With so many companies now sounding the virtues of the global marketplace, it is refreshing to hear that Lucent Technologies in collaboration with i-WAP Systems (Asia) Sdn Bhd have developed and deployed regionalized mobile Internet applications for the local Asian market.

In less than five months since announcing their collaboration, the companies have a suite of applications, designed for such vertical markets as financial, corporate, and hospitality, up and running at Lucent’s Mobile Internet Innovation Center (MIIC).

"Our strategic collaboration with Lucent Technologies has enabled us to focus on developing unique GRPS and 3G applications customized for Asian mobile operators," said Lawrence Ang, chairman and CEO of i-WAP Systems. Operators can offer these mobile e-commerce solutions to both mobile and PDA users, he added.

The applications are available in multiple Asian languages and offer greater personalization and customization features, made possible by Lucent’s mobile Internet service creation platform. Subscribers will be able to access information and services in varied locations and presence, regardless if their device is on or off, the companies said. Other applications, available at the MIIC include video and audio streaming supported by 3G mobile networks.

In test trials, a Sagem PW959 GPRS handset running on the MIIC platform was used to access mobile Internet applications such as stock alerts, comic books, horoscopes, banking, and commerce applications. According to Tim Clark, technical director of Lucent MIIC and Regional Technical Center, these trials were successful, and he expects the applications to be well received by the local Asian market.

For more information: http://www.lucent.com/press/0501/010515.nsa.html