Celebrating the agreement: (L-R) Microsoft’s Brian Boruff, DT’s Klaus Mrz, Microsoft’s Kurt Sibold, DT’s Jan Geldmacher, Microsoft’s Pieter Knook. Click on the image for a high res photo
HANNOVER, Germany, March 13, 2002 — Illustrating their commitment to delivering the richest XML Web services to customers, Deutsche Telekom (DT), Europe’s largest telecommunications company, and Microsoft Corp. today announced extensive plans by DT to adopt the Microsoft®
.NET Platform for DT’s mobile and solutions business. DT and Microsoft will create a groundbreaking solution called T .NET and cooperate in the development of devices and services, providing new functionality and access for the future of business mobility.
T .NET, which will be operated from the Deutsche Telekom T-Systems Division, will aim to deliver XML Web services that will be accessible any time, on any device. The T-Mobile division and Microsoft also will collaborate on the next generation of mobile devices (including Microsoft Windows® Powered Smartphone and Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition powered devices) and services, providing customers with access to the MSN® network of Internet services, including MSN Messenger Service and MSN Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service as well as Microsoft Exchange Server applications such as the Outlook®
messaging and collaboration client, and Telekom messaging and e-mail services provided by Deutsche Telekom. Committed to achieving interoperability of applications with T .NET, DT also will upgrade its internal infrastructure with selected .NET products to enhance its reliability, scalability and interoperability.
New T .NET Solution to Deliver Next-Generation XML Web Services
Combining Deutsche Telekom’s expertise in designing, deploying and delivering telecommunications services and Microsoft’s .NET Platform technologies, the two industry leaders will collaborate on the innovative new services of T .NET, to deliver next-generation XML Web services, progressing the availability and development of advanced XML Web services throughout Germany and Europe. T .NET will provide a complete offering, serving as a base of communications for customers of Deutsche Telekom and providing access to services and the distribution channel for their products, while giving application service providers (ASPs) and application infrastructure providers (AIPs) power to successfully reach customers in the ASP service industry.
“We are excited about collaborating with Deutsche Telekom to enable the delivery of next-generation XML Web services to customers any time, anywhere, on any device,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Deutsche Telekom’s broad adoption of Microsoft .NET — Microsoft’s platform for XML Web services — underscores its industry leadership and commitment to providing customers with cutting-edge technologies.”
“Cooperation between Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft puts the focus on our customers,” said Dr. Ron Sommer, chairman of the Deutsche Telekom board of directors, at CeBIT 2002 in Hannover. “With our innovative ideas, we will bring new products and services to the market that provide added value for our customers. We are thus underlining the role we play as a pacesetter and engine of innovation in the German telecommunications market.”
Delivering XML Web services, T .NET will make the best use of Deutsche Telekom’s existing access, reduce costs and decrease cycle time, accelerating the rollout of new, rich XML Web services to customers while providing ISVs with access to Deutsche Telekom’s hosted Microsoft .NET Platform running on Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server products. This Microsoft Web and application platform, based on a standardized operational support systems (OSS) and business support systems (BSS) infrastructure, makes it easier for ISVs to develop rich solutions on key .NET developer tools in short time and at lower cost and to provide a complete offering that ensures the successful delivery and integration of new and existing ASP services. T .NET will provide a solution set for the different branches as well as rich ISV partner offerings to Portal Service Provider. Consumers as well as small and medium-sized enterprises will get the best experience through Deutsche Telekom’s T .NET XML Web services offering, including ERP, CRM, e-commerce, messaging and calendaring functionality, workflow packages, and tools.
Two Wireless Portals Deliver on Anytime, Anywhere Promise
To extend its leadership in the wireless/telecommunications sector, Deutsche Telekom also will provide access to two new mobile services that allow customers to roam and access information across the entire Deutsche Telekom and subsidiary network, including Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Based on Microsoft Mobile Information Server Enterprise and Carrier editions, the new services will provide secure wireless access to corporate intranets and Microsoft Exchange Server data, including e-mail, contacts and calendars, as well as full-color HTML browsing and secure access to virtual private networks on laptops, personal digital assistants, smart phones and WAP-enabled phones, among other devices.
Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile division and Microsoft will launch the suite of new corporate services in April 2002 with two product lines: Mobile Service Portal and Mobile Access Portal. Customers will always have access to their favorite online services and enterprise applications on mobile devices over secure, high-speed GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) mobile data networks.
Cutting-Edge Devices for Access to Premier Services
As Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft advance the level of services available to customers, they also will be accelerating the availability of cutting-edge devices with which to access those services. Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft intend to jointly create a T-Mobile-branded Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition and Windows Powered Smartphone. In addition, Deutsche Telecom and Microsoft will cooperate on working with handset OEMs to accelerate the availability of mobile devices that provide these functionalities. These devices will provide customers with the best access to a wide range of rich applications, their personal and business information, and XML Web services.
Microsoft and Deutsche Telekom are committed to delivering to T-Mobile customers a consistent experience for accessing data services across multiple networks and devices. To reach this goal, the companies will develop and deploy solutions and services that work across 802.11, 2.5G and 3G networks in a compelling and enhanced manner, making it extremely easy for customers to access their favorite services. The companies will focus these efforts to maximize investments made in GPRS, WiFi and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). Microsoft and Deutsche Telekom will continue working with the leading industry standards bodies and initiatives to contribute to existing industry momentum and work for a coordinated mobility roadmap.
MSN and T-Mobile Relationship to Deliver Internet Services to Mobile Phones
To complement T-Mobile’s commitment to delivering compelling new services to cutting-edge devices, MSN and T-Mobile also announced today that they have established a long-term, global relationship to offer T-Mobile consumers access via T-Zones to MSN Hotmail, the world’s leading free Web-based e-mail service, and MSN Messenger Service, the largest free instant messaging service. The joint offering will be based on a revenue-share business model and will deliver leading MSN services to T-Mobile consumers across all mobile transport mediums, including SMS and WAP.
Empowered to Successfully Build, Deliver and Bill New Web Services
By adopting the Microsoft .NET Framework, Visual Studio®
.NET and the .NET Enterprise Server line for T-Mobile and T-Systems, Deutsche Telekom will be among the first to implement the Microsoft .NET Platform for the development and deployment of XML Web services in Europe. This commitment continues its dedication to offer the broadest range of innovative information, communication and Web hosting services to enable customers to choose where, when, how and with whom they communicate.
Recognizing the full benefit of Microsoft’s .NET Enterprise Servers, Deutsche Telekom also will enhance legacy datacenter systems with Microsoft technology, increasing its operational excellence and ability to quickly deliver new solutions and services to customers. This enhancement includes the deployment of customized OSS and BSS solutions powered by the Microsoft .NET product and development suites. With these key infrastructure improvements, Deutsche Telekom is empowered to efficiently and effectively deploy, build, bill and manage rich Microsoft and third-party XML Web services and applications for customers, improving operational excellence and delivering positive ROI for investors.
Deutsche Telekom — Delivering on the Promise of the Communications Revolution
Deutsche Telekom is Europe’s largest telecommunications company and one of the worldwide engines of innovation in the industry. Our products and services set standards not only in Germany, but also around the world. We make sure that our customers always have access to state-of-the-art solutions — from high-speed network access services to mobile Internet and beyond — and that they are the first to benefit from the fascinating prospects and possibilities of the communications revolution.
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.
Microsoft, Windows, MSN, Hotmail, Outlook, BizTalk and Visual Studio are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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