Socket Announces Development Partnership with AT&T for Multifunction Pcmcia Card
HAYWARD, Calif. — October 19, 1993 — Socket Communications Inc., today announced the TRIO, a PCMCIA PC Card which incorporates a 14.4Kb fax/modem as well as a 10-Mb/sec. Ethernet LAN controller. The card will be unveiled Nov. 15-19 at the COMDEX trade show at the AT&T Microelectronics exhibit (booth L2348) and at the PCMCIA Gallery. Both exhibits will be in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Socket has worked with AT&T as a development partner to produce a chip set which allows Socket to incorporate fax, modem and Ethernet functionality in a credit card-sized PCMCIA PC card.
"The TRIO is a natural extension of our PCMCIA card family," said Socket President Mike Gifford. "Fax/modems are the most popular I/O product in the PCMCIA market, and Ethernet adapters are number two. The TRIO offers high performance solutions for both these requirements, and costs less than two separate products. It's also a lot easier to intstall and manage the TRIO than two different PC Cards."
Socket partnered with AT&T Microelectronics to develop the chip set needed to bring the TRIO to market. "We're very happy with the partnership with AT&T," says Gifford. "AT&T has the expertise in high- integration chips needed to deliver powerful solutions within the restricted size of the PCMCIA PC Card. We also use chips made by AT&T in our Mobile GPS and Serial I/O cards. The partnership with AT&T allows us to focus on the areas where we add value: the intricacies of the PCMCIA interface and the system software required to address the incredible diversity of the mobile communications market. Part of the power of the PCMCIA interface is that it is host independent. We are looking beyond the flood of PC compatible notebooks from HP, IBM, NEC, Toshiba, and many others. We also intend to provide PCMCIA I/O products for the AT&T EO, the Casio Z-7000 and the Tandy Z-PDA, the Apple Newton and the Sharp PT-9000, the Commodore Amiga 600 and 1200, as well as future PCMCIA platforms which may come from Apple, Sun and others."
John Bestel, LAN product marketing manager for AT&T Microelectronics, said that AT&T's partnership with Socket makes good marketing and technological sense. "The installed base of PCMCIA- compatible host systems is growing rapidly. This creates a need for communication products which can provide maximum functionality in a small space. By partnering with companies such as Socket, who have expertise in PCMCIA technology and system space software, we can turn AT&T's skill at high level integration and data communications into solutions for nomadic computer users."
Socket Communications is seeking OEM relationships for the TRIO card. The TRIO will also be sold through Socket's existing worldwide distribution channels. Pricing and availability of the TRIO will be announced at COMDEX.
Founded in 1992, Socket Communications' mission is to design, manufacture and market connectivity products for mobile computers. Socket often works with corporate partners to adapt existing communications technology to a variety of host platforms equipped with PCMCIA slots. In 1992, Socket shipped the Socket EA, the industry's first PCMCIA Ethernet card. The Socket EA is currently the only PCMCIA Ethernet adapter to offer full emulation of the NE2000, the most popular network controller card on desktop PCs. It is also currently the only PCMCIA Ethernet card to work on the HP OmniBook 300 and the Commodore Amiga 600 and 1200. Socket also sells the Mobile GPS and the Serial I/O. The Mobile GPS, which Socket developed jointly with Trimble Navigation, is the industry's only PCMCIA Global Positioning System in production. The Serial I/O, which uses the buffered 16550 UART, is currently the industry's only PCMCIA serial adapter.
CONTACT:
Gerald Houston, vice-president marketing of Socket Communications, 510-670-0300 ext. 114