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Which is Right for Your Wireless Data?
For any wireless communications decision-maker, the prospect of implementing or
upgrading a wireless data system means dealing with what seems to be a
highly complex and varied set of options. Public network commercial carriers offer
a rich array of features, and private wireless network providers offer evolving
technologies, customized coverage, and guaranteed reliability. Finally, there
is the budgeting issue. How do you predict the returns of your wireless system
investment? How will it fit into the budget?
If questions like these keep you up at night, you’re not alone. According
to Ray Pache, Director of Sales at wireless
data solutions provider, Dataradio, many decision-makers may at first feel
overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing between a public network and a private
wireless system. “Whether the decision is made in the IT department, as
is most commonplace today, or by an RF (radio) communications person, there is
a learning curve with the technology.  If
you’re weighing private wireless against public networks, start by examining
the role wireless data will play in your organization.”
The role that a public or private wireless data system plays in an organization’s
operations should hinge on several key considerations. Those considerations include
budgeting and mission-critical impact, coverage, and bandwidth needs. Below is
a short exploration of those issues, and how they may affect your wireless data
decision.
Learn more info about wireless data from dataradio.com
Wireless Data Roaming Service
VeriSign’s Wireless Data Roaming Service (WDRS) is a carrier-grade,
outsource solution enabling service providers to offer wireless
data roaming to their subscribers over Wi-Fi, CDMA2000 and GSM/GPRS networks.
Enable subscribers to enjoy the convenience and flexibility of hot spot roaming
while traveling or just going to the local café. Our one-stop, turn-key
solution helps service providers minimize capital expenditures while providing
all the essential components of a complete, robust, solution.
Service providers can bring quality services to market quickly without the logistical
complexity and security concerns of implementing and maintaining multiple data
roaming arrangements. As an industry leader committed to the highest level of
efficiency and innovation in signaling networks, VeriSign is a company service
providers can trust.
Roamer Authentication
Roamer authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) proxy services create
a trusted third party point of audit, reconciliation and control over roaming
administration. Available for both Radius and SIM (3G).
Network Usage Mediation
VeriSign’s Usage Mediation engine delivers new technology through a distributed
component architecture that allows lockstep interoperability with new equipment
and services. VeriSign can perform wholesale and retail-level rating for serving
operators. Rating is extremely flexible and can be based on a number of factors,
including data or time usage, flat rates per session or day, and bucket plans.
Clearing and Settlement
VeriSign’s Public Wireless LAN (PwLAN) Clearing and Settlement Services
provide a flexible service for carriers to track and analyze their financial position
with roaming partners and perform financial settlement. (Modeled on our proven
Settlement and Exchange (SES) offering.)
Reporting and Visibility Tools
The VeriSign Web reporting system, Roamer View, is a secure, easy-to-use tool
that validates, reports and transfers roaming information. With Roamer View, VeriSign
offers service providers a window into the data roaming environment for both in-roamers
and out-roamers.
Key Benefits
Comprehensive Web-based reporting - Web reporting was developed in consultation
with operators to achieve unmatched levels of detail and flexibility, all using
standard, secure Web-based point-and-click functionality.
Faster revenue collection process - VeriSign eliminates the need to individually
invoice and manage roaming partners, thus helping to eliminate delays in invoicing
and collections. We offer a streamlined process for roamer billing data and a
single source of information on roaming customers and revenues. Payment can be
automated via the Financial Net Settlement program.
Superior customer service and response times - In addition to daily processing
and 24 x 7 customer support, customers are assigned a Customer Service Advisor
who acts as a support resource.
Source from verisign.com
wireless data service
Execute on your US wireless data service strategy in the next six months,
or your business will face much stiffer barriers to entry, an established field
of competitors and far greater costs to market.
Key factors that have made wireless
data services a commercial success in Europe and Asia are rapidly taking hold
in the US market. Common short codes, advanced handsets, major co-marketing programs,
better pricing, billing, payment and most importantly, a significant and sustained
uptake in the use of all forms of wireless data services all point to 2003 as
a watershed year for growth in the mobile multimedia industry.
