ROW Update

Bell deploys broadband wireless in AlbertaBell Canada is deploying AirPair Flex products from DragonWave over its fixed wireless network in Alberta. Benefits of the IP services include interoperability of communications devices, simpler provisioning, and greater serviceability, according to a news release. “Bell Canada is deploying an innovative network solution to strengthen and expand our existing IP broadband network in Western Canada. DragonWave’s products give Bell the flexibility to deliver services to our customers when and where they need them,” Stephen Wetmore, group president, national markets for Bell, said.Virgin lowers price of text messagingVirgin Mobile Canada is beefing up its competitive offers in the marketplace, introducing new text messaging pricing for its subscribers. Late last month, the mobile virtual network operator announced that Virgin-to-Virgin (V2V) text messages would cost only 5 cents. “Canadians are inexperienced at textual relations compared to other parts of the world, but there are still many who are having a whole lot of text all over the place – Canadians send more than three million text messages each day,” Virgin Mobile’s chief marketing officer Nathan Rosenberg said in a news release. “We've dropped our V2V prices to deliver great value to our customers and encourage Canadians to have lots of textual intercourse.” In other Virgin Canada news, the company has expanded operations into Atlantic Canada. Virgin Canada wants to “deliver a simpler, better deal” to more than 1.5 million Atlantic Canadians who currently don’t have a mobile phone.Aliant invests in wireless network expansionAliant Telecom Inc. has announced an investment of $14 million to expand wireless network infrastructure across the Avalon Peninsula. By the end of the year, Aliant will have invested more than $74 million building out its network to reach approximately 82% of the region’s population.Agilent expands test equipment portfolioAgilent Technologies Inc. has expanded its wireless test and verification equipment portfolio to include those incorporating ultra wideband technology. At the Wireless Connectivity World conference in London, the company unveiled a software tool that provides flexible, fast waveform creation for the design and verification of OFDM ultra wideband (UWB) transceivers and components. Agilent also introduced a multiformat test set to conduct verifications of UWB, Bluetooth, wireless local area network, WiMAX and devices based on other wireless protocols.724 Solutions debuts new gateway product724 Solutions Inc. has enhanced its X-treme Mobility Gateway (XMG) by eliminating the need for mobile operators to deploy third-party hardware or software. The XMG can also be deployed without a database, giving mobile operators average savings of up to 33%. “We believe XMG’s unique architecture, combined with Linux blade and database-free deployment flexibility, allows us to offer the industry’s highest level of transaction performance per CPU with the lowest total cost of ownership,” Michael Luna, 724 Solutions’ CTO, said in a news release.Mitec to transfer product to facility in ChinaMitec Telecom Inc. plans to transfer most of its wireless equipment manufacturing operations to its facility in China, leaving the more complex production at its facility in Montreal. “The move is driven by the need to maximize manufacturing efficiencies, focus on value leadership and maintain close proximity to the growing Asian market for these products,” reads a June 1 news release. “The global market for wireless infrastructure products in changing, such that major opportunities for these products are now mainly centered in Asia. Our goal is to remain on the leading edge in terms of technology and value leadership. These changes reflect our desire to adapt quickly to the evolving market for our products,” Mitec president and CEO Rajiv Pancholoy said.SAMSys joins Intermec RFID licensing program SAMSys Technologies Inc. has joined Intermec Technologies Corp.’s RFID intellectual property licensing program. Other licensees of Intermec intellectual property include Philips Semiconductor BV, Sharp Corp., Sensormatic and Transcore. Dubbed the 90-day Rapid Start Licensing program, it gives SAMSys unfettered access to the fixed RFID and fixed RFID printer IP portfolio. “It is equally important that we, the vendor community, are able to remove yet another element of uncertainty from our customers and to supply them with product which is fully licensed,” SAMSys chair and CEO Cliff Horwitz said in a news release.MDSI demonstrates Advantex solution at conferenceMDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc. was at the 10th Annual Mindshare user group and mobile workforce management conference last month to showcase its Advantex mobile workforce system. The company demonstrated its recently released Advantex in a Box and unveiled new modules of its enterprise-wide mobile workforce management system. “We believe that we are improving Advantex in ways that will provide an even better return on investment for our customers. The ability to manage all field workers across the enterprise, with a packaged solution, provides customers outstanding value by increasing operational efficiencies and lowering the total cost of ownership,” MDSI chair, president and CEO Erik Dysthe said in a news release.

ROW Update

News | June 6, 2005

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