| FRIDAY - DECEMBER 1, 2006 - ISSUE NO. 238 |
Dear friends of Wireless Messaging, Wow, the weather changed dramatically! We went from wearing T-Shirts outside to wearing Parkas in the space of one day. It's not so unusual to see snow in Illinois on December first, but it is unusual to see November end with weather almost as warm as summer. So I am going to use the weather as my excuse for a short introduction to this week's news. I have finally completed my move to Springfield, Illinois—so I expect to be able to devote more time to the newsletter in the coming weeks. Next on my ajdenda is working with the good folks at Daviscomms USA on their new advertisement for next year. Daviscomms has been a regular supporter of the newsletter for quite a while and I really appreciate it. When you talk to any of our advertisers, please mention that you saw their ad in The Wireless Messaging Newsletter. Thanks. Now on to more news and views. |
A new issue of The Wireless Messaging Newsletter gets posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central 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 web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it. NOTE: This newsletter is best viewed at screen resolutions of 800x600 (good) or 1024x768 (better). Any current revision of web browser should work 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.) | |||||||||||
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| FEATURED ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER |
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Lauttamus Communications Given Governor's Service Award.
 Paul Lauttamus (left) and Company President Alvar Lauttamus stand with West Virginia First Lady Gayle Manchin. |
Lauttamus Communications was recently given the Governor's Service Award for its work with West Virginia 211.
Lauttamus Communications has provided its call center at NO COST to allow this valuable service for the citizens of West Virginia.
West Virginia 211 is a social service which puts citizens in contact with the correct agency for any social need they may require. This includes assistance paying utility bills, poison intervention, domestic abuse, and alcoholism to name a few.
Since its inception in November of 2004, Lauttamus Communications has fielded over 180,000 calls.
Lauttamus has been underwriting this program at no cost to the state. This service costs between $7000 to $9000 per month to operate.
The ingredients that make this program work are the dedicated staff of the call center, the partnering agencies, and the citizens of West Virginia. Their caring nature has been instrumental in making this program work.
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For inquires please call or e-mail Stephan Suker at 800-696-6474 or steves@cvcpaging.com |
Daviscomms—Product Examples For information about our Contract Manufacturing services or our Pager or Telemetry line, please call Bob Popow at 480-515-2344, bob@daviscommsusa.com or visit our web site www.daviscommsusa.com
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Shuttle Discovery crew includes three radio amateurs
(Dec 1, 2006) — NASA has set Thursday, December 7, as the launch date for the next space shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Shuttle Discovery will carry three radio amateurs, one of whom — US astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB € will join ISS Expedition 14 in progress. She'll replace European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, whose duty tour has spanned Expeditions 13 and 14 — the first time that's happened in the history of the ISS. Williams is said to be eager to do ARISS school group contacts from NA1SS. Also aboard Discovery will be European Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Christer Fuglesang, KE5CGR/SA0AFS, Sweden's first astronaut, who will be making his first journey into space. Plans are in place for Fuglesang to carry out an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact with students at Thunmanskolan in Knivsta, Sweden. The contact would be the first ARISS school QSO with Scandinavia. On November 20, Fuglesang attended an Amateur Radio training session at Johnson Space Center to prepare him for using the ARISS Phase 2 station for his school contact. Primary payloads on the 12-day mission are the P5 integrated truss segment, SPACEHAB single logistics module and an integrated cargo carrier. Mission specialist Nicholas Patrick, KD5PKY, also is on the seven-member STS-116 mission crew. This will mark the 20th shuttle flight to the ISS. — NASA; ARISS
Source: ARRL
GTES has recently made the strategic decision to expanding its development activities to include wireless location technologies; a market that researchers forecast could reach $3.6 billion by 2010. In support of this new strategic direction, GTES has developed SHERLOC™ a complete one-stop wireless location service, providing the flexibility of being protocol neutral and network agnostic. Targeted at business customers who need to track their high-value shipments or better manage their service or delivery fleets, SHERLOC™ is a hosted application that combines configuration flexibility with ease of use. GTES is offering SHERLOC™ services both directly and through authorized resellers. If your company has an interest in finding out how location services can enhance your revenue stream, and has the contacts and expertise to make you successful in the location marketplace, please contact us for further information at www.sherlocgps.com and select “Reseller Opportunities,” or call us at 770-754-1666 for more information. www.gtesinc.com GTES is the only Glenayre authorized software support provider in the Paging industry. With over 200 years of combined experience in Glenayre hardware and software support, GTES offers the industry the most professional support and engineering development staff available. Continued Support Programs CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR SUPPORT NEEDS
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Text messaging a more polite way to communicate: report
By Krystle Chow, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Wed, Nov 29, 2006 11:00 AM EST
 Ottawa Business Journal |
Annoyed by your colleague who can't stop sending and receiving text messages during meetings? A new survey shows that Canadians find that text messaging is a more convenient and polite way to communicate.
