Device Arena

Research In Motion (RIM) introduced the ultra sleek BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8110 smartphone in Hong Kong. Designed for people who want to make the most of their work and personal lives, the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 comes with built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), rich multimedia features, powerful communications capabilities and the exceptional user experience that people love about BlackBerry® smartphones.

Featuring an elegant black finish, the small and stylish BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone is an extraordinary lifestyle tool that makes it easier for business professionals and consumers on the move to make calls, email, surf the net, take and send photographs, listen to music, watch and record videos and access their organiser as well as a range of business and leisure applications for both work and play.

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Sprint wireless customers in the Chicagoland area who already take advantage of the company’s networks should experience even better wireless services as a result of Sprint local network enhancements that occurred throughout 2007. Sprint added 106 wireless cell sites and created 177 in-building network solutions during 2007 to the Nationwide Sprint Network and Nextel National Network in the greater Chicago area.

“With a clear focus on serving its customers, Sprint is making significant investments to increase coverage and capacity in its wireless networks in Chicago and throughout the country,” said J.W. Penland, Sprint area vice president for Illinois and Wisconsin. “In 2008, customer satisfaction and network quality are top priorities, as customers rely on Sprint to stay connected.”

The following list outlines some local areas benefiting from these enhancements:

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Vodafone in collaboration with Research In Motion (RIM), introduces the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8110 smartphone in India. The ultra sleek BlackBerry Pearl 8110 comes with built-in GPS, rich multimedia features and the powerful communication capabilities of the BlackBerry® solution. The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 can access up to 10 supported personal email accounts using BlackBerry® Internet Service and corporate email and data systems via BlackBerry® Enterprise Server.

Through its built-in GPS, the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 can pinpoint a user’s location and provides “out-of-the-box” support for a wide variety of location-based applications and services including Google Maps.

Featuring an elegant black finish, the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone is an exceptional lifestyle tool that makes it easier for businesses and individuals on the move to make calls, email, surf the net, take and send photographs, listen to music, watch and record* videos and access their organiser as well as a range of applications for both work and play.

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With Nextel Direct Connect, customers of Sprint have access to more than just the world’s fastest and largest push-to-talk service and the only such service with international capabilities - they also have industry-leading “push-to-x” capabilities. Push-to-x features bring the convenience of “the button” to multiple Nextel Direct Connect applications, including push-to-send voice messages to any email address, with NextMail, and push-to-send pictures or contact info with Direct Send.

“Part of our 15 years of experience offering industry-leading Nextel Direct Connect has been offering innovative uses for ‘the button’ with push-to-x features,” said John Garcia, chief marketing officer for Sprint. “Whether it’s reviewing a picture while on a call or quickly sending full contact information, Nextel Direct Connect offers users even more ways to get things done instantly with the button.”

“Instant communication is critical to customers who need to maximize their productivity in our fast-paced world, and Nextel Direct Connect has been providing that capability for years,” said Nate Dyer, senior analyst at Yankee Group. “Sprint has taken that same ‘instant’ customer requirement and extended the simplicity and speed beyond voice calls to a range of other push-to-x capabilities.”

Push-to-Email

With NextMail, customers can use the Nextel Direct Connect button to push-to-send voice messages to any email address. The NextMail service allows customers to select a recipient from their address book, push the Direct Connect button, speak to record the message and release the button to send the message to their recipient’s email address. The recipient receives an email in their Inbox with a link they can click to listen to the message and respond back to the sender via text. NextMail is available for $7.50 per month.

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Motorola today announced its adaptive access point (AP) wireless solution providing secure wireless connectivity and service to mobile users in remote branch offices and support for future 802.11n wireless LANs (WLANs). Motorola’s adaptive AP wireless solution also offers enhanced mobility and management to medium and large enterprises, single site and campus WLAN deployments.

