Nextel Makes Multiple Alliances for Wireless Internet Apps

Reston, VA-based Nextel Communications has formed alliances with Aether Systems, Amazon.com, eDispatch.com Wireless Data Inc., IBM, and MicroStrategy to offer wireless Internet applications unique for businesses through Nextel Online.

The online service is designed to extend the power of the Internet to Nextel customers anytime and anywhere through a suite of integrated Internet tools that mobilize the Internet for businesses. The service will enable customers to securely access applications, services, and content through a single point of entry providing a tool that offers increased control over time, information and business.

Users can access the service via Nextel's new "plus" series phones — the i1000plus, i700plus, and i500plus — or through an expanded nextel.com Web site. The service will be commercially available in 2Q 2000.

• The agreement with Aether (Owings Mills, MD) will allow the companies to jointly develop and market applications for enterprise customers in a variety of industries including financial services, transportation, and mobile workforce automation. These applications will be designed to allow customers to gain access to time-sensitive data and complete customer care through Aether's Enterprise Wireless Data Center in two ways. First, applications will be available through Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-enabled phones. Second, customers will be able to access wireless data by using a variety of mobile computing devices, including those that operate on the Palm and Windows CE platforms, by connecting a cable between the device and the phone. Specific applications will be announced in the near future.
  
• Under the agreement with Amazon.com (Seattle, WA), Nextel customers will have access to the online store via their phones. Features such as personal recommendations, product reviews, and secure 1-Click shopping will enable customers to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
  
• The agreement with eDispatch.com Wireless Data Inc. will allow customers, specifically those in field service, transportation and construction segments, to extend communication from the Internet out to the mobile worker in the field, increasing productivity with cost-effective communications. eDispatch enables field workers to receive, acknowledge and close out work orders. The dispatcher also can receive job status and job completion information in near real time from the field. In addition, the dispatcher can generate management reports with this application for up-to-the-minute analysis of the company's performance in the field.
  
• IBM (Armonk, NJ) and Nextel will jointly sell and market solutions to enterprise customers to wirelessly enable Nextel customers to use hand-held devices, such as Palm Pilots, IBM WorkPads and Windows CE 2.0-based devices to transfer information directly to corporate systems over the carrier's online dial-up service. This application will allow customers to remotely synchronize e-mail, calendar, contacts and tasks between specific handheld devices, Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange servers; perform two-way relational database synchronization via handheld devices; and perform two-way file transfer via handheld devices.
  
• MicroStrategy (Vienna, VA) and Nextel entered into an alliance to jointly develop a series of intelligent wireless applications that will be delivered via Nextel's network. The new applications, developed through Strategy.com, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MicroStrategy, will provide businesses and consumers with a set of intelligent services that will enable them to receive timely information and act on it. For example, the companies will develop new services that will allow users to do things like be alerted to a change in stock price, review details on why the stock price changed, and have the option to act on that information from Internet-ready phones.

Edited by Ellen Jensen