IBM And Sprint Join Forces On Wireless Business Applications

IBM and Sprint PCS announced today that the two companies have forged an agreement to develop and test wireless business applications for the on-the-go workforce.

The new services, which are to be unveiled during the first quarter of 2000, will aim to deliver improvements in existing wireless connectivity by plugging the moving user directly into information and applications that are currently reachable from desktop PCs.

Sprint PCS Wireless Web Connection

Sprint PCS launched its Wireless Web Connection last September, enabling corporate customers to connect to their company Intranet or the Internet. The technology allows a business worker to connect a cable from a laptop or any handheld device to a Sprint PCS phone in place of a modem.

The new service that IBM and Sprint will deliver will take connectivity a step further by allowing users access to the same Intranet and Internet information and applications using the Sprint PCS Phone alone, in real time, without the use of a secondary device such as a laptop or handheld device.

Connectivity on the Run

“Real-time data services will be the driving force increasing the use of wireless technology,” said Mark Bregman, general manager, IBM Pervasive Computing Division. “Sprint PCS and IBM have complementary skills to make wireless access to mission-critical business information as secure and reliable as being directly connected to a corporate network.”

“By collaborating with an industry leader like IBM, Sprint PCS is clearly taking the Wireless Web to the next level,” added Charles Levine, chief sales and marketing officer for Sprint PCS. “The enterprise computing solutions that IBM and Sprint PCS will bring to the table speak to the great need for clear, mobile access to any information, on any device, virtually anywhere, anytime.”

More Connectivity, More Applications to Come

In addition to developing Sprint PCS Phone connectivity to more corporate information and applications, IBM will provide extensions to its existing enterprise software products. This feature will let the user access and send information and transactions to a variety of networks and devices.

The ultimate goal is to give moving corporate workers the exact same connectivity through the phone that they receive at their desks.