Phone.com & Motorola Lexicus Bring Fast Text Entry to WAP Enabled Browsers on Mobile Phones
Redwood City, CA — October 27, 1999 — The Lexicus Division of Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) and Phone.com (NASDAQ: PHCM) announced today a collaborative effort to enhance the text entry capabilities of phones equipped with Phone.com's(tm) UP.Browser(tm) micro browser. The Lexicus Division of Motorola has agreed to support the Phone.com UP.Browser platform with the iTAP(tm) intelligent keypad text entry system. Phone.com intends to further extend it's position as a leader in the delivery of powerful yet simple to use Internet access for mass-market wireless telephones.
By supporting the Phone.com UP.Browser with the iTAP intelligent keypad text entry system, Motorola's Lexicus Division helps provide Phone.com licensees with the ability to add an intuitive, efficient data entry system to their device without the addition of new hardware components such as keyboards or touch screens. Supporting multiple European and Asian languages, the iTAP technology can replace multi-tap text entry methods currently used on most cellular phones and allow manufacturers to create a single phone that can be used across multiple geographies and language regions. Traditional and simplified Chinese versions of the iTAP system have been enormously successful in Motorola's cd928+ model handset, which enables users to input and send Chinese SMS* messages across the GSM network.
"The iTAP technology stands to extend micro browsing capabilities beyond just smart phone and high-tier handsets," said Steven Nowlan, general manager of Motorola's Lexicus Division. "With our iTAP text entry system, the realm of mass-market products that rely solely on the telephone keypad for input and retrieval of data are now capable of supporting WAP enabled browsing functionality."
"Simplified text-entry on a wireless mobile phone dramatically enhances the user experience when working with interactive web applications like e-mail, address books and other applications requiring user input," said Ben Linder, Phone.com's vice president of marketing. "The combination of the Phone.com UP.Browser micro browser and Lexicus' iTAP text entry truly enables WAP enabled devices, like Motorola's tri-band Timeport( L7089 GSM phone to be a powerful two-way communication tool, not just for voice, but for wireless Internet services."*
About the Lexicus Division of Motorola
Motorola's Lexicus Division is at the forefront of the expanding global market for wireless information devices. It specializes in bringing innovative design skills to the development of smart input solutions for smart devices, using intelligent keypad entry, natural handwriting processing and noise robust speech recognition. Please visit http://www.mot.com/lexicus for further information.
Motorola is a global leader in advanced electronic systems and services. It liberates the power of technology by creating software-enhanced products that provide integrated customer solutions and Internet access via wireless and satellite communications, as well as computing, networking, and automotive electronics. Sales in 1998 were $29.4 billion.
*Network and subscription dependent feature. Not available in all areas.
About Phone.com
Phone.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHCM) is a leading provider of software and services that enable the delivery of Internet-based information services to mass-market wireless telephones. Using its software, wireless subscribers have access to Internet- and corporate intranet-based services, including Email, news, stocks, weather, travel and sports. In addition, subscribers have access via their wireless telephones to network operators' intranet-based telephony services, which may include over-the-air activation, call management, billing history information, pricing plan subscription and voice message management. Phone.com is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California and has regional offices in Belfast, London and Tokyo. Visit http://www.phone.com for more information.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Phone.com's limited operating history, potential fluctuations in Phone.com's operating results, uncertainties related to the Phone.com's long sales cycle and reliance on a small number of customers, Phone.com's dependence on the acceptance of its products by network operators and wireless subscribers, Phone.com's ability to adequately address the rapidly-evolving market for delivery of Internet-based services through wireless telephones, the need to achieve widespread integration of Phone.com's browser in wireless telephones, competition from companies with substantially greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources and the ability of Phone.com to manage a complex set of engineering, marketing and distribution relationships. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Phone.com's form 10-K dated September 1999 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
CONTACT:
Jackie Peterson, Motorola, Inc.
Tel: +1 650 858 6062
e-mail: [email protected]
Lauren Canter, Motorola, Inc.
Tel: +1 617 536 9447 x 316
e-mail: [email protected]
Rowan Benecke, PR21
Tel: +1 415 439-8811
e-mail: [email protected]
Vicky Ryce, Text 100 Ltd.
Tel: +44 (0)181 242 4248
e-mail: [email protected]