Building upon its successful global PC Card business, Sony Ericsson today announced the quad band GC86 EDGE PC Card - a successor to the GC85 PC Card. The GC86 features an integrated antenna and offers an optimal combination of performance, design and cost effectiveness for entry level PC laptop users. It will be available globally in Q3 2006.

"We are seeing rapid growth in demand for EDGE as developing countries begin to catch up in terms of wireless data," said Jon Brannstrom, Vice President Mobile Computing EMEA & Asia. "Mobility is now a fact of business life. Access to e-mail and the internet on the move is essential - it's no longer acceptable to be disconnected when traveling. The GC86 is designed to offer an entry level solution for either Windows or Mac users."

GC86 PC Card has a sleek integrated antenna, with minimal extension. When connected to GSM/EDGE networks, users can enjoy data speeds three times faster than GPRS, i.e. connection speeds up to 247kbps. For enhanced connectivity an optional external antenna is also available.

The Wireless Manager PC software for the GC86 is easy to install, and it takes less than a couple of minutes. The user interface is intuitive and includes new launch buttons for browsing and e-mails, an SMS application along with contacts and phone book capabilities.

High quality customer support is available globally via local language call centers.

GC86 is compatible with a wide range of common business applications including Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Netscape, CRM, SAP, Siebel and Messenger. Installation support includes customization options that allow corporate IT managers to implement pre-loaded settings providing one click VPN connection. Data security is assured with EDGE/GPRS encryption technology and the SIM card authenticates with the network preventing unauthorized access. GC86 is compatible with all leading VPNs, enabling secure passage through corporate firewalls.

The GC86 is a quad band EDGE Card that offers global connectivity, falling back on the GPRS/CSD network when needed.

Features:

General
-PC Card, 32-bit Cardbus, Type II
-Size - 85.6 long x 54.0 wide x 5.0 mm high
-Antenna extension -15.4 long x 55.0 wide x 10.5 mm high
-Antenna Connector - MMCX connector
-Weight 42g
-OS support: Windows 2000® (SP4), XP (Pro, Home, Tablet), Mac OS X

Services
-EDGE: 247.4kbps (DL)/ 123.7kbps (UL)
-GPRS: (CS4) 85.6 kbps (DL) / 42.8kbps (UL)
-GPRS: (CS2) 53.6kbps/ 26.8kbps (DL/UL)
-CSD: 9.6kbps & 14.4kbps (DL/UL)

Frequency bands
-EDGE/GPRS/CSD 850/900/1800/1900 MHz