| FRIDAY - APRIL 1, 2005 - ISSUE NO. 158 | ||||
Dear friends of Wireless Messaging and Paging, I had lunch with Ira Wiesenfeld a couple of weeks ago. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and travels all over the country making Paging and other types of radio communications systems work right. He loaned me a copy of the April 2003 issue of Mobile Radio Technology magazine, which has an article that he and Robert Smith wrote about troubleshooting antenna systems. It is also online: Antenna System Troubleshooting Simplified. This is a good article and explains the benefits of the new affordable Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) antenna test equipment. Ira is also the author of the book, Wiring for Wireless Sites. I am looking forward to seeing many old friends and meeting some new ones at the IWCE trade show in Las Vegas. Because of the travel to the show, there will not be a newsletter next week. I will try to get a report on the show out to everyone on the following Monday or Tuesday—as I have done in the last two years. I will be roaming around the exhibit halls at the IWCE on Wednesday (April 6) and Thursday (April 7). The exhibit area will be open form 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on those days. The best place to look for me will be in booth number 3064 with the AAPC since I am a strong supporter of this organization. If you are interested in what's going on at USA Mobility, the best source of official information is from their company update given in a conference call on March 17th. If you didn't get to listen to the call, a full transcript was included in their form 8-K filing with the SEC on March 21st. You can click on the link and download the whole report in a "pdf" file. I compiled a recap of their four 2004 quarterly reports here in case you didn't see it in previous newsletters. Now on to the News and Views about Wireless Messaging. |
A new issue of The Wireless Messaging Newsletter gets posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the Internet. That way it doesn't fill up your incoming e-mail account. There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world's major Paging and Wireless Data companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers—so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology. I regularly get reader's comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Data communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my website. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it. NOTE: This newsletter is best viewed at screen resolutions of 800x600 (good) or 1024x768 (better). Any current revision of web browser should work fine. Please notify me of any problems with viewing. This site is compliant with XHTML 1.0 transitional coding for easy access from wireless devices. (XML 1.0/ISO 8859-1.) | |||
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 28, 2005 SkyTel Founder John Palmer Acquires Equity Position in USlegal, Inc., the Parent Company of USlegalforms.com
USlegal, Inc., as a parent corporation of various USlegal companies, integrates offerings to attorneys and the public which include legal information, legal products, legal forms, and document preparation. Much of the Company’s success has been fueled by USlegalforms.com, which delivers immediate access to more than 36,000 state specific legal forms. According to USlegal CEO Frank Edens, the capital provided by Palmer will assist the Company in taking advantage of growth opportunities in the legal publishing industry. “John Palmer has been a founder and chairman of several very successful companies and his investment underscores a very important endorsement of the concept our Company is developing,” said USlegal CEO Frank Edens. Palmer, former Chairman and founder of SkyTel Communications, was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, a post that he held until this year. In addition to SkyTel, which he sold to MCI WorldCom in 1999, he formed Mobile Communications Corporation of America (MCCA), which he later sold to Bell South. “I have looked at many opportunities in the technology field and was impressed with the proven track record and business model that USlegal, Inc. has implemented. I am excited about being involved and taking this Company to the next level,” said Palmer. ##### About John Palmer In 1989, Palmer sold MCCA to BellSouth but retained certain businesses that became SkyTel Communications. These operations included SkyTel's domestic one-way paging and advanced messaging system and Latin American paging services. SkyTel became a leader in advanced wireless messaging and deployed the first nationwide two-way wireless messaging network. Palmer served as Chairman of SkyTel until its sale to MCI WorldCom in 1999. Palmer was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Portugal by President George W. Bush and held the post from 2001- 2005. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Palmer was Chairman of GulfSouth Capital, Inc. in Jackson, Mississippi, which helped finance tech companies. He was also appointed by President Bush to sit on the President’s Export Council as a Private Sector Advisor to the Secretary of Commerce and by President Reagan as the Private Sector Trade Advisor to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. A native of Mississippi, Palmer received both a bachelor’s degree and M.B.A from the University of Mississippi. About USlegal, Inc. USlegal, Inc. is a multi-faceted publishing company, which has pioneered Internet ventures geared toward the legal profession, businesses, and the public since 1997. Much of the Company’s success has been fueled by its website USlegalforms.com which offers more than 36,000 legal forms and is the first company on the Internet to offer state specific legal forms for all 50 U.S. states. The founders of USlegal, Inc. are Frank D. Edens and Lem Adams, III, both attorneys and partners of Adams and Edens law firm in Brandon, MS. USlegal products are designed to assist attorneys in conducting their business more efficiently and to help consumers with common and routine legal needs. For more information about USlegal, Inc., please visit http://www.uslegal.com or call (601) 825-3065.
