MDMMOBITEX STEALS THE SHOW p.7

WORLD CLASS EMERGENCY CARE p.12

WORKING FOR A SAFER LONDON p.16

CREATING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS p.18

MODEM AND TERMINAL VALIDATION p.22

EMERGENCY CALLS COORDINATED p.26

MOBITEX STEALS THE SHOW p.7

WORLD CLASS EMERGENCY CARE p.12

WORKING FOR A SAFER LONDON p.16

CREATING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS p.18

MODEM AND TERMINAL VALIDATION p.22

EMERGENCY CALLS COORDINATED p.26

1NO. 1 2003.

AR, AT, AU, BU,

BR, BE, CA, CL,

CO, DE, DK, F I ,

FR, GB, IN, ID,

IE , IT, KR, CN,

LB, MX, NL, NO,

PE, PL, SG, SE,

TR, US, VE.

M O B I L E D A T A M A G A Z I N E

w w w . e r i c s s o n . c o m / m o b i t e x

WIRELESS DATA IN PUBLIC SERVICE:NO ROOM FOR ERRORS

p.10

WIRELESS DATA IN PUBLIC SERVICE:NO ROOM FOR ERRORS

p.10

2 C O N T E N T S . . . A P R I L 2 0 0 3 3C O N T E N T S . . . A P R I L 2 0 0 3

5GUEST PROFILE:WAYNE GALE

The communica-tions manager forAustralia’s Queens-land AmbulanceService describesthe requirements ofhis organization for

wireless data communications and thedemands that suppliers must meet.

22MARKET NEWS

·Program for modem and terminal validation·Mobitex BackPack working on Scout·WalkAbout ships Hammerhead XRT·First Mentor installation in UK·Complete AMR solution from Mobix·Mobitex Cell on Wheels·Modem design support

28WANDA WAVEPersonal security becomes difficultwhen mother enters the loop.

6BUSINESS NEWS

·New York Fire Dptm selects Consilient·Unique Crash Recovery System·Sky Network forms joint venture·New owners for Swedish network·Riders and drivers love wireless POS·Mobitex at WAVE 2003·Report from MOA in Seoul·Palm in Brazil

WIRELESSDATA IN PUBLIC

SERVICE

20STRATEGY: MANGO TANGO FRENZYNew Mobitex operator Telecom Digital Ltd. in Hong Kong has produced a dazzling offer-ing to jump-start its new network and load it with subscribers. The combination of theMango wireless data service and a new Tango handheld that is packed with features andapplications is already proving irresistible to a new generation of users.

26OUTLOOK: COORDINATED RESPONSETO EMERGENCY CALLS

LINKSEricsson ABLindholmspiren 11, S-417 56 Gothenburg, Swedenphone: +46-31-747 0000, fax: +46-31-7476033

Mobitex information:www.ericsson.com/mobitex, www.mobitex.org

Mobitex e-mail addresses at Ericsson:Marketing and sales mobitex.info@erv.ericsson.seCustomer support mobitex.tac@erv.ericsson.seMobitex training center mobitex.training@erv.ericsson.se

Ericsson links:Ericsson www.ericsson.comEricsson Mobitex www.ericsson.com/mobitex

Mobitex operators featured in this issue:ADT Wireless, Australia: www.adtwireless.com.auCingular Wireless, US: www.cingular.comMowic, Sweden: www.mowic.seMulticom Security, Sweden: www.multicomsecurity.seReal Telecom, Korea: www.realtelecom.co.krRAM Mobile Data, Netherlands: www.ram.nlRogers AT&T, Canada: www.rogers.com/english/businesssolutionsSky Networks Comm Group Co, China: www.skyfol.comTranscomm, UK: www.transcomm.uk.com.UNT, Brazil: www.unt.com.br

Responding to emergency callsrequires a call-handling systemthat guides the operator at everystep and results in a coordinatedresponse. Robert Borgström,president of Ericsson SecuritySystems, describes CoordCom.

10 NO ROOM FORERRORSStarting from a strong position in the public safetysector, Mobitex has opened new markets and wongovernment customers. Underlying this success isnot only confidence among public authorities in thereliability of the technology, but a new awareness ofthe benefits of wireless data for improving efficiencyand increasing customer satisfaction.

12 AUSTRALIA:WORLD-CLASSEMERGENCY CAREIn Australia, a breakthrough order was recentlyreceived from the government of New South Wales,which plans to deploy Mobitex on a broad scale. Firstout is the Ambulance Service, which will now useMobitex to increase efficiency and provide world-class care for the state’s residents.

15 UK:WORKING FOR A SAFERLONDONThe venerable Met, one of the world’s oldest policeforces serving a metropolitan area with a population ofmore than seven million, is re-inventing itself in a pro-cess in which mobile data will play an important rolein making London the safest major city in the world.

18 US:CREATING SITUATIONALAWARENESSAt the US Department of Defense, military plannersand strategists are able to share sensitive informationfreely via a public Mobitex network. Interactive mes-saging in a secure and DoD-compliant environmentgives staff members new freedom and keeps them ontop of the situation at all times.

Companies and organizations featured in this issue:ADP, UK: www.apdcomms.co.ukAether system, US: www.aethersystems.comCNI, Korea: www.cni.co.krConsilient, US: www.consilient.comGood Technolgies, US: www.goodlink.comeXcape, Canada: www.excape.netEricsson Security Systems, Sweden:www.egs.ericsson.se/systemmLondon Metropolitan Police, UK: www.met.police.ukMobix, Israel: www.mobix.comMentor, Canada: www.mentoreng.comMobitex Operators Associations: www.mobitex.orgModitech, Netherlands: www.moditech.comNew South Wales Ambulance, Australia:www.asnsw.health.nsw.gov.auNational Security Agency (NSA), US: www.nsa.govPalm, US: www.palm.netResearch In Motion RIM, Canada: www.rim.netTechnisyst Computing, Australia: www.technisyst.comTouchstar Pacific, Australia: www.touchstar.com.auShanghai Lujiazui Dev Group Co, China; www.shld.comQueensland Ambulance, Australia:www.ambulance.qld.gov.auWalkabout, US: www.walkabout-comp.com

2 C O N T E N T S . . . A P R I L 2 0 0 3 3C O N T E N T S . . . A P R I L 2 0 0 3

5GUEST PROFILE:WAYNE GALE

The communica-tions manager forAustralia’s Queens-land AmbulanceService describesthe requirements ofhis organization for

wireless data communications and thedemands that suppliers must meet.

22MARKET NEWS

·Program for modem and terminal validation·Mobitex BackPack working on Scout·WalkAbout ships Hammerhead XRT·First Mentor installation in UK·Complete AMR solution from Mobix·Mobitex Cell on Wheels·Modem design support

28WANDA WAVEPersonal security becomes difficultwhen mother enters the loop.

6BUSINESS NEWS

·New York Fire Dptm selects Consilient·Unique Crash Recovery System·Sky Network forms joint venture·New owners for Swedish network·Riders and drivers love wireless POS·Mobitex at WAVE 2003·Report from MOA in Seoul·Palm in Brazil

WIRELESSDATA IN PUBLIC

SERVICE

20STRATEGY: MANGO TANGO FRENZYNew Mobitex operator Telecom Digital Ltd. in Hong Kong has produced a dazzling offer-ing to jump-start its new network and load it with subscribers. The combination of theMango wireless data service and a new Tango handheld that is packed with features andapplications is already proving irresistible to a new generation of users.

26OUTLOOK: COORDINATED RESPONSETO EMERGENCY CALLS

LINKSEricsson ABLindholmspiren 11, S-417 56 Gothenburg, Swedenphone: +46-31-747 0000, fax: +46-31-7476033

Mobitex information:www.ericsson.com/mobitex, www.mobitex.org

Mobitex e-mail addresses at Ericsson:Marketing and sales mobitex.info@erv.ericsson.seCustomer support mobitex.tac@erv.ericsson.seMobitex training center mobitex.training@erv.ericsson.se

Ericsson links:Ericsson www.ericsson.comEricsson Mobitex www.ericsson.com/mobitex

Mobitex operators featured in this issue:ADT Wireless, Australia: www.adtwireless.com.auCingular Wireless, US: www.cingular.comMowic, Sweden: www.mowic.seMulticom Security, Sweden: www.multicomsecurity.seReal Telecom, Korea: www.realtelecom.co.krRAM Mobile Data, Netherlands: www.ram.nlRogers AT&T, Canada: www.rogers.com/english/businesssolutionsSky Networks Comm Group Co, China: www.skyfol.comTranscomm, UK: www.transcomm.uk.com.UNT, Brazil: www.unt.com.br

Responding to emergency callsrequires a call-handling systemthat guides the operator at everystep and results in a coordinatedresponse. Robert Borgström,president of Ericsson SecuritySystems, describes CoordCom.

10 NO ROOM FORERRORSStarting from a strong position in the public safetysector, Mobitex has opened new markets and wongovernment customers. Underlying this success isnot only confidence among public authorities in thereliability of the technology, but a new awareness ofthe benefits of wireless data for improving efficiencyand increasing customer satisfaction.

12 AUSTRALIA:WORLD-CLASSEMERGENCY CAREIn Australia, a breakthrough order was recentlyreceived from the government of New South Wales,which plans to deploy Mobitex on a broad scale. Firstout is the Ambulance Service, which will now useMobitex to increase efficiency and provide world-class care for the state’s residents.

15 UK:WORKING FOR A SAFERLONDONThe venerable Met, one of the world’s oldest policeforces serving a metropolitan area with a population ofmore than seven million, is re-inventing itself in a pro-cess in which mobile data will play an important rolein making London the safest major city in the world.

18 US:CREATING SITUATIONALAWARENESSAt the US Department of Defense, military plannersand strategists are able to share sensitive informationfreely via a public Mobitex network. Interactive mes-saging in a secure and DoD-compliant environmentgives staff members new freedom and keeps them ontop of the situation at all times.

Companies and organizations featured in this issue:ADP, UK: www.apdcomms.co.ukAether system, US: www.aethersystems.comCNI, Korea: www.cni.co.krConsilient, US: www.consilient.comGood Technolgies, US: www.goodlink.comeXcape, Canada: www.excape.netEricsson Security Systems, Sweden:www.egs.ericsson.se/systemmLondon Metropolitan Police, UK: www.met.police.ukMobix, Israel: www.mobix.comMentor, Canada: www.mentoreng.comMobitex Operators Associations: www.mobitex.orgModitech, Netherlands: www.moditech.comNew South Wales Ambulance, Australia:www.asnsw.health.nsw.gov.auNational Security Agency (NSA), US: www.nsa.govPalm, US: www.palm.netResearch In Motion RIM, Canada: www.rim.netTechnisyst Computing, Australia: www.technisyst.comTouchstar Pacific, Australia: www.touchstar.com.auShanghai Lujiazui Dev Group Co, China; www.shld.comQueensland Ambulance, Australia:www.ambulance.qld.gov.auWalkabout, US: www.walkabout-comp.com

What forms of mobile communications are currently being used by public safety services in Queensland?

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) uses theMobitex System with vehicle based mobile dataterminals. Queensland Police Service (QPS) havea GSM based data application with handportable computer terminals.

What is the role of communications in public safety services?

The roles of communications systems are formobile and portable voice communications inresponse to emergencies. QAS uses data com-munications for dispatch messaging to vehicles;for vehicle position location identification todetermine the most suitable vehicle to dispatchto an incident; and for providing vehicle statusupdates while in the field such as on-scene,departed scene etc.

Is there an increasing need for data communications among mobile users?

Yes, data communications is an increasing re-quirement to reduce the reliance on voice trafficand for transmitting some messages that mayalready be stored in a computer, such as casedetails and database queries. Increasing the effi-ciency and availability of operational staff is pos-sible by reducing the need to relay and re-writemessages such as case details passed by radio etc.There is always a growth in demand for servicesover time and gaining more resources to handlethe workload is challenging. Data communica-tions can assist in improving efficiency andreducing the need for more resources.

Is capacity on existing communicationschannels sufficient?

Capacity on the QAS data network is sufficientin normal operation. Additional coverage hasrecently been added in the Brisbane central

business district, which has reduced the occa-sional throughput delays from traffic peaks atshift change log on times. Vehicles also convergeon the business district to main hospitals caus-ing increased data traffic. Outside this area, thenetwork has capacity for additional users.

What are your requirements in terms ofavailability, reliability and security?

Operational staff prefer the network to be avail-able at all times of course. Round trip messagedelivery and acknowledge times of 10 secondsare adequate for operational network response.Reliability of delivery is important and pre-ferred, but procedures for emergency operationsare used where issues such as coverage shortfallsmay delay delivery. Security from eavesdroppingis important for privacy purposes and can assistin reducing convergence at accidents by peoplethat need not be there. There needs to be a bal-ance between cost and security level provided.

Are suppliers receptive to these requirementsor can they do more to address your needs?

Yes, I believe that our suppliers are providingthe service level we require. Costs for changes to large systems are always an issue. This is oneof the benefits of buying a stable technology, as most of the required features are probablyavailable. Data network performance monitoringand reporting in terms of measuring the keyresponse time aspects are areas in which morework is needed.

Are public safety applications used bypolice, fire and ambulances inherentlyvoice-centric or is the use of voice morebound by tradition?

Voice communications is a critical emergencyservice capability that will remain a core require-ment for emergency services. Voice communica-tions can pass critical messages effectively in a

short two-way exchange. Typing such messagesinto a data terminal may be time consumingand difficult on a portable device.

Are private networks a necessity for publicsafety services or can public networks beused for communications?

Public networks can be suitable for public safetycommunications as long as performance aspects canbe achieved. This implies a need for controllingcapacity and performance so emergency require-ments are maintained to adequate levels. Generallyemergency services will desire service access guar-antees as would be expected given that their abili-ty to function effectively is wholly dependent onthe available communications system.

Which communication channels are moresuitable and which are less suitable forambulance services?

As far as QAS is concerned voice communica-tion remains essential and handheld use is pre-ferred. Data communication is highly desirablefor process efficiency enhancements.

How do you assess the efficiency of publicsafety services?

Response time is a primary pre-hospital careefficiency measure for QAS.

How do you assess public satisfaction with these services?

Public satisfaction is surveyed regularly.

How will the Queensland authoritiesimprove public safety in the future and what role can wireless data play?

We expect to see an increase in the collectionand processing of computerized case data usingthe wireless data network. Network coveragerequirements for portable devices will remain animportant issue. ■

P U B L I S H E R ' S N O T E4

MDM NO.1 2003/POSTAL ADDRESS : Mobitex, Ericsson AB Lindholmspiren 11, SE-417 56 Gothenburg, Sweden, e-mail mobitex.info@erv.ericsson.se,

Internet www.ericsson.com/mobitex. PUBL ISHER : Anders Baaz. ED ITOR : Ingrid Wallgren, tel: +46 31 747 64 40, e-mail ingrid.wallgren@erv.ericsson.se.

C O N T R I B U T O R A N D E D I T O R I A L C O N S U LTA N T S : Alan Sheats, Bugli Company AB Stockholm, Sweden, e-mail alan.sheats@bugli.se.

LAYOUT: Peter Menke, Citat Media Production. WEB LAYOUT: Henrik Kool. PRINTED BY: Ofta Grafiska AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. PRE PRESS & REPRINTS:

Citat Media Production AB, Gothenburg, Sweden, e-mail kicki.nordenstrom@citat.se. MOBILE DATA MAGAZINE: is published under Swedish press law by Mobitex,Ericsson AB in cooperation with The Bugli Company. The opinions expressed in Mobile Data Magazine are not necessarily those of Mobitex, Ericsson AB. Mobile Data

Magazine is distributed to the international telecommunications community in more than 50 countries.

INTHE PUBLIC

SERVICE

G U E S T P R O F I L E 5

WIRELESSDATA IMPROVESEFFICIENCY

Public safety, security and government services are a large andgrowing market in which Mobitex continues to thrive. We simplyused to call it public safety, but as we began to prepare this issueon a classic appliaction area, it became apparent that Mobitextechnology is being used in new and innovative applications andexpanding into new sectors.

It is apparent that making greater use of the potential of wire-less data brings many benefits for public authorities. Sendingpatient data from the ambulance while en route to the hospital,which is now routine in Australia, the UK, Sweden and other coun-tries where Mobitex is used in ambulance services, saves lives andsignificantly improves emergency care. Being able to perform spotchecks on persons and vehicles over Mobitex in a matter of secondsnot only helps police officers on patrol, but also a wide range ofsecurity officials protecting airports and other public places.Wireless email and interactive messaging meeting the high securitystandards of the US Department of Defense yet operating over apublic network are clearly finding application across a wide rangeof government agencies.

This issue of Mobile Data News brings you news from all con-tinents, with feature articles from the US, the UK and Australia.Developments are particularly exciting in Australia, where Mobitexhas achieved a major breakthrough in New South Wales, the coun-try’s most populous state, with Sydney and the nation’s capitalCanberra. Following the successful Mobitex deployments by publicauthorities in Queensland, the government of New South Walesalso selected Mobitex.

In New South Wales, Mobitex will initially be used by theAmbulance Service. This is a breakthrough order, however,because Mobitex is set to play a major role in the digitalization ofthe Government Radio Network where it has the potential to serve

more than 10,000 users in some 40 government agencies. With thisorder, Mobitex achieves critical mass in Australia and is well on theway to becoming the de facto standard for wireless data communi-cations in government.

In an important development, the Mobitex OperatorsAssociation (MOA) recently adopted a uniform test procedure forverifying compliance with the Mobitex Interface Specification (MIS)and appointed Ericsson to conduct these tests on behalf of the oper-ators. This is a prestigious assignment for us, and a development thatwill significantly shorten time to market for new Mobitex devices.

New devices announced in this issue include GoodTechnology’s G100 wireless handheld, TouchStar’s BackPack, anew modem and the Hammerhead XRT from Walkabout. Needlessto say, the availability of so many devices for Mobitex not only sig-nificantly increases market potential. It is also a clear vote of confi-dence from manufacturers who anticipate sales volumes that willjustify their substantial investments. Furthermore, the uniform testprocedure for MIS-compliance has encouraged several of thesemanufacturers to announce products for all Mobitex frequencies.

