originally developed for RadioMail's own wireless messaging service, a critical element in making efficient use of precious wireless network resources.
RAPI is the only transport scheme developed specifically for wireless use, rather than adapted from an existing standard for wired communication, Hipp said. "For example, the existing wireless implementation of the Hayes AT protocol doesn't support sessionless wireless communication, so, as with cellular phones, interrupted sessions are simply lost. With RAPI you can be in the midst of sending a message, enter a long tunnel, and transmission resumes automatically when you come out the other side. Nothing is ever lost.
"RadioMail and others have teamed up to support a sessionless version of AT optimized for wireless communication that has been proposed as a PCCA (Portable Computer and Communications Association) standard," Hipp added. "Meanwhile, RAPI gives developers an immediate solution that will automatically be compatible with any standards that are developed."
The RadioMail API Developer's Kit, priced at $250, includes a binary driver containing the RadioMail transport engine, connection tools for Mobitex (RAM) and RDLAP (ARDIS) modems, extensive documentation of the API, sample source code, sample MFS (Message Format Specification) messages, and routines to validate MFS structures. The RAPI toolkit also includes routines for over-the-air service signup that can be included with published applications. Developers' technical support is available for a nominal fee.
The architecture of the transport engine allows new connection tools to be issued for each new transport as they become available. This will give developers the ability to drop in such protocols as CDPD, PCS or the PCCA standard without changes to their applications, ensuring an easy upgrade path and minimizing the risk of obsolescence.
RadioMail Corp. operates a wireless public messaging gateway that provides e-mail and information to intelligent portable computing devices equipped with radio modems. Subscribers are assigned a Radio Mailbox in RadioMail's computer center, enabling them to send and receive messages over the RAM Mobile Data and ARDIS two-way wireless networks. Subscribers can connect to a wide range of public and private networks, including corporate mail systems such as Lotus cc:Mail, public access systems such as MCI Mail, ATT Mail and CompuServe; and the worldwide Internet and UUCP/USENET service. note to Editors: RadioMail is a registered trademark of RadioMail Corporation. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies.
CONTACT:
RadioMail Corp.
Ed Forman, 415/286-7800 Ulevich & Orrange Inc.
William Orrange, Janis Ulevich, 415/329-1590