Source: USlegal Press Release
Sun Microsystems Releases Sun Java System Instant Messaging Posted Apr 01, 2005 Sun Microsystems, Inc. has announced the latest version of Sun Java System Instant Messaging, a component of Sun Java Communications Suite. With this latest release, Sun is supporting the eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), a protocol approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as an Internet standard for instant messaging and presence technologies. In addition, Sun Java System Instant Messaging includes new privacy controls, improvements in usability, and new partnerships to enhance the offering. XMPP is intended to facilitate interoperability across instant messaging and real-time, presence-based applications, as well as facilitating third-party integration. Using XMPP, Sun Java System Instant Messaging can help customers protect their communications infrastructure investments by enabling the software to be customized to meet business requirements. Sun is working with Clique Communications, a provider of video communication and collaboration tools to integrate Sun Java System Instant Messaging with Clique Video Messenger. Clique offers modular, component-based solutions that are interoperable across mobile and wireline networks. Customers using Sun Java System Instant Messaging along with Clique Video Messenger, will now be able to incorporate video calling into their communication infrastructure. The new release of Sun Java System Instant Messaging is designed to help customers address the issues of privacy and regulatory compliance with privacy controls and partner integrations. Access permissions and a set of privacy profile controls enable users to control information about their presence and availability. Integration between Sun Java System Instant Messaging and ArcMentor offers customers the ability to securely archive, monitor, retrieve, and analyze instant messaging content including both message body and transferred files. Source: EContent Generation Y Embraces Text Messaging March 18, 2005 Cell phone owners ages 18-27, known as Generation Y, represent the group most likely to send a text message, with 63 percent sending messages, a new study finds. "The proliferation of cell phones and the spread of text messaging are changing patterns of communication for many Americas—especially younger ones," said Lee Rainie, director of Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew Internet & American Life Project gathered information through a telephone survey of 1,460 cell phone users between Jan. 13 and Feb. 9. Research also uncovered that 31 percent of Generation X (ages 28-39) cell phone owners text message, while 18 percent of younger Baby Boomers (ages 40-49) and 13 percent of older Baby Boomers (ages 50 to 58) send text messages, respectively. Adults, as a group, are warming to the technology, with 27 percent of adult cell phone owners sending a text message with the last month. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they have received an unsolicited commercial text message on their wireless device. Source: Wireless Week Mouth-watering inventions March 23, 2005 WIRELESS REMOTE BBQ THERMOMETER PAGER: It seems that everyone enjoys a good barbecue—except the chef, that is. That's because the poor guy has to stay next to the hot grill making sure the burgers his guests want cooked "medium" don't become well-done. And who wants to hang out next to the guy who's alone and next to hot coals? Well, this new gadget will make barbecues more fun for everyone. It's a barbecue thermometer with a wireless pager. Stick the probe in the meat, set the desired temperature on your pager and walk away—with the pager, of course. When the meat has reached the temperature you want, the pager goes off. Source: Chicago Sun-Times Bulldog Technologies Granted Patent for Wireless Cargo Security Technology Wireless sensor company's new technology would provide continuous security feedback Updated: March 21st, 2005 11:11 AM EDT Business Wire Bulldog Technologies Inc., a provider of wireless sensor networks and solutions that monitor, track and secure assets in the supply chain, announced today that it has been granted a new patent for a security/tracking device that attaches to the rear locking rods of a cargo container or tractor-trailer by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent outlines a solution which provides continuous feedback on security status to a receiving device, be it a device connected to a monitoring network or a mobile pager type. This unique technology is employed throughout Bulldog's BOSS portfolio of industry-leading wireless cargo security devices for the supply chain. "This patent is the main building block of our strategic wireless cargo security portfolio," said Heetor Wald, CTO of Bulldog Technologies. "This will provide Bulldog the platform from which to continue to develop customer and market driven industry leading technologies to monitor, track and secure assets in the supply chain." The granting of this patent demonstrates the market leading position that Bulldog Technologies Inc. touts in cargo security. The BOSS line of products are designed not only to deter entry but to wirelessly alert the monitoring station should tampering occur. The product line has been proven to be invaluable in port yards, distribution centers, over the road trucking, retail stores and within the law enforcement community. "The patent represents that Bulldog has the exclusive right to have a device attached to the locking bars of a container or tractor-trailer, with or without GPS services transmitting security data to a monitoring receiver or mobile pager. The patent is an asset to Bulldog, setting us apart by demonstrating that our technology is truly unique", added John