At this year’s WAVE conference, MOA held a well-attendedpresentation on Mobitex in a 3G world. The advent of new tech-nologies has unquestionably increased interest in wireless data. AsMOA pointed out, Mobitex subscribers have tripled in number,while traffic has quintupled in volume, since the introduction of2.5G services. As interest in wireless data continues to mount,Mobitex is thriving like never before.

The Queensland Ambulance Service has been using aMobitex system for communication since November2000. Mobile Data Magazine spoke to Wayne Gale,communications manager for the Radio and ElectronicsSection of the Queensland Ambulance Service to get hisviews on the importance of wireless data for the service.

Anders Baaz

What forms of mobile communications are currently being used by public safety services in Queensland?

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) uses theMobitex System with vehicle based mobile dataterminals. Queensland Police Service (QPS) havea GSM based data application with handportable computer terminals.

What is the role of communications in public safety services?

The roles of communications systems are formobile and portable voice communications inresponse to emergencies. QAS uses data com-munications for dispatch messaging to vehicles;for vehicle position location identification todetermine the most suitable vehicle to dispatchto an incident; and for providing vehicle statusupdates while in the field such as on-scene,departed scene etc.

Is there an increasing need for data communications among mobile users?

Yes, data communications is an increasing re-quirement to reduce the reliance on voice trafficand for transmitting some messages that mayalready be stored in a computer, such as casedetails and database queries. Increasing the effi-ciency and availability of operational staff is pos-sible by reducing the need to relay and re-writemessages such as case details passed by radio etc.There is always a growth in demand for servicesover time and gaining more resources to handlethe workload is challenging. Data communica-tions can assist in improving efficiency andreducing the need for more resources.

Is capacity on existing communicationschannels sufficient?

Capacity on the QAS data network is sufficientin normal operation. Additional coverage hasrecently been added in the Brisbane central

business district, which has reduced the occa-sional throughput delays from traffic peaks atshift change log on times. Vehicles also convergeon the business district to main hospitals caus-ing increased data traffic. Outside this area, thenetwork has capacity for additional users.

What are your requirements in terms ofavailability, reliability and security?

Operational staff prefer the network to be avail-able at all times of course. Round trip messagedelivery and acknowledge times of 10 secondsare adequate for operational network response.Reliability of delivery is important and pre-ferred, but procedures for emergency operationsare used where issues such as coverage shortfallsmay delay delivery. Security from eavesdroppingis important for privacy purposes and can assistin reducing convergence at accidents by peoplethat need not be there. There needs to be a bal-ance between cost and security level provided.

Are suppliers receptive to these requirementsor can they do more to address your needs?

Yes, I believe that our suppliers are providingthe service level we require. Costs for changes to large systems are always an issue. This is oneof the benefits of buying a stable technology, as most of the required features are probablyavailable. Data network performance monitoringand reporting in terms of measuring the keyresponse time aspects are areas in which morework is needed.

Are public safety applications used bypolice, fire and ambulances inherentlyvoice-centric or is the use of voice morebound by tradition?

Voice communications is a critical emergencyservice capability that will remain a core require-ment for emergency services. Voice communica-tions can pass critical messages effectively in a

short two-way exchange. Typing such messagesinto a data terminal may be time consumingand difficult on a portable device.

Are private networks a necessity for publicsafety services or can public networks beused for communications?

Public networks can be suitable for public safetycommunications as long as performance aspects canbe achieved. This implies a need for controllingcapacity and performance so emergency require-ments are maintained to adequate levels. Generallyemergency services will desire service access guar-antees as would be expected given that their abili-ty to function effectively is wholly dependent onthe available communications system.

Which communication channels are moresuitable and which are less suitable forambulance services?

As far as QAS is concerned voice communica-tion remains essential and handheld use is pre-ferred. Data communication is highly desirablefor process efficiency enhancements.

How do you assess the efficiency of publicsafety services?

Response time is a primary pre-hospital careefficiency measure for QAS.

How do you assess public satisfaction with these services?

Public satisfaction is surveyed regularly.

How will the Queensland authoritiesimprove public safety in the future and what role can wireless data play?

We expect to see an increase in the collectionand processing of computerized case data usingthe wireless data network. Network coveragerequirements for portable devices will remain animportant issue. ■

P U B L I S H E R ' S N O T E4

MDM NO.1 2003/POSTAL ADDRESS : Mobitex, Ericsson AB Lindholmspiren 11, SE-417 56 Gothenburg, Sweden, e-mail mobitex.info@erv.ericsson.se,

Internet www.ericsson.com/mobitex. PUBL ISHER : Anders Baaz. ED ITOR : Ingrid Wallgren, tel: +46 31 747 64 40, e-mail ingrid.wallgren@erv.ericsson.se.

C O N T R I B U T O R A N D E D I T O R I A L C O N S U LTA N T S : Alan Sheats, Bugli Company AB Stockholm, Sweden, e-mail alan.sheats@bugli.se.

LAYOUT: Peter Menke, Citat Media Production. WEB LAYOUT: Henrik Kool. PRINTED BY: Ofta Grafiska AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. PRE PRESS & REPRINTS:

Citat Media Production AB, Gothenburg, Sweden, e-mail kicki.nordenstrom@citat.se. MOBILE DATA MAGAZINE: is published under Swedish press law by Mobitex,Ericsson AB in cooperation with The Bugli Company. The opinions expressed in Mobile Data Magazine are not necessarily those of Mobitex, Ericsson AB. Mobile Data

Magazine is distributed to the international telecommunications community in more than 50 countries.

INTHE PUBLIC

SERVICE

G U E S T P R O F I L E 5

WIRELESSDATA IMPROVESEFFICIENCY

Public safety, security and government services are a large andgrowing market in which Mobitex continues to thrive. We simplyused to call it public safety, but as we began to prepare this issueon a classic appliaction area, it became apparent that Mobitextechnology is being used in new and innovative applications andexpanding into new sectors.

It is apparent that making greater use of the potential of wire-less data brings many benefits for public authorities. Sendingpatient data from the ambulance while en route to the hospital,which is now routine in Australia, the UK, Sweden and other coun-tries where Mobitex is used in ambulance services, saves lives andsignificantly improves emergency care. Being able to perform spotchecks on persons and vehicles over Mobitex in a matter of secondsnot only helps police officers on patrol, but also a wide range ofsecurity officials protecting airports and other public places.Wireless email and interactive messaging meeting the high securitystandards of the US Department of Defense yet operating over apublic network are clearly finding application across a wide rangeof government agencies.

This issue of Mobile Data News brings you news from all con-tinents, with feature articles from the US, the UK and Australia.Developments are particularly exciting in Australia, where Mobitexhas achieved a major breakthrough in New South Wales, the coun-try’s most populous state, with Sydney and the nation’s capitalCanberra. Following the successful Mobitex deployments by publicauthorities in Queensland, the government of New South Walesalso selected Mobitex.

In New South Wales, Mobitex will initially be used by theAmbulance Service. This is a breakthrough order, however,because Mobitex is set to play a major role in the digitalization ofthe Government Radio Network where it has the potential to serve

more than 10,000 users in some 40 government agencies. With thisorder, Mobitex achieves critical mass in Australia and is well on theway to becoming the de facto standard for wireless data communi-cations in government.

In an important development, the Mobitex OperatorsAssociation (MOA) recently adopted a uniform test procedure forverifying compliance with the Mobitex Interface Specification (MIS)and appointed Ericsson to conduct these tests on behalf of the oper-ators. This is a prestigious assignment for us, and a development thatwill significantly shorten time to market for new Mobitex devices.

New devices announced in this issue include GoodTechnology’s G100 wireless handheld, TouchStar’s BackPack, anew modem and the Hammerhead XRT from Walkabout. Needlessto say, the availability of so many devices for Mobitex not only sig-nificantly increases market potential. It is also a clear vote of confi-dence from manufacturers who anticipate sales volumes that willjustify their substantial investments. Furthermore, the uniform testprocedure for MIS-compliance has encouraged several of thesemanufacturers to announce products for all Mobitex frequencies.

At this year’s WAVE conference, MOA held a well-attendedpresentation on Mobitex in a 3G world. The advent of new tech-nologies has unquestionably increased interest in wireless data. AsMOA pointed out, Mobitex subscribers have tripled in number,while traffic has quintupled in volume, since the introduction of2.5G services. As interest in wireless data continues to mount,Mobitex is thriving like never before.

The Queensland Ambulance Service has been using aMobitex system for communication since November2000. Mobile Data Magazine spoke to Wayne Gale,communications manager for the Radio and ElectronicsSection of the Queensland Ambulance Service to get hisviews on the importance of wireless data for the service.

Anders Baaz

The New York City Fire Depart-ment (NYFD) recently completedthe first stage of its deploymentof RIM’s BlackBerry wireless e-mail platform and ConsilientMX software to enable its staffmembers to access the depart-ment’s Novell GroupWise e-mailsystem over the Cingular Wire-less Mobitex network. NYFDwill also use Nextel devices.

“This past year, there hasbeen a sense of urgency to imple-ment secure, reliable, wirelesscommunication technology thatenables us to easily get informa-tion to NYFD staff during emer-gency situations,” says Chief ofOperations Sal Cassano.

Consilient MX (Mail eXten-sion) client software and theWEx (Wireless eXtension) gate-

way from Consilient Technolo-gies is used to create a connec-tion between the FDNY’s Nov-ell® GroupWise email serverand the BlackBerry EnterpriseServer so that department head-quarters can communicate secure-ly with the mobile workforceusing wireless handhelds.

Consilient Technologies is aprovider of mobile business solu-tions developing and integratingproducts for mobile workers. TheMX mail extension for Group-wise was developed by Consilientthrough the BlackBerry ISVAlliance Program.

The initial deploymentcomprises the Office of the FireCommissioner, the Chief ofDepartment, the Chief of Opera-tions and their staffs. Phase twoof the FDNY deployment willinvolve a rollout to a broader usergroup at the headquarters’administrative level.

The BlackBerry platform ispopular in government organiza-tions because of its always-onutility, true push functionalityand advanced security, includingend-to-end Triple DES encryp-tion, FIPS 140-1 certification andoptional support for the S/MIMEsecurity standard.

“Wirelessly extending in-house information systems tomobile workers on handheldcomputers is our core business,and we are very pleased to wire-lessly enable the FDNY,” saysTrevor Adey, president of Con-silient Technologies. ■

MOBILEBUS INESS

NEWS

7B U S I N E S S N E W S

WAVE 2003, the WirelessAlliance and Vision Exchangeevent that keeps getting bigger,was held this year in Las Vegasfrom February 10 to 12. Despitebeing held earlier than in previ-ous years during a period whenthe shimmering metropolis in theNevada desert is somewhat cool-er, the frenetic activity and sheerenergy of the participants, exhib-iters and presenters at WAVE2003 quickly created a chargedatmosphere in which no onecould fail to notice that wirelessdata in general and Mobitex inparticular are hotter than ever.

Speaking in his keynoteaddress, newly appointed Cingu-lar Wireless Chief OperatingOfficer Mark Feidler reaffirmedthe operator's commitment toMobitex, which he described as"a powerhouse and America'spremier two-way narrowbandwireless data service." CingularWireless added 400,000 newsubscribers to its Mobitex net-work during 2002 and experi-enced a 50 percent increase intraffic. "There is no better wire-less data network than Mobitex

for our data customers," notedMark Feidler, adding that Cingu-lar Wireless continues to expandits Mobitex network and willcontinue to do so for the foresee-able future.

Among the more excitingevents at WAVE 2003 was theofficial launch of the G100 wire-less handheld from Good Tech-nologies packaged with CingularWireless' Express Mail GoodLinkEdition. Features that make thisproduct a complete mobile infor-mation for the enterprise includezero desktop install, since thesoftware is entirely server based,and wireless two-way synchro-nization of all services, includingemail, calendar, contacts, tasksand notes. In addition, the G100supports secure attachment view-ing of Word, Excel and Power-point documents, as well asHTML, PDF and RTF files.

Since the company launchedits service less than eight monthsago, Good has seen phenomenalmarket momentum for its prod-ucts, with more than 500 compa-nies adopting its GoodLink wire-less corporate messaging system.

CML Microcircuits has beeninvolved from the beginning inthe development of the G100handheld for Mobitex, which usesand supports CML's market lead-ing CMX909B GMSK PacketData Modem IC.

Although Cingular Wirelesshas ambitious plans for 2.5G and3G services, WAVE 2003 wasalso very much a Mobitex event.The Mobitex Operators Associa-tion (MOA) was once again asponsor, and MOA executivedirector Jack Barse and MOA'spresident Andrew Fitton jointlyheld a well-attended presentationunder the title "Mobitex in a 3G

world" in which they pointed outthat growth has been exceptionalthroughout the world, with newnetworks in several countries, aquintupling of traffic and morethan a tripling of the subscriberbase during the last years.

Andrew described severalcontracts recently completed byMobitex operators around theworld and what factors had influ-enced customers to choose Mobi-tex over other 2.5G technologies.

As always, there was a strongfocus on developers at WAVE2003. Cingular Wireless' Appli-cation Developer Program con-tinues to expand, with a doublingof membership since last year'sevent. The first day of the confer-ence consisted of developer work-shops held by Ericsson mobilityworld, RIM, Sun and Nokia.RIM introduced a new browserproduct with functionality thatmakes it easier to write applica-tions for accessing corporateintranet. The new product solvessecurity and encryption issuesand supports both Mobitex andother technologies. ■

Industry leaders and analysts presentedtheir views on wireless data trends atWAVE 2003.

MOBITEXSTEALS

THE SHOW

NY FIREDEPARTMENTSELECTSCONSILIENT

Multicom Security AB recentlyacquired the Swedish Mobitexnetwork owned and operated byTelia Mobitel AB. This first-gen-eration Mobitex network was the

world’s first commercial Mobitexnetwork and currently providescoverage of 99.5 percent of theSwedish population and morethan 90 percent of the country’stotal land area.

Multicom Security AB isSweden’s leading provider ofmonitored security services andsupplier of security products withmore than 30,000 installed mon-itoring units and 300 alert cen-ters throughout the country.

Through its mobile data expertiseand highly professional customersupport organization, the Mobi-tex group will work to developMulticom’s wireless offerings.The Mobitex network will com-plement the company’s fixedMulticom network allowingMulticom to continue to serveexisting Mobitex customerswhile extending its business tonew groups of mobile users andnew types of services. ■

TELIA MOBITEXBECOMESMULTICOMSECURITY

Chinese Mobitex operator SkyNetworks Communication Grouprecently announced a joint ven-ture with Shanghai LujiazuiDevelopment Co. Ltd., a businessgroup authorized and supportedby the People’s Municipal Gov-ernment of Shanghai. This com-pany’s primary tasks are propertydevelopment and business coordi-nation in the Lujiazui Financeand Trade Zone. The companyhas 54 fully invested companiesand its business covers real estate,finance, insurance and technolo-gy industries.

“This is a milestone forLujiazui Development and SkyNetworks and marks that start ofa close partnership in which wewill grow and develop together.It is also Lujiazui Development’sfirst step in entering the hi-techfield,” said Kang Huijun, man-aging director of Shanghai Luji-azui Development Co. Ltd.speaking at the signing ceremo-ny for the joint venture. ■

SKYNETWORKSFORMSJOINTVENTURE

GPRS EDGE UMTS

2002–2003 2003–2004 FUTURE

GPRS

GSM

CDPD

MOBITEX

The New York City Fire Depart-ment (NYFD) recently completedthe first stage of its deploymentof RIM’s BlackBerry wireless e-mail platform and ConsilientMX software to enable its staffmembers to access the depart-ment’s Novell GroupWise e-mailsystem over the Cingular Wire-less Mobitex network. NYFDwill also use Nextel devices.

“This past year, there hasbeen a sense of urgency to imple-ment secure, reliable, wirelesscommunication technology thatenables us to easily get informa-tion to NYFD staff during emer-gency situations,” says Chief ofOperations Sal Cassano.

Consilient MX (Mail eXten-sion) client software and theWEx (Wireless eXtension) gate-

way from Consilient Technolo-gies is used to create a connec-tion between the FDNY’s Nov-ell® GroupWise email serverand the BlackBerry EnterpriseServer so that department head-quarters can communicate secure-ly with the mobile workforceusing wireless handhelds.

Consilient Technologies is aprovider of mobile business solu-tions developing and integratingproducts for mobile workers. TheMX mail extension for Group-wise was developed by Consilientthrough the BlackBerry ISVAlliance Program.

The initial deploymentcomprises the Office of the FireCommissioner, the Chief ofDepartment, the Chief of Opera-tions and their staffs. Phase twoof the FDNY deployment willinvolve a rollout to a broader usergroup at the headquarters’administrative level.

The BlackBerry platform ispopular in government organiza-tions because of its always-onutility, true push functionalityand advanced security, includingend-to-end Triple DES encryp-tion, FIPS 140-1 certification andoptional support for the S/MIMEsecurity standard.

“Wirelessly extending in-house information systems tomobile workers on handheldcomputers is our core business,and we are very pleased to wire-lessly enable the FDNY,” saysTrevor Adey, president of Con-silient Technologies. ■

MOBILEBUS INESS

NEWS

7B U S I N E S S N E W S

WAVE 2003, the WirelessAlliance and Vision Exchangeevent that keeps getting bigger,was held this year in Las Vegasfrom February 10 to 12. Despitebeing held earlier than in previ-ous years during a period whenthe shimmering metropolis in theNevada desert is somewhat cool-er, the frenetic activity and sheerenergy of the participants, exhib-iters and presenters at WAVE2003 quickly created a chargedatmosphere in which no onecould fail to notice that wirelessdata in general and Mobitex inparticular are hotter than ever.

Speaking in his keynoteaddress, newly appointed Cingu-lar Wireless Chief OperatingOfficer Mark Feidler reaffirmedthe operator's commitment toMobitex, which he described as"a powerhouse and America'spremier two-way narrowbandwireless data service." CingularWireless added 400,000 newsubscribers to its Mobitex net-work during 2002 and experi-enced a 50 percent increase intraffic. "There is no better wire-less data network than Mobitex

for our data customers," notedMark Feidler, adding that Cingu-lar Wireless continues to expandits Mobitex network and willcontinue to do so for the foresee-able future.

