Microsoft in CTIA; big wireless boost

Electronic News, Nov 3, 1997 by Cynthia Bournellis

Seattle--The Wireless Apps 97 show was the turning point for the wireless industry. That came when the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association announced its newest and one of its most vital members: Microsoft.

"Microsoft's membership is significant, because someone has to plant a flag and establish leadership," said Tom Wheeler, president and CEO of the association, otherwise referred to as CTIA. Mr. Wheeler said that the change in the wireless industry has to be led by the computer industry. Computer companies will play a crucial role in getting wireless connectivity back to the desktop, agreed Andy Seybold, publisher of the Outlook on Communications newsletter.

Microsoft stepped deeper into the wireless arena last month with the launch of the Windows CE 2.0 operating system for handheld computers (HPCs). The latest version includes a protocol stack for cellular digital packet data (CDPD) technology.. CDPD is an emerging high-speed communications protocol that has traditionally served as a link for cellular phones. With an additional modem, customers can do tasks such as group scheduling or E-mail over a CDPD wireless connection."CDPD makes applications look like they are running over the Interent protocol, thus software developers don't have to write drivers in order for the apps to talk over that network," said Robert O'Hara, development manager in the mobile electronics product unit at Microsoft. CDPD is expected to fuel the growth of Windows CE-based devices and other wireless handheld products.

An open standard, CDPD is one wireless protocol whose time has come and will benefit due to the explosion of E-mail usage. During an opening session at Wireless Apps 97, Bob Pittman, president and CEO of America Online Networks, shared his company's figures regarding E-mail transactions made across the AOL network. America Online carries 17 million E-mail messages and 97 million instant messages per day. "Fifty percent of our usage is communications," said Mr. Pittman. Further research done in-house at Ericsson indicates there will be more than 600 million wireless subscribers and 400 million Internet subscribers by 2000, all of whom will want continuous connectivity to E-mail and other networks.

Hardware companies are beginning to see the light, with plans to include CDPD into their products. To be launched in January, the Contact handheld computer from Novatel Wireless of Phoenix contains a 0.6-watt full duplex CDPD wireless and landline modem that connects users to the Internet and corporate networks. Novatel is one of two new players with Windows CE-based products. Sharp is making an HPC based on Windows CE 2.0 (EN, Oct. 20). Novatel said it will initially target vertical markets such as field force automation. Novatel will showcase Contact at Comdex this month in Las Vegas.

Wireless connectivity over CDPD is also available for the PalmPilot organizer from 3Com. When snapped into a separate Internet protocol modem from Novatel, called Minstrel, the PalmPilot acts as a wireless communications device. CDPD is built into the Minstrel cradle-like devices and extends the functionality of the PalmPilot. Novatel said it is will possibly build CDPD into the PalmPilot. And Sierra Wireless early next year will introduce a CDPD card for Windows CE devices.

More mobile telephones are beginning to support CDPD. Packet data (19.2 kilobits-per-second CDPD modem), along with circuit-switched data (14.4Kps V.32 bis modem), are supported by the MobileAccess phone from Mitsubishi. The new PC Connection Kit for Windows 95 from the Personal Mobile Communications division of Mitsubishi Wireless Communications, Inc., comes with software that configures a PC to use the MobileAccess telephone as a wireless modem.

Meanwhile, the movement of CDPD into the commercial market has influenced the CDPD Forum to change its name. The industry group's new name is the Wireless Data Forum. Its mission will be to promote the benefits of wireless data to end-users, the telecommunications industry and the technology industry, and proving itself in the commercial markets. CDPD is one of many air interface or wireless protocols. Others are global systems for mobile communications (GSM), time division multiple access (TDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA).