Low-Cost Internet Devices
for High-Growth Countries
PICs are a new category of simple, affordable consumer device - developed by AMD using technology from IBM and MicroDoc.
Press Release
Affordable, Secure Internet Device provides New Opportunities for High-Growth Countries
Used as a virtual machine, IBM’s WebSphere® Everyplace® Custom Environment enhances Personal Internet Communicators with Java™ capabilities
Munich, Germany – January 16, 2006 – Personal Internet Communicators (PICs) now provide ISP customers the option of including IBM's WebSphere® Everyplace® Custom Environment. PICs are a new category of simple, affordable consumer electronics devices that are providing Internet access to people in multiple high-growth nations. German software company MicroDoc, an IBM business and porting partner, has ported WebSphere Everyplace Custom Environment version 2.2 to the PIC, enabling the device to display Java-based Web content and allowing users to display websites that use Java technology. This Java-enabled version of the PIC is now available for customers worldwide.
“Our goal is to make technology that meets the needs of people throughout the world,” said Vince Smoral, PIC marketing and business
development director, AMD. ”The collaboration with IBM and MicroDoc is designed to give PIC users additional functionality and online opportunities.”
PICs run on an AMD Geode™ processor, contain a Microsoft® Windows® powered operating system, and feature Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0. By porting WebSphere Everyplace Custom Environment as a virtual machine for the PIC, users are able to take advantage of many more possibilities that the Web offers, including Java-based Web applications
like Internet banking and online shopping.
"Close cooperation with IBM and the reliable technical properties of WebSphere Everyplace Custom Environment allowed MicroDoc to quickly develop a competitive product for AMD that fulfills high customer expectations in terms of reliability and compatibility," stated Hans Kamutzki, CEO, MicroDoc.
"The integration of IBM WebSphere Everyplace Custom Environment into AMD's Personal Internet Communicator shows how important IBM's Business Partner strategy is," said René Werth, European Client Technologies Sales, IBM. "Scalable and stable run-time environments are particularly important for embedded applications in both niche and mass markets. The PIC solution, which was enhanced by MicroDoc on the basis of the IBM Virtual Machine for embedded systems, illustrates how IBM not only provides its business partners with robust middleware solutions, but also with the necessary support."
Part of the “50x15” Initiative
The PIC was developed by AMD as a simple, affordable consumer device that provides Internet access to inhabitants of global expanding markets, such as India, Mexico and the Caribbean. The small, rugged PIC is the first device for the 50x15 Initiative launched by AMD. The goal of the 50x15 Initiative is to provide half of the world's population with affordable computing capability and Internet access by 2015. The simple and easyto- use PIC can utilize either existing dial-up or broadband connections and allows users to take advantage of Internet functions such as e-mail, downloads and Web browsing, as well as basic text processing and other fundamental computer functions. To date, PICs have been deployed in Brazil, India, Mexico, the Pan Caribbean, Panama, Russia, Turkey and South Africa.
About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM Software offers a wide range of middleware and
operating systems for all types of computing platforms, allowing customers to take full advantage of the on demand era. The fastest way to get more information about IBM software is through the IBM Software home page at http://www.software.ibm.com.
About MicroDoc
MicroDoc is a German software business specialized in technologically advanced solutions. As an IBM business partner, MicroDoc has become a leading supplier for
embedded JavaTM solutions in Europe. MicroDoc is a member of eclipse.org and supports open standards in client projects across industry markets. Find more information about
MicroDoc on www.microdoc.com.
