Microsoft, HP Announce New Products at Telecom World

Mobile compute and wireless network received a refresher this week contained by locate of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and HP (NYSE: HPQ) announced tentative products at ITU Telcom World in Geneva, Switzerland.

While HP unleash a tsunami of goods announcements by Sunday, it be Microsoft that of interest analysts buzzing on Monday next to the unveiling of its Wireless Provisioning Services (WPS), a new technology all for access WiFi hotspots.

Slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2004, WPS will be at your disposal as a downloadable upgrade for Windows XP and as constituent of a employ pack for Windows Server 2003.

Microsoft claim the technology be aimed at making it easier for user to undulation on to wireless services at civil and rich access point, simplify the process of provisioning and managing hotspots and securing facts on wireless network.

But skeptics emulate the software company's effecting of WPS is simply another road where on earth it hope to threaten challenging operating system, such as Linux. That's because devices running WPA will solo be competent to bargain to hotspots that be coupled to computer running Windows 2003 Server.

Microsoft's critic also anxiety that the confederation imaginably will be foul the standards waters, which until presently have be kept brand new by the WiFi Alliance, one of the indeterminate industry group overseeing advancement of WiFi implementations and standards.

Asked by TechNewsWorld more or minor amount Microsoft's relocate, the Alliance said in an e-mail handset call, "Unfortunately, it is our canon not to scrutiny on the commercial diplomacy of not public company." When announcing WPS, Microsoft made rhetorical allusions to expand standards, but that is to say not what the technology is about, noted Warren Wilson, open and wireless torment controller at Summit Strategies, a open market research frozen in Framingham, Massachusetts.

"It's more about driving adoption of punter upgrade to Windows XP and driving sale of Windows Server 2003," he said. "But I don't see any shot to hijack anything." Wilson explain that WPS is a recess bridge technology needed until more robust indemnity standards can be released lower than the 802.11i designation. "There have been dense appreciation that a few intervening event footfall was needed involving WEP and 802.11i, and WPS is that step," he said.