Cockburn, President and CEO of Bulldog Technologies. "This is a significant milestone for Bulldog and its shareholders as we continue to build out our presence throughout the various stages of the cargo supply chain, as it will surely create a barrier of entry for our competitors and keep Bulldog and the BOSS portfolio of wireless cargo security solutions at the forefront of the cargo security industry." Source: Security Info Watch Team Amber News: Fifty States To Receive Regionalized Team Amber Alert Tickers Amarillo, Texas USA (March 22, 2005)—Team Amber Alert Www.TeamAmberAlert.Net, the largest broadcaster of Amber Alerts nationwide has joined with the Public to deliver state specific or nationwide notification of Amber Alerts to mobile digital devices. Starting today, anyone can sign up to receive Amber Alerts on those devices at Www.TeamAmberAlert.Net The Team Amber Alert services are free. If compatibility problems exist our team will find ways to deliver the notification alerts. Antonia Plemmons, CEO and founder of Team Amber Alert, says she has responded to the millions of requests to receive messages via personal digital devices to the public. "Proven success Amber Alerts are solved when a citizen sees a vehicle or a subject involved in the missing child abduction alert. When you are cruising with friends, you most likely have your cell phone, Pager or PDA with you." Team Amber Alert is the Net's Amber Alert distribution entity that has proven to deliver Amber Alert information directly to media from law enforcement sources in all 50 states, Canada and Britain (Soon to be Ireland). Team Amber Alert's XML and RSS feeds have transmitted well over 260 Amber Alerts to major broadcaster markets in two plus years with proven accuracy and reliability. Interviewed and/or linked to by media broadcasters like CNN, CBS Affiliates, ABC, NBC and Fox News when reporting on Amber Alerts or Missing Child Alerts so that their viewers can see nearest real time updates. Plemmons says, "The Team Amber Alert ticker has made its point to be the most on time alert notification ticker in the world—people help find children by staying alert, and notification is our goal." The information is delivered to an audience over 5 million viewers on a daily basis, with the information appearing on websites and computer desktops, including television stations, radio stations, and talk shows. "The public demands our system on a 24 hour basis and we will continue to answer their demands. Growth continues to be steady as we increase our reach to the Public through regionalization and localization (language selections)." "Having designed the growth of Team Amber Alert into a trusted News Source for AMBER Alerts in North America via our XML feeds to digital media. The Team Amber Alert Ticker's are both web based and desktop based tools to alert the global net community" said Plemmons. We do more than the news we work to find the missing by directly empowering the left behind family with the needed counseling and strategies to bring their children home. Team Amber Alert grew out of a plan by left behind parents to get their children with recovery strategies we call Home Run Campaigns. Team Amber Alert continues to change the way America looks for missing child of any age. Forensic Search Dog Program Places dogs in communities. Each Project City need to raise about $10,000 to $20,000 plus maintain a full time employee as a dedicated handler. Dog and handler are bonded for life. We need your help to bring these dogs to every community in the country. SOURCE Team Amber Alert, A Texas Base Corporation Determined by the IRS to be a Public Charity 501 (c)(3) Corporation. Web Site: www.TeamAmberAlert.Net Largest Broadcaster of Amber Alerts Globally Offers Free Service to Digital Communication Devices. RIM beating palmOne in wireless war Aggressive strategy wins investors for BlackBerry maker By SIMON AVERY The two hottest devices for receiving wireless e-mail today are the BlackBerry from Research In Motion Ltd. and the Treo from palmOne Inc. Each company has a rapidly growing collection of customers that are getting hooked on the idea of being able to access their data while on the move. While a debate rages over which company's gadget has the best features, investors have clearly staked their preference between the two. Even with both companies reporting nearly identical sales of about $1.2-billion (U.S.) in the last 12 months, RIM has a market valuation of $14.6-billion, more than 12 times greater than the $1.2-billion of Milpitas, Calif.-based palmOne. RIM's share price has increased 71 per cent in the last year, compared with nearly 76 per cent for palmOne. But investors' willingness to pay more for RIM comes down to a handful of factors. The Waterloo, Ont.-based company is both a hardware and software player. Even though hardware accounts for an increasingly large share of RIM's revenue (71 per cent in the third quarter), the company is trying to boost software sales with an ambitious program to license its technology to rival hardware companies, including Nokia Corp., Siemens AG, and Motorola Inc. Analysts say RIM's decision last week to pay $450-million to settle a patent infringement suit with NTP Inc. could spur the rollout of new lines of hardware running BlackBerry software. In contrast, the original creator of the handheld device, Palm Inc., split its hardware and software operations into two separate companies. PalmSource Inc. is now responsible for licensing the Palm operating system, but it has been unsuccessful in getting it onto non-Palm devices. "Fundamentally, we remain concerned about palmOne's hardware-only business model that's heavily dependent on the success of a single production (Treo) with intensifying competition and its inconsistent execution," Andrew