BOSTON, USA: The world's first ZigBee-certified wireless water meter developed by Elster and Freestyle Technology is using ZigBee technology from Ember to help utilities and consumers better manage their water cost and usage.
Elster and Freestyle have integrated Ember's ZigBee System-on-Chip and ZigBee PRO networking software into the new Elster V200 digital water meter to serve global markets. The V200 is one in a series of Ember-enabled smart meters from Elster, with ZigBee smart meters for gas and electricity also in development.
The Elster V200 meters enable households to monitor their water usage wisely, while also giving utilities the ability to provide more efficient billing and better service to customers. The meters integrate effortlessly into wireless home area networks (HANs), working seamlessly with other smart energy devices in the home to help households conserve water, electricity and other resources. A wireless ZigBee-to-IP hub communicates usage data back to the utility for billing and service applications.
The V200 combines Elster's proven measurement and smart meter technology, Ember's ZigBee chips and software, and a metering application developed with Freestyle's Microengine technology. As the meters are battery operated for easy maintenance and installation, the ultra-low power requirements of Ember's ZigBee chips were essential to the meter's design. The meters operate in "sleep" mode most of the time, awakening intermittently to communicate with the HAN and hub. Consequently, Ember's ZigBee technology enables the meters to operate reliably and securely for years using inexpensive batteries.
The V200 meters utilize the ZigBee Smart Energy (SE) version 1.1 profile to provide easy development, installation and operation, as well as interoperability with industry standard Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems and other ZigBee SE devices. Elster can continuously enhance and update the meters using the SE profile's over-the-air update feature.
"Elster selected Ember's chips and software because of the company's market leadership, mature technology and robust application development tools," said Rob Campbell, managing director of Elster Metering Pty Ltd.
"Ember offered the best development platform so that we could bring this and future products to market quickly," said Richard Strickland, operations director of Freestyle. "With Ember's tools you don't have to worry about all the complex networking issues; you can just focus on creating great applications," he said.
Ember's ZigBee networking systems – chips, ZigBee protocol software and tools – simplify the complexity of integrating embedded software, networking and RF for developing low-power, wireless products in the connected home, smart energy, and other remote monitoring and control applications.
"Elster and Freestyle Technology are leading the change to bring tailored metering solutions that comply with the European and other regulatory directives for smart gas and electricity metering," said Andy Man, Ember's vice president of sales for the Asia-Pacific region. "This partnership will enable the companies to continue to develop smart metering solutions for different markets across the globe."
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
INSIDE Secure opens door to HID Global iClass credentials on NFC-enabled smartphones
WIMA NFC, SAN FRANCISCO, USA: INSIDE Secure revealed that its SecuRead NFC solution is securing and powering the HID Global iCLASS digital keys and mobile secure identity feature available on multiple new NFC-enabled smartphones.
Since the establishment of its partnership with HID in 2001, INSIDE has been the supplier of semiconductor components for HID iCLASS credentials, and all INSIDE Secure NFC products are now supporting the HID iCLASS command set and protocol necessary to communicate with iCLASS readers.
"Last year we announced our commitment to bring market-leading iCLASS access control and identity credentials to NFC mobile phones by building this capability into all of our NFC solutions, and now we are seeing the first results of this partnership," said Didier Serra, executive VP and GM for the US at INSIDE Secure.
"Multiple smartphone manufacturers have the opportunity to incorporate this technology into their next-generation NFC mobile devices, and INSIDE will continue to add value to its NFC solutions through additional functionality to serve the needs of the market."
Any mobile phone using INSIDE's SecuRead NFC solution is iCLASS-enabled and can support iCLASS virtual credentials. The iCLASS virtual credentials themselves, as well as the credential management and crypto functions, reside in the secure element and can be provisioned and activated by HID Global.
"There is a tremendous opportunity for NFC and iCLASS virtual credentials to transform not only the corporate mobile phone but also more consumer-oriented applications," said Dr. Tam Hulusi, senior VP at HID Global. "Through our close relationship with INSIDE Secure, we will continue to seek ways to securely add new levels of convenience and flexibility to enable new application features and bring the power of iCLASS credentials to more mobile devices."
