| FRIDAY - FEBRUARY 2, 2007 - ISSUE NO. 247 |
Dear friends of Wireless Messaging, Today's Major News Release Next Week's Newsletter Topic 2007 May Be Our Last Chance No company can afford to stay in the industry indefinitely without generating reasonable volumes of business—particularly a business that demands ongoing development and technical support. Without suppliers of paging equipment, we would have to “pull the plug” on the whole wireless messaging industry. Simulcasting Taiwan Paging System—Off the Air Today Around 1985, if my memory serves, Taiwan went to bid for a modern, island-wide paging system. I was working for Spectrum Communications and Electronics at the time as their international sales manager. The competition was fierce. Both Motorola and NEC really wanted to get the business. I put together an informal consortium of companies—SCE (paging control terminals), Multitone (pagers), and Quintron (paging transmitters) to supply a complete turn-key paging system. We won the bid for what, at that time, was the biggest paging system in the world. We were competing against two of the largest electronics companies. The number of units in service surged to one million by 1992 and reached its peak of 2.6 million by 1998. Even before the new system was on the air, people were lined up for blocks to buy pagers. Motorola had their pager production in high gear with three shifts running around the clock. One year, a Motorola distributor in Taiwan bought 640,000 Bravo numeric display pagers for about $150 each. Wow! Years later the Bravo numeric sold for less than $50! At that time, Ron Mercer was the president of SCE and my boss—we traveled to Taiwan together to sign the contract. I had delivered our bid in person a few months before. Now on to more news and views. |
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 web site. 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.) | |||||||||||
Bell Industries Completes Acquisition of SkyTel SkyTel Expected to Nearly Double Bell's Annual Revenues Issues $10 Million Convertible Note and Enters into $30 Million Credit Facility Appoints New Director INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) (PRIMEZONE) — Bell Industries, Inc. (AMEX:BI) today announced it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of SkyTel Corp., an indirect subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc., for a total purchase price of $23 million. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive. SkyTel is a leading provider of wireless messaging services and support, including email, interactive two-way messaging, wireless telemetry services and traditional text and numeric paging to Fortune 1000 and government customers throughout the United States. SkyTel employs approximately 375 people and generated revenues in excess of $100 million in 2006. SkyTel is headquartered in Clinton, Mississippi and was founded in 1988. Bell Industries funded the transaction through borrowings on a new $30 million credit facility with Wells Fargo Foothill, part of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), and the issuance of a $10 million convertible subordinated note to Newcastle Partners, L.P. "SkyTel has a long and proud history of innovation and market leadership in wireless solutions. We welcome SkyTel's team to the Bell family," said John Fellows, president and chief executive officer of Bell Industries. "We believe that SkyTel's strategic customer relationships and advanced technologies, when coupled with Bell's capabilities, will deliver greater value to customers. Additionally, our new credit facility will allow Bell to support growth objectives across all its existing businesses, including the launch of a number of strategic initiatives within SkyTel. We are also pleased to announce the increased financial commitment of Newcastle Partners, who has been a long-term investor in Bell, having made its first investment in the company in 1999." "Our Wells Fargo Foothill agreement is a five year asset-based facility that provides for borrowings up to $30 million. The $10 million convertible subordinated note issued to Newcastle Partners has a ten year term, bears interest at 8% and has a conversion price of $3.81 per share, which represents a 10% premium to the trailing 90-day average share price. The issuance of the convertible subordinated note and the signing of the Wells Fargo Foothill credit facility have significantly expanded Bell's financial resources, facilitating consummation of the SkyTel transaction and future strategic initiatives," said Kevin Thimjon, chief financial officer. In connection with the additional investment by Newcastle Partners, Clinton J. Coleman has been appointed as a member of Bell's board of directors. Mr. Coleman is a Vice President of Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., the general partner of Newcastle Partners. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP represented Bell Industries in connection with the acquisition. Verizon was represented by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, and Daniels & Associates served as financial advisor to the Seller in the transaction. About Bell Industries, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements CONTACT: PondelWilkinson Inc. |
Source: PrimeNewswire
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PAGING CARRIERS |
HAPPY 2007!
