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CeBIT 2000: Casio announces mobile communication entry

ZD Net Germany ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 25 Feb 2000 15:07 GMT

Casio -- famous for its watches, calculators and organisers -- hopes to enter the complete solutions market for mobile communications, it announced at the CeBIT exhibition in Hannover.

The company plans to provide the European market with all-round packages that will not only allow users access to mobile communications networks, but also to integrate current network environments. Casio hopes to enter the "massive" content business -- in other words, develop its own content. How the company plans to go about it has not yet been disclosed.

Casio has recently teamed up with Fujitsu-Siemens to develop an "Internet Pocket PC" that features integrated mobile connectivity. The device will target "high-end business users". The new models will first operate within GSM standard networks, and later on CDMA networks. It is also planned that the models will operate on large bandwidth mobile standards, such as GPRS and UMTS, in future.

The first Internet Pocket PC designed for the mass market, which will provide mobile connectivity to peripherals via Bluetooth standards, should be made available as of next year. All devices will feature colour displays and stereo output.

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For full coverage, see ZDNet UK's CeBIT 2000 special.