Dear friends of Wireless Messaging and Paging,

I have returned from a week of travel and adventure. Several interesting things came up at the AAPC conference in Phoenix last week.

Kirk Alland, General Manager of Unication USA, announced that Unication has acquired the rights to the popular, but short lived, PerComm e80 two-way pager and the OMNIDATA™ OEM ReFLEX telemetry module. This is good news for the two-way paging industry. Let's all wish them great success with these valuable new products.

A report on the AAPC conference with several photos follows below. I just want to say that this was really a good conference and I want to publicly thank Ted McNaught the president of the AAPC and the members of the board of directors for inviting me and sponsoring my trip. Everything was wonderful.

I also had the pleasure of visiting Space Data Corporation while I was in Phoenix. This is an amazing company and I have included a special report on my visit along with the General Manager of one of Mexico's leading paging companies. Space Data has solved the one remaining issue with ReFLEX systems—seamless coverage—even in rural areas. Their solution may surprise you, but it works very well and is currently in operation. Congratulations to them for thinking "out of the box" and coming up with a really great solution.

Following the developments of the Arch/Metrocall merger has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. For a while, all the talk on the street was that it was a "done deal" or fait accompli—only requiring shareholder approval—and that being a sure thing. Then about a month ago I began to hear that the Department of Justice (DOJ) was asking a lot of questions and had renewed their investigation into the anti-trust issues.

Early last week I reported that some Metrocall shareholders were not happy with the amount they were being offered for their shares. For a while it looked like this might stop the merger since it is a failure of one of the conditions of the merger if shareholders representing over 8% of the total shares demand an "assessment" of the value of their shares. This obstacle can be waived by the boards of the two companies, but the other concern was that the cost of the merger might increase too much if the Delaware court assesses a much higher value to the "dissenters'" shares—and thus go over their approved line of credit. At one point Arch was quoted as saying they were not interested in any renegotiation. This was called "a scare tactic" and "not credible" by Scion Capital.

Press releases also came out last week saying that WebLink Wireless had voted their 500,000 shares of common stock, plus some warrants to buy an additional 125,000 shares, against the merger and then that Metrocall was reporting a running tally of 20% of their shares against and 36% in favor of the merger. Then on Monday of this week Arch and Metrocall announced in a joint press release that their respective shareholders had approved the merger agreement in the two previously scheduled stockholder meetings.

Everything is far from being finalized at this writing, but several things do clearly stand out. Both the FCC and the DOJ have given the green light to the deal. The DOJ by "closing its investigation" and the FCC by approving the transfer of the radio licenses to the new company, USA Mobility Inc. Now it looks like the merger may close next week. Stay tuned.

So . . . on to the Wireless Messaging news and views.

Promoting Wireless Messaging, Telemetry, and Paging.

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 Eastern US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the Internet. That way it doesn't fill up your incoming e-mail account.

There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world's major paging and wireless data companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers, so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology.

I regularly get reader's comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the paging, and wireless data communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my website.

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FCC VoIP Ruling Foreshadows Changes

November 9, 2004

WASHINGTON—A narrowly drawn decision today from the FCC that puts federal jurisdiction over emerging VoIP services above state jurisdiction could affect how wireless services are regulated.

The FCC claimed jurisdiction over rules governing Vonage Corp.'s DigitalVoice IP-based services weren't subject to the state of Minnesota's regulatory policies concerning carrier entry and provision of E911 services. In what was viewed by FCC Chairman Michael Powell as a "landmark day" for telephone service, the FCC said because VoIP service is inherently inter-state, not intra-state, it couldn't be regulated effectively by state commissions without creating an impenetrable thicket of regulations.

Although the order issued by the commission is very narrow and concerns only Minnesota's jurisdiction, it is interpreted to have a much wider application to all states. It sets the stage for a host of other decisions on how the federal government will handle VoIP services and technology.

The impact on the wireless industry will be subtle, but possibly profound, say industry observers, as the FCC's "light regulatory touch" is the commission's model for imposing regulation on VoIP services. "The wireless industry is going to be involved in one way or another" in how VoIP is regulated, says Mike Altschul, general counsel at CTIA.

Wireless services are entwined with a host of brewing VoIP issues that have yet to be worked out. Issues such as intercarrier compensation, universal service, the re-write of the telecommunications act all will be affected by VoIP's advance.

Additionally, the VoIP industry has a common cause with wireless in hoping for more federal preemption of state rules. "Today's decision makes clear that the jurisdiction of VoIP and wireless" should be federal, not left to the states, Altschul says.

Source: Wireless Week

Personal note: By the way, I have just started using a VoIP application from a company called Skype™ and I really like it—especially since it's free. If you are wondering how to pronounce it, Skype rhymes with ripe and type. You can download if for free from their web site. CLICK HERE  If you want to try it, just put "braddye" (without the quotes) into your contact list and click on "call." If I am at my desk we can talk with fidelity better than a wire-line telephone, and it doesn't matter where you are located. I have been talking to my friend Ron Mercer in New York for a couple of days, to Enrique Llaca in Mexico City, and to Froike Biegun in Tel Aviv. It works best if you have a broadband connection to the Internet, and a simple headset that has an earphone and a microphone. I bought a nice Labtec Axis-102 headset at the local computer store near here for $12.99 and that's about how much I saved on my first phone call.

Leap boosts content with IM, Spanish services

Nov 10, 2004

Leap Wireless International Inc. said it will begin offering its Cricket wireless customers the mobile AOL Instant Messenger service, allowing AOL members and AIM users to receive instant messages, alerts and reminders from their Cricket phones. The service will cost $5 per month for unlimited use.

Leap, which claims its more than 1.5 million customers currently send more than 3.8 million text messages per day, said the AOL IM service would be available in select markets beginning next month with plans to offer the service to all Cricket customers by February.

"Our customers talk a lot . . . and our customers rank sixth in the nation in terms of text messaging, so unlimited IM is another perfect communications tool for them," noted Nitu Arora, vice president of product development for Leap.

