SR Telecom Launches WiMAX-Ready Platform
BOSTON – On Nov. 3, SR Telecom Inc. launched what it calls “the industry’s first OFDMA-based WiMAX-ready carrier-class voice and broadband data platform.” Named symmetry, the platform encompasses the key technologies outlined in the latest draft of the 802.16e standard.
SR Telecom, a member of the WiMAX Forum, designs, manufacturers, and deploys versatile, field-proven fixed wireless access solutions. The Montreal-based company’s products have been deployed in more than 130 countries, connecting nearly two million people.
“symmetry offers carriers a field-proven, future-proof broadband wireless solution they can deploy today, and a seamless migration path to 802.16e WiMAX-certified sectors once they become available,” said Claude Giguere, SR Telecom’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.
For nearly a decade, SR Telecom has been developing and refining technologies required for reliable and secure broadband transmissions. Its angel product was the first commercial NLOS (non-line-of-sight) broadband access solution.
New Nokia Shell Gives Consumers Touch Access
ESPOO, Finland – On Nov. 2, Nokia unveiled the Nokia NFC (Near Field Communication) shell, designed to provide Nokia phone owners with easier access to browsing and text message services. With the Nokia NFC shell on their phone, consumers will be able to easily access a variety of services and conveniently exchange information with a simple touch gesture utilizing NFC technology - a technology that emerged from the combination of contactless identification (RFID Radio Frequency Identification) and interconnection technologies.
The Nokia NFC shell offers consumers access to browsing, and text message services simply by touching tags that contain service shortcuts. Consumers are also able to give their favorite service shortcuts to other users by touching another NFC-compatible device to their phone. In addition, the Nokia NFC shell comes with tags that can be used for creating personal service shortcuts.
"Touch-based interactions will improve the consumer experience of existing services and create new opportunities for users to benefit from their phones. This technology has the potential to significantly improve the way operators provide and users discover and activate different mobile services," said Gerhard Romen, head of market development at Nokia Ventures Organization.
The Nokia NFC shell is a functional cover developed for the Nokia 3220 phone. The Nokia 3220 is a tri-band camera phone that is available in two versions: a GSM 900/1800/1900 primarily for the European and Asian markets, and a GSM 850/1800/1900 primarily for the Americas. The Nokia NFC shell with four tags will be available during the first quarter of 2005 in Europe, and during the second quarter 2005 in the Americas and Asia.
Boingo Adds 400-Plus Hot Spots in Paris
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – On Nov. 2, Boingo Wireless Inc. announced a roaming partnership with Paris-based METEOR Networks. The partnership added more than 400 Wi-Fi hot spots in Paris and surrounding cities to the Boingo Roaming System.
METEOR Networks is the first independent Wi-Fi operator in France and has built a network of hot spots at hotels, cafes, bus stations, stores, and other public places throughout the Paris metropolitan area. The company has signed agreements with the Paris mass transit agency (RATP), with McDonald's restaurants, with Best Western hotels, and with other leading local establishments. The company plans to have 750 hot spots installed by the end of the year.
The Boingo Roaming System is a network of 11,000 Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide with 5,600 locations in Europe.
"Paris is a quickly becoming 'unwired' with Wi-Fi services in hotels, restaurants and other high traffic areas and METEOR is a big reason why," said Colby Goff, Boingo vice president of network strategy and business development. "Teaming up with the large network that METEOR has built gives us a good head start on providing ubiquitous coverage in one of the most important commercial centers in Europe."
Through its Platform Services offering, Boingo provides service providers with a turnkey Wi-Fi service, including the network, award-winning client access software, and a complete suite of back-office billing, roaming, mediation and clearinghouse services. To date, the company has announced Platform Services agreements with EarthLink, Fiberlink, Infonet Services Corp., MCI and Telecom Italia.
SearchGuy Mobile Launches
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – SearchGuy.com Inc., a provider of multi-category search and advertising services, launched SearchGuy Mobile Nov. 1.The new offering, featuring an innovative “on-the-fly” conversion technology, will allow users to browse the Internet from any Palm Pilot or Blackberry device, as well as Internet-enabled mobile phones.
The company created its proprietary solution to be compatible with a multitude of handheld devices. Among the features are an ability to search the Web, search the mobile Web (for WAP devices), and international access and adaptability.
According to a company spokesman, SearchGuy Mobile can outfit and tailor sites to be compatible with many handheld devices and then embed them into the SearchGuy Mobile database.
Currently there are more than 160 million wireless phone subscribers who now have access to SearchGuy Mobile's proprietary search technology.
UpSNAP!, LookSmart Partner on New Mobile Advertising Model
SAN FRANCISCO – Touting it as a “first-of-its-kind” product, mobile text service provider UpSNAP! and directory services company LookSmart on Nov. 4 announced a partnership that will provide consumers with free mobile directory assistance while at the same time testing a new revenue model for advertising.
UpSNAP!’s newly launched free 411 service allows mobile user to access white and yellow pages listings directly from a cell phone via text messaging without the typical $1.25-per-call fee charged by many wireless carriers. As part of the service, UpSNAP! incorporated a merchant call-back service, which allows users to request a callback from featured merchants at the touch of a button on any text-enabled phone. The UpSNAP! telephony servers then automatically connect a call between the mobile phone user and the merchant. Consumer privacy is protected at all times, and the consumer has complete control over whether to activate a callback, which spares them from having to write down a number while on the go.
"Until today, consumers had to pay to find merchants in the cellular world," said Tony Philipp, President and CEO of UpSNAP!. "UpSNAP! reverses this model. Consumers can contact merchants for free, and local merchants can now take advantage of a performance-driven advertising model even without a web presence.”
The agreement between UpSNAP! and LookSmart, which makes UpSNAP!’s network available to LookSmart’s existing customer base, will offer merchants the opportunity to reach more than 160 million mobile consumers. The system offers advertisers a performance-based revenue model via text-messaging on cellular telephones. As conventional yellow pages usage continues to decrease, online "look-ups" have steadily increased by nearly two billion since 2001, according to research firm The Kelsey Group. Rather than paying a flat fee for yellow pages ads, merchants utilizing UpSNAP! now have access to paid listing options with a built-in metric to account for direct responses from mobile consumers using UpSNAP!'s free 411.
The U.S. accounts for more than 160 million mobile consumers and 2.5 billion mobile text messages sent each month, making the cell phone by far the most personal communication device for consumers and the most-coveted media platform for advertisers, according to the Mobile Marketing Association. UpSNAP! plans to introduce new features, applications, and enhanced services over the next several months.
No registration or complicated set-up or installation is required to use UpSNAP!'s free 411 service, and the service works with all US carriers. Consumers access the service by cellular phone at the company’s Web site.
