Wednesday, 2 July 2008

Ericsson to Provide Mobile Broadband for Toshiba

Toshiba has chosen Ericsson as the partner of choice for the integration of HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) mobile broadband modules into it’s business laptop range in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

HSPA is considered as the world’s most widely deployed mobile broadband technology, with 198 commercially deployed networks available in 86 countries worldwide.

“Toshiba and Ericsson complement each other very well. While Toshiba has a strong position in the business laptop market, Ericsson has a lot of experience in the mobile broadband business. Through this partnership, we will create products that are greatly beneficial to our customers, assisting them in every aspect of their business lives,” said Thomas Teckentrup, General Manager Toshiba Computer Systems Division Europe.

Users of Toshiba business laptops will soon benefit from Ericsson’s latest wireless broadband technologies (HSPA) with modules allowing data rates of up to 7.2 Mbps in the downlink and up to 2.0 Mbps in the uplink. The module also has a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, to be used together with positioning applications.

“With the integration of our Mobile Broadband Module into Toshiba’s business laptops we are supporting Toshiba’s vision of offering real mobile broadband connectivity to business users,” said Mats Norin, Vice President Mobile Broadband Modules, Ericsson.

As the use of wireless LAN (WLAN) technology becomes increasingly widespread, the demand for real mobile broadband access to the Internet and company networks anytime/anywhere has significantly increased.

Market analysts predict that laptops will remain the key mobile productivity tool for business and that HSPA technology will play a key role in this.

Toshiba plans to release first laptops equipped with Ericsson’s Mobile Broadband Modules in second half of 2008.