A suite of new smartphones being deployed into the US and other markets will support iCLASS digital credentials and be compatible with the large installed base of iCLASS readers used for physical access systems in buildings, student IDs, time tracking and attendance application and more. People will be able to simply wave their NFC-enabled smartphone in front of a reader, instead of physical keys or smartcards, to use iCLASS digital credentials for authentication.
HID Global previewed iCLASS digital keys and mobile identity credentials using the NFC capabilities of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone at the ASIS International 2011 security conference in September.
Since the establishment of its partnership with HID in 2001, INSIDE has been the supplier of semiconductor components for HID iCLASS credentials, and all INSIDE Secure NFC products are now supporting the HID iCLASS command set and protocol necessary to communicate with iCLASS readers.
"Last year we announced our commitment to bring market-leading iCLASS access control and identity credentials to NFC mobile phones by building this capability into all of our NFC solutions, and now we are seeing the first results of this partnership," said Didier Serra, executive VP and GM for the US at INSIDE Secure.
"Multiple smartphone manufacturers have the opportunity to incorporate this technology into their next-generation NFC mobile devices, and INSIDE will continue to add value to its NFC solutions through additional functionality to serve the needs of the market."
Any mobile phone using INSIDE's SecuRead NFC solution is iCLASS-enabled and can support iCLASS virtual credentials. The iCLASS virtual credentials themselves, as well as the credential management and crypto functions, reside in the secure element and can be provisioned and activated by HID Global.
"There is a tremendous opportunity for NFC and iCLASS virtual credentials to transform not only the corporate mobile phone but also more consumer-oriented applications," said Dr. Tam Hulusi, senior VP at HID Global. "Through our close relationship with INSIDE Secure, we will continue to seek ways to securely add new levels of convenience and flexibility to enable new application features and bring the power of iCLASS credentials to more mobile devices."
A suite of new smartphones being deployed into the US and other markets will support iCLASS digital credentials and be compatible with the large installed base of iCLASS readers used for physical access systems in buildings, student IDs, time tracking and attendance application and more. People will be able to simply wave their NFC-enabled smartphone in front of a reader, instead of physical keys or smartcards, to use iCLASS digital credentials for authentication.
HID Global previewed iCLASS digital keys and mobile identity credentials using the NFC capabilities of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone at the ASIS International 2011 security conference in September.
Samsung wins Apple court battle over Galaxy Tab sales ban
Tim Renowden, Analyst, Ovum
AUSTRALIA: The Australian Federal Court has upheld Samsung’s appeal against a previous injunction preventing sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia. Apple has appealed the decision to the High Court, but Samsung will now be confident that it can get its tablets into retail stores in time for Christmas.
Depending on the final decision of the High Court, the removal of the injunction is a win for consumer choice in the Australian tablet market, which is currently dominated by Apple’s iPad. Samsung’s well-regarded Galaxy Tab series provides some of the leading alternatives to Apple’s iPad, and from a consumer’s point of view it’s preferable to have competition in the market, rather than in the courts.
Although it’s important that genuine innovation is protected, there has been quite heated and unresolved industry debate over the respective merits of the two sides’ arguments, which go to the heart of the way intellectual property is understood in an industry which has always been built on a mix of cooperative and competitive iteration.
Samsung is not out of the woods yet
Apple’s decision to appeal this Federal Court judgment to the High Court means Samsung is not out of the Australian scrub yet. Samsung also has separate litigation underway in Australia claiming that Apple’s iPhone infringes some of its own patents.
Apple has developed a reputation for litigiousness even in the context of an industry where patent claims and counterclaims fly thick and fast. We are unlikely to see an end to patent litigation in the mobile industry for some time, as patent portfolio wars roll on and major players squabble over caches of defensive patents from struggling competitors.
