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. [Full press release follows below.]

One of them is already here, as reported a couple of weeks ago. It is the new Percomm e80 ReFLEX 2.7 pager. The design of this device started at Glenayre Electronics and was then acquired by Percomm where it was completed. Industry sources indicate that the "big three" ReFLEX network operators have all certified (or are about to) this device for use on their systems. Percomm is located in Woburn, Massachusetts. They call it a "2-Way Pager."

Percomm's website also shows this OMNIDATA-branded OEM ReFLEX telemetry module. I am not sure about the current status of this product (production/development).

Two products from HuneTec are expected. The president, CEO, and founder of HuneTec is the highly respected Mr. Young-Han Youn who was also the cofounder of Standard Telecom — the parent corporation of Nixxo, in South Korea. One will be a ReFLEX-enabled wireless PDA (personal digital assistant) running the popular Palm OS® Platform, and the other, a proprietary design without the licensed Palm OS. I have seen these and they look very good. They call it the "Two-way Personal Communicator."

Other hot new products are expected from Sun Telecom International with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. They have two Wireless Messaging Devices on their web site, the S-935 shown here, which is based on the Linux OS. They call it a "2-Way Messaging Device."

And the S-900 shown here.

Another player, the off-again-on-again-gone-again Hoseo Telnet (pronounced HO-SAW) also in South Korea, may very well finally bring a product to market some time next year. Their former rep, John Park in New York, mysteriously quit answering everyone's phone calls several months ago, but the development of their products has continued. I guess they call it the "e-mailer" since that is what it says on the screen.

I believe they have continued work on their OEM telemetry module as well. I saw prototypes of these products over two years ago.

KARLI
WIRLKI
For telemetry and messaging applications where power saving and size are essential. Supported by all ReFLEX networks. (According to the manufacturer.) This is a mature product and has been available for a while.

BARRAN
ReFLEX Radio Module for normal, general-purpose telemetry applications. This is a mature product and has been available for a while.

The Advantra KEPLER incorporates a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) module with one of their ReFLEX modules to provide an OEM product that will allow developers to build a complete tracking device. This is evidently named after Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer, mathematician, and scientist who was the first to correctly explain planetary motion, thereby, becoming founder of celestial mechanics. Modern satellite tracking is based on Kepler's formulas.

This is an Advantra ReFLEX product with only the designation of "EP7312" given on their web site. They call it a "2-way messaging device." I suspect this is something new.

This is the Advantra "Palmnet System Eyepalm" from their web site. Another "2-way messaging device." I suspect this is something new.

This in an early-model Advantra ReFLEX pager that did not include all the two-way functions. There were several of these excellent one-and-a-half-way pagers on the market before the "full-two-way" models came out with complete keyboards. Its current production status is unknown.

CreataLink® 2XT Data Transceiver
The CreataLink 2XT data transceiver is being utilized in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Latin America. The original product was developed by Motorola Inc. SmartSynch acquired the CreataLink 2XT from Motorola in 2001. This is the product that started the ReFLEX telemetry business.

The "naysayers" who think paging is dead, will surely find all this new product development activity very interesting. Please note that these new devices will have significantly lower prices than the comparable Motorola two-way products had, they have more memory, more features, and all have rechargeable batteries. Even non-OS devices have the ability to pre-load, backup, and restore address books—a big advantage for enterprise customers. The lower device and airtime prices compared to other wireless technologies, such as cell phones, mean that ReFLEX has a broad appeal to businesses. This is all very good news for the two-way paging industry.

[Naysayer: someone with an aggressively negative attitude.]