Neff, an analyst with Bear Stearns & Co. Inc., wrote in a recent research note. Execution is another factor that has been hurting palmOne's stock. Last week, the company reported quarterly profit in line with previously reduced expectations. It also topped the Street's revenue forecast, posting an increase of 18 per cent, to $285.3-million. But management issued guidance that fell short of consensus, saying some products won't ship on time this quarter. PalmOne has revealed inventory management problems before, and investors showed little patience on hearing the news, knocking nearly 9 per cent off the stock. In January, Tom Bradley, palmOne's chief executive officer, resigned. His departure followed that of both the chief financial officer and the head of global operations last year. In his report, released after last week's results, Mr. Neff said investors seem to have factored all of these concerns into palmOne's stock. He boosted his rating to "peer perform" from "under perform," on the expectation of good sales of the Treo line. PalmOne has sold about one million Treos since introducing the device in October, 2003. In comparison, RIM, which launched the BlackBerry in 1999, reported about two million subscribers at the end of its third quarter on Nov. 27. PalmOne relies on third party software companies such as Good Technology Inc. to sell the software that relays e-mails and other applications to its devices. Good reports signing up about 4,000 corporate customers who use the Treo, including the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. But most analysts still consider RIM the dominant player in the enterprise market, in part because it has developed close relationships with more than 80 carriers around the world. Maynard Um, an analyst with UBS Investment Research, thinks the company is well positioned to fend off all competitors. "We think competitive fears regarding Microsoft, Good, etc. have been overblown. Feedback from carriers indicates these products are having minimal impact to BlackBerry sales," he wrote in a report. PalmOne shares (PLMO) rose $1.86 to $24.35. RIM shares fell $5.61 (Canadian) to $93.69. Source: Globe and Mail MCI accepts Verizon’s $7.6-billion bid Verizon wins MCI with a beefed-up offer, leaving Qwest out in the cold after a bruising, six-week bidding war. March 29, 2005 MCI accepted a sweetened takeover offer of $7.6 billion from Verizon Communications on Tuesday, spurning Qwest’s higher offer of $8.45 billion. Verizon hiked its cash-and-stock offer to $23.50 per share, up from the $20.75 per share, or $6.75 billion, that Verizon originally agreed to pay when the companies stuck a deal in mid-February. In addition to adding more cash, the bid includes protection against a decline in its stock price. "MCI's board has been closely and carefully evaluating all of the recent developments," said MCI Chairman Nicholas Katzenbach. "We believe Verizon's substantial increase in its offer, the strength of its competitive position, and the financial certainty at close make this offer compelling to our shareholders, customers, and employees." MCI shareholders will receive at least 0.4062 shares of Verizon for each share of MCI. The deal also includes $2.75 per share in cash plus $5.60 in special cash dividends, not including a $0.40-cent dividend recently paid by MCI to its shareholders. Shares of MCI, the second largest long-distance carrier, slipped $0.24 to $27.10 in recent trading, while shares of Verizon, the nation's largest telecom services provider, rose $0.69 to $35.41. “Verizon and MCI together create a formidable and highly competitive company delivering a full range of mission-critical voice and data products to business and government,” said Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg. “We believe our agreement with MCI represents superior value and is a compelling proposition for MCI’s shareholders, customers, employees and creditors.” Qwest disagreed. “We respect the right of Verizon to change the composition and value of their bid, but we still believe our proposal creates superior value for shareowners,” said Qwest spokesperson Claire Mylott. “We are going to assess the situation and determine what is in the best interests of shareowners, customers, and employees.” Shares of Qwest Communications, the nation's fourth-largest local phone outfit, rose $0.08 cents to $3.83. Consolidation within the telecommunications field has accelerated over the last few years as rising competition has pushed regional phone companies and long-distance carriers to cut costs and find new customers. As cable companies try to woo residential customers, and disruptive technologies like voice-over-IP (VoIP) challenge traditional phone service, regional carriers find themselves in a defensive position. The Good Fight Now that Verizon and MCI have settled down to a happy union, the fate of Qwest, often called the runt of the Bells, is in limbo. The company carries a $17.3 billion debt and has a shaky financial history that has led to charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission against the former CEO and several former executives. Qwest also lacks a wireless arm, a significant disadvantage since the traditional wireline industry is declining and carriers are looking at wireless as key industry growth. “They are certainly not participants in the growth markets,” said Robert Rosenberg, president of research firm Insight Research. Mr. Rosenberg doesn't count Qwest out for the count though. “If you look at VoIP and naked DSL, they’ve been innovative where they can. I wouldn't paint the picture completely black.” He adds, “It’s a tough environment, even for Mr. Seidenberg (Verizon’s CEO) sitting in the cat’s perch on top of Verizon.” Though MCI announced on Valentine’s Day it planned to merge with