US : PCTEL, Inc. announced that it had signed a contract to develop and customize client software for converged handsets that NTT DoCoMo obtains from Motorola. Under the agreement.

PCTEL will port its industry leading connection manager to Symbian-enabled handsets capable of operating on both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular networks.

The client will enable data connection over Wi-Fi networks in both DoCoMo's domestic service as well as its roaming partner networks all over the world. In addition, DoCoMo's users can enjoy an internet connection on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 3G network and GPRS networks outside Japan. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"PCTEL signaled its intention to enter the handset market with its demonstrations at the 3GSM and CTIA Wireless 2005 conferences earlier this year," said Biju Nair, PCTEL's vice president and general manager for its Mobility Solutions Group. "Our Roaming Client already works with laptops and Smart Phones. We are targeting compatibility with the operating systems used by handset manufacturers and meeting the needs of industry-leading operators, such as NTT DoCoMo, to deliver services over different types of wireless networks," added Nair.

The handset-based connection manager will include PCTEL's complete security suite of 802.1x modules and will also be compatible with PCTEL's industry-leading Central Configuration Server software that enables carriers and enterprises to update each device with such vital information as new roaming partner authenticators and Wi-Fi location database.

In the near future, PCTEL's Roaming Client for converged handsets will also include additional capabilities such as the ability to make seamless voice calls over a VoIP or cellular network. As demonstrated at CTIA and the 3GSM exhibition, such functionality is already available from PCTEL on other platforms such as Windows Mobile and SmartPhone OS.

PCTEL currently supplies its Roaming Client products to T-Mobile (U.S.), Cingular, SBC, NTT DoCoMo, GoRemote and others. The product includes a powerful back-end server (Central Configuration Server) that enables complete carrier control over the network contents and use of the client.