ROW Short Takes

Infowave and ClickSoftware team up for customer supportInfowave Software Inc. and ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. have teamed up to leverage each other’s strengths to improve the operational performance of their customers. The two will combine their respective technologies, which will enable customers to maximize the use of their field forces, minimize costs and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. "By combining our solution offering with the industry leader, ClickSoftware’s advanced planning and scheduling, we are able to drive our customer’s performance to even higher levels," Infowave CEO Jerry Meerkatz said in a news release. Atlas and Norsat partner for greater exposure of OmniLinkNorsat International has partnered with Atlas Telecom to address markets in the Gulf Cooperation Countries region for its OmniLink portable satellite terminal family. Atlas will promote Norsat’s products in the region and provide Tier I, post-sales support to customers. For its part, Norsat will provide ongoing technical assistance to Atlas. Arild Fotland, Atlas GM, says in a news release, "Atlas has been looking for the right solution for this region and it had been difficult to find a product that it considered both competitive and reliable. We wanted to make sure that the product was going to be able to stand up to the test of this market." WebTech expands sales activities in North AmericaBurnaby B.C.-based WebTech Wireless Inc. is expanding its North American sales presence by opening six strategically located sales centres of excellence. The company has also increased head office space and is growing its employee head count. These new initiatives are not only designed to strengthen channel programs with key partners such as Cingular Wireless in the United States and Rogers Wireless in Canada, but are also to facilitate the leveraging of WebTech’s core competencies into new markets such as long-haul trucking, utility and government segments. One example of the company’s expanded market presence is a traffic control system WebTech built and deployed in partnership with Coastal Range Systems. The system helps to alleviate traffic congestion for emergency response teams. BlueTree Wireless launches GPS series of modemsBlueTree Wireless Data Inc. has introduced the 5000 GPS Series to its ever expanding line of wireless modems for the machine-to-machine communications market. The GPS Series includes the 5200 CDMA and the 5400 GPRS. Not only can the modems be networked and connected to host servers and mobile computers, they have a standalone feature allowing them to collect and store GPS position data without needing a connection to a network or mobile computer. "Our AVL and public safety customers asked for an intelligent device with a standalone GPS capability," Karl Hantho, BlueTree Wireless COO, said in a news release. Digital Dispatch secures additional contracts in the U.S.Richmond B.C.-based Digital Dispatch Systems Inc. has announced that it has won contracts with the Louisville Transportation Co., Reno Sparks Cab Co. and Access Services Inc. Louisville Transportation will purchase 295 Vector 530 mobile data terminals and printers. Reno Sparks will buy 110 iPilot 8000 colour mobile data terminals. Access Services has also purchased major enhancements to its dispatch system for the six fleets it operates in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The value of the systems and associated service agreements for each of these three customers combined totals about $1 million. "With our recently re-energized sales force, we have significant opportunities for revenue growth within our existing customer base, in addition to our funnel of potential new customers," Vari Ghai, president and CEO of Digital Dispatch, said in a news release. Shaw plans wireless service within six monthsShaw Communications Inc. is set to become yet another cable operator in the country to bundle wireless services with its cable TV services and telephony services when it rolls out a mobile offering in the first half of this year. The company will follow in the footsteps of fellow cableco EastLink, which partnered with Rogers Wireless Inc. for its wireless service offering. While the wireless partner is yet to be announced, speculation is already circulating on who it might be. It is unlikely to be Telus Mobility as it competes with Shaw in the west. Bell Mobility, which also has facilities in the west, or Rogers Wireless are the two most likely candidates for Shaw’s eventual partner. Phantom Fiber secures seven new customersAlmost a year after launching an aggressive strategy to capture a major share of the mobile gaming market, Phantom Fiber Corp. has announced that seven new clients are using its adaptive application architecture. More than 600 mobile devices are now supported by the company’s advanced wireless framework. The following sportsbook operators launched service using Phantom Fiber’s technology last week: TradeWinds Sportsbook and Casino, Badlands Casino and Sportsbook, Guardian Guaranty Corporation Sportsbook and Casino, Extreme Lines Sportsbook and Casino, Regency Sportsbook and Casino, Diamonds Sportsbook International and Carib Sportsbook. The company notes that several more operators are lining up to take advantage of its technology. Ignition Point results first quarter 2005 resultsVancouver-based broadband communications company Ignition Point Technologies Corp. has released first quarter 2005 financial results. Revenue was down slightly from the previous year’s first quarter dropping from $307,497 to $274,523. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter totaled nearly $4.5 million. The company’s Fatport Corp. subsidiary continues to expand its network of hotspots, both organically and through roaming partnerships. At the end of the quarter, the company counted 198 of its own sites and an additional 66 operated by partners. Fatport reports that it has approximately 17,500 unique users who have to use the company’s network. Mobile music market to explode over next 5 yearsThe mobile music market is expected to grow dramatically over the next five years, as research from Juniper Research says the market will hit US$9.3 billion by 2009. Ringtones and realtones will make up the bulk of the revenue with an approximate value of US$4.8 billion. Ring-back tones, which are already generating substantial revenue in Asia, will be worth about US$2.7 billion by the end of the decade. The market for full-track downloads is expected to increase from US$20 million in 2004 to nearly US$1.8 billion in 2009.

ROW Short Takes

News | 03/08/2005 5:00 am EST

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