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No FCC Filing Required! Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) Compliance Certifications from all Telecommunications Carriers are due by February 6, 2007 but do not have to be filed with the FCC! In last week’s newsletter (January 24th 2007 edition), I mistakenly stated that all Telecommunications Carriers were required to file their annual CPNI certifications with the FCC. This information is wrong! Carriers are required to prepare and sign a CPNI compliance certification annually, and that requirement is still in place, but, according to Donna Cyrus of the Telecommunications Consumers Division of the Enforcement Bureau at the FCC, carriers are not required to send the CPNI compliance to the FCC as was required last February 7. My humble apologies to any of you who may have sent your certifications to the FCC and my thanks to Mike Schaefer of Aquis Communications for bringing this to my attention. Bring on the ketchup and the crow pie Mike, lunch is on me!! For your information, listed below is a copy of 47 CFR 64.2009 and the CPNI filing requirement.
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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, or Susan Lunday at 870-424-0872 or visit our website www.daviscommsusa.com. E-mail addresses are posted there! |
| NEWS FLASH
DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT SATELLITE OUTAGE Allow us to uplink your paging data to two separate satellites for complete redundancy! CVC owns and operates two separate earth stations and specializes in uplink services for paging carriers. Join our list of satisfied uplink customers.
For inquires please call or e-mail Stephan Suker at 800-696-6474 or steves@cvcpaging.com |  |
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I am an authorized Manufacturer Representative for WiPath Communications. Please contact me directly for any additional information. |
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Nasdaq Delists Comverse, Verint Stock options backdating and missed financial reports lead companies to the Pink Sheets. January 31, 2007 By Michael Cohn Comverse Technology and its subsidiary Verint Systems lost their battle Wednesday to stay listed on the Nasdaq after stock options-backdating woes and a series of delayed financial reports prompted their twin delisting. Both Melville, New York-based tech companies will be moving to the over-the-counter “Pink Sheets” market on Thursday after the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council notified them that they had lost their appeals to stay on the exchange. Comverse and Verint are just two of the approximately 200 companies that have gotten caught up in the stock options-backdating scandal that has tarred the reputations of even high-flying companies like Apple and Juniper Networks and led to the resignations and in some cases prosecutions of a number of top executives at various firms. Shares of Comverse fell $0.29 to $19.65 in recent trading, while Verint shares dropped $0.82 to $33.50. Fugitive CEO Awaits Extradition He had been charged along with two other former Comverse executives, CFO David Kreinberg and Senior General Counsel William Sorin, with fraud and deceit by prosecutors in New York. Before he made his departure, Mr. Alexander allegedly wired $57 million to bank accounts in Israel. But he was eventually tracked down to the African country of Namibia, where United States authorities are attempting to extradite him (see Comverse Fugitive CEO Arrested). Namibia has no extradition treaty with the U.S., however. Actor Wesley Snipes has also landed in Namibia after fleeing tax evasion charges. Mr. Sorin has pled guilty and agreed to pay $3 million in fines and restitution to settle civil fraud charges. Mr. Kreinberg has also pled guilty and faces up to 15 years in prison. He has agreed to pay $2.4 million in restitution. Meanwhile Mr. Alexander remains in Namibia awaiting an extradition hearing so he can be escorted back to the U.S. He has reportedly been spending his time investing in solar energy-powered housing projects for the poor in hopes of remaining in the good graces of local officials. Comverse and Verint executives issued reassuring statements. “Comverse Technology remains a financially strong, world class company with more than 7,000 employees serving customers in more than 100 countries,” Comverse Chairman Mark Terrell said in a statement. “The Nasdaq decision will not affect our ability to continue providing outstanding products, technology, and service to our customers worldwide,” he added. “We are committed to regaining compliance with all filing requirements and obtaining relisting of our common stock in a timely manner.” “Verint remains financially strong and a leader in the actionable intelligence market,” Verint CEO Dan Bodner said in a statement. “Our shareholders, customers, and partners can be assured that Verint is committed to regaining compliance and restoring our listing in a timely fashion.” A Comverse spokesperson declined to speculate on why the Nasdaq moved to delist the companies at this time. “I couldn't speak for the Nasdaq, but we have had to delay our 10K and 10Q filings pending restatements,” said Paul Baker, vice president of corporate marketing at