Teaming to shape the future of wireless communications, market leaders Motorola. and Sun Microsystems have announced that they have signed a non-exclusive, 10-year strategic technology agreement which will allow Motorola to deliver Internet protocol (IP)- based, high-availability network servers, base station controllers and base stations for wireless networks.
The agreement joins the wireless communications platform expertise of Motorola`s Network Solutions Sector (NSS) with carrier-grade hardware platforms from Motorola Computer Group (MCG) and mission-critical software solutions from Sun. The new network will provide an unprecedented level of wireless availability - the equivalent in a wireline world of near-infinite dial tone and a claim that only the wireline industry can make today.
This same high-availability wireless network architecture will be deployed by other Motorola businesses that design and manufacture wireless network infrastructure products for satellite, paging, two-way radio and Internet networking customers. Under the terms of this agreement, Motorola`s plans call for the purchase of up to $1 billion in board- and system-level hardware from MCG; software and hardware from Sun; as well as custom hardware from Motorola NSS. In addition, Sun and MCG will independently offer their respective, high-availability software and hardware architectures to other telecommunications and enterprise customers.
The new architecture, featuring an open, easy-to-use development environment, will allow wireless service providers and commercial developers to quickly respond to demands for IP-based voice, data and video services. The architecture includes custom hardware from Motorola NSS; MCG`s award-winning CPX8216 PowerPC high-availability computing platform; and Sun`s ChorusOS real-time operating system, Solaris operating environment, high-availability and IP services and Java Dynamic Management Software Kit.
"Motorola is moving the wireless telecommunications industry from its proprietary past to a future based on open IP standards which can provide reduced costs, increased reliability and new value-added services for our customers," said Chris Galvin, chairman and chief executive officer, Motorola. "By leveraging the combined expertise of Sun and Motorola, our customers can deliver the most reliable, scalable and feature-rich wireless services available."
New IP-based digital wireless networks provide an open architecture that allow network operators and service providers to quickly deliver new services to consumers at reasonable costs. Unlike new IP-based networks, older proprietary wireless networks are expensive to customize and limited in the types of services and devices they can support.
"The agreement we`re announcing with Motorola is about spurring innovation in the wireless industry," said Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive officer, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "The new platform will be open. Voice, IP and multimedia will converge. Consumers will have more choices. Carriers will be able to reduce costs. In short, Sun and Motorola are laying the foundation for the digital wireless network of the 21st century."
The products will be designed to provide three tiers of service:
Tier One for base station operations with demanding, real-time needs
Includes custom hardware from Motorola NSS; processor and network interface cards from MCG; and Sun`s ChorusOS real-time operating system, high-availability and IP services and Java Dynamic Management Software Kit
Tier Two for call processing controllers with some real-time requirements
Includes MCG`s CPX8216 carrier-grade, high-availability computing platform, and Sun`s ChorusOS real-time operating system, high-availability and IP services, and Java Dynamic Management Software Kit
Tier Three for back office processing and central office operations
Includes Sun`s Netra ft carrier-grade hardware, Solaris operating environment, high-availability and IP services, and Java Dynamic Management Software Kit
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Motorola
Motorola is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1998 were $29.4 billion. For more information about Motorola, visit the Web site at http://www.motorola.com/.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc., (NASDAQ "SUNW"), to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $11 billion in annual revenues,
Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
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