Wireless Information Devices and the Mobile Internet

1

• Wireless Information Devices and the Mobile
  Internet
• Charles Davies
• Psion CTO
• charles.davies_at_psion.com

2
Contents

• Summary
• Introduce Psion, history
• Symbian joint venture, history
• Intro to Wireless Information Devices
• WID design issues
• Technology drivers
• Summary

3
Summary

• Many kinds of devices will access the internet
  not just PCs
• Wireless information devices will challenge the
  PC as the dominant internet access device
• Mobile internet isnt just WAP
• WAP will probably be the main driver over the
  next 1-2 years
• Psion believes in a richer mobile internet
  experience than is possible with just WAP or
  even any browser
• Gap between wireless and wired bandwidth will
  increase and devices need a significant off-line
  capability
• SyncML is an important mobile internet standard
• Future is unpredictable and exciting
• Numerous potentially disruptive technologies
• Many competing form factors and platforms
• Complex industry value networks which have yet to
  lock
• Network operators, content providers, device
  manufacturers

4
Psion
5
Psions History and Roots
6
Psion Vision

• In the emerging age of mobile Internet, more and
  more people will depend on personal, wireless
  access to the Internet, wherever they are.
• Mobile Internet will empower them in their work
  and personal life with information,
  communications, transactions and entertainment.
• Since its inception, Psion has provided
  innovative solutions addressing real customer
  needs. Psion will shape and lead the mobile
  internet age by delivering distinctive mobile
  internet solutions and devices to people and
  organisations.

7
Psion PLC
Symbian
Software
28 owned
Devices
Computers
Enterprise
Infomedia
Dacom/ Connect
Services
Internet
8
Psion Current Products
Travel modem
Revo
S7/NetBook
5mx
HC
V-Comm
GoldCard 56k Modem ISDN GSM 10/100Ethernet
Communicator Tablet Smartphone
Workabout
9
Symbian
10
Symbian Joint Venture
11
Psion - Symbian History

• Psion Organiser I in 1984, 8-bit technology
• Start work on 16-bit multi-tasking OS in 1988
• Series3 launched in 1991
• Starts work on 32-bit RISC (ARM) OS in Nov 1994
• Psion Software division formed July 1996
• Decision to license platform externally
• Psion Software focuses on cellular device
  manufacturers
• Acquires Nokia and Philips as licensees
• Series5 launched in June 1997
• On 24th June 1998, Psion Software turned into the
  Symbian joint venture with Ericsson, Nokia,
  Motorola, subsequently Panasonic
• Symbian now 560 people strong (from a base of
  about 100)

12
Symbians Mission

• To set the standard for mobile wireless
  operating systems
• To enable a mass market for Wireless Information
  Devices (WIDs)

13
Wireless Information Devices
Computing
Communication
Fixed Phone
Desktop
Laptop
Mobile Phone
Palmtop
Feature Phone
Communicator
Smartphone
Internet
14
Symbian DFRDs
Crystal
Quartz
Pearl
DFRD Device Family Reference Design
15
The Symbian Platform
Crystal Communicators
Quartz Phone Pads
Pearl Smartphones
20
Symbian user interfaces
Symbian application engines
20
Symbian system layer
Symbian Platform
55
5
Symbian operating system
16
Wireless Information Devices
17
Universal Internet Access
Internet
Fax
Corporate data
Messaging
Contacts
Agenda
Secure personal data
WAP Phone
WID
18
Mobile Internet Devices
19
Forces Driving Mobile Internet

• Higher speeds instant access/push
• GSM/CDMA/TDMA - GPRS - UMTS
• More better devices
• One box - WIDs - integrated GSM/CDMA/TDMA
• Two box - PDAs Bluetooth Phones
• Multimedia capabilities audio/video
• Every cell phone a WAP phone
• Services aimed at mobile devices
• Time and location sensitive/aware services
• Access-anywhere solutions ,e.g. universal PIM
• Voice input and voice-data integration
• Media awareness
• Hot topic fuelling demand

20
Mobile Internet Devices
21
Wireless Information Devices
Wireless Information Device
Internet
Handheld Computer
Mobile Phone

