Cap Gemini Ernst & Young opens Mobile Technology Lab in the Netherlands
Mobile Business Forum sees the launch of the Netherlands’ first research and development center dedicated to developing mobile internet technologies
6 December 2000
Cap Gemini Ernst & Young will today officially launch its new Mobile Technology Lab (MobTeL) at the Mobile Business Forum being held this week in Amsterdam.Based in Utrecht, the MobTeL is Cap Gemini Ernst & Young’s first European-based mobile Internet research and development center, and the Netherlands’ first incubation center devoted solely to the development of products and services for mobile Internet and mobile commerce. The initiative is a follow-up to the Mobile Interactive Center (MIC), which was instigated at the end of 1999 to offer a workshop platform to explore the potential of mobile communication.
The latest in a string of development initiatives from Cap Gemini Ernst & Young’s Telecom, Media and Networks (TMN) Group, the MobTeL provides an ideal environment for developing, pre-integrating and testing new mobile technology. The lab will also leverage Cap Gemini Ernst & Young’s international expertise, working with the TMN Group’s other research centers, including the Wireless lnternet Center in Singapore and the Telemedia Lab in the US.
The MobTeL will enable Cap Gemini Ernst & Young to work with partners to develop key technologies that enable mobile services and solutions based on industry standard platforms. These include WAP platforms, billing platforms, CRM platforms and industry standard hardware and software solution sets. The center already has strong support from leading industry players including Cisco, Nokia, Oracle, Portal Software and Sun Microsystems. These partners are supporting the MobTeL with contributions of their core technologies and employee expertise.
“The MobTeL is a strong indication of the potential of mobile Internet technology,” said Jan Joosen, Deputy General Manager of the regional TMN group of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. “We see the Mobile Technology Lab acting as an incubator and catalyst for dynamic and innovative mobile Internet applications. Location-wise, this center will enable us to become a key regional player in the advancement of these exciting new technologies”.
The home of one of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young’s largest international offices, the Netherlands also has the additional attraction of a highly advanced mobile communications industry. Five mobile operators are actively driving the future of mobile communications in this country. By locating the MobTeL in the Netherlands, where mobile communications have come into their own, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young can tap into one of the most competitive mobile environments in Europe.
“The Mobile Technology Lab will serve as an important follow up to the Mobile Interactive Center, going much further to include developments in the area of 2.5 and 3G networks with technology, application and project partners,” said Mark Beermann, Programme Manager and Business Team Manager, Network Infrastructure Solutions. “It is thrilling to see the MobTeL as part of a global web of labs where our customers and partners can tap into our global knowledge and experience in the area of mobile telecommunications.”
The Mobile Technology Lab expects to deliver end-to-end systems and proof-of-concept propositions which will demonstrate to MobTeL customers the functionality of the multiple platform architectures, software and hardware solutions and firmware offered by MobTeL partners. As the Netherlands center gains momentum, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young intends to share its experiences to encourage the exchange of knowledge and skills on a global basis.
“It is clear that mobile “web” services will become a dominant ecosystem in an increasingly networked and knowledge-based society,” said Jan Anton van der Graaf, Business Development Manager of MobTeL. “Successful product and service offerings for mobile Internet and m-commerce demand expert skills which the MobTeL is working to develop. Together with our strategic partners, the MobTeL will offer an environment for developing leading edge mobile services for today, but more significantly, for future services for GPRS and third generation.”
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Cap Gemini Ernst & Young
Cap Gemini Ernst & Young is one of the largest management and IT consulting firms in the world. The company offers management and IT consulting services, systems integration, and technology development, design and outsourcing capabilities on a global scale to help traditional businesses and “dot companies” continue to implement growth strategies and leverage technology in the new economy. The organization employs more than 58,000 people worldwide and reports global revenues of about 7.7 billion euros (1999 pro forma).
More information about individual service lines, offices and research is available at www.capgemini.com
Introducing Telco, Media & Networks (TMN Group)
As part of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, TMN Group provides strategic consultancy and hands-on technological expertise to organisations operating in the converging areas of technology. In the last six years, the practice has launched over 200 telecom organisations, represented 16 per cent of the 1999 Cap Gemini Ernst & Young pro forma revenue.
It employs over 6,000 management and IT consultants operating from 24 locations throughout the US, Asia and Europe. TMN Group also draws heavily on the expertise of its extensive alliance network that includes partnerships with over 40 leading technology vendors including Cisco Systems, Portal Software, Nokia, Clarify and Oracle.
In order to maintain its position as the global entrepreneur of the networked economy, TMN Group operates eight research, development and innovation labs throughout the world. These labs — based in Atherton CA, Boston, Dallas, London (two), Munich, Paris and Singapore — enable TMN Group to maintain strict quality control standards by for instance, testing system reliability before installation.