The AOL IM service joins the carrier's traditional text message service, which also costs $5 per month for unlimited use and is Leap's first third-party text messaging offering.

Leap also launched its Spanish Anywhere service for the carrier's BREW-based downloadable content Cricket Clicks offering. Leap said the Spanish Anywhere service includes a Spanish/English and English/Spanish dictionary containing more than 5,500 word pairs, including parts of speech as well as a Spanish phrase book with more than 1,000 phrases organized into categories. The service is available for $10 per month.

Leap, which has initiated a number of marketing efforts targeting the Hispanic market including Spanish language advertising, noted that the Hispanic market currently makes up nearly 20 percent of the carrier's customer base.

Source: RCR Wireless News

Novel approach to tracking shows its accuracy

EE Times

Oct 25, 2004

Manhasset, N.Y.—Startup Q-Track Corp. has homed in on an oft-ignored phenomenon of RF transmissions and leveraged it as the basis of what has been demonstrated to be an accurate but relatively simple tracking scheme. Called Near Field Electromagnetic Ranging (NFER), the technology has a resolution of 30 cm at 300 meters. That's accurate enough to rival ultrawideband (UWB) and conventional time-of-flight and time-distance-of-arrival schemes, with their respective shortfalls.

The transponder-based time-of-flight and time-distance-of-arrival schemes require excessive, nanosecond synchronization on both ends to maintain accuracy, said Hans Schantz, chief scientist at Q-Track (Huntsville, Ala.). Leading the industry in this approach is WhereNet, which operates on the 2.45-GHz band, said Schantz. "They have 100-MHz channels but can't locate to better than 10 feet — and it only gets worse with multipath interference in enclosed offices." Other systems measure signal strength to calculate distance and location, but suffer from the fact that signal amplitude can vary greatly, depending on the environment.

While Schantz was originally a UWB antenna designer and had established a long track record in that field, the Federal Communications Commission's marginal and constrictive allotment to UWB led him to pursue an alternative technology for real-time locating systems that would not face the power limits of UWB.

Schantz zeroed in on the fact that when radio signals first leave the antenna, their electric and magnetic fields are "phase quadrature," or 90° out of phase. However, by the time the signal has traveled about a half wavelength, that difference goes to zero and the fields become synchronous. Because most RF systems operate in the far-field mode with transmitters and receivers typically many wavelengths apart, this behavior has been more or less ignored.

Distance measuring
Working with colleague Bob DePierre, Schantz devised a simple algorithm that allows Q-Track to compute the distance between the transmitter and receiver, based on the transmitting frequency and the degree to which the fields have converged. He patented the technology and trademarked the name NFER.

Operating under FCC Part 15 (5.219) rules, the system can occupy the bands from 510 to 1,705 kHz. The low frequency of operation translates to good range, said Schantz, while also allowing greater penetration of interior walls. "We also don't face the same multipath interference issues as higher-frequency devices." The simplicity of the system and the low operating frequencies also allow the use of standard, off-the-shelf components, he added. The prototype was implemented using Philips 605 chips for the front end and a Xilinx Inc. FPGA for the digital processing. "We will have evaluation kits by early next year and expect to get the size down to that of a cigarette box," he said.

Applications range from container and asset tracking to monitoring firefighters in real-time. The company is currently in contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and also is being funded by a Small Business Innovation Research grant. Schantz sees the biggest potential for NFER, however, in supply chain management.

In the 1,300-kHz band, the wavelength is approximately 750 feet, so the system has been shown to have an accuracy of 1 foot out to 250 feet. "This goes up to 400 feet in the 800-kHz band," Schantz added. "But we're bounded by the transmit power and the efficiency of the antenna." Under FCC Part 15 rules, Schantz said the transmitter can send no more than 100 milliwatts to the antenna.

At such low frequencies, however, the most efficient antenna would be too large to be practical. Hence, much of the company's R&D is going into improving that efficiency to minimize the antenna size.

Source: CommsDesign

Nov 10, 2004

Following the recently announced successful tender offer results relating to Canadian wireless operator Rogers Wireless Communications Inc.'s $1.1 billion acquisition of Microcell Telecommunications Inc., Rogers Wireless appointed Alain Rheaume executive vice president of Microcell. Rheaume previously served as president and chief operating officer of Microcell subsidiary Microcell Solutions Inc. where he was in charge for marketing the carrier's Fido-branded wireless service.

"We are delighted to welcome Alain to the Rogers Wireless team," said Nadir Mohamed, president and chief executive officer of Rogers Wireless and recently appointed president and CEO of Microcell. "We are committed to keeping and building the Fido brand, distribution network and service in Canada and know that Alain's history with Microcell and rich understanding of the Fido brand makes him the logical choice to lead the operations of Fido at Rogers Wireless."

Rogers Wireless also reported that certain senior officers of Microcell have resigned, including former president and CEO Andre Tremblay, who fought off an unsolicited takeover bid by Telus Corp. in favor of Rogers Wireless' bid, and former CFO and treasurer Jacques Leduc. John Gossling, current Rogers Wireless vice president and chief financial officer, was named to the same position at Microcell.

In addition, Rogers Wireless announced the composition of Microcell's new board of directors, which will replace the company's previous board. The new board includes H. Garfield Emerson, George Fierheller, Ann Graham, James Grant, Thomas Hull, Nadir Mohamed, Pierre Morrissette, David Peterson, Ted Rogers, Martha Rogers and J. Christopher Wansbrough.

Source: RCR Wireless News

Brad,

I have a comment re: the Metrocall/Arch merger in response to those who feel that cost cutting measures will result in less than adequate service to those subscribers that still support these networks and rely on their reliability. I don't think I have to beat the horse. Subscribers have and are dwindling and I'm not one to reflect on the "why?" or "what could we have done?" The up-side (if there is one) is that the systems in operation are now lightly loaded and as operators, we are able to take advantage of consolidations of redundant systems. Even without a merger, there are opportunities available to merge existing systems and take advantage of synergies available from the combined resources while saving costs in redundancy elimination. These opportunities certainly multiply in a merger environment.