Indeed, many of Apple’s claims relate to central features of the Android operating system and user interface used by Samsung and other key manufacturers in tablet and smartphone devices. Google acquisition of patents from Motorola’s mobile devices business was clearly a bid to warn Apple off direct litigation against Android partners. In a tablet market heavily hyped as the “future of computing”, the incentive to gain an advantage through the courts is strong.
Greater differentiation is key
The next round of Samsung tablets is expected to have a more differentiated design, to avoid accusations of copying. Samsung has produced a slightly modified version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe to avoid similar litigation there, but this may not be enough to avoid the specific patent infringement claims made by Apple in Australia, which deal with hardware, software and user interface design elements.
The temporary ban on Galaxy Tab sales had led to grey-market imports of Galaxy Tab devices from online retailers overseas, much to the bemusement of local retailers and distributors.
AUSTRALIA: The Australian Federal Court has upheld Samsung’s appeal against a previous injunction preventing sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia. Apple has appealed the decision to the High Court, but Samsung will now be confident that it can get its tablets into retail stores in time for Christmas.
Depending on the final decision of the High Court, the removal of the injunction is a win for consumer choice in the Australian tablet market, which is currently dominated by Apple’s iPad. Samsung’s well-regarded Galaxy Tab series provides some of the leading alternatives to Apple’s iPad, and from a consumer’s point of view it’s preferable to have competition in the market, rather than in the courts.
Although it’s important that genuine innovation is protected, there has been quite heated and unresolved industry debate over the respective merits of the two sides’ arguments, which go to the heart of the way intellectual property is understood in an industry which has always been built on a mix of cooperative and competitive iteration.
Samsung is not out of the woods yet
Apple’s decision to appeal this Federal Court judgment to the High Court means Samsung is not out of the Australian scrub yet. Samsung also has separate litigation underway in Australia claiming that Apple’s iPhone infringes some of its own patents.
Apple has developed a reputation for litigiousness even in the context of an industry where patent claims and counterclaims fly thick and fast. We are unlikely to see an end to patent litigation in the mobile industry for some time, as patent portfolio wars roll on and major players squabble over caches of defensive patents from struggling competitors.
Indeed, many of Apple’s claims relate to central features of the Android operating system and user interface used by Samsung and other key manufacturers in tablet and smartphone devices. Google acquisition of patents from Motorola’s mobile devices business was clearly a bid to warn Apple off direct litigation against Android partners. In a tablet market heavily hyped as the “future of computing”, the incentive to gain an advantage through the courts is strong.
Greater differentiation is key
The next round of Samsung tablets is expected to have a more differentiated design, to avoid accusations of copying. Samsung has produced a slightly modified version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe to avoid similar litigation there, but this may not be enough to avoid the specific patent infringement claims made by Apple in Australia, which deal with hardware, software and user interface design elements.
The temporary ban on Galaxy Tab sales had led to grey-market imports of Galaxy Tab devices from online retailers overseas, much to the bemusement of local retailers and distributors.
Open Source framework for commercial baseband software project initiated by Wireless Innovation Forum members
WASHINGTON, USA: The Wireless Innovation Forum (SDR Forum version 2.0), a non-profit organization dedicated to driving the future of radio communications and systems worldwide, announced a new project focused on reducing cost and time to market in deploying 3G and 4G, “3G+” systems, including: Fixed WiMAX (802.16d), Mobile WiMAX (802.16e), WiMAX-Advanced (802.16m), LTE™ (3GPP Release 8) and LTE-Advanced (3GPP Release 10).
The "Open Source Framework for Commercial Baseband Software" is being started by the Forum’s Commercial Baseband Processing Work Group, chaired by Dr. John Glossner of Optimum Semiconductor Technologies and Alexander Chemeris of Fairwaves. This framework is being created for commercial companies and research institutions who need to reduce the development or acquisition costs of their baseband modem designs. This segment includes handset manufacturers, baseband chipset companies, baseband IP providers and 3G+ test and verification manufacturers who work with 3G and 4G baseband software.
