Greetings Dear Readers, and Friends of Wireless Messaging,

EARTHQUAKES AND CELL PHONES

Lots of news reports are saying that the earthquake in Virginia on Tuesday caused a "disruption of cell phone service." First of all let's be clear on this point, the earthquake didn't cause any disruption. The disruption was caused by everyone trying to make calls on their "trusted cell phones" at the same time.

You may not like me sounding like a "broken record" — but I told you so.

(For you young people, records are round plastic things that we older folks used to play music on. Before CDs or MP3s. Sometimes they got stuck and played the same part over and over again.)

These wonderful and reliable cell phones create a false sense of security in all of us because they don't work when we need them the most — in the case of a major emergency or disaster.

Ask an engineer to explain the design criteria of a shared-resource communications system like a regular telephone system or a cell phone system. S/he will probably start by explaining the Erlang formula to you:

This is fascinating stuff but be sure you have a lot of spare time for the explanation — because it's very long.

Let's cut to the chase, as they say. The short and simple explanation is that these communication systems have always been designed to serve a certain percentage of all the possible users (subscribers) during the busiest hour of the day, on the busiest day, with an acceptable amount of "lost calls."

For a simple example, let's say that 25% of the subscribers (of a given system) try to make a phone call during "the busy hour" and only 1% of those calls don't go through (are blocked), then in this example everything is just fine. This is the amount of traffic the system was designed to handle, and this is how it is supposed to work. The "acceptable rate" for lost calls was 1%.

But what happens if 50% or 75% of the subscribers try to make a phone call at the same time? Or, God forbid! all of them?

Well . . . not much happens. That's the sad part. The system gets overloaded and just about no one can talk to anyone else. This is the "dirty trick" — it won't work when too many people try to use it at the same time.

So why don't they design telephone systems so that everyone can talk at the same time? It wouldn't be economically feasible — even if it were technically possible.

I was reminded today (Thursday) why I quit my job at Motorola several years ago. It was for health reasons. Their management was making me sick! At least now — being self employed — I don't have to put up with that kind of B.S. anymore.

So I am going to keep on telling it like I see it. Most of my readers appreciate that. Those who don't can "take a hike."

I love and appreciate all the rest of you. Thanks again for making this newsletter possible.

Now on to more news and views.

Wireless Messaging News
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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 Messaging 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 readers' comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Messaging 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.

Editorial Opinion pieces present only the opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of AAPC, its publisher, or its sponsors.

Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, and Vic Jackson are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects. Click here   for a summary of their qualifications and experience. They collaborate on consulting assignments, and share the work according to their individual expertise and their schedules.

If you would like to have information about advertising in this newsletter, please click here . Your support is needed.

Please click here for a list of used paging infrastructure and test equipment for sale from Ray Primack in Vancouver. Pagers, a big UPS, and other equipment as well. Check it out!

Companies creating and selling smartphone pseudo-paging applications are promoting the misperception that these apps can replace pagers in providing critical messaging during a crisis situation. At the 2011 Global Paging Convention the association decided we could and should take a more aggressive role to help counter these claims by providing our members factual information that supports the superior reliability of paging for critical messaging. Please use the information below when talking to your current and potential customers.

1. Critical Alert Systems personnel wrote a fantastic article,

• Why doctors’ pagers still trump smartphones

to help counter an article from Onset Technology creating the perception that critical messaging can easily transition to a smartphone. Feel free to use the article and/or the information in it to assist you in communicating with your hospital clients.

2. Jon Word from Contact Wireless/SelectPath has worked with a freelance writer to develop an online presence promoting the continued advantages of paging for critical message delivery. Links to the articles are below. Please feel free to use these as needed on your own websites or during a sales visit. The writer, Leslie Prichard, has graciously agreed to work with our members. If you would like to use her services, please contact her directly at 505-710-5190.