The dangers are not in elimination of systems or coverage (I truly feel that area will be strengthened). Instead the dangers will be in the area of administrative and support personnel. The first target of cost cutting is in head-count, in any merger. This, of course, translates in reductions of "non-revenue producing personnel." Administrative, customer service and engineering staff are included on that list. All three groups are essential to the continued merger, consolidation and customer support efforts and unless there is a well devised strategy to take advantage of the best available talent from the combined companies (and there is obviously a great pool of talent and experience in these companies) and unless the tendency to simply eliminate head-count is curtailed, there will be damaging effects that will simply speed the loss of the core group of subscribers that still rely on those systems. If the plan includes lean, mean and well operated with the best of the resources, I feel there is real opportunity which trickles to the smaller operators as well. Just my thoughts. If you decide to add this note to your letter, please list me as anonymous since I am a employee of one of these companies.

Thanks,

[These are some good points. I imagine the managers of these large paging companies feel a little like I did when I lost my job about three years ago. My income dropped to $818 per month and my expenses were over $5,000—something had to be cut. In my case, the car and the condo went back to their respective banks. In the case of the merged paging companies, transmitter sites will have to be eliminated. We cannot deny the fact that the US paging systems were handling 45 million units in 1999 and now only carry 10 million units—all companies combined. I admit that it is easier to criticize those making the decisions than to actually make the decisions yourself.]

Arch, Metrocall Shares Up on Decision

11.08.2004, 12:41 PM

Shares of telecommunications companies Arch Wireless Inc. and Metrocall Holdings Inc. skyrocketed Monday morning following the announcement that the Justice Department will not stand in the way of their merger. Arch Wireless shares jumped more than 21 percent to $33.88 on the Nasdaq, where Metrocall shares rose 5.4 percent to $65.09. The companies announced the department's decision after market close Friday.

Arch and Metrocall said shareholders of both companies approved the merger Monday. The companies said holders of about 9.1% of the fully diluted common stock of Metrocall had asserted their right to seek appraisal of their shares, "which constitutes a failure of a condition to the completion of the merger that would need to be waived for the merger to be completed." The Federal Trade Commission also must approve the merger before the companies finalize the creation of a holding company called USA Mobility Inc. Metrocall is based in Alexandria, Va.

Source: Associated Press via Forbes.com

Metrocall and Arch Stockholders Approve Merger

Alexandria, VA, Monday, November 8, 2004—Metrocall Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTOH) and Arch Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ:AWIN) today announced that their respective stockholders approved the merger agreement pursuant to which Metrocall and Arch will merge and each company will become a subsidiary of a new company called USA Mobility, Inc. Subject to satisfaction or waiver of the remaining closing conditions, Metrocall and Arch expect to complete the merger during the week of November 15, 2004. Under the merger agreement, it is a condition to closing that the FCC grant its consent to the merger and such consent is expected to be received some time this week. As of the time of the vote on the merger, holders of approximately 9.1% of the fully-diluted common stock of Metrocall had asserted their right to seek appraisal of their shares, which constitutes a failure of a condition to the completion of the merger that would need to be waived for the merger to be completed.

Vincent D. Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Metrocall and USA Mobility commented: “I am extremely pleased that a majority of Metrocall and Arch shareholders have approved this transaction and recognized this opportunity. The first three quarters of 2004 have seen continued pressure on our combined revenue and subscriber bases, further underscoring the need for this consolidation. We expect to operate USA Mobility with the same free cash flow oriented objectives that both Arch and Metrocall embraced over the past two years, while continuing to provide our customers with first class paging, wireless messaging solutions and customer service. We look forward to combining the best qualities of each company’s management, systems, sales and support staff.”

About Metrocall Holdings
Metrocall Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a leading provider of paging products and other wireless services to the business, government and healthcare communities. In addition to its reliable, nationwide one-way networks, Metrocall’s two-way network has the largest high-powered terrestrial ReFLEX footprint in the United States with roaming partners in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Metrocall Wireless is the preferred ReFLEX wireless data network provider for many of the largest telecommunication companies in the United States that source network services and resell under their own brand names. In addition to traditional numeric, one-way text and two-way paging, Metrocall also offers wireless e-mail solutions, as well as mobile voice and data services through AT&T Wireless and Nextel. Also, Metrocall offers Integrated Resource Management Systems with wireless connectivity solutions for medical, business, government and other campus environments. Metrocall focuses on the business-to-business marketplace and supports organizations of all sizes. For more information on Metrocall please visit our Web site and online store at www.metrocall.com or call 800-800-2337.

About Arch Wireless
Arch Wireless, Inc., headquartered in Westborough, Mass., is a leading wireless messaging and mobile information company with operations throughout the United States. It offers a full range of wireless messaging and wireless e-mail services, including mobile data solutions for the enterprise, to business and retail customers nationwide. Arch provides services to customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and in the Caribbean principally through a nationwide direct sales force, as well as through indirect resellers, retailers and other strategic partners. Additional information on Arch is available on the Internet at www.arch.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
This press release includes “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, that involve uncertainties and risks. These include statements regarding events or developments that Metrocall Holdings expects or anticipates will occur in the future. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results, events, and developments to differ from expectations. Please refer to Metrocall’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and any subsequently filed reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, as well as its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, for a complete discussion of these and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected by these forward-looking statements.

Statements contained herein or in prior press releases which are not historical fact, such as statements regarding Arch's expectations for future reductions in operating expenses, future subscriber and disconnect rates, and maintenance of operating margins, are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause Arch's actual results to be materially different from the company's expectations expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expectations include, but are not limited to, declining demand for Arch's paging products and services, Arch's ability to continue to reduce operating expenses and maintain operating margins, Arch's ability to complete announced redemptions and payments on its long-term debt, Arch's future capital needs, competitive pricing pressures, competition from both traditional paging services and other wireless communications services, government regulation, reliance upon third party providers for certain equipment and services, as well as other risks described from time to time in Arch's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although Arch believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Arch disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Metrocall Contact:
Brett Mankey
(703) 660-6677, ext. 6231
investor.relations@metrocall.com

Source: Metrocall Press Release

Metrocall and Arch Receive FCC Consent for Merger

ALEXANDRIA, Va., and WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Nov 9, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/—Metrocall Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTOH) and Arch Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq: AWIN, BSE: AWL) today announced that they have received consent from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for their proposed merger.

