Competition in the wireless personal digital assistant space will be heating up soon, as Casio Computer Co. Ltd. and Siemens’ Communication Devices division have announced a strategic alliance to jointly develop a new line of palmtop personal computers with wireless Internet capabilities.
Of particular note is the companies’ plan to power the device with Microsoft Corp.’s Windows CE operating system to provide multimedia, wireless Internet and mobile phone capabilities. Also of interest is that the devices will work on Global System for Mobile communications networks, with the potential to work on Code Division Multiple Access networks and the various third-generation technologies as well.
Neither should come as much surprise, given the two companies’ respective strengths. Casio is a leader in the Windows CE-powered palm-sized PC space, while Siemens is the third-largest GSM manufacturer in Europe.
The two companies said they will unveil a working prototype in February at CeBIT 2000 in Germany. The two said the first product will be a palmtop PC with wireless e-mail and Internet capabilities, as well as digital music and video functions.
Casio and Siemens said the prototype will be the first of an expected range of wireless Internet devices capable of connecting wirelessly to corporate information hosted on Microsoft Exchange servers, as well as wireless Internet and e-mail on any other service.
With the implementation of third-generation technology such as Global Packet Radio Service, IMT-2000 and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), services such as streaming video and large-file messaging will be possible as well, they said. Plans call for the services to be available to the European market initially, and at some point make its way to the United States.
Both firms said they believe the market for wireless Internet access devices will be more than $7.2 billion by 2003, with more than 15 million units in service by that time.
