Device Arena

Cisco and Nokia today announced growing customer and partner acceptance of their combined mobile unified communications solution. The Mobile Business Solution from Cisco and Nokia extends the rich Cisco® Unified Internet Protocol (IP) Phone capabilities to Nokia Eseries smartphones over Cisco Unified Wireless Networks to offer users a seamless mobile experience in the enterprise environment and public cellular networks. The two companies also announced that they are beginning to deploy each other’s mobile solutions. Cisco is beginning to deploy Nokia Eseries smartphones for its sales organization in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific theaters, while Nokia will begin with Cisco Unified Wireless Network in its offices, labs, and manufacturing sites.

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AT&T, Microsoft Corp., HTC Corp. and I-play announced today the creation of the AT&T Game Development Contest for Windows Mobile to discover the next breakthrough mobile game. Windows Mobile games represent the fastest-growing segment of the AT&T gaming business. The AT&T Game Development Contest, launching May 1, is truly unique as it represents the first time all members of the mobile gaming ecosystem are collaborating in an effort to inspire the developer community to take mobile gaming applications to the next level.

In a May 2007 research report, Gartner Inc. forecast worldwide mobile gaming end-user revenue to reach $9.6 billion in 2011 — up significantly from the $2.9 billion realized in 2006. Gartner attributes this projected growth in mobile gaming to consumer awareness and the increase in content being developed by gaming publishers. AT&T, which has the broadest portfolio of Windows Mobile phones of any U.S. carrier, currently offers more than 2,300 on-deck mobile games and is always evaluating innovative and entertaining gaming options to offer its 71 million-plus mobile customers.

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AT&T today announced that Kaman Corp. has renewed a three-year contract for voice and network services, which will include AT&T OneNet® Services. Under the contract, AT&T will provide the aerospace and industrial technology leader with an integrated portfolio of services for approximately 160 domestic locations.

Under the new agreement, Kaman will use AT&T’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) services to streamline the transfer of data and communications throughout the AT&T network. Network security and reliability will be strengthened through the use of AT&T’s Security Services. AT&T will also provide local and long distance voice services to support reliable, cost-effective communications across Kaman’s locations. The VPN and OneNet Service combine to help ensure operational and communications efficiencies for Kaman.

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Verizon Wireless announced today that it has expanded the national rollout of its high-speed wireless network to Lincoln, Neb. The expansion overlays the company’s existing data network within the Lincoln area and along Interstate 80 to Omaha. Coverage extends north of Lincoln to I-80, west to Northwest 48th Street, east to North 84th Street, and south to Saltillo Road.

“Lincoln represents a vital market with dynamic, tech-savvy business people, residents and students who want to stay connected,” said Nancy B. Clark, president – Great Plains region, Verizon Wireless. “The launch of our broadband network here provides our customers with access to the very latest wireless technology.”

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Motorola is working with Advanced Info Service (AIS), the largest mobile operator in Thailand, to conduct trials of mobile WiMAX solutions. The trials will enable AIS to gain insight into the next generation personal wireless broadband services.

AIS started trials over Motorola’s WiMAX Access Point-400 (WAP-400) platform in Bangkok and Lamlukka in the first quarter of 2008. The operator is studying performance of real-life applications over the mobile WiMAX network, and customer usage models in metropolitan, suburban and rural areas.

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Electronic messaging is important for businesses, but the continued proliferation of viruses, worms, denial-of-service attacks and spam makes effective message security and management increasingly difficult. Businesses have invested heavily in their IP and MPLS VPN networks and they need to protect it from such threats. Sprint offers a solution to help provide peace of mind for businesses by blocking spam and viruses before they ever reach the company’s network. SprintSecure(SM) Message Protection, powered by Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services, is available for businesses of all sizes and now includes several enhancements to more robustly solve the challenges faced by IT managers.

“Sprint is a leader in helping businesses implement an IP-based infrastructure to support the convergence of data, voice and video over a single network, thus heightening the urgency to protect against electronic threats,” said Mike Coffey, vice president of product management, Sprint. “SprintSecure Message Protection is critical to protecting this network investment. In addition to protecting more than a million business users with this service every day, Sprint uses it to protect our own world-class IP network. The service has blocked more than 250 billion spam messages and viruses for our customers in just the last 12 months . . . a significant impact that improves customers’ productivity and efficiency of IP and MPLS VPN networks.”

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Nokia announced today that SNAP Mobile, its connected mobile Java gaming platform, has expanded games distribution channels in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan. Through further cooperation with SINA Corporation, a leading online media company, Chinese consumers can access more connected games on Nokia devices and download them through local online storefronts. In Taiwan, people can experience a new connected games service through gaming portals run by Taiwanese service provider PocketNet Technology Inc. as well as through Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), the country’s largest mobile operator.

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Sony Ericsson introduced two new HSDPA phones into its line-up; each clearly designed to take its range of web-enabled phones in a different direction. The Z780 expands the company’s range of devices for markets outside of Europe and the compact G502 brings the power of the web to a mainstream audience.

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AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd and the Transtec Gotthard Consortium today announced the contract signature for the railway infrastructure of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. The Transtec Gotthard Consortium comprises the following companies: Alcatel-Lucent’s legal entity in Switzerland, Alcatel-Lucent Schweiz AG, Zurich, Atel Installationstechnik AG, Zurich, TRSS Thales Rail Signaling Solutions AG, Zurich, Alpine Bau GmbH, Hergiswil, and Balfour Beatty Rail GmbH, Munich, Germany. The contract for this last major construction lot on the Gotthard is worth 1.69 billion Swiss francs (EURO 1.05 billion).

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Alcatel-Lucent today announced it has been selected by Belgacom its technology and network integration partner to design, integrate, and deploy an end-to-end multi-vendor IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution. The platform will enable Belgacom to effectively support and to further develop a wide variety of fixed and mobile services including voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia communications for both residential and business customers.

Alcatel-Lucent will deliver a complete IMS applications and core network solution, based on a standard architecture, incorporating products from Alcatel-Lucent and partners, including application servers, session controllers, home subscriber servers, session border controllers and network/service management functionality. The solution, based on widely adopted standards facilitating convergence, will be a cornerstone of Belgacom’s future network.

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