Wireless Watch

M-COM STANDARDS IN THE WORKS
The Electronic Commerce Promotion Council of Japan has set up a special committee to try to establish standards for m-commerce. Some of the issues the committee will look into are security and verification for ecommerce transactions conducted with mobile phones. It will also consider how people's lifestyles will be affected by m-commerce in three years. The committee will issue a report in March 2001 that it hopes will be reflected in m-commerce standardization efforts.

NTT-ME STARTS KEITAI GPS SERVICE
With the service, users at a PC can pinpoint the location of a wireless phone with a compact GPS unit hooked up to it. Applications include creating systems to keep track of salespeople on the road so as to respond more quickly to customers' orders. The GPS unit converts the location data into voice data, which is then sent to a service center by the wireless phone and then relayed to the customer's PC.

SUMITOMO TAKES TO THE I-MODE
Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance has developed a system to make its internal network compatible with i-mode. The move will enable the company's salespeople to look up customer and policy information and also calculate premiums using their wireless phones by the end of the year.

MPT TO LEAD RESEARCH PROJECT ON NEXT-GENERATION WIRELESS ACCESS SYSTEM
The MPT and a number of private companies will develop wireless local loop systems to allow communications in an entire area, including the blind spots of buildings, by using algorithms to patch current point-to-multipoint and point-to- point digital radio technologies. The wireless local loop systems will also feature improved performance in rain and attenuation conditions. The research is scheduled to start by year-end.