Wireless Knowledge Purchases Microsoft’s Interest in Company

SAN DIEGO and REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 5, 2001 — Wireless Knowledge Inc. and Microsoft Corp. today announced that Wireless Knowledge has acquired all its shares currently held by Microsoft. As a result, Wireless Knowledge has become a subsidiary of QUALCOMM Inc. The new structure will enable Wireless Knowledge to accelerate the adoption of next-generation mobility solutions within the enterprise running on CDMA2000 and WCDMA — emerging 3G high-speed wireless data networks.

“Wireless Knowledge has built a strong customer base and a world-class technology framework for delivering strategic mobility solutions that extend the value of existing enterprise applications,” said Eric Schultz, chairman and CEO of Wireless Knowledge. “Our customers have achieved competitive advantage by implementing mobilized SFA, CRM and Microsoft Exchange- and Lotus Domino-based groupware on existing 2G networks, and will be well positioned to benefit from new business scenarios enabled by next-generation technologies such as 3G CDMA and QUALCOMM’s Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW (TM) ) applications platform.”

“Over the past three years, Microsoft and QUALCOMM have worked together with Wireless Knowledge to pioneer solutions for mobile office workers. At Microsoft we have recently introduced our own product line to accelerate mobile application development and enable Office and Exchange customers to become mobile office workers any time and any place,” said Bob Muglia, group vice president at Microsoft. “For this reason, both companies have decided it is best to pursue our respective goals using independent technologies. However, QUALCOMM will remain as a strategic business partner and we will continue to work on other collaborative projects with them.”

“QUALCOMM and Microsoft originally formed Wireless Knowledge to accelerate the use of wireless data for mobile access to corporate information. We continue to share the goal of driving new applications for wireless,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, group president of the Wireless and Internet Group at QUALCOMM. “Wireless Knowledge will build on its strong relationships with carriers and enterprise partners and leverage the ongoing rollouts of 3G CDMA networks, providing nationwide coverage and high-bandwidth access.”

About Wireless Knowledge

QUALCOMM and Microsoft formed Wireless Knowledge, a joint venture, in 1998. The company is a leader in applying wireless mobility technology to enterprise applications. Its line of packaged software products including Workstyle (TM) , Anystyle (TM) and Echo (TM) mobilize Exchange- and Lotus Domino-based systems as well as other critical corporate applications. Today, Wireless Knowledge delivers strategic mobility solutions that help enterprise customers improve business performance to achieve competitive advantage. The company’s portfolio of professional services and enterprise-grade applications are supported by a technology framework that accelerates the adoption of mobility within the enterprise, allowing customers to quickly benefit from new networks and applications as they become available. More information on Wireless Knowledge can be found at http://www.wirelessknowledge.com/ .

About QUALCOMM

QUALCOMM (Nasdaq “QCOM”) ( http://www.qualcomm.com/ ) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the company’s CDMA digital technology. The company’s business areas include CDMA chipsets and system software; technology licensing; the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) applications platform; Eudora® e-mail software; digital cinema systems; and satellite-based systems including portions of the Globalstar (TM) system and wireless fleet management systems, OmniTRACS®
and OmniExpress (TM) . QUALCOMM owns patents that are essential to all the CDMA wireless telecommunications standards that have been adopted or proposed for adoption by standards-setting bodies worldwide. QUALCOMM has licensed its essential CDMA patent portfolio to more than 100 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S & P 500 Index and is a 2001 FORTUNE 500 company traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol QCOM.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the company’s ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, the extent and speed with which the companies QUALCOMM has invested achieve profitability, change in economic conditions of the various markets the company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended Sept. 24, 2000, and most recent Form 10-Q.

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

QUALCOMM, OmniTRACS and Eudora are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Inc. OmniExpress and BREW are trademarks of QUALCOMM Inc. Globalstar is a trademark of Loral QUALCOMM Satellite Services Inc.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft®
Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

Related Posts