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THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 20, 2003 - ISSUE NO. 85 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dear Friends and Industry Colleagues, There is so much important news and so many things going on in the world of paging that I decided to send this week's issue out a day early. The content of this "Internet Magazine" has increased considerably, especially this week, so you may want to bookmark this page in your web browser and then come back and read parts of it later. Things are changing so rapidly, it is important that we all stay well informed. Paging and Wireless Data topics this week:
Please remember that with the new layout, news and commentaries now extend all the way to the end of the newsletter. As always, your opinions and suggestions are welcome. More effort has gone into preparing this issue than any other. I hope that you enjoy it. If you do, please recommend it to a friend or co-worker. If anyone would like to make additions or corrections to the two-way product directory, please do—it is for the good of our whole community. |
A new issue of the Paging and Wireless Data Newsletter gets posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon Eastern US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the Internet. That way it doesn't fill up your incoming e-mail account. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world's major paging and wireless data companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers, so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology. I regularly get reader's comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the paging, and wireless data communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my website. NOTE: This newsletter is best viewed at screen resolutions of 800x600 (good) or 1024x768 (better). Any current revision of web browser should work just fine. Please notify me of any problems with viewing. This site is compliant with XHTML 1.0 transitional coding for easy access from wireless devices. (XML 1.0 / ISO 8859-1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Microsoft SPOT delayed At the Consumer Electronics Show in January of this year, Bill Gates announced that Microsoft was entering the paging business. Their new wireless initiative is called SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology) and will include many of the types of products and applications that I frequently mention in this newsletter. This service, and these products were to become available "in the fall of 2003." Retailers had looked forward to having SPOT-enabled watches available for this year's Christmas shopping season, but according to news clips following in this issue, the technology is still "in testing" and estimates for its availability vary from "no comment" to "postponed until early 2004." My reports in January, about the feasibility of this project, were not very positive. I pointed out that there have been several significant efforts to use FM-subcarrier transmission for wireless data and paging in the past, but that they had all failed. I still believe that it was a very unfortunate decision to choose FM sub-carrier technology. My reasons are explained in detail in two of my January newsletters: SPOT report no. 1 and SPOT report no. 2. The summary of my comments in these two reports is simply that the FM-subcarrier transmission, that Microsoft has chosen, will never work well unless they have some new digital technology up their sleeve. This is a shame because all their products and marketing ideas have wonderful potential, it is just that their method of delivering the wireless information is flawed. Ironically there are two or three nation-wide FLEX and ReFLEX paging networks, already in place and working well, that they could use to make SPOT a big success. If ever there was a perfect match, this is it. An alliance with Microsoft is just what the paging industry needs, and Microsoft certainly needs our help with their SPOT initiative.
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NEWS AND COMMENTS FROM READERS | |
Telephone Answering Services and Paging (4) On behalf of ATSI, I'd like to thank Brad Dye for his kind assistance and the entire paging community for the warm response we've received to these articles (article 1, article 2, and article 3). Frankly, we were somewhat concerned that our proposed three tier approach to dealing with HIPAA might be confusing:
But your comments have made it apparent that this approach is being well received. Some of you have contacted me to express support for a closer alliance between our industries and to offer encouragement to explore these issues further. We agree! One person described the ATSI suggestions as a "common sense" approach and that is certainly the way we have tried to address the entire HIPAA issue in order to build as broad a consensus as possible. We are also grateful to know that the challenges raised by HIPAA are already very much on the mind of so many in the paging industry, with much discussion and planning in progress. More than one company has indicated support for the kind of low cost and simple infrastructure solution we described last week. That hypothetical solution has evolved from our discussions with a number of people in the paging industry and it reflects our best good faith effort to find a solution that works well for both the paging and the TAS industries. We hope to publish a conceptual diagram and an improved description in the near future. Some have asked about subscriber device and infrastructure solutions in development or that may already exist. Although several companies have generously shared some of their thinking and planning for wireless text messaging security, we'll all have to wait for official product announcements. My best advice is to stay in touch with your vendors and watch for announcements from other industry vendors. We will not endorse any particular product or vendor, but we will be sharing our input on a general direction that we think makes sense for all stakeholders. One person asked about further online resources for his own research on HIPAA. We recommend these links at the US Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS). This is the text of the actual HIPAA statute. The HHS site contains links to numerous additional resources, including the two most significant documents that our Covered Entity medical customers must comply with: the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and the Security Rule. Finally, one of the most useful documents published by HHS offers very practical and readable HHS guidance on the privacy rule and specifically addresses the issue of common carriers and their "conduit" status under HIPAA. We've also had some inquiries about our call for developers to create software for use at many TAS/call centers. This software would adapt legacy TAS systems to securely deliver text message to wireless text messaging providers. We expect a technical reference standard will be created by participants in the forthcoming ATSI Telemessaging Wireless Forum (TWF). This will provide the software development community at large and TAS system vendors with a useful blueprint to enable practical and secure transmission from TAS systems to carrier networks. We are aware that there are some TAP gateway products already in existence that may meet some of the needs of the TAS industry and we encourage the developers of those programs to participate at the TWF to ensure their product meets the rapidly changing needs of TAS/call centers. A couple of readers have expressed some surprise to read that the Telephone Answering Service industry and radio common carriers share some of the same history. I can offer a little online evidence of that shared history: curious readers may want to read a couple of articles carried by Wireless Week in recent years. Here is a 1999 history of Louisiana-based Radiofone shortly before the company became a part of SBC and part one and part two of some excerpts from RCC industry veteran Clayton Niles' autobiography. I've not had the privilege of meeting the people in those online articles, but their stories are similar to those of a number of communications pioneers I've worked with and met in the TAS, paging and mobile communications industries. I'll return with another article in a couple of weeks with more information about the forthcoming ATSI Telemessaging Wireless Forum (TWF) and how your company can participate.
