Agreement with Jasper Wireless Equips AT&T with Ability to Drive Emerging Devices to Market Faster, Offer Consumers More Flexibility in Pricing, Data Plans
DALLAS, SUNNYVALE, May 7, 2009 - AT&T* and Jasper Wireless announced today the companies have entered into a multi-year, strategic agreement to connect and support a variety of emerging consumer electronic and business devices on AT&T's nationwide wireless network.
AT&T's emerging device organization will capitalize on the Jasper Wireless platform to provide the applications and design services necessary to accelerate market entry for new categories of connected devices on AT&T's network, including personal navigation, e-readers, mobile internet devices, gaming, healthcare, tracking, and in-car navigation systems, among others.
"This is a significant step for AT&T as we continue to gain momentum with our emerging device strategy," said Glenn Lurie, president-Emerging Devices and Resale - AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "It's the ‘technological underpinnings' to make our strategy possible.
"With Jasper Wireless, we're positioned to reach the market even faster with high-performing devices, optimized for our wireless network," said Lurie. "We're also now equipped to pair these devices with the most sensible business model, enabling us the ability to offer customers the flexibility they desire in pricing and data plan choices - making these new categories of devices even more attractive for consumers and businesses."
Through the agreement, AT&T becomes the exclusive U.S. carrier on the Jasper Wireless platform. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. The companies expect to connect the first emerging device under the agreement in the coming months.
"Connecting consumer electronics and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices to a wireless network requires a unique set of assets," said Jahangir Mohammed, CEO, Jasper Wireless. "We've built a complete service platform with the applications that enable our customers to build, deploy and manage connected devices with the lowest total cost of operations. We help them embed connectivity easily, get to market quickly and deliver a superior user experience so they can deploy their connected devices profitably and at scale, across multiple countries. Our platform with AT&T's superior network is the solution that will grow this category."
Jasper Wireless's platform, applications, and design services are designed to accelerate market entry for connected device manufacturers. In addition, Jasper Wireless's automation of operational processes ensures a superior out-of-box user experience.
For some AT&T powered devices, Jasper Wireless's applications will provide automated operational management capabilities, including custom device provisioning, instant activation, real-time diagnostic tools and detailed billing and usage reports - managed through a Jasper Wireless core software-as-a-service platform designed exclusively for M2M and consumer electronics communications.
As more consumer electronics and M2M devices come to market with embedded connectivity, market success depends on finding the right business models to reach disparate demographics and population segments. Jasper Wireless has developed billing applications and services that support highly flexible business models, enabling manufacturers and now AT&T the ability to tailor them for specific user groups.
AT&T created its emerging device organization in October as part of a strategic initiative to introduce wireless capabilities to a host of new consumer electronics, business devices and applications beyond the traditional handset.
The new organization is a key component of AT&T's business strategy to further grow its wireless penetration and develop new distribution models - and it builds on AT&T's industry-leading work over the past decade with enterprise customers to enable specialty devices to access its wireless network. AT&T expects many of the electronic devices that consumers and businesses use today will be enhanced with wireless connectivity. This will drive the emergence of new categories of devices and applications.
This connectivity will be made possible through AT&T's expansive wireless network, offering the broadest global coverage of any U.S. provider. Built on the GSM family of technologies, the de facto world standard in wireless, AT&T's wireless network brings enormous economies of scale to electronic manufacturers who are eager for less expensive and simpler alternatives for incorporating wireless technology in specialty devices.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation's fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine's list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com [1].
© 2009 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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