SyncML initiative reaches the milestone of 500 supporter companies,growing as one of the fastest open standards in history

Since the February 2000 introduction of the SyncML initiative – sponsored by mobile technology industry leaders Ericsson, IBM, Lotus, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Inc., Psion and Starfish Software – a record number of technology companies have joined SyncML as industry supporters participating in the development of universal data synchronization across multiple networks, platforms and mobile devices. The 500 companies who have joined the SyncML initiative since February make this one of the fastest growing open standard initiatives to date. The rapid growth of members is evidence to the significance of the future of synchronization for the mobile computing industry.

"The rapid growth of SyncML supporters is testimony to the importance of a universal data synchronization specification. We are very pleased to see so many industry leaders join this collaborative effort," said Doug Heintzman, Chairman SyncML initiative. “It is very encouraging to see the rapid progress that has been made and we are excited to see that a number of SyncML -conformant products will ship in the first quarter of 2001 - less than a year after the initiative was founded."

SyncML supporters work closely with the sponsors to pioneer the development, introduction and adoption of this industry wide initiative. New members that have joined since February include industry leaders such as Cisco Systems, Samsung, Bell Labs Lucent Technologies, America Online, Intel, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, Yahoo! and other companies around the world from countries including Israel, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Hong Kong, the Philippines, United Kingdom, Finland, India, Canada, Turkey, South Korea, China, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Macedonia, Estonia and the Russian Federation. Member participation covers a wide range of industries including device manufacturers, synchronization vendors, service providers and application developers.

SyncML is the only open industry synchronization specification that offers seamless global interoperability. Utilizing the common XML language for specifying messages that synchronize devices and applications, SyncML is a future-proof platform enabling reliable and immediate synchronization of data. Additionally, SyncML technology can be used almost anywhere in a wide array of devices, regardless of application or operating system.

About SyncML
Sponsored by Ericsson, IBM, Lotus, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Inc., Psion and Starfish Software, the SyncML initiative develops and promotes an open industry specification for universal data synchronization of remote data and personal information across multiple networks, platforms and devices. The SyncML initiative is open for participation to a wide range of industries including device manufacturers, synchronization vendors, service providers and application developers. Companies interested in joining are encouraged to contact the SyncML initiative today to become part of the team and deliver the SyncML specification available later this year. For more information on The SyncML initiative, how to join the SyncML initiative, details of technical specifications and more, visit http://www.syncml.org.

About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is one of the most broadly held companies in the world with listings on six major exchanges.





Further information:

Ericsson
Jan Ahrenbring
+46 70 590 9900
jan.ahrenbring@ecs.ericsson.se

IBM
Tara Sexton
+ 1 914 766 3366
tara.sexton@us.ibm.com

Lotus
Michael Shamrell
+ 1 617 693 1264
michael_shamrell@lotus.com

Motorola
David Rudd
+1 847 576 7089
David.rudd@motorola.com

Nokia Mobile Phones
Communications
+358105051

Palm, Inc.
Julia Rodriguez
+ 1 408 326 9390
julia.rodriguez@palm.com

Palm, Inc.
Amy Nemechek
A&R Partners Public Relations
Tel. + 1 303 730 5755
anemechek@arpartners.com

Psion PLC
Anthony Garvey,
+44 171 317 4265
anthony-garvey@psion.com

Starfish Software
Kate Dueck
+1 831 461 5815
kate.dueck@starfish.com

www.nokia.com