In granting its consent, the FCC approved applications for the transfer of control of the licenses to USA Mobility, Inc., the name under which the newly combined companies will operate. The FCC's consent is the final regulatory approval required for the merger, and, pending satisfaction of all other conditions, the merger is expected to close the week of November 15, 2004.

"We are pleased to receive today's support and approval from the FCC," said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Metrocall and USA Mobility. "With this approval, we look forward to completing the merger and beginning the process of integrating our two companies."

Metrocall and Arch announced a definitive merger agreement on March 29, 2004, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. Shareholders of each company voted to approve the merger on November 8, 2004, and the U.S. Department of Justice informed Metrocall and Arch on November 5, 2004 that it had closed its investigation of the transaction.

Arch Wireless, Inc., headquartered in Westborough, Mass., is a leading wireless messaging and mobile information company with operations throughout the United States. It offers a full range of wireless messaging and wireless e-mail services, including mobile data solutions for the enterprise, to business and retail customers nationwide. Arch provides services to customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and in the Caribbean principally through a nationwide direct sales force, as well as through indirect resellers, retailers and other strategic partners. Additional information on Arch is available on the Internet at http://www.arch.com.

Metrocall Wireless, Inc., headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a leading provider of paging products and other wireless services to the business, government and healthcare communities. In addition to its reliable, nationwide one-way networks, Metrocall's two-way network has the largest high- powered terrestrial ReFLEX footprint in the United States with roaming partners in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Metrocall Wireless is the preferred ReFLEX wireless data network provider for many of the largest telecommunication companies in the United States that source network services and resell under their own brand names. In addition to traditional numeric, one-way text and two-way paging, Metrocall also offers wireless e-mail solutions, as well as mobile voice and data services through AT&T Wireless and Nextel. Also, Metrocall offers Integrated Resource Management Systems with wireless connectivity solutions for medical, business, government and other campus environments. Metrocall focuses on the business-to-business marketplace and supports organizations of all sizes. Additional information on Metrocall is available on the Internet at http://www.metrocall.com.

Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act: Statements contained herein or in prior press releases which are not historical fact, such as statements regarding Arch and Metrocall's expectations for completing their pending merger, are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause Arch and Metrocall's actual results to be materially different from the future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expectations include, but are not limited to, declining demand for their paging products and services, Arch and Metrocall's ability to continue to reduce operating expenses, Arch and Metrocall's future capital needs, competitive pricing pressures, competition from both traditional paging services and other wireless communications services, government regulation, reliance upon third party providers for certain equipment and services, as well as other risks described from time to time in Arch and Metrocall's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although Arch and Metrocall believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they can give no assurance that their expectations will be attained. Arch and Metrocall disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contacts:
For Arch: Bob Lougee (508) 435-6117
For Metrocall: Brett Mankey (703) 660-6677 Ext.6231

Source: Arch Wireless News Release

Arch/Metrocall summary of total units in service taken from their press releases:

Combined Arch/Metrocall loss of subscribers at the end of the third quarter for the year 2004: -1,316,042

Brad Dye's end of third quarter 2004 estimate, US market (all carriers), total units in service: 10.0 million.

AAPC Fall Conference, Answering the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow, November 3-5, 2004, Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix, Arizona.

The best part of these conferences is making new friends and talking about our common interests.	A beautiful resort surrounded by Arizona mountains.
Monongahela Communications table manned by Bill Tartaglia and Doug Potts who are working on telemetry and location solutions. Great talent here.	Zane Lewis of Commtech Wireless checks out one of the great lunches.
Robin Sab shows Apollo Pagers from Digital Paging Company.	Kenneth E. Hardman, AAPC General Counsel explains what Paging Carriers need to know about Current Regulatory Issues.
Brooks Marsden of GTES chats with Diana Navarro and Arturo Mondragón of Movil@ccess in Mexico	(left to right) Perri McNaught, UCOM/Northeast Paging Bill Reid, Indiana Paging Network Melissa Taylor, SkyTel Panel discussion about enhancing Paging businesses and about the current size of the Paging Market.
	Healthcare and Public Safety panel discussion. Sharon Schauer, Communications Manager Flagstaff Police Department Ron Burch, Emergency Systems Manager Phoenix Fire Department Joe Dohle, Director of Technical Services Lovelace-Sandia Health Systems (NM) Ron Uthmann, Emergency Manager Poudre Fire Authority (CO)
	This is one of the signs that the AAPC used to express their appreciation to the various sponsors of the lunches, dinners, coffee breaks, and entertainment at the conference. Other sponsors were: GTES, American Tower, VCP International, Sun Telecom, Unication, Zetron, and Canyon Ridge Communications. Their support of the conference was appreciated by everyone.

This was a great conference, valuable lessons were learned from the speakers and the panel discussions, and it was all accompanied by fun, food, fellowship, and entertainment. Thanks to the hard work and good planning by the AAPC. If you were not able to attend this one, you missed a good time. We hope to see you at the next one.

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Intelligent Paging & Mobile Data Products

Selective is a developer and manufacturer of highly innovative paging receiver/decoders and mobile data equipment including the PDT2000 Paging Data Terminal, THE MOST INTELLIGENT PAGING RECEIVER IN THE MARKET.  The PDT2000 is a large display pager designed for desktop or in-vehicle mounting and is widely used by emergency services and in onsite paging systems for forklift dispatch etc. All of the following capabilities are standard features of the PDT2000 and of our other paging data receivers:

• FLEX or POCSAG decoding
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• Parallel printer output
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• Message printing etc.

