User:Mabdul/Microsoft Mobile Explorer

Microsoft Mobile Explorer, (abbreviated MME) was a web browser and application platform for different operating systems for mobile devices (featured phones and smart phones). Originally under the name HitchHiker and under development by STNC, it was acquired by Microsoft in July of 1999. Although Microsoft tried to push its web browser and could deliver it on more than 1.2 million devices in Asia, they were unsuccessful in comparison to other companies like Phone.com.

MME had many features such as an email client, personal information manager with calendar and contact manager, and the first dual-mode micro browser to display HTML and WML content on the same page.

STNC HitchHiker
STNC Enterprises Ltd., a British company, relocated and reorganized their business in October 1996 and started to develop for mobile devices. At the Embedded Systems Conference ‘97 they presented the mobile browser HitchHiker. It needed only 250KB of ROM although supporting many features, which were later expanded, such as T9, HTTP 1.1, HTML 3.2 and later HTML 4, CSS, JavaScript, GIF and JPEG images, printing pages, bookmarks, and an email client with SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, MIME and uuencoded attachments support.

Under the hood it had its own TCP/IP stack including PPP, SLIP, TCP, UDP, IP and DNS support and a dialer to control modem access.

HitchHiker was also available as an text-only version rebranded as NetBrowser at the Brother GlobeHopper-series like the GeoBook NB-60 and was ported to many platforms and operating systems as EPOC operating system (Psion Series 5, Series 3, GeoFox-One ), Microware's OS-9, Windows CE and Geoworks (Nokia 9000 Communicator). Philips Illium Accent smartphone.

STNC's partners and customers include Ericsson, Amstrad, Samsung, Qualcomm , Tegic.

On the DECT'99 conference Cambridge Consultants Ltd and STNC announced that DECT-based phones will support HitchHiker.

The licensable demonstration platform called WebWalker was in partnership with TTPCom produced. This was a single core platform, running the GSM stack on the same processor as the application stack.

HitchHiker was awarded in 1998 to a Millennium Product.

presented on the GSM World Congress in Cannes, 1999.

The royalty fees where at 1$ per copy and the company said it had sales of around $850,000 in 1996. a figure it expects to double this year

Microsoft Mobile Explorer 1
In July 1999 Microsofft acquires STNC and HitchHiker became directly Microsoft Mobile Explorer.

MME was mainly for feature phones with small (mostly monochrome) screens and limited resources like no local storage and the counterpart to the software-set to Stinger. In October 1999 it was demonstrated by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates at the Telecom 99 in Geneva and was an additional technology to their mobile internet solution to Microsoft Exchange Server, the BackOffice and MSN Mobile Services and Microsoft's commitment to the WAP Forum.

Brett Ward Limited was a so called system integrator, which ported MME to different platforms such as MME 1 to the Samsung SGH2200.

Features

 * e-mail
 * calendar
 * contact information
 * voice mail
 * Internet access
 * HTML forms

Microsoft Mobile Explorer 2 and the Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB
(wanted in) second quarter of 2000 (released in beginning 2001?) http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Feb00/QualcommPR.mspx Qualmcomm don't know how to integrate atm In December 1999 Microsoft and Ericsson announced a strategic partnership with the goal to create together an joint venture with a technology transfer where Ericsson provided its WAP protocol stack to Microsoft and will adopt MME in their featured phones.

In June of 2000, Microsoft opened a Mobility Solutions Center in Stockholm and developed MME there, among Windows for Smart Cards, Corporate Access technology, Exchange 2000, SQL Server, Windows NT, Windows 2000, MSN Mobile Services, ICSA email server, and Pocket PC handhelds.

Although the strategic partnership was then extended in September 2000 and the two companies created the joint venture called Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB owned with 70% by Ericsson and respectively 30% by Microsoft, although the transaction had been never completed by Microsoft. Because the development was slower than expected, Microsoft left the joint venture, although the strategic partnership remained and then integrated into Ericsson's System Intergration Business (then part of Global Services division). A few days later Ericsson announced the new joint venture with Sony to Sony Ericsson in October 2001 Maybe for later integration: bluetooth development by E MS JV http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20030507011534/www.computerworld.com/news/1999/story/0,11280,37837,00.html Microsoft could win at least for trials many providers such as AT&T, BT, KTF, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Telefonica Moviles Espana to use MME.

Mobile Explorer 2.0 was available on the Benefon Q, Sony CMD-Z5, CMD-J5, CMD-MZ5, CMD-J6, CMD-Z7, CMD-J7, CMD-J70, and KTF's Neon, Hyundai' GuliverMate.

