News

Today's press releases, tomorrow's world of wireless

Boeing gets a step closer to its inflight WiFi; Sierra Wireless ships a million products; a web-cast on Bluefire technology, and some ultra-wide band developments ...

Connexion by Boeing, a mobile information services provider bringing high-speed Internet, data and entertainment connectivity to mobile travelers, will deploy secure, high-speed wireless services in commercial aircraft using products from Colubris Networks and Miltope Corporation (Miltope), a wholly owned subsidiary of Miltope Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MILT).

Miltope and Colubris Networks have also entered into an OEM partnership to deliver secure wireless access point products to the largest manufacturers and operators in the commercial and executive aviation industries.

Full details here.

Network Chemistry will launch its Wireless Intrusion Protection System this week at the Wi-Fi Planet Conference & Expo, December 2 - 5, 2003 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The company debuted a controlled release of its wireless sensor at the 802.11 Planet Show in June 2003 and won Best of Show.

Download an Acrobat version of the full release from their web site.

Bluefire will present its solutions to wireless security on hand-held devices, under the Microsoft flag. There will be a "TechNet Webcast" today:

When/Where: Microsoft Online Event, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003 8:00 a.m. PST

To register, please visit: the main page at BlueFire. It will be given by Eric Maiwald, Director of Product Management, Bluefire.

Blurb: "Handheld devices have become much more than just a repository for personal information. Most now come with some type of communication system, such as 802.11, Bluetooth or CDMA/GPRS, enabling enterprise connections. Applications are also being written for handheld use and sensitive information can move from enterprise servers to devices. At the same time, as handhelds become more powerful enterprise computing tools, they also become an enterprise vulnerability that should not be overlooked.

Sierra Wireless has shipped its one millionth product - proof of the traction that the company's products have gained in global markets. In Europe, Sierra Wireless has operator partnerships with Vodafone, KPN, Telefonica, Orange and Telia - among others - and its customer list is continually growing. Sierra Wireless set up in Europe and Asia Pacific two years ago and already these territories represent 50% of revenue generation for the company.

Wavecom and Emblaze Semiconductor partner to offer complete Wireless Multimedia solution

Wavecom SA (Nasdaq:WVCM)(Euronext:AVM)(ISIN:FR0000073066) and Emblaze Semiconductor, an Emblaze Group company (LSE:BLZ) and a leading provider of mobile multimedia and application ICs, today announced a partnership to co-operate in the development of two fully featured multimedia mobile phone platforms, targeted to handset manufacturers.

Packaged as two different versions of Wavecom's Feature Phones Development Lab, the Wavecom/Emblaze Semiconductor platforms provide solutions for multimedia handsets requiring worldwide coverage, high-end software and support for advanced multimedia technologies. The platforms are developed to meet the growing demand for fully featured phones and to improve time to market for handset makers.

The first platform, Feature 700 for multimedia mobile phones, will be available in the first quarter of 2004 and is based on Wavecom's WISMO Pac P5186 GSM/GPRS module and the Emblaze Semiconductor ER4521 multimedia processor.

Full release at Wavecome's site.

Atheros at Wi-Fi Planet show: demonstrating Super G with some partners.

"The key features comprising Atheros' Super G technology are packet bursting, data compression, the ability to support larger frames and a dynamic multi-channel mode. Super G technology delivers 108Mbps data links with actual end user TCP/IP throughput of up to 90Mbps in 802.11a/b/g, 802.11b/g and 802.11a wireless networks. Atheros' Wake-on-Wireless capability extends network management to the Wi-Fi environment. The Wake-on-Wireless capability is compatible with existing network infrastructure equipment, management software, and industry standards for remote wakeup functionality. "

Demos at Wi-Fi Planet exhibition, San Jose: Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 3-5, from 10:00am-7:00pm on Wednesday; 10:00am-5:00pm on Thursday; and 10:00am-2:00pm on Friday.

Full story at Atheros front page.

Assisted GPS, the 3G location technology, can be tested: "Spirent Communications announced today the release of the first commercially available single-source solution for automated testing of GSM and WCDMA handsets that support Assisted GPS (A-GPS) location technology. Spirent's new product, UMTS Location Test System (ULTS), builds on Spirent's location test expertise, gained through global leadership in GPS simulation solutions for receiver performance evaluation and through the market-leading Spirent Position Location Test System (PLTS) for CDMA."

Full story will appear in due course at the web site we hope.

ReefEdge Networks has announced the new ReefEdge WLAN EcoSystem product family for multi-site enterprises. The ReefEdge WLAN EcoSystem( is comprised of the ReefSwitch family of WLAN switches and appliances, WiSe OS software suite, and the ReefAccess product family. Together they represent the industry's first wireless LAN switching system developed specifically to address the unique wireless security, mobility, management and cost challenges facing multi-site enterprises.

Reefedge is at www.reefedge.com

CoWare Inc., the leading supplier of system-level electronic design automation (EDA) software and services, announced the addition of Ultra Wideband (UWB) to its Signal Processing Worksystem (SPW) wireless LAN library. The company is the first in the industry to announce library support for technology being considered for the emerging UWB standard. UWB is a revolutionary technology for the design of wireless networking products.

"UWB has a tremendous amount of potential in terms of throughput, low power, and low cost, compared to other wireless technologies," said Gemma Paulo, senior networks analyst, In-Stat/MDR. "With many companies awaiting a conclusion in the IEEE 802.15.3a standard before shipping products based on the technology, we are pleased to see CoWare enabling mainstream designers to create UWB designs. This can help proliferate the technology and products based on it."

Complete information will eventually appear on the press release page of the web site.

PRIMUS Telecommunications Canada Inc. (PRIMUS Canada), a wholly-owned subsidiary of McLean, Virginia-based PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated (Nasdaq:PRTL), today announced that it has acquired the business of MIPPS, a Markham, Ontario based wireless Internet service provider. The acquisition launches PRIMUS Canada into Wireless Internet Access market, and it is poised to expand its wireless high speed internet service offering.

Full release is available now on the web site

The National Science Foundation has awarded an $800,000 wireless networking research grant to a consortium led by the Stevens Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Cambridge, MA-based Vanu, Inc. The National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant supports development of a test bed that combines advanced networking and wireless communication technologies. The test bed will enable research on systems where mobile devices are simultaneously connected to multiple wireless networks and use flexible software radios to improve quality of service, security and performance.

You'll search in vain for a Vanu web site; hopefully Stevens Institute will eventually get around to releasing more info.