[Updated Oct. 27, 2005] — NTT DoCoMo has licensed Embedded Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) software from Ecrio Inc. for use in its 3G FOMA handsets. The technology will initially be deployed on DoCoMo's 902i series handsets, introduced today. Two of the 902i devices run Linux.

Linux-based models in DoCoMo's 902i series include NEC's N902i and Panasonic's P902i.

Ecrio's PoC handset software complies with NEMS PoC Release 1.0 push-to-talk standards, according to the company.

The company lists the following additional key features for its PoC client software:

• Initialization
• Floor control — request, grant, release, revoke, deny, idle
• Talker identification
• Quality feedback
• Session management — join, leave, disconnect
• Timers — inactivity, floor request, floor release, retry

The PoC handset is written in ANSI C, enabling it to support most mobile device software platforms. The company offers an SDK and Toolkit to facilitate “easy integration . . . with the target terminal,” it says.

“We are delighted to establish this relationship with Ecrio,” said Koji Chiba, vice president and managing director of NTT DoCoMo's customer equipment development department. “PoC is going to be a key component of our mobile network and next generation mobile terminals. Ecrio has demonstrated its vision and leadership by delivering a highly flexible and portable PoC architecture that was easily integrated in our Symbian OS and Linux FOMA handsets.”

Ecrio CEO Nagesh Challa said, “Ecrio is committed to providing an open and interoperable IMS Client Framework that is compliant to the OMA and 3GPP standards, for the rapid deployment of new services on advanced networks. Our PoC solution built on this platform has been designed to deliver this vision.”

Cupertino, Calif-based Ecrio describes itself as a vendor of real-time communication software for mobile phones. The company says it provides interoperable, standards-compliant software for Instant Messaging and Pesence Services” (IMPS), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) to mobile industry leaders such as NTT DoCoMo, Lucent, NEC, and Panasonic.

Esmertec recently released software written in C that adds real-time push-to-talk functionality to 2.5G and 3G mobile phones, and NexGen City last year unveiled a Linux-based handset for first responders with PTT-over-VoIP capabilities.

 
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