I have to hand it to Lenovo – they’re actively adding more and more features to the ThinkPad lineup. Case in point? They’ve just announced that they will add Cingular 3G wireless support to upcoming versions of the Lenovo ThinkPad. This comes a few months after Lenovo added support for Verizon’s EV-DO service as well.

The deal announced yesterday allows ThinkPad users to access Cingular’s BroadbandConnect services which is Cingular’s 3G data network based on UMTS/HSDPA technology. You’ll get broadband network speeds over a wireless connection using the BroadbandConnect service. For areas that don’t have UMTS/HSDPA service, the ThinkPads will be able to use the EDGE network.

[Check it out]

Lenovo Plans to Embed Cingular WWAN in Upcoming ThinkPads 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. and ATLANTA, Ga., January 4, 2006 – Lenovo and Cingular Wireless today announced plans to integrate wireless wide area network (WWAN) technology from Cingular in upcoming versions of ThinkPad notebooks. ThinkPad users will have built-in, immediate high-speed Internet access via the Cingular BroadbandConnect service without needing a separate PC card or additional hardware.(1)

Through this agreement, ThinkPad notebooks will be preconfigured for BroadbandConnect, which delivers average mobile data connections between 400-700Kbps (kilobits per second) on the downlink and bursts to more than a megabit per second using Cingular’s third-generation (3G) network based on UMTS/HSDPA technology. With Cingular BroadbandConnect services, users can connect anywhere they receive Cingular Wireless data service and will no longer need to be centrally located near wireless hubs, or WiFi “hot spots,” an ideal situation for mobile and small business professionals who are on the go and often located in areas where WiFi hot spots are not readily available.

Cingular-enabled ThinkPad notebooks are expected to be available beginning in the second quarter of this year.
“Cingular Wireless helps us extend the mobile computing environment for ThinkPad customers, giving users access to a high-speed wireless network when and where they need to do business,” said Marc Godin, vice president, notebook marketing, for Lenovo. “In addition, our new Access Connections 4.1 software works with Cingular BroadbandConnect, enabling users to move seamlessly from one available network connection to the next without downtime or costly help desk calls.”

“Lenovo has a long-standing reputation for innovation in the marketplace and Cingular Wireless is pleased to team with them to bring their world-class capabilities to the burgeoning wireless data arena,” said Jeff Bradley, vice president, business data services, for Cingular Wireless. “Cingular is working closely with Lenovo from a research and development standpoint to wirelessly enable its products with a technology that is based on a global 3G standard. We look forward to jointly offering to Lenovo notebook customers wireless broadband access on both a domestic and an international scale.”

Cingular’s 3G network infrastructure is based on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) technology, a global standard for 3G wireless services that are already offered by 95 commercial networks in 45 countries, with an additional 67 UMTS networks in deployment, planned or licensed.

In the U.S., Cingular BroadbandConnect currently is available in 52 communities, with a commitment to extend the service to most major markets by the end of this year. In areas where UMTS/HSDPA is not available, ThinkPad owners will be able to use their notebooks seamlessly on Cingular’s EDGE service, the largest national wireless data network in the U.S. with availability in 13,000 cities and towns at typical speeds of 70-135Kbps. ThinkPad users also will have wireless access abroad in more than 90 countries where Cingular has data roaming agreements.

ThinkPad notebooks with integrated WWAN capabilities will enable IT departments to ensure consistent hardware compatibility across their users and with the internal, embedded module the ThinkPad casing provides the higher level of protection to reduce the risk of damage during transit. They can also expect less hardware to troubleshoot and replace as well as improved data security for employees who frequently travel.

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