PAGING CARRIERS OPPOSE CALIFORNIA SERVICE OVERLAY AREA CODES In a joint filing at the FCC on Monday, November 17, 2003, AAPC, Allied, Arch, Metrocall and WebLink registered their firm opposition to the request of the California PUC for permission to establish two Service Overlay area codes that would together cover the entire state of California. The PUC proposed that certain technology-specific numbers, including paging, voice over internet protocol and dial-up internet service, as well as certain "non-geographic" number, e.g., ATMs, be drawn from the Service Overlay codes; and in certain circumstances not specifically defined by the PUC, the existing numbers utilized for these types of services would be subject to a "takeback" and replaced by numbers from the new codes. The joint filing argued that the California proposal did not represent genuine area code relief, as required by the FCC; and that it did not justify why permanent, rather than transitional overlay codes should be approved, or why waivers of 10-digit dialing normally required for overlays would be warranted, or why takebacks of any existing numbers should be permitted. The filing concluded that California's inclusion of paging numbers in its overlay proposal unjustifiably discriminates against the paging industry and disregards entirely the substantial adverse economic consequences of including non-pooling industries like paging carriers in overlay codes that would cover on the order of 10 to 15 geographic area codes. Source: AAPC Newsroom AAPC SUPPORTS EXTENSION OF MEDICAL TELEMETRY TRANSITION AAPC has filed comments with the FCC supporting continuation of the current "freeze" on filing application for full power private land mobile radio stations on the 12.5 kHz "splinter" frequencies adjacent to the Part 90 462 MHz Private Carrier Paging channels, and supporting an indefinite extension of the time for migrating medical telemetry stations currently operating on those frequencies to the Wireless Medical Telemetry Service. AAPC argued that continuation of the current freeze and transition period is necessary to prevent interference to paging receivers operating 12.5 kHz removed on the 462 MHz Private Carrier Paging channels, and to comply with the requirements of a 1993 federal statute mandating comparability of technical standards between Part 22 and Part 90 paging channels. Source: AAPC Newsroom With all of the hoopla about wireless number portability, listed below are some Number Portability Questions November 21, 2003 By Vic Jackson, Interconnection Services, Inc. Wireless Number Portability goes into effect next Monday, November 24, 2003 for the top 100 markets in the USA. Carriers of all sorts are anxiously holding their collective breaths in anticipation of how their customers will relate to the new regime that allows them to change service providers and keep their phone number(s). There has been much speculation by the wireless industry, grumbling by the landline carriers and some polling of customers to try to gain an understanding of who is going to do what starting on November 24. Billions of telecommunications dollars are at stake. As is usual in such an undertaking, the kinks are still being worked out for some aspects of this monumental change in the landline-wireless telephone industry. Is the hype going to equal the realities of customer expectations and practical limitations? Ask this question again in a couple of weeks and the answers may be most astonishing. As my contribution to all of this excitement, here are some out-of-the-ordinary number porting questions that come to mind. How many people will port their home phone number to an existing wireless phone?
If you have DSL service on an existing landline, can you port the phone number (and therefore not have telephone service) on that line to a wireless phone and still keep your DSL service?
How do you get your landline phone number ported to your wireless phone and retain a listing in the local phone book?
Could you port your existing landline phone number to a wireless phone and then get a new number for your landline phone?
If you port your landline number to a wireless phone and then later want to port the number back to a landline phone, does it have to go back to the original wire or rate center?
Can you port your landline or wireless phone number to someone else?
How will number portability affect the ownership of numbers by individuals?
