The Ricoh(TM) Digital Camera Division and Kyocera Wireless Corp. today demonstrated a 3G wireless solution that allows mobile professionals to send high-quality images over broadband wireless networks, providing enterprise customers a viable alternative to traditional ways of delivering images from the field to back-office destinations.

The solution consists of the Kyocera 2235 or 2255 handset, running on a third-generation CDMA2000 1X network, connected directly to the Ricoh RDC-i700 wireless Digital Camera. The Kyocera phone transforms the RDC-i700 into a powerful communication tool capable of sending images directly over 3G networks via e-mail or FTP at speeds of up to 153 kbps.

``The next frontier in wireless communication for enterprise is the use of images,'' says Jeff Lengyel, marketing manager for Ricoh's wireless cameras. ``The faster mission-critical images can be delivered, the sooner a workflow can be completed. This 3G solution with Kyocera delivers images in minutes as opposed to days.''

Kyocera's 2200 Series handsets not only provide a fast conduit for the wireless transfer of images, they also serve as stand-alone data modems, significantly reducing the equipment cost normally associated with enabling handheld devices to communicate with the new 3G networks.

The two companies will continue to collaborate to provide enterprise customers with viable wireless imaging solutions based on 3G technologies.

The Ricoh RDC-i700 is the world's first Internet-ready digital imaging device designed for businesses. By providing data-rich images instantly, back-office support can process and collaborate in minutes as opposed to hours or days. The touch-screen keyboard allows data to be embedded in the image file. The embedded data can be recognized by the receiving server and intelligently integrated with databases and other electronic files. This end-to-end solution will significantly enhance any workflow that involves images captured in the field.

The 3.34-megapixel, Internet-ready device captures stills and video, sends and receives e-mail including attachments, sends images of documents directly to fax machines, surfs the Web, creates image-rich documents and HTML files, and can FTP data and images directly from the camera.