Among the more excitingevents at WAVE 2003 was theofficial launch of the G100 wire-less handheld from Good Tech-nologies packaged with CingularWireless' Express Mail GoodLinkEdition. Features that make thisproduct a complete mobile infor-mation for the enterprise includezero desktop install, since thesoftware is entirely server based,and wireless two-way synchro-nization of all services, includingemail, calendar, contacts, tasksand notes. In addition, the G100supports secure attachment view-ing of Word, Excel and Power-point documents, as well asHTML, PDF and RTF files.

Since the company launchedits service less than eight monthsago, Good has seen phenomenalmarket momentum for its prod-ucts, with more than 500 compa-nies adopting its GoodLink wire-less corporate messaging system.

CML Microcircuits has beeninvolved from the beginning inthe development of the G100handheld for Mobitex, which usesand supports CML's market lead-ing CMX909B GMSK PacketData Modem IC.

Although Cingular Wirelesshas ambitious plans for 2.5G and3G services, WAVE 2003 wasalso very much a Mobitex event.The Mobitex Operators Associa-tion (MOA) was once again asponsor, and MOA executivedirector Jack Barse and MOA'spresident Andrew Fitton jointlyheld a well-attended presentationunder the title "Mobitex in a 3G

world" in which they pointed outthat growth has been exceptionalthroughout the world, with newnetworks in several countries, aquintupling of traffic and morethan a tripling of the subscriberbase during the last years.

Andrew described severalcontracts recently completed byMobitex operators around theworld and what factors had influ-enced customers to choose Mobi-tex over other 2.5G technologies.

As always, there was a strongfocus on developers at WAVE2003. Cingular Wireless' Appli-cation Developer Program con-tinues to expand, with a doublingof membership since last year'sevent. The first day of the confer-ence consisted of developer work-shops held by Ericsson mobilityworld, RIM, Sun and Nokia.RIM introduced a new browserproduct with functionality thatmakes it easier to write applica-tions for accessing corporateintranet. The new product solvessecurity and encryption issuesand supports both Mobitex andother technologies. ■

Industry leaders and analysts presentedtheir views on wireless data trends atWAVE 2003.

MOBITEXSTEALS

THE SHOW

NY FIREDEPARTMENTSELECTSCONSILIENT

Multicom Security AB recentlyacquired the Swedish Mobitexnetwork owned and operated byTelia Mobitel AB. This first-gen-eration Mobitex network was the

world’s first commercial Mobitexnetwork and currently providescoverage of 99.5 percent of theSwedish population and morethan 90 percent of the country’stotal land area.

Multicom Security AB isSweden’s leading provider ofmonitored security services andsupplier of security products withmore than 30,000 installed mon-itoring units and 300 alert cen-ters throughout the country.

Through its mobile data expertiseand highly professional customersupport organization, the Mobi-tex group will work to developMulticom’s wireless offerings.The Mobitex network will com-plement the company’s fixedMulticom network allowingMulticom to continue to serveexisting Mobitex customerswhile extending its business tonew groups of mobile users andnew types of services. ■

TELIA MOBITEXBECOMESMULTICOMSECURITY

Chinese Mobitex operator SkyNetworks Communication Grouprecently announced a joint ven-ture with Shanghai LujiazuiDevelopment Co. Ltd., a businessgroup authorized and supportedby the People’s Municipal Gov-ernment of Shanghai. This com-pany’s primary tasks are propertydevelopment and business coordi-nation in the Lujiazui Financeand Trade Zone. The companyhas 54 fully invested companiesand its business covers real estate,finance, insurance and technolo-gy industries.

“This is a milestone forLujiazui Development and SkyNetworks and marks that start ofa close partnership in which wewill grow and develop together.It is also Lujiazui Development’sfirst step in entering the hi-techfield,” said Kang Huijun, man-aging director of Shanghai Luji-azui Development Co. Ltd.speaking at the signing ceremo-ny for the joint venture. ■

SKYNETWORKSFORMSJOINTVENTURE

GPRS EDGE UMTS

2002–2003 2003–2004 FUTURE

GPRS

GSM

CDPD

MOBITEX

B U S I N E S S N E W S8

Last autumn, Crown Taxi ofToronto, Canada completedinstallation of wireless POS(Point of sale) terminals operat-

ing on Rogers AT&T Wireless’Mobitex network in its entirefleet of cabs. Since then, the com-pany has seen a tenfold increase in

credit card transactions, and bothriders and drivers love the addedconvenience.

“Customers really appreciatethe convenience of paying bycredit or debit card. It is actuallyfaster than paying with cash andeliminates the need for driversand customers to fumble for theright change. We think it hasgiven us a real competitiveadvantage in the market,” saysBob Donaldson, president ofFareport Capital Inc., which ownsCrown Taxi.

The wireless POS terminalswere supplied by eXcape Busi-ness Transactions Inc. as part ofits fleetX wireless credit anddebit solution for fleet markets.The fleetX POS terminal, whichis available in both vehicle-mounted and handheld versions,includes a built-in printer and iseasy to operate, requiring onlythat the driver key in the fareamount and an ID number.

Behind the scenes, the accountsand reports components of thesolution running on the back-office system take care of thedetails of verifying the transac-tion and producing accountingrecords and sales reports. Analerts component is also available,offering drivers a panic button incase of emergency that uses GPSpositioning to report the vehicleslocation to the dispatcher alongwith the alert.

“The taxi industry hasremained one of the last cash busi-nesses in North America. Crownhas taken the lead in providingpassengers the same conveniencein paying for a ride the same waypeople pay for most purchasestoday, by credit or debit card,”says Dan Carriere, senior vicepresident and director of eXcapeBusiness Transactions Inc. ■

Nearly one hundred persons from14 countries attended the 38thMOA meeting held in Seoul,Korea on October 20 to 23,2002. The meeting was superblyarranged by the host Real Tele-com (formerly Intec Telecom). Asalways at MOA meetings, therewas a strong focus on applica-tions, which for this occasionwere dubbed new Seoulutions.

Presentations by severalMobitex operators underscoredthat the business models pursuedby successful Mobitex operatorsare very well-conceived and will

result in profitable businesses. Atthe same time, it was also appar-ent that market prerequisitesvary in different parts of theworld and that there is no stan-dard recipe for success.

“Our business model for new ser-vices is to move beyond messag-ing,” says Won Baek, who isquick to add that the companyhas no intention of abandoningits successful Micess wirelessInternet and messaging service.Key ingredients in Real Tele-com’s strategy are to view Mobi-tex as a wireless replacement forlow-speed leased line and fixedPSTN and ISDN connectionsand to exploit the paging net-work as a medium for wirelessdata broadcasting.

Lee Rudolph, MOA execu-

tive board member and ChiefTechnology Officer for Mobitexat Cingular Wireless provided agripping presentation of Mobi-tex’s performance and the USoperator’s response following the

terrorist attack on the WorldTrade Center. As a result of thisexperience, there is an increasedfocus within Cingular and amongcustomers on such serviceattributes such as security,encryption, redundancy, emer-gency preparedness plans.

In a presentation entitledMobitex in the Met, TonyWaddington, divisional salesmanager at APD Communica-tions in the UK, explained keyfunctionality provided by Incaand Mobitex. Mobile access toremote databases, automaticvehicle location and incident dis-patch and reporting will be fullyimplemented for local authori-

ties. In a presentation on alarmsover Mobitex, Kieran McDon-nell, operations manager at ADTWireless in Australia, providedanother perspective on the relia-bility of Mobitex networks. “AtADT Wireless, we believe thatthe fire monitoring and securityservices that we provide overMobitex are mission criticaldefined. The Mobitex networkallows us to provide the veryhighest level of security asexpected by public fire andambulance services and the mostdemanding private customers,”concludes Kieran McDonnell.

The next MOA meetingwill be held in London, startingon September 15. ■

UNIQUE CRASH (CRS)

RECOVERY SYSTEM

9B U S I N E S S N E W S

Brazilian Mobitex operator UNT(Universal Network Technolo-gies) has signed a master servicesand distribution agreement withPalm Inc. to commercialize itsinnovative Palm i705 withmobile Internet access and wire-less data applications.

According to the terms ofthis agreement, UNT will com-mercialize the i705 and providean exclusive distribution chan-nel for Brazil, which will alsoinclude Palm.net connectionservices for both business cus-tomers and consumers.

"The agreement with PalmInc. offers an opportunity forpotential partners to create newand innovative services for cus-tomers in Brazil who wish tointegrate wireless data into theirIT systems and deploy suchapplications as sales forceautomation, and content ser-vices", says UNT president JulioFigueroa.

In addition to these applica-tions, UNT will be offeringmobile Internet access and willalso showcase Palm features, suchas the Documents to Go softwarepackage that includes MicrosoftWord, Excel and Powerpoint. ■

PA

LM

i705

LA

UN

CH

ED

INB

RA

ZIL

RIDERS AND DRIVERSLOVEWIRELESS POS

In a serious auto accident, thedifference between life and death,or between full recovery or per-manent disability, may be a mat-ter of seconds. Fire fighters, whoare the rescue workers dispatchedto the scene in most countries, arehighly trained paramedics andhave the tools to quickly cut opena car as easily as a tin can toremove injured occupants. Typi-cally, there are also ambulancesstanding by to rush the most seri-ously injured to hospital as soonas the victims are removed fromthe car.

With literally thousands ofmakes and models of cars on theroads, where to start when pas-sengers need to be removed from

a car may pose a problem. Theproblem may be compounded bythe need to turn off the ignitionto prevent fire or explosion or todisable airbags before extractingthe car’s occupants.

When Jan Mooij becameaware of this problem a few yearsago after reading some newspaperarticles, he believed he saw a solu-tion. Being director of ModitechIT Solutions B.V., a company spe-cializing in computerized mea-surement systems for frame align-ment that has been working inthe collision repair industry forover ten years, Jan knew that hiscompany had the data in itsdatabases that fire fighters neededat the accident scene. Now, with

the assistance of RAM MobileData Nederland and the UtrechtFire Department, Moditech’sCrash Recovery System (CRS) isready for launch.

“We tried to make the appli-cation as simple as possible,” saysJan Mooij. “Using a wirelesshandheld PC at the accidentscene, rescue workers simplyenter the vehicle’s registrationnumber. CRS then retrieves themake and model of the car fromthe motor vehicle registry andinstantly displays this informa-tion along with drawings gener-ated from our database showingtop and side views of the car withthe best locations for cuttingclearly marked. If necessary,

advanced levels of information canbe accessed, showing details of thecomponents of the Safety RestraintSystem (SRS) and where thesecomponents are located in the car.”

In developing CRS, Modi-tech found an enthusiastic sup-porter in Gerard Wiebes, seniorcommander and instructor atthe Utrecht Fire Department,who contributed invaluableknowledge and experience dur-ing the design and testing phas-es. After successful field trials inUtrecht, Moditech and RAMMobile Data are introducingCRS in the Dutch market, andModitech is eager to launch theproduct elsewhere in Europe andin other markets. ■

REPORT FROM MOACONFERENCE IN SEOUL

All participants

had the opportunity

to try out the fea-

tures of the new

TWMK from CNI.

Shown here is Jonas

Ahlström from

Ericsson and Wouter

Levenbach from

RAM Netherlands.

B U S I N E S S N E W S8

Last autumn, Crown Taxi ofToronto, Canada completedinstallation of wireless POS(Point of sale) terminals operat-

ing on Rogers AT&T Wireless’Mobitex network in its entirefleet of cabs. Since then, the com-pany has seen a tenfold increase in

credit card transactions, and bothriders and drivers love the addedconvenience.

“Customers really appreciatethe convenience of paying bycredit or debit card. It is actuallyfaster than paying with cash andeliminates the need for driversand customers to fumble for theright change. We think it hasgiven us a real competitiveadvantage in the market,” saysBob Donaldson, president ofFareport Capital Inc., which ownsCrown Taxi.

The wireless POS terminalswere supplied by eXcape Busi-ness Transactions Inc. as part ofits fleetX wireless credit anddebit solution for fleet markets.The fleetX POS terminal, whichis available in both vehicle-mounted and handheld versions,includes a built-in printer and iseasy to operate, requiring onlythat the driver key in the fareamount and an ID number.

Behind the scenes, the accountsand reports components of thesolution running on the back-office system take care of thedetails of verifying the transac-tion and producing accountingrecords and sales reports. Analerts component is also available,offering drivers a panic button incase of emergency that uses GPSpositioning to report the vehicleslocation to the dispatcher alongwith the alert.

“The taxi industry hasremained one of the last cash busi-nesses in North America. Crownhas taken the lead in providingpassengers the same conveniencein paying for a ride the same waypeople pay for most purchasestoday, by credit or debit card,”says Dan Carriere, senior vicepresident and director of eXcapeBusiness Transactions Inc. ■

Nearly one hundred persons from14 countries attended the 38thMOA meeting held in Seoul,Korea on October 20 to 23,2002. The meeting was superblyarranged by the host Real Tele-com (formerly Intec Telecom). Asalways at MOA meetings, therewas a strong focus on applica-tions, which for this occasionwere dubbed new Seoulutions.

Presentations by severalMobitex operators underscoredthat the business models pursuedby successful Mobitex operatorsare very well-conceived and will

result in profitable businesses. Atthe same time, it was also appar-ent that market prerequisitesvary in different parts of theworld and that there is no stan-dard recipe for success.

“Our business model for new ser-vices is to move beyond messag-ing,” says Won Baek, who isquick to add that the companyhas no intention of abandoningits successful Micess wirelessInternet and messaging service.Key ingredients in Real Tele-com’s strategy are to view Mobi-tex as a wireless replacement forlow-speed leased line and fixedPSTN and ISDN connectionsand to exploit the paging net-work as a medium for wirelessdata broadcasting.

Lee Rudolph, MOA execu-

tive board member and ChiefTechnology Officer for Mobitexat Cingular Wireless provided agripping presentation of Mobi-tex’s performance and the USoperator’s response following the

terrorist attack on the WorldTrade Center. As a result of thisexperience, there is an increasedfocus within Cingular and amongcustomers on such serviceattributes such as security,encryption, redundancy, emer-gency preparedness plans.

In a presentation entitledMobitex in the Met, TonyWaddington, divisional salesmanager at APD Communica-tions in the UK, explained keyfunctionality provided by Incaand Mobitex. Mobile access toremote databases, automaticvehicle location and incident dis-patch and reporting will be fullyimplemented for local authori-

ties. In a presentation on alarmsover Mobitex, Kieran McDon-nell, operations manager at ADTWireless in Australia, providedanother perspective on the relia-bility of Mobitex networks. “AtADT Wireless, we believe thatthe fire monitoring and securityservices that we provide overMobitex are mission criticaldefined. The Mobitex networkallows us to provide the veryhighest level of security asexpected by public fire andambulance services and the mostdemanding private customers,”concludes Kieran McDonnell.

The next MOA meetingwill be held in London, startingon September 15. ■

UNIQUE CRASH (CRS)

RECOVERY SYSTEM

9B U S I N E S S N E W S

Brazilian Mobitex operator UNT(Universal Network Technolo-gies) has signed a master servicesand distribution agreement withPalm Inc. to commercialize itsinnovative Palm i705 withmobile Internet access and wire-less data applications.

According to the terms ofthis agreement, UNT will com-mercialize the i705 and providean exclusive distribution chan-nel for Brazil, which will alsoinclude Palm.net connectionservices for both business cus-tomers and consumers.

"The agreement with PalmInc. offers an opportunity forpotential partners to create newand innovative services for cus-tomers in Brazil who wish tointegrate wireless data into theirIT systems and deploy suchapplications as sales forceautomation, and content ser-vices", says UNT president JulioFigueroa.

In addition to these applica-tions, UNT will be offeringmobile Internet access and willalso showcase Palm features, suchas the Documents to Go softwarepackage that includes MicrosoftWord, Excel and Powerpoint. ■

PA

LM

i705

LA

UN

CH

ED

INB

RA

ZIL

RIDERS AND DRIVERSLOVEWIRELESS POS

In a serious auto accident, thedifference between life and death,or between full recovery or per-manent disability, may be a mat-ter of seconds. Fire fighters, whoare the rescue workers dispatchedto the scene in most countries, arehighly trained paramedics andhave the tools to quickly cut opena car as easily as a tin can toremove injured occupants. Typi-cally, there are also ambulancesstanding by to rush the most seri-ously injured to hospital as soonas the victims are removed fromthe car.

With literally thousands ofmakes and models of cars on theroads, where to start when pas-sengers need to be removed from

a car may pose a problem. Theproblem may be compounded bythe need to turn off the ignitionto prevent fire or explosion or todisable airbags before extractingthe car’s occupants.

When Jan Mooij becameaware of this problem a few yearsago after reading some newspaperarticles, he believed he saw a solu-tion. Being director of ModitechIT Solutions B.V., a company spe-cializing in computerized mea-surement systems for frame align-ment that has been working inthe collision repair industry forover ten years, Jan knew that hiscompany had the data in itsdatabases that fire fighters neededat the accident scene. Now, with

the assistance of RAM MobileData Nederland and the UtrechtFire Department, Moditech’sCrash Recovery System (CRS) isready for launch.

“We tried to make the appli-cation as simple as possible,” saysJan Mooij. “Using a wirelesshandheld PC at the accidentscene, rescue workers simplyenter the vehicle’s registrationnumber. CRS then retrieves themake and model of the car fromthe motor vehicle registry andinstantly displays this informa-tion along with drawings gener-ated from our database showingtop and side views of the car withthe best locations for cuttingclearly marked. If necessary,

advanced levels of information canbe accessed, showing details of thecomponents of the Safety RestraintSystem (SRS) and where thesecomponents are located in the car.”

