Ericsson delivers first commercial WAP portal in Malaysia

Ericsson delivers first commercial WAP portal in Malaysia Following a strategic USD 65 million agreement with WAP Portal Sdn Bhd, Ericsson Business Consulting is launching the first Malaysian commercial WAP Portal. A commercial trial is now ongoing with a GSM network operator, ADAM, part of the TIME group of companies. Fine-tuning of the platform in line with the trial will continue until early July before a transition to full commercial rollout under a managed services contract. En Ahmad Razlan Tan Sri Ahmad Razali, WAP Portal Sdn Bhd's Chief Executive Officer says, "The partnership with Ericsson Business Consulting reaffirms WAP Portal's commitment toward enhancing WAP-based applications and services. Ericsson's role in this partnership is to provide technical expertise, system design & integration services." "WAP Portal Sdn Bhd is proud to be the country's first independent WAP Portal. We see tremendous potential for WAP technology to be incorporated into the local business environment, particularly in the field of e- commerce. The portal, operated by us provides the necessary infrastructure for contents from websites to be channeled to the wireless end users." WAP Portal is also currently evaluating and procuring additional components to broaden its services offering which includes SIM-based WAP access and payment solutions. WAP Portal Sdn Bhd currently has several content partners and over 30 types of services such as directory, news headlines, sports, finance, entertainment, travel information, and email/POP3 to offer its subscribers and network partners during the trial. More services such as banking, stock trading and bill payments will be introduced and will double the current offering by the early stages of a commercial rollout. Kennet Rådne, President, Ericsson Business Consulting, comments, "Ericsson has been able to provide its expertise in end to end communications solutions in developing the latest cutting edge service offerings. We are pleased to be able to play a leading role in promoting mobile Internet based services in Malaysia." The current platform was designed to support 100,000 subscribers based on information delivery and is prepared for upgrading with additional platform capacity as well as transaction and payment services, to be implemented by Ericsson Business Consulting over the coming months. In addition to WAP related services, WAP Portal will explore related areas such as Customer Relationship Management and Mobile Positioning services as part of it's partnership strategy with Ericsson. Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of Mobile Internet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world. Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Vivienne Almqvist, Global Communications, Ericsson Business Consulting Phone: +46 8 422 0881; E-mail: vivienne.almqvist@bct.ericsson.se Kennet Rådne, President, Ericsson Business Consulting Phone: +46 8 422 2088; E-mail: kennet.radne@edt.ericsson.se Mikael Karlström, Managing Director, Ericsson Business Consulting, Malaysia Phone: + 60 3 7087880; E-mail: mikael.karlstrom@edt.ericsson.se About WAP Portal WAP Portal Sdn Bhd is Malaysia's leading independent mobile Internet services provider, with total offerings for content and services hosting for industries ranging from banking & finance, media & entertainment to travel and transport. WAP Portal also specializes in providing mobile data services to network operators and communities within private enterprises. About WAP Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is the main worldwide industry standard for providing Internet communications and advanced services on digital mobile phones, pagers, Personal Digital Assistants and other wireless terminals. WAP is compatible with all mobile standards, including cdmaOne, GSM, PDC and TDMA, as well as 3G systems. Ericsson, together with Nokia and Motorola, has introduced a new initiative to simplify recognition of mobile Internet applications. The Mobile Media Mode (WWW:MMM) will enable users, content providers and operators to recognize services, Internet sites and devices such as smart phones, which provide access to these services. More information about WAP is available at http://www.wapforum.org Ericsson's Mobile Internet portal is: http://mobile.ericsson.se/mobileinternet ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/27/20000627BIT00640/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/27/20000627BIT00640/bit0002.pdf