• Why-a-Pager-Is-a-Must-for-First-Responders
• How-Pagers-Can-Save-Lives-in-Natural-Disasters
• Pagers-and-HIPPA-Laws
• Pagers-Make-Economic-Sense
• The-411-on-Pagers

3. Update: the recent east coast Earthquake continues to add emphasis that in emergency situations cell service is not designed to handle emergency communications for first responders.  

• Why Mobile Phones Didn't Work After Virginia Earthquake
• East Coast quake causes major cell service disruptions

This is in addition to the other most recent examples that continue to reinforce the need for separate networks for emergency notifications in crisis situations.

• Cell networks jammed after fair tragedy
• BART Cuts Off Cell Phone Service — At What Cost?

One additional item to be aware of came from Art Gill at Anser-Quik, who informed us that Amcom (who has a smartphone pseudo-pager application called Amcom Mobile Connect™) has begun a new promotional campaign. While it may be well-intentioned, the end result is confusion among hospital administrators and users. Amcom’s latest e-mail states “. . . that a large number of paging systems in place at hospitals today will soon be out of compliance with the FCC's narrowband mandate: As of January 1, 2011, all paging manufacturers can only manufacture narrowband paging transmitters. By January 1, 2013, all private land-based paging transmitter users operating below 512 MHz on a 25kHz wideband channel must move to a 12.5 kHz narrowband channel.”

AAPC issued an advisory in regards to this last fall. In general, all paging-only channels, whether private or common carrier, are exempt from narrowbanding. Mixed use (paging and two-way) Part 90 channels are not exempt, but paging-only channels are exempt. The list of Part 90 paging-only channels that are exempt is included in AAPC's advisory.

By contributing to this effort and using the information provided, you can help us promote paging as the reliable, efficient, and cost-effective vehicle for critical message delivery.

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Steve Jobs quits as CEO of Apple

Cook assumes role as chief executive; Jobs to take post of chairman

Aug. 24, 2011, 10:14 p.m. EDT
By Russ Britt and Dan Gallagher
MarketWatch

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — Steve Jobs, the iconic leader of Apple Inc. who transformed the habits of generations of consumers by creating a slew of innovative products and has battled several illnesses in recent years, resigned as chief executive of the technology giant Wednesday, saying “the day has come” for him to step down.

Apple’s board appointed long-time lieutenant Tim Cook to replace him on Jobs‘s recommendation.

Jobs, who made everything from the personal computer to the iPod, iPhone and iPad a part of daily life, submitted a letter to the Apple board of directors announcing that he would leave as CEO.

Neither Jobs nor Apple offered any details of his health situation, and an Apple spokesman did not return a message seeking further comment.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come,” Jobs said in his letter.

Apple shares were down more than 5% in after-hours trading Wednesday following the news.

Jobs will remain involved with the company. Apple named him to the position of chairman of the board of directors — a position which did not previously exist at the firm. Two board members have been serving as co-lead directors up to this point.

“In his new role as chairman of the board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration,” Genentech Chairman Art Levinson, one of the co-lead directors, said in a statement.

Cook, who previously served as chief operating officer and has taken the helm for Jobs as he has battled illness in recent years, assumes control immediately, the company said.

The appointment answered the long-standing question surrounding Apple’s plan for succession, an issue that was prominent in recent years as Jobs’s health continued to raise concerns. Read profile of Tim Cook.

Apple’s stock had already slipped nearly 7% since peaking above the $400 mark in late July — the S&P 500 SPX -0.21% has dropped nearly 12% in that same period on concerns of a global economic meltdown.

“From an overall perspective, I think this was expected,” said Wedbush Morgan analyst Scott Sutherland of the resignation, noting the long-running rumors of Jobs’ failing health.

He said that a lot of the concerns surrounding Jobs had already been priced into Apple’s stock.

“People sold on the rumor, and may sell a little more on the news, but it’s way undervalued right now,” Sutherland said. “I think the fundamentals will eventually take over, and the stock will be a great buying opportunity.”