A national survey of wireless device users by Fido-Léger reported that more than 7.8 million Canadians use mobile messaging technologies, with 46 per cent of respondents saying that it is more suitable to use text messages than to call someone in certain situations. More than a third of those surveyed said it was more discreet to send a text message than to call.
More than 700 million text messages were sent during the first quarter of 2006.
"Messaging adds a new dimension to staying in touch," said Fido's marketing vice-president Karim Salabi in the report. "Not only can it be more economical and often more convenient than voice, it allows users to make better use of their time and location."
Christian Bourque, Léger's marketing vice-president, noted that messaging is one of the major areas of growth for wireless usage, and predicted that it would become a "mass phenomenon" in North America, if its popularity in other countries was any indication.
The report showed that 68 per cent of survey respondents said it was acceptable to send or receive text messages in restaurants, compared to 45 per cent who said talking on the phone was appropriate while dining out.
Respondents indicated that it was more acceptable to use text messaging than to make and receive phone calls while waiting in line, with 83 per cent saying it was fine to communicate via text message while 75 per cent said it was appropriate to talk on the phone.
While the majority of wireless customers use mobile messaging technologies to send text messages, as many as 13 per cent of respondents are beginning to use them to send e-mails or pictures, and 10 per cent of users chat over their mobile phone systems.
The report also showed that the majority of text messaging users are English speakers, students, and between the ages of 18 and 24.
The messaging survey was based on the answers of 2,118 Canadian wireless users.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal
We at Unication have listened and delivered.
About Unication Co., Ltd.
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| BLOOSTON, MORDKOFSKY, DICKENS, DUFFY & PRENDERGAST, LLP |
BloostonLaw Telecom Update FCC Seeks Comment On Possible Rule Revisions Or Eliminations Under Regulatory Flexibility Act Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), the FCC has issued a Public Notice requesting comment on its plan for the review of rules it adopted in calendar year 1996 which have, or might have, a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The purpose of the review is to determine whether such rules should be continued without change, or should be amended or rescinded, consistent with the stated objectives of Section 610 of the RFA, to minimize any significant economic impact of such rules upon a substantial number of small entities. In past “review” proceedings, the FCC has eliminated or modified rules that have had a substantial impact on telecom carriers. Therefore, while this review proceeding has the appearance of a “housekeeping” proceeding, it is important for our clients to carefully consider the proposed changes and advise us as soon as possible if they will be adversely affected. For example, if the FCC eliminates or modifies the rule preempting state regulation of the RF effects of personal wireless services, carriers may find themselves subject to different sets of RF regulations for the same cellular, personal communications service (PCS), 700 MHz, or advanced wireless service (AWS) system. Indeed, the same transmitter may be subject to two different sets of state regulations, if located near a state boundary. Therefore, our affected clients should comment on the continued need for this regulation. Conversely, there may be regulations that our clients feel should be eliminated or streamlined. This rulemaking presents an opportunity to do so. The Public Notice lists the FCC regulations to be reviewed during the next 12 months. In succeeding years, as here, the Commission will publish a list for the review of regulations promulgated 10 years preceding the year of review. In reviewing each rule, the FCC will consider the following factors: (a) the continued need for the rule; (b) the nature of complaints or comments received concerning the rule from the public; (c) the complexity of the rule; (d) the extent to which the rule overlaps, duplicates, or conflicts with other Federal rules and, to the extent feasible, with State and local governmental rules; and (e) the length of time since the rule has been evaluated or the degree to which technology, economic conditions, or other factors have changed in the area affected by the rule. Comments in this CB Docket No. 06-208 proceeding (DA-06-1863) are due January 29. There is no reply comment date. As noted, the Commission is considering a number of rules, including the following, in its review. Space limitation does not permit us to list all of them, and all of the relevant sections. PART 1—PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE SUBPART G. Schedule of charges for applications. Section 1.1102 through 1.1107 rules are tables that identify the application fees that are charged by the Commission for renewing, modifying, or when applying for a new license. These fees are adjusted periodically to incorporate cost-of-living increases, and or other increases in fees. Section 1.1108 through 1.1118 rules describe the type and form of payment, where it should be sent and how the payment should be processed, as well as rules governing exemptions, refunds, and penalties associated with the charges in Sections 1.1102 through 1.1107. Subpart G also includes the schedule of annual regulatory fees and filing locations. These rules provide the authority for the Commission to impose and