Verizon, Qwest and Verizon have been battling it out through press releases and sharply worded letters ever since. Mr. Seidenberg claimed in one letter to MCI executives that Qwest’s last-ditch bidding had a “desperate quality.” He said a merger with Qwest would be “perilous” for the long-distance company. He pointed to Qwest’s $17.3 billion of “junk” debt and other liabilities, concluding there are “dim” prospects for the company’s growth. “Qwest’s claims do not pass a common-sense test,” he said in the letter, which was addressed to Mr. Katzenbach and CEO Michael Capellas. A copy was filed with the SEC. Mr. Notebaert responded by saying it was “unfortunate that some in the process” would deprive MCI shareholders of the company’s true value. “Let fairness, economics, and the best interests of the shareholders decide this matter,” he said. All this came earlier this month, a day after Qwest’s former CEO Joseph Nacchio, along with several former Qwest executives, were charged with “massive financial fraud” by the SEC. Verizon Valentine Qwest, however, wouldn't give up. It restructured its bid, particularly to address the risk that Qwest shares might drop substantially in value before the transaction could close. Qwest compared the offers openly at an analyst meeting, insisting its offer would result in a “superior deal, superior combination.” As it currently stands, the Qwest bid would have protected MCI shareholders against an up to 10 percent drop in Qwest’s share price, based on $4.15 per share. Qwest said it would pay MCI shareholders an effective value of $24.60 per share. That compared favorably with Verizon’s prior offer of $20.75 per share. The Qwest bid would have been $15.50 in stock for each MCI share and $9.10 in cash, $3.10 paid when the deal is approved and the rest in other dividend payments. Verizon’s earlier offer worked out to $14.42 in stock, $1.50 in cash, and $4.50 in MCI dividends. Qwest has also maintained it could generate cost reductions of $14.8 billion from a merger with MCI and cut 15,000 jobs—about 17 percent of the combined company’s work force. It also promised its EBITDA margin, based on earnings before taxes, depreciation and amortization, would rise from 23 percent in the first year of the merger to 29 percent in the third. Verizon has argued a purchase by Qwest could harm U.S. government and business interests and result in less investment in MCI’s network. Verizon said it will spend less than the $3 billion Verizon has earmarked for MCI’s network, which counts the United States’ Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security among its customers. Hurdles Ahead The union needs to get approval by the Federal Communications Commission. The acquisition will be the third major merger among big telecom companies in as many months. The Verizon/Quest deal follows closely on the heels of SBC’s announced plans to acquire AT&T and Sprint’s proposal to acquire Nextel. Analysts agree that the telecom mergers are not likely to raise regulatory flags, given the current environment favoring light regulation at the FCC. The union could also face a MCI-shareholder lawsuit. Shareholder lawsuits have become increasingly common place over the past few years, and since Qwest’s offer was 25 percent higher than Verizon’s, disgruntled MCI shareholders might turn to the courts. Source: Red Herring | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| READERS COMMENTS |
Dear PTC Members: Below is the updated agenda for the PTC meeting to be held on April 5th in Las Vegas. The meeting room will be N101 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This meeting is being sponsored by Sun Telecom so let's make sure we give them a big thanks for their help!! 8:00 - 8:30 Continental Breakfast Thanks, Stephen M. Oshinsky |
I have built two web pages about Mountain Communications in Mountain Home, Arkansas—a regional Paging company that the owner wants to sell. The first page has several photos and some links to background information on the company. Please click here for that page. If you like what you see and want to read all the financial details, please send me an e-mail and I will send you the unpublished address of the second page. This is an outstanding opportunity for someone to acquire a Paging company in a beautiful resort area of the Arkansas mountains where there are several large lakes and rivers. They tell me the fishing and boating are great in that area. By the way, this business also includes some wireless broadband, a trunking radio system, and a two-way radio dealership. |
Equipment Needed—Want to Buy the following
Please contact Brad Dye if you have any of this equipment to sell. Equipment located outside of the USA is OK. |
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THIRD TERM SUPPORTER |  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’s current product mix of own products includes the ReFLEX™ radio modules Barran, Karli and Wirlki and the new, highly successful and very low cost location device, the Kepler. Advantra thanks its solid reputation to its world-renowned development team, state-of-the-art manufacturing, excellent customer service and its proven track-record. Location Devices & ReFLEX Modems
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Daviscomms—Product Examples For information about our Contract Manufacturing services or our Pager or Telemetry line, please call Bob Popow at 480-515-2344, bob@daviscommsusa.com or visit our website www.daviscommsusa.com
|  Prism Message Gateway Systems Your Choice of Options
Popular Choice for Domestic and International
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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:
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 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.