1Billion Mobile Phone Subscribers
1Billion Internet Users
22
Mobile Phones Surpass PCs
Sources EMC 2000, Dataquest1999
23
Industry Value Chains

• There are three inter-related value chains
  involved in provision of mobile internet
  solutions to the user
• Need to understand and selectively play based on
  where value is captured, who owns the customer
  relationship

Terminals
H/w Components
Service delivery
Devices
S/w Components
Service Providers
Network Operators
Network Infrastructure
e-Commerce infra-structure
Content services
Portals
Pipe or portal? Walled gardens? Sticky gardens?
Services
24
WID-addressed Mobile Needs
25
Core Benefits
Connected Electronic Organiser
Mobile Feature Phone
Dial/answer Contact
Email Contact
SMS Contact
Fax Contact
SyncML
Internet Access
Messaging
26
i-Mode

• i-Mode has crossed the chasm in Japan
• 5 million subscribers now
• 10 million forecast within 18 months of launch
• Overtaken Nifty (Japans largest wired ISP)
• Subscribers currently increasing by 100K per
  week
• 3k i-Mode web sites increasing by 150 per week
• Controlled by network operator - NTT DoCoMo
• Only 9600 bps - speed is not the main benefit
• Uses PDC-P - packet switched service always on
• Based on HTML 3.0 with additional tags
• No new language for content providers to learn
• Only Japan, so roaming not an issue

27
WID Design Issues
28
Design trade-offs

• Data vs. voice
• Separate devices?
• Separate networks?
• Separate service contracts?
• Performance vs. availability
• Performance functions, processing power, screen,
  keyboard
• Availability size, weight, battery life, instant
  on, responsiveness

Data
Nokia 9110
Palm VII RIM Blackberry
Smartphone
Mobile phone
Phone
Performance
PC Notebook
Series7
Series5
Revo
Palm III
Availability
29
Form factors
Phone
IrDA orBluetooth

• Keyboard vs. pen
• Just pen, just keyboard or keyboardpen
• Pointing devices improve the UI experience
• Keyboards make text input easier
• 1-box vs. 2-box (or even 3-box)
• IrDA 2-box
• Bluetooth 2-box (or 3-box)
• Flexibility vs. simplicity
• Hold to ear vs. headset and hands free
• Voice control?

Handheld Computer
2-box
Radio
Bluetooth
Handheld Computer
Headset
3-box
30
Application models

• Thin client (fixed client)
• WAP, Web (HTML), Citrix
• Easiest to program, widest standard
• Synchronisation
• SyncML
• Responsive off-line usage, best user experience,
  efficient use of wireless bandwidth
• Client-server
• Connected Java or C application
• Best on-line user experience
• Push
• New model, SMS smart messaging
• Asynchronous notifications

13
31
WID Platform Positioning
Rich user experience
Citrix
EPOC C
HTML
Java
Webclipping
Off-line capable
Network dependent
I-mode
SMS
WAP
Basic user experience
32
TomTom Quartz demo

• Enriched Mobile Internet

See www.tomtom.com
33
Technologies
34
Technologies

• Microbrowsers
• SyncML
• GSM - GPRS - EDGE - UMTS
• Bluetooth
• Java
• DAB
• Speech recognition

35
Microbrowsers

• WAP
• C-HTML
• I-mode
• Microsoft have their own cut down HTML
• Palms Web clipping
• Full HTML in a small screen
• Psion (EPOC), Nokia 9110 (GEOS)
• Symbian communicator class devices will have a
  full browser
• XHTML is attractive
• Multimode microbrowsers
• E.g. HTML WAP

36
WAP

• Functionally similar to Web
• Very limited client capability assumed
• Designed for small screens, limited OS, narrow
  bandwidth,high latency long thin pipe
• All mobile phones will have a WAP browser soon
• WAP browser compatibility is biggest issue today
• Some security problems at the gateway
• WAP implementations will get better
• WAP standard will evolve and get better
• WAP essentially mandated by network operators
• Several 100M WAP phones will drive WML
  content/services
• Will not charm (user interface not good)
• Really needs GPRS which is really coming
• WAP is a must have but it is not the full
  mobile internet answer
• Attractive to content/application providers
  because of installed base

