Unwired Planet announces open architecture; will publish Handheld Device Transport Protocol — HDTP — for Internet access from mobile phones and pagers

Business Wire, May 6, 1997

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 1997--Unwired Planet, Inc. (UP), today announced the Handheld Device Transport Protocol.

HDTP enables any cellular, PCS, or paging network to provide Internet information access from standard handheld devices.

For the first time, any CDMA, TDMA, or GSM network can immediately provide Internet-based value added services to subscribers by using HDTP and the Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML). HDTP and HDML are open and freely available protocol specifications developed and contributed to the industry by Unwired Planet(TM).

HDTP operates with industry standards such as TDMA, CDMA, TCP/IP, UDP/IP, GSM and SMS. HDTP incorporates industry standard encryption algorithms for secure transactions. HDTP is optimized for wireless networks, where the HTTP protocol is not usable due to network latency and throughput. This revolutionary capability brings direct Internet information access to wireless networks, regardless of the type of data transport provided.

In networks combining multiple protocols, such as SMS, circuit data, or packet data, HDTP allows applications to use the most effective and cost-efficient path to send data to the device's screen.

HDTP is an open specification, allowing multiple protocols and various vendors' solutions to be integrated into a single logical network. Today's SMS networks are constrained to limited services such as alphanumeric paging and proprietary information delivery applications. With HDTP, these SMS networks become two-way data networks, allowing direct access to World Wide Web content and applications such as Email, stock quotes, flight information, sports scores, and entertainment listings.

Mobile professionals can also instantly and securely access corporate intranet applications, such as sales force automation. The HDTP specification will be available this summer. A pre-release version is available now.

HDML, available freely since July 1996, is an open markup language optimized for interactive Web access from wireless handheld devices, such as mobile phones and pagers. HDML-based services can be deployed rapidly since they can be created using existing Internet content, authoring tools and programming skills. HDML is in use by over a thousand Web developers today and is available freely from Unwired Planet.

"HDTP ushers in a new era in open network connectivity," said Alain Rossmann, CEO and chairman of Unwired Planet. "By using the free and open specifications for HDTP and HDML, network operators can offer exciting Internet information services without waiting for future technologies such as packet data."

"HDTP and HDML provide the flexibility we need in our evolving PocketNet service offerings," said Jeff Damir, Director of Marketing, AT&T Wireless Services. "The Internet knows no national boundaries, and open standards are the major contributors to its growth, whether wired or wireless."

"Vantive's MiniVan application is the first to solve the very real problem of sending just-in-time customer and prospect information to mobile workers," said Christopher Lochhead, executive vice president at The Vantive Corporation. "The UP.Link Platform(TM) allows us to easily extend Vantive customer asset management software to mobile phone users, using standard Internet tools and servers."

About Unwired Planet

Unwired Planet was founded in 1994 to deliver an open platform for wireless Internet appliances. UP's technology is network and device independent and has been adopted by leading wireless carriers, including AT&T Wireless Services, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, GTE Mobilnet, and others, as well as major device manufacturers worldwide, including AEG, Alcatel, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Nortel, PCSI, QUALCOMM, Samsung and Sharp.

The company, headquartered in Redwood Shores, CA, is privately held. For more information, visit Unwired Planet's Web site at http://www.uplanet.com (TM). -0-

Note to Editors: UPLANET.COM, UP.Link Platform, and the Unwired Planet name and logo are trademarks of Unwired Planet, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Unwired Planet, Inc.

Patricia Almon, 415/596-5225

pat@uplanet.com