I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for Selective Communications. Please contact me directly for any additional information. | TGA Technologies 
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CUSTOM APPLICATIONS
Please call me so we can discuss your need or your idea. Or contact me by e-mail for additional information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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. | PAGING TRANSMITTERS FOR SALE MOTOROLA NUCLEUS—350 WATT VHF MOTOROLA PURC 5000—250 WATT UHF GLENAYRE T-8500 AND T-8600 900 MHz For Information please e-mail or call: Stephan J. Suker E-mail: steves@cvcpaging.com Telephone: 802-775-6726 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wireless Overview System Operation Payment Guardian requires absolutely no customer interaction and integrated seamlessly into the vehicles electrical system and is not visible to the customer, decreasing the possibility of tampering. Unlike other similar products on the market, Payment Guardian™ requires no keypads or input devices, eliminating the hassle of having to generate codes and giving those codes to the customer each and every payment cycle. With Payment Guardian?, lenders no longer have to rely on customers to enter codes into a keypad correctly. With Payment Guardian, only non paying customers require use of the system. Once the system has been activated in the customer’s vehicle—each time the ignition is turned to the OFF position, Payment Guardian reminds the customer that payment has not yet been received or insurance is not current and provides them with specific instructions to contact the leinholder immediately. If the reminder is ignored, you can simply activate Payment Guardian’s Starter Interrupt feature allowing no one to start the vehicle until the system is reset. Payment Guardian’s system control center has been designed to meet the different need of individual lenders and dealers that want a total customized solution to manage their systems, providing you with 3 different ways to use the systems features. This enables you to instantly activate system features, schedule activations to occur at a preset time or completely automate the systems features, allow you to just manage your systems with just a click of the mouse. System Features Audible Voice Reminder Starter Interrupt Emergency Override Vehicle Finder Door Unlock
| 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.
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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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wireless Messaging Software InfoRad® Wireless Office (Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP) is designed for the professional who needs full-featured wireless messaging capabilities. Features include enhanced user interface, message log with search function, scheduled Paging, group and individual message addresses, TAPI Smart™, multiple protocol SMS communication compatibility. AlphaCare™ support services available. With a 32-bit architecture, InfoRad Wireless Office is designed for compatibility with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. For more information on InfoRad Wireless Messaging software, and a free demo, please click on the logo.
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www.gtesinc.com GTES is the only Glenayre authorized software support provider in the Paging industry. With over 200 years of combined experience in Glenayre hardware and software support, GTES offers the industry the most professional support and engineering development staff available. New Product Development New Hardware Platform
Continued Support Programs GTES Partner Program 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:
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| MORE TECHNOLOGY NEWS |
Email has become the world's favourite form of business communication
By Finfacts Team
Mar 24, 2005, 11:14
Electronic communications methods boost productivity and job satisfaction, according to a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Two-thirds of executives now prefer e-mail as a means of business communication over the next most popular options, desktop telephones and mobile phones, which are each preferred by just 16% of survey respondents, according to a global survey of 1,500 workers by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The survey, conducted in October and November in co-operation with Cisco Systems, asked employees about their voice communications practices and preferences in the workplace, their use of communications tools and perceptions of workplace productivity.
The key findings:
Communications tools improve productivity. A full 81% percent of respondents say automated communications methods make them more or very productive in the workplace. Moreover, 73% say electronic communications methods somewhat or greatly improve their level of workplace satisfaction, increase the flexibility of their responses (91%) and encourage workers to initiate interactions (78%). In addition, 45% of survey respondents say electronic communications decrease the likelihood of workplace miscommunication.
Communicating faster. Five years ago, 77% of those calling someone at their company could reach them within hours or minutes, compared with 90% today. Only half of those calling someone outside their company could reach them within minutes or hours five years ago, compared with 65% today. And only 7% of respondents say it takes a full workday to reach someone at their company today, compared with 18% five years ago.
Phone numbers proliferate as workers ascend the ranks. Most respondents have three different phone numbers (such as office, pager, mobile, PDA or home-office numbers). The higher in an organisation executives rise, the more numbers they acquire: 30% of C-level executives have four or more numbers where they can be reached, compared with 21% for manager-level executives.
Instant messaging leaders. Those who prefer instant messaging (IM) over other electronic communications stand out as the most ardent proponents of technology: 53% say they use technology for nearly all of their workplace tasks, compared with the general survey response average of 36%. Fully 58% of survey takers who chose IM as their preferred method of electronic communication say the amount of time it takes to communicate electronically has decreased over the past two years.
About the survey respondents
A total of 1,500 executives and employees participated in the survey. People responded from all over the world: about 30% of the respondent universe replied from western and eastern Europe, 26% from North America, and 26% from Asia and Australasia.
Source: Finfacts Ireland Business and Finance Portal
At a Glance: MGM v. Grokster
Compiled by David McGuire
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
March 28, 2005
On March 29, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster Ltd., a landmark case that specifically addresses the legality of peer-to-peer Internet file-sharing services, but has broad implications for any technology that could potentially be used to infringe on copyrighted materials.
