Nokia, IBM Forge Wireless LAN Partnership

By Susan Rush
from BroadbandWeek Direct, April 23, 2002

Big Blue joins forces with Nokia to speed up the rollout of public wireless local area network hotspots around the world.

Wireless LAN delivers high-speed wireless access to the Internet and intranets in public locations such as airports, conference centers and hotels. "The public wireless LAN service is on the verge of major growth in demand, especially for business users," said Paavo Aro, Nokia Networks' general manager of WLAN systems. "Forecasts have predicted that more than 100,000 hotspots will be in operation globally within the next four years," he said.

As part of the deal, IBM Global Services will act as a system integrator of Nokia's wireless LAN infrastructure products to provide public wireless LAN systems worldwide. The IBM division will lend installation, financing and consulting services. Nokia sees the partnership with IBM as a way to widen the accessible market for the Nokia Operator Wireless LAN products. Financial terms were not disclosed.