ROW Short Takes

RIM reportedly in talks with chip-maker IntelResearch in Motion Ltd. is reportedly in talks with chip-maker Intel Corp. about a potential deal that would see RIM use Intel chips in future generations of its wireless email devices. According to reports, the deal would allow RIM to power its devices so that users could check emails and surf the Internet in hotspots. RIM is already testing a Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry, the 7270, but has been quiet so far about its commercial introduction (RoW, April 19/05). The company is coming under increasing pressure from competitors such as Intellisync, Microsoft Corp., Visto Inc. and Good Technology Inc. and is looking for ways to maintain its stranglehold on the enterprise user market. Montreal wants Ericsson to pay up after layoffsThe Quebec provincial government wants Ericsson to pay a penalty of $1.3 million following a company decision to lay off 300 people in Montreal. The company is required to have at least 1,600 employees in Montreal following a Quebec government decision to give Ericsson $21 million to fund new product development. According to reports, the penalty is $13,500 per employee below the 1,600-employee limit. The staffing cuts involve CDMA products. Abbotsford hotzone unveiledA new planned city-wide hotzone in Abbotsford B.C. will be using equipment from Calgary-based Wi-LAN Inc. When complete, the network will provide broadband access to approximately 250,000 residents in Abbotsford and the surrounding communities of Aldergrove, Mission and Chilliwack. "After looking into the alternatives on the marketplace, the combination of Wi-LAN and Radionet products proved to be the best solution," WebNet chair and CEO Gregory Carrington said in a news release. WebNet Converged Wireless Network Ltd., the builder of the network, plans to deploy similar networks across North America over the next 12 months. The company has a plan to develop 125 wireless territories. WebNet claims to have done "extensive ‘dark zone’ studies" throughout the proposed territories, and will target communities with between 200,000 and 500,000 residents, with at least 100,000 serviceable households and 7,500 to 10,000 businesses. GFI selected for chip-based cards by DesjardinsDesjardins Group has signed a contract with GFI Solutions Inc. that will help the financial institution transition from magnetic stripes on its debit and credit cards to chip-based cards. Some estimates put the introduction of smart cards in the 2007 time frame. Financial details of the contract were not revealed, but it is believed to be worth multiple millions of dollars. Dexit gets shortlisted for e-money deployment in U.K.Dexit Inc., a Toronto-based electronic payment system developer, has been shortlisted by Transport for London (TfL), the authority that governs the city’s public transportation network. TfL, which confirmed last week that Dexit was one of seven companies that made the short list, is looking to develop an e-money system for Oyster, TfL’s smart card ticketing payment system. "The Oyster e-money initiative is designed to extend the use of Oyster cards beyond the transit system to include everyday payments for goods and services at newsagents, parking machines, quick service restaurants, supermarkets and other locations," reads a July 22 news release. SAMSys introduces new RFID tag readerToronto-based SAMSys Technologies Inc. has introduced the MP9311 UHF RFID tag reader module that is designed for embedded applications in bardcode printer/encoders, smart label applications and other devices requiring RFID capability. The new reader module is compliant with EPC’s second generation (Gen 2) tag specification. "Being first to market with Gen 2 reader products that support various global requirements, and which thereby reduce inventory risk and simplifies deployment, further positions SAMSys as the RFID reader supplier of choice for end users and device manufacturers worldwide," SAMSys chair, president and CEO Cliff Horwitz said in a news release.

ROW Short Takes

News | July 28, 2005

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