Expidas, BT wireless' innovative initiative for developers officially opened its London based satellite operation at Ealing Studios today. Expidas enables developers to launch their applications on BT wireless' 2G, 2.5G and 3G networks, across the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands and Germany.
Bob Cummings, new wireless ventures manager at BT wireless said "Ealing Studios have historically seen many great creative projects come to fruition, and are now being transformed into an exciting new digital media centre/next generation studio. This location lends itself to the buzz and ingenuity of these pioneering developers and we are delighted to be at the heart of this community."
'Developer pods' are at the crux of the new Expidas site. They provide developers with the tools necessary to test and integrate their applications in a considerably reduced timeframe. Developers are supported by technical and commercial teams, based at Ealing, who have the power to quickly make, and act upon testing, marketing and launch decisions.
The Ealing Studios site will be supported by a 'technical hub' at Marlow, which replicates 2G, 2.5G and (in time) 3G networks. The technical hub will allow applications to be optimised, integrated and hosted in a live environment and will also be used to trial new service platforms.
Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, Marconi, Motorola and Nokia are supporting Expidas by contributing the infrastructure for the technical hub. BT wireless has established a partnership with each of these companies and will look to maximise their individual portfolio of applications and their extended community of third party application developers through Expidas.
Ealing is the first of many planned BT wireless and partner 'satellite' application development centres linked to the technical hub.
John Waterfield, head of applications platforms at BT wireless said: "Expidas, by virtue of its two physical locations, facilitates the opportunity to deliver new wireless products and services in unprecedented timescales. The technical hub, a live but isolated environment, will support numerous development facilities. Ealing Studios is the first example of such a site."
Notes for Editors
Read on for more information about the agreements, the parties involved and their comments.
Expidas
Expidas is a means for wireless application developers to develop their products on 2G, 2.5G and (in time) 3G networks, and reach BT wireless customers. Successful developers will gain access to dedicated facilities at Ealing Studios in west London, and a technical and commercial team to help get their product through testing and integration and possibly to commercial launch. Developers should register their details on the Expidas web site to start the process; this information could also be shared with Venture Capitalist companies, looking for funding opportunities. The web site also contains technical data, white papers and information on training, consultancy and testing connection to GPRS. www.expidas.com
BT wireless
BT wireless has a European footprint of wholly owned operations in the UK, Germany (Viag Interkom), The Netherlands (Telfort), The Republic of Ireland (Esat Digifone), and the Isle of Man (Manx Telecom). BT wireless also includes Genie, which is one of Europe's leading mobile Internet portals. BT wireless owns third generation licences to operate 3G mobile services in the UK, Germany and The Netherlands - all territories where it has already launched GPRS services. The company expects to apply for a 3G licence in Ireland where the application process is expected to commence shortly. BT announced on May 10 that it intends to de-merge BT wireless before the end of this year.
Further information::
Ruben Lawrence/Jeremy Merckel
Bite Communications
Tel. +44 20 8741 1123
Email expidas@bitecomm.co.uk
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios, Britain's oldest and most famous film studio, is being rebuilt as a next-generation studio for traditional film and television, and cutting edge digital companies. Key to the development is the provision of a state of the art technology infrastructure and high-speed connectivity, tailored to the needs of digital media.
Ealing Studios was bought in 2000 by the principals of Fragile Films, The Idea Factory and The Manhattan Loft Corporation. Under its new management Ealing Studios is again becoming a production studio, as it was under Michael Balcon in the 1950s. It will revive its history of film-making with 'The Importance of Being Earnest', the first production to be made under the Ealing banner since 1959. www.ealingstudios.com
Sean Hinton, Managing Director Ealing Studios, said: "We are delighted to welcome BT wireless into the Ealing Studios community. The presence of tenants such as Project Expidas will help us develop a new and unique community of talent at Ealing Studios, bringing together a variety of disciplines from both traditional film and television as well as cutting edge media and digital companies."
Further information:
Fiona Charlesworth
Tel. 020 7462 3528/07775 782002
Email fiona@manhattanloft.co.uk
Alice O'Sullivan
Tel. 020 8584 5271
Email: alice@ealingstudios.com
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 communication companies in the world. Read more at www.ericsson.com/press
Further information::
Paula Wagstaff
Media Relations Director
Ericsson
Tel. +44 1444 234354
Email paula.wagstaff@etl.ericsson.se
Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as broadband and mobile Internet infrastructure; communications software; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional consulting services.
Lucent Technologies is supporting Project Expidas by contributing an ORiNOCO(TM) Wireless infrastructure for the development centre hub at Ealing. The infrastructure will provide technical staff with a secure wireless connection to their network facilities and enable mobile access across the site.
Further infomation:
Emily Baxter
Tel. +44 20 7647 8028
Email baxtere@lucent.com
Marconi plc
Marconi plc is a global company with over 50,000 employees. Marconi has research and development facilities in 19 countries, manufacturing operations in 16 countries, and serves customers in over 100 countries. It delivers innovative communications solutions which transform the economics of doing business, for Networks, Wireless and Enterprise customers. Marconi plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq under the symbol MONI. Additional information about Marconi can be found at www.marconi.com.
Marconi is supporting Project Expidas by contributing the underlying infrastructure supporting the technical hub and interconnect networks.
Further information:
Sheila Lashford
Media Relations
Tel.+44 115 906 4606
Email sheila.lashford@marconi.com
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2000 were $37.6 billion. For more information on Motorola, visit www.motorola.com. Under this agreement, Motorola is supporting Project Expidas by providing BT wireless with a full GPRS network that replicates the BT Cellnet, Motorola/Cisco supplied commercial network.
Further information:
Kathi Haas
Motorola
Tel. +480 732 2835
Email kathi.haas@motorola.com
Clare Goodwin/Duncan Burns
Hill & Knowlton (UK)
Tel. +44 20 7413 3000
Email dburns@hillandknowlton.com
Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.
Further information:
Communications Department, Nokia Networks
Tel: + 358 7180 38195
Email nokia.networks@nokia.com
www.nokia.com