collect regulatory fees, as well as identify possible exemptions, adjustments, penalties, and waivers of these fees. Section 1.1164(f)(5) covers penalties for late or insufficient regulatory fee payments. Section 1.1166(e) covers waivers, reductions and deferrals of regulatory fees. SUBPART I. Procedures implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This rule provides that no state or local government (or instrumentality thereof) may regulate the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities based upon the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions, as long as such facilities comply with the Commission’s environmental rules. Personal wireless service means commercial mobile services, unlicensed wireless services, and common carrier wireless exchange access services. Personal wireless facilities are facilities for the provision of personal wireless services. Section 1.1307(e) covers actions that may have a significant environmental effect, for which Environmental Assessments (EAs) must be prepared. PART 2—FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS AND RADIO TREATY MATTERS SUBPARTJ. Equipment authorization procedures. These rules streamline the equipment authorization requirements for personal computers and personal computer peripherals. These rules provide for a new equipment authorization procedure, “Declaration of Conformity” (DoC), which permits these devices to be authorized based on a manufacturer’s or supplier’s declaration that the computer product conforms with all FCC requirements. The streamlined DoC equipment authorization procedure saves industry a significant amount of administrative expenses, while continuing to provide the same level of protection against harmful interference from personal computing devices to radio communications services. These rules eliminate the need for manufacturers to obtain FCC approval before marketing new personal computer products and thus allow such products to reach the marketplace more quickly. These rules all align the FCC’s equipment authorization requirements for personal computers with those used in other parts of the world. PART 15—RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES SUBPART A—GENERAL. These rules specify the testing and labeling requirements for the “Declaration of Conformity” (DoC) procedure which permits these devices to be authorized based on a manufacturer’s or supplier’s declaration that the computer product conforms with all FCC requirements. The streamlined DoC equipment authorization procedure saves industry a significant amount of administrative expenses, while continuing to provide the same level of protection against harmful interference from personal computing devices to radio communications services. These rules eliminate the need for manufacturers to obtain FCC approval before marketing new personal computer products and thus allow such products to reach the marketplace more quickly. These rules all align the FCC’s equipment authorization requirements for personal computers with those used in other parts of the world. SUBPART B—UNINTENTIONAL RADIATORS. These rules specify the testing and labeling requirements for the “Declaration of Conformity” (DoC) procedure which permits these devices to be authorized based on a manufacturer’s or supplier’s declaration that the computer product conforms with all FCC requirements. The streamlined DoC equipment authorization procedure saves industry a significant amount of administrative expenses, while continuing to provide the same level of protection against harmful interference from personal computing devices to radio communications services. These rules eliminate the need for manufacturers to obtain FCC approval before marketing new personal computer products and thus allow such products to reach the marketplace more quickly. These rules all align the FCC’s equipment authorization requirements for personal computers with those used in other parts of the world. PART 17 – CONSTRUCTION, MARKING AND LIGHTING OF ANTENNA STRUCTURES SUBPART A — GENERAL INFORMATION. The purpose of these rules is to establish procedures for antenna registration and to set standards for consideration of proposed antenna structures. The rules establish the responsibilities of antenna structure owners, licensees and permittees for maintaining the painting and lighting of antenna structures in accordance with part 17. Under part 17, the Commission has implemented an antenna structure registration (ASR) program to promote the safety of air navigation. These rules are necessary to: 1) establish definitions; 2) explain how the ASR program interrelates with the processing of applications for station authorizations that utilize such antenna structures; 3) establish responsibility for painting and lighting antenna structures; 4) establish the steps that must be taken if licensees or permittees become aware that a structure they are using is not properly painted or lighted; and 5) provide an alternate method for registering an antenna structure that is a potential hazard to air navigation when the antenna structure owner cannot register the structure due to provisions of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. SUBPART C — SPECIFICATIONS FOR OBSTRUCTION MARKING AND LIGHTING OF ANTENNA STRUCTIONS. Section 17.49(d) provides that owners of antenna structures must maintain records of any extinguishment or malfunctioning of a structure light, including the date, time and nature of adjustments, repairs, or replacements made. This rule is needed as the logical conclusion to the balance of the rule requirements in part 17, providing that a record be kept of any malfunctioning of a structure light, to assist in ensuring the light’s return to