Nokia optimises wireless networks

Mobile giant Nokia is launching compression software that speeds data downloading on narrowband wireless networks.

Available from December in server-only or server and Windows-client flavours, Nokia Wireless Accelerator can cut download times by around half in server-only mode and by two-thirds if the client is also installed on laptops, the company said.

The compression product is more efficient at reducing download times for web pages featuring multimedia files such as audio and video than for text-only web pages.

Pricing starts at $1,200 (£705) for a five-year licence, with variable additional charges dependent on number of users and platform yet to be detailed.

Also in Nice, the mobile firm said it had begun shipping a Java-based application enhancement to its Nokia One software.

Device, technology and transmission-agnostic, Nokia One allows users to check voice mail, access calendars and corporate directories, and send and receive email remotely from any device.

Users can preview subject headers as text, then call in and listen to their email and reply via SMS.

In practice, the new feature prioritises the best transport mechanism for the connection, shielding the user from technical issues such as access points, settings and available networks.