SAN FRANCISCO, May 10, 2001 — The Mobile Experience Tour, which begins an 11-city tour of the United States this week, features a 45-foot tractor-trailer loaded with devices, software and systems that showcase the latest developments in wireless computing. Sponsored by Microsoft and leading wireless-technology companies — including Aether Systems, Audible, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Casio and UR — the tour arrives in San Francisco today and will reach its final stop, New York, on July 1.
Interior of 45-foot Mobile Theater – packed with an array of the very latest wireless and mobile device technology.
Visitors in those two cities — plus San Diego, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Boston — will have a hands-on opportunity to explore the latest wireless-enabled Pocket PCs and accessories from many manufacturers, as well as enterprise solutions for mobile computing. Consumers and information-technology professionals alike will be able to see product demos, have one-on-one consultations with vendor representatives, and attend discussions and workshops to learn more about wireless computing today and where its headed.
“For the Pocket PC enthusiast, this tour gives people the opportunity to engage with other Pocket PC users and learn more about Pocket PCs and applications,” said Derek Brown, mobility evangelist for the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft. “For enterprise professionals, its an introduction to what Microsoft is doing end-to-end in the wireless space. So were introducing Mobile Information Server, reinforcing our .NET vision of any time, any place and on any device, as well as showing IT professionals how they can address issues of security, deployment, infrastructure, development and so on.”
Mark Baker came out for the Mobile Experience Tour last weekend at an earlier stop at a CompUSA store in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle. He was primarily interested in the new wireless handheld devices on display. “Im one of those guys whos always looking for slimmer, slimmer, slimmer, so it can fit into my pocket a little better,” said Baker, a technical support professional. “I looked at all the different units and talked to people about some of the accessories that are coming along. I have an iPAQ Pocket PC. This is my third handheld unit since 1998, so I pretty much know whats going on, but wanted to see if I could find out anything new.”
According to Brown, Microsoft created the tour to build customer awareness of Microsofts continuing advancements in the wireless space, including devices and mobile solutions from Microsoft and its partners.
“Theres so much of what were doing in wireless that people havent seen,” said Brown. “When you go out and show it to people, and they see the devices working, the servers working, the end-to-end fit, theres an a-ha moment when they say Oh wow — I didnt know Microsoft was doing so much, I didnt realize all these pieces were available, and so on. Its just a terrific opportunity to put all this in front of people.”