37
Browser Platform
Data Source
XML
Transcoding (Using e.g. XSL)
n
n
n
HTML
Small screen HTML
WML
WML/HTTP
WAP Gateway
WMLBIN/WSP
WAP Browser
WID Web Browser
PC Web Browser
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Repurposing
Data Source
HTML
Repurposing Proxy
Small screen HTML
WML
PC Web Browser
WAP Gateway
WAP Browser
WID Web Browser
42
Multimode Browser
Data Source
XML
HTML
WML
WAP Gateway
WAP Browser
Opera Browser
www.operasoftware.com
43
SyncML

• Industry initiative for an open synchronisation
  platform
• Sponsored by Ericsson, IBM/Lotus,
  Motorola/Starfish, Nokia, Palm Psion
• Enduring need for local data despite improvements
  in wireless bandwidth and coverage
• E.g. you dont want to use WAP to get every
  contact number
• Synchronised data includes contacts, calendar,
  todos, files, database records, application
  programs
• Standard sync protocol that meets the need for
  interoperability between terminals and servers
• Terminals from phones to WIDs to PCs
• Services Internet-based PIM, email, backup,
  installing applications
• Psion producing EPOC client and corresponding
  services
• See www.syncml.org

44
Bluetooth

• Low cost, low power short distance radio link
• Data and Voice
• 10m range but can be turned up to 100m
• Uses globally available spectrum (2.4GHz)
• Overwhelming industry support
• Makes 2-box and 3-box more attractive
• Also attractive for accessing LANs via network
  access points
• More effort to ensure interoperability than IrDA
• Integration cost target is 5 but this needs time
  and enormous volume
• 2-3 years to reach sub 10
• See www.bluetooth.com

15
45
Wireless broadband?
Growth in Wireless Data Speeds

• Speed will drive market growth
• Speed will improve markedly
• But this has been over-hyped
• Real speed less than theoretical maxima
• A few megabits per base station
• Broadband is Always On connectivity model
• No call set-up required
• Instant Access
• Better user experience
• Enables new / richer applications

2,000
1,500
1,000
Megabits Per Second
500
0
GSM
GPRS
EDGE
UMTS
Today 2000 2001 2003
46
GPRS

• Packet switched data on GSM networks
• IP connection to network operators intranet
• Coverage starting 2nd half 2000
• Full domestic roll-out will take 2 years,
  roaming support may take longer, numerous
  practical problems
• Always connected more important than bps
• Will transform WAP experience
• GPRS data rates have been over hyped
• Super hype 170kbps, hype 115kbps, reality 43kbps
• Charging model still uncertain
• One simple option is price per packet
• E.g. NTT DoCoMo charges 0.3 Yen per 128-byte
  packet (24 per MB or 1.35 per minute assuming
  1100Yen)

16
47
Number of Users per GSM Transmit Channel
Based on statistical assessment
Source Nortel
48
GPRS Data Throughput
Data Throughput (kbps)
Based on statistical assessment
Source Nortel
Number of Users
49
Digital Audio Broadcasting

• Digital Audio Broadcasting
• Also called Digital Radio
• Digital replacement of Analogue FM/AM
• FM/AM transmissions will cease in 5-10 years
• Eureka 147
• Pioneered by the BBC some 10 years ago
• ETSI standard for transmission of DAB (1995)
• Being adopted world-wide (except US Japan)
• Availability
• BBC have been broadcasting since 1995
• UK Commercial stations launched November 99
• In Europe, DAB transmissions are available to 150
  million people

50
World-wide Adoption
51
User Benefits of Digital Radio

• Near-CD Quality Sound
• MPEG1, Layer II more like Minidisk (51) than
  MP3 (121)
• Robust reception
• Interference-free, even when mobile
• Single Frequency Network
• No re-tuning required when travelling
• More listening choice
• Several new Digital-only stations
• Data Services
• PAD - Artist and Track names with Audio stream
• Packet Mode - Broadcast Web Sites

