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BT fuels Fusion offering with two dual-mode handsets
Step forward HP and HTC

By Tony Hallett

Published: Monday 12 February 2007

BT has inked deals with HP and Taiwan's HTC for the supply of converged devices for its BT Business Fusion service.

The HP iPaq 514 Voice Messenger is a dual-mode UMA (unlicensed mobile access) Windows Mobile 6.0 handset, to be launched by BT in "mid 2007", according to an HP statement.

Being dual-mode, the handset uses wi-fi and cellular networks for when away from a user's office or a BT Openzone hotspot.

The device from HTC, a company for many years famous for not pushing its own brand, is also based on Windows Mobile 6.0.

Figures from the Wi-Fi Alliance today show nearly 100 handsets have been Wi-Fi Certified since 2004, 82 of which have been dual mode.

ABI Research forecasts that in 2011 there will be 325 million converged wi-fi/cellular phones.