GENEVA, Oct. 9, 1999 — Today at Telecom 99, Microsoft Corp. announced that Internet Cellular Smart Access (ICSA) 3.5, the platform for delivering mobile Internet services, is scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2000. This version of ICSA will enable cellular operators worldwide to offer their customers easy-to-use mobile Internet services with Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) microbrowser access to e-mail. It will also provide capability for the consolidation of multiple Internet e-mail accounts with ICSA’s advanced mobile notification and access functionality from multiple types of mobile device applied to any POP3 Internet e-mail account.
ICSA 3.5 will help network operators target new mass-user segments, increase system usage through consolidation of multiple accounts, and reduce cost of operations. Some of the new features in ICSA 3.5 that provide these capabilities include the following:
-
Enhanced billing support and cost-control features for prepay users open up the fastest-growing segment of cellular users to mobile Internet services.
-
E-mail and Short Message Service notification support for the Chinese character now enables network operators to better target Chinese-speaking consumers.
-
Support for Ericsson’s Service Order Gateway (SOG) customer-case system allows network operators to reduce operational costs by integrating ICSA with customer case systems being used with other Ericsson service platforms.
“As more microbrowser phones come to the industry based on both WAP protocols and the HTML and HTTP Internet standards, mobile-optimized e-mail and other mobile Internet applications on ICSA 3.5 will become even easier to use,” said Sanjay Jhawar, director of marketing and program management, Mobile Internet Business Unit, Microsoft. “With the ability to check other Internet e-mail accounts using ICSA’s industry-leading mobile notification and access features from standard, Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Toolkit and microbrowser phones, as well as from mobile or fixed-line connected Palm-size PCs, handheld PCs and notebook computers, end-users will increasingly use the network operator’s service as their primary access to Internet e-mail.”
ICSA 3.5 represents the next release of the platform developed by Sendit AB, which was acquired by Microsoft on July 1, 1999.
ICSA 3.5 will include the following new features:
-
WAP access to e-mail using an external WAP gateway when sending or forwarding via e-mail, fax or Short Message Service
-
POP3 polling to pull e-mail from other Internet POP3 mailboxes, either automatically or by user initiation from microbrowser phones or the Web
-
Server-side storage of the user’s e-mail address book accessible over the Web and from WAP handsets
-
Improved HTML Web-based e-mail interface for power users
-
Support for Chinese characters, for e-mail notifications and message bodies, and the ability to send Chinese Short Message Service messages using the Web interface
-
User cost control, which gives end users the ability to control and the ability to send the maximum number of notifications during any given month, which is especially valuable for cost-concious prepay users
-
Support for Service Order Gateway, an Ericsson system that handles administration requests from unified network operator customer care systems
-
Smarter commands for legacy phones making it even easier to access e-mail Reply, Get More and Forward functionality for Short Message Service e-mail
At Telecom 99 + Interactive 99 in Booth 7095, Hall 7, Microsoft will demonstrate ways that GSM network operators can take advantage of features in ICSA 3.5, enabling their customers to accomplish the following:
-
Easily retrieve e-mail notifications and Short Message Service messages from mobile phones and read them using basic GSM phones, SIM Toolkit-capable phones, Windows® CE operating system-based devices, or on a PC with the Microsoft Outlook® messaging and collaboration client
-
View the full text of e-mail messages on microbrowser mobile phones or a Web browser
-
Select from e-mail notifications those individual e-mail messages to be downloaded, using GSM data services, from the server to the Inbox in Microsoft Outlook; on a PC; or to the Inbox on a Palm-size PC
-
Delete or “smart forward” messages from the ICSA server to any other e-mail address or fax machine without downloading, which is particularly useful when forwarding large messages or attachments
For a listing of Microsoft-related events, activities and press releases at Telecom 99 + Interactive 99, members of the press are invited to visit Microsoft’s Telecom 99 Virtual Press Room located at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/telecom99/ .
Microsoft and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
Microsoft is an active member of WAP Forum and is committed to developing service solutions that integrate with WAP-compatible devices currently under development. Microsoft is also working actively in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to drive convergence of WAP and Internet standards in the medium term, which will then enable content developers to more easily address mobile phones. Microsoft client and server products for the mobile Internet space will in the transitional period support both HTML and HTTP access and WAP access to core services.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows and Outlook are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
For telecom industry news online:
http://www.microsoft.com/isn/telco/default.asp
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.