Our mobile data equipment includes a range of intelligent Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) which may be interfaced to a variety of wireless networks including GPRS & CDMA cellular. Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and GPS solutions, Dispatch & Messaging software. We offer mobile communications dealers and systems integrators a “fast to market” job dispatch and job management capability with the inbuilt job processing system which may be interfaced to a variety of CAD & JMS platforms.

Specialised local area paging systems, paging interception and message reprocessing software, field force automation and mobile dispatch solutions. We do custom product development and export worldwide.

CONTACT
Postal Address:	Selective Communications Group PO Box 8798 Symonds St. Auckland, New Zealand
Street Address:	3/2 Haultain St. Eden Tce Auckland, New Zealand
Web site:	www.selective.co.nz CLICK HERE
E-mail:	info@selective.co.nz CLICK HERE
Phone:	+64-9-3021142
Fax:	+64-9-3021148
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Building on its long success story in 1-way paging, Advantra International has become the expert in designing and manufacturing the most advanced and lowest cost ReFLEX™ radio modems for 2-way data-communication. The company also focuses on offering total telemetry solutions.

Advantra thanks its solid reputation to its world-renowned development team, state-of-the-art manufacturing, excellent customer service and its proven track-record.

Motorola Introduces Two New Pagers Ideal for Health Care, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and Utilities Markets

Motorola's newest one-way pagers—the Advisor II pager and the LS355 pager—are ideal for users in demanding business environments who need a convenient and cost effective way to stay in touch.

Both the Advisor II pager and the LS355 pager were developed for use in hospitals and medical facilities, manufacturing environments, utilities, hospitality applications, campus settings, and for businesses that own and operate their own paging systems.

The Advisor II pager's alphanumeric four-line display and expanded functionality incorporate many of the most advanced paging features available. A major advantage of the Advisor II pager is that it is synthesized which enables the user to program the pager to a specific frequency in the field. Other features of the Advisor II pager include:

• Displays up to four lines of text and 80 characters per line
• Zooms in on two lines for larger view
• Optimax® EL Electra Light for optimum readability
• 52 message slots for storing multiple pages
• Two notebook areas, including a personal notebook and a mail drop notebook

The LS355 numeric pager enables users to receive a "call-back" number that can be returned at the user's convenience. This pager has a one-button design for ease of use. Features of the new LS355 pager include:

• 16 message slots for storing multiple pages
• Six individual addresses to allow the user to receive individual or group pages
• 4 icons including Message Preview, Unread Message Indication, Alert Mode, and Out of Range Indication
• Saves messages when off or when the battery is being changed and offers the time and date when on standby
• RS232 programmable to allow for programming changes in the field

Both the Advisor II pager and the LS355 pager are available in POCSAG, UHF or VHF models and ship with a one-year standard warranty. As part of the continued support of these pagers, Motorola offers a two-year Express Service Plus program. This feature provides hardware repair coverage for two years beyond the standard one-year warranty for a total of three years of pager repair coverage. Both pagers are available through Motorola Authorized Resellers.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2003.

Complete Technical Services For The
Communications and Electronics Industries
Design • Installation • Maintenance • Training

Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.
Consulting Engineer
Registered Professional Engineer

Advertise Here

Your company's logo and product promotion can appear right here for 6 months. It only costs $500 for a full-size ad in 26 issues—that's $19.23 an issue. (6 month minimum run.)

Details about the various advertising plans can be read here.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

CALL CENTER

Please click on the image above for more information.

two tone pager QUATTRINO RE529 Reliable operation Flexible programming Weather resistant

A fast and reliable alarming system is an indisputable prerequisite for emergency fire and rescue services to respond successfully and efficiently. State-of-the-art paging enables groups as well as individuals to be alerted.

The Quattrino Voice and Memo two-tone pagers are suitable for everyone, even for those working in an emergency during severe weather conditions. Continual further development of previous popular models has resulted in a practical, reliable and user-friendly device, innovatively housed with ergonomic operating controls. Design elements include a very long standby function, and weather proofing to the European IP54 specifications.

I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for Swissphone. Please contact me directly for any additional information. CLICK

www.swissphone.com

Wireless Telemetry

Data Communications	Level 1	A basic ReFLEX transceiver, sending and receiving serial RS-232 ASCII data.
Telemetry Remote Monitoring and Control	Level 2	An enhanced ReFLEX transceiver, monitoring alarms from a remote site, and sending commands to the remote site.
Asset or Fleet Tracking	Level 3	An enhanced ReFLEX transceiver, with the addition of a GPS module for the reporting of accurate locations to enable tracking.
Field Force Automation	Level 4	An enhanced ReFLEX transceiver, with the addition of a GPS module and a handheld computer terminal for full automation of field service activities all the way from the customer's location back to the service company's back office.
We can generally turn a specification into a prototype in two to four weeks. If you have an interesting application in mind, please give me a call so we can talk about it. ()

The Electronic Entities Group

www.EEonTheWeb.com

Remember that old word “Residuals”?

The EE Group is actively seeking Dealers with sales/ service/installation capabilities to promote the latest wireless AVL, SCADA and data products from Telegauge Systems, Inc. This innovative program requires NO inventory and NO billing by your facility; you just sell it and sign up the end user to collect the commissions.

Now the real reason to choose the EE Group and Telegauge over the host of others; we pay you permanent residual income every month on your airtime sales forever.

Airtime commissions range up to 12% per month based on prior sales and you buy all equipment direct from the factory at 2-tiered wholesale prices as well for great margins. 

Telegauge builds fully 2-way overt and covert (hidden) GPS based Automatic Vehicle Location, SCADA, remote management, telemetry and data systems routed via cellular and satellite that are delivered to the end user via the Internet or direct to the desktop. Applications are both ‘canned’ and custom depending upon the customers needs. We even have full dispatch systems including credit card swipe and billing if needed.

Finally, the prices on the product are guaranteed to be the LOWEST in the industry at under $600 retail for the equipment and from $6 to $30 on the monthly airtime with most customers in the $15 range. Note too that the price is the same for cellular OR satellite world wide coverage and no one else has this exclusive capability.