In developing CRS, Modi-tech found an enthusiastic sup-porter in Gerard Wiebes, seniorcommander and instructor atthe Utrecht Fire Department,who contributed invaluableknowledge and experience dur-ing the design and testing phas-es. After successful field trials inUtrecht, Moditech and RAMMobile Data are introducingCRS in the Dutch market, andModitech is eager to launch theproduct elsewhere in Europe andin other markets. ■

REPORT FROM MOACONFERENCE IN SEOUL

All participants

had the opportunity

to try out the fea-

tures of the new

TWMK from CNI.

Shown here is Jonas

Ahlström from

Ericsson and Wouter

Levenbach from

RAM Netherlands.

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 11

ontributing to more recent successes inthe public safety sector are also networkenhancements that allow public and pri-

vate Mobitex networks, as well as external net-works, to interwork seamlessly and the concertedefforts among business partners in the Mobitexcommunity to develop better applications withenhanced functionality and to deliver end-to-end solutions that are closely matched to therequirements of public authorities.

A STRONG CASE FORGREATER EFF IC IENCY

The list of Mobitex customers in the public safe-ty and government sector is impressive. In theUnited States, which is the world’s largest mar-ket, Mobitex continues to gain in popularityamong public authorities. A wireless handheldapplication for law enforcement from Aether’sMobile Government division, Pocket-blue,extends real-time data access and silent commu-nication to out-of-vehicle personnel, includingdetectives and officers on foot, bike and mount-ed patrols. This application and other publicsafety applications currently have more than70,000 users, of which a large number run onthe Cingular Wireless Mobitex network.

The US House of Representatives recentlyequipped all of its members with wireless hand-helds running on Mobitex. Other users in theUS include the Department of Defense andnumerous federal, county and municipal officesthroughout the country.

Market positions in several European coun-tries are also strong. In the United Kingdom,for example, Mobitex is used by 26 policeforces, seven fire brigades and eleven ambulanceservices and is offered to public authoritiesthrough a Home Office Framework Agreement.UK Mobitex operator Transcomm UK Ltd isalso currently running a pilot with the police inYorkshire on Grapevine handhelds. The situa-tion in the Netherlands is similar. Currentlymore than 20 of the country’s 26 police forcesuse Mobitex, which is also used by seven ambu-lance services and two fire departments. In Aus-tria, authorities in six cities have been usingMobitex since mid-1990s. In Sweden bothMowic and Multicom Security run applicationsfor public safety and governmental customers.

Australia is another example of a countrywhere Mobitex is setting the standard for wire-less data communications for government cus-tomers. As new markets begin to open in Asiaand South America, there is every indication

that Mobitex will repeat its success in the publicsafety and government sectors.

GREATER FUNCTION-AL ITY FOR PUBLICAUTHORIT IES

While highly reliable and secure communica-tion is an important reason for this success,the case for Mobitex is made stronger by themany applications and end-to-end solutionsthat are available from a large number of sup-pliers. Mobitex is a mature technology, andboth operators and solution providers recog-nize that most customers want completeapplications and systems that are exactlymatched to their requirements. In the Mobi-tex community, suppliers routinely worktogether as partners to provide total solutionsfor customers that are based on many years ofexperience in wireless data.

“Because we have so many strong partners,we are able to work as an application serviceprovider for many government agencies in theNetherlands,” notes Joachim Kaarsgaren,managing director at RAM Mobile DataNetherlands. “Our Mobile Office offering forpublic safety and government applications isgaining new customers all the time and func-tionality it constantly being expanded. Today,most of the police traffic for vehicle location, forexample, is sent over Mobitex, which is alsoused for emergency functions, status messages,mobile workplaces and tracking hazardousgoods in Rotterdam. In the North of Holland,a pilot is starting with GIS (Geographic Infor-mation Systems) in the vehicle that will allowpolice officers to have the same information inthe car as the dispatchers at headquarters. Firebrigades also have emergency plans in theirvehicles that are updated continuously overMobitex and are now being offered a new CrashRescue Service that shows great promise.”

REDUNDANCY WITHDATA AND VOICESEPARATE

Although Mobitex supports rich functionalityand provides many efficiency-enhancing appli-cations for public authorities, it is a data onlynetwork and does not provide voice services. AsWayne Gale from the Queensland AmbulanceService points out in this issue’s Guest Profile,voice communication is a critical emergency

service capability that will remain a corerequirement for emergency services. Voice isalso the most natural means of communicationin certain circumstances.

For organizations already using voice overradio, data communication can complement andenhance their services and provide completelynew methods for making better use of resources,thereby increasing efficiency. It is important tonote, that in many instances data can be a sig-nificantly more efficient means of communica-tion than voice. Dispatching an ambulance or apolice patrol, for example, is accomplished morequickly and with fewer errors when the order issent as data. Data also facilitates coordination inresponding to emergencies. If required, the samemessage may be sent to many vehicles simulta-neously.

“Applications in the public safety, securityand government sectors consistently show thatadvanced data functionality allows customers toexpand support for mobile users and add newcapabilities as demands on the organizationchange,” notes Per-Erik Sundström, managerafter sales at Ericsson.

For these and other reasons, more and morepublic authorities around the world are discover-ing that wireless data communications are anindispensable tool. A completely separate, data-only network provides a highly desirable redun-dancy in communications while adding newcapabilities for coordinating and efficientlydeploying resources.

In a time where public concern for safetyand security is high, wireless data applicationsdeliver benefits in performance, efficiency andcoordination that instill trust. Public authori-ties would therefore do well to leverage thebenefits of Mobitex technology to providepublic safety services that are highly cost-effective yet achieve high levels of customersatisfaction. By doing so, both citizens andpublic officials stand to gain. ■

C

Mobitex has established its strong posi-tion in the public safety, security andgovernment sector. This is because itoffers a highly reliable and efficientcommunications channel for data forpublic services in which communica-tions must never fail and where securityis paramount. Mobitex has also provento be an excellent performer duringcrises, such as the terror attacks ofSeptember, during which the Mobitexnetwork remained available and acces-sible at all times.

NO ROOM FORERRORS

“Wire less da ta de l i verbene f i t s i n per formance ,e f f i c i ency and coord ina -

t i on t ha t i ns t i l l s t rus t .”

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 11

ontributing to more recent successes inthe public safety sector are also networkenhancements that allow public and pri-

vate Mobitex networks, as well as external net-works, to interwork seamlessly and the concertedefforts among business partners in the Mobitexcommunity to develop better applications withenhanced functionality and to deliver end-to-end solutions that are closely matched to therequirements of public authorities.

A STRONG CASE FORGREATER EFF IC IENCY

The list of Mobitex customers in the public safe-ty and government sector is impressive. In theUnited States, which is the world’s largest mar-ket, Mobitex continues to gain in popularityamong public authorities. A wireless handheldapplication for law enforcement from Aether’sMobile Government division, Pocket-blue,extends real-time data access and silent commu-nication to out-of-vehicle personnel, includingdetectives and officers on foot, bike and mount-ed patrols. This application and other publicsafety applications currently have more than70,000 users, of which a large number run onthe Cingular Wireless Mobitex network.

The US House of Representatives recentlyequipped all of its members with wireless hand-helds running on Mobitex. Other users in theUS include the Department of Defense andnumerous federal, county and municipal officesthroughout the country.

Market positions in several European coun-tries are also strong. In the United Kingdom,for example, Mobitex is used by 26 policeforces, seven fire brigades and eleven ambulanceservices and is offered to public authoritiesthrough a Home Office Framework Agreement.UK Mobitex operator Transcomm UK Ltd isalso currently running a pilot with the police inYorkshire on Grapevine handhelds. The situa-tion in the Netherlands is similar. Currentlymore than 20 of the country’s 26 police forcesuse Mobitex, which is also used by seven ambu-lance services and two fire departments. In Aus-tria, authorities in six cities have been usingMobitex since mid-1990s. In Sweden bothMowic and Multicom Security run applicationsfor public safety and governmental customers.

Australia is another example of a countrywhere Mobitex is setting the standard for wire-less data communications for government cus-tomers. As new markets begin to open in Asiaand South America, there is every indication

that Mobitex will repeat its success in the publicsafety and government sectors.

GREATER FUNCTION-AL ITY FOR PUBLICAUTHORIT IES

While highly reliable and secure communica-tion is an important reason for this success,the case for Mobitex is made stronger by themany applications and end-to-end solutionsthat are available from a large number of sup-pliers. Mobitex is a mature technology, andboth operators and solution providers recog-nize that most customers want completeapplications and systems that are exactlymatched to their requirements. In the Mobi-tex community, suppliers routinely worktogether as partners to provide total solutionsfor customers that are based on many years ofexperience in wireless data.

“Because we have so many strong partners,we are able to work as an application serviceprovider for many government agencies in theNetherlands,” notes Joachim Kaarsgaren,managing director at RAM Mobile DataNetherlands. “Our Mobile Office offering forpublic safety and government applications isgaining new customers all the time and func-tionality it constantly being expanded. Today,most of the police traffic for vehicle location, forexample, is sent over Mobitex, which is alsoused for emergency functions, status messages,mobile workplaces and tracking hazardousgoods in Rotterdam. In the North of Holland,a pilot is starting with GIS (Geographic Infor-mation Systems) in the vehicle that will allowpolice officers to have the same information inthe car as the dispatchers at headquarters. Firebrigades also have emergency plans in theirvehicles that are updated continuously overMobitex and are now being offered a new CrashRescue Service that shows great promise.”

REDUNDANCY WITHDATA AND VOICESEPARATE

Although Mobitex supports rich functionalityand provides many efficiency-enhancing appli-cations for public authorities, it is a data onlynetwork and does not provide voice services. AsWayne Gale from the Queensland AmbulanceService points out in this issue’s Guest Profile,voice communication is a critical emergency

service capability that will remain a corerequirement for emergency services. Voice isalso the most natural means of communicationin certain circumstances.

For organizations already using voice overradio, data communication can complement andenhance their services and provide completelynew methods for making better use of resources,thereby increasing efficiency. It is important tonote, that in many instances data can be a sig-nificantly more efficient means of communica-tion than voice. Dispatching an ambulance or apolice patrol, for example, is accomplished morequickly and with fewer errors when the order issent as data. Data also facilitates coordination inresponding to emergencies. If required, the samemessage may be sent to many vehicles simulta-neously.

“Applications in the public safety, securityand government sectors consistently show thatadvanced data functionality allows customers toexpand support for mobile users and add newcapabilities as demands on the organizationchange,” notes Per-Erik Sundström, managerafter sales at Ericsson.

For these and other reasons, more and morepublic authorities around the world are discover-ing that wireless data communications are anindispensable tool. A completely separate, data-only network provides a highly desirable redun-dancy in communications while adding newcapabilities for coordinating and efficientlydeploying resources.

In a time where public concern for safetyand security is high, wireless data applicationsdeliver benefits in performance, efficiency andcoordination that instill trust. Public authori-ties would therefore do well to leverage thebenefits of Mobitex technology to providepublic safety services that are highly cost-effective yet achieve high levels of customersatisfaction. By doing so, both citizens andpublic officials stand to gain. ■

C

Mobitex has established its strong posi-tion in the public safety, security andgovernment sector. This is because itoffers a highly reliable and efficientcommunications channel for data forpublic services in which communica-tions must never fail and where securityis paramount. Mobitex has also provento be an excellent performer duringcrises, such as the terror attacks ofSeptember, during which the Mobitexnetwork remained available and acces-sible at all times.

NO ROOM FORERRORS

“Wire less da ta de l i verbene f i t s i n per formance ,e f f i c i ency and coord ina -

t i on t ha t i ns t i l l s t rus t .”

The New South Wales network, which willcover Sydney and surrounding areas, willbe the second private network in Australia,

joining that already operated by the AmbulanceServices in Queensland. The public Australian

Mobitex network is operated by ADT Wire-less, which will also take responsibility foroperation and management of the New SouthWales Network.

“This is a huge win for both our companyand for the people of New South Wales. Themobile data radio service is already being usedby the Queensland Ambulance Service, where ithas proven to be a lifesaver,” says Bill Delaney,CEO of Technisyst Pty Ltd, which is the primecontractor for the five-year contract.

The new Mobitex network will augmentthe Government Radio Network (GNR), whichis primarily an analog voice network that hasbeen operating in New South Wales since 1993.As of April 2001, the latest date for which offi-cially published statistics were available, theGNR had over 12,000 users from 40 agencies

and handled an average of 12 million calls amonth. Increasing demand for not only voice,but also data applications has resulted in anincreased demand for data capacity that the gov-ernment is meeting by building a new network tobe used initially by the NSW Ambulance Service.

“The new system will also overcome radioblack spot problems,” says Robert Gray, corpo-rate services general manager for the New SouthWales Ambulance Service.

TURNKEY SYSTEM

The New South Wales authorities wanted a net-work that would be built from the ground upand that would have the capacity to handle gov-ernment communications in the future. A three-stage tender process was initiated in whichdemands on data security, performance and scal-ability were extremely high.

“The government demanded that no datawould be lost and that round-trip message timeswould be less than ten seconds at all times underall traffic conditions. In addition, the requirementscalled for scaling the system from a single agencywith a few hundred terminals to multiple agencieswith thousands of users,” recalls Bill Delaney.

Furthermore, the government wanted a turnkeysystem and a single supplier, who would be ableto build the network, supply the terminals,implement gateways and take responsibility forsystems integration. Technisyst was able to ful-fill this requirement by teaming up with Erics-son and Australian Mobitex operator ADTWireless, two companies with which Technisystalready had a well established partnership.

KEY CONNECTIV ITYREQUIREMENTS

Technisyst thus assumed much more than a sys-tems integrator role in the New South Wales proj-ect. While partners Ericsson and ADT Wirelessare largely responsible for planning and buildingthe network, Technisyst is providing mobile dataterminals based on its TC-Connect embeddedmobile computing platform, and a sophisticatedMessage Management Facility which includesTechnisyst’s TC-Gateway product.

WORLD-CLASSEMERGENCY CARE

Building on its established position inthe public safety sector in Australia,Mobitex was recently selected in avery competitive tender process bythe authorities in State of New SouthWales for a wireless data networkthat will initially be used by theambulance service and later by mostpublic safety services in the State.The initial application in the StateGovernment’s new wireless data net-work will be similar to that alreadydeployed for the Queensland Ambu-lance Service.

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 13

▼

ASNW EMERGENCY INCIDENTS50.000

45.000

40.000

35.000

30.000JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE

2001-2002

2000-2001

T

Technisyst is providing mobile data terminals based on itsTC-Connect embedded mobile computing platform.Picture shows TC connect box.

Response time is a key factor for ambulance services in

ensuring a successful outcome in life-threatening cases.

The new Mobitex system will be able to support up to

8,500 vehicles within about three years and supplement

a voice network that is already overloaded.

The New South Wales network, which willcover Sydney and surrounding areas, willbe the second private network in Australia,

joining that already operated by the AmbulanceServices in Queensland. The public Australian

Mobitex network is operated by ADT Wire-less, which will also take responsibility foroperation and management of the New SouthWales Network.

“This is a huge win for both our companyand for the people of New South Wales. Themobile data radio service is already being usedby the Queensland Ambulance Service, where ithas proven to be a lifesaver,” says Bill Delaney,CEO of Technisyst Pty Ltd, which is the primecontractor for the five-year contract.

The new Mobitex network will augmentthe Government Radio Network (GNR), whichis primarily an analog voice network that hasbeen operating in New South Wales since 1993.As of April 2001, the latest date for which offi-cially published statistics were available, theGNR had over 12,000 users from 40 agencies

and handled an average of 12 million calls amonth. Increasing demand for not only voice,but also data applications has resulted in anincreased demand for data capacity that the gov-ernment is meeting by building a new network tobe used initially by the NSW Ambulance Service.

“The new system will also overcome radioblack spot problems,” says Robert Gray, corpo-rate services general manager for the New SouthWales Ambulance Service.

TURNKEY SYSTEM

The New South Wales authorities wanted a net-work that would be built from the ground upand that would have the capacity to handle gov-ernment communications in the future. A three-stage tender process was initiated in whichdemands on data security, performance and scal-ability were extremely high.

“The government demanded that no datawould be lost and that round-trip message timeswould be less than ten seconds at all times underall traffic conditions. In addition, the requirementscalled for scaling the system from a single agencywith a few hundred terminals to multiple agencieswith thousands of users,” recalls Bill Delaney.

Furthermore, the government wanted a turnkeysystem and a single supplier, who would be ableto build the network, supply the terminals,implement gateways and take responsibility forsystems integration. Technisyst was able to ful-fill this requirement by teaming up with Erics-son and Australian Mobitex operator ADTWireless, two companies with which Technisystalready had a well established partnership.

KEY CONNECTIV ITYREQUIREMENTS

Technisyst thus assumed much more than a sys-tems integrator role in the New South Wales proj-ect. While partners Ericsson and ADT Wirelessare largely responsible for planning and buildingthe network, Technisyst is providing mobile dataterminals based on its TC-Connect embeddedmobile computing platform, and a sophisticatedMessage Management Facility which includesTechnisyst’s TC-Gateway product.

WORLD-CLASSEMERGENCY CARE

Building on its established position inthe public safety sector in Australia,Mobitex was recently selected in avery competitive tender process bythe authorities in State of New SouthWales for a wireless data networkthat will initially be used by theambulance service and later by mostpublic safety services in the State.The initial application in the StateGovernment’s new wireless data net-work will be similar to that alreadydeployed for the Queensland Ambu-lance Service.

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 13

▼

ASNW EMERGENCY INCIDENTS50.000

45.000

40.000

35.000

30.000JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE

2001-2002

2000-2001

T

Technisyst is providing mobile data terminals based on itsTC-Connect embedded mobile computing platform.Picture shows TC connect box.

Response time is a key factor for ambulance services in

ensuring a successful outcome in life-threatening cases.

The new Mobitex system will be able to support up to

8,500 vehicles within about three years and supplement

a voice network that is already overloaded.

TC-Gateway allows simultaneous connectionto multiple networks and hosts, applicationand systems software.

“Supporting multiple networks and mul-tiple hosts was a key customer requirement,”notes Bill Delaney. “While the Mobitex systemmeets all the requirements for communicationsin public safety services, the customer wantedconnectivity options to other networks, such asGPRS and CDMA-1xRTT. We also allow con-nection to the public Mobitex network in dis-aster circumstances.”

