P.
Hayes - April 20th, 2000
Event
Summary
CANNES, France, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mobile Wireless Internet Forum
(MWIF), a forum focused on accelerating the deployment of open, Internet-based
standards for mobile wireless networks announced its formation today.
Its founding members are Alcatel, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Celletra, Cisco
Systems, Compaq, Comverse Network Systems, DDI Corporation, Ericsson,
Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, Hyundai Electronics, IBM, IP Mobile,
KPMG Consulting, LG Information and Communications Ltd., Lucent Technologies,
Malibu Networks, Microsoft, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Nortel Networks, Orange,
Portal Software, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sharp Corporation, Siemens,
SK Telecom, Solect, Sony, Sprint PCS, Sun Microsystems, Synacom Technology,
Tekelec, Telcordia, TELOS Technology, Telstra, Telesystem International
Wireless (TIW), Toshiba, 3Com, Vodafone AirTouch and WIND. (Source: PRNewswire)
Market
Impact
MWIF will exist to implement internationalized Wireless IP-based services
consisting of data, video, and voice programs. If the MWIF can reach a
successful standard based on the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), which
is already dominating European and Asian markets, wireless communication
will be seamless regardless of time, location or device.
The
beginnings of an Internet based set of wireless IP standards are welcome
news to vendors and consumers alike. Utilizing agreed upon open standards
will allow vendors to produce applications at an accelerated rate while
reducing the core cost overhead, thereby allowing more consumer-friendly
flexibility within the channels.
The
world wireless market is enveloping the globe with well over 700 million
wireless Internet accessible devices expected by 2003. As the market grows,
standards must be finalized in order for seamless wireless Internet access
to become a global reality. A wireless standards forum has been needed
for years, and given the wide array of vendors participating now, we believe
a global standard can be achieved and implemented quickly.
User
Recommendations
As we all know, communications are based on a set of rules called protocols,
from which standards must be set so that all information traveling across
a public network or Internet can be used independent of machine or operating
system. The most familiar protocol is of course, TCP/IP. Referred to as
IP (Internet Protocol), based upon the IPV4 standard, which is based upon
a 32 bit addressing scheme, implemented by the Defense Advanced Research
Planning Agency (DARPA) in the 1960s.
The
MWIF will standardize on an IP based protocol, most likely WAP (Probability
99%) in the coming weeks, speeding delivery of wireless products to market.