LNP has really become a hot political issue in Washington: [Wireless Week] |
FEATURED ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER | ||||||||
Paging System Technician Immediate opening for technician responsible for maintenance and expansion of paging systems throughout Northern California. Applicant should have experience with Glenayre and Motorola Paging Transmitters. Experience with related equipment including paging switching terminals and telephone interconnection, Excel and light Word processing is a plus. Position is based in San Rafael, California and Cook Paging offers a competitive salary and a full benefits package. Please send your resume to: cookinc@sbcglobal.net or pcook@cookmail.com Or fax it to: Cook Paging, Engineering Dept. at: 415-456-5566. If you tried to submit an application previously by e-mail, the address was incorrect. Please try again. The addresses above are now correct. | ||||||||
A fast and reliable alarming system is an indisputable prerequisite for emergency fire and rescue services to respond successfully and efficiently. State-of-the-art paging enables groups as well as individuals to be alerted. The Quattrino Voice and Memo two tone pagers are suitable for everyone, even for those working in an emergency during severe weather conditions. Continual further development of previous popular models has resulted in a practical, reliable and user-friendly device, innovatively housed with ergonomic operating controls. Design elements include a very long standby function and weather proofing to the European IP54 specifications. I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for Swissphone. Please contact me directly for any additional information. | Advanced RF Communications offers a complete line of products and services to support your new or existing paging system. Our technical services utilize the latest technologies and techniques to implement in high-speed digital data messaging or tone/voice paging for local or wide area simulcast paging systems. Products
Technical Services
Our integration and installation services take all the "boxes" and deliver fully operational one or two-way paging system. We can also "tune-up" that existing paging system with our diagnostic and troubleshooting services to restore System performance that has deteriorated over time.
Please mention that you saw them in Brad's Newsletter. | |||||||
Authentium's COMMAND Antivirus™ COMMAND Antivirus™ is used by leading education institutions, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies for one simple reason - it works. Based on the proven F-Prot engine and developed continuously over a period of more than ten years, COMMAND Antivirus™ deploys more easily, detects more viruses (and potential viruses), handles more file extensions, and returns fewer false positives than competing antivirus products. Authentium's new representative for Mexico: Enrique Llaca Enrique Llaca | DX Radio Systems, Inc. manufactures high quality, high specification type communications products. The following is a list of products that DX Radio Systems, Inc. manufactures or supplies as a single supplied product and can be included as part of a turnkey system:
Performance that is tough to find anywhere at a price you can afford.
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GREAT OPPORTUNITY Motorola Nucleus II Paging Transmitters with SkyData Satellite Receivers I have 80 of these used paging stations for sale. The have "matched pair" exciter/station control modules which means they can do 4-level FLEX and ReFLEX (a call to Motorola's support line confirmed this). They operate on 900 MHz with 300 watts RF output. I have photos and more details here. Please contact me by e-mail for any additional information. Or better yet, call me on the telephone at: . The seller is motivated and willing to negotiate. This is a great opportunity for someone to obtain this equipment. | ||||||||
![]() AAPC’s Mission Statement Defines Purpose
Our industry must move forward together or perish individually. If you want to get involved, please click here. Come and join us! Their "newsroom" is a great source of information. They also host the Paging Technical Committee site. There is a lot of good paging-industry information here. Click on the logo above to find out about joining. | Sophisticated And Affordable The Zetron 2000 Series Paging Terminals are designed for the paging operator needing a flexible, modular approach to system operation, with the capacity to expand to a region-wide or national network. The terminals are incrementally expandable in both capacity and options. The 2000 Series can act as the hub of an integrated communications system and are suitable for the larger private paging system. The terminals are incrementally expandable in both capacity and options, so a system can start small and grow as required. The terminals are available with advanced features such as PageSaver voice messaging. They connect with a wide range of PBX or PSTN equipment and can be integrated with security systems, monitoring and control systems, nurse call, product control, building management systems etc.
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![]() ISC Technologies is the industry leader in the pre-owned Paging equipment marketplace. We specialize in purchasing, reconditioning, reconfiguring and sales of quality paging infrastructure. We can customize and configure equipment at a fraction of the cost of new. All equipment carries a standard warranty to insure your trouble free operation. At ISC Technologies we service what we sell and more. Our factory-trained technicians repair most Quintron, Glenayre, Motorola, and Skydata equipment. All of our repairs are done on a Time and Material basis, saving you money over flat rate repair. From vacuum tubes to surface mount equipment, we are ready to handle your repair needs quickly and cost effectively.
