RoW Short Takes

SiGEM provides software to iSO.LINK for payment systemKanata ON-based SiGEM Inc and iSO.LINK are teaming up to provide web-based transaction and ATM payment services to SiGEM’s ePing Enterprise customers in the ground transportation industry. SiGEM will provide the software that iSO.LINK needs to become an application service provider to those customers. The first installation of the network and services will be a fleet of taxi cabs in Chicago. They will incorporate SiGEM’s newest products including its Internet-enabled mobile data terminals. The contract is valued at about $650,000 which includes the equipment and software licensing. The company has also entered into an agreement with STMicroelectronics of Boston to collaborate on the development of GPS systems for potential customers in North America. The two companies anticipate that the extension of their longstanding relationship will lead to the marketing of solutions including text-to-speech for in-vehicle navigation. Wi-LAN and AIR2LAN enter into supply agreementWi-LAN Inc and AIR2LAN Inc have entered into a three-year supply agreement projected to be worth US$13.5 million over the term of the contract. The deal will enable AIR2LAN to build a national network using Wi-LAN’s Hopper Plus 45-24 wireless Ethernet bridges. Wi-LAN and Ericsson Canada Inc have also entered into a joint marketing agreement. Ericsson will integrate Wi-LAN’s I.WiLL product line into its end-to-end product offering for MCS systems operating in the 2.5 GHz band. Wi-LAN is believed to have made the short list of potential suppliers for Inukshuk Internet, and this system integration agreement will definitely lay more credence to Wi-LAN’s proposal. WaveRider gear to be used in wireless Internet service WaveRider Communications Inc has been chosen by FastViews Wireless Webservice Inc to supply its LMS2000 wireless access system for the deployment of high-speed wireless Internet access in the communities of Cobourg and Vaughn ON. The installation of the equipment will be supported by WaveRider’s engineering partners Comsearch and Scientech. No details concerning deployment schedules, nor network completion dates were provided.MDSI selected by Rochester Gas for workforce managementMDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc, Richmond BC, has been selected by Rochester Gas & Electric for the implementation of a wireless workforce management system. RG&E will use MDSI’s Advantex r7 as part of its roll out of the Convergent Group’s Model Office. By including the MDSI system with the implementation of the Model Office, RG&E will be able to reduce operating costs and improve customer service.UBS announces growth strategy, posts stellar numbersUnique Broadband Systems Inc, Concord ON, posted a nearly 350% increase in revenue for 2001Q1 and turned a net loss of about $772,000 from 2000Q1 into a net profit of $431,000 in this year’s Q1. The company also indicated that it would concentrate on three areas for future growth. Products for the fixed wireless and mobile wireless infrastructure, including an OFDM modem for high-speed Internet, tops the list. The company will also continue its efforts in the areas of MMDS and video on demand, and a mobile broadcasting solution for digital television and digital radio.Nortel selected by Cable & Wireless for VoIP networkNortel Networks Corp has been chosen by Cable & Wireless for the implementation of a global voice over IP (VoIP) platform. The contract is valued at about US$1.4 billion over the next 10 years. Nortel will build out and manage the operations of the Cable & Wireless VoIP network through its global professional service group. It will also be the largest implementation of Nortel’s Succession product line.COM DEV and Westel sign systems integrator agreementThe wireless group of COM DEV International Ltd, Cambridge ON, has entered into a systems integration agreement with Westel Wireless Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian-based Westel Group Ltd. Under terms of the deal, Westel will market COM DEV’s base stations and integrate them for customers in Eastern Europe and Asia. Westel also purchases switches from TELOS Engineering which recently signed a strategic alliance with COM DEV. Those switches will be integrated into COM DEV Wireless’ base stations.Bell Mobility subscriber growth to nearly double in two yearsBCE Inc chief executive Jean Monty projects that the number of wireless subscribers will grow from its current level of 2.8 million to 4.8 million in the next two years. Monty made the statements in a presentation to investment banking firm Goldman Sachs in New York on October 5. He also predicted that the company’s wireline activities will become secondary to its content, wireless and data operations. While wireline revenue is expected to shrink from 66 per cent of total revenue in 1999 to 44 per cent in 2002, wireless revenue will grow from 12 per cent in 1999 to 15 per cent in 2002.IDC wins export award from international trade departmentInternational Datacasting Corp, Ottawa, has been awarded a Canada Export Award from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The company was also given special recognition for innovation and technology