Qualcomm Inc. announced a series of new partners for its BREW application download service, including Internet heavyweight America Online Inc.
AOL said it will sell a variety of BREW applications, including those supporting its instant-messaging service, its e-mail service and its MapQuest location-services offering. Qualcomm said the applications will be available through Verizon Wireless and other BREW carriers.
“This is a very significant milestone for the BREW system,” said Gina Lombardi, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm’s Internet Services division. “America Online is the world’s leading interactive services company, whose name is synonymous with rich and compelling consumer content. This agreement marks a bold next step for the BREW system as we support operators’ requirements for the premium applications and consumer brands that their subscribers demand.”
Interestingly, instant-messaging company MessageVine Inc. announced it will sell its own messaging application through Qualcomm’s BREW service. The company said its IM Access application will give users an easy-to-navigate interface for accessing their Instant Message buddy lists from BREW-enabled phones.
Finally, Qualcomm also announced Kyocera Wireless Corp. will support its BREWChat push-to-chat solution. Kyocera said it will make a variety of push-to-chat enabled handsets available to operators worldwide, including handsets in multiple price tiers serving various market segments. The technology enables person-to-person and person-to-group communication and is planned for commercial availability in the first quarter of next year.
