Microsoft, QUALCOMM Form Joint Venture
QUALCOMM and Microsoft have formed a strategic partnership to enable secure and airlink-independent Internet access to wireless devices and handheld computing products using industry standard Internet protocols. As part of the alliance, both companies have created a new joint venture company called WirelessKnowledge.
WirelessKnowledge services are built on an end-to-end architecture using standard products such as Microsoft's Windows CE operating system (OS), BackOffice family, and Commercial Internet System. In addition, wireless knowledge's services will be accessible over all digital wireless networks, including CDMA, TDMA, GSM, cellular digital packet data (CDPD), and Mobitex.
Initially, Irwin Jacobs, chairman and CEO of QUALCOMM, says WirelessKnowledge will offer wireless carriers a back-end network operating center. Carriers will use this center to offer wireless data services, such as e-mail access, to their customers. Initial services are planned for April 1999.
WirelessKnowledge is also forming partnerships with computing, software, and telecommunications companies as well as with wireless carriers. Wireless carriers currently working with the new joint venture include AirTouch Communications, AT&T Wireless Services, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Bell Mobility (Canada), BellSouth, GTE Wireless, Leap Wireless, Sprint PCS, and US West Wireless.
John Major will serve as president and CEO of WirelessKnowledge. Prior to accepting this position, Major served as the executive vice president of QUALCOMM and president of its infrastructure business. He also spent more than 15 years with Motorola, where he most recently served as senior vice president and staff chief technical officer.
WirelessKnowledge is only one piece of the new QUALCOMM/Microsoft partnership. The companies also plan to pursue the integration of Windows CE into future QUALCOMM application-specific IC (ASIC) designs, the integration of Windows CE into voice- and data-enabled wireless devices, and a collaboration to accelerate innovation and adoption of wireless Internet capabilities.
On a related note, QUALCOMM announced that is combining its infrastructure division with its communications systems division. The new division will focus on CDMA infrastructure for mobile and fixed services as well as infrastructure for the Globalstar low-Earth-orbit satellite communication (satcom) system. Jerry Beckwith, president of QUALCOMM's Communications Systems Division, will assume responsibility for the new division.