***Motorola Buys into $200 Million Symbian Joint Venture
(February 16)
Wireless Today reports that the four-way Symbian partnership that
will collaborate on developing the EPOC operating system for use
in next-generation wireless handsets is complete, with Motorola
paying the equivalent of about $47.2 million to acquire a 23.1
percent position in the company.
Motorola first announced its participation in Symbian last
October, signing a definitive agreement to work with Psion plc,
originator of the EPOC system, and with L.M. Ericsson AB and
Nokia in the joint venture.
Psion holds 30.7 percent of Symbian, while the three handset
manufacturers each own 23.1 percent interests. The European
Commission approved Motorola's acquisition of the Symbian stake
last week.
Facing what is shaping up to be a stiff challenge from Microsoft
and Qualcomm with their Wireless Knowledge LLC joint venture,
Symbian and its partners are working to facilitate key mobile
standards, including the Wireless Application Protocol, as well
as Bluetooth and Java, with the aim of eventually licensing EPOC
and using it in their own products.
As part of Motorola's participation agreement, EPOC will include
TrueSync, synchronization technology developed by Motorola's
Starfish Software subsidiary. TrueSync's synchronization
capabilities will mean that users of EPOC-based handsets will
only have to enter information into the devices once to easily
synchronize this data with desktop and server-based applications
and services.
9035.6 Internet
Wave Issue 9035 4/05/99 Article 6-01