ROW Short Takes

MTI, SR Telecom enter radio design agreementBroadband fixed wireless access solutions designer SR Telecom Inc. has entered into an agreement with Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI) for the co-design of advanced WiMAX access radio systems. The new partners will further develop radio solutions for subscriber station and base station radio units for SR’s symmetry MX WiMAX product offerings. "This partnership will enable the customers of SR Telecom to better address multiple market segments with a standardized WiMAX airlink, across different radio bands," said Montreal-based SR’s chief technology officer Chaz Immendorf in a news release. Chicago police, Wave Wireless fight crimeThe Chicago Police Department has deployed Wave Wireless Corp.’s SpeedMesh routers for crime prevention initiatives throughout the city. The new SpeedMesh 9200 routers were installed by RMS Technology Solutions and will operate in the 4.9 GHz band. The mesh network helps transmit video from wireless surveillance cameras to various police operations. "The use of Wave Wireless 4.9 GHz SpeedMesh routers have provided superior video quality and exceptional wireless transmission distances, citywide, from our geographically dispersed camera systems, back to our command centre or remotely to the squad cars via laptop computers," said Sgt. Gregory Hoffman of the Chicago PD in a press release. The homicide rate and street-based drug dealing in Chicago has fallen following a series of public safety initiatives, including the use of SpeedMesh, according to newspaper reports. Telus, RIM launch BlackBerry 7100iWaterloo ON-based Research in Motion Ltd. has introduced the new BlackBerry 7100i, available exclusively in Canada from Telus Corp. The new handset will operate on Telus’ all-in-one Mike network and will offer all of the popular voice and data features of the traditional BlackBerry device, as well as GPS tracking and Bluetooth support. "Mobile professionals continue to look to BlackBerry first for innovation in wireless communications and connectivity," RIM’s VP corporate marketing Mark Guibert said in a press release. "The BlackBerry 7100i leverages the power of the Mike network and provides an attractive choice for people looking to upgrade their phone with a more advanced handset that smoothly integrates support for voice, email and data." Rogers, AskMeNow launch mobile information platformMobile lifestyle network AskMeNow and Rogers Wireless Inc. have teamed up to make the AskMeNow and AskMeAnything mobile information platforms available in Canada. Through AskMeNow, BlackBerry users will now have easy access to content such as directory assistance, flight times, headline news, hotels, directions, weather, stock quotes, sports scores and other information. AskMeAnything will give users access to specific information from the Internet through a natural language text input application on their cell phone or PDA. Users are charged $0.75 per question directly to their phone bill. Irvine CA-based AskMeNow is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ocean West Holding Corp. and officially launched last November. Another 3G network deploys SlipStream softwareAlegro PCS has deployed Waterloo ON-based SlipStream Data Inc.’s newest mobile acceleration software, Slipstream MSP, in its 1X/EvDO network. Alegro, which launched its CDMA2000 1X network last year and provides 3G wireless voice and data technology, formally employed the SlipStream product in late December and has reported significant results with higher customer satisfaction, usage stimulation and increased network savings. "SlipStream has a compelling acceleration and compression offering for today’s 2.5G networks, providing speeds that are up to two times faster than alternative acceleration providers," said SlipStream’s head of mobile market development Ante Rupcic in a news release. "Field trials in Alegro have shown that we have an equally compelling solution for the next generation technology as well." Panasonic’s ruggedized notebooks coming to CanadaPanasonic Canada Inc.’s CF18 and CF29 notebooks will offer Canada’s first integrated Sierra Wireless EM5625 embedded modules operating on the Telus wireless high-speed network, allowing clients to experience possible download speeds of more than 2 megabits per second. Panasonics ruggedized notebooks feature full magnesium alloy casings, offering protection from drops, shocks, vibration, water, dust, heat and cold. The EM5625 embedded module provides a "powerful, reliable, wireless engine that offers ‘always-on’ voice, data, and messaging functionality," according to a news release. Annual Wireless Innovation Contest winners announcedThe Wireless Innovation Network of BC (WINBC) announced the winners of the third annual Wireless Innovation Contest, which recognizes wireless companies and technologies from across North America that have changed lives and driven change. The winners were: Gearworks for its etrace mobile workforce management software; Elster Electricity LLC. for its EnergyAxis smart meter embedded mesh radio system; Digital Chocolate for the MLSN Sports Picks mobile club; MedicTouch for its Wireless Pulse Meter Pro sport and wellness monitor; Mobile Voter, a non-profit organization that uses text messaging to engage youth in civic life; and mobSKY for its Web-based mobile greeting cards. "This year, the competition was fierce and our judges were really challenged," said Sang Mah, president of WINBC in a media release. "The award winners are testament to how wireless occupies all walks of life." Winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of industry peers, and were awarded with targeted exposure at media and tradeshows, inclusion in a special case study publication and a one hour mentor session with the panel of judges. In-Stat: multimedia handset growth outpaces consumer interestHigh-tech market research firm, In-Stat, reports that while the number of cellular phones with multimedia capacity will double in the next two years, these new capabilities are not generating much consumer enthusiasm. In a survey of US consumers, only 9% of respondents expressed interest in the ability to play digital music on their wireless handset. Other research from In-Stat revealed that: real-time news, weather, sports and financial information represent the greatest interest for multimedia viewing; those who want multimedia services would pay an extra $20 for a handset, but not an additional $15 a month for the service; and while MP3-capable phones outsold dedicated MP3 players in 2003 and 2004, MP3 player shipments outpaced phone rivals by nearly two to one in 2005. Nortel bolsters WiMAX position, enhances IMS portfolioNortel demonstrated its increased investments in WiMAX with the announcement that it’s developing a complete portfolio of MIMO-powered WiMAX systems to serve numerous global markets. The company has completed a successful WiMAX broadband service trial with German regional power utility New Energie, which will lay the foundations for New Energie’s commercial launch of WiMAX for bandwidth-intensive wireless services including multimedia streams, VoIP and high-speed Internet. "We have very high hopes for WiMAX," said Frank Korsten, New Energie broadband wireless access project manager in a news release. "The technology enables us to offer customers broadband connections without having to use physical wire or cable connections over the last mile." Nortel has also enhanced its IMS portfolio to make it easier for service providers to offer personalized multimedia services to wireless, wireline or cable devices. Said Alan Stoddard, general manager carrier multimedia networks: "In the same way the telephone changed how people communicated over distance and the Internet ushered in a new era of information exchange, IMS is expected to take networked communications to a new level of simplicity for users and provide greater profit potential for service providers." The IMS converged mobility product enhancements are expected to be available in the second half of 2006. 724 Solutions recognized with E-Tech awardToronto-based 724 Solutions’ Thulean product was selected as the third place winner of the Wireless Emerging Technologies Award at CTIA Wireless 2006 in the Consumer Mobile Applications for Messaging category. "Thulean enables mobile network operators to realize 724’s vision of the unwired lifestyle by providing seamless connectivity between next generation services and the installed subscriber base," said Michael Luna, chief technology officer at 724, in a news release. 724 provides solutions allowing mobile and virtual network operators to deploy and open next generation IP-based network and data services.

ROW Short Takes

News | April 19, 2006

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