Web: www.4isctech.com | ![]() Wireless Communication Solutions Hark Systems has provided the wireless industry with innovative products for over 20 years. The Omega family of products continues that tradition. The Omega Gateway performs the function of a TAP Concentrator, a TNPP Router, and an Internet Paging Gateway. This allows the paging operator with TAP and TNPP connections to their paging network to offer email and Internet based paging services. Any message coming in via any supported protocol (SMTP, SNPP, TAP, TNPP, HTTP) can be converted to another protocol and sent. Pages can also be sent to email boxes for safe keeping. Subscribers can log on with a web browser and view stored alpha messages. The TNPP router function has the most extensive routing and filtering capabilities in the market today. The Internet Gateway also has extensive anti-SPAM and other selective filtering options to protect your system. The Gateway is available as a turnkey system or software only. The Omega Unified Messaging Platform gives you the competitive edge by offering the ability to bundle a variety of services that can include Voicemail, FAXmail and email as part of customized subscriber packages. Subscribers can view faxes, listen to voicemails, and modify features using a common browser. System administration can also be performed remotely as well as locally. This robust set of features allows the system operator to build a profit center with low initial expense and expand as needed
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Glenayre Paging Equipment For Sale — Any Reasonable Offer Accepted Hello Mr. Dye, Please find attached pictures of the equipment I'm selling. The system consists of 3 units and some spare parts. One GL3900TAS with 4 quad DOD cards. (fully operational when taken out of service). 3 monitors & Keyboards. Two GL3000ES with 1 DID card each and dual hard drives and the additional cards that can be seen in the pictures. The system came with spare parts, documentation, software (and updates). Voice mail is turned on, and the system has both TNPP and Agency software. The equipment is currently located in Lima, Ohio and can be inspected at any time. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Best regards, Mohamed Dahi |
NEWS AND COMMENTS FROM READERS | |
![]() | TGA Technologies, Inc. |
Atlanta, Georgia, November 17, 2003 | For further info: Barry Kanne (barry@tga.com) |
TGA Technologies, Inc., announced today it is restructuring the company along paging terminal product lines. The structure will better represent the diverse one- and two-way markets each product family serves. Jim Nelson will assume command of the new TGA Systems, Inc., and focus his effort on serving the traditional one-way paging market. Barry Kanne will continue to head TGA Technologies, Inc., whose primary focus will be Sparkgap products for the emerging two-way paging and government markets. TGA Systems, Inc., will continue to develop and market the PRISM family of paging terminal systems, including the PRISM Message Gateway (PMG), the PRISM (PFE) Encoder and the Special Network Applications Platform (SNAP) which have become the basis of TGA’s products for one-way system operators. In addition to being responsible for all new system sales, TGA Systems, Inc., will offer technical support of existing PRISM products for the duration of their warranty period and beyond. According to Kanne, "This action will allow each company to better serve its customers and to more closely control the development activities in both markets." -30- Source: TGA Press Release For Immediate Release: Metrocall Contact: Metrocall Acquires Weblink Transaction Creates Financially Strong, Multifaceted Industry Leader Alexandria, VA, Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - Metrocall Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: MTOH), the nation's second largest paging and wireless messaging company, today announced that it has acquired the substantial majority of the operating assets and assumed certain of the liabilities of Weblink Wireless, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries. Metrocall and Weblink have also entered into a Management and Spectrum Lease Agreement under which Weblink will provide certain services and lease to Metrocall the spectrum usage rights granted under FCC licenses pending the FCC’s approval of the transfer of such licenses to Metrocall. As consideration for these transactions, Metrocall has issued to Weblink 500,000 shares of its common stock and will issue warrants to purchase up to an additional 125,000 shares of common stock at $40 per share. 25,000 warrants were issued at the closing. 100,000 additional warrants have been granted (subject to a 25,000 per year vesting) in consideration for Weblink’s services under the Management and Spectrum Lease Agreement but the vesting of such warrants will accelerate upon the transfer of the FCC licenses. Metrocall’s marketing and distribution focus is on direct sales and B2B accounts. Weblink is the nation’s fifth largest wireless messaging and paging provider and is the number one provider to large strategic VARs. The combined company will serve approximately 3.7 million subscribers on one of the industries most comprehensive 1-way and 2-way wireless messaging networks. Metrocall and Weblink’s networks have been connected and partially integrated for some time as Metrocall offered 2-way paging services over Weblink’s 2-way network and ultimately became Weblink’s largest customer. “This transaction culminates several years of partnering with Weblink on many paging and advanced messaging initiatives,” said Vincent D. Kelly, Metrocall’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The acquisition joins together Weblink’s premiere two-way messaging network, wholesale carrier business and telemetry operations with Metrocall’s nationwide