Comdex
Hails Wireless Connections to be Announced for Home and
Office
Ephraim
Schwartz
11/13/2000 - InfoWorld
Copyright (c) InfoWorld 2000
LONG
CONSIDERED the premier high-tech show for the introduction
of the latest hardware products, the buzz this week at Comdex
in Las Vegas will be about wireless technology.
Not
to be seen on the show floor but much talked about in the
hallways and in the private meeting rooms will be the upcoming
deal between Research in Motion (RIM) and America Online
to cobrand the RIM wireless devices, several industry experts
said.
RIM
units are unique in using a packet-based network to offer
a persistent wireless connection that automatically updates
corporate e-mail accounts.
AOL
will customize the RIM device to include instant messaging
and AOL mail, sources familiar with the project said.
RIM
is also set to upgrade its 957 handheld PDA (Personal Digital
Assistant) and 950 pager to include automatic receipt of
calendar updates as well as e-mails. "If this were next
year, while you are at Comdex your secretary could make
a new appointment for you, put it in your calendar, and
it would synchronize wirelessly with your RIM," a source
said.
Although
RIM and AOL want to make their deal privately, Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates will openly discuss one of the wireless
industry's worst-kept secret projects, a tablet PC that
will also feature a persistent wireless connection to home
and office networks. (See the article "Microsoft developing
PC tablet device,"www.infoworld.com/printlinks.)
The
unit, which is meant to be used as a fully-functioning PC,
will have wireless capability that incorporates instant
messaging, paging functionality, and Web browsing. Some
analysts have said the focus on wireless technology at Comdex
this year is proof that the PC hardware show is no longer
relevant.
"Comdex
is a large animal that doesn't have a focus anymore as the
industry moves into a wireless and appliance area," said
Tim Scannell, analyst at Mobile Insights, based in Mountain
View, Calif. "Most companies don't know if and how wireless
will be used," Scannell said. "They would like to believe
it will interact seamlessly but there are a lot of variables
that have yet to be answered."
One
wireless infrastructure provider with an alternative to
outsourcing a wireless solution is MShift in San
Jose, Calif. MShift will announce a tool kit targeted at
in-house developers.
The MobileShift™ Toolkit
and MobileShift™ Engine will reformat
any content on devices that use Wireless Markup Language,
Palm or Windows CE platforms, and HDML (Handheld Markup
Language).
The ODBC-compliant development package
will allow companies to retrieve data from almost any database
or from their current Web sites.
As
wireless needs increase, the package can add functionality
without relying on an ASP, said Scott Moeller, co-founder
and CEO of MShift.
Wireless
at Comdex
Other announcements are expected to make noise at the show.
* Capslock's Secure Wireless Access Technology allows client-side
strong encryption on handhelds but not on cellular phones.
* Xircom's SpringPort Wireless Data Module for the Handspring
Visor lists at $129 and runs at speeds as fast as 9600 bps.
* Wireless Mountain's Power Rover connects wireless users
to any wired infrastructure.
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