Action Engine Announces Agreement with Casio to Deploy Mobile Services Framework on CASSIOPEIA Devices.Business Editors/Technology Writers REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2001 Framework Provides Enabling Technology for Suite of myCasio(SM) Business Services Action Engine today announces a licensing agreement with Casio Computer Co., Ltd. (OTC OTC See: Over-the-counter. OTC See over-the-counter market (OTC). :CSIOY) to deploy Action Engine's mobile services framework on the CASSIOPEIA family of PDAs, including the new BE-300, which Casio unveiled at PC Expo A trade show for resellers, corporate managers and technical professionals from CMP Media LLC, a subsidiary of United Business Media. First held in New York in 1983 with 120 exhibitors and 9,600 attendees, the show grew from the personal computer's early years to 550 vendors and more than this week. Under the terms of the agreement, Action Engine will license its framework technology and a suite of ready-made business applications to Casio, serving as the backbone of the myCasio myAgent(SM) service (also announced at PC Expo). Action Engine's software will debut in September, making the myCasio myAgent service available for Casio's customers this fall. "This agreement is a huge win for Action Engine. Our team has worked diligently during the past 18 months to build technology that completely changes the wireless computing experience -- we've taken a leap beyond the browser-based model to make wireless transactions simple and efficient. Casio shares this vision," said Craig Eisler, chief executive officer of Action Engine. "This agreement puts the technology into the hands of consumers, who have always been our main focus and consideration during the development stage." Action Engine unveiled the Beta version A pre-shipping release of hardware or software that has gone through alpha test. A beta version of software is supposed to be very close to the final product, but, in practice, it is more a way of getting users to test the software in the first place under real conditions. of its mobile services framework at the DEMO 2001 conference in February 2001. The framework supports transactional, informational or enterprise-type applications. For instance, using the Traveler, Dining and Movie applications, business professionals can purchase air travel, reserve hotel rooms, book rental cars, make restaurant reservations, and buy movie tickets right from their mobile devices; tasks frequently associated with being away from the office. The Action Engine framework -- and now myCasio's myAgent service -- features a guided user interface that walks users through a simple question-and-answer procedure to build a complete request before going to the wireless network. For example, a person might ask myAgent to: "Book a flight for me departing from San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden airport on 07/1/01 8:30AM, going to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Kennedy airport returning on 7/5/01 10:00AM. Search all airlines, direct flights only, with my preferred seating." Several flight options, or 'solutions,' are delivered back to the user; a ticket is selected and purchased in just one more step. The technology is also designed to learn from each transaction, personalizing solutions to meet the user's individual preferences. "Action Engine will assist Casio in providing an enhanced experience for CASSIOPEIA users. myCasio's myAgent service allows users to transact on the go, taking full advantage of the power of their PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). ," said Jonathan Mann
Action Engine's mobile services framework will be available on CASSIOPEIA devices this fall. This is not an exclusive agreement. The framework is designed to be platform agnostic, allowing access to available applications and services via any Internet connection, wired or wireless. The framework is currently available for the Palm OS, PocketPC, Windows CE (Windows Consumer Electronics) Microsoft's version of Windows for handheld devices and embedded systems that use x86, ARM, MIPS and SHx CPUs. Windows CE .NET superseded Windows CE 3.0. , RIM, Windows 98/2000, Netscape Navigator An earlier Web browser for Windows, Macintosh and X Windows from Netscape that provided secure transmission over the Internet. Soon after its introduction in 1994, Navigator, or just "Netscape," as it was commonly called, quickly became the leading browser on the Web. and Internet Explorer Microsoft's Web browser, which comes with Windows starting with Windows 98. Commonly called "IE," versions for Mac and Unix are also available. Internet Explorer is the most widely used Web browser on the market. It has also been the browser engine in AOL's Internet access software. , and will be available on J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) A version of Java 2 for cellphones, PDAs and consumer appliances. J2ME uses the K Virtual Machine (KVM), a specialized Java interpreter for devices with limited memory. this fall. Action Engine plans to develop Symbian and Linux versions in 2002. "Action Engine has consistently hit and exceeded its goals since OVP OVP Originalverpackt (German: original packaging) OVP Over Voltage Protection OVP Ostvorpommern (German number plate area code) OVP Originalverpackung (German) Venture Partners initially invested in the company early last year. A licensing agreement with a major manufacturer like Casio was the next big hurdle. Action Engine has delivered well ahead of schedule -- we couldn't be happier," said Bill Miller, partner with OVP Venture Partners, Action Engine's lead investor. About Casio Casio Computer Co., Ltd., is one of the leading consumer electronics companies in the world. Since its establishment in 1957, Casio has been active in the development of electronic calculators, timepieces, musical instruments, LCD TVs, pagers and other communications devices. Casio's corporate activities are guided by the motto: "Creativity and Contribution." About Action Engine Action Engine has developed a mobile services framework that enables informational and transactional services across the wireless Internet. The framework utilizes a smart client / smart server system, and is designed to operate on any designated platform including Palm OS, PocketPC, Windows 98/2000, Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, RIM, and soon, J2ME. The framework leverages a simple user interface, integrates with native data on each device, and maximizes network connections to create a positive, productive, and efficient wireless computing experience for users. Action Engine is based in Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, USA. It is situated on the eastern edge of the Seattle urban area, in what is known as the Eastside. In 2003 the Census Bureau estimated the city population was 46,391. . |
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