14 DAY TRIAL // On Tuesday, mobile phone carrier Sprint and Motorola announced officially the signing of a new agreement that extends their collaboration on the Sprint iDEN network for three additional years.
According to the agreement, Motorola would provide the wireless carrier with all of the necessary resources for the iDEN network from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013.
The deal is meant to extend a longstanding agreement that already proved the duo's commitment to iDEN technology as a great platform for the push-to-talk (PTT) services.
The newly signed deal formally extends the contractual iDEN relationship between Sprint and Motorola Solutions through 2013, and includes the supplying of software and resources.
“This agreement is great news for our iDEN customers,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president of Network, Sprint.
“The Nextel National Network continues to be the nation’s fastest push-to-talk network, and it is operating at best-ever performance levels. Additionally, this agreement provides support for our important iDEN customer base while we begin executing our Network Vision plan.”
In addition to announcing the extended partnership, the two companies also announced that a series of new and exciting iDEN handsets are set to become available for purchase in the first quarter of the next year.
Among these devices, we can count the Motorola i886, a stylish but rugged mobile phone, which would include a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard and corporate e-mail capabilities.
At the same time, the duo plans the release of an upgrade for the popular Motorola i680, in the form of Motorola i686, which can withstand being immersed in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
These handsets, as well as any other Sprint iDEN devices, offer support for Nextel Direct Connect in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Customers can also make use of Nextel Direct Connect from the US to these six countries, the wireless carrier announced.
No specific info on the pricing and availability of these devices was unveiled for the time being, the two companies promise that more would be brought to light soon.
Key aspects of the new deal include:
- Under the extended Infrastructure Supply Agreement, Motorola Solutions will continue to support the Sprint iDEN network for three years – from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013. - Motorola Solutions will continue to provide world-class support for software, hardware and systems on the existing Sprint iDEN network. - Customers will benefit from the same level of high performance services, including industry-leading PTT, mobile telephony, messaging and Internet access. - Motorola Solutions has more than 17 years of experience supporting the Sprint iDEN network.