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Always On, Always Connected Communication Capability

Every industry occasionally faces critical survival tests, or times during which it must respond to sudden new demands and market forces. Dr. Andrew Grove, CEO of Intel Corporation, calls these times „strategic inflection points.“ These are the result of major shifts in the competitive landscape, or rapid technological changes of significant magnitude. In response, a business must alter its core strategies, reinvent itself, change emphasis, and evolve — or face potential extinction.

The PC and telecommunication industries are just beginning to witness the results of a new „strategic inflection point.“ With the convergence of communications and computing, computers must have excellent communication capabilities, while communicators require increased computing power. The confluence of these trends is a new breed of product built around hardware and software that combines wireless data communication for mobility, connectivity to the PC for a robust environment, and access to the Internet for worldwide linkages.

Converging Notebook Computing with Communications for True Mobility

Mobile professionals are relying increasingly on their notebook computers for business. Traditional office applications, and now email, Internet access, and the demand to be always on/always connected are driving the demand for wireless data services. Whether it is downloading email on the road, receiving faxes when away from the office, or browsing the net, notebook computer users are benefiting from an expanding wireless data infrastructure. Advanced cellular phones and notebook computers equipped with wireless modems can all take advantage of the ability to connect anywhere and anytime.**

Robust Environments

Communication is defined as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior. The PC, along with the PC industry infrastructure, offers the most prolific and robust environment in which to communicate. PC standards enable the development of diverse applications and the information with which to interact with multiple devices. Intel believes information will continue to become more specific and personalized to meet the needs of the individual. To this end, information technology from the wired desktop environment is being scaled to meet the requirements for the portable, mobile environment. Additionally, a re-use of the current PC infrastructure has made available a vast and growing amount of content and services via the Internet.

Internet Ubiquity

„The most significant phenomenon of the past ten years — in both the PC and communications industries — is the Internet. The Internet is most likely to push digital communications, and smart connections, to real ubiquity,“ said Dr. Grove at Telecom ’95.

The Internet is a vast array of interconnected networks that allows PC users to access data, sound and video anywhere, anytime. It is a huge trove of information and data sources that has existed for more than 30 years. Its sudden popularity exists because the Internet now has a graphical area which displays natural data, called the World Wide Web. Through graphical user interfaces called browsers, the World Wide Web potentially can attain the ideal of universal service: access by anybody, anywhere from any computer.

The PC and the Internet maintain a symbiotic relationship: as more powerful computers enter the office, home and on the road, they are able to take advantage of more powerful browsing tools, video and other data types over the Internet. Conversely, as the Internet grows more powerful, and complex as it relies increasingly on graphics, audio and video, it demands more powerful computers to access its rich data. Advanced PC technology, therefore, becomes the powerful window or „portal“ through which millions of users traverse onto the World Wide Web and Internet to link-up and communicate with others. So that the communications link is not limited to one’s office or home, the mobile „smart connection“ to the Internet has emerged to meet the need to be always on, always connected. An example of a „smart connection“ is the combination of Nokia’s 9000 Communicator* and a mobile Pentium® processor-based notebook computer. These two products used together enable users to access wireless data easily — anywhere, anytime.

Nokia 9000 Communicator

Nokia’s 9000 Communicator is a voice phone with a GUI display that provides data communications functionality. This functionality includes today’s value-added messaging features, including faxes, email, and short messaging. The phone combines the features of an organizer and phone into an attractive form factor.

The Nokia 9000 Communicator integrates a wireless modem, greatly simplifying wireless access to notebook computers built on Intel Pentium processor technology. Mobile phones, such as the Nokia 9000 Communicator, offer a handheld form factor, and represent the scalability of the Intel Architecture from the corporate server to the desktop to the laptop and now the palmtop. To achieve the full benefits of mobile connectivity, users will own both a notebook computer and an Nokia 9000 Communicator. The notebook provides a variety of mass storage options, a larger screen, full keyboard and a wide variety of advanced PC applications, while the Nokia 9000 Communicator is an excellent advanced phone, with enhanced, yet fully compatible communications and personal information features designed to complement the notebook PC.

Enabling Technology

The Intel components within the new Nokia Mobile phone include a highly-integrated version of an Intel386(TM) microprocessor and several Intel SmartVoltage flash memory components. The flash memory is non-volatile, re-writable and, low-voltage to enable computer-like performance and functionality in a small form factor. Nokia’s design uses 4-Mbit flash devices for GSM protocol code storage. In addition, Intel’s 16-Mbit flash devices store user data such as voice messages, phone and fax numbers, fax text and calendar information in addition to the GUI operating system code and PIM (personal information management) application software. In addition, the 4-Mbit devices are provided as tested die products to save space in the design.

The Intel Architecture and the integration of PC peripherals provide the scalability and functionality that enabled Nokia to use readily available PC-based software development tools and software to shorten its development cycle and quickly come to market with the Nokia 9000 Communicator. Combined, the high-integration and performance of the Intel devices and the compact Geoworks operating system enable a very robust communicator for Nokia.

The Intel Architecture is the most widely supported by software developers. Re-use of Intel architecture and its PC infrastructure for data communications creates time-to-market advantages for OEMs. In addition to these benefits, Intel also brought its PC-design expertise to Nokia’s handheld platform design to create the best in wireless communications from both the computing and the communications areas.

*Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
** Under the coverage of a data network that supports digital data services.


* Legal Information   1999 Intel Corporation


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