By William Fellows
Motorola Inc has chosen Sun Microsystems Inc as its strategic partner to build equipment for implementing wireless IP networks using a combination of hardware and software from both companies. The two say they will spend a total of $1bn on each other’s technologies over ten years to create products in three areas they claim will deliver infinite dial tone ability to the wireless world.
Motorola is licensing Sun’s real-time embedded ChorusOS, IP service and Java dynamic management software kit for creating base radio stations using its custom processor and network interface cards. Call processing controllers with some real-time requirements will be built using Motorola’s CPX8216 telco system and the same Sun software as is being used in the base stations. At the back-end Motorola will use Sun’s Netra ft telco servers and Intel boxes. Motorola is the second biggest maker of cell phones.
Motorola cited Sun’s ‘five nines’ high-availability services as a key reason for choosing to use its products. It didn’t say how the deal would affect its recent $1bn, four-year deal with Cisco Systems Inc to develop technical centers support integrators that will use the two companies’ as yet unpublished specification for internet and IP-packet data services over wireless connections. Earlier this week Motorola and Cisco Systems Inc said they’d create a new company to develop wireless technology based around their acquisition of a part of Bosch Telecom Inc.