sales and distribution presence, expansive wireless products portfolio and emphasis on customer service. We believe that the acquisition supports our focus on revenue retention, cost containment and cash generation. We welcome Weblink’s carrier customers and subscribers to Metrocall and intend to continue to provide them with the “first-class” airtime and customer service they are accustomed too.” “We are pleased to combine our messaging networks and organizations so that the Industry’s leading strategic resellers can be served with an even more comprehensive array of network and support services,” said N. Ross Buckenham, President and CEO of Weblink Wireless, Inc. “Metrocall’s strong financial performance and balance sheet, further enhanced by this transaction, provides our employees, customers and vendors with a solid business partner as we move forward delivering cost effective and reliable wireless communications services.” About Metrocall, Inc. Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
1-Way Paging Subcommittee – An Overview by Alan Carle, Director of Engineering, Northeast Paging / UCOM As you probably know, the Paging Technical Committee (PTC) has been around for many years solving problems and working to create standards that carriers and vendors within the Paging community use everyday. And, being comprised of a cross section of carriers and vendors, their activities mirrored the needs of the members. So, it was only natural that the PTC's activities begin to migrate more toward 2-Way paging concerns as this newer technology began to take hold several years ago. At the January, 2003 meeting in Tampa, it was proposed that a new committee be formed that focused solely on 1-Way paging concerns. The idea was to "identify and address technical issues of 1-Way paging carriers in today’s market place." Well, the proposal was voted in, I was "elected" chair of the new subcommittee and suddenly "1-way paging concerns" began flowing my way – quite a few in fact! The first pressing issue to work on was the FCC’s initiative to promote the development and use of spectrum efficient technologies - an effort often referred to as "Refarming." The effort would see a halving of the bandwidth of Part 90 "PCP" channels as well as new restrictions on transmitters and pagers. Both business and technical leaders of the paging industry agreed the affects of these changes, if allowed to occur, could be devastating. The 1-Way committee helped to create technical arguments opposing this initiative, which were then added to the filing for exemption on behalf of the paging industry. As of this writing we are waiting to hear from legal council in Washington on what the next step might be. Overwhelming, I think, the next pressing issue became the "need for better 1-way pagers"– a seemingly innocuous issue, until we started digging into it. What, exactly, did carriers want? Better quality? Better RF performance? More features? Fewer features? Durability? Lower costs? Maybe all of the above? Our first reaction was to try to create a new set of standards for 1-way pagers. Perhaps, "if we define a better pager, and manufacturers build it, carriers will buy it." After awhile, it dawned on us that 1) this is a much bigger job that we initially thought and 2) we're not even sure what carriers want! So, we decided to create a questionnaire in an attempt to canvass the paging community. This project is well underway and should be launched before the end of the year. It will consist of a form that lives on the AAPC/PTC web site. Many questions are answered with a click of the mouse and ample room is available to write essay type answers if desired. Carriers, resellers and in some cases, customers, will be encouraged to visit the site and fill out the form. The data accumulated from this will, we hope, give us clues on where to head next with this. Also, we hope to have results before the next PTC meeting in the spring. And finally, as is often the case, this project led us to another—a National Paging Carrier Directory. How long has it been since we've seen a comprehensive up to date listing of our industry? A long time I think. So, we've developed a plan to scour the country side looking for paging carriers, both 1 and 2-way. Once found, they will be asked to visit the AAPC/PTC site to fill out an even easier form. We are not interested in listing how many subscribers a carrier has, or other confidential type information. But, rather, who the top management people are, what products and services are being offered, what frequencies are in use and where. The 1-Way committee membership is comprised of (5) 1-way carrier members, (5) 2-way carrier members, (3) industry "consultant" members and (8) vendors. We also have several other irons in the fire like keeping an eye on HIPAA regulations; staying in communications with the ATSI folks; promote telemetry type products and applications for 1-way carriers and general education. If you are interested in finding out more or would like to help out, please contact me at acarle@ucom.com |
FEATURED ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ProfitPlus by Netflow—the software that streamlines pager billing and system maintenance. ProfitPlus interfaces to your Zetron terminals allowing easy changes to pager settings and billable services. Zetron Interface: Multiple Zetron Series 2000 terminals supported. Default pager settings. Terminal/phone number association. Future activation/deactivation dates. Easy group maintenance. Automatic Billing Records: Point of Sale transaction automatically enters pager airtime into monthly billing cycle. Contract pricing. Recurring and one-time billing capabilities. Tracking: Agent commissions. Phone number inventory/analysis. Product inventory transfer from stockroom to sales locations to customer. Capcode usage reports. Duplicate capcode detection.