Ashok Kumar of Rodman & Renshaw agreed that Apple’s shares are undervalued in terms of the company’s business fundamentals, but added that the company will have a “large missing hole” in its leadership without Jobs.

“The pipeline is very deep for the next few years,” Kumar said. “But the ‘wow’ factor that only Steve can deliver will be missed.”

David Rolfe, chief investment officer of Riverparks/Wedgewood Partners, said Apple currently accounts for about 10% of his fund’s total portfolio.

“Net-net, we thought the stock was an extreme bargain before today’s news, and think it may get more extreme,” he said. “We’re going to ride it out.”

Jobs has taken three medical leaves of absence in the last seven years. The first came in 2004 when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a usually fatal form, but he managed to pull out of it thanks to what is known as a “Whipple procedure.”

He also underwent a liver transplant in 2009. And earlier this year, he was granted another leave for an undisclosed illness.

Investors and consumers have long feared the prospect that Jobs would soon step down from running the day-to-day operations of the company, given his talent for bringing new technology to large masses consumers in a palatable manner.

At the same time, he brought untold value to Apple shares, which have skyrocketed from around $9 a share a decade ago to more than $375 today, for a gain of more than 43 times.

Sales for the company are up 12-fold from a decade ago and have continued to climb thanks to an ever-evolving line of products that seem to resonate with the buying public. The concern is whether Apple can stay innovative without Jobs’s instincts to guide them.

Jobs also has a seat on the board of Walt Disney Co., a position he earned through that company’s $7.4 billion buyout of Pixar Animation Studios in 2006. Sources who asked not to be identified said they expected him to remain on the board. See report on expectation Jobs to stay on Disney board.

Russ Britt is the Los Angeles bureau chief for MarketWatch.
Dan Gallagher is MarketWatch's technology editor, based in San Francisco.

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Cell Phone: 631-786-9359

Broadband Featured Article

Vector Capital to Buy Wireless Broadband Business of Motorola

By Narayan Bhat, TMCnet Contributor

Barely a week after Google Inc bought Motorola Mobility, private equity firm Vector Capital is saying that it has struck a deal to acquire Motorola’s wireless broadband businesses.

Neither company has revealed financial details of the deal, all they have said is that the transaction may be completed next month.

New York-based Vector has planned to operate the business as a standalone company called Cambium Networks.

Motorola Solutions Inc. makes police radios, bar code scanners for corporate and government clients. Phil Bolt, vice president of wireless network solutions for Motorola Solutions, will be CEO of Cambium Networks, the companies said.

Schaumburg, Ill-based Motorola Solutions has already agreed to sell Motorola Mobility to Google for $12.5 billion. The Mobility division makes cell phones, tablet computers and cable set-top boxes and more importantly holds as many as 17,000 patents.

Motorola Solutions said it will continue to purchase products from Cambium Networks to meet the broadband needs of its key direct public safety and federal accounts.

“Vector has deep experience restoring focus and accelerating growth at non-core divisions of the largest global technology companies. We will enable the Cambium management team to build the leading independent provider of PTP and PMP solutions,” said Alex Slusky, managing partner at Vector Capital.

Phil Bolt, vice president, Wireless Network Solutions, for Motorola Solutions, will serve as CEO of Cambium Networks. To ensure a seamless transition and continuity of service, PTP and PMP senior management, sales, supply chain, technical support, product management, marketing, and research and development teams will transfer to Cambium Networks.

“The launch of the Motorola Solutions’ Canopy and Orthogon business units as Cambium Networks will create an exciting and significant growth opportunity for both Cambium Networks and our partners,” Bolt added.

Among Vector's notable investments are Aladdin Knowledge Systems, Certara, Corel, Gerber Scientific, LANDesk, Precise Software Solutions, Printronix, RAE Systems, Register.com, SafeNet, Savi Technology, Trafficmaster, WatchGuard Technologies, and WinZip.