And companies entering the market this year, taking advantage of current low
barriers to entry, low costs and a relatively open market will have a significant
advantage over those that choose to wait for the market to further develop —
would you rather your mobile business have the first mover advantage of Yahoo!
or the high costs to market of Ask.com?
With the US market poised for an explosion in usage – and revenue –
of wireless data services, there is no time like the present for your company
to develop and execute its wireless data strategy and tap the revenue potential
of the market. And there is no better place to get access to high-level industry
contacts, intelligence and new technologies vital to the success of your mobile
business than the Global Wireless Summit, New York.
For more wireless data service from consect.com
wireless data system solution
SouthernLINC wireless data pricing options offer a wide range of flexibility
designed to meet your individual or business needs. Our wireless data plans are
intended to allow you to maximize your network usage in a cost-effective manner.
Whether you need wireless access to the internet or email, to connect to your
corporate network, to run a Java Application, or to transfer data via your SouthernLINC
Wireless? phone, we have a plan to suite your wireless data needs.
SouthernLINC Wireless? Data Sales will help you select the right data service
or Java Application to fit your needs. Please call 1-800-406-0151 or dial 611
from your SouthernLINC Wireless? phone to contact your local Data Sales Executive.
Data Plans should be selected based on total expected network usage.
Wireless Data Access Plans
These plans are designed for customers that require access to the SouthernLINC
Wireless network to transfer or access data using a wireless modem.
Source from Southernl
Inc Site
Junxion, Novatel Team Up to Make Wireless Data Connectivity Easier
Junxion, Inc. and Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVTL) announced a strategic
partnership to accelerate introduction of Junxion's newly released mobile connection
gateway solution called the Junxion Box.
The Junxion Box is a portable device that makes it easy to connect to high-speed
wireless data networks operated
by carriers including Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless and Cingular
Wireless. Inside the device is proprietary firmware that creates a bridge between
the modems that connect to the cellular providers' networks and commonly used
computing devices (e.g. laptops, desktops, PDAs) that connect to the Internet
through standard wireless (Wi-Fi) or wired (Ethernet) interfaces.
Multiple users can connect simultaneously to a Junxion Box, allowing for portable
local area networking and Internet access via the current common data service
technologies (1xRTT, EDGE) as well as higher-speed 3G technologies (1xEV-DO, UMTS,
OFDM, etc.) being deployed by wireless carriers worldwide. Anticipating the device
will drive incremental sales of carrier data service subscriptions and PC card
modems, Novatel is supporting Junxion's business development, product development
and marketing initiatives.
"We see Junxion meeting a real need in the wireless data market with their
device and we also see an opportunity for incremental revenue for our products
as well as a source for new data service activations for wireless carriers,"
said Brad Weinert, Novatel Wireless' Vice President of Business Development.
While supporting PC card modems from all major manufacturers, Junxion views
its Novatel partnership as a timely endorsement of its product.
"Novatel is an extraordinarily valuable partner. They enjoy a highly influential
market position just as 'true' 3G data is being deployed on a large scale,"
said John Daly, Junxion's Vice President of Business Development and Marketing.
Trio Teknologies, the leading wireless data solution "value-added distributor,"
will provide distribution and customer support services for Junxion products within
the U.S. A national master agent for Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless
and Cingular Wireless, TrioTek also distributes wireless-specific middleware and
hardware solutions through a network of more than 500 enterprise-focused dealers
within the U.S.
"The Junxion Box represents the next step in wireless data evolution as
we have the convergence of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) and Wireless Wide
Area Network (WWAN) technologies in one box providing a unique and compelling
solution to numerous mobile and static vertical applications," said Trio
Teknologies' President Gordon Dahl. "End-users with 802.11 equipped laptops
and handhelds essentially can use the Junxion Box as a mobile wireless access
point. It provides group network access anywhere the carriers have coverage on
national CDMA and GRPS networks."
Junxion shipped last month the first commercially available Junxion Boxes to
customers representing targeted market segments including government; education;
large enterprise; small and medium business; professional services; and construction
management.
