Texas Instruments Licenses Java™ Software to Enable Wireless Internet Access through Digital Signal Processing Solutions
DALLAS (Oct. 20, 1997) -- Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) has signed a licensing agreement with Sun Microsystems, Inc. to use Java software with TI's industry-leading digital signal processing solutions. These solutions will be incorporated in digital cellular phones and pagers with enhanced features such as wireless Internet access.
"With personal communications products based on Java-enabled digital signal processing solutions, consumers can download applications such as map-based navigation or video capabilities from the Internet or a wireless network," said Gilles Delfassy, worldwide general manager of TI's Wireless
Communications Business Unit and Semiconductor Group vice president. "The combination of Java software with TI's digital signal processing solutions will enable hand-held devices, such as digital cellular phones or pagers, to access information and applications on the Internet." Anticipated new products could include the following:
- Automobile drivers could download local maps over their digital cellular phones without using dedicated navigation devices.
- Real estate agents could display photos of available homes to customers by using a touch screen on their digital cellular phones or pagers.
- Airline and movie schedules could be accessed and advertised locally in a cost-effective manner via digital cellular phones or pagers.
- Parents out for an evening could check on their infant using a digital cellular phone with downloadable video capabilities.
Rural areas or third-world countries with limited or no telecommunications infrastructure also will be able to use this technology in place of traditional wired phone services, Delfassy explained.
In 1998, TI plans to offer Java-enabled digital signal processing solutions which will be used in the design and manufacturing of digital cellular telephones using any transmission standard in the world. "TI digital signal processors (DSP) have been incorporated in more than half of the digital
cellular phones manufactured worldwide in 1997, making TI the world's leading
digital cellular DSP supplier," continued Delfassy.
International Data Corp., an industry research group, predicts there will be a worldwide installed base of 89 million non-PC-based Internet access devices by the year 2001. Both TI and Sun have extensive networks of university and third-party developers to magnify the impact of the technology and speed its use in everyday lives.
"TI believes these types of multimedia networked-based services will drive wireless communications in the future and that digital signal processing and software will be the key underlying technologies to make this change happen," Delfassy concluded. "Providing the
Java technology as part of TI's digital signal processing solutions will shorten the development time and increase the functionality of new wireless products for consumers."
"We are delighted that TI has chosen to license both our EmbeddedJava™ and PersonalJava™ specifications," said Jon Kannegaard, vice president of software products at Sun Microsystems JavaSoft division. "The synergy of the Java technology combined with TI's digital signal processing technology will further broaden the reach of Java into future wireless communications systems."
PersonalJava is a reduced footprint version of Sun's desktop Java which targets small consumer devices such as web phones, intelligent phones with touch screens and small keyboards, and video phones. EmbeddedJava is aimed toward even more restricted devices with character-based displays or no displays at all. Examples include low-end mobile phones, pagers or other embedded devices.
More information about the Wireless Communications Business Unit and its products is available on the World Wide Web at 
http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/wireless/home.htm.
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