Telegauge provides the product, software, airtime, billing and final information from a single source and you can be a BIG part of it. You stock NOTHING, just collect the checks.

We are paid by the manufacturer to support YOU and unlike other factories; we never bid against you, restrict you or take your deal. We help you with demo equipment, brochures, information, sales assistance, web advertising and user name/passwords for the website so that you don’t even need to buy anything to start up fast.

Contact us for a no-obligation CD of all the presentation and training material, price spreadsheets and information at: EEGroup@EEonTheWeb.com or for fast action call for a link to the Dealers Only page: 310-534-4456 and mention that you found out about it via Brad Dye’s Newsletter. You have nothing to lose and some great residual income to gain. Call or e-mail NOW.

AAPC Mission Statement

To represent paging carriers throughout the United States to ensure the success of our industry by:

• Identifying issues of common concern to its members
• Providing an effective forum for the discussion and progression of issues relating to the industry
• Monitoring and addressing regulatory and legal matters as a unified organization
• Providing research into and development of our industry and its current and prospective markets
• Providing education and resources to address the challenges and trends affecting our operating environments
• Encouraging and maintaining high standards of ethics and services
• Championing the industry and representing paging carriers with a positive voice

Our industry must move forward together or we will perish individually.

AAPC links:

• Newsroom
• Paging Technical Committee
• Printed Newsletter archive
• Dues
• Membership application
• E-mail (more information)

Zetron Simulcast System

High-speed simulcast paging with protocols such as POCSAG and FLEX™ requires microsecond accuracy to synchronize the transmission of digital paging signals.

Zetron's Simulcast System uses GPS timing information to ensure that the broadcasted transmissions between the nodes of the Simulcast System and associated transmitters are synchronized to very tight tolerances.

This system is ideal for public or private paging system operators that use multiple transmitters and wish to create new paging systems or to build out existing systems into new regions. For more information about Zetron's High Speed Simulcast Paging System, the Model 600 and Model 620, go to:

www.zetron.com/paging. CLICK HERE

CONTACT

Zetron, Inc. P.O. Box 97004 Redmond, WA 98073-9704 USA

Tel: 425-820-6363

Fax: 425-820-7031

E-mail: zetron@zetron.com CLICK HERE

THIRD TERM SUPPORTER

Prism Message Gateway Systems
Modular and Configurable

Your Choice of Options

• Radio Paging Terminals
• Voicemail Systems
• Email and Network Text Messaging Systems
• Digital Trunk Switching Systems
• Digital Trunk and Voicemail Concentrators
• Remote Network Encoders
• TNPP Network Routers

Popular Choice for Domestic and International

• Commercial Paging Carriers
• Private Paging Systems
• Hospitals
• Public Safety
• Federal, State and Local Government
• Industrial Paging
• Energy Companies – Load Management

Logical Choice

• Replace Outdated, UNLICENSED Paging Terminals
• Eliminate Outrageously High Support Costs
• Add New Paging System with ALL THE FEATURES
• Provide Your Customers With Features They Want
• Designed and Supported by Industry Experts

Go ahead . . . be choosy . . . choose Prism Systems International

CONTACT

Prism Systems International, Inc. 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 100 Roswell, Georgia 30076 USA

Telephone: 678-353-3366

Internet: www.prismpaging.com CLICK HERE

E-mail: info@prismpaging.com CLICK HERE

MAXPage
It's like a Motorola PeopleFinder™ on Steroids!

More information

Commtech Wireless introduces MAXPage, a desktop paging terminal packed with features.

Alpha, Numeric, Tone, & Voice
MAXPage, from Commtech Wireless, is the ideal replacement for the Motorola PeopleFinder™. With its advanced features, it can be used with Alphanumeric, Numeric, Tone only, Coaster pagers as well as 2-tone voice pagers in countless applications.

Serial Interface
With the inclusion of a serial interface, MAXPage can interface with Comp, TAP, Scope™, Waveware & Tekk systems as well as Commtech's Wireless Callpoints.

Telephone Interface
Anyone can be given easy access to the MAXPage system through its telephone interface. Once the system is connected to a telephone port, anyone can pick up a telephone, dial the MAXPage unit and use the keypad on their phone to send messages to pagers. The telephone can also be used to transmit voice messages to 2-tone voice pagers.

Alarm Inputs
A powerful feature of MAXPage is its onboard alarms. The four, dry contact closure, onboard alarm inputs will automatically dispatch messages to pagers or groups when activated. Alarms not cleared within a configured time frame can activate a repeat message (escalation) to either the same pager/group or to an alternative pager/group.

Features*

• 1000 Pager capacity
• Selectable 2 or 4 watt transmitter
• Reminder messages
• Dual mode function keys - one touch messaging
• 2-tone voice paging - from on-board mic or telephone
• 4 alarm inputs
• Voice prompted telephone paging
• QWERTY keyboard interface (PS2)
• Windows® interface for advanced features
• Serial interface for Comp/TAP/Scope™/Waveware/Tekk
• Coaster paging management system

*Some of the features listed are optional and are not supplied as standard

For more information, simply fill out the feedback form or contact us on the details below.

CONTACT

Mr. Zane Lewis Commtech Wireless USA 6900 Philips Highway, Suite #26-27 Jacksonville, FL, 32216

Phone: 904-281-0073

Fax: 904-281-0074

E-mail: sales@commtechwireless.com CLICK

Web: www.commtechwireless.com CLICK

PAGING TECHNICIAN

Mark Hood mehood@cox.net

Telephone: 757-588-0537

Paging Field Engineer/Electronic technician in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area.

Download resumé here. CLICK

www.gtesinc.com
Your Professional Services Partner

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.

New Product Development

New Hardware Platform
New Data Protocol Support
Small Campus Two-Way Systems
Location LSP
Hosted Two Way Support

Please call GTES Sales at 770-754-1666 for more information on the above.

