Sprint to Offer Expanded Wireless Services
N E W Y O R K, Aug. 23 -- Sprint PCS plans to offer business users a morerobust wireless link to corporate networks, enabling them toconnect cell phones, laptops and handheld computers to e-mail andkey applications such as Lotus Notes.
The new business service announced today, scheduled fornationwide launch next month, includes faster download speeds whenan online connection is made directly with the Web browser on amobile phone or if the handset is used as a wireless modem.
While wireless access to the Internet via mobile phones isbecoming more popular, one major gripe among business users is thatthey need to access e-mail from public service providers such asYahoo! or AOL rather than their primary work account, forcing themto maintain more than one address.
New Wireless Modems
In tandem with the announcement, Sprint also unveiled two newwireless modems that can be programmed with a Sprint PCS phonenumber and installed on a portable computer so the user doesn’thave to plug a mobile phone into the device.
The foray into business services is crucial for Sprint, whichjumped ahead of the competition in the consumer arena with itsWireless Web launch a year ago, but wants more of the higher-payingcorporate market dominated by rivals such as Nextel and AT&T.
Users of the new service will be able to connect to a corporatenetwork at speeds similar to a wired dial-up connection, or aboutthree times the current speed possible.
As part of the new initiative, Sprint has formed alliances withLotus, which is a unit of IBM, as well as other businessapplication providers including Siebel Systems, Sabre Holdings,PeopleSoft and Wireless Knowledge, a venture partly backed byMicrosoft.
In addition to e-mail, the new Wireless Web for Business servicewill provide access to internal network applications such aspersonal calendars, corporate directories, travel services, andproduct and sales information.
Later this year, Sprint plans to add a customized link to theseservices on its mobile phone Web browser.
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