AT&T has entered into a deal with US vendor Jasper Wireless aimed at enabling a range of new consumer electronics and business devices to connect to its mobile network. The operator said it would use the Jasper Wireless platform to connect devices such as personal navigation, e-readers, mobile Internet devices, gaming, healthcare, tracking, and in-car navigation systems. “This is a significant step for AT&T as we continue to gain momentum with our emerging device strategy,” said Glenn Lurie, president of emerging devices and resale at AT&T. “It’s the ‘technological underpinnings’ to make our strategy possible.” No financial terms were disclosed, but AT&T said it would become the exclusive US carrier on the Jasper Wireless platform. The companies expect to connect the first emerging device under the agreement in the coming months.
AT&T created its emerging devices business unit last October as part of an initiative to introduce wireless capabilities to a host of new consumer electronics, business devices and applications. All the US mobile operators have made moves recently to open up their networks to new consumer electronics and so-called machine-to-machine devices. For example, Sprint Nextel has had success with Amazon’s Kindle e-reader, while T-Mobile USA struck a deal recently with smart power grid company Echelon to use its network to link so-called ‘smart meters’ to utilities using a special embedded SIM.
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