So far, lower courts have ruled that the defendants in the case—Grokster and StreamCast Networks—can't be held responsible for what users do with their software, even if that includes illegally downloading copyrighted songs, films and software products.
If the Supreme Court upholds the previous rulings, it would take an act of Congress to outlaw the current generation of file-swapping technologies. On the other hand, members of the broader technology industry are worried that a decision that goes against Grokster will undermine a previous Supreme Court decision they say created a legal climate in which technology innovation has been able to thrive for two decades.
The lower court decisions upholding the legality of Grokster and other peer-to-peer Internet services rested on the 1984 Sony Betamax case, where the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to reject the movie industry's efforts to effectively knock the home video recorder off of store shelves. Hollywood argued that the Sony Betamax, an early VCR, allowed users to infringe on copyrighted works. The justices ultimately decided that because the device had legitimate uses, Sony wasn't contributing to copyright infringement by selling it, even though the company knew that some consumers were using the product illegally.
Technology interests contend that if the current court decides to redefine the meaning of the 1984 ruling to find in favor of MGM and the other plaintiffs, it could change the legal landscape for devices ranging from digital television recorders like the TiVo digital video recorder to the iPod digital music player, to the Internet itself.
On the other side, record companies say they have tracked billion-dollar declines in compact disc sales since the emergence of Napster in the late 1990s. If file-swapping firms are allowed to continue doling out their software with impunity, the companies say they will have few ways to stop the hemorrhaging, which they say will only get worse as Internet technology improves.
The justices are expected to issue a ruling in the case by the end of June.
Source: The Washington Post 
THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE
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| Paging Seminar 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 Seminar 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. |
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| Complete Technical Services For The Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.
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| Preferred Wireless Rick McMichael 888-429-4171 rmcm@preferredwireless.com CLICK HERE |
| THIRD TERM SUPPORTER |
 |  hmce@bellsouth.net  e-mailhttp://www.h-mce.com web site |
TAPS—Texas Association of Paging Services is looking for partners on 152.480 MHz. Our association currently uses Echostar, formerly Spacecom, for distribution of our data and a large percentage of our members use the satellite to key their TXs. We have a CommOneSystems Gateway at the uplink in Chicago with a back-up running 24/7. Our data is live on two different satellites at all times in case of a failure of one of them and covers the North American Continent. Our Paging coverage area on 152.480 MHz currently encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Kansas. The TAPS Paging coverage is available to members of our Network on 152.480 MHz for $.005 a transmitter (per capcode, per month) broken down by state or regions of states and members receive a credit towards their bill for each transmitter which they provide to our coverage. Members are able to use the satellite for their own use, for their own frequencies, by paying only for the data which they transmit, we track the data on a per bit basis and what ever percentage of the total data sent by each user is billed back to them as a percentage of the total satellite bill, (ex: if 6% of the data is the members', the member is billed for 6% of the cost of the sat plus 10% for overhead.) If you are on 152.480 MHz or just need a satellite for keying your own TXs on your frequency we have the solution for you. TAPS will provide the gateways in Chicago, with Internet backbone and bandwidth on our satellite channel for $500.00 to $1,500.00 a month (depending on the amount of traffic). Contact Ted Gaetjen @ 1-800-460-7243 or tedasap@asapchoice.com |
| EMPLOYMENT SECTION | |
The well-known sales manager at CalAmp (formerly Vytek/Sonik) is looking for a new position. You may download his resumé here. And you can send him an e-mail here. | With 30 years experience, a seasoned wireless industry executive that has the unique blend of strategic planning skills, balanced with operational management experience. You may download his resumé here. And you can send him an e-mail here. |
| Wi-Fi, WiMax, and VoIP News |
FCC News
3/29/05
Remarks of Commissioner Adelstein at WISPCON VII on March 21, 2005, "WISPs: Providing Opportunities for Rural America through Access to Broadband."
Excerpt:
I would like to take a moment to highlight some of these recent actions. Earlier this month, we adopted rules to make 50 MHz of spectrum in the 3650 MHz band available for wireless broadband services. To promote interest in the band, we adopted an innovative hybrid approach for spectrum access, by making the spectrum available on a licensed, but non-exclusive, basis. In many respects, this is a bold decision. Based on some circumstances unique to the band, our decision bucks conventional wisdom. Anyone can obtain a nationwide license, and need only register their high-power fixed sites, therefore making it available for multiple users to share spectrum in the same geographic area. While not a traditional “unlicensed” model, we have taken appropriate steps to significantly lower barriers to entry. This approach should make it much easier for this spectrum to get in the hands of people who are ready and willing to use it.