Comverse. He added that Comverse has not yet provided an estimate for when it will be able to file the financial statements. As for Mr. Alexander’s extradition, “This is not company business,” he replied. “This is not anything we have visibility into.” Despite the financial troubles, he noted that Comverse made $410 million in sales last quarter. Pink Sheets Penalty “While investors knew there was a risk of delisting, many of the bulls thought the bark would be worse than the bite and that, ultimately, [Comverse] would stay listed on Nasdaq,” wrote Friedman Billings Ramsey analysts Daniel H. Ives and Michael Bauer in a research note. Their firm is a market maker in Verint stock. They believe a breakup of Comverse, Verint, and another Comverse subsidiary, Ulticom, is likely, and they put the breakup value at roughly $23 to $27 per share. Meanwhile they are giving Comverse a $20 price target and Verint a $35 target. They expect shares of Comverse to be weak Wednesday because many investors have restrictions against owning Pink Sheets stocks in their portfolio. |
Source: Red Herring
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Messaging & Cellular
www.ProductSupportServices.com Call Or E-mail For More Information |
Central Virginia Community College Raises Public Safety with New System That Broadcasts Alerts to Cell Phones [and pagers] Wednesday January 31, 9:05 am ET CVCC considering the text messaging system for student recruitment LEESBURG, Va., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ — Omnilert, LLC, maker of the leading mass notification system for higher education called e2Campus, today announced that Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) has activated the e2Campus mass notification system to raise public safety for the entire campus community. CVCC is using the web-based service to communicate urgent news to students, faculty and staff whether recipients are in class, on campus, or miles away. John K. Poole, VP of Finance for CVCC explains, "As a relatively new user of e2Campus, our focus has been on getting public safety or emergency communications out to everyone instantly no matter where they may be, and it works wonderfully. CVCC is considering other uses for e2Campus including its use as a tool for recruiting prospective students. Communicating with them is vital and e2 may prove to be a simple, inexpensive way to reach them." How It Works About e2Campus About Omnilert, LLC |
Source: YAHOO! Finance
GTES has recently made the strategic decision to expanding its development activities to include wireless location technologies; a market that researchers forecast could reach $3.6 billion by 2010. In support of this new strategic direction, GTES has developed SHERLOC™ a complete one-stop wireless location service, providing the flexibility of being protocol neutral and network agnostic. Targeted at business customers who need to track their high-value shipments or better manage their service or delivery fleets, SHERLOC™ is a hosted application that combines configuration flexibility with ease of use. GTES is offering SHERLOC™ services both directly and through authorized resellers. If your company has an interest in finding out how location services can enhance your revenue stream, and has the contacts and expertise to make you successful in the location marketplace, please contact us for further information at www.sherlocgps.com and select “Reseller Opportunities,” or call us at 770-754-1666 for more information. 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. Continued Support Programs CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR SUPPORT NEEDS
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Tower Space for Rent in North Central Texas
| Registration Number | Status | File Number | Owner Name | Latitude Longitude | Structure City/State | Overall Height Above Ground (AGL) | |
| 1 | 1050903 | Constructed | A0382848 | CSSI* | 32-16-09.0N 098-18-52.0W | Lingleville, TX map | 93.0 |
| 2 | 1050905 | Constructed | A0446642 | CSSI* | 32-49-04.8N 098-06-13.3W | Mineral Wells, TX map | 24.8 |
| 3 | 1056264 | Constructed | A0446643 | CSSI* | 32-58-33.0N 097-56-33.0W | Whitt, TX map | 92.4 |
| 4 | 1057649 | Constructed | A0382852 | CSSI* | 32-20-33.0N 097-44-57.0W | Glen Rose, TX map | 60.9 |
| 5 | 1057656 | Constructed | A0446641 | CSSI* | 32-18-08.0N 098-29-36.0W | Desmona, TX map | 83.2 |
| 6 | 1057659 | Constructed | A0382844 | CSSI* | 32-21-23.0N 099-26-01.0W | Baird, TX map | 89.3 |
| 7 | 1232880 | Constructed | A0317614 | CSSI* | 32-51-05.0N 098-06-31.8W | Mineral Wells, TX map | 134.0 |
| 8 | 1042515 | Constructed | A0050114 | CSSI* | 32-44-21.0N 097-48-00.0W | Weatherford, TX map map—close up | 112.8 |
* Communications Sales & Service Inc. d/b/a CSSI
 | For more information, please contact: Charles H. Beard |
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THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SIMULCASTING REDUX
By DENNIS CAMERON, TELCOM TECHNOLOGIES ASSOCIATES
It has been almost 25 years since I published my first simulcast paper. While it was state-of-the-art at the time, a lot of technology has come along to make it easier to implement and improve the quality of simulcast systems. This paper will revisit the history and theory, and discuss the new technologies.
