Today the commercial availability of the MobileSTICK solution has been made, first previewed at 3GSM World Congress in February 2006 (then referred to as SoftMOBILE with USB SIM authentication).

The MobileSTICK solution transforms personal computers into voice, SMS and multimedia messaging terminals for mobile operator services, leveraging standards-based Voice over Internet Protocol technology. Bringing together the mobile number identity with the benefits of Internet VoIP and messaging services, MobileSTICK can use virtually any broadband-connected PC, while maintaining security and mobile operator control via the same SIM card-based authentication already trusted by GSM and UMTS operators.

"MobileSTICK is a quick win, fixed-mobile convergence solution for mobile operators that addresses an existing need", said Mike Mulica, President & CEO of BridgePort Networks. "It can be rapidly deployed and will quickly generate profitable new convergence revenues."

Simply plugging the MobileSTICK USB device into a PC or laptop with a fixed line or Wi-Fi broadband connection launches a PC softphone, secured by a SIM card that utilizes the user's existing mobile phone number to make and receive phone calls, SMS messages and multimedia (MMS) messages. The user's existing mobile remains active and continues to utilize its existing SIM.

Using the SIP standard and the PC's non-cellular broadband connection, MobileSTICK allows mobile operators to offer flat rate voice and messaging services to PC users, bringing Internet economics and Voice 2.0 flexibility to the mobile number, appealing to teenagers, college students, young adults, home office workers, frequent international travelers and other mobile professionals.

These users currently deal with the complexities of using their mobile phone in conjunction with VoIP services such as Skype, Yahoo Messenger with Voice, Microsoft Windows Messenger and GoogleTalk. They suffer from multiple numbers to be reached on, no or mysterious calling line identities, multiple voicemail boxes, poor or no integration with SMS and MMS services, manual call forwarding, high prices for calls to mobile numbers and to send SMS messages, a second bill or separate credit card charge and other problems. MobileSTICK solves all these issues by truly unifying the VoIP service with the mobile phone.

The MobileSTICK solution is an end-to-end Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) application, comprising the following components:

• BridgePort Networks' NomadicONE Network Convergence Gateway software, release 6.1 located in the mobile service providers' network running on IBM BladeCenter T telecom grade Linux servers
• Oberthur Card Systems' AngelIC - a low cost, operator brandable USB memory drive with embedded USIM release 6 compliant SIM card and 256MB of flash memory, including secure storage
• CounterPath Solutions' customized, operator brandable Voice over IP SIP softphone for the Microsoft Windows platform, combining voice and messaging functionality with a user-friendly interface

MobileSTICK stimulates much greater usage of MMS through the innovative MMS drag and drop feature. The user has easy access to many more photos, and other multimedia content stored on their PC or accessed from the mainstream Internet via the PC browser than from the mobile phone. Simply dragging this content to the softphone client and dropping on a buddy or contact generates an MMS message uploaded from the PC to the network over the PC broadband link and sent to a mobile phone, with the source address of the MobileSTICK user's mobile phone number. This in turn stimulates return phone calls and messages.

In contrast to FMC services based on dual mode cellular/WiFi handsets, a network application also offered by BridgePort Networks, the MobileSTICK solution does not depend on emerging standards, long lead times for compelling low-cost handsets from major handset providers and does not require a new subsidy for a new handset.

"MobileSTICK targets hundreds of millions of current and future PC softphone users, who also have GSM or UMTS mobile phones, with an integrated and highly secure proposition, and is forecast to penetrate 10-15 percent of a typical mobile operator's subscriber base in strong PC broadband markets within three years", said Marc Bertin, Chief Strategy Officer of Oberthur Card Systems.

"MobileSTICK enables service providers and operators the opportunity to offer a unified and flexible solution that responds to user requirements," said Donovan Jones, President & COO of CounterPath. "The softphone component provides an application to drive immediate revenue streams while its platform capabilities and adherence to open standards support the roadmap to fixed mobile convergence of presence and video services."

The companies and several partner network equipment providers, messaging systems providers and system integrators are marketing the MobileSTICK solution worldwide.

For a live demonstration, please visit the following locations at 3GSM World Congress:

Oberthur Card Systems - Hall 8 - Stand B68
Openwave Systems - Hospitality Suite AV93-97, Avenida Cristina
Acme Packet - Hall 2, Level 1 - Stand B16
AMD - Hall 2, Level 1 - Stand B26