functionality. Documentation of correction of the problem (and compliance with the rules) promotes the safety of air navigation. PART 20 – COMMERCIAL MOBILE RADIO SERVICES This rule specifies that local exchange carriers and commercial mobile radio service providers shall comply with applicable provisions of part 51, which establishes interconnection rules. To ensure that carriers, particularly new entrants and small entities, can interconnect on reasonable terms. PART 23—INTERNATIONAL FIXED PUBLIC RADIOCOMMUNICATION SERVICES Establishes procedure for filing of applications for special temporary authority involving construction or alteration of antennas where compliance with Federal Aviation Administration requirements may be required. Establishes proper procedure for submitting the correct information to establish compliance with Federal Aviation Administration antenna requirements. PART 24 – PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES SUBPART C — TECHNICAL STANDARDS. The part 24 rules set forth the conditions under which portions of the radio spectrum are made available and licensed for personal communications services (PCS). Subpart C sets forth the technical requirements for use of the spectrum and equipment in the personal communications services. The identified rule is needed to increase air navigation safety by assigning responsibility for registering, maintaining, and marking and lighting antenna structures. SUBPART B—APPLICATIONS AND LICENSES. Establishes antenna painting and lighting and antenna structure requirements. Compliance with Federal Aviation Administration antenna requirements. PART 42 – PRESERVATION OF RECORDS OF COMMUNICATION Part 42 implements sections 219 and 220 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which authorize the Commission to require communications common carriers to keep records and file reports. The part 42 rules facilitate enforcement of the Communications Act by ensuring the availability of communication common carrier records needed by the Commission to meet its regulatory obligations. Section 42.11 requires non-dominant interexchange carriers to maintain and to make available to the Commission certain information concerning the rates, terms, and conditions for detariffed service offerings. The Commission adopted this rule when it ordered detariffing of all domestic, interstate, interexchange services offered by non-dominant carriers. Rule 42.11 was adopted to enable the Commission to meet its statutory duty of ensuring that rates, terms and conditions for these services are just, reasonable, and not unreasonably discriminatory and to investigate and resolve complaints about such services. PART 51 – INTERCONNECTION SUBPART A—GENERAL INFORMATION. The purpose of this subpart is to implement sections 251 and 252 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. These rules address the authority of the state commissions to approve interconnection agreements adopted by negotiation and define specific terms applicable to part 51. These rules explain industry terms and lay the groundwork for the following subparts of these rules. Additionally, the rules authorize state commissions to approve negotiated interconnection agreements regardless of whether the terms are otherwise compliant with the Commission rules, thereby fostering competition in the local exchange and exchange access markets and encouraging market-based, rather than regulatory, dispute resolutions. SUBPART B—TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS. Subpart B implements section 251(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and addresses the general interconnection duties of telecommunication carriers. For certain section 251 interconnection arrangements, under these rules, a carrier may also offer information services so long as it offers telecommunications services through the same arrangement as well. These rules are intended to foster competition in the local exchange and exchange access markets by requiring that all telecommunications carriers connect directly or indirectly with other carriers. SUBPART C—OBLIGATIONS OF ALL LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIERS. These rules implement section 251(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and include requirements for all LECs in the areas of dialing parity and nondiscriminatory access to telephone numbers, operator services, directory assistance services and directory listings. The rules also address the authority of states to apply obligations on LECs not classified as an incumbent and the process for petitioning the Commission for classifying a LEC as an incumbent. These rules are intended to foster competition in the local exchange and exchange access markets by removing operational barriers to competition and by requiring incumbent LECs to provide nondiscriminatory access to services. SUBPART D—ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS OF INCUMBENT LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIERS. This subsection generally implements section 251(c) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which imposes egotiate interconnection agreements with requesting telecommunications carriers in good faith, and file the terms and conditions of these agreements with state commissions. Additionally, incumbent LECs must comply with various obligations to interconnect with requesting carriers, including the unbundling of certain elements of their networks, and allowing such carriers to collocate certain equipment on the incumbents’ premises. This subpart also describes the Commission’s network change disclosure rules. The Commission found that these rules are necessary to foster a competitive market in the telecommunications industry, and