In wake of earthquake, FEMA asks public avoid calling, use text or e-mail instead

By Austin Bogues
4:25 p.m. EDT, August 23, 2011

FEMA asked members of the public to avoid using cell phones after the earthquake that struck on Tuesday.

"Due to overload of cell phone usage, there are reports of cell phone congestion," said Rachel Racusen, a spokeswoman for the agency. "We request that members of the public use e-mail or text messages if possible to communicate for the next few hours, except in cases of emergency, so that emergency officials can continue to receive and respond to urgent calls. We encourage everyone in the affected areas to listen to the direction of their local officials. More information will be provided as it becomes available."

Several cellular phone carriers, including Verizon Wireless, Sprint and AT&T, experienced significant network volume along the East Coast for roughly 20 minutes after the earthquake.

Howard Waterman, a Verizon Wireless spokesman in New Jersey, said his colleagues felt the earthquake, but noted that the network was not damaged by it.

Some customers of the three major carriers were unable to make outgoing wireless phone calls because of what officials described as "a mass calling event."

SMS: The dying cash cow for wireless carriers?

August 18, 2011 — 8:06am ET
By Sandhya Raman
FierceMobile

Over 6.1 trillion text messages were sent last year worldwide, according to a report from the International Telecommunications Union. This number has climbed steadily since the advent of text messaging, but some analysts and industry insiders predict that carrier revenues associated with SMS are going to decrease dramatically in the next few years.

Why would a once booming source of revenue suddenly decline? Two factors are pulling at the market for SMS. First, the way carriers charge for SMS has simply made the 10-cents-per-text model less reasonable for consumers. Users are texting more and are thus buying text messaging plans that bundle hundreds or thousands of text messages per month for relatively per-message inexpensive prices. Second, the rise of smartphones has paved the way for Internet-based communications that don't rely on wireless carriers' SMS channels. Apps like Facebook, Twitter, Research In Motion's BlackBerry Messenger, Apple's forthcoming iMessage and WhatsApp allow users to send unlimited messages to recipients on the same service, all via their smartphone data plan.

"We do see more people texting, it's just we don't know if people will do that with the regular text, SMS, or with the IP, with a push-based notification," said Julie Ask, an analyst with Forrester Research who is currently researching how push-based notifications will affect SMS, from a business perspective.

SMS revenues slowing

Indeed, AT&T Mobility announced it will discontinue a number of its text messaging plans, including its $10 per month plan for 1,000 text messages, and will instead only offer a $20 unlimited messaging plan per month for a single line or a $30 unlimited messaging plan per month for families. The carrier's only other option will be per-message billing at 20 cents for each text message and 30 cents for each picture/video message.

As carriers phase out unlimited data plans, users will either invest more money in buying larger data plans or use their data more carefully, opting to use other messaging options than traditional SMS. Either way, the carriers should not see a revenue loss, White said.

Forrester Research's Ask doesn't see SMS drastically decreasing in the near future either. Texting and chatting apps like Facebook often require both users to have the same messaging system, she pointed out, while text messaging works across virtually every mobile phone in the world.

Chetan Sharma, from Chetan Sharm Consulting, said in a new report that the United States unseated Philippines as the king of text messaging with almost 664 messages per subscriber per month, compared with the Philippines which is seeing a sharp decline in per user messaging due to IP messaging. He said some of the European operators are also experiencing the pain of declining SMS usage. However, Charma noted that while the percentage share of the data revenues is declining for messaging, revenue growth is staying strong with almost $5 billion in revenues in the United States in the second quarter.

The alternatives to SMS

SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service) travel through wireless carriers' messaging gateways, and are billed separately from standard data transmissions. Most mobile phones across the world can send and receive SMS and MMS messages.

