RoW Short Takes

COM DEV gets go ahead in RF gear contract in EuropeThe European subsidiary of COM DEV International Ltd has received an Authority to Proceed (ATP) from a major European satellite prime contractor for advanced RF/electronic equipment. COM DEV will begin work on the contract that sits now at a maximum of $2.2 million, but is expected to be expanded to $14.2 million. This order builds on COM DEV Europe’s successful completion of a series of space contracts for major European and American satellite prime contractors. TimesThree and SignalSoft sign joint marketing agreementLocation carrier TimesThree, Calgary, and SignalSoft Corp have agreed to jointly market their location-based products. As part of the agreement, the two companies plan to promote the combination of TimesThree’s position collection and distribution systems (PCDS) platform and SignalSoft’s location gateway product, locations manager, and accompanying applications. Interoperability between the two companies’ products will provide wireless carriers with a one-stop shop for location-based services.SUMmedia announces partnership with SignalSoftE-coupon provider SUMmedia.com Inc has formed a partnership with SignalSoft Corp under which the two companies will begin integrating their technologies to deliver a location-sensitive coupon solution to consumers. The partnership will enable the delivery of personalized, real-time information to mobile users who sign up to the service.RIM and Paradigm4 sign supply agreementParadigm4, Hartford CT, has signed an agreement with Research in Motion Ltd under which the U.S.-based firm will resell RIM’s wireless email and handheld devices. RIM has been signing major supply and distribution agreements of late, including ones with Bell Mobility and Rogers AT&T Wireless. Paradigm4 will also begin to offer a suite of services for government and commercial enterprise customers, such as an attachment viewer that supports Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint and Adobe PDF files.Wysdom and Telus to offer wireless Internet servicesTelus and Wysdom Inc have formed a strategic relationship to provide Canadian businesses with a complete line of wireless Internet services. The two companies will work together to provide businesses looking to take advantage of the wireless web by wirelessly enabling their websites and helping them develop content specific to the wireless web.Bell Mobility launches two-way wireless messagingBell Mobility has introduced e-Page, a national two-way messaging service over its ReFLEX paging network. The key strength of this new technology, is its two-way functionality allowing users to receive and respond to both paging and IP-based messages, such as email, using a single device. Described as a revolutionary technology, "e-Page is to paging what PCS was to cellular," says Pierre Blouin, president at Bell Mobility.BCE implements new corporate structure following acquisitionsLast week, BCE Inc outlined plans for a corporate restructuring that will see the company organize around its four main businesses. The company has a made series of major acquisitions this year, including Teleglobe, CTV Inc and the formation of a new content company with Thomson. BCE will now align its many operations under four primary businesses: Bell Canada (Canadian connectivity including Bell Mobility), Teleglobe (global connectivity), its new media company and BCE Emergis (commerce).Nortel and Sprint build next generation IP test bed Nortel Networks Corp and Sprint PCS are teaming up to build a next generation high-performance wireless network test bed using IP technology for both voice and data. The test bed will be access technology independent. The companies plan to test a new architecture, Nortel’s mobility multimedia core IP network, which is designed to position operators, service providers and third-party vendors to offer reliable anywhere, anytime wireless access. Sprint plans to test multiple access technologies including cdmaOne, cdma2000 1XRTT and the 802.11 wireless LAN standard, among others.Sierra Wireless, Metricom unveil the AirCard 400Sierra Wireless Inc and Metricom Inc introduced the next generation AirCard at the Wireless IT Show in Santa Clara CA, earlier this month. The AirCard 400 operates on the Ricochet 128 network and features always-on capability as well as traditional dial up functions. Executives from both companies say that it is now practical to download video and audio files and view graphic-intensive websites wirelessly.Wi-LAN signs supply agreement with WDSLWi-Lan Inc and Toronto-based WDSL Inc have signed a three-year $6-million supply agreement. WDSL plans to use the equipment to expand and improve its wireless infrastructure in the Greater Toronto Area. Wi-LAN will be supplying its 12 Mbs Hopper Plus wireless Ethernet bridges. WDSL also plans to implement some of Wi-LAN’s OFDM gear in its network expansion. Wi-LAN also announced that it has begun volume shipments of its Hopper Plus 120-24 Ethernet bridges.SiGEM lands $1-million contract in ItalySiGEM Inc, Kanata ON, has received a $1-million order for 10,000 of its e-Ping tracking modules from VIASAT SpA, which is owned by Fiat and Telecom Italia. The company will integrate SiGEM’s GPS modules as part of its aftermarket telematics platform, which includes stolen vehicle recovery, accident detection and notification systems. The system will also provide traffic information and ‘infotainment’ in VIASAT Internet Car architecture.Globalstar sells handsets into the far northSatellite telecommunications provider, Globalstar Canada has sold more than 80 handsets to the Kativik Regional Government in the Nunavuk Region of Northern Quebec. This is the first reliable and consistent form of telecommunications the region has experienced. Gordon Cobain, head of administration for the regional government, says the Globalstar service is by far the best that they have received to date.

RoW Short Takes

News | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us