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Motorola, PageMart, and 3Com Deliver New Messaging Solution
- To: pilotmgr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Subject: Motorola, PageMart, and 3Com Deliver New Messaging Solution
- From: Annette Wagner <Annette.Wagner@Eng>
- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 11:01:33 -0800 (PST)
- Reply-to: Annette Wagner <Annette.Wagner@Eng>
- Sender: owner-pilotmgr@shadow
This si the official PR announcement. They are demo-ing it
at Comdex this week. Supposed to be available next spring.
bye,
Annette
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Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 11:39:15 -0800
Subject: Motorola, PageMart, and 3Com Deliver New Messaging Solution
From: "Pilot Developer Announcement List" <pilot-dev-announce@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: pilot-dev-announce@xxxxxxxxxxx
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Blair Ciecko Edelman Public Relations 312-240-2690
bciecko@xxxxxxxxxxx
Bridget Cavanaugh PageMart Wireless 214-706-3797
bridgetc@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Allen Bush
A&R Partners 650-363-0982 allen_bush@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Motorola, PageMart Wireless and 3Com Team to Deliver New Wireless
Messaging Solution for Consumers and Mobile Professionals
Pager Card for the 3Com PalmPilot connected organizer brings advanced
wireless technology and NAFTA-wide messaging service to market-leading
handheld computing platform
Dallas, Tex., November 3, 1997 -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT), PageMart
Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:PMWI) and 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today
announced a strategic alliance to bring wireless messaging to a broad
range of consumers and business markets via the 3Com PalmPilot
platform. As a result of the alliance, PageMart and Motorola will
deliver the Pager Card for PalmPilot, an integrated wireless messaging
device for the 3Com PalmPilot connected organizer. The Pager Card is
being co-developed by Motorola's FLEX Architecture Solutions Division
(FASD) and PageMart. It will be branded by PageMart and marketed and
distributed by both PageMart and the Palm Computing division of 3Com
Corp.
The Pager Card for PalmPilot represents a new class of product that
brings wireless messaging to the mass market. Based on Motorola's
advanced FLEX paging technology, the Pager Card for PalmPilot allows
PalmPilot organizer users to receive numeric and text messages via the
PageMart network with coverage throughout NAFTA countries and beyond.
The product eliminates the need for people to carry multiple devices
for paging and handheld computing. The Pager Card is capable of
schedule updates and facilitates messaging with visual and audio
alerts, sender identification and message management. The Pager Card
works with all existing versions of the PalmPilot connected organizer,
including the recently announced IBM WorkPad PC companion.
In addition, Motorola will deliver the Pager Card for PalmPilot
Software Development Kit to allow independent software developers to
create wireless PalmPilot platform applications capable of receiving
text, numeric and binary messages from the Pager Card. This will
enable important enterprise and consumer solutions such as wireless
e-mail notification, up-to-the-minute news and stock reports, remote
updates on interest rates and financial information, weather warnings
and other data-specific applications. It will also enable
corporations to develop mission-critical solutions for keeping mobile
workers continually updated with vital information such as price lists
and competitive news for mobile sales forces and detailed dispatch
information for field service employees.
"Motorola's FLEX paging technology is designed to enable
mission-critical business activities by facilitating the transfer of
information over a wide variety of platforms. The Pager Card is an
ideal vehicle for extending our technology to a vast installed base of
PalmPilot organizer users in a broad range of industries," said Steve
Shapiro, senior marketing manager Motorola FASD. "With the widespread
adoption of the PalmPilot platform in both the consumer and enterprise
markets and the increasing need for fast, reliable and simple wireless
connectivity, we feel certainthat this product will be a widely
accepted and easily integrated mobile solution."
"By integrating our wireless messaging service with Motorola's
advanced paging technology and the most successful handheld computing
product in the market, PageMart is helping to meet the messaging needs
of a vast number of consumers and mobile professionals," said Wayne
Stargardt, vice president of marketing for PageMart. "We believe this
product will be the catalyst for rapid growth of alphanumeric
messaging in the consumer market."
The Pager Card for PalmPilot uses Motorola's FLEX technology and a
PalmPilot user interface software application co-developed by Motorola
and PageMart. The Pager Card integrates seamlessly with the PalmPilot
organizer, and is equipped with flash memory, 2 MB RAM and a modified
memory door. This card replaces the standard PalmPilot memory card,
which is easily installed by the user. With the Pager Card installed,
the PalmPilot organizer still fits easily into a shirt pocket.