to promote the deployment of broadband infrastructure and other network investment. These rules also ensure that competitors receive prompt and accurate notice of changes that could affect their ability to interconnect with the incumbent’s network. SUBPART E—EXEMPTIONS, SUSPENSIONS, AND MODIFICATIONS OF REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 251 OF THE ACT. These rules implement section 251(f) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which provides state commissions with the ability to determine if a telephone company is entitled to exemptions, suspensions or modifications of the requirements of that section, and place the burden of proof upon the telephone company to justify continued exemption from these requirements. Additionally, these rules specifically identify the subscriber line threshold for LEC eligibility for exemptions, suspensions or modifications. These rules ensure appropriate adjustments are made for smaller incumbent LECs in order to avoid applying unduly burdensome requirements. SUBPART G—RESALE. The subpart implements section 251(b)(1) and 251(c)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which governs the terms and conditions under which LECs offer telecommunications services to requesting telecommunications carriers for resale. Resale has been an important entry strategy both in the short term for many new entrants as they build out their own facilities and for small businesses that cannot afford to compete in the local exchange market. These rules are designed to foster competition and ensure that new entrants have access to the resale services and ensure that they are offered on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis as required by section 251(b)(1) and 251(c)(4). SUBPART I—PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 252 OF THE ACT. This subpart establishes regulations to carry out our obligations under section 252(e)(5), which authorizes the Commission to preempt a state commission in any proceeding or matter in which the state commission “fails to act to carry out its responsibility” under section 252. Section 252 sets out the procedures by which telecommunications carriers may request and obtain interconnection, resale services or unbundled network elements from an incumbent LEC. These rules foster competition by allowing the Commission to intervene if a state does not carry out its responsibilities concerning interconnection, resale, or access to unbundled network elements under section 252. PART 52 – NUMBERING SUBPART A—SCOPE AND AUTHORITY. These rules implement the requirements of section 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which gives the Commission exclusive jurisdiction over those portions of the North American Numbering Plan that pertain to the United States. The rules provide a framework for ensuring fair and impartial access to numbering resources, which is a critical component of encouraging a competitive telecommunications market in the United States. SUBPART B – ADMINISTRATION. These rules implement the requirements of section 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which gives the Commission exclusive jurisdiction over those portions of the North American Numbering Plan that pertain to the United States. The rules provide a framework for ensuring fair and impartial access to numbering resources, which is a critical component of encouraging a competitive telecommunications market in the United States. SUBPART C—NUMBER PORTABILITY. These rules implement the requirements of section 251(b)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which requires all LECs “to provide, to the extent technically feasible, number portability in accordance with the requirements prescribed by the Commission.” This subpart provides rules that are designed to ensure that users of telecommunications services can retain, at the same location, their existing telephone numbers when they switch from one local exchange telecommunications carrier to another. Other rules under review pertain to Part 61 (tariffs); Part 63 (extension of lines, new lines, and discontinuance, reduction, outage, and impairment of service by common carriers; and grants of recognized private operating agency status); Part 64 (miscellaneous rules relating to common carriers); Part 68 (connection of terminal equipment to the telephone network); Part 73 (radio broadcast services); Part 76 (multi-channel video and cable television service); Part 90 (private land mobile radio services); and Part 101 (fixed microwave services). BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast. |
Source: Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy and Prendergast, LLP
For additional information, contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com
| EUROPEAN MOBILE MESSAGING ASSOCIATION |
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| EUROPEAN MOBILE MESSAGING ASSOCIATION |
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| 201 Park Washington Court Falls Church, VA 22046-4527 | Contact: Dawn Shiley-Danzeisen IAEM Communications Director Shiley@iaem.com Direct: 703-489-0698 |
| News Release |
IAEM Endorses New National Logo for Emergency Management
November 30, 2006 (Falls Church, Va.) – Today, the presidents of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) unveiled a new national symbol to promote Emergency Management and to help Americans understand how and why it is so important to their lives, and to inspire people to become more involved in their own protection and preparedness. The new logo was unveiled in Washington, D.C., by FEMA Director David Paulison, DHS Undersecretary for Preparedness George Foresman, NEMA President Albert Ashwood, and IAEM President Mike Selves.