Continued Support Programs

GTES Partner Program
Product Sales
On-Site Services
Software Development
Product Training

CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR SUPPORT NEEDS

Wireless Communication Solutions

The Hark ISI-400LX is a hardware device that encapsulates serial data into TCP/IP for transmission over the Internet. It can also be configured to convert incoming TAP messages from the serial port and send them over the Internet to paging providers in email (SMTP) or Simple Network Paging Protocol (SNPP) format. The ISI-400LX with the optional external modem can connect to a secondary dial-up ISP when a failure on the ethernet port is detected.

This device is the perfect companion for the Hark Gateway products. An ISI can be located at a remote location for receiving TAP, TNPP, or Billing traffic using a local ISP eliminating long distance phone charges.

System Features & Benefits:

• Hardware Based
• Uses Embedded Linux as the Multitasking OS
• Secure access for Configuration and Maintenance
• Converts Serial TAP message to SNPP or SMTP
• Converts Serial Data to TCP/IP and TCP/IP back to Serial
• Connects to Internet using 10Base-T Network
• Connects to Internet using Modem and PPP
• Dial Backup to another ISP or Modem
• Can be Configured to use 1 to 4 Serial Ports

CONTACT

Hark Systems, Inc. 2675 Lake Park Drive N. Charleston, SC 29406

Tel: +1 800-367-4275 or 843-764-1560 ext. 8104

Fax: +1 843-764-3692

E-mail: leanne@harksystems.com CLICK

Web: http://www.harksystems.com CLICK

SECOND TERM SUPPORTER

• ISO 9001 - 2000 certified manufacturing facility.
• THE High-Quality RF design and Contract Manufacturer of choice.
• Do you have a product or product component that you would like to have manufactured?
• Would you like to have us design and manufacture a product just for you?
• Would you like to know firsthand that your contract manufacturer is one of the leading providers of service with the highest degree of quality in mind?

Daviscomms USA Inc. is your direct connection to Daviscomms (S) Pte Ltd., the leading pager manufacturer in the world with many years experience in Engineering, Design, and Manufacturing of highly-reliable, premium-quality FLEX and POCSAG Alphanumeric and Numeric pagers. Daviscomms offers unparalleled quality, features and functions. We perform our own stringent quality testing as well as certification by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to meet all of their standards. All of our paging products meet FCC and IC Standards for use in the USA and Canada.

Our manufacturing facility, located in Malaysia, is a 40,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility. Customers, globally, choose Daviscomms for our QUALITY, RELIABILITY, ON-TIME DELIVERY, COMPETITIVE PRICING and our TOTAL COMMITMENT to providing the best value for their needs.

TMR w/BNC Telemetry	We offer full product support (ODM/OEM) for our worldwide customers, including a complete design center, research facilities, proto-typing, field services, contract manufacturing, commodity sourcing, and distribution.
In addition to both Numeric and Alphanumeric pagers, we have designed, engineered and manufactured 1-way Telemetry devices, paging receivers, 2-way paging (ReFLEX) telemetry devices, DECT phones/devices and PDA accessories.	Bravo 500 Numeric Display

At Daviscomms, we are proud to provide our customers with end-to-end manufacturing solutions while delivering superior quality and support. Daviscomms is at the forefront of the industry with its commitment to leading-edge technology, cost-effective manufacturing and the highest degree of customer service.

Daviscomms delivers low cost, high volume manufacturing solutions to our customers. We help maximize time-to-market objectives while minimizing procurement, materials management, and manufacturing costs.

For information about our contract manufacturing services or our Bravo-branded line of numeric and alphanumeric pagers, please call Bob Popow, our Director of Operations for the Americas, 480-515-2344. (Scottsdale, Arizona) or visit our website www.daviscommsusa.com.

DX Radio Systems, Inc. manufactures high quality, high specification type communications products. The following is a list of products that DX Radio Systems, Inc. manufactures or supplies as a single supplied product and can be included as part of a turnkey system:

• Repeaters
• Repeater Systems
• Paging Transmitters
• Paging Systems
• LTR & MPT1327 Trunking Systems
• MPT1327 Trunking Repeaters
• SmarTrunk II Trunking Repeaters
• Complete Trunking Systems
• Airport Ground to Air Base Radios
• Airport Ground to Air Systems
• Rural Radiotelephone Link Systems
• Antenna Systems
• Combining Systems
• Complete Turnkey Systems
• Engineering & Installation of All Systems

Performance that is tough to find anywhere at a price you can afford.

CONTACT

DX Radio Systems, Inc. 10941 Pendleton Street Sun Valley, California 91352-1522 USA

Telephone: 818-252-6700

Fax: 818-252-6711

E-mail: Info@DXRadioSystems.com CLICK

Web: www.dxradiosystems.com CLICK

		Space Data Overview
	Company Background Space Data has developed and deployed a balloon-borne wireless network that enables the delivery of wireless services in geographies and locations that are not served or are poorly served by existing wireless technologies and service providers. The company was founded in 1997 and is led by a team of technology professionals with years of experience operating and designing complex communications hardware and software networks. The SkySite® Network: Communications Where You Need It Through its SkySite Network, Space Data provides reliable, affordable communications in rural and remote areas. Companies in industries ranging from energy to utilities to transportation have suffered from lost profits and poor productivity due to an inability to the get data they need to run their remote operations safely and efficiently. Space Data has created the network and the subscriber equipment needed to quickly and affordably gather operational data from both fixed and moving assets, no matter how remote the location. Target Markets Space Data’s SkySite Network has been designed to deliver low to medium-rate two-way data communications across wide areas. The network is thus able to support such applications as SCADA communications, telemetry, GPS-based location tracking and messaging. Space Data focuses on delivering these services and applications to industries and customers that operate in environments where critical assets and personnel are outside the range of traditional communications. Space Data’s initial market focus is on the energy and transportation industries where assets such as oil and gas wells, pipelines, service fleets and personnel are remotely located or travel to remote locations. For SCADA and telemetry users, SkySite Network service offers the following benefits: Remote area coverage eliminates costs associated with manual data collection. High reliability service minimizes lost data, resulting in more efficient operations. Affordable modems optimized to run on the SkySite Network yield quick ROI. For users seeking to track asset location, SkySite Network service offers the following benefits: Capability to retrieve accurate location information for vehicles and moving assets on a 24x7 regardless of where those assets travel. Reduce incidences of theft and unauthorized use of assets. For users seeking two-way messaging capabilities, SkySite Network service offers the following benefits: Ability to use low cost off-the-shelf commercial two-way paging devices. Ability to interoperate with other two-way paging networks. Remote area coverage means field workers can always be in contact. Reliable Operations Space Data’s network uses a system that has proven reliable for more than half a century. Every day for more than 60 years, at nearly one thousand sites worldwide, governments have launched weather balloons to gather atmospheric data for weather forecasts. These balloon launches are performed reliably on a coordinated basis in all weather conditions. Space Data is the first to adapt this field proven-concept for commercial application. Coverage Space Data provides 24x7 two-way data communications coverage throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, as well as portions of New Mexico, Arkansas, Arizona, California and the Gulf of Mexico. In the future, the company expects to further expand its data services across the continental U.S. and eventually into international markets.
	460 S. Benson Lane • Suite 12 • Chandler, AZ 85224 • 866-416-4403 www.spacedata.net
A VISIT TO SPACE DATA CORPORATION

