Nokia and Sony to collaborate on developing an open middlewear platform

LAS VEGAS, Nov 13 (PROTEXT/PRNewswire)- Nokia and SonyCorporation today announced that they have started co-operationon developing an open and common middleware platform with thetarget of achieving interoperability between mobile handsets andconsumer devices, and between their respective service platforms.Both Nokia and Sony stress the outcome of this co-operationwill be open, and aim to make the results of their co-operationavailable to third parties in the future.Nokia and Sony will work on a number of key technologies thatwill enable communication between various types of devicesallowing them to utilise a variety of applications and servicesover the network. The collaboration will cover technical areassuch as new user interfaces, content downloading, multimediamessaging, open digital rights management, and compatibilityon implementing IPv6."Nokia and Sony share a vision of a future in which many types ofdevices work together exchanging data and content in a seamlessand interoperable way. This is a task which requires broad andopen interoperability between devices from many manufacturers. Iam confident that this co-operation with Sony will significantlypromote the target of merging different service environmentstogether. Nokia's mission is to enable people to build theirown mobile world", said Jorma Ollila, Chairman and CEO, Nokia."Sony and Nokia's collaboration reflects both parties desire tocreate a new mobile network environment through an open allianceunder a shared vision," said Kunitake Ando, President and COO ofSony Corporation. "I believe this co-operation will create greatbusiness opportunities for the entire industry and will enablepeople to dynamically communicate with any mobile device,anytime, anywhere. "This collaboration brings together two industry leadersaccelerating the development and adoption of open mobilecommunication standards. Combining Nokia's expertise in mobilecommunications with Sony's experience in technical innovation andcreating new categories of entertainment, the agreement promisesto create added value and convenience for consumers throughdevice interoperability and open architectures. About NokiaNokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by itsexperience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions,the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones anda leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks. By addingmobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities forcompanies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokiais a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges. About Sony CorporationSony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game,communications and information technology products for theconsumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures,computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquelypositioned to be a leading personal broadband entertainmentcompany in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales ofnearly $60 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001.Sony's Home Page URL: www.world.sony.comNokia, Corporate CommunicationsTel. +358 718008000Web-site: http://www.nokia.comSony CorporationCorporate CommunicationsTel: +81-3-5448-2200/Fax: +81-3-5448-3061Merran Wrigley Merran.Wrigley@jp.sony.comKei Sakaguchi Kei.Sakaguchi@jp.sony.comSony EuropeCorporate CommunicationsTel: +49-30-2575-5158/Fax: +49-30-2575-5174Matthias Colli matthias.colli@eu.sony.comWeb-site: http://www.sony-europe.com

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