Set in force for the next three years, this alliance is designed to renew and strengthen the organisations shared objective of promoting international standardisation through contribution to the establishment of global standards in the wireless telecommunications industry. In addition to common aims and objectives, the WAP Forum and GSM Association share several key member companies and often collaborate on projects, such as the GSM Associations m-Services, which is based on WAP 2.0.

"The GSM Association and the WAP Forum have agreed to work together to improve and evolve the wireless Internet", says Rob Conway, Chief Executive Officer of the GSM Association. "This is good for the consumer, for our members and for the global wireless industry. Both organisations recognise the need to collaborate closely to ensure a smooth, consistent and co-ordinated development path in the future."

The two organisations plan to collaborate on work areas such as: identification of network operator and service provider requirements, device, protocol and application requirements; roaming and billing; development of WAP specifications; and interoperability. The WAP Forum and the GSM Association intend to use this open standards industry agreement to ensure that quality services develop more quickly.

We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work more seamlessly with our colleagues at the GSM Association to continue to work toward our common goals and ensure interoperability of the wireless Internet," says Robert L. (Bob) Brown, CEO of the WAP Forum. "We are continuously deepening relationships and building strategic bridges with key industry groups and standardisation organisations to jointly drive mobile specific Internet application technologies across all relevant industry segments."

This agreement is one of many important relationships for both organisations. Both the WAP Forum and the GSM Association will continue to work with other bodies to promote the interests of its member companies.

About the WAP Forum
The WAP Forum is the industry association that is responsible for developing and fostering the growth of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), the open global de facto standard that allows mobile users of wireless hand-held devices to securely access and interact with Internet-based content, applications and services. The WAP Forum is comprised of hundreds of members, representing 99 percent of the handsets sold world-wide and more than 450 million global subscribers. Members include world-wide device manufactures, carriers, infrastructure providers, software developers, and other wireless solution providers. For more information about the WAP Forum, including a listing of its members, visit http://www.wapforum.org.

About the GSM Association
The GSM Association is the worlds leading wireless industry representative body, consisting of more than 574 second and third generation wireless network operators and key manufacturers and suppliers to the wireless industry. Membership of the Association spans 171 countries of the world.

The GSM Association is responsible for the deployment and evolution of the GSM Family of technologies (GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and 3GSM) for digital wireless communications. The Associations members provide digital GSM wireless services to more than 612 million customers (end October 2001). The GSM Platform accounts for approximately 70 percent of the total digital cellular wireless market.
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TM: The W@P Certified, W@P, and WAP Forum marks are world-wide trademarks or registered trademarks of the Wireless Application Protocol Forum, Ltd.

GSM is a registered trademark, registered and owned by the GSM Association

Contact Information:

Mark Smith
GSM Association
Tel: +44 207 518 0533
[email protected]

Jennifer Goodman
WAP Forum
Tel: +650 949 6731
[email protected]