Customer applications of the Junxion Box vary widely, including portable networks
for mobile work teams and events; mobile networks; fixed/permanent connectivity;
and redundant/emergency connectivity.
"We're right on track with our market-entry strategy, and the timing couldn't
be better," said David Hsiao, Junxion's president. "The wireless carriers
are deploying 3G wireless data network technologies in earnest, and Junxion looks
forward to helping our customers fully realize the utility of those networks."
Source from bbwexchange.com
Transcending the Wireless Data Age
By: Ana Bakas, Marketing Communications Manager
Over the last decade, the wireless data communications market has steadily
grown, as the need for transmitting data reliably and economically, over wider
geographical areas has become more demanding. With the increasing use and acceptance
of the Internet as a means of communication, and more government mandates requiring
wireless applications, fast data transmission and processing are quickly becoming
essential for both consumer and industrial communications. Studies indicate that
this market growth will further accelerate reaching $1.3 billion by the year 2002.
In 1985, the FCC allocated portions of the frequency spectrum for commercial
use at 900 MHz. Further changes in 1997 resulted in the allocation of the 2.4
and 5.8 GHz bands for the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) Spread Spectrum
bands. As a result, users are able to use these bands within the defined power
limitations, to send and receive information within the same transmission, without
a license. The spread spectrum transmission technique, originally developed for
the military, can be used globally and is less susceptible to interference and
noise than conventional radio transmission techniques. However, manufacturers
of spread spectrum products must conform with FCC spread spectrum regulations,
which limits the transmission power to under 1 Watt, in order to prevent interference
within the band over long distances. 
The FCC rule changes, combined with the increasing need for lower installation
and implementation costs and the continuing evolution of digital technology, has
driven the development of spread spectrum data communication radios, capable of
providing wider coverage, increased flexibility and enhanced security. In order
to utilize spread spectrum technology, a transmitter must take the input data
and spread it in a predefined method. Each receiver must in turn understand this
predefined method and collect the signal before the data can be interpreted. In
June of 1997 a few dominant spread spectrum radio manufacturers adopted the IEEE
802.11 Wireless LAN standard for wireless
data communications, in an effort to organize and standardize specifications
within the industry. By specifying "an 'over the air' interface between a
wireless client and a base station or Access Point, as well as among wireless
clients," these radio manufacturers essentially defined the protocol and
interfaces of the wireless data communication market. The adoption of this standard
also made it easier for the users of these products to implement and maintain
their systems. Those manufacturers hoping to compete had to adapt and transmit
using this standard, or risk severing their products from the industry.
Currently, spread spectrum technology is being used by manufacturers of a wide
variety of wireless products used for multiple wireless applications. Wireless
devices utilizing this technology include spread spectrum transceivers (SST),
wireless access points (WAP), wireless Ethernet bridges (WEB), wireless internet
routers (WIR), wireless local area networks (WLAN) and wireless modems (WM). These
devices also operate with systems and components specifically designed for this
technology, including servers, hubs, bridges and repeaters, non-standard RF coaxial
connectors, RF coaxial cables, lighting protectors, and antennas.
As with any new technology, spread spectrum has presented manufacturers with
new challenges to address at the design stage of their new product development
cycle. A special concern is achieving the acceleration of wireless data transmission
rates in order to keep up with the large amount of information being transmitted.
Typically, data rates increase at higher frequencies, but at these higher frequencies
(i.e. 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz), there is also increased propagation loss, affecting
the efficiency of the transmission. This issue can be addressed with a good system
design that utilizes high gain antennas to compensate for propagation losses.
In the case of omni-directional antennas, however, increased gain capability causes
the beamwidth to become narrower. As a result, some antennas propagate over their
target. Antenna designers can solve this problem by offering antennas with downtilt
features that redirect the beam.