Interconnection to other networks wasnot simply a matter of convenience, however.Because communication is the lifeline of publicsafety services and must never fail, there alwayshas to be an alternative when a unit is out ofcoverage, for example. In critical situationswhen many units must respond at once andtheir actions must be coordinated centrally, it isalso essential to have a gateway to public net-works. Technisyst was able to provide these andother capabilities using its TC-Gateway prod-uct, which is an intelligent software switch thatprovides simultaneous connectivity to multiplehost systems, simultaneous connectivity tomultiple wireless and fixed networks and simul-taneous support for multiple remote clients.

REAL-T IME PERFOR-MANCE MONITORING

Performance monitoring was another key cus-tomer requirement. New South Wales did notjust want historical statistics and log files doc-umenting network performance over time. Thecustomer demanded a system that would allowreal-time monitoring of packet transmissionand application performance. The governmenttender also included two contracts, one forbuilding the network and another that is afive-year management contract based on serv-ice levels defined by the customer on the basisof performance data.

“While the basic functionality was avail-able in the network, Technisyst engineers faceda formidable challenge to integrate performancemeasurements from the network, linking infra-structure, and the application. We were fortu-nate in that the TC-Connect embedded com-puting platform used in this application pro-vides many connectivity options and supports awide variety of devices, including mobile dataterminals, radio modems, GPS devices, varioussensors and other equipment, such as patientcare systems,” notes Bill Delaney. TC-Connect

provided the computing capacity within themobile vehicle to initiate and monitor networkperformance measurements even when the vehi-cle was outside network coverage.

The performance monitoring systeminteracts with the network management sys-tem, operated by ADT Wireless, the Aus-tralian public Mobitex operator, and the IProuter-based linking infrastructure. Moreimportantly, there is also a web-based interfacethat allows the customer to monitor actualperformance at all times.

Security was a particularly important con-sideration in designing this interface, since itwas absolutely essential that only authorizedpersons would be able to access this data. Bothhost and mobile access is only granted toauthorized parties. Data sent over the networkmay also be protected by a variety of compres-sion and encryption algorithms at both thecommunications and application layers. Finally,each wireless modem is uniquely identifiable, sothat each modem’s access to the network and toparticular host systems can be managed indi-vidually and permanently disabled if themodem is lost or stolen.

WORLD-CLASS CARE

Build-out of the New South Wales network isnow proceeding at a rapid pace. Field testingwill begin shortly, and when the first stage of thenew network is completed later this year, it will

consist of some 35 base stations and serve morethan 300 ambulances.

“Work on the system has already begun,and it is expected to be operational before the endof 2003,” reports a spokesperson for New SouthWales’ Information Technology Minister KimYeadon, adding that “other agencies are expectedto use the data system as soon as the AmbulanceService has confirmed its performance.”

Judging from the performance of the sameMobitex application in Queensland, this shouldnot take long. Residents of New South Walesshould also quickly notice a significantimprovement in emergency care.

“The Queensland Ambulance Service leadsthe country in clinical care and paramedic train-ing and is among the best in the world in pro-viding state-of-the-art emergency care,” statesMike Reynolds, Member of Parliament andMinister for Emergency Services, adding thatministry statistics show that the QueenslandAmbulance Service attends to more patients per1,000 population than any other service in thenation; achieving results 19.7% above thenational average. ■

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E14

WORKINGFOR A SAFER

LONDONLondon’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), popularly

known as the Met and headquartered in New Scotland

Yard, is one of the world’s oldest police forces and

responsible for protecting one of the world’s largest

cities. Like many metropolitan police forces, the MPS

faces new challenges.

“The governmen twan ted a t urnkey

sys tem and as i ng l e supp l i er.”

The system is expected to be the basis fora whole-of-government mobile data network.

TC-Gateway allows simultaneous connectionto multiple networks and hosts, applicationand systems software.

“Supporting multiple networks and mul-tiple hosts was a key customer requirement,”notes Bill Delaney. “While the Mobitex systemmeets all the requirements for communicationsin public safety services, the customer wantedconnectivity options to other networks, such asGPRS and CDMA-1xRTT. We also allow con-nection to the public Mobitex network in dis-aster circumstances.”

Interconnection to other networks wasnot simply a matter of convenience, however.Because communication is the lifeline of publicsafety services and must never fail, there alwayshas to be an alternative when a unit is out ofcoverage, for example. In critical situationswhen many units must respond at once andtheir actions must be coordinated centrally, it isalso essential to have a gateway to public net-works. Technisyst was able to provide these andother capabilities using its TC-Gateway prod-uct, which is an intelligent software switch thatprovides simultaneous connectivity to multiplehost systems, simultaneous connectivity tomultiple wireless and fixed networks and simul-taneous support for multiple remote clients.

REAL-T IME PERFOR-MANCE MONITORING

Performance monitoring was another key cus-tomer requirement. New South Wales did notjust want historical statistics and log files doc-umenting network performance over time. Thecustomer demanded a system that would allowreal-time monitoring of packet transmissionand application performance. The governmenttender also included two contracts, one forbuilding the network and another that is afive-year management contract based on serv-ice levels defined by the customer on the basisof performance data.

“While the basic functionality was avail-able in the network, Technisyst engineers faceda formidable challenge to integrate performancemeasurements from the network, linking infra-structure, and the application. We were fortu-nate in that the TC-Connect embedded com-puting platform used in this application pro-vides many connectivity options and supports awide variety of devices, including mobile dataterminals, radio modems, GPS devices, varioussensors and other equipment, such as patientcare systems,” notes Bill Delaney. TC-Connect

provided the computing capacity within themobile vehicle to initiate and monitor networkperformance measurements even when the vehi-cle was outside network coverage.

The performance monitoring systeminteracts with the network management sys-tem, operated by ADT Wireless, the Aus-tralian public Mobitex operator, and the IProuter-based linking infrastructure. Moreimportantly, there is also a web-based interfacethat allows the customer to monitor actualperformance at all times.

Security was a particularly important con-sideration in designing this interface, since itwas absolutely essential that only authorizedpersons would be able to access this data. Bothhost and mobile access is only granted toauthorized parties. Data sent over the networkmay also be protected by a variety of compres-sion and encryption algorithms at both thecommunications and application layers. Finally,each wireless modem is uniquely identifiable, sothat each modem’s access to the network and toparticular host systems can be managed indi-vidually and permanently disabled if themodem is lost or stolen.

WORLD-CLASS CARE

Build-out of the New South Wales network isnow proceeding at a rapid pace. Field testingwill begin shortly, and when the first stage of thenew network is completed later this year, it will

consist of some 35 base stations and serve morethan 300 ambulances.

“Work on the system has already begun,and it is expected to be operational before the endof 2003,” reports a spokesperson for New SouthWales’ Information Technology Minister KimYeadon, adding that “other agencies are expectedto use the data system as soon as the AmbulanceService has confirmed its performance.”

Judging from the performance of the sameMobitex application in Queensland, this shouldnot take long. Residents of New South Walesshould also quickly notice a significantimprovement in emergency care.

“The Queensland Ambulance Service leadsthe country in clinical care and paramedic train-ing and is among the best in the world in pro-viding state-of-the-art emergency care,” statesMike Reynolds, Member of Parliament andMinister for Emergency Services, adding thatministry statistics show that the QueenslandAmbulance Service attends to more patients per1,000 population than any other service in thenation; achieving results 19.7% above thenational average. ■

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E14

WORKINGFOR A SAFER

LONDONLondon’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), popularly

known as the Met and headquartered in New Scotland

Yard, is one of the world’s oldest police forces and

responsible for protecting one of the world’s largest

cities. Like many metropolitan police forces, the MPS

faces new challenges.

“The governmen twan ted a t urnkey

sys tem and as i ng l e supp l i er.”

The system is expected to be the basis fora whole-of-government mobile data network.

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 17C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E16

ur vision is to make London the safestmajor city in the world,” writes Metro-politan Police Commissioner Sir John

Stevens in a foreword to “Towards the safestcity – Delivering policing for Londoners”, apresentation of a three-year program for theyears 2002 to 2005 published by the Metro-politan Police Authority.

“Much has changed within the Metropol-itan Police Service, and we have made signifi-cant progress on our agenda for action. Facingnew challenges with new thinking, we haveprovided visible reassurance to Londoners inthe height of an increased terrorist threat andare reducing street crime by redirectingresources,” continues Sir John Stevens.

NEW COMMAND ANDCONTROL FUNCTIONS

An important part of the program is the C3i(Command, Control, Communications andInformation) project. This is the largest andmost radical project that the MPS has everundertaken. It aims to maximize the effectiveuse of police and essential support staff time andresources and will completely replace the MPS’scommand and control functions with a new callhandling system. Key objectives of the C3i proj-ect are to provide an efficient and effective tele-phone-handling service, to ensure that policedeployments are appropriate and effectively pri-oritized and to free police resources so that theycan be concentrated on policing priorities.

Metropolitan London consists of 32 bor-oughs policed by the MPS and each served by aBorough Operational Command Unit. For a citywith a population of 7.2 million that makesmore than two million emergency calls eachyear, this is an increasingly inefficient commandand control structure. One of the most impor-tant C3i initiatives is therefore to centralize callhandling to three new centers that will provideemergency and non-emergency call handlingand dispatch functions.

UK Mobitex operator Transcomm UK Ltdand APD Communications Ltd., a mobile ITsolutions provider to the emergency services,public sector and service management markets,developed applications within the C3i frame-work to support mobile access to remote data-bases, automatic vehicle location and incidentdispatch and update. APD was responsible forthe systems architecture, applications and gate-way development, third-party integration,installation and support. As the UK Mobitex

operator, Transcomm’s role was network serviceprovisioning within the context of the HomeOffice Framework Agreement (HOFA), includ-ing providing access to the Police NationalComputer (PNC) system, identifying the loca-tion of police vehicles and secure messaging forcomputer aided dispatch and reporting in real-time.

“The mobile data applications are designedto help the officer do the job with minimaltraining,” says Tony Waddington, divisionalsales manager at APD Communications . “TheAPD applications for police vehicles are there-fore based on simple touch-screen navigationand focused on necessary information only, thusmaking the screens easy to read and the applica-tion easy to use.”

In the solution developed for the MPS,however, the mobile data terminals installed inthe vehicles to provide real-time data access viathe Transcomm Network and the applicationsused by police officers are only the proverbial tipof the iceberg. Equipment installed in the vehi-cle includes a touch-screen, an onboard comput-er, APD's Inca GPS controller and a radiomodem. An agent-based application in the vehi-cle implements interfaces linking mobile policeofficers to the PNC and other intelligent data-bases, command and control functions in thecommand unit, status and text messaging serv-ices and an AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location)system. The back-end system includes gatewaysdeveloped by APD that provide access to thesenetworks and services.

In addition to the GPS receiver, the IncaGPS controller contains a DSP processor andonboard processing that not only tracks thevehicle’s location in real time and relays thisinformation back to the control center, but alsorecords vehicle details and driving history, thusproviding black-box functionality for accidentinvestigation. Police supervisors are naturallyable to track the vehicle’s locations at all timeswithout driver intervention.

Officers in their vehicles see only a touchscreen with clearly labeled buttons and the min-imum amount of information relevant for thetask at hand is displayed at any one time. Thereare screens for incident dispatch and update,activity-based reporting and database queries,

for example. A map is available at all times toshow the vehicle’s current location or the loca-tion of an address to which the vehicle hasbeen dispatched. When data is to be enteredby the officer, a Qwerty keyboard is displayedon the screen, along with the fields in whichdata will be entered.

PERFECT F IT FORLONDON POLIC ING

“Providing our officers with mobile access tothe PNC allows them to obtain information onstolen cars, wanted and missing persons, previ-ous convictions and bail conditions at the touchof a button,” explains Paul Glaister, communi-cations program manager at the MPS. “Thenature of police work in the UK requires a com-pletely reliable solution to transfer mission-critical data to officers on patrol. By transfer-ring information in data format rather than byvoice over radio, there is less room for error andmisunderstanding. As an always-on wirelessdata network which offers fast, reliable andsecure transfer of information, without any con-tention with voice traffic, the Transcomm Net-work is the perfect fit for our vision of the futureof London policing.”

The PNC service operating over theTranscomm Network provides three coreapplications: PNC vehicle inquiries, PNCname inquiries and secure messaging. The datacontained in the PNC databases providesinformation on vehicle licensing, theft reportsand personal details, including description,convictions, custodial history, details of offencesand methods and disqualified driver records.The service, which was developed in coopera-tion with Transcomm and APD, eliminates sys-tems integration work by giving police forcesdirect access to the PNC without having topass through local force systems.

The simply packaged service is availableas an option under HOFA. It is approved as anational service by the Association of ChiefPolice Officers and the Police InformationTechnology Organisation and links to a centralgateway at the Police Hendon Data Center. Thegateway consists of a PNC interface connectedlocally to the Police National Network and anintelligent wireless data interface linked to theTranscomm Network, allowing the PNC to beaccessed from mobile or portable data terminalsfrom any location in the country within radiocoverage of the Transcomm Network. CurrentlyTranscomm’s services are used by 26 police

forces across the UK with very positive results.“We are very pleased to be chosen by the

Metropolitan Police Service for this visionaryproject,” comments Andrew Carver, chief exec-utive officer of Transcomm. “C3I clearly demon-strates the benefits of using wireless data servicesto optimize valuable police resources. Byemploying a mobile data solution, the MPSsupervisors are no longer restricted to a con-trol room or desk as they can now receiveinformation on the move, enabling them tosupervise an incident away from the sceneand to deliver a more effective service to thepublic regardless of where they may be. TheTranscomm Network continues to be chosenabove all others when the highest levels ofservice are required in demanding and critical

environments. More than 55 percent of thepolice forces in England and Wales rely on theTranscomm Network for their mobile dataneeds, confirming our position as the networkof choice for mission-critical data transfer.”

The Inca AVL tracking and managementsolution and the PNC service developed byAPD and Transcomm are now being deployedthroughout London and are having a majorimpact on the C3i project. ■

O““C3i a ims to max imize

the e f f ec t i ve use o fpo l i ce and suppor ts t a f f t ime andresources .”

“Prov id i ng our o f f i cerswi th mob i l e access a l l owsthem to ob ta i n i n f orma t i onon s t o l en cars , wan ted andmiss ing persons a t t hetouch o f a bu t t on .”

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 17C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E16

ur vision is to make London the safestmajor city in the world,” writes Metro-politan Police Commissioner Sir John

Stevens in a foreword to “Towards the safestcity – Delivering policing for Londoners”, apresentation of a three-year program for theyears 2002 to 2005 published by the Metro-politan Police Authority.

“Much has changed within the Metropol-itan Police Service, and we have made signifi-cant progress on our agenda for action. Facingnew challenges with new thinking, we haveprovided visible reassurance to Londoners inthe height of an increased terrorist threat andare reducing street crime by redirectingresources,” continues Sir John Stevens.

NEW COMMAND ANDCONTROL FUNCTIONS

An important part of the program is the C3i(Command, Control, Communications andInformation) project. This is the largest andmost radical project that the MPS has everundertaken. It aims to maximize the effectiveuse of police and essential support staff time andresources and will completely replace the MPS’scommand and control functions with a new callhandling system. Key objectives of the C3i proj-ect are to provide an efficient and effective tele-phone-handling service, to ensure that policedeployments are appropriate and effectively pri-oritized and to free police resources so that theycan be concentrated on policing priorities.

Metropolitan London consists of 32 bor-oughs policed by the MPS and each served by aBorough Operational Command Unit. For a citywith a population of 7.2 million that makesmore than two million emergency calls eachyear, this is an increasingly inefficient commandand control structure. One of the most impor-tant C3i initiatives is therefore to centralize callhandling to three new centers that will provideemergency and non-emergency call handlingand dispatch functions.

UK Mobitex operator Transcomm UK Ltdand APD Communications Ltd., a mobile ITsolutions provider to the emergency services,public sector and service management markets,developed applications within the C3i frame-work to support mobile access to remote data-bases, automatic vehicle location and incidentdispatch and update. APD was responsible forthe systems architecture, applications and gate-way development, third-party integration,installation and support. As the UK Mobitex

operator, Transcomm’s role was network serviceprovisioning within the context of the HomeOffice Framework Agreement (HOFA), includ-ing providing access to the Police NationalComputer (PNC) system, identifying the loca-tion of police vehicles and secure messaging forcomputer aided dispatch and reporting in real-time.

“The mobile data applications are designedto help the officer do the job with minimaltraining,” says Tony Waddington, divisionalsales manager at APD Communications . “TheAPD applications for police vehicles are there-fore based on simple touch-screen navigationand focused on necessary information only, thusmaking the screens easy to read and the applica-tion easy to use.”

In the solution developed for the MPS,however, the mobile data terminals installed inthe vehicles to provide real-time data access viathe Transcomm Network and the applicationsused by police officers are only the proverbial tipof the iceberg. Equipment installed in the vehi-cle includes a touch-screen, an onboard comput-er, APD's Inca GPS controller and a radiomodem. An agent-based application in the vehi-cle implements interfaces linking mobile policeofficers to the PNC and other intelligent data-bases, command and control functions in thecommand unit, status and text messaging serv-ices and an AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location)system. The back-end system includes gatewaysdeveloped by APD that provide access to thesenetworks and services.

In addition to the GPS receiver, the IncaGPS controller contains a DSP processor andonboard processing that not only tracks thevehicle’s location in real time and relays thisinformation back to the control center, but alsorecords vehicle details and driving history, thusproviding black-box functionality for accidentinvestigation. Police supervisors are naturallyable to track the vehicle’s locations at all timeswithout driver intervention.

Officers in their vehicles see only a touchscreen with clearly labeled buttons and the min-imum amount of information relevant for thetask at hand is displayed at any one time. Thereare screens for incident dispatch and update,activity-based reporting and database queries,

for example. A map is available at all times toshow the vehicle’s current location or the loca-tion of an address to which the vehicle hasbeen dispatched. When data is to be enteredby the officer, a Qwerty keyboard is displayedon the screen, along with the fields in whichdata will be entered.