The symbol’s three stars remind the public that local, state and Federal levels are all vital in preparing for and responding to emergencies. “One of the biggest challenges emergency managers face, as a profession, is dispelling the misconception that our function is simply the sum total of the efforts and resources of the emergency services,” stated IAEM President Mike Selves. “The public can identify with firefighters, police and EMTs. However, the idea that there is a profession of public administration, called Emergency Management, whose job is to facilitate the creation of basic disaster policy framework and to coordinate the implementation of the policy during a disaster, is not well understood. Our job ties together not only the responders but also the decision makers, public and private agencies not normally associated with emergency response and a whole array of other elements of the local community before, during and after any disaster event.”
The slogan under the logo, “Public Safety, Public Trust,” is important. Our hope is that when people see this symbol on Web sites, on the sides of government vehicles, on crates of emergency supplies and on preparedness material, they will recognize the efforts to make their lives safer and more secure. Hopefully, the public will become more involved in the process by taking responsibility to protect their lives, families, homes and businesses. Citizens need to pay attention to what their local, state and Federal governments are doing. They need to know who their local emergency managers are, care when budgets for first responder services are cut, and demand that Congress and State legislatures adequately fund emergency management programs across all levels of government.
“Because of our desire to effectively address these challenges, IAEM is committed to working in close partnership with NEMA and FEMA to re-establish the time-tested concepts of an integrated and comprehensive National Emergency Management System. The unveiling of our new logo is a significant step in this joint effort,” concluded Mr. Selves.
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) is a non-profit organization consisting of nearly 3,000 emergency management professionals from local, state and the federal governments, military, private industry, and volunteer organizations. IAEM has consistently promoted the goals of saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters since its founding in 1952 as the U.S. Civil Defense Council.
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Source: iAEM News Release
| FEATURED ADVERTISERS SUPPORTING THE NEWSLETTER |
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DHS science chief backs digital solution to communications woes
November 30, 2006
By David Perera
dperera@govexec.com
A top Homeland Security Department official said Thursday he has arrived at a conceptual solution for addressing communications barriers among federal, state and local emergency responders.
The decades-long problem can be tackled through a universal digital communications backbone capable of linking currently incompatible systems, said Jay Cohen, the recently confirmed undersecretary for science and technology at DHS. He spoke during a Washington conference on information-sharing strategies sponsored by the Arlington, Va., Association for Enterprise Integration.
Police, fire and emergency response agencies, which often labor with dated and incompatible communication devices such as land mobile radio handsets, could connect their systems to the universal backbone, Cohen said. A cottage industry offering communications protocol translators and emulators allowing connection to the standardized backbone would allow localities to "say, 'look, I've got this 10-year-old analog radio, and I'd like to be able to get on the backbone,' " Cohen said.
"I realize you may lose some fidelity getting on it and off it," because of inevitably imperfect translating mechanisms, he said.
A universal backbone would not clash with DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff's recently announced plans to ensure that cities and states have interoperable radio equipment by 2008, Cohen said. Chertoff's plan is more of a jump-start to establishing communications interoperability, he said.
Federal attempts to resolve communications problems among first responders are not new, but they generally have not received a sustained commitment, and funding has been scarce. DHS' Project Safecom, an effort to establish communications standards, was housed within the Federal Emergency Management Agency and then moved to the Science and Technology Directorate. Now, following a congressional mandate, some of its responsibilities are being transferred to a newly created DHS Office of Emergency Communications.
"There are some people in S&T who are having separation anxiety as we ask them to take their baby and put it up for adoption ... but I only work with volunteers," Cohen said.
The Science and Technology Directorate will retain responsibility for standards development, research and testing, Cohen said. It is responsible for standards development across the entire department, he emphasized.