But, thanks to the rise of smartphones and third-party apps, there are a range of alternatives to the carrier-controlled SMS channel. Here is a selection:

For users interested in alternatives to traditional texting, there are a variety of chatting options. Some companies, like Enflick, offer a variety of mobile messaging apps with different features. Enflick offers TextNow for free texting on iOS and PingChat for cross-platform instant messaging for devices running iOS. Enflick's CTO, Jon Lerner, said the company plans to expand TextNow to other platforms in September.

"Our focus is to allow our products to reach the widest audience globally while keeping development efforts feasible for us. We are always on the lookout in terms of what's emerging in popularity (e.g. Windows Phone), and depending on the adoption trends we will be adding more platforms in the future. We haven't decided on the specific platform and timeline yet," Lerner added.

Companies like Enflick offer some services for free — TextNow is a free app and unlimited texting is also free — and charge for add-ons like call forwarding or ad-free texting. Kik Messenger, another application that provides free mobile messaging, does not charge for its app but simply relies on ad revenue.

Sharma, from Chetan Sharm Consulting, sees social networking factoring into the mobile messaging market. Sharma predicts "shifting messaging behavior to Facebook and Twitter."

Apps like Facebook's Messenger allow users to text pre-existing contacts.

Twitter itself is built on the premise of sending short messages between two or more users. A tweet can serve the same purpose as a group text. Facebook's new messaging app, similarly, works like other instant messaging systems but connecting users in a faster method than traditional SMS. Facebook's Messenger has an advantage over handset-specific messaging systems in that it can be used on phones running Android or iOS. In addition, users without smartphones can still reply to messages sent using Facebook Messenger after confirming their mobile number on Facebook.

Sharma predicts a larger shift in mobile messaging behaviors. He said it is "easy to expect that within 5-10 years a good portion [of users] will have shifted to Internet messaging as opposed to traditional SMS messaging."

At the same time, he cautions that this shift will not be the result of any one program or app. "The messaging is in trillions so even if somebody has millions of messages [being sent via his app] going on a daily basis, it is still a tiny fraction [of the market]," he warned.

The future of texting: Unified communications?

The concept of mobile messaging isn't likely to die anytime soon. What is likely to change is the way in which these messages are transferred between users. As for what users can expect in the future, Charles Golvin, a principal analyst with Forrester Research, has an idea. He sees texting as a part of a larger unified communications effort. Regardless of the method of delivery, the end result will be messages synced together from instant messaging, texting or even voice platforms.

J. Gerry Purdy of Mobiletrax also sees a future in a universal messaging system.

"Universal messaging allows you to see the different kinds of messages that go between you and that person, so you can see the e-mail, you can see the texting, you can see the Facebook posting, and as a result, all the messages between you and somebody will show up in one place. I think that is going to continue," Purdy said.

As for text messaging overall, the market, as Golvin sees it, is getting saturated.

"We are going to start to see a decline, there isn't a huge number of subscribers waiting to take up text messaging. Grandma and grandpa aren't going to become adopters," Golvin said.

NOTICE TO CLIENTS: The BloostonLaw Telecom Update newsletter will be on vacation during the month of August. We will resume publication on September 7. Meanwhile, we will keep clients apprised of significant developments via memos and special supplements.

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TELEMETRY RECEIVERS FOR SALE

You can help the newsletter by buying these telemetry receivers from Dave Levine:

Hi Brad –

I have 50-60 Daviscomms TMR1F one-way pagers. About 10 of them have the internal antenna and the rest have the BNC connector. I would say about 40 of these have never been used — many are still in the original packaging. The reason that we are selling them is because we are hoping to transition to a cellular network. We also have around 125 flat antennas with BNC connectors. These antennas work very well — better than the duck antennas we typically saw on the units. They have an adhesive backing and can be mounted flat on top of a machine. I have attached a flyer that we made about the antennas. I would be happy with $40 OBO for the receivers and $5 OBO for the antennas — but if someone takes everything, I will sell it for $35 for the receivers and $5 for the antennas. I can take credit card or check.