achievement. IDC has been doing a tremendous amount of activity recently in the area of distance education and learning in the under-developed regions of the world.Comlink to provide system for head-end facility in CalgaryCygnal Technologies subsidiary, Comlink Systems, has been chosen by Boardwalk Equities Inc to provide a turnkey solution for its new multimedia communications head-end facility in Calgary. Comlink designed and manufactured an integrated system to carry TV, radio and audio signals to Boardwalk’s multi-dwelling unit tenants via an innovative telecommunications network. The contract is valued at $800,000.Voice Mobility enters Asian market for VoIP solutionVoice Mobility International Inc, Vancouver, has signed an agreement with Logtech Info-Net of Taiwan to jointly provide the company’s Unified Communications software suite to telephone, Internet and cell phone users in Taiwan. The agreement marks the first deployment of the firm’s unified messaging software in Asia and represents another major step in its global growth strategy. Logtech will provide the software to its own VoIP customers and to others through wholesale agreements with other service providers.Microsoft launches MSN Mobile in CanadaMicrosoft Corp has introduced MSN Mobile in Canada, a wireless version of the company’s popular msn.ca web portal, as part of its recently announced Microsoft.NET Internet strategy. The service is being made available to subscribers of wireless service from Bell Mobility, Clearnet Communications Inc and Rogers AT&T Wireless Inc. These alliances will bring the msn.ca services to a much wider audience which can access the service over web-enabled handsets, pagers and other handheld devices.Rogers Wireless plans major investment for Cape BretonCanada’s largest wireless carrier plans to invest more than $3 million in the Cape Breton region to expand the coverage of its network. Rogers AT&T Wireless will erect cell sites to improve the coverage in the communities of Louisburg, Sydney Mines, Coxhealth and Port Hawkesbury.Clearnet introduces new dot com-ready phoneClearnet Communications Inc has introduced a new web-enabled wireless phone to its customers. The Sanyo SCP-4500 has hands free capabilities with a built-in speaker phone, voice-activated dialing and a personal memo recorder. Exclusively available through Clearnet, the phone features voice-activated dialing for 390 names and numbers, a voice ringer that identifies specific callers and a memo recorder for recording calls or dictation. The battery offers up to four hours of talk time and up to about 12 days of standby time.Bell, IBM and Xybernaut introduce wearable computerA trial of wearable computers has been launched by Bell Canada, IBM Canada Ltd and Xybernaut Corp. The Mobile Assistant IV is a fully wireless computing and communications device that is capable of connecting the user to the Internet and providing a wireless voice connection. The MA IV can be configured to function in a vest or as a belt, and is equipped with a headset or flat panel display for projecting or viewing images.Microcell and the Royal bank team up for financial servicesMicrocell Solutions Inc and the Royal Bank of Canada have teamed up to offer mobile banking services to their customers. Royal Bank Mobile Banking will be made available through Fido’s Access Finances which enable customers to pay bills, check balances, transfer funds, view foreign exchanges, and more. Microcell’s subsidiary Microcell i5 Inc has entered into a contract with Netergy Networks Inc, Santa Clara CA, to develop the services layer of i5’s wireless portal.Telus launches wireless banking with TD BankTelus Mobility customers in Alberta and BC now have access to TD Bank Financial Group’s wireless banking and brokerage services. TD customers that subscribe to Telus’ mobile services and who use a i-Web enabled phone can perform a variety of banking transactions including viewing financial summaries, pay bills, check balances and more. Telus has also teamed up with BC Gas to implement a wireless data solution that will improve BC Gas’ efficiency, reduce operational costs and improve customer satisfaction. More than 200 BC Gas vehicles will be outfitted with laptop computers equipped with a CDPD modem over the next six months, enabling quicker response times.Look signs definitive purchase agreement with AxionNine-months after the agreement was originally unveiled, Look Communications Inc has entered into a definitive purchase agreement with Axion Communications Inc. The all stock deal will see 5.94 shares of Axion exchanged for 1 share of Look. Once completed, Axion will be amalgamated with a wholly owned subsidiary of Look created for this sole purpose.Stream to deploy Foudry’s Internet backbone routersStream Intelligent Networks Corp will deploy Foundry Networks’s Neltron Internet backbone routers to offer high-speed gigabit Ethernet service. Stream will integrate the routers to create next-generation metropolitan area networks (MANs) which will enable Metro Ethernet services across multiple network technologies. Stream says it is the first to offer gigabit Ethernet in Canada.

RoW Short Takes

News | October 16, 2000

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