Contact Netflow, Inc at: 800-236-5861 |
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Supports both current and future radio paging network needs. Offers both analog (2-tone, 5/6-tone, Quick-Call I and II) formats with voice and digital (Golay, POCSAG and FLEX™) paging formats. Can be tailored to meet special operating requirements of your organization. Features redundant AC and DC power supplies, plug-in hard disk drives, standard MS Windows 2000 operating system, voice prompts, caller password screening, direct connection to your dispatch console and more. You can use common time source for logging. Supports PURC transmitter control or can be connected to existing transmitter control system. Redundancy option with geographic separation is available to provide additional protection for critical message control points. Let us discuss your specific needs. — SPECIAL OFFER —
— SPECIAL OFFER —
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Developers and Manufacturers of Paging and Mobile Data Equipment Selective is a developer and manufacturer of intelligent paging receiver/decoders and mobile data equipment. The PDT2000 Paging Data Terminal is a large display pager designed for desktop or in-vehicle mounting and it, along with our range of other Paging Data Receivers provide a significant message processing capability. The PDT and PDR range have multiple uses and capabilities including:
Our mobile data equipment includes a range of Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) which may be interfaced to a variety of wireless networks including trunked and conventional radio, paging, GPRS & CDMA cellular, Mobitex etc. Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and GPS solutions, Dispatch & Messaging software. Local area paging systems, paging interception and message reprocessing software, field force automation and mobile dispatch solutions. We export worldwide.
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Advertise Here Your company's logo and product promotion can appear right here for 6 months. It only costs $400 for 26 issues—that's $15.38 an issue. | ![]() TRANSMITTERS AND RECEIVERS PAGING EQUIPMENT EMERGENCY TRANSCEIVER SEA AIR AND LAND COMMUNICATIONS LTD I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for SALCOM. Please contact me directly for any additional information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Would You Like To Advertise Here? If you have any wireless equipment that you would like to buy or sell, please let me know. I don't charge individuals for listing something for sale. If a sale is made through this newsletter, I ask the seller to send me a 10% commission, much the same as the voluntary payments that are requested on the Internet for shareware. It's on the honor system. There is no cost to the buyer. There is a small charge for companies wanting to put their products in the newsletter and on my web site. There is no obligation for payment of a commission for this kind of basic advertising. I would be very pleased, however, to get involved in the sales process as a manufacturer representative—for quality wireless products and reputable companies.It's only $15.38 per issue for the basic advertising package. ($400 for 6 months or 26 issues.) Details about the advertising plans can be read here. |
PAGING AND WIRELESS DATA NEWS CLIPS FROM THE WEB | |
Ember's EM2420 RF Solution Unlocks New Range of Wireless Monitoring and Management Applications Ember joins forces with Norway's Chipcon to develop first widely available, cost-effective RF solution complying with new wireless standards for applications such as building automation. BOSTON, Nov 17, 2003 — Ember Corporation today released the first widely available, low-cost 2.4GHz /250Kbps RF solution that complies with the new IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The 802.15.4 standard makes wireless communication possible in demanding environments, such as building and industrial automation, asset management and national defense. Ember will be demonstrating the EM2420 at the Nov. 19 ZigBee Alliance Open House in San Jose, CA. Developed jointly with Oslo, Norway-based semiconductor design and manufacturing company Chipcon, the EM2420 is the first product to give companies all the essential elements for developing 802.15.4 compliant wireless applications in an integrated package. The 802.15.4 radio standard is designed to support low-cost, low power, interoperable wireless networking applications for remotely monitoring and controlling anything from a child's toy to a sprawling manufacturing facility to the wear and tear on a bridge. The EM2420 was developed with embedded engineers in mind, implementing all the time-critical functions in hardware and designed to interface to any low-cost microcontroller. This allows designers and manufacturers to build economical but high performance systems. Advance Transformer Company, a division of Philips Electronics and a leader in the digital ballast arena, is looking to technology like the EM2420 to help drive new initiatives in the lighting industry. Advance Transformer is spearheading the next generation of wireless digital lighting control and is working closely with technology partners like Ember to make its vision a reality. Wireless networks built on the EM2420 are orders of magnitude cheaper to deploy and maintain than hard-wired networks. Corporations can use EM2420-enabled wireless applications for controlling building systems such as lighting, HVAC, and security as part of the integrated building envelope. Source: Ember Press Release Space Data plans nationwide wireless data services with new spectrum Nov. 20, 2003 12:57 PM EST Space Data Corp. announced it scored 262.5 kilohertz of nationwide spectrum in the recent Federal Communications Commission 900 MHz band spectrum auction, which the company said it would use to continue its rollout of its weather balloon-based wireless data telemetry services. "This is extraordinarily valuable 'real estate,'" said Gerald Knoblach, the company's chairman and chief executive officer. "Because our spectrum is contiguous nationwide, it allows us to deliver ubiquitous nationwide wireless data services. We can offer our customers and partners unprecedented access, particularly in the 70 percent of the continental U.S. not served by wireless towers. The only comparable service in remote areas is provided by satellite systems, which are inherently far less cost effective than our SkySite-based service." Space Data said it now owns more than 1.7 megahertz of narrowband PCS spectrum, which the company said is more than half of the total spectrum available for narrowband PCS use in the United States. The company is offering wireless data services—mainly for telemetry and machine-to-machine communications—using Motorola Inc.'s ReFLEX two-way paging technology. The company's wireless repeaters are stationed 100,000 feet above the ground in modified weather balloons, which the company said allows one such platform to cover an area the size of Oklahoma. "During the past three years, we have raised capital, completed research and development, acquired spectrum and received all necessary government approvals," Knoblach said. "The field tests of our live network are complete, and we are now ramping up production for our customers." Source: RCR Wireless News |
OTHER PAGING AND WIRELESS DATA PRODUCTS AND SERVICES | ||||||||||||||||
Two-way Radio Products ![]() Distribution agreements for Dealers and Stocking Distributors are available in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Please contact me directly for any additional information. | Radio Paging Transmitters VHF PAGING TRANSMITTER
I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for Vytek. To request pricing and delivery information for the PTX-150, please click here. Check out their paging products here. | |||||||||||||||
Wireless Automation & Telemetry Check out the following four categories of two-way wireless data communications. We have the ability to customize solutions to meet your (or your customer's) needs.