Branch offices such as retail stores, nursing homes and financial offices can use adaptive AP to provide a centralized point for managing APs at any location over a wide area network (WAN) connection with a wireless switch located at the headquarters or data center. By switching to an adaptive AP architecture, enterprises get the benefits of centralized management and local networking. As a result enterprises will save by reducing the need for additional networking equipment and dedicated IT staff at each branch office.

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Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Corporation, and Motorola Inc., both responsible for jointly developing the first national platform for offering digital video services via cable systems over a decade ago, have signed a multi-year agreement to develop and support the next generation of equipment and content authorization solutions for the CMC’s HITS Quantum affiliates.

The solutions being developed by the CMC and Motorola will allow HITS Quantum affiliates with 330 MHz plant capability or greater to offer a competitive lineup of advanced services by building upon their existing infrastructure. For example, a 330 MHz system could expand its service offering to customers by converting some of its analog channels to digital, utilizing programming on the HITS platform, and then using that reclaimed bandwidth to offer hundreds of additional linear HDTV and SD channels and a library of VOD programming with over 2,000 titles also available through the HITS platform. In addition, the affiliate should be well positioned to cost-effectively add high speed data, voice services, DVR and a host of interactive TV applications, including advanced advertising and gaming.

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Ericsson has entered into an agreement to divest its enterprise PBX solutions business to Aastra Technologies. The agreement involves transfer of approximately 630 employees of which some 360 are based in Sweden. The transaction is expected to close in April 2008. From now on, Ericsson will focus on providing its broad portfolio of enterprise applications directly to operators and service providers.

Ericsson’s enterprise PBX solutions business is a leading provider of IP PBX, converged PBX systems and branch office solutions. The product portfolio includes communications solutions for enterprises of all sizes, mobility solutions, telephone terminals and services. Sales in 2007 amounted to approximately SEK 3 billion. The purchase price is SEK 650 million excluding net of assets and liabilities. A capital gain of approximately SEK 200 million is expected.

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Sprint and Samsung Mobile today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Ace, a sleek, stylish and commanding smartphone powered by the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and Windows Mobile 6.

The Samsung Ace delivers the versatility of a slim and compact smartphone combined with the experience of a personal computer, complete with Windows Mobile 6 capabilities. Operating in the U.S. on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, the Samsung Ace provides clear voice calls, core PDA and organizational capabilities and easy access to exclusive Sprint content, including Sprint TVSM with more than 50 channels of live television and on-demand video and audio and On Demand with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, money and more customized to the user’s zip code. With quad-band capabilities, the Samsung ACE also operates globally on CDMA and GSM/GPRS networks where Sprint has international roaming agreements. With the Samsung ACE Sprint customers can make or receive calls in approximately 180 countries and access professional and personal email, view documents and files, surf the web, and sync their Outlook calendar in nearly 100 countries. More information about expansive international coverage options with Sprint can be found at www.sprint.com/international.

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Sprint and Samsung Mobile today announced the immediate availability of the M520 by Samsung. This unique slider phone makes it easy for customers to access the Web, find local restaurants, watch live television, download their favorite songs, send text messages or use GPS to find their way home.

As the first Power Vision phone in a slim, slider form factor, the M520 by Samsung is simple to operate and slips easily into a pocket or purse. It offers a robust multi-tasking capability that gives customers the ability to play music in background mode while also using the phone for text messaging, playing games or surfing the Internet.

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Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd, Mobile Communications Division, announced at the Mobile World Congress 2008 its new Port?g? G810, the perfect device for those users that need to be fully functional whilst mobile. Whether it is to keep in touch with the office and friends, browse the web, share photos and videos or just trying to get from A to B on time – the Port?g? G810 is a fitting phone for those who like to have it all. It also has a new and enhanced user interface and with the stylish touch screen it’s both simple and easy to use. The G810 will be available across Europe in Q2 2008.

The Port?g? G810 is the ideal mobile-working device. With Windows Mobile the user has access to the Microsoft Office Mobile applications they need to carry on working whilst out and about, and with push e-mail they can read and respond to e-mails immediately.

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