Source: FCC web site (pdf)
Pronto Networks Offers Free Wi-Fi at CTIA Wireless 2005
CTIA Wireless 2005 attendees can get free Wi-Fi service outside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans’ Historic Warehouse District
New Orleans—CTIA Wireless 2005 /14 March, 2005—The Wi-Fi Technology Forum/- Pronto Networks, a leading provider of carrier-class OSS solutions for large-scale Wi-Fi hotspot networks and metro-scale hot zones, today announced that, in collaboration with SkyTel, Tropos Networks and Motorola, it has made available a multi city-block Wi-Fi hot zone in the historic Warehouse District of New Orleans just outside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
The free Wi-Fi network is part of a pilot project conducted by SkyTel, a wireless data and messaging subsidiary of MCI, and is available for all CTIA Wireless 2005 attendees and other visitors to the area for the duration of the conference from March 14-16, 2005.
For the trial deployment, SkyTel is using carrier-grade, back-office software and metro-scale equipment from several networking vendors. SkyTel is leveraging Pronto’s Operations Support System (OSS) for broadband wireless networks to provide captive portal services and subscriber management. Tropos’ MetroMesh routers are being used to extend the reach of Wi-Fi access throughout the coverage area and are being linked back to SkyTel’s Network Operations Center (NOC) via Motorola Canopy’s point-to-multipoint wireless platform.
“Metro-scale Wi-Fi deployments enable us to quickly and affordably deliver Wi-Fi to our existing subscribers, while simultaneously providing wireless broadband access to unserved or underserved communities in cooperation with local municipalities,” said Bruce Deer, president of SkyTel. “And the value of partnering with Pronto Networks is the ability to roll out robust, citywide networks that offer customized service plans and support for multiple user groups on the same network.”
“This trial deployment demonstrates how an innovative service provider, such as SkyTel, can quickly and affordably assemble a large-scale, wireless network using leading technologies from Pronto, Tropos and Motorola,” said Jasbir Singh, president and CEO of Pronto Networks. “We’re glad to be offering CTIA conference attendees and local residents the opportunity to experience the convenience and ease-of-use provided by the Wi-Fi hot zone, and we look forward to working with SkyTel and our technology partners in deploying other metro-wide networks in the near future.”
The trial network uses Pronto’s OSS software for broadband wireless networks and the Pronto Hotzone Gateway. Pronto’s OSS supports a ‘mixed use’ environment, allowing various user groups, such as public safety officials, residents and visitors, to securely share the same network while having customized service plans, splash pages and Quality of Service guarantees. Pronto’s OSS also provides the capability to sublet excess network capacity to Virtual Network Operators (VNOs). The Pronto Hotzone Gateway is a 1U access gateway supporting up to 2000 concurrent users. Additional Hotzone Gateways increase the total amount of bandwidth available in a municipal hot zone and provide greater network reliability.
About Pronto Networks
Pronto Networks, based in Pleasanton, Calif., provides carrier-class Operations Support Systems (OSS) that enable network operators to deploy and manage large public hot spot and hot zone networks. The company’s software handles provisioning, configuration, authentication, access control, security, pre-paid and post-paid billing, and roaming settlement for large public WLAN networks, in addition to remotely managing and updating multi-vendor hardware and Wi-Fi switches. Pronto Networks is funded by BV Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and the Intel Communications Fund. Pronto Networks was recently named to the AlwaysOn List of Top 100 Private Companies for the second consecutive year and in 2003 received Wired Magazine’s Top 25 Wi-Fi Companies to Watch and Computerworld’s Innovative Technology Awards. For more information about Pronto Networks, visit http://www.prontonetworks.com.
About SkyTel
SkyTel Corp., a subsidiary of MCI, is a leading provider of wireless data services including traditional paging, text messaging, interactive two-way messaging, wireless email and wireless telemetry services. SkyTel continues to expand its product portfolio to include services such as FleetHawk Automated Vehicle Location (AVL), and telemetry services such as SkyTel Remote Access. For more information, go to http://www.skytel.com.
About MCI
MCI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCIP) is a leading global communications provider, delivering innovative, cost-effective, advanced communications connectivity to businesses, governments and consumers. With the industry's most expansive global IP backbone, based on the number of company-owned points of presence, and wholly-owned data networks, MCI develops the converged communications products and services that are the foundation for commerce and communications in today's market. For more information, go to http://www.mci.com.
Source: Wi-Fi Technology
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| THE WIRELESS MESSAGING AND PAGING INFORMATION RESOURCE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
JACKSON, MS—USlegal, Inc., a newly formed holding company whose assets include USlegalforms.com, announced today that it has entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with former SkyTel Communications Chairman John N. Palmer. Under terms of the agreement, Palmer has acquired the right to invest in excess of $5 million in the Company. Palmer will join the USlegal Board of Directors.
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: 
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