PERFECT F IT FORLONDON POLIC ING

“Providing our officers with mobile access tothe PNC allows them to obtain information onstolen cars, wanted and missing persons, previ-ous convictions and bail conditions at the touchof a button,” explains Paul Glaister, communi-cations program manager at the MPS. “Thenature of police work in the UK requires a com-pletely reliable solution to transfer mission-critical data to officers on patrol. By transfer-ring information in data format rather than byvoice over radio, there is less room for error andmisunderstanding. As an always-on wirelessdata network which offers fast, reliable andsecure transfer of information, without any con-tention with voice traffic, the Transcomm Net-work is the perfect fit for our vision of the futureof London policing.”

The PNC service operating over theTranscomm Network provides three coreapplications: PNC vehicle inquiries, PNCname inquiries and secure messaging. The datacontained in the PNC databases providesinformation on vehicle licensing, theft reportsand personal details, including description,convictions, custodial history, details of offencesand methods and disqualified driver records.The service, which was developed in coopera-tion with Transcomm and APD, eliminates sys-tems integration work by giving police forcesdirect access to the PNC without having topass through local force systems.

The simply packaged service is availableas an option under HOFA. It is approved as anational service by the Association of ChiefPolice Officers and the Police InformationTechnology Organisation and links to a centralgateway at the Police Hendon Data Center. Thegateway consists of a PNC interface connectedlocally to the Police National Network and anintelligent wireless data interface linked to theTranscomm Network, allowing the PNC to beaccessed from mobile or portable data terminalsfrom any location in the country within radiocoverage of the Transcomm Network. CurrentlyTranscomm’s services are used by 26 police

forces across the UK with very positive results.“We are very pleased to be chosen by the

Metropolitan Police Service for this visionaryproject,” comments Andrew Carver, chief exec-utive officer of Transcomm. “C3I clearly demon-strates the benefits of using wireless data servicesto optimize valuable police resources. Byemploying a mobile data solution, the MPSsupervisors are no longer restricted to a con-trol room or desk as they can now receiveinformation on the move, enabling them tosupervise an incident away from the sceneand to deliver a more effective service to thepublic regardless of where they may be. TheTranscomm Network continues to be chosenabove all others when the highest levels ofservice are required in demanding and critical

environments. More than 55 percent of thepolice forces in England and Wales rely on theTranscomm Network for their mobile dataneeds, confirming our position as the networkof choice for mission-critical data transfer.”

The Inca AVL tracking and managementsolution and the PNC service developed byAPD and Transcomm are now being deployedthroughout London and are having a majorimpact on the C3i project. ■

O““C3i a ims to max imize

the e f f ec t i ve use o fpo l i ce and suppor ts t a f f t ime andresources .”

“Prov id i ng our o f f i cerswi th mob i l e access a l l owsthem to ob ta i n i n f orma t i onon s t o l en cars , wan ted andmiss ing persons a t t hetouch o f a bu t t on .”

n the days and months following the terrorattacks of September 11, US Mobitex opera-tor Cingular Wireless noted a dramatic

increase in interest for its wireless messaging andemail services. The Mobitex network remainedoperational and fully functional both throughthe attacks and during the resulting surge intraffic. Cingular also provided a large number ofBlackBerry devices to rescue workers from theNew York Police Department and other author-ities, allowing them to communicate when othernetworks were down or overloaded.

With this new awareness of the impor-tance of reliable communications in times ofcrisis, several US authorities began equippingtheir staffs with wireless handhelds running onCingular’s Mobitex network. New customershave included local police and fire depart-ments, as well as federal authorities. In a wide-ly publicized contract, the US House of Repre-sentatives also decided to equip all of its mem-bers with BlackBerries.

“Interest from the government sector inwireless messaging is at an all time high,” com-ments Charles Nelson, president of CingularInteractive. “There is growing recognition thatmessaging expedites critical communicationsand improves decision support. Plus, there’sconsiderable confidence in the BlackBerry andin Cingular’s Mobitex network, because they’veproven to be rugged, reliable and secure underextremely demanding conditions.”

One of the more interesting deploymentsof wireless handhelds has been in the USDepartment of Defense (DoD) and the NationalSecurity Agency (NSA), where a secure versionof the BlackBerry is being used.

“We currently have about 1,100 users, andthe number is growing daily,” reports RobertNowak of ACS Defense who is manager of theSecure BlackBerry program at the NSA.

For this deployment, RIM developed aDoD-compliant S/MIME version of the Black-Berry. The Secure MIME (Multipurpose Inter-net Mail Extensions) version of BlackBerryensures that not only the message, but alsomessage attachments, are encrypted usingpublic-key encryption algorithms that complywith DoD standards.

“We were very happy to be able to pro-vide this flexibility to staff members on themove while extending the security of thedesktop,” relates Nowak, adding that theS/MIME version of the BlackBerry was intro-

duced in September 2002 and that it has beena runaway success since then.

Within the Department of Defense, theBlackBerry is used as a conventional but secureemail client on a Microsoft Exchange-based sys-tem. Typically, messages are exchanged withinworkgroups or among ad hoc groups of usersfocused on a particular issue. Naturally, giventhe nature of the wireless messaging device, thishas led to extensive interactive use.

The true push functionality that enablesinteractive and instant messaging was also akey feature for the NSA in its decision to pur-chase the S/MIME version of BlackBerry.Another key feature was the fact that Mobitexsupports device-to-device communications,meaning that email is always delivered imme-diately, even if the server is unavailable.Because Mobitex allows users to be alwaysavailable and always interactive, it creates whatNowak calls situational awareness.

FREEDOM TO SHARE

“People are always aware of the current situationbecause the secure messaging service allowsthem to share information that is sensitive butnot classified as secret or top-secret,” explainsNowak. “The S/MIME implementation is par-ticularly important in this regard. Without theencryption that it provides the communicationamong a group of individuals would be like amosaic from which an eavesdropper could get apretty good picture of what’s going on.”

The ability to freely exchange sensitiveinformation among trusted staff members andthe situational awareness that it creates arehighly desirable to military planners and strate-gists. Being able to interact with peers whilemaintaining a high level of security givesDefense Department staff members more free-dom and allows them to work more efficiently.

“People have almost come to regard theSecure BlackBerry as a cell phone for email,”observes Nowak. “It also creates considerableenvy. When one person in a unit, perhaps a moresenior officer, becomes a wireless user, everyoneelse wants a wireless handheld, too.”

Deployment of the Secure BlackBerry hasgone extremely smoothly. “There really havebeen no problems. It’s an extremely reliableapplication,” reports Nowak. “In fact, the onlyreal problem we’ve had is what has been calledthe Crackberry effect. It’s like a drug. Once people start using it, they won’t give it up. ■

I

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 19

In an increasingly security-conscious society, wireless messaging devices

operating on the Mobitex network have become a top priority for US

government officials. The most popular among these devices – and the one

that originally fueled the explosive growth of Mobitex in the US and other

markets – is the RIM 957 handheld, which when packaged with an e-mail

service is called BlackBerry.

CREATINGSITUATIONALAWARENESS

FACTORS INFLUENCING MOBITEX PERFORMANCE DURING CRISIS

• Independence from general consumer traffic

• Connectionless nature of packet network

• Overlapping coverage

• Various telco connectivity options

• Flexible and rapid deployment options

“Peop le are a lwaysaware o f t he curren ts i t ua t i on because t hesecure messag ingserv ice a l l ows t hemto share i n f orma t i ontha t i s sens i t i ve”

n the days and months following the terrorattacks of September 11, US Mobitex opera-tor Cingular Wireless noted a dramatic

increase in interest for its wireless messaging andemail services. The Mobitex network remainedoperational and fully functional both throughthe attacks and during the resulting surge intraffic. Cingular also provided a large number ofBlackBerry devices to rescue workers from theNew York Police Department and other author-ities, allowing them to communicate when othernetworks were down or overloaded.

With this new awareness of the impor-tance of reliable communications in times ofcrisis, several US authorities began equippingtheir staffs with wireless handhelds running onCingular’s Mobitex network. New customershave included local police and fire depart-ments, as well as federal authorities. In a wide-ly publicized contract, the US House of Repre-sentatives also decided to equip all of its mem-bers with BlackBerries.

“Interest from the government sector inwireless messaging is at an all time high,” com-ments Charles Nelson, president of CingularInteractive. “There is growing recognition thatmessaging expedites critical communicationsand improves decision support. Plus, there’sconsiderable confidence in the BlackBerry andin Cingular’s Mobitex network, because they’veproven to be rugged, reliable and secure underextremely demanding conditions.”

One of the more interesting deploymentsof wireless handhelds has been in the USDepartment of Defense (DoD) and the NationalSecurity Agency (NSA), where a secure versionof the BlackBerry is being used.

“We currently have about 1,100 users, andthe number is growing daily,” reports RobertNowak of ACS Defense who is manager of theSecure BlackBerry program at the NSA.

For this deployment, RIM developed aDoD-compliant S/MIME version of the Black-Berry. The Secure MIME (Multipurpose Inter-net Mail Extensions) version of BlackBerryensures that not only the message, but alsomessage attachments, are encrypted usingpublic-key encryption algorithms that complywith DoD standards.

“We were very happy to be able to pro-vide this flexibility to staff members on themove while extending the security of thedesktop,” relates Nowak, adding that theS/MIME version of the BlackBerry was intro-

duced in September 2002 and that it has beena runaway success since then.

Within the Department of Defense, theBlackBerry is used as a conventional but secureemail client on a Microsoft Exchange-based sys-tem. Typically, messages are exchanged withinworkgroups or among ad hoc groups of usersfocused on a particular issue. Naturally, giventhe nature of the wireless messaging device, thishas led to extensive interactive use.

The true push functionality that enablesinteractive and instant messaging was also akey feature for the NSA in its decision to pur-chase the S/MIME version of BlackBerry.Another key feature was the fact that Mobitexsupports device-to-device communications,meaning that email is always delivered imme-diately, even if the server is unavailable.Because Mobitex allows users to be alwaysavailable and always interactive, it creates whatNowak calls situational awareness.

FREEDOM TO SHARE

“People are always aware of the current situationbecause the secure messaging service allowsthem to share information that is sensitive butnot classified as secret or top-secret,” explainsNowak. “The S/MIME implementation is par-ticularly important in this regard. Without theencryption that it provides the communicationamong a group of individuals would be like amosaic from which an eavesdropper could get apretty good picture of what’s going on.”

The ability to freely exchange sensitiveinformation among trusted staff members andthe situational awareness that it creates arehighly desirable to military planners and strate-gists. Being able to interact with peers whilemaintaining a high level of security givesDefense Department staff members more free-dom and allows them to work more efficiently.

“People have almost come to regard theSecure BlackBerry as a cell phone for email,”observes Nowak. “It also creates considerableenvy. When one person in a unit, perhaps a moresenior officer, becomes a wireless user, everyoneelse wants a wireless handheld, too.”

Deployment of the Secure BlackBerry hasgone extremely smoothly. “There really havebeen no problems. It’s an extremely reliableapplication,” reports Nowak. “In fact, the onlyreal problem we’ve had is what has been calledthe Crackberry effect. It’s like a drug. Once people start using it, they won’t give it up. ■

I

C U S T O M E R P E R S P E C T I V E 19

In an increasingly security-conscious society, wireless messaging devices

operating on the Mobitex network have become a top priority for US

government officials. The most popular among these devices – and the one

that originally fueled the explosive growth of Mobitex in the US and other

markets – is the RIM 957 handheld, which when packaged with an e-mail

service is called BlackBerry.

CREATINGSITUATIONALAWARENESS

FACTORS INFLUENCING MOBITEX PERFORMANCE DURING CRISIS

• Independence from general consumer traffic

• Connectionless nature of packet network

• Overlapping coverage

• Various telco connectivity options

• Flexible and rapid deployment options

“Peop le are a lwaysaware o f t he curren ts i t ua t i on because t hesecure messag ingserv ice a l l ows t hemto share i n f orma t i ontha t i s sens i t i ve”

As the movie produced for the launchopens, the beating of the drums is fastand insistent and animated figures come

alive, seeming to imbue the city with new life.Slowly the figures morph into real-life usersempowered with new wireless data communica-tion services for email, WAP and instant mes-saging, as well as applications for banking andfinance, transport, logistics, emergency andsecurity services and public safety.

“Mango is an exciting new service based ona platform for unified communications devel-oped by our subsidiary Silicon Creation and awireless PDA that we have branded as Tango.The Mango Tango is immediately availablethrough Telecom Digital’s retail outletsthroughout Hong Kong where the film pro-duced for the launch will be running continu-ously. Our customers will enjoy instant com-munication, total reliability and maximumefficiency from the start,” says Alex Cheung,managing director at Telecom Digital.

“The Mango launch was an event unlikeanything seen so far in the Mobitex community.Telecom Digital is targeting a new generationof highly mobile users who will undoubtedlyfind the unified communications platform andthe interactive lifestyle that it enables irre-sistible. The new operator also has a broadcustomer base with many corporate accountsfor which the new service and the powerfulapplications that it supports will be veryattractive. I can’t imagine a better start and wishTelecom Digital success,” says Iris Ödman,director after sales at Mobitex, Ericsson.

DAZZLING OFFERING

Telecom Digital is extremely well positionedto jump-start its new network and quicklyload it with subscribers. The operator has beenoffering paging services for more than 30 yearsand is currently Hong Kong’s largest pagingoperator with 160,000 subscribers. It alsobegan offering mobile telephone service asvirtual network operator five years ago andnow has more than 150, 000 subscribers and6,000 corporate accounts. The company has 30retail outlets throughout Hong Kong and abroad distribution network.

As configured for Mango, the Tango PDA,which is manufactured by CNI in Korea, offersEnglish and Chinese email and messaging,WAP browsing, instant messaging and ICQ,SMS, messaging to fax, and a mobile secretarial service via Telecom Digital’s call center. In

addition to PIM applications such as Address,Calendar, Memo and Calculator, the MangoTango features several games, an electronic bookapplication and support for both English andChinese interfaces.

The dazzling array of Mango services andapplications will undoubtedly have immediateappeal, not only among young and mobile con-sumers, but among Telecom Digital’s corporatecustomers and other mobile professionals, aswell. The new Mobitex operator is also welcom-ing all application and solution providers tobecome partners and is targeting a number ofvertical markets. The initial focus will be onworkforce management, fleet management,telemetry, security and POS applications.

L IKELY TO STARTA FRENZYTelecom Digital has ambitious plans for its newMobitex service, which include launching awireless PDA of its own design with a built-inpager and further enhancements of its unifiedcommunications platform. With a servicepriced at USD 25 for unlimited usage and aslick marketing campaign rooted in 30 years ofexperience as a retailer of wireless services, Tele-com Digital may well find that the MangoTango starts a frenzy and that subscribers willbe coming online. ■

On October 18 at a gala event inHong Kong, Telecom DigitalLtd. (TDL) officially launchedMango, the world’s newestpublic Mobitex network andwireless data service.

S T R A T E G Y 21

MANGOTANGO

FRENZY

O

“Mango i s an exc i t i ngnew serv ice based ona p l a t f orm for un i f i ed

commun ica t i ons .”

As the movie produced for the launchopens, the beating of the drums is fastand insistent and animated figures come

alive, seeming to imbue the city with new life.Slowly the figures morph into real-life usersempowered with new wireless data communica-tion services for email, WAP and instant mes-saging, as well as applications for banking andfinance, transport, logistics, emergency andsecurity services and public safety.

“Mango is an exciting new service based ona platform for unified communications devel-oped by our subsidiary Silicon Creation and awireless PDA that we have branded as Tango.The Mango Tango is immediately availablethrough Telecom Digital’s retail outletsthroughout Hong Kong where the film pro-duced for the launch will be running continu-ously. Our customers will enjoy instant com-munication, total reliability and maximumefficiency from the start,” says Alex Cheung,managing director at Telecom Digital.

“The Mango launch was an event unlikeanything seen so far in the Mobitex community.Telecom Digital is targeting a new generationof highly mobile users who will undoubtedlyfind the unified communications platform andthe interactive lifestyle that it enables irre-sistible. The new operator also has a broadcustomer base with many corporate accountsfor which the new service and the powerfulapplications that it supports will be veryattractive. I can’t imagine a better start and wishTelecom Digital success,” says Iris Ödman,director after sales at Mobitex, Ericsson.

DAZZLING OFFERING

Telecom Digital is extremely well positionedto jump-start its new network and quicklyload it with subscribers. The operator has beenoffering paging services for more than 30 yearsand is currently Hong Kong’s largest pagingoperator with 160,000 subscribers. It alsobegan offering mobile telephone service asvirtual network operator five years ago andnow has more than 150, 000 subscribers and6,000 corporate accounts. The company has 30retail outlets throughout Hong Kong and abroad distribution network.

As configured for Mango, the Tango PDA,which is manufactured by CNI in Korea, offersEnglish and Chinese email and messaging,WAP browsing, instant messaging and ICQ,SMS, messaging to fax, and a mobile secretarial service via Telecom Digital’s call center. In

addition to PIM applications such as Address,Calendar, Memo and Calculator, the MangoTango features several games, an electronic bookapplication and support for both English andChinese interfaces.

The dazzling array of Mango services andapplications will undoubtedly have immediateappeal, not only among young and mobile con-sumers, but among Telecom Digital’s corporatecustomers and other mobile professionals, aswell. The new Mobitex operator is also welcom-ing all application and solution providers tobecome partners and is targeting a number ofvertical markets. The initial focus will be onworkforce management, fleet management,telemetry, security and POS applications.

L IKELY TO STARTA FRENZYTelecom Digital has ambitious plans for its newMobitex service, which include launching awireless PDA of its own design with a built-inpager and further enhancements of its unifiedcommunications platform. With a servicepriced at USD 25 for unlimited usage and aslick marketing campaign rooted in 30 years ofexperience as a retailer of wireless services, Tele-com Digital may well find that the MangoTango starts a frenzy and that subscribers willbe coming online. ■

On October 18 at a gala event inHong Kong, Telecom DigitalLtd. (TDL) officially launchedMango, the world’s newestpublic Mobitex network andwireless data service.

