News 2000
Virgin Mobile First with Sim-Web Browsing
01/02/2000
Virgin Mobile today announced that it will be the world's first mobile phone company to offer all its customers internet browsing from any of its phones. Virgin Mobile is introducing a SIM based web-browser allowing customers access to WML (WAP) web sites, such as BBC Online and Megastore Direct, Virgin's online music retailer. The news follows the smart card initiative announced earlier this week by the newly-formed SIMalliance at the GSM World Congress 2000 in Cannes, France, which will develop smartcard web-browsers. Doing away with the need for an expensive WAP phone, Virgin Mobile will spearhead the industry move towards data intensive m-commerce applications for all mobile customers.
Working in partnership with Gemplus, one of the SIMalliance founder partners, Virgin Mobile has developed one of the widest ranges of information and e-commerce applications available anywhere in Europe. The introduction of internet browsing at the heart of Virgin Mobile's Advanced Wireless Technology Platform(tm) will mean even quicker, user-friendly access to data based services for customers.
Richard Williams, Head of Advanced Wireless Technology at Virgin Mobile, says, "The mobile is the web window of the future. By introducing SIM-based browsing we will enable all customers to get onto the internet, when they want to, wherever they want to. And they won't need to buy an expensive, top-of-the-range phone first. This is silicon socialism at its finest."
Virgin Mobile will be demonstrating its web browser at the GSM Congress in Cannes, before introducing the service later this spring.
About SIMalliance(tm)
SIMalliance is a new consortium of four leading global providers of SIM cards (Subscriber Identification Module, a smart card inserted into GSM mobile phones for identification and security) and Over The Air (OTA) platforms for remotely programming SIM cards. The four founding members are Gemplus, Schlumberger, Geisecle & Devrient and ORGA, together representing the innovative worldwide force in SIM, SIM Toolkit and OTA platform solutions.
About Gemplus
Internet browsing capability on the Virgin service is made possible by incorporating Gemplus' GemXplore(tm) On-line technology into Virgin Mobile's existing Advanced Wireless Technology Platform. The GemXplore On-Line solution will be fully compliant with the latest common browsing standards agreed by the SIMalliance(tm). GemXplore On-Line is a comprehensive Mobile Internet Solution based on SIM Toolkit and Remote SIM Management technology. GemXplore On-Line works by allowing subscribers to browse through Internet-based services partly on-line, partly off-line, using an existing GSM network, a current SIM Toolkit compatible handset and the SMS (Short Message Service) bearer.
