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WAP bundles with Linux in Asia

Chinese developed Red Flag Linux platform will be shipped bundled with Edgematric's WAP software to move in on the Chinese mobile commerce market.
Written by ZDNet Staff, Contributor

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's Sun Wah High-tech Group will be teaming up with Singapore's Edgematrix to bundle WAP software on the Red Flag Linux platform.

The move is seen as a partnering of two major Asian technology players to capitalize on the growing mobile-commerce market.

Sun Wah High-tech is the sole distributor of Red Flag Linux in the region.

The platform itself has a convoluted pedigree.

At base it is still the open-source operating system based on Linus Torvalds' Linux software. Red Flag, however, has been a product of Red Flag Software Co., which is partially owned by Chinese President Jiang Zeming's son Jiang Mianheng and controlled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It is a version of Linux that has been developed entirely in the People's Republic of China, and is the only operating system endorsed by the Chinese government.

The partnership can thus be seen as a strong move on the Chinese, Hong Kong market.

Founded in 1996, Edgematrix is a Singapore based software solutions company whose clients include such names as M1 and Ong & Co.

It will be providing its WAPgate software for bundling with Red Flag Linux in Hong Kong.

WAPgate is a multi-channel software comprising of functionalities such as a WAP gateway and a digital Fax engine.

The software also enables communication via SMS, STK, Email, and the proprietary ICQ channel from America Online.

"Both our products have been designed for Asia," said Jon Lee, General Manager for EdgeMatrix Hong Kong. "You don't see that for any other competing software. WAPgate fully supports Unicode and the Chinese language, and Red Flag Linux was developed specifically for the Chinese market. This is a powerful alliance."

"Mobile Internet access will become the de-facto daily access method for the majority of the population in the coming years," continues Lee.

"By providing the WAPgate software from EdgeMatrix in our package, we can accelerate our usage in key emerging segments due to the growing demand for companies to enter into the wireless Internet arena," said Alex Banh, COO of SW Linux.

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