Check out their web site. I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for AMTEL Wireless. Please contact me directly for any additional information. | CUSTOM APPLICATIONS
Outr.net. Please contact me directly for any additional information. |
PAGING AND WIRELESS DATA NEWS CLIPS FROM THE WEB | |||
Source: I4U News Clock ticks for Web on a wristwatch November 10, 2003, 11:58 AM PST Those who want to receive information from the Internet through a wristwatch or fridge magnet may have to wait a little longer. Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT), which the company unveiled last year right before the Comdex trade show, is still in testing, according to a company representative, who declined to give an estimated release date. Microsoft earlier said the technology would be launched in the fall. SPOT seeks to remove any headaches or impediments involved in getting online. With SPOT, Internet data can be broadcast over a nationwide FM radio network to wristwatches, personal digital assistants, refrigerators and other devices. Conceivably, a SPOT-enabled alarm clock could publish the latest headlines when it wakes up its owner. The data feed will adjust for travel, so that a traveler who flies from Seattle to San Jose, Calif., will start getting California weather reports when he or she gets off the plane, Rich Rashid, senior vice president of Microsoft Research said. Watchmakers Fossil and Suunto have said they will release SPOT devices, while Microsoft will market a service, called MSN Direct, that will provide the data feed for a $9.95 monthly fee. Microsoft is testing the project in eight metropolitan areas in North America, but the plan is to have the network blanket 100 cities on the continent. National Semiconductor is making the chipsets for the project. Source: C|NET News.com PalmSource Licenses Palm OS to PerComm November 16, 2003 6:38:08 PM PalmSource today announced that PerComm, a leading manufacturer of ReFLEX messaging devices, has licensed the Palm OS platform. Through the agreement, PerComm plans to integrate Palm OS 5 to create new smart mobile devices that operate on wireless networks including ReFLEX, GSM and CDMA. Combining PerComm's manufacturing and networking expertise with the flexible and powerful Palm OS 5 will enable the development and deployment of Palm Powered smart mobile devices for the enterprise market. As a result, enterprise customers will gain reliable, secure wireless access to email and corporate data while on-the-go and the ability to customize their device with one of the largest catalogs of Palm OS applications to manage their professional and personal lives. "We believe the power and flexibility of Palm OS 5 will enable our development of powerful smart mobile devices that enhance personal organization and professional productivity," said Edmond K. Fung, president and CEO of PerComm. "We expect that partnering with PalmSource will open up new market opportunities and expand our current product offerings to include feature phones on the GSM network, while encouraging the development of new software applications." "We are pleased to welcome PerComm to the diverse community of Palm Powered licensees," said David Nagel, president and chief executive officer of PalmSource. "We believe PerComm's expertise in the communicator space will strengthen the Palm OS platform's presence in the wireless market and increase penetration of Palm Powered devices in the enterprise." Palm OS provides a flexible and efficient platform that enables hardware manufacturers and software developers to rapidly and efficiently create a wide range of powerful, innovative and easy-to-use smart mobile devices and software applications. More than 30 million Palm Powered handhelds and smartphones have been sold to date and Palm OS has attracted a large and loyal following with more than 275,000 developers building applications for Palm Powered smart mobile devices. About PerComm Source: PalmInfoCenter FTC issues fine to RF blockers Nov. 18, 2003 12:21 PM EST WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission Monday said two New York firms that claimed their devices blocked harmful radiation from cell phones and other electronic gadgets agreed to pay $85,000 to settle charges brought against them by U.S. officials. Tecnozone International L.L.C. and Tecnozone America L.L.C. advertised that their product—costing $49.99—provided substantial protection from electromagnetic energy emitted from cell phones. The defendants, according to the FCC, also claimed the effectiveness of their devices was validated by studies at major European universities. The FTC alleged that the defendants' claims were false and unsubstantiated. In addition to monetary penalty, the settlement with the FTC prohibits the two companies from making any claims about a product's ability to reduce exposure to, or prevent penetration of, electromagnetic energy unless the claims are true, and they have competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate such claims. The settlement was filed in federal court in New York last Friday. The accord is subject to court approval. Source: RCR Wireless News |
Unication Co., Ltd.