The following photos are of a tour of the Space Data headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. It was personally conducted by Gerald Knoblach, co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Space Data Corporation. The guests were Diana Navarro Dücker, General Manager of Movil@ccess in Mexico and Enrique Arturo Mondragón Campero one of the Movil@ccess engineers working with telemetry.

Movil@ccess provides two-way paging services throughout Mexico. Its Paging call center is the largest in Mexico and offers support services for 1-900 numbers and telemarketing. The company also provides fully automated, and operator-assisted, wireless messaging capabilities throughout Mexico and the United States through a roaming agreement with Arch Wireless. Movil@ccess is a subsidiary of Grupo Salinas, an international conglomerate based in Mexico.

TOWERS FOR SALE
New, never installed, complete with hardware.
Please call or e-mail with questions.

TOO MUCH TO LIST • CALL OR E-MAIL

Rick McMichael 888-429-4171 rmcm@preferredwireless.com CLICK

SECOND TERM SUPPORTER

Specially designed course for sales, marketing, and administration personnel. Engineers will only be admitted with a note signed by their mothers, promising that they will just listen and not disrupt the class. (This is supposed to be funny!)

This is a one-day training course on paging that can be conducted at your place of business. Please take a look at the course outline to see if you think this might be beneficial in your employees: Paging training course outline. I would be happy to customize the content to meet your specific requirements.

Although it touches on several "technical" topics, it is definitely not a technical course. I used to teach the sales and marketing people at Motorola Paging and they appreciated an atmosphere where they could ask technical questions without being made to feel like a dummy and without getting a long convoluted overly-technical answer that left them more confused than before. A good learning environment is one that is non-threatening.

Let me know if you would like to receive a quotation, or if you would like to have any additional information.

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: http://www.outr.net/overnight_pw.htm Their latest newsletter is: "Business Development in Mobile Data"

Please call me so we can discuss your need or your idea. Or contact me by e-mail for additional information. CLICK

Mac-based supercomputer drops to 7th place on Top500

With performance almost double that of the Earth Simulator, in Yokohama, Japan, IBM Corp.'s Blue Gene/L on Monday was officially ranked first on the Top500 list of the world's fastest supercomputers. IBM built four of the top ten machines on the biannual list, which was set to be announced Monday evening at the SC2004 conference in Pittsburgh. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University reappeared on the list, finishing in seventh position five months after dropping off the June list because of a hardware upgrade to Apple Computer Inc.'s Xserve systems. Virginia Tech's "SuperMac" system reported a benchmark of 12.25 teraflops.

Blue Gene/L is a 33,000-processor prototype of a much larger US$100 million system that will be delivered to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, during the first half of 2005. The system is capable of performing 70.72 trillion calculations per second, making it the first new system to top the list since the Earth Simulator first appeared in 2002.

When fully assembled at Lawrence Livermore, Blue Gene/L will be a 130,000-processor system with an estimated peak performance of 360 teraflops, according to IBM. A teraflop is one trillion calculations per second.

In second place on Monday's Top500 ranking is the 10,240-processor "Columbia" supercomputer, built by Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) for the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. With a benchmarked performance of 51.87 teraflops, it easily beat out NEC Corp.'s Earth Simulator, which was measured at 35.86 teraflops.

The Top500 list is compiled from results that are voluntarily submitted by owners or manufacturers of the various machines. It is based on the Linpack benchmark, which gauges the speed with which the systems can run certain mathematical operations.

Though Linpack is sometimes criticized for not being a universal indicator of overall performance, a high ranking on the Top500 list is highly coveted, and computer makers have been scrambling to outdo each other with benchmark results over the past few months, in anticipation of Monday's release of the list.

In September, IBM released numbers showing Blue Gene/L to be slightly ahead of the Earth Simulator. A month later, NEC announced plans to build a 65-teraflop supercomputer in December of this year. That announcement was followed by preliminary Linpack results on the SGI system, which put it ahead of both Blue Gene/L and the Earth Simulator.

Despite the unusual amount of jockeying between vendors, the Top500 list has essentially become a "two-player game" in recent years, said Erich Strohmaier, a computer scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in Berkeley, California, and one of the maintainers of the list. With 216 IBM systems and 173 built by Hewlett-Packard Co., the two companies have built more than 75 percent of the systems on the list, Strohmaier said.

And while the majority of systems on the list are built in the U.S., the number of Top500 supercomputers being built in Asian countries is rising steadily, Strohmaier said. China, for example, had 17 systems on the list. "That is substantially up from nine systems a year ago," said Strohmaier. "It was only a few years ago that we had the very first Chinese system."

Source: MacCentral

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With best regards,	Brad Dye WIRELESS DATA CONSULTANT		WIRELESS DATA
	Voice:
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	E–mail:	brad@braddye.com
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