Wireless Industry leaders announce “Wireless World Research Forum”

The objective of the new forum is to formulate visions on strategic future research directions in the wireless field, among industry and academia, and to generate, identify, and promote research areas and technical trends for mobile and wireless system technologies. It is intended to closely co-operate with the UMTS Forum, ETSI, 3GPP, IETF, ITU, and other relevant bodies regarding commercial and standardisation issues derived from the research work.

The forum is open to all interested parties. Members are expected to contribute papers and ideas. In 2001, the forum will organise three working sessions and a workshop towards the end of the year.

The WWRF is a further development of work started during 2000 in the Wireless Strategic Initiative (WSI). The Wireless Strategic Initiative was started in May 2000 by Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens as a project under the Information Society Technologies programme of the EU.

The WSI project organised an invited Think Tank of international experts to develop first concepts for the wireless field. The Think Tank met three times during 2000 and the results will be discussed at a workshop to be held in Brussels on December 12, 2000 and soon released. The partners of the WSI project expect that the results of the Think Tank will form a useful starting point for the work of the Wireless World Research Forum.

To get more information on the planned workshop and the forum, please go to the web site www.ist-wsi.org.

Alcatel builds next generation networks, delivering integrated end-to-end voice and data networking solutions to established and new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide. With 120,000 employees and sales of EURO 23 billion in 1999, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.

Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of mobile Internet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world.

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 a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.

The Siemens Information and Communication Mobile Group (IC Mobile) offers the complete range of mobile business including devices, infrastructure and applications. Devices include mobile phones, wireless modules, mobile organizers, cordless and corded phones as well as products for wireless home networks. The infrastructure portfolio includes the complete range of mobile network technologies from base stations and switching systems to intelligent networks services and mobile applications. For Fiscal 2000, IC Mobile recorded sales of €9 billion and EBIT of €758 million (preliminary figures). The group had 27,400 employees at the end of the fiscal year on September 30.



Further information:

Alcatel
Hafida Guenfoud
Tel. + 33 1 40 76 51 56
www.alcatel.com.

Ericsson
Ericsson GmbH Press office
Jens Kürten
Tel. +49 211 534 2280, Fax: +49 211 534 1431
E-Mail: presse@ericsson.de

Nokia Reseach Center
Dr. Mikko A Uusitalo, Manager, Research cooperation
Tel. +358 9 4376 6616
Email: mikko.a.uusitalo@nokia.com
www.nokia.com

Siemens
Press: Florian Kreutz
Tel. +49 89 722 37678
Dr. Werner Mohr, Vice President
Tel. +49 89 722 23958