Dear Friends,

I have some very interesting news for you this week, but first my regular disclaimer:

This is my weekly newsletter about Wireless Data and Radio Paging. You are receiving this message because you have either communicated with me in the past about a wireless topic, or your address was included in another e-mail that I received. This is not a SPAM. If you have received this message in error, and you are not interested in these topics, please click here, then click on "send" and you will be promptly removed from the mailing list.

More about the state of traditional paging.
Thanks to my friend Joe Fidanque III at Mobilphone in Panamá for sending in this article from The New York Times entitled: The Bell Is Tolling for the Beeper. "Although the number of pager users is down from nearly 45 million in 1998, Strategis says, some 37 million people were still carrying the tiny devices in 2000, the most recent year for which figures are available. (Another 850,000 people had two-way pagers, a small but growing part of the wireless industry.) Analysts say that the number of one-way pagers undoubtedly declined further last year." I think this is a fairly-well-balanced article because it does go on to say some positive things about traditional paging: "Users say that in comparison with cellphones, beepers are inconspicuous and allow people to talk with callers at their convenience rather than feel compelled to answer a ringing phone." It even mentions Wireless Telemetry: "Still, new uses for beepers continue to emerge. One growing market for pagers is Telematics, or machine-to-machine communication. Already large computer networks can be set to call a pager automatically when a server crashes. In the near future, a soda machine may call a pager to alert a distributor that it is about to sell out of a certain soft drink." I think two-way pagers now number well over one million in service. Click here to read the whole story.

WAP is crap—We knew it all along.
"As soon as they started getting thumb cramps and eyestrain from browsing the Web on their mobile phones, American consumers immediately shunned the so-called mobile Internet. The wireless application protocol—WAP for short—became a beacon for epithets. 'WAP is crap' was a popular refrain. Some frustrated users said WAP stands for 'what a pity.' The 'growing epidemic of WAPlash' struck fear into the hearts and minds of hopeful early adopters who wanted a scaled-down version of Web content on their cell phones." We have been telling people for years that current wireless technology is not suited for casual browsing of the Internet. It is a waste of valuable spectrum. Although going after specific-predefined information that you want and need is OK. Read the whole story here.

Our job is to help them understand!
"Senior business executives who don't understand the benefits and uses of wireless technology may be the roadblock delaying widespread wireless adoption in the enterprise, according to a recent Deloitte Consulting survey. Of the 650 business executives surveyed, 51 percent said they do not understand benefits and uses of wireless technology." Click here for the whole story in RCR Wireless News.

The most exciting wireless news this week
(or maybe this year, or even this century)

Time Magazine—Monday, Apr. 15, 2002—page 77

KID WATCH
"Do you know where your children are? You do if they're wearing the Wherify GPS Personal Locator ($399). At its core, the tracker relies on global positioning satellites that always know, within a few feet, Junior's location. Designed around a wristwatch, the personal locator also has a built-in pager and panic button for alerting 911. And you thought your mom was overprotective." If you don't believe this, read about it here in Time Magazine.

I don't have any affiliation with this company, I just think that this is an example of the types of great new products we will be working with from now on. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have forever changed the way we live. The requirements for security devices—especially wireless tracking and remote monitoring—are tremendous. This service has launched. This is not science fiction. The "device" is selling for about $400 and the service goes for $25 to $35 per month, depending on the options. They are working on a model for finding lost pets too. Future product development includes:

• m-Commerce;
• Personal Electronics;
• Handsets;
• Asset Tracking;
• Currency Tracking;
• Fleet Management;
• Law Enforcement.

The service currently only operates over digital PCS systems in the USA, but they are also developing products for other markets—worldwide. By the way, this system uses the CDMA protocol with GPS, not one of the paging protocols. Since the personal location device collects data from satellites it is a VERY accurate digital watch. It also receives up to ten alphanumeric messages like a pager. Congratulations to the folks at Wherify Wireless for some really good ideas. Check out their web site for more information. I was international market development manager at Motorola when we launched the original (one-way) wristwatch pager. Unfortunately it flopped. I think this product and service will be a big success.

One vendor of a similar product/service told me that his customers are much more interested in how quickly they can get wireless security devices than how much they cost. Anyone planning other types of wireless location devices should be happy that public awareness will now take a big jump forward. A rising tide lifts all the boats. (Is that a mixed metaphor, or just two in a row?)

If you have anything that you would like to add to the Buy or Sell list please send me all the details.

Please check out the following web sites and let me know if you find anything that you need.

The Wireless Watchman Wireless Telemetry with GPS localization.

Commtech Wireless Synthesized Alpha and Numeric pagers, Paging Infrastructure, Paging Software, SMS Software, plus many other Carrier and Onsite Paging Products.

WaveWare Technologies Pagers, serial port controlled paging encoders, and paging base stations.

VCP International The complete line of Bravo (formerly Motorola) pagers.

MCK Technologies Sales and repair of paging infrastructure equipment.

Telelink Wireless Technologies Paging Terminals and Voice Mail.

Metropage PTY Ltd. Wireless info-from-the-Internet Kiosk.

Ticker Communications Wireless information delivered to LED signs.

DigitPro Communications Pagers and Paging Data Receivers.

Digitel Online The leading wireless service provider in Mexico.

More contact information
My AOL Instant Messenger screen name is "BradDye" without the quotes
For Microsoft MSN Messenger use "Brad Dye"

Note: All prices are subject to change without notice and are quoted in US funds.