"A large percentage of PalmPilot organizer customers have expressed
strong interest in combining their organizers and pagers into one
convenient device. With this partnership, PalmPilot organizer users
have a very streamlined, functional and cost-effective solution for
wireless messaging," said Joe Sipher, product line manager for Palm
Computing, Inc., the division of 3Com that develops and markets the
PalmPilot product. "The PalmPilot organizer is based on the principle
that above all, users require fast, simple, one-touch access to
information. Motorola and PageMart are excellent choices for
providing a wireless messaging solution for the PalmPilot platform
that meets those requirements."
Pager Card for PalmPilot Features
Standard Messaging
Alphanumeric messages up to 300 characters in length can be sent to
the PalmPilot organizer. Users can receive messages across the U.S.
and NAFTA countries and beyond via the PageMart network. Sender ID
for Numeric Messages If a user receives a numeric page, this number is
automatically compared with numbers stored in the user's PalmPilot
address book. If a match is found, the caller's name, company name
and phone number will appear on the PalmPilot screen so the user
immediately knows who sent the message.
Over the Air Programming
With the Pager Card for PalmPilot, users can quickly enable or disable
specific product features according to their needs, simply by placing
a toll-free call to PageMart's customer service center. This
capability provides maximum flexibility and allows for fast and
convenient access to a wide variety of business and consumer
information, such as stock quotes, interest rates, sports scores and
other data. Wireless Calendar Updates
The Pager Card also allows users to update their calendars over the
air, using the standard vCalendar format. Motorola will publish
specifications to allow independent software developers to create
their own applications that will allow PalmPilot schedule updates to
be sent to the PalmPilot organizer over PageMart's network.
Alerts
The Pager Card for PalmPilot features visual and audible alert signals
that notify the user when a message is received. These alert signals
are the same signals featured in the Advisor Elite series of Motorola
pagers. The user can select from multiple audible alerts and assign
specific alert sounds to varying types of incoming messages. Alert
signals can be immediately silenced by touching any button on the
PalmPilot organizer.
Automatic On Capability
When a new message is received by the Pager Card for PalmPilot, the
PalmPilot organizer will automatically turn on, store the message and
alert the user that a new message was received.
Message Storage
Messages received via the Pager Card can be immediately read,
discarded or stored in the PalmPilot for viewing at a later date.
Pricing and Availability
The Pager Card for PalmPilot will be available in early 1998 with an
estimated street price of $169. It is anticipated that the Pager Card
for PalmPilot will be offered to leading consumer electronics and
office supply stores nationwide, including Best Buy, Circuit City,
CompUSA, Computer City, Egghead, Fry's, The good guys, MicroCenter,
Office Depot, OfficeMax, RCS, Service Merchandise, Staples, The
Sharper Image and other fine regional retailers and computer catalogs.
The Pager Card for PalmPilot Software Development Kit will also be
available in early 1998 for an estimated street price of $300.
Developers can purchase the SDK directly from Motorola.
About 3Com
3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to
communicate and share information and resources at anytime from
anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice
and video communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking
solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide. With global
reach and local touch, the company provides enterprises, network
service providers and carriers, small businesses and consumers with
comprehensive, innovative information access products and system
solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance
local and wide area networks. 3Com has worldwide revenues of
approximately $6.0 billion and employs about 13,200 employees in 45
countries. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site
at http://www.3com.com.
About PageMart
PageMart Wireless, Inc. is a leading NAFTA-wide and beyond provider of
wireless messaging services. The Dallas-based company deploys
direct-broadcast satellite technology to provide numeric and text
messaging services in all 50 states, Canada, El Salvador, Mexico,
Panama, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. PageMart
recently launched a concerted international initiative that expands
the PageMart Network into most countries in Central America and major
cities in Mexico. PageMart currently serves approximately 2.2 million
customers via its own 900 MHz nationwide frequency. The company
currently employs approximately 2,000 people and sells its products
and services through its own direct sales force, strategic alliances,
leading U.S. retailers and selected resellers. For further
information, visit PageMart's World Wide Web site at
http://www.pagemart.com.
About Motorola
The FLEX protocol, created by Motorola, is the standard for high-speed
paging. It has been adopted by 16 of the top 20 U.S. service
providers, as well as by market-leading providers in Canada, Latin
America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern
Europe. It is a national standard in China, Japan, and Korea, and has
been widely adopted in India and Russia. FLEX protocol-based operators
are in 7 of the top 10 world's largest paging markets, which comprise
91% of the worldwide subscriber base. Motorola is one of the world's
leading providers of wireless communications, semiconductors, and
advanced electronic systems, components, and services. Major
equipment businesses include paging and data communications, cellular
telephone, two-way radio, personal communications, automotive, defense
and space electronics and computers. Motorola semiconductors power
communication devices, computers and millions of other products.
Motorola's 1996 sales were $28 billion. For further information,
please visit Motorola's World Wide Web site at
http://www.motorola.com/wireless-innovations.
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