February 5, 1998 (TOKYO) -- NTT Central Personal Communications Network Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced that they agreed to implement a PHS Internet Access Forum Standard (PIAFS) protocol to enable a PHS terminal to transmit data at a rate of 32kbps, on Windows CE, a Microsoft operating system.

PHS refers to the personal handyphone service, a popular microcellular phone service that is fully digital.

Microsoft will develop a PIAFS protocol module for Windows CE with technical cooperation from NTT Personal. The software giant will open it to the public through its Web site this summer at the latest. Users will be able to download it free of charge.

Version1.0 is the latest Japanese version of Windows CE. The Japanese version of Version2.0 also will be released in the summer of 1998 in the same way as the PIAFS module.

If a PHS device transmits data at a rate of 32kbps in combination with a PDA or notebook PC, the PHS terminal must be connected to the PDA or other devices via a dedicated PC card.

In addition to buying the dedicated PC card, users of a mobile terminal with a small battery capacity are hampered by power consumption. Such problems can be solved by incorporating the PIAFS protocol into the operating system. This method will likely encourage hardware makers to develop a Windows CE-based PDA combined with a PHS terminal.

(Nikkei Communications)