In Australia, you can now run your business and access Internet services 24 hours a day, seven days week away from your desktop, according to the folks at dotWAP, a Melbourne-based Wireless Application Service Provider (WASP).
The company says it’s possible because of their NEO1, a wireless modem that can be attached to any Palm V series (or IBM WorkPad, which are of little interest to Mac users) handheld. The device provides Palm users with permanent connection to the Internet without having to dial up using a mobile phone, according to dotWAP Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Ross Symons said.
“From the moment they clip the NEO1 to their Palm organizer, users have the Internet and the World Wide Web at their fingertips, with real-time availability to services such as e-mail, share trading, shopping and banking,” he added. “A NEO1 user pays only for the amount of data transferred, not the amount of time spent online.”
This is unlike the situation with GSM networked mobile phones where charges relate directly to call connection time; the annual savings to users is significant, Symons said. He added that a unique feature of the NEO1 is its permanent online connection. You can set the NEO1 to always on status and turn off your Palm handheld. The moment an e-mail or alert arrives, the Palm organizer wakes up automatically.
The NEO1 utilizes the Mobitex data-only wireless network. dotWAP has developed proprietary client and server based software, integrating the network and NEO1 to provide customers an end-to-end wireless data solution.
“This allows people the freedom to choose when and where they carry out transactions, which to date has basically meant using a desktop PC or laptop at a fixed location,” Symons said. “The possibilities are enormous. People now can receive and respond to e-mails while on the run, trade shares from the back of a taxi, or book tickets to a concert or show while kicking back on the beach. There are tremendous opportunities with this device for SMEs, individuals and corporate workforces alike. It’s akin to having your PC in the palm of your hand.”
dotWAP plans to launch the NEO1 in South East Asia and Europe in the near future. No word on when it will come to North America.
“Our wireless network will extend across traditional country borders,” dotWAP Chairman Stephen Moignard said. “It means that regional and global mobile Internet access will become a reality and a way of life”.