Features
will include additional support for robust and secure corporate access, e-mail, personal information access, as well as dual mode HTML and WAP 1.1-based Internet access
 * e-mail
 * personal information manager

Mobile Explorer 3
Presented at the 3GSM World Congress in 2001, Mobile Explorer 3.0 was released with new features added i-mode compatibility (C-HTML) WTLS protocol 3 (WAP 1.2.1 specification) and SSL 3.0 plus numerous proprietary schemes. By imaginatively combining these proprietary schemes with WAP protocols, MME3.0 implemented OTA database synchronisation, push email, push information clients (not unlike a 'Today Screen') and PIM functionality. The cancelled Sony Ericsson CMD-Z700 was to feature heavy integration with MME3.0.

Mitsubishi Trium G520, GT550, Mondo Trium, Samsung SGH-N350, and was the default browser for Microsoft Windows CE for Automotive 3.5. Mobile Explorer development had ceased by mid-2002 and was replaced by a feature-richer version of Pocket Internet Explorer.

Features

 * calendar
 * contact software
 * task lists
 * media player

Technical
The browser was very flexible by using a components which the phone manufacturer can chose, and was able to use directly on top of the device's hardware and independent of the phone's operating system. The browser also links to phone-specific applications so that users can dial phone numbers directly from a Web site. Microsoft sold additional server applications that enables new services including Hotmail, MSN Instant Messenger and email that the operator can provide to its users and thus generating more revenue. MME also supports over-the-air configurations of WAP gateway and e-mail settings as well as provisioning of services and information by WAP push. Cookies were stored in the phone’s read-only memory.

System requirements

 * Processor: Less than one MIPS of processor power required.
 * ROM: Less than 450 KB on a standard processor
 * RAM: 108 KB (minimum), 256 KB (recommended)
 * Display: Both color and monochrome displays
 * Operating system: 	no operating system support required; it can be integrated with any existing phone real-time operating system

under Constructions
MSN mobile (browser) based on OmniBrowse not related to MME!

Although it was not used, it was possible to combine HTML and WAP in the same pages although this would render the pages invalid for any other device.{citation needed|date=April 2011}}

(to include) data:
 * http://www.devhood.com/Tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=52
 * http://www.handymeile-nord.de/handy-galerie/Microsoft/Mobile%20Explorer.php
 * MME Emulator useful? how to integrate?

EcmaScript, WMLScript. In addition, Amstrad's ill-fated e-m@iler and e-m@iler+ products used HitchHiker as their operating systems.

If finish:
 * upload svg logo
 * create redirects:
 * HitchHiker
 * STNC HitchHiker
 * Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB to MME#Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB
 * wikilinks in:
 * text-based web browser
 * MME
 * Windows CE
 * Ericsson (disambiguation): Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB, a joint venture between Microsoft and Ericsson

Presented on: http://web.archive.org/web/20000817182328/www.microsoft.com/mobile/mme/calendar.asp
 * Calendar of Events
 * Events/Conferences	Dates	Location
 * Telecom 99	10-17 October	Geneva, Switzerland
 * CITA Wireless IT 99	2-4 November	Santa Clara, CA
 * WAP Congress/Developers Symposium	16-18 November	Barcelona, Spain
 * Smartphones Conference	6-8 December	Amsterdam, Netherlands
 * GSM World Congress	2-4 February	Cannes, France
 * CeBIT	24 February - 1 March	Hannover, Germany
 * CTIA Wireless 2000	28 February - 1 March	New Orleans, LA

todo

 * find information about MME2
 * explain the featured phone/smart-phone relationship
 * Books?
 * when was the development ceased? (reference)
 * a final copyedit

SnapTrack
On December 14, 1999, SnapTrack announced that it would be working with Microsoft to implement SnapTrack's Personal Location Technology, an early form of GPS into Microsoft Mobile Explorer. Quotes:
 * "We are delivering an open, modular mobile phone platform, Microsoft Mobile Explorer, that will enable, among other products, smart phones that provide compelling new services and features like off-line e-mail, mobile yellow pages, multi-media, search tools, remote banking and location-based services", Kevin Dallas, group product manager of the productivity appliances division at Microsoft.
 * "SnapTrack's Personal Location Technology's ability to deliver accurate, real-time location-sensitive information, combined with the functionality of Microsoft Mobile Explorer for smart phones, really demonstrates the power of our platform to deliver our customers useful, location-based information any time to smart phones anywhere", Kevin Dallas.
 * "Teaming with the world's premier software company gives SnapTrack the opportunity to put Wireless Assisted GPS(TM) into the hands of millions of wireless consumers", Steve Poizner, CEO of SnapTrack
 * "Incorporating SnapTrack into Microsoft Mobile Explorer for smart phones will allow wireless device manufacturers to build intelligent, location-sensitive devices that are capable of meeting mobile consumers' growing demands for flexibility and functionality.", Steve Poizner