———

I just went into my warehouse and inventoried the receivers and antennas. Some of the receivers have a password which I will give to the buyer. Most of them are brand new, in the original packaging. Here is the complete rundown:

100 Flat antennas
4 Daviscomms TMR1F with internal antenna.
61 Daviscomms TMR1F with BNC Connectors

Of the 61 TMRs with the BNC Connectors, 43 of them are still in the original packaging, the rest were lightly used. All of them have had my labels removed and just need to be reprogrammed and put back into service. Again, I would prefer to sell everything to one buyer.

Thanks –

Dave Levine
LEDXCHANGE LLC
480-332-0844
dlevine@mbmediabrokers.com

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From: Allan Angus
Subject: Some comments on letters to the editor from Jay [Moskowitz] and Ron [Mercer]
Date: August 19, 2011 5:57:50 PM CDT
To: Brad Dye

Brad,

I feel compelled to respond to comments from Jay who added to some of Ron's earlier comments about ReFLEX carrier support for e-mail. Having been directly involved at the time for PageMart/WebLink in the development and planning for ReFLEX messaging, I think I have a fairly good idea as an insider as to what the views at that company were. First, there was never any question that SMTP was a dominant mechanism for off-network sources to send and receive messages from FLEX or ReFLEX devices. Whatever might have been the case for bulk delivery of traffic through TAP, TNPP, or WCTP, individuals and corporations were going to utilize SMTP. Naturally, this was both good and bad news. First, it implied handling all of the header information in a suitable way. Next, it implied handling attachments. Likewise, there was the question of SPAM and who owns that problem. At one point, we had a working relationship with Yahoo; but any user of Yahoo mail quickly learned to their chagrin how much of that content was bogus, but billable. Just today, I deleted over 1,000 e-mails from my Yahoo inbox less than 10 of which were valid. My spam box had about 2,000 e-mails. Recently, working at a small startup company in Nebraska, I had the joy of managing the company's Exchange system for several years. The Microsoft front-end filtering system typically blocked a similar proportion of traffic; that is, perhaps less than 1% of arriving e-mail was valid there too. 

To their credit, RIM apparently realized that by integrating e-mail systems into corporate platforms, they could pass this issue onto the client organization. Even individual users are assumed to be shielded by some anti-spam front-end in the RIM model, since e-mails are generally forwarded from a client's PC. The success stories in e-mail systems on FLEX or ReFLEX networks, such as they were, were of a similar architecture. The failures were typically those in which the mailbox was offered by the paging carrier and directly connected to the big bad Internet, or to a e-mail aggregator with a very lax anti-spam policy like Yahoo. 

This is not to say that carriers like WebLink were not addressing this issue, quite the contrary. Having personally led teams on what we called the AXIS platform, and after that was canned through some interesting strategic plays by Glenayre, on WebLink's front-end to Glenayre's paging terminals, I can tell you that we were mightily interested in support for e-mail. I can state also that the network security folks that we had reported to me, and we also paid close attention to the sources and nature of Internet-based attacks on our system, which were intense to say the least. 

Over time, it became apparent to me and some of our notable marketing people, like Noel Gouldin, that one component of the best way to handle e-mail traffic was a powerful e-mail client on a smart device. To work on this, we turned to new entrants in the ReFLEX space, mainly from Korea. This was around 2001 to 2003 or so.. The products were typically based on some form of mobile Unix and supported a FLEXsuite protocol stack model that we had enhanced to allow what was effectively direct connection between applications on the device and Internet servers, complete with a decent security model. This process was coming to fruition at the time of the merger with Metrocall, about 8 years ago now. Within about a year, most of the WebLink staff involved in this work, including myself, were gone. The Korean companies involved had been sent signals that their devices would not be purchased. The major nationwide carriers went into a period of retrenchment from which they haven't emerged. The bright light in the sector has become private systems. 