Power considerations are also crucial at the design stage. The FCC Title 47,
Part 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations allows unlicensed operation of the
spread spectrum bands with up to 1 watt maximum transmitter output power, and
only 4 watts maximum effective radiated power (ERP). This is essentially, the
total amount of power actually transmitted through the system's antenna. A wireless
data system's ERP is the product of the transmitter's power output, the cable's
power loss and the antenna's gain capability. The 4-watt power limit obligates
manufacturers to minimize radiation loss, and encourages them to select the optimal
component combination to maximize their products' ERP.
Clearly, the selection of the correct antenna solution is an extremely important
aspect of the wireless data system design. Traditionally used for conventional
narrow band radios and their applications, antennas have undergone massive change
with the development of digital technologies and their consequent marketing opportunities.
In the face of constant change, there are criteria that systems designers and
engineers can follow to select the optimal antenna solution for their applications.
The first consideration should be the antenna's radiation pattern, which indicates
how the transmitted radio wave energy is distributed in space. The radiation pattern
should have minimal variation across the frequency band. Since a pair of antennas
must be within each other's radiation patterns in order to communicate effectively,
a uniform radiation pattern that does not vary across the frequency band is a
good indication of the antenna's performance and reliability. Another important
consideration is the antenna's gain, which measures the strength of the radiated
signal. Uniformity and consistency in this measurement across the frequency band
are good quality indicators as well. A high quality antenna will also transmit
energy with minimal radiation reflection. The antenna's Voltage Standing Wave
Ratio (VSWR), which measures the efficiency with which the antenna emits and does
not reflect energy across its structure should be as low as possible. For optimal
performance, ISM wireless data antennas should have a VSWR of 2:1 or less. Antennas
that utilize quality construction techniques, such as low-loss connectors typically
feature better VSWR ratios. High efficiency, low radiation loss cables also reduce
the loss of energy delivered to the antenna, thus improving the quality of the
transmission.
These three aspects of an antenna performance are closely related. Altering
one will have a direct affect on the other two, therefore impacting the antenna's
overall performance. Wireless data system manufacturers must require optimal performance
in all three variables when making an antenna selection to incorporate to their
products. A poor antenna choice could negatively affect the performance of the
most sophisticated system designs.
Other considerations to take into account when selecting an antenna solution
are its mechanical features and aesthetic attributes. For each type of wireless
system application there is a specific set of characteristics and requirements
to which each one of its components should adhere. The right antenna solution
must be a perfect fit electrically, mechanically and commercially, in order to
achieve the overall system objectives and meet the user's needs. Wireless data
systems manufacturers can save precious research and development resources by
evaluating their antenna suppliers according to the scope and variety of solutions
offered for a diversity of applications.
Unfortunately, the availability of antenna manufacturers capable of offering
a complete line of wireless data antenna solutions has been scarce. A few antenna
manufacturers have developed a handful of wireless data antennas for specialized
applications. However, applying spread spectrum technology and its indoor/outdoor
multi-path radio-wave characteristics to new product development has proven challenging.
In addition, there have been implementation problems due to the lack of antenna
RF expertise of the computer system integrators typically installing these products.
The overall process has often been difficult and complex.
Despite these entry barriers, it is clear that wireless data technology is
only beginning to evolve, and that the marketing opportunities for those antenna
manufacturers and distributors with a visionary outlook are enormous. A few antenna
manufacturers have recognized this opportunity by investing in the research and
development of complete lines of wireless data antenna products, designed for
various industry applications. Similarly, a few traditional RF antenna distributors
are cooperating with computer systems integrators and contributing their specialized
knowledge in the development of wireless
data system projects across the globe. These few visionary groups are helping
to shape the future of wireless data by contributing their knowledge and experience
and furthering the development of this new technology.
As the future of the wireless data communication expands, it continues to challenge
the production and servicing capabilities of its suppliers. An increasing number
of new businesses, offering a wide array of products and services, are emerging
as the opportunities are recognized. Like with any growing industry, it will become
crucial for suppliers to differentiate themselves from the masses, in order to
compete effectively. Strategic plans will necessitate a broader business outlook,
aiming beyond product focus, defining and providing complete solutions for its
customers. Those able to consistently master this objective will likely become
leaders in this exciting new market.
Source from maxrad.com
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