52
DAB Multiplex

• To make efficient use of the frequency spectrum,
  several audio and data services are brought
  together into one Multiplexed bit-stream

Audio Service 1
1.5 Mbps
Audio Service 2
Audio S1 192 Kbps
Audio S2 192 Kbps
Audio S3 96 Kbps
Data S1 64 Kbps
Audio Service 3
Examples of data rates Stereo Music
Service 128-192 Kbps Mono Music Service 96
Kbps Mono Speech Service 64 Kbps Data Service
(multiples of 8 Kbps) 64 Kbps
Data Service 1
Note The sub-channels can be dynamically
reconfigured by the Multiplexer without
interrupting the audio flow
53
Broadcast Websites

• DAB is true push technology
• Can provide a flow of real-time information from
  Internet content
• BBCs Vision Radio is created from BBC On-Line
  site
• News, Weather, Travel, Sport Electronic Program
  Guides
• Can be synchronised with Audio transmission
• Commercial stations looking at E-commerce options
• New Advertising opportunities
• Carousel transmission
• Like Teletext, data has to be transmitted in a
  Carousel
• Data must be repeated as user can switch on at
  any time
• Receiver builds a copy of the Website in memory
  (1-2MB)
• Can request data with a back channel via PSTN or
  GSM Modem

54
WaveFinder A Smart Antenna for the PC

• PC based DAB receiver
• Uses PC CPU, display and sound system
• Connects via USB
• Links Radio to the Web (25 of surfers listen to
  the radio)
• High quality audio source
• CD Quality unlike FM or streamed radio
• Record in secure MP3 format on hard-disk or CD-R
• For MP3 users, it is the first free-to-air
  source of MP3 music
• Receive new data services
• PAD and Broadcast Web Sites
• PC provides back-channel
• Fixed today, mobile tomorrow, DAB with GPRS
  back-channel
• See www.wavefinder.com

55
Java
NT, Unix, Linux, Solaris, MVS, AS400, VMS, legacy
Server
Problem for Java to solve
Desktop
Windows
Devices
EPOC, CE, PalmOS, Linux, JavaOS, OS/9, Proprietary
56
Java 2
Configurations
Profiles
CDC Connected Device Configuration CLDC
Connected Limited Device Configuration (KVM) MID
Mobile Information Device
57
Java on WIDs

• MExE (ETSI GSM standard)
• Mobile Station Application Execution Environment
• MExE classmark 1 is WAP
• MExE classmark 2 is WAP Java
• Symbian supports Java
• JAE 1.1.4 on e.g. Psion NetBook
• PersonalJava and JavaPhone on new DFRDs
• J2ME profile/configuration to be decided
  thereafter
• UI library is an issue (AWT unsuitable for some
  devices)
• All EPOC devices will ultimately ship with Java
• Applications, Applets, IBMs DirectDOM
• Highly likely that standard Java platforms will
  be defined in the WID space

58
Speech Recognition

• Limited vocabulary recognition is comfortably
  achievable
• Speech dictation is borderline on next generation
  hardware platforms
• E.g. 200MHz ARM, 64Mb memory
• Speech UIs need to be worked out
• WID form factor could be more ergonomically
  viable than a PC
• More natural to hold to mouth
• No large keyboard to compete with
• PC dictation took off when 230 MHz PCs arrived
• Its more a question of when rather than if

59
Summary

• Many kinds of devices will access the internet
  not just PCs
• Wireless information devices will challenge the
  PC as the dominant internet access device
• Mobile internet isnt just WAP
• WAP will probably be the main driver over the
  next 1-2 years
• Psion believes in a richer mobile internet
  experience than is possible with just WAP or
  even any browser
• Gap between wireless and wired bandwidth will
  increase and devices need a significant off-line
  capability
• SyncML is an important mobile internet standard
• Future is unpredictable and exciting
• Numerous potentially disruptive technologies
• Many competing form factors and platforms
• Complex industry value networks which have yet to
  lock
• Network operators, content providers, device
  manufacturers

60

• Wireless Information Devices and the Mobile
  Internet
• Charles Davies
• Psion CTO
• charles.davies_at_psion.com