Back to Jay's comments... In hind sight, I am not at all certain that e-mail, as such, would ever have been the sweet spot for FLEX or ReFLEX given the combination of the complexity of the problem and the inherent round-trip delays in ReFLEX networks. This is not to say that some ReFLEX messages cannot be delivered in one second or so on a properly designed system; but rather, not all messages can be treated like that on a common carrier network. Given that ReFLEX comes with a 15 second cycle time, and including time for ACKs and failure rates, pulling the next part of an e-mail message or thread is going to be painfully slow relative to what can be delivered to, say, a smartphone on a 3G/4G cellular data or WiFi network. Hence, I am not at all certain that canning me and those ReFLEX smart devices was an entirely bad decision. 

On the other hand, those enhancements to FLEXsuite together with some security protocols that I worked on together with Gagan Puranik at the PTC, as well as the most recent versions of ReFLEX with their latency improvements, go a long way in answering some of the problems associated with CMAS and other critical first responder applications. Likewise, the "Onyx" aGPS device developed by Trace Technologies, of which only 1000 were ever built and 300 delivered (to the DoE for the Nevada nuclear test range) is an example of a ReFLEX application whose specifications cannot be equaled by any competitor to this day. Unfortunately, that product/service offering from back in 2006 remains hung up in a law suit that may not clear the legal system until 2012, if ever. However, if these pieces could be put together, they would represent an extremely powerful offering. In any case, by the time the Gabriel v. Qualcomm matter clears the courts, it is likely that some alternative GPS technology will be available. 

My point is that even the best e-mail system that could have been fielded on a ReFLEX network would be a pitiful showing against an iPhone on a 3G network (just like the RIM system is now).  That could never have been the defensible niche for the paging sector. In contrast, critical machine-to-machine and human-to-human communications have sufficient value to be effective in the message cost structure of simulcast systems. It is rare that any given e-mail is ever considered to be of value in and of itself. Even out of the 1% or less of e-mails that arrive at an e-mail gateway and may be considered valid, perhaps less than 1% of these is truly important. In that, I'm not talking about the ones that some senior manager thinks is important. I mean the ones that truly are important. This situation is completely reversed in a functioning first-responder network or a critical location-based services application that tracks assets of considerable value, like personnel or materiel on a nuclear site. In this case, every message is critical; and the value added by ensuring message delivery is easily understood. 

Jay complained about his $3800 bill for e-mail services, justifiably so because no e-mail isn't worth that much. We all agree with this proposition. On the other hand, if he had received that bill for the successful recovery of his car or his child after some criminal attack, he'd still be saying how happy he was to pay the fee. So say we all. 

E-mail was never "it". 

—Allan

Allan Angus, PE
458 Grey Squirrel Way
Franktown, CO 80116
E-mail: adangus@mac.com
Cell Phone: 720-235-2553

From: Ron Mercer <rmercer@pagingplanners.com>
Subject: Indiana Tragedy
Date: August 19, 2011 3:34:16 PM CDT
To: Brad Dye

Sorry for the late delivery Brad,

To the Editor

Cellular System Performance during Indiana State Fair.

I’m sure most readers are aware of the tragedy that killed several people in Indiana last weekend.  In addition to the basic tragedy, several news articles have reported that cellular systems were jammed up immediately following the collapse of the stage preventing people from communicating their status to friends and loved ones. We have been researching whether this “jamming” affected only cellular voice traffic or if the data channels supported by cellular networks were also jammed.  To date, we have received only verbal comments that only “minor delays” were experienced by text messaging services while a number of voice calls failed completely! We are desirous, however, of receiving unambiguous data that truly documents this incident and we will continue to pursue such next week.

Ron Mercer
Paging & Wireless Network Planners LLC
217 First Street
East Northport, NY 11731
Tel: (631) 266-2604
Cell Phone: (631) 786-9359

Lying and the Truth

“Every violation of truth is not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but is a stab at the health of human society.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“O, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!”

—Sir Walter Scott

“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.”

—Socrates