Source: GovExec.com
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AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
By Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has subpoenaed Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as part of an antitrust investigation into the market for graphics processors and graphics cards, AMD said Thursday.
AMD recently entered the graphics chip business with its acquisition of ATI Technologies, which was finalized last month. The DOJ has not made any allegations against AMD or ATI, and AMD intends to cooperate with the investigation, it said.
While the DOJ hasn't said specifically what it is investigating, one industry analyst speculated that the case could be about price fixing. The DOJ has already charged a number of chip companies in the DRAM (Dynamic RAM) memory chip market for price fixing, and is investigating several in the SRAM (Static RAM) chip market.
“If the DOJ wanted to, it could just go down every line in the semiconductor industry and find the same issue,” said Gartner analyst Richard Gordon. That's because there are a relatively few number of suppliers in the chip industry and an open flow of communication between competitors and customers, who may not define price fixing the same way the DOJ does, he said.
The investigations are unlikely to benefit end users, according to Gordon. Historically, prices in the chip industry have gone up and down based on supply and demand and he doubts that such investigations will result in lower pricing.
A spokeswoman for AMD in Europe, Hollis Krym, said she did not know if the investigation has a broad scope and includes other graphics chip companies or if it is in the context of the ATI acquisition. U.S. antitrust authorities have already approved AMD’s merger with ATI.
In the DRAM market, the DOJ has charged Samsung, Hynix Semiconductor, Elpida Memory and Infineon Technologies with price fixing and sentenced the companies to pay multi-million dollar fines.
Sony, Cypress Semiconductor and the U.S. arms of Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung and Toshiba have all been asked to turn over information to the DOJ for an investigation into SRAM price fixing.
Source: Macworld
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• FIREHOUSES • SCHOOLS • PUBLIC FACILITIES • GOVERNMENT FACILITIES • EMERGENCY ROOMS • WHAT DO FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, WISPS, HAVE IN COMMON? THEY ALL USE NIGHTHAWK. Nighthawk Systems Inc. manufactures low cost and reliable remote control products for fire house alerting, volunteer alerting, activation of warning signs and sirens, and a number of applications for public safety. The Company manufactures the EA1 and the FAS-8 which have been designed specifically for these applications. Both products are paging based and will work with any public or private paging network. They are available in all VHF, UHF, and 900 MHz paging frequencies. The products can serve as the primary notification system or an excellent, low-cost backup to existing systems.
The EA1 is the solution for remotely activating public warning signage. Examples include tornado sirens, flash flood warnings, fire danger, Amber Alert, icy roads, etc. The EA1 can also send text messages to scrolling signs. This can occur in conjunction with the activation of audible alarms and visual strobes. This is ideal for public notification in buildings, schools, hotels, factories, etc. The group call feature allows for any number of signs or flashing lights to be activated at the same time over a wide geographic area. In addition, the EA1 Emergency Alert is the perfect solution for low cost yet highly effective alerting of volunteer fire fighters in their home. When activated the EA1 will emit an audible alarm and activate the power outlet on the units faceplate. A common setup is to simply place the EA1 on a table and plug a lamp into the faceplate. When paged from dispatch or any touch tone phone the EA1 will awaken the fire fighter to a lit room. As an option the EA1 can be ordered with a serial cable, allowing for attachment of a serial printer. When paged the alphanumeric message will be printed out at the same time the alarm sounds and the outlet is activated. The EA1 is an ideal complement to alphanumeric belt pagers common to volunteers.
The FAS-8 is designed for activating one or more relays in a firehouse and if desired, printing the alphanumeric message to a serial printer. For this application the FAS-8 is set to activate upon receiving the proper paging cap code sent from 911 dispatch. Up to eight different devices can be activated all with individual time functions. The most common devices to turn on include the PA amplifier, audible wake up alarm, and house lights. The most common device turned off is the stove. The FAS-8 can accept up to 8 different cap codes and have separate relay and time functions per cap code. This allows for different alerting to be accomplished at the same physical location depending upon which cap code is sent. This can be very helpful when fire crews and medical crews are housed in the same building.
Put the innovative technology of Nighthawk to work for you. For more information on any of our products or services, please contact us. Nighthawk Systems, Inc. Phone: 877-764-4484 |
Now customers can manage parking online at www.parkmagic.net — Cool—
Contact us: ParkMagic
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Download Mr. Mercer's resumé. | |||||||||||
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Complete Technical Services For The Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.
