Press Release
December 17, 2003
New Patient Monitoring System Wirelessly Sends Medical Information with BlackBerry 6510™ from Nextel
Application Wins Enterprise Java™ Developer Contest
RESTON, Va - Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) today named the mPOD™ by MedicTouch™ the winner of the BlackBerry 6510™ Extensibility Challenge (http://developer.Nextel.com), an enterprise Java™ 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME™ Platform) Developer Contest. The contest was open to independent software vendors and developers who build and support applications that leverage the Mobile Data Service (MDS) feature of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server™ and run on Nextel's nationwide voice and data iDen network.
"The business tools created for this contest exemplify the ingenuity of the Java developer community and the unquestionable capability of the BlackBerry 6510 from Nextel to facilitate wireless solutions that are second to none when it comes to quality and effectiveness," said Ernie Cormier, vice president, Enterprise Solutions for Nextel. "With more than 21,000 registered developers licensed to build wireless solutions for the vertical business sectors, Nextel has demonstrated unprecedented commitment to delivering the most advanced J2ME applications available anywhere."
MedicTouch (North Miami Beach, FL) took first place for its Mobile Pulse Oximeter Device (mPOD) that provides remote blood oxygen content and pulse readings on the BlackBerry 6510. Factors such as an aging population and an increased incidence of heart disease are thrusting remote monitoring services such as mPOD to the forefront of a healthcare market that is focused on reducing costs and providing better care without significantly impacting the daily routines of physicians or patients.
"At MedicTouch, our priority is to develop high quality wireless wearable health monitoring products to meet the demands of an always changing, cutting-edge healthcare vertical. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the handheld device from Nextel presented the perfect platform for our business user demands," said Dr. Eran Schenker, MedicTouch founder and medical director. "Our mPOD technology and Nextel's digital cellular PDA with the Direct ConnectSM walkie-talkie feature is the all-in-one device that is leading the charge in an increasingly mobile healthcare industry"
Java technology enables developers to write advanced applications for the BlackBerry 6510 from Nextel that take advantage of the rich user interface, persistent memory, and ability to run select J2ME applications. Plus, Java allows companies to easily customize the applications they want for BlackBerry handhelds. Java technology adds another desirable feature to Nextel's handsets that include Nationwide Direct ConnectSM the coast-to-coast walkie-talkie feature, digital cellular, two-way text messaging and Nextel Online® wireless data.
The BlackBerry Extensibility Challenge required developers to create programs that serve enterprise customers for key vertical segments including: transportation & logistics; financial & insurance; manufacturing & distribution; government/public sector and higher education; and utilities. By building applications with productivity and practical business uses in mind, developers highlighted the versatility of the BlackBerry 6510 from Nextel and demonstrated Nextel's leading wireless business solution platform in these industries.
Applications were judged on five equally weighted criteria: use of the MDS feature of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for corporate data access; relevance of the application to the different priority business segments; capability of the contestant to deploy, support and market the application; contestants business model including Return on Investment estimates; and overall application quality.
RJR Technology (Oyster Bay, NY) captured second place with its Mobile Management Console (MMC). MMC gives users who have little to no programming experience the ability to link existing corporate data to the handheld device. MMC can read data from virtually any data source, including spreadsheets and database platforms. Through use of a wizard-style program, it generates a complex Active Server Page, which in turn delivers the data through MDS to a Java Application on the handheld device. Business data users across several vertical sectors will find this solution particularly useful.
The third place award was presented to SyncPak (Mission Viejo, CA) for its SyncPak for Econoday Economic application, which allows users to import economic event data onto the BlackBerry 6510 calendar. This solution utilizes the BlackBerry Enterprise Server push-based technology to relay Wall Street event information, consensus and release data, and major announcements directly to the user's BlackBerry 6510 from Nextel.
The three finalists were awarded a prize package including two BlackBerry 6510 handhelds with a year of service and free membership into the BlackBerry Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Alliance Program. As grand prize winner, MedicTouch was also awarded a BlackBerry Enterprise Server license and sales and marketing support, including launching the mPOD application as a Nextel Application Partner product.
About Nextel's Developer Program
The Nextel Developer Program facilitates the development of Java, WAP and SMS applications for the vertical Nextel platform. More that 20,000 developers have registered to develop wireless applications for vertical, horizontal and corporate markets. Developers who register in the free program gain access to training, technical documentation, developer tools and online support. The program offers significant joint sales and marketing opportunities for developers with applications that fit Nextel's strategic direction. Developers interested in participating in the Nextel Developer Program should visit http://developer.nextel.com.
About Nextel Communications
Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 300 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500® companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 293 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 248 million people live or work.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research in Motion Limited.