History
While PCS has intruded on some of the basic functions of paging there are still a lot of paging/voice paging/messaging systems around. The need for simulcasting has remained constant, to provide paging/messaging over a wide area and/or increase signal level within a given area. Also, some hardy souls may be around whom are still simulcasting voice.
Wide area paging, at least in the US, started with “Ma Bell”. These were bulky receivers that used two-tone (then three-tone) signaling and simply beeped (thus the term “beeper”) when signaled. Bell used Hi-band VHF and started with a single transmitter. In some cases they sequenced a second transmitter, and in a few cases they “simulcast” non-overlapping transmitters in conjunction with a sequence with other non-overlapping transmitters.
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Bell had a different philosophy about paging, they were the Phone Company, and saw paging as just another way of generating phone calls. They applied a version of the Erlang charts and determined the max number of pagers they could handle on a channel was 500! If they needed more capacity, they would apply for a new channel. Because they were most interested in generating phone calls, they had little desire to use anything but tone only paging. Because they were “Ma Bell” they did not worry too much about capacity, if they ran out of capacity on a channel (according to the Erlang charts) and ran out of channels they would simply create a waiting list.
At the same time the FCC allocated paging frequencies for the phone companies (wireline carriers), they also allocated another group of frequencies for non-wireline carriers. Because regulators viewed this allocation as common carriage, its use also came under state control and a certificate of convenience and necessity.
Most of the early non-wireline carriers were answering services. These operators were looking for additional income and saw paging as a direct revenue generator. For the most part these folks loaded channels to the max, and they would basically continue loading until disconnects equaled connects! They constantly looked for ways to increase channel capacity. Back in those days only 6 channels (4 lo-band and 2 hi-band VHF) existed, and in the larger markets it was difficult to come by a channel, especially with the protected areas associated with lo-band.
The need for wide area coverage further drove the need for improved channel capacity. Even with the advent of high speed two-tone and five-tone paging formats the carriers were running out of capacity because the only effective way to go wide areas was to sequence the transmitters or use the combination of simulcasting non-overlapping transmitters in sequence with other non-overlapping transmitters (see figs. 1A, B). In addition to capacity, these methods still left a big problem in most major markets, building penetration.
The carriers were unable to get a signal into large buildings, especially with lo-band. The problem came in two forms; small apertures and reflective glass. Aperture has to do with the windows on older buildings. In RF terms, (this part will interest engineers and “teckies”) “aperture” is an opening that an RF signal can pass through. The optimum minimum aperture is ½ λ (wavelength). A 35 MHz signal’s wavelength is about 28 ft (8.8 meters) long, which requires an aperture of 14’ (or 4.4 meters). Not too many buildings have windows this large, so signals from these frequencies had difficulty in penetrating into the interiors of the buildings. Buildings that do have large windows often (especially in warmer climes) are all glass exteriors but the glass has a metallic content reflective surface. While this design is ok for reflecting the sun and heat, it also reflects RF signals creating the same problem as small apertures.
Carriers tried to solve the penetration problem by installing “fill” transmitters. In the larger markets this practice could require 3 or 4 fill transmitters further complicating the coverage vs capacity issue. If they sequenced the transmissions, then capacity was sacrificed. However, if they tried simulcasting they would have large areas of interference and their system would get clogged with re-calls. This not only affected capacity but required more phone lines to handle the calls (Ma Bell watched the lines and required common carriers to have only so many busies on a line).
With all these factors in play the carriers started asking the vendors for solutions, and a few hardy carriers started looking for their own solutions.
Early attempts at simulcasting proved to be problematic at best and completely useless at its worst. Most of these early systems were attempted using wireline and, in a few cases, microwave. Suffice it to say many man-years were spent trying to make these systems work (to little or no avail). When radio links were first tried it appeared to solve the problem but as faster paging formats came along (and voice paging was attempted) it was back to the drawing board! It wasn't until about 1980 that the first simulcast system that was designed from the ground up as a fully coherent simulcast “system”, was simulcasting truly successful.
The basicsFirst, the definition of simulcast (as used in the Land Mobile industry): Simulcasting is the simultaneous transmission of the same data (digital, analog or voice) through two or more transmitters within the same geographical area. Another description for simulcast is controlled multipath (we will look at that later). Diagrams 2A, and 2B are ex
Stopwatch 
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