I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for Unication. These are wholesale, direct-from-the-factory products. To send me an e-mail for pricing information please click here. Unication also has an excellent OEM FLEX™ receiver that can be used in telemetry products. | Sea Air & Land Communications Ltd. Designers and Manufacturers of Communications Systems You can check out their web site here. I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for SALCOM. Please contact me directly for any additional information. | ||||||
Business Development Manager Seeks Position Jay S. Westfall You can download his resumé here. | |||||||
Numeric Display Pagers Brand NEW Numeric Display Pagers. "Primo Plus" is the model. The color is black (not the color in picture). Pagers are VHF and are programmable. Kevin Moss | |||||||
Wireless Messaging Software InfoRad® Wireless Office (Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP) is designed for the professional who needs full-featured wireless messaging capabilities. Features include enhanced user interface, message log with search function, scheduled paging, group and individual message addresses, TAPI Smart™, multiple protocol SMS communication compatibility. AlphaCare™ support services available. With a 32-bit architecture, InfoRad Wireless Office is designed for compatibility with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. For more information on InfoRad Wireless Messaging software, and a free demo, please click on the logo. | Used Pagers For Sale Motorola Bravo Plus (numeric) units:
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Legacy Technology Solutions LLC
Paging infrastructure repair with warranty. Please ask for Virgil Jarrard, President, and tell him Brad Dye sent you. They are located in the Dallas suburbs, and they occasionally have some good deals on reconditioned paging equipment as well. Check with them for current product availability. You can send Virgil an e-mail by clicking here. | Regional Paging Company Is Still Available A US paging company is being offered for sale. Their main coverage areas include San Antonio and Houston. They hold exclusive frequencies in Texas, Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, Southern Alabama, and the panhandle of Florida up to and including Jacksonville. They also hold licenses in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. I have prepared a page with more information about the company and their assets. Please note that this information is not completely up to date and that it is being presented as "typical" and "planned" only. Please get in touch with me if you are interested. None of this information is warranted as being totally correct and current. Part of a potential buyers "due diligence" would be to inspect and verify the company and its assets before purchase. This is a unique opportunity for someone. Please click here for more information and then call me. | ||||||
Paging Professional seeks position I have a friend from Venezuela named Elio Soto. He now lives in Florida and is looking for a job. Elio received his engineering degree at the prestigious engineering school of the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez. He has had extensive experience in paging and I hope someone reading this will offer him a job. You can download his resumé here. It is best to contact him by e-mail. Elio Soto soto2937@bellsouth.net |
PC Magazine announced their 20th Annual Awards for Technical Excellence, with the Power Mac G5 winning the award for Personal Computers.
November 18, 2003
Graphic artists and content creators are rejoicing over the Apple Power Mac G5. In a dazzling display of disruptive technology and processor independence, Apple's top-of-the line G5 is the first dual—64-bit computer and the first desktop application of the IBM PowerPC 970 CPU. The vast majority of Macintosh apps run flawlessly on this brand-new platform.
The three PCI-X slots ensure fast I/O; the AGP 8X Pro graphics bus, FireWire 800 bus, and USB 2.0 bus are equally state of the art. Apple has also done a superb job of heat management, having divided the case into four thermal zones, each with low-speed fans appropriate to the load. The result is a commendably quiet machine.
The G5 performed significantly better than any previous Mac—and equaled or bettered the performance of Intel-platform machines—on our all-important graphics and content creation tests. As a 64-bit operating system and applications emerge, users will enjoy the dual 1-GHz front-side buses and rapid access to up to 8 gigabytes of RAM. The G5 is an important step forward in desktop computer technology and a vital cornerstone of Apple's future.
Source: PC Magazine
UNTIL NEXT WEEK | ||||||||||||||||
FLEX, ReFLEX, FLEXsuite, and InFLEXion, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc. | ||||||||||||||||
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