Action Engine Signs Wireless Agreement with Orange SA

Action Engine Corporation announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Orange SA. As part of the agreement, Orange has licensed Action Engine’s Mobile Web Services Platform and has embedded it onto the new Orange SPV™ mobile phone powered by Microsoft® Windows® Powered Smartphone software.

Action Engine’s browserless Mobile Web Services Platform delivers the first easy way for mobile operators and enterprises alike to a) deliver data services and applications that are relevant to the user, work on smart devices, and are affordable to deploy, and (b) provide users with an experience that is both fast and easy-to-use.

Pete Ford, Head of Device Strategy and Category Development for the Orange group, said: “The SPV is the first of a number of phones that will help drive our aim of deriving 25% of our revenues from data services by 2005. For Orange, the key to driving data usage on devices like the SPV is to provide affordable and easy-to-use phones and mobile services that can be accessed wherever, whenever and however our customers want. Action Engine has helped us provide these core capabilities to our customers.”

He added: “Action Engine has also enabled us to provide our customers with the ability to back-up their data onto the Orange network, so they know their details are safe and can be downloaded onto a new SPV device if needed.”

Orange will also deploy Orange-branded Action Engine utilities for device management that seamlessly allow users to wirelessly backup their data, destroy data if a device is lost or stolen, and download new software applications and upgrades, hot fixes, ring tones, bit maps and services.

“Microsoft Windows Powered Smartphone is ideal for both work and life, and with Action Engine Mobile Web Services Platform these devices come to life like never before — bringing connected applications that are extremely easy to use, fast, and affordable — and can be easily integrated into the Microsoft .Net platform,” said Juha Christensen, Corporate Vice President, Mobile Devices Division, Microsoft Corp. “We are also pleased that Action Engine has successfully taken advantage of Microsoft’s Mobile2Market programme, designed to simplify the process of getting rich mobile applications to market and in the hands of Smartphone customers.”

Added Paul Werp, worldwide marketing director for Texas Instrument’s OMAP platform, “Action Engine’s Mobile Web Services Platform and TI’s OMAP processors create a compelling combination for handset manufacturers to deliver to users, across all the popular operating systems, exciting applications on a powerful device with long battery life.”