S T R A T E G Y 21

MANGOTANGO

FRENZY

O

“Mango i s an exc i t i ngnew serv ice based ona p l a t f orm for un i f i ed

commun ica t i ons .”

M A R K E T N E W S 23

Devices designed to operate on aMobitex network must complywith MIS, the Mobitex InterfaceSpecification administered by theMobitex Operators Association.Although only a few relativelysimple protocols and interfacesare used in the Mobitex system,to validate that radio modemsand other Mobitex terminalproducts comply with a detailedtechnical specification consistingof hundreds of pages of documen-tation can be a daunting task.

Compounding the complexity ofthis task, it was previously neces-sary to verify compliance on eachnetwork on which the productwas designed to operate.

Following extensive work inMOA’s Technical Guidance Coun-cil, a uniform procedure for vali-dation testing of the most criticalfunctions in the MIS. To furthersimplify the process, MOArecently appointed Ericsson tocarry out the new standardizedtesting procedure. Ericsson has

now established a new serviceoffering to test MIS complianceof mobiles and terminals. Manu-facturers can then present theresults to Mobitex operators, whocan use them to streamline theirindividual testing procedures andshorten the product’s time tomarket.

“Ericsson is committed toproviding this service and pro-viding results within two weeksfrom the start of the validationprocess. A dedicated lab hasbeen built for the service toguarantee the quality of the testresults and the promised dead-line for delivery of results,” saysFolke Bergqvist, head of tech-nology at Mobitex, Ericsson.

The program for modemand terminal certification willencompass all major aspects ofMIS-compliance testing. Mobitexfunctionality evaluated duringverification includes ESN andMSN formats, correct handlingand formatting of frames andMASC commands, handling ofroaming parameters and traffichandling during roaming, systemparameters stored during poweron/off, battery-saving protocol,traffic handling during signalstrength and temperature varia-tion, the device interface on theserial port, radio performance,MARE handling, FBI and Live/Die functionality. ■

Cell-on-Wheels units have becomeindispensable for emergencycommunications and disasterrelief and are often called intoservice for road shows and exhi-bitions. The basic concept issimple. Put everything neededfor a complete cell site into atrailer, and communications canbe provided in virtually anylocation on short notice.

The Mobitex Cell-on-Wheelsprovides temporary wireless datacommunications in emergenciesand contains a complete systemin a fully mobile unit. Consistingof a compact BRU3 base stationfor 400, 800 or 900 MHz, a diesel-

fueled generator, a battery back-up, telescope antennas and asatellite link (VSAT or othersavailable), the Mobitex Cell-on-Wheels is ready to be put intoservice, whether the emergency isa fire, an earthquake, flooding ora medical crisis.

The Mobitex Cell-on-Wheelscan function either autonomouslywith its own identity or be con-nected to an existing Mobitexnetwork. In that case, satelliteconnection is possible. Designedfor worldwide operation, theMobitex Cell-on-Wheels is idealfor strengthening coverage andcapacity for reliable emergency

communication, temporary cov-erage at events or in remote areasfor tactical networks.

“A Mobitex Cell-on-Wheelsprovides temporary wireless com-munications in places not nor-mally covered or extended cover-age at peak or emergency times.The system requires minimalsetup time, and the transporta-tion cost is low.” says TomasLundkvist, sales director at Mobi-tex, Ericsson. ■

MOBILEMARKET

NEWS

In addition to the new service forMIS compliance testing, Ericssoncontinues to offer modem designsupport. This is a completelyseparate unit with its own labthat can assist designers at allstages of product development.By definition, MIS complianceentails testing a product that isin volume production, while themodem design support team isinvolved at an early stage.

“We like to get involvedwhile the product is still on thedrawing board,” says ReinholdReul, project manager for modemdesign support at Mobitex, Erics-son. “Naturally, we are happy toassist customers at any stage,but letting us conduct a designreview before development workstarts in earnest is most efficientin reducing cost and time to mar-ket. Getting it right from thestart is always the best strategy.”

The modem design supportunit can evaluate designs at allstages of development and per-form measurements and testingall the way up to the prototypeand pre-production stages. Allof this work is naturally per-formed with strict confidentiali-ty and under non-disclosureagreements as required by themodem developer. ■

PROGRAMFOR MODEM AND

TERMINALVALIDATION

For more information about the program contact: karl-johan.sjoborg@erv.ericsson.se

PUBLIC NETWORK

PRIVATE NETWORK

CENTRAL MANAGEMENT

CONNECTIONS

HOST APPLICATIONS

DATABASES

E-MAIL

ALARMS

HELPDESK

PUBLIC SAFETY HOST

With the publication of this issueof Mobile Data News on theMobitex website, the site will bere-launched with a brand-newdesign and even more content. Inaddition to the wealth of infor-mation on Mobitex products andsolutions and the productbrochures and technical presenta-tions that you are used to findingon the Mobitex website, there

will be new sections for profes-sional users with references tocurrent projects and solutions. ■NEW

WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

UPCOMINGMOA MEETING

IN LONDON15-17 SEPT.

MODEM DESIGNSUPPORT

CONCEPT FOR:TEMPORARY WIRELESSCOMMUNICATIONS

M A R K E T N E W S 23

Devices designed to operate on aMobitex network must complywith MIS, the Mobitex InterfaceSpecification administered by theMobitex Operators Association.Although only a few relativelysimple protocols and interfacesare used in the Mobitex system,to validate that radio modemsand other Mobitex terminalproducts comply with a detailedtechnical specification consistingof hundreds of pages of documen-tation can be a daunting task.

Compounding the complexity ofthis task, it was previously neces-sary to verify compliance on eachnetwork on which the productwas designed to operate.

Following extensive work inMOA’s Technical Guidance Coun-cil, a uniform procedure for vali-dation testing of the most criticalfunctions in the MIS. To furthersimplify the process, MOArecently appointed Ericsson tocarry out the new standardizedtesting procedure. Ericsson has

now established a new serviceoffering to test MIS complianceof mobiles and terminals. Manu-facturers can then present theresults to Mobitex operators, whocan use them to streamline theirindividual testing procedures andshorten the product’s time tomarket.

“Ericsson is committed toproviding this service and pro-viding results within two weeksfrom the start of the validationprocess. A dedicated lab hasbeen built for the service toguarantee the quality of the testresults and the promised dead-line for delivery of results,” saysFolke Bergqvist, head of tech-nology at Mobitex, Ericsson.

The program for modemand terminal certification willencompass all major aspects ofMIS-compliance testing. Mobitexfunctionality evaluated duringverification includes ESN andMSN formats, correct handlingand formatting of frames andMASC commands, handling ofroaming parameters and traffichandling during roaming, systemparameters stored during poweron/off, battery-saving protocol,traffic handling during signalstrength and temperature varia-tion, the device interface on theserial port, radio performance,MARE handling, FBI and Live/Die functionality. ■

Cell-on-Wheels units have becomeindispensable for emergencycommunications and disasterrelief and are often called intoservice for road shows and exhi-bitions. The basic concept issimple. Put everything neededfor a complete cell site into atrailer, and communications canbe provided in virtually anylocation on short notice.

The Mobitex Cell-on-Wheelsprovides temporary wireless datacommunications in emergenciesand contains a complete systemin a fully mobile unit. Consistingof a compact BRU3 base stationfor 400, 800 or 900 MHz, a diesel-

fueled generator, a battery back-up, telescope antennas and asatellite link (VSAT or othersavailable), the Mobitex Cell-on-Wheels is ready to be put intoservice, whether the emergency isa fire, an earthquake, flooding ora medical crisis.

The Mobitex Cell-on-Wheelscan function either autonomouslywith its own identity or be con-nected to an existing Mobitexnetwork. In that case, satelliteconnection is possible. Designedfor worldwide operation, theMobitex Cell-on-Wheels is idealfor strengthening coverage andcapacity for reliable emergency

communication, temporary cov-erage at events or in remote areasfor tactical networks.

“A Mobitex Cell-on-Wheelsprovides temporary wireless com-munications in places not nor-mally covered or extended cover-age at peak or emergency times.The system requires minimalsetup time, and the transporta-tion cost is low.” says TomasLundkvist, sales director at Mobi-tex, Ericsson. ■

MOBILEMARKET

NEWS

In addition to the new service forMIS compliance testing, Ericssoncontinues to offer modem designsupport. This is a completelyseparate unit with its own labthat can assist designers at allstages of product development.By definition, MIS complianceentails testing a product that isin volume production, while themodem design support team isinvolved at an early stage.

“We like to get involvedwhile the product is still on thedrawing board,” says ReinholdReul, project manager for modemdesign support at Mobitex, Erics-son. “Naturally, we are happy toassist customers at any stage,but letting us conduct a designreview before development workstarts in earnest is most efficientin reducing cost and time to mar-ket. Getting it right from thestart is always the best strategy.”

The modem design supportunit can evaluate designs at allstages of development and per-form measurements and testingall the way up to the prototypeand pre-production stages. Allof this work is naturally per-formed with strict confidentiali-ty and under non-disclosureagreements as required by themodem developer. ■

PROGRAMFOR MODEM AND

TERMINALVALIDATION

For more information about the program contact: karl-johan.sjoborg@erv.ericsson.se

PUBLIC NETWORK

PRIVATE NETWORK

CENTRAL MANAGEMENT

CONNECTIONS

HOST APPLICATIONS

DATABASES

E-MAIL

ALARMS

HELPDESK

PUBLIC SAFETY HOST

With the publication of this issueof Mobile Data News on theMobitex website, the site will bere-launched with a brand-newdesign and even more content. Inaddition to the wealth of infor-mation on Mobitex products andsolutions and the productbrochures and technical presenta-tions that you are used to findingon the Mobitex website, there

will be new sections for profes-sional users with references tocurrent projects and solutions. ■NEW

WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

UPCOMINGMOA MEETING

IN LONDON15-17 SEPT.

MODEM DESIGNSUPPORT

CONCEPT FOR:TEMPORARY WIRELESSCOMMUNICATIONS

M A R K E T N E W S 25

Mobix Wireless AMR is a com-plete automatic meter readingsolution incorporating the Israelicompany’s new MBX9 OEMmodem. The Mobix WirelessAMR solution is based on a con-centrator device that collects datafrom multiple meters and trans-mits it over the Mobitex networkto the Mobix Management Serv-er, which is installed in the utili-ty’s central office.

Mobix Wireless SolutionsLtd. specializes in applicationsfor telemetry, vending, parkingand other systems involvingwireless machine-to-machinecommunications and has exten-sive experience of AMR projects.In 1999, when Schlumberger andSwedish Mobitex operator Mowicdeveloped an AMR system forBirka Energy (formerly Stock-holm Energi), Mobix WirelessSolutions provided the Mobitexsoftware for both the meters andthe central host. Since then, thissystem has grown to includemore than 8,000 concentrationpoints in houses and commercialproperties around the city.

BASED ONNEW MODEM

The MBX9 OEM modem onwhich the Mobix WirelessAMR solution is based is acompletely new device devel-oped for 900 and 800 MHzMobitex networks. The OEMmodem is offered in two formfactors, a Regular model meas-uring 52×72×7 mm and a Smallmodel measuring just 35×35×9mm. This ultra-compact size,together with light weigh andminimal power requirements,make the MBX9 ideal for suchapplications as AMR, vendingmachines and POS (Point ofSale) terminals. While theMBX9 is a core component inthe Mobix Wireless AMR solu-tion, it will also be made avail-able to OEM customers.

“We are specialists inembedded applications andhave developed a detailed ROI(Return on Investment) modelfor utilities and distributors.Mobix is planning to marketthe MBX9 at a very competi-tive price to systems integratorsand manufacturers and toexplore operator channels invarious markets,” says MobixCEO Shai Hemli. ■

COMPLETEAMR SOLUTION

WITHNEW MOBIX MODEM

WalkAbout Computers has beenproviding durable, mobile com-puting solutions to the utility,telecommunications, transporta-tion, warehousing and publicsafety market sectors since1989. The company is a leadingdesigner and manufacturer ofhighly rugged pen tablets forworkers in demanding environ-ments. The Hammerhead 3 hasbeen tested and approved for useon Mobitex Networks.

The Hammerhead 3 ismilled from aircraft grade alu-minium and is fully sealed (vac-uum tested), moisture and dust

proof. It is rugged enough tohandle shock, vibration, weath-er, dirt, humidity, liquid spillsand damaging chemicals

The unit delivers the per-formance of a laptop with themobility found only in a tablet,hosts an array of communica-tions options and wireless con-nectivity which means that usersare never out of touch. It comeswith the powerful Intel PentiumIII 400 MHz Processor and MSWindows 98 Operating System(Windows 2000 available).

INTRODUCINGTHE XRT

Walkabout’s newest edition is theHammerhead XRT, which willalso run over Mobitex 900MHzand 400MHz networks with anintegrated RIM or CNI modem.In support of Microsoft’s TabletPC initiative, Walkabout’s Ham-merhead XRT Tablet PC will runthe Microsoft Windows XP TabletPC Edition, enabling users to runfull Windows-based applications.

With its lightweight design,built-in wireless connectivity,onscreen keyboard and hot-dock-

ing support, the HammerheadXRT brings the power of theTablet PC into places whereother computers do not dare togo. It performs flawlessly in freez-ing temperatures, pouring rainand other demanding situations – whether it’s behind a desk, onthe road or out in the field.

The Hammerhead XRT features fully sealed, vacuum-test-ed rugged aluminium housing,256/512 MB RAM, 20/40 GBhard drive, legacy dock compati-bility and dual hot-swappablebatteries for seamless operationsand improved productivity. ■

WALKABOUT COMPUTERSINTRODUCES

HAMMERHEAD XRTRUGGED TABLET PC

FIRST MENTORINSTALLATION IN UK

CASIO SCOUTRUGGED PDA

SPORTS BACK PACK

M A R K E T N E W S24

TouchStar Pacific recentlyannounced the availability of itsnew Mobitex BackPack product,which is designed to fully inte-grate the Casio Scout EG-800ruggedized PDA. The newestaddition to TouchStar’s range ofwireless communications prod-ucts, the Mobitex BackPackemploys a durable and ruggeddesign, enabling it to cope withthe stresses of use in field envi-

ronments. Com-bined with theCasio Scout 800,it supports most field force datatransfer operations requiring effi-cient and cost-effective end-to-end data transfer.

The rugged Casio Scout 800is shock-resistant and splash proofand will operate with the Touch-Star Mobitex BackPack for anentire day without charging. Itruns the Microsoft Pocket PCoperating system and comes com-plete with email, calendar andaddress book functions, as well asthe standard Windows CE 3.0applications. The TocuhStarMobitex BackPack has beenapproved for use in Australia,Europe and the US, meaning thatit will be available in 400 and 900MHz versions with an 800 MHzversion expected at a later date.

With more than 20 yearsexperience in the design, devel-opment and implementation ofruggedized mobile computersolutions, TouchStar is a globalcompany active in solutions forenergy distribution, mine siteand fuel management, van androute trade, sales, merchandis-ing and service sectors. TheTouchStar Mobitex BackPackwill be distributed both directlyto end customers and throughTouchStar’s recognized businesspartners. TouchStar has officesin Australia, the US and the UKand regional centers in conti-nental Europe, New Zealandand South Africa. ■

The MBX9 OEM modem is a completelynew product that is now being launchedfor 900 and 800 MHz Mobitex networks.

Treble Twenty Cars and Courier,based in Brentwood, Essex, isequipping its fleet of 50 carswith Mentor’s mobile datacomputers and has selectedTranscomm’s Mobitex network

as the communications link. Thisis Canadian company Mentor’sfirst UK installation to takeadvantage of Transcomm’s Mobi-tex network.

Treble Twenty is replacingits old mobile data system withfully integrated mobile datacomputers featuring internalGPS, a taximeter, credit-cardauthorization and a MaxonMobitex modem. This is thefirst private-hire installation inthe UK to incorporate all ofthese functions in a single in-vehicle devices.

Treble Twenty chose Men-tor’s preferred software partner,Cantect International, to supplyand implement the host dis-

patch, scheduling, mapping andpayment application for theback-office system.

“The Treble Twenty sys-tem is unique in the UK andwill serve as a showcase forTranscomm, Mentor and Cantechin the private hire and taxi indus-try,” says Tamara Porter, Mentorbusiness development managerfor the UK and Europe. ■

M A R K E T N E W S 25

Mobix Wireless AMR is a com-plete automatic meter readingsolution incorporating the Israelicompany’s new MBX9 OEMmodem. The Mobix WirelessAMR solution is based on a con-centrator device that collects datafrom multiple meters and trans-mits it over the Mobitex networkto the Mobix Management Serv-er, which is installed in the utili-ty’s central office.

Mobix Wireless SolutionsLtd. specializes in applicationsfor telemetry, vending, parkingand other systems involvingwireless machine-to-machinecommunications and has exten-sive experience of AMR projects.In 1999, when Schlumberger andSwedish Mobitex operator Mowicdeveloped an AMR system forBirka Energy (formerly Stock-holm Energi), Mobix WirelessSolutions provided the Mobitexsoftware for both the meters andthe central host. Since then, thissystem has grown to includemore than 8,000 concentrationpoints in houses and commercialproperties around the city.

BASED ONNEW MODEM

The MBX9 OEM modem onwhich the Mobix WirelessAMR solution is based is acompletely new device devel-oped for 900 and 800 MHzMobitex networks. The OEMmodem is offered in two formfactors, a Regular model meas-uring 52×72×7 mm and a Smallmodel measuring just 35×35×9mm. This ultra-compact size,together with light weigh andminimal power requirements,make the MBX9 ideal for suchapplications as AMR, vendingmachines and POS (Point ofSale) terminals. While theMBX9 is a core component inthe Mobix Wireless AMR solu-tion, it will also be made avail-able to OEM customers.

