Apple, Ericsson and Sun Team to Create Standards-Based, Wireless Content Delivery Solution
Carrier-Grade, MPEG-4 Based Solution Will Enable Multimedia Content to Mobile
Phones and Other Wireless Devices
QUICKTIME LIVE, LOS ANGELES-February 12, 2002-Apple®, Ericsson and Sun
Microsystems, Inc. today announced a relationship that will enable network
operators to deliver standardized multimedia content to a variety of wireless
devices including mobile phones and PDAs. Drawing on Apple's leadership in
content creation, Sun's expertise in content delivery and Ericsson's
experience in wireless infrastructure, the Ericsson Content Delivery Solution
will expand the market for streaming media, opening new distribution channels
for content providers.
This standards-based solution is an end-to-end platform that includes: Apple's
QuickTime® for content creation and encoding, Sun's reliable and scalable
software and systems to enable content distribution, and Ericsson's ability to
provide mobile operators with a full infrastructure and services solution.
"The Content Delivery Solution will open up new revenue streams for operators
by providing users with high quality multimedia services, such as movie clips
and instant news on demand," said Torbjörn Nilsson, senior vice president,
Ericsson Marketing and Strategic Business Development. "The cooperation with
Apple and Sun ensures availability of multimedia content, thus bridging the
media industry with the mobile community."
Apple, Ericsson and Sun believe open standards are critical to bringing
revolutionary technology to new markets and to delivering the future of mobile
data services. All three companies are leaders in their industries in the
development and use of open standards. Ericsson is a founding member of the
3GPP, and Apple and Sun are co-founders of the Internet Streaming Media
Alliance (ISMA). Both the 3GPP and ISMA are organizations dedicated to
ensuring interoperable, standards-based technologies and products in the
market. Additionally, QuickTime was chosen by the International Organization
for Standards (ISO) as the file format for MPEG-4.
"Working with Ericsson and Sun is the perfect example of how using open
standards can bring powerful technology to consumers and open new markets for
businesses," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide
Product Marketing. "We're excited that Ericsson chose QuickTime for the
Content Delivery Solution. QuickTime is widely used by content developers, and
the Mac is the platform of choice for the creative community."
"The rapidly expanding content delivery market requires industrial-strength,
readily scaling open systems which are the heart of Sun's business," said Ann
Wettersten, vice president of Sun's Wireless and Content Delivery Networks
Group. "We're pleased to join Apple and Ericsson in enabling the delivery of
rich media services that enable the wireless lifestyle."
About Apple
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II
and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is
committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students,
educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its
innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
About Ericsson
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications
through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions
in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful
communications companies in the world. Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision-The Network Is The
Computer(TM)-has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position
as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services
that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to take their businesses
to the nth. Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide
Web at http://www.sun.com.
Press Contacts:
Bill Evans
Apple
(408) 974-0610
bevans@apple.com
Caroline Ohlson
Ericsson Corporate Communications
Phone: + 46 8 719 56 60
Caroline.Ohlson@lme.ericsson.se
Paula Angel-Jones
Ericsson USA
(781) 505-6245
Paula.Angel-Jones@am1.ericsson.se
Allison Kelley
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(650) 786-4434
allison.kelley@sun.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple's PR website
(http://www.apple.com/pr/), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.
Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Macintosh and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo and The Network is the Computer, are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United
States and in other countries.