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MSFT and Qualcomm in deal |
| Companies
announce plan to jointly develop wireless Internet
access |
February 28, 2000: 5:42 p.m. ET
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NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Mobile phone
technology company Qualcomm Inc. and Microsoft said on Monday they
planned to jointly develop advanced wireless devices, expanding
their relationship as the software giant continues its push into the
communications market.
Qualcomm's shares
rose 9-11/16 to 143-1/4 on the Nasdaq stock market after the deal
was announced, while Microsoft rose 1/4 to 91-9/16, also on
Nasdaq.
The new deal calls for the
companies to focus on developing hardware reference designs for
mobile devices, including so-called smart phones and wireless pocket
personal computers, the companies said. Financial terms were not
disclosed.
Steve Guggenheimer, director
of marketing for Microsoft's consumer group told CNNfn's Street
Sweep that the company envisions a "filtered version" of the
Internet to be available soon on many different types of wireless
devices. (471K WAV
or 471K AIFF)
 The "smart" phones will be based on the Microsoft
Mobile Explorer wireless communications platform; the wireless
pocket personal computers will use Qualcomm CDMA Technologies'
chipset and system software.
CDMA
(code division multiple access) technology is considered the
foundation for future "third-generation" technology that will allow
more sophisticated mobile services.
Microsoft
(MSFT: Research,
Estimates)
also planned to announce agreements with Nextel (NXTL: Research,
Estimates)
and AirTouch Communications Inc. to offer the interactive MSN Mobile
service. Company officials say they are building relationships with
others as well.
MSN Mobile was introduced
last year to allow users to receive wireless information such as
stock quotes, weather reports and lottery information in text
message form on interactive pagers and cell phones. As part of its
announcement, the company said WebLink
Wireless Inc. (WLNK: Research,
Estimates)
and Totally Free Paging Inc. have agreed to offer an enhanced form
of these one-way notifications on their
products.
The new version of MSN Mobile,
to be available in April, will make it possible to send and receive
information on a wireless device when using MSN services such as
Hotmail for exchanging e-mail, Expedia.com for making travel
plans, and MSN MoneyCentral for managing personal financial
matters.
That means consumers can check
and respond to their Hotmail messages or find an itinerary and then
book a ticket on Expedia using a cell phone or handheld computer
with Web capabilities.
The Qualcomm deal
expands on Qualcomm
(QCOM: Research,
Estimates)
and Microsoft's existing alliance, started in 1998 when the
companies formed a joint venture called Wireless Knowledge that
provides platforms and services to corporate customers and
application providers to enable applications for the mobile
Internet.
Under the new deal, Qualcomm
and Microsoft also will work together to promote their products and
services for advanced wireless
devices.
San Diego-based Qualcomm
unveiled several other deals Monday at the trade
show.
Qualcomm also said it had allied
itself, partnered with or extended alliances with RF Micro
Devices Inc. (RFMD: Research,
Estimates),
the Symbian wireless joint venture, and Lucent
Technologies Inc. (LU: Research,
Estimates).
The
deal with Murray Hill, N.J.,-based Lucent, the world's largest
telecommunications equipment maker, expands an existing relationship
under which the two companies agreed to build wireless network
equipment that offers more capacity and faster speeds. 
-- from wire reports
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