“We are specialists inembedded applications andhave developed a detailed ROI(Return on Investment) modelfor utilities and distributors.Mobix is planning to marketthe MBX9 at a very competi-tive price to systems integratorsand manufacturers and toexplore operator channels invarious markets,” says MobixCEO Shai Hemli. ■

COMPLETEAMR SOLUTION

WITHNEW MOBIX MODEM

WalkAbout Computers has beenproviding durable, mobile com-puting solutions to the utility,telecommunications, transporta-tion, warehousing and publicsafety market sectors since1989. The company is a leadingdesigner and manufacturer ofhighly rugged pen tablets forworkers in demanding environ-ments. The Hammerhead 3 hasbeen tested and approved for useon Mobitex Networks.

The Hammerhead 3 ismilled from aircraft grade alu-minium and is fully sealed (vac-uum tested), moisture and dust

proof. It is rugged enough tohandle shock, vibration, weath-er, dirt, humidity, liquid spillsand damaging chemicals

The unit delivers the per-formance of a laptop with themobility found only in a tablet,hosts an array of communica-tions options and wireless con-nectivity which means that usersare never out of touch. It comeswith the powerful Intel PentiumIII 400 MHz Processor and MSWindows 98 Operating System(Windows 2000 available).

INTRODUCINGTHE XRT

Walkabout’s newest edition is theHammerhead XRT, which willalso run over Mobitex 900MHzand 400MHz networks with anintegrated RIM or CNI modem.In support of Microsoft’s TabletPC initiative, Walkabout’s Ham-merhead XRT Tablet PC will runthe Microsoft Windows XP TabletPC Edition, enabling users to runfull Windows-based applications.

With its lightweight design,built-in wireless connectivity,onscreen keyboard and hot-dock-

ing support, the HammerheadXRT brings the power of theTablet PC into places whereother computers do not dare togo. It performs flawlessly in freez-ing temperatures, pouring rainand other demanding situations – whether it’s behind a desk, onthe road or out in the field.

The Hammerhead XRT features fully sealed, vacuum-test-ed rugged aluminium housing,256/512 MB RAM, 20/40 GBhard drive, legacy dock compati-bility and dual hot-swappablebatteries for seamless operationsand improved productivity. ■

WALKABOUT COMPUTERSINTRODUCES

HAMMERHEAD XRTRUGGED TABLET PC

FIRST MENTORINSTALLATION IN UK

CASIO SCOUTRUGGED PDA

SPORTS BACK PACK

M A R K E T N E W S24

TouchStar Pacific recentlyannounced the availability of itsnew Mobitex BackPack product,which is designed to fully inte-grate the Casio Scout EG-800ruggedized PDA. The newestaddition to TouchStar’s range ofwireless communications prod-ucts, the Mobitex BackPackemploys a durable and ruggeddesign, enabling it to cope withthe stresses of use in field envi-

ronments. Com-bined with theCasio Scout 800,it supports most field force datatransfer operations requiring effi-cient and cost-effective end-to-end data transfer.

The rugged Casio Scout 800is shock-resistant and splash proofand will operate with the Touch-Star Mobitex BackPack for anentire day without charging. Itruns the Microsoft Pocket PCoperating system and comes com-plete with email, calendar andaddress book functions, as well asthe standard Windows CE 3.0applications. The TocuhStarMobitex BackPack has beenapproved for use in Australia,Europe and the US, meaning thatit will be available in 400 and 900MHz versions with an 800 MHzversion expected at a later date.

With more than 20 yearsexperience in the design, devel-opment and implementation ofruggedized mobile computersolutions, TouchStar is a globalcompany active in solutions forenergy distribution, mine siteand fuel management, van androute trade, sales, merchandis-ing and service sectors. TheTouchStar Mobitex BackPackwill be distributed both directlyto end customers and throughTouchStar’s recognized businesspartners. TouchStar has officesin Australia, the US and the UKand regional centers in conti-nental Europe, New Zealandand South Africa. ■

The MBX9 OEM modem is a completelynew product that is now being launchedfor 900 and 800 MHz Mobitex networks.

Treble Twenty Cars and Courier,based in Brentwood, Essex, isequipping its fleet of 50 carswith Mentor’s mobile datacomputers and has selectedTranscomm’s Mobitex network

as the communications link. Thisis Canadian company Mentor’sfirst UK installation to takeadvantage of Transcomm’s Mobi-tex network.

Treble Twenty is replacingits old mobile data system withfully integrated mobile datacomputers featuring internalGPS, a taximeter, credit-cardauthorization and a MaxonMobitex modem. This is thefirst private-hire installation inthe UK to incorporate all ofthese functions in a single in-vehicle devices.

Treble Twenty chose Men-tor’s preferred software partner,Cantect International, to supplyand implement the host dis-

patch, scheduling, mapping andpayment application for theback-office system.

“The Treble Twenty sys-tem is unique in the UK andwill serve as a showcase forTranscomm, Mentor and Cantechin the private hire and taxi indus-try,” says Tamara Porter, Mentorbusiness development managerfor the UK and Europe. ■

Our primary business is the development ofcomplex communications and informationsystems for applications where 24-hour accessi-bility and reliability are absolutely essential.The CoordCom products have a well-deservedreputation as state-of-the-art systems for com-munication centers.

Could you describe the CoordCom archi-tecture? What are the key components?

CoordCom is a client/server system based on anopen architecture with standard hardware thatfully leverages the latest Microsoft .NET plat-form. The solution is based on an IP network forboth voice and data communication with a dis-tributed SQL database. At the core, there is anIP-based software switch that handles switchingfor all types of communications and integratesradio, telephony, wireless data and several othersources of alarms. Above the switch, there aremodules for Telephony, IVR (Interactive VoiceResponse) and ACD (Automatic Call Distribu-tion). Above this, there are various databasemanagers at the service layer, as well as an appli-cation layer and an agent interaction layer thatprovides the interface for the operator.

How does the operator see the system?Great effort has been devoted to employing thelatest interface design techniques and to createa workstation that adheres to the EPSS (Elec-tronic Personal Support System) standard. TheCall Taker provides a very intuitive interfaceand guides the operator at all times. An effi-cient 112 Communication System Solutionmust support the operator in a stressful worksituation and provide tools that guide the oper-ator in the interview process.

There is a methodology built into the sys-tem that supports the operator at each step,once a call has been identified as a true emer-gency. The system proposes measures andstructures the interview process. Behind thescenes, the system is also controlling the flow ofthe case management process so that nothing isleft to chance, and all available information isat the operator’s disposal. In many cases, theCoordCom system functions so that the firedepartment, for example, is on its way to thescene before the interview is completed.

To assist operators and reduce costs inintroducing a new system, CoordCom alsoincludes a training manager. This simplifiesplanning of education because trainees cantake the initiative. Real cases are recoded andcan be used in lessons in which a real emer-gency situation is simulated.

Do systems need to be configured different-ly to meet different national regulations?

Generally they do not need to be configured tospecific regulations, but rather to customerrequirements. Emergency services work inmuch the same manner throughout the world,and there are few requirements that are notbased on experience and practical considera-tions. In fact, here in Europe, for example, theonly real requirement that the EU places onmember countries with respect to emergencycall centers is that there must be a single 112number used throughout Europe.

Are all emergency services coordinatedthrough the same communications center?That would be the ideal case. While police, fireand ambulance services are all normally connect-ed to the system, there are strong forces in manycountries protecting department or territorialinterests. Police authorities tend to operate theirown communications systems. How wellregional authorities cooperate in establishingcoordinated communication centers also varies.

In Europe, Finland, Spain and Rumaniatake a somewhat different approach and lead theway in coordinating public safety services. InSpain, for example, the Guardia Civil has beena driving force in implementing a coordinatedand comprehensive communications system.

What are the major marketsfor CoordCom?

Our major markets are Europe and NorthAmerica. The US market has been the largest,but growth is strong in Europe. We have highhopes for the new EU member states and havenoted considerable interest in those countries.There are signs that the new EU members willbe more ambitious in their efforts to adapt tothe rest of Europe and that they will be able tomake a fresh start in establishing state-of-the-art emergency communications centers.

How has heightened publicawareness of security affectedEricsson Security Systems?

Interest is greater in all markets and in both thepublic and private security sectors. There is agreat emphasis on civil defense and coordina-tion in all aspects of government activities.This is naturally most evident in the US, butthe EU is not far behind. Demand for newproducts and functions is increasing, and ourcompany can take advantage of many synergyeffects with defense units within Ericsson. ■

O U T L O O K 27

COORDINATED RESPONSETO EMERGENCY CALLS

To provide another perspective on communica-tions in government, public safety and civildefense, Mobile Data Magazine talked toRobert Borgström, president of Ericsson Secu-rity Systems AB, which is now preparing tolaunch CoordCom 5.0.

What is CoordCom?The new CoordCom G5 now being readiedfor release is a state-of-the-art system solu-tion for emergency call centers based on morethan 20 years of experience and incorporatingthe latest technology.

Where is CoordCom used?

The primary application is call taking and dis-patching for public service answering points.These are typically centers for handling emer-gency calls to the 112 number used in Europeor 911 in North America. In most cases, how-ever, several other types of alarms and alerts arealso fed into the system, such as alarm buttonsfor disabled persons living in service buildings.

Are customers primarily publicauthorities or are there privateapplications, as well?

We address both the public and the privatesafety markets, although the public sector isnaturally the largest. The private sector is alsorelatively fragmented, but this is changingwith the emergence of large security companiesthat provide security services for thousands ofprivate customers over a large area.

“Beh ind t he scenes ,t he sys tem i s a l so

con tro l l i ng t he f l owo f t he case manage -

men t process .”One of Ericsson’s more interesting prod-ucts for the public safety sector is the Secu-rity System 112 Communication CenterSolution, which is more commonly knownin the industry and within Ericsson by theshort name CoordCom for coordinatedcommunications. Although an alert mayoriginate as data or a voice call in many dif-ferent networks, the CoordCom systemsimply displays it as an alarm on the oper-ator’s screen and immediately locates itsorigin on a map. At the same time, a newcase is opened, recording of the call starts,and the system begins guiding the operatorin establishing an action plan to respondappropriately.

Our primary business is the development ofcomplex communications and informationsystems for applications where 24-hour accessi-bility and reliability are absolutely essential.The CoordCom products have a well-deservedreputation as state-of-the-art systems for com-munication centers.

Could you describe the CoordCom archi-tecture? What are the key components?

CoordCom is a client/server system based on anopen architecture with standard hardware thatfully leverages the latest Microsoft .NET plat-form. The solution is based on an IP network forboth voice and data communication with a dis-tributed SQL database. At the core, there is anIP-based software switch that handles switchingfor all types of communications and integratesradio, telephony, wireless data and several othersources of alarms. Above the switch, there aremodules for Telephony, IVR (Interactive VoiceResponse) and ACD (Automatic Call Distribu-tion). Above this, there are various databasemanagers at the service layer, as well as an appli-cation layer and an agent interaction layer thatprovides the interface for the operator.

How does the operator see the system?Great effort has been devoted to employing thelatest interface design techniques and to createa workstation that adheres to the EPSS (Elec-tronic Personal Support System) standard. TheCall Taker provides a very intuitive interfaceand guides the operator at all times. An effi-cient 112 Communication System Solutionmust support the operator in a stressful worksituation and provide tools that guide the oper-ator in the interview process.

There is a methodology built into the sys-tem that supports the operator at each step,once a call has been identified as a true emer-gency. The system proposes measures andstructures the interview process. Behind thescenes, the system is also controlling the flow ofthe case management process so that nothing isleft to chance, and all available information isat the operator’s disposal. In many cases, theCoordCom system functions so that the firedepartment, for example, is on its way to thescene before the interview is completed.

To assist operators and reduce costs inintroducing a new system, CoordCom alsoincludes a training manager. This simplifiesplanning of education because trainees cantake the initiative. Real cases are recoded andcan be used in lessons in which a real emer-gency situation is simulated.

Do systems need to be configured different-ly to meet different national regulations?

Generally they do not need to be configured tospecific regulations, but rather to customerrequirements. Emergency services work inmuch the same manner throughout the world,and there are few requirements that are notbased on experience and practical considera-tions. In fact, here in Europe, for example, theonly real requirement that the EU places onmember countries with respect to emergencycall centers is that there must be a single 112number used throughout Europe.

Are all emergency services coordinatedthrough the same communications center?That would be the ideal case. While police, fireand ambulance services are all normally connect-ed to the system, there are strong forces in manycountries protecting department or territorialinterests. Police authorities tend to operate theirown communications systems. How wellregional authorities cooperate in establishingcoordinated communication centers also varies.

In Europe, Finland, Spain and Rumaniatake a somewhat different approach and lead theway in coordinating public safety services. InSpain, for example, the Guardia Civil has beena driving force in implementing a coordinatedand comprehensive communications system.

What are the major marketsfor CoordCom?

Our major markets are Europe and NorthAmerica. The US market has been the largest,but growth is strong in Europe. We have highhopes for the new EU member states and havenoted considerable interest in those countries.There are signs that the new EU members willbe more ambitious in their efforts to adapt tothe rest of Europe and that they will be able tomake a fresh start in establishing state-of-the-art emergency communications centers.

How has heightened publicawareness of security affectedEricsson Security Systems?

Interest is greater in all markets and in both thepublic and private security sectors. There is agreat emphasis on civil defense and coordina-tion in all aspects of government activities.This is naturally most evident in the US, butthe EU is not far behind. Demand for newproducts and functions is increasing, and ourcompany can take advantage of many synergyeffects with defense units within Ericsson. ■

O U T L O O K 27

COORDINATED RESPONSETO EMERGENCY CALLS

To provide another perspective on communica-tions in government, public safety and civildefense, Mobile Data Magazine talked toRobert Borgström, president of Ericsson Secu-rity Systems AB, which is now preparing tolaunch CoordCom 5.0.

What is CoordCom?The new CoordCom G5 now being readiedfor release is a state-of-the-art system solu-tion for emergency call centers based on morethan 20 years of experience and incorporatingthe latest technology.

Where is CoordCom used?

The primary application is call taking and dis-patching for public service answering points.These are typically centers for handling emer-gency calls to the 112 number used in Europeor 911 in North America. In most cases, how-ever, several other types of alarms and alerts arealso fed into the system, such as alarm buttonsfor disabled persons living in service buildings.

Are customers primarily publicauthorities or are there privateapplications, as well?

We address both the public and the privatesafety markets, although the public sector isnaturally the largest. The private sector is alsorelatively fragmented, but this is changingwith the emergence of large security companiesthat provide security services for thousands ofprivate customers over a large area.

“Beh ind t he scenes ,t he sys tem i s a l so

con tro l l i ng t he f l owo f t he case manage -

men t process .”One of Ericsson’s more interesting prod-ucts for the public safety sector is the Secu-rity System 112 Communication CenterSolution, which is more commonly knownin the industry and within Ericsson by theshort name CoordCom for coordinatedcommunications. Although an alert mayoriginate as data or a voice call in many dif-ferent networks, the CoordCom systemsimply displays it as an alarm on the oper-ator’s screen and immediately locates itsorigin on a map. At the same time, a newcase is opened, recording of the call starts,and the system begins guiding the operatorin establishing an action plan to respondappropriately.

Equipping my car with a wireless tracking device seemedrelatively harmless at the time. I really didn’t believe thatanyone was going to steal an ageing car that was starting torust, but I didn’t see any point in offending the client whohad offered to let me try it out. While I’m not sure that itprovided the significant enhancement of my personal secu-rity that my client had promised, it didn’t cause me anytrouble, either. In fact, I doubt that it would ever havecaused me any trouble, if only I had remembered it whenI traded in my car.

“Wanda! What on earth are you doing in Miami?”demanded my mother, barking into my cell phone themoment I pushed the key to answer. My sense of unrealitywas not lessened by the sight of the blue Pacific outside thehotel room window. I was supposed to be in New York onan assignment, not meeting an old friend in California to goto a music festival to see a group that my mother had hatedwhen I was in high school.

“Mother! I am not in Miami. I am in New York on anassignment!” I said, trying to sound as convincing as possi-ble. My assignment in New York would begin on Monday.In the meantime, I was using some frequent flier miles fora weekend escape to California. Suddenly, I felt as foolishand as guilty as I had in high school, when trying to con-vince my mother that we had been at my girl friend’s allevening and definitely not out with any boys.“Are you lying to me, Wanda? I know that’s where you sup-posed to be, but how can you be in New York when yourcar is in Miami?” asked my mother in the suspicious tone ofvoice that always made me uneasy. Although I still did notfeel comfortable about lying to my mother, the reference tomy car had at least made me realize what had gone wrong.After the wireless tracking device had been installed in mycar, my enterprising but sometimes overly ambitiousnephew David had created an application that matched themovements of my car against my calendar and posted regu-lar updates about my activities to my mother. Again, it hadseemed relatively harmless at the time, since it did cutdown on the number of calls that she made to ask where I was and what I was doing.

Unfortunately, figuring out what had gone wrong wasthe easy part. Putting it straight was a little more difficult.A phone call to the car dealer to find out who had boughtmy car so that I could contact the person and disable thetracking device revealed that my car had been stolen fromthe dealer’s lot.

“How can you know where the car is if you don’t knowwho stole it? If you know where it is, you must be in onthis,” said the car dealer, asking a perfectly reasonable ques-tion and drawing what he obviously regarded as a logicalconclusion. I was about to start explaining the situation,but quickly realized that it would be futile.“I’ll get back to you,” I said, hanging up the phone andturning to my friend, who had worked in law enforcement

before starting his own business as a security consultant. I quickly brought up a map on my laptop on which I couldfollow the movements of my old car, while my friend beganmaking phone calls. Apparently he still had some powerfulconnections because he was soon patched through on mycell phone to officers in a patrol car just blocks away fromthe stolen car.

Watching the movements of my old car on the laptopscreen and listening to my friend talking to the police offi-cers in hot pursuit soon had my adrenaline flowing. Notonly were the Miami police about to apprehend a car thiefwhile we directed them from a hotel room in California.The thief was leading them directly to a major drug dealer.As always when I solved a problem and achieved success,I felt an urge to phone my mother. Because my friend wasstill using my cell phone, I reached for the hotel phone. Justas I heard the click signifying that a connection had beenestablished, I realized my mistake. My mother naturallyhad caller ID, and she was now seeing a California area codeas she picked up the phone.

Where is Wanda?

W A N D A W A V E