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Lauttamus Communications Inbound Call Center Completes Major Equipment Upgrade
The call center business is based on people and technology. We think we have the Best People and now we have the Best Technology!
Our new call center is built on The NEW Infinity Intelligent Messaging Platform which provides many tools to enhance each customers and callers experience. Our new system will do the following and much more:
All calls are scripted allowing for greater consistency and to enhance the experience of each call. Intelligent Messaging guides operators through the message taking process using scripts created to meet the unique needs of each client.
Lauttamus Communications excited to bring you the most advanced call center not only region but in the World.
Source: Lautt-A-News, Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2006
Reliable Real-Time Messaging Software Display-IT is Here! Display-IT, the latest addition to the InfoRad Wireless product line, is a scrolling LED sign with a built-in paging receiver which allows it to wirelessly accept messages to be instantly displayed. Wireless LED signs are very "attention getting" and the perfect solution for emergency notification or any situation where high visibility and readability are a necessity.
Display-IT comes in two different sizes, either two or four feet in length, both with highly readable 4.75" high LED characters. Your wireless sign can be programmed to use your local paging carrier for message updates, or simply attach InfoRad's TX125-EN transmitter / encoder to your computer via your serial port for onsite messaging to the wireless LED signs. With the TX125 transmitter you can be dispatching messages to your InfoRad wireless LED signs from your PC running the AlphaPage® First Responder software in a matter of minutes! Go for the 'Total Solution' by including the InfoRad TX125 paging transmitter:
Purchase Today! GOOD BETTER BEST Call us today 800-228-8998 with any questions.
| hmce@bellsouth.net | |||||
DANIELS™ ELECTRONICS LTD. | ||||||
Please click here to e-mail Ayrewave. | ||||||
SATELLITE CONTROL FOR PAGING SYSTEMS $500.00 FLAT RATE TAPS—Texas Association of Paging Services is looking for partners on 152.480 MHz. Our association currently uses Echostar, formerly Spacecom, for distribution of our data and a large percentage of our members use the satellite to key their TXs. We have a CommOneSystems Gateway at the uplink in Chicago with a back-up running 24/7. Our paging coverage area on 152.480 MHz currently encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Kansas. The TAPS paging coverage is available to members of our Network on 152.480 MHz for $.005 a transmitter (per capcode per month), broken down by state or regions of states and members receive a credit towards their bill for each transmitter which they provide to our coverage. Members are able to use the satellite for their own use If you are on 152.480 MHz or just need a satellite for keying your own TXs on your frequency we have the solution for you. TAPS will provide the gateways in Chicago, with Internet backbone and bandwidth on our satellite channel for $ 500.00 (for your system) a month. Contact Ted Gaetjen @ 1-800-460-7243 or tedasap@asapchoice.com |
| UNTIL NEXT WEEK |
That's all for this week. Please keep in touch.
With best regards, | Brad Dye P.O. Box 13283 |  |  | |||
| Skype: | braddye | WIRELESS  MESSAGING | ||||
| Telephone: | +1-217-787-2346 | |||||
| E–mail: | brad@braddye.com | |||||
| Web: | Consulting page  MAY I HELP YOU? | |||||
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| FLEX, ReFLEX, FLEXsuite, and InFLEXion, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc. Si desea escribirme en español, puede hacerlo con toda confianza. ¡Me encanta hablar en castellano! | ||||||
| THE WIRELESS MESSAGING NEWSLETTER AND THE PAGING INFORMATION RESOURCE |
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Managing on-premise and wide area communications systems is challenging for any telecommunications department. For fast, easy and accurate notification, enhance your performance with the Emergin Communication Gateway (ECG). Integrating this suite of wireless messaging software to automate alarm notification, monitoring and dispatch allows decision makers to receive more timely information so they can respond quicker with better results. The ECG serves as a communications hub for the entire organization to dispatch, escalate and acknowledge critical alarms. 
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If you see someone in the field (like salespeople, technicians, and delivery people) using paper forms, their company could probably save a pile of money, and get much better timeliness, accuracy and efficiency, by using converting to Outr.Net's Wireless Forms. Custom applications for as little as $995, delivered in just a few days.Outr.Net has a web page on Wireless Forms for Timeports at: 
