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Your advert here!!! Technical Editors:
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Peramon integrates WAP into digital TV environment
[February 17t h 2001] Peramon, UK developer of next
generation mobile Internet technology, has announced a major WAP world first.
The Reading based WAP specialist has been instrumental in helping develop
British Sky Broadcasting's latest TV-based e-commerce and online service.
BSkyB has chosen to use Peramon's WAP gateway at the heart of its new Sky
Text service rather than pursue a more traditional HTML-based solution. The launch of the Sky Text service, which features
on-screen interactive betting and more than 1,200 pages of news, sport,
entertainment and information at the touch of a button, marks the first time
that the WAP standard has been used for something outside of the mobile Internet
environment. The service is now available at no additional cost to more than 4
million Sky digital subscribers, and in doing so, instantly becomes the largest
community of WAP application users today. In a ground-breaking move, BSkyB has built the online
functionality of its digital text service using WAP standards, meaning access to
online services is provided through the integrated modem in the set-top-box and
the WML (Wireless Mark-Up Language) -based browser software, downloaded
on-demand by satellite. The interactive capabilities of the digital set-top-box and
the full integration of the service into the broadcasting environment allows
subscribers to go online within Sky Text to bet on live sporting events whilst
simultaneously watching them on TV. David Klein, General Manager of Sky Text, said: "Using
WAP in order to enhance and extend our services was a logical progression for us
and has enabled us to provide our customers with a more exciting, interactive
viewing experience. It certainly
proves the potential of screen-based WAP." Commenting on BSkyB's decision to implement a WAP-based
platform, David Townsend, managing director of Peramon said: "WAP was
originally designed to enable low bandwidth devices like mobile phones to access
information reasonably quickly. This is a great application of WAP and could be
a real sign of things to come." Townsend added: "When you apply that protocol to a
device such as the Sky digibox with its modem linked to a telephone line, the
speed and performance is greatly enhanced and allows for real time interaction.
It is this that gives Sky Text and its TV betting service a tremendous
advantage and demonstrates the true capabilities of WAP." The WAP Gateway selected by BSkyB is just one of the
components comprising theMOBILIZER suite of Mobile Internet products from
Peramon Technology. This suite of software, based on open standards, is designed
to quicken the adoption of mobile Internet computing with corporates and service
providers. BSkyB is the latest in a growing number of big brand names
to choose Peramon as a provider of WAP technology and follows Freeserve's recent
decision to implement the UK's firms world-class technology. BSkyB now plans to
add many other WML based online services to the Sky Text environment in the
coming months. About Peramon Peramon - a history of ground-breaking firsts: Peramon is a world-leading developer of mobile Internet
software, based on open standards. Founded in 1999, Peramon's aim is to provide
access to information and applications, simply and quickly from anywhere and
from any device. The UK-based developer boasts a number of technology world
firsts, the most recent of which is the launch of theMOBILIZER, the world's most
comprehensive set of mobile Internet applications and infrastructure available
today. theMOBILIZER has a user interface available in 15 languages and includes
a device independent secure WAP gateway and SMS server with OTA capability. Motorola, Nokia, Sun, HP and Openwave are all alliance
partners of Peramon. Recent customers include Freeserve, Gateway.net, NTL,
Symbian, Critical Path, Talkcast and CellTalk. |
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