Symbian Releases Its First Fully Integrated Software Platform for Next Generation Mobile Phones.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers Symbian Developer Expo LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2000 European Developer Expo heralds launch of Symbian platform v6.0 - designed to drive the convergence of wireless telecommunications and mobile computing Using a computing device while in transit. Mobile computing implies wireless transmission, but wireless transmission does not necessarily imply mobile computing. Fixed wireless applications use satellites, radio systems and lasers to transmit between permanent objects such as buildings Symbian today publicly launched its fully integrated, open software platform that has already been widely licensed by industry leading handset manufacturers for next generation mobile phones. The Symbian platform v6.0 is optimised for pen- and keyboard based Communicators, delivering integrated mobile phone technology with email, SMS (1) (Storage Management System) Software used to routinely back up and archive files. See HSM. (2) (Systems Management Server) Systems management software from Microsoft that runs on Windows NT Server. , WAP (1) (Wireless Access Point) See access point. (2) (Wireless Application Protocol) A standard for providing cellular phones, pagers and other handheld devices with secure access to e-mail and text-based Web pages. , HTML HTML in full HyperText Markup Language Markup language derived from SGML that is used to prepare hypertext documents. Relatively easy for nonprogrammers to master, HTML is the language used for documents on the World Wide Web. and other messaging and browsing capabilities to suit all types of end-user -- consumers, professional or enterprise. Products from licensees based on the Symbian platform v6.0 are expected to ship during the first half of 2001. The Symbian platform provides core compatibility for third-party applications, content and services. Symbian provides reference designs based around common Generic Technology components that provide powerful and robust services-- the multi-tasking EPOC A 32-bit operating system for handheld devices from Symbian Ltd., London, (www.symbian.com). Used in Psion and other handheld computers, it supports Java applications, e-mail, fax, infrared exchange, data synchronization with PCs and includes a suite of PIM and productivity applications. kernel, data management, communications, graphics, multimedia, security, application engines, messaging engine, browser engines for WAP and HTML, Java(TM) runtime environment A configuration of hardware and software. It includes the CPU type, operating system and any runtime engines or system software required by a particular category of applications. See runtime engine. , and support for data synchronization Keeping data in two or more computers up-to-date so that each repository contains the identical information. Data in handheld devices and laptops often require synchronization with the data in a desktop machine or server. and worldwide locales. These reference designs are licensed to leading handset and mobile computing manufacturers to enable them to rapidly bring to market next generation mobile phones. Two reference designs - with fully integrated voice capabilities central to their design and optimised for different form factors, have been released today: -- Keyboard communicators: code named `Crystal', and shown for the first time at the Symbian Developer Expo. This reference design is for mobile phone devices with 640x200 color screen, keyboard operation, a graphical user interface evolved from previous keyboard communicators and a rich, integrated, application suite optimised for mobile professionals. -- Tablet communicators: code named `Quartz' and previewed earlier this year. This reference design is for devices with 240x320 color screen, pen operation, a new user-friendly graphical interface, and powerful integrated application suite. Combining all the features of a hand-held PDA with a phone, Quartz offers easy and attractive viewing of rich media data and information. "Symbian's goal is to set standards and create a mass market for Wireless Information Devices. Voice is still the killer application Killer Application Killer application or "killer app" is a buzzword that describes a software application that surpasses all of its competitors. Notes: The term is sometimes used to describe a type of software. at the heart of these devices, and with our open software platform we're driving the development of next generation mobile phones by enabling third party companies to deliver additional applications, services and content." said Colly Myers, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Symbian. "We've already seen the first Symbian-based Smartphone enter the market - the Ericsson R380. Now at our second European Developers Expo we're showing for the first time our full versions of our Communicator reference designs, and unveiling the keyboard-based communicator reference design code named `Crystal'. Targeted at the mobile professional market, Crystal offers unparalleled computing and mobile phone integration, based on technology that's core to all Symbian based Wireless Information Devices." "Nokia is delighted to see that Symbian is now releasing the platform v6.0 with fully integrated mobile Internet Refers to gaining access to the Internet using a lightweight, handheld device. See Mobile IP, PDA, smartphone and mobile TV. technologies and robust stand alone personal information management applications. The v6.0 platform is the one on which Nokia will be building its first Symbian based products. We also warmly welcome the introduction of the Crystal reference design, which is naturally Nokia's choice for its future Communicator category products", said Jouko Hayrynen, Vice President, Markets and Business Development, Nokia Mobile Phones. The Symbian Developer Expo, with a packed exhibit hall, presentations and workshops focusing on the Symbian platform, has attracted over 1,000 registrants worldwide. At the conference third-party software developers are being issued with the new Software Development Kits (SDK's) for Java, EPOC C++, and PC-based data synchronization. Notes for editors Full technical information and supporting images can be found on Symbian's website at www.symbian.com. A summary of what's new in v6.0 is included below: -- two full reference designs: Quartz and Crystal, for direct integration into real devices -- integrated wireless telephony for fully integrated Communicators and Smartphones, which seamlessly combine voice and advanced data functionality -- integrated Bluetooth and WAP -- security including full-strength encryption and certificate management, integrated into communications (SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) The leading security protocol on the Internet. Developed by Netscape, SSL is widely used to do two things: to validate the identity of a Web site and to create an encrypted connection for sending credit card and other personal data. , HTTPS (1) (HyperText Transport Protocol Secure) The protocol for accessing a secure Web server. Using HTTPS in the URL instead of HTTP directs the message to a secure port number rather than the default Web port number of 80. , WTLS (Wireless Transport Layer Security) The security services in the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). WTLS is based on TLS, the landline version that is widely used on the Internet. ) and application installation -- many application improvements, and increased integration between applications -- full international locale support: EPOC C++ now uses 16-bit Unicode characters; text formatting, text input and font management systems have been amended to support a wider range of locales -- many Java enhancements, including implementations of PersonalJava 3.0, and JavaPhone 1.0 -- new connectivity package, Symbian Connect, offering increased usability -- a media server with support for several audio and image formats -- many system and performance enhancements, including amended client-server architecture designed to support enhanced Java performance -- new toolchain supporting ARM4 and Thumb instruction sets, an ARMI ARMI Asphalt Rubber Membrane Interlayer ARMI Adaptative Remote Method Invocation interworking (standard) interworking - Systems or components, possibly from different origins, working together to perform some task. Interworking depends crucially on standards to define the interfaces between the components. binary standard, improved GCC GCC: see Gulf Cooperation Council. (compiler, programming) GCC - The GNU Compiler Collection, which currently contains front ends for C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, and Ada, as well as libraries for these languages (libstdc++, libgcj, etc). compiler and more convenient program building About Symbian Symbian owns, develops and licenses a software platform for next generation mobile phones. Owned by Ericsson, Matsushita (Panasonic), Motorola, Nokia and Psion, Symbian's mission is to license the Symbian platform to all mobile phone manufacturers and to create a mass market for next generation mobile phones by working closely with wireless networks, content, messaging and enterprise wide solution providers. Symbian is holding a Developer Expo, focusing on version 6 of its platform, in central London, November 6th-7th. Sponsored by BrainDock, Nokia and Sun Microsystems, attendees can hear keynotes from Colly Myers, CEO Symbian, Hans Snook, CEO Orange and Charles Dunstone, CEO Carphone Warehouse as well as workshops, demos and presentations from other partners. For more information see www.symbian.com/devexpo. |
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