Microsoft & Oracle Demo Web Access Via Phones/Mobile Devices          
                         (Newsbytes; 03/17/99)                         

 REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1999 MAR 17 (Newsbytes) -- By Ian Stokell, 
Newsbytes. The World Wide Web, and the ability to access it and utilize its 
global resources, at any time and from any location, is a hot item at the 
moment, especially at trade shows. Two examples of this developing technology 
can be seen at the CeBIT 99 trade show in Hannover, Germany this week, where 
Microsoft Corp. [NASDAQ:MSFT] has teamed up with a number of telephone 
manufacturers to preview Web-enabled telephones, and Oracle [NASDAQ:ORCL] plans 
to preview technology to deliver Web content to mobile devices.

  The Web-enabled telephones being powered by Microsoft's 32-bit Windows CE 
operating system are being demonstrated by Acer Inc., Daewoo Telecom Ltd., 
Panasonic, Philips, and Vestel, and reportedly combine traditional telephone 
services with such data capabilities as Internet access and e-mail.

  Targeted at consumers without PC access, the Web-enabled telephones integrate 
a traditional phone handset and numeric keypad with a touchscreen display and 
keyboard. Another market also targeted are households that already have a PC 
but want access to the Internet from a second location.

  The telephone users will reportedly have access to an address book, caller 
ID, e-mail, answering machine (OEM optional), notes, and "full Web browsing," 
all via a 640 by 480 touchscreen.

  Oracle's Project Panama technology will deliver Web content to users of a 
variety of mobile products, such as GSM (global system for mobile 
communications) smart-phones, Windows CE devices, and Palm Pilots.

  The key, says Oracle, is that the technology will let Internet and mobile 
service providers deliver "personalized" services directly to mobile devices 
without having to modify content for them, such as flight and travel 
information. It will also allow for the purchasing of goods online, directly 
from the mobile device.

  Currently in the pilot testing stage, Project Panama will automatically 
translate the traditional hypertext markup language (HTML)- or XML-based Web 
document formatting to something that can instead be understood by wireless 
devices. Utilizing protocols cited by Oracle include Wireless Access Protocol 
(WAP).

  Oracle says that Project Panama will be "integrated seamlessly into the 
existing network infrastructure" and be built on top of the company's Internet 
platform.

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