“The entire wireless industry will benefit dramatically from this open-source, commercially friendly Framework,” noted Dave Kelf of Sigmatix, who is the task lead for this important new project. “Our objective for this development is to provide commercial 3G/4G air interface reference models, within a high performance design infrastructure, to expedite development of baseband designs while allowing framework users to focus on their areas of differentiation.”
It is anticipated that the development of this framework will result in three separate deliverables, as follows:
* An open-source C/C++ based framework for 4G baseband PHY layers, with possible extensions to upper layers. This will be powerful and flexible enough to serve as a base for reconfigurable commercial 3G/4G wireless communication systems. The initial target is modems and handsets, with base stations considered as a possible later target.
* A baseband system reference design for one or several 3G/4G protocols, written using a high level mathematical analysis tool, and an implementation of those on top of the C/C++ framework targeted initially for handsets.
* An Open C-based language or format, together with an open methodology which may include open source tooling, to promote high performance, portable SDR programming.
This activity is completely member driven and the actual set of deliverables will depend on the received contributions and activity of the participating parties. I.e. more deliverables may be included if participants show interest in developing them.
Development of this project is anticipated to follow an open source model allowing free participation by the development community, with the Commercial Baseband Processing Work Group acting as the steering group for the project to oversee development and release schedules. This steering group will also be responsible for documenting IPR issues associated with the code releases.
The "Open Source Framework for Commercial Baseband Software" is being started by the Forum’s Commercial Baseband Processing Work Group, chaired by Dr. John Glossner of Optimum Semiconductor Technologies and Alexander Chemeris of Fairwaves. This framework is being created for commercial companies and research institutions who need to reduce the development or acquisition costs of their baseband modem designs. This segment includes handset manufacturers, baseband chipset companies, baseband IP providers and 3G+ test and verification manufacturers who work with 3G and 4G baseband software.
“The entire wireless industry will benefit dramatically from this open-source, commercially friendly Framework,” noted Dave Kelf of Sigmatix, who is the task lead for this important new project. “Our objective for this development is to provide commercial 3G/4G air interface reference models, within a high performance design infrastructure, to expedite development of baseband designs while allowing framework users to focus on their areas of differentiation.”
It is anticipated that the development of this framework will result in three separate deliverables, as follows:
* An open-source C/C++ based framework for 4G baseband PHY layers, with possible extensions to upper layers. This will be powerful and flexible enough to serve as a base for reconfigurable commercial 3G/4G wireless communication systems. The initial target is modems and handsets, with base stations considered as a possible later target.
* A baseband system reference design for one or several 3G/4G protocols, written using a high level mathematical analysis tool, and an implementation of those on top of the C/C++ framework targeted initially for handsets.
* An Open C-based language or format, together with an open methodology which may include open source tooling, to promote high performance, portable SDR programming.
This activity is completely member driven and the actual set of deliverables will depend on the received contributions and activity of the participating parties. I.e. more deliverables may be included if participants show interest in developing them.
Development of this project is anticipated to follow an open source model allowing free participation by the development community, with the Commercial Baseband Processing Work Group acting as the steering group for the project to oversee development and release schedules. This steering group will also be responsible for documenting IPR issues associated with the code releases.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
PCI-SIG announces PCI Express 4.0 evolution to 16GT/s
BEAVERTON, USA: PCI-SIG, the organization responsible for the widely adopted PCI Express (PCIe) industry-standard input/output (I/O) technology, announced the approval of 16 gigatransfers per second (GT/s) as the bit rate for the next generation of PCIe architecture, PCIe 4.0. This decision comes after the PCI-SIG completed a feasibility study on scaling the PCIe interconnect bandwidth to meet the demands of a variety of computing markets.
After technical analysis, the PCI-SIG has determined that 16GT/s on copper, which will double the bandwidth over the PCIe 3.0 specification, is technically feasible at approximately PCIe 3.0 power levels. The data also confirms that a 16GT/s interconnect can be manufactured in mainstream silicon process technology and can be deployed with existing low-cost materials and infrastructure, while maintaining compatibility with previous generations of PCIe architecture. In addition, the PCI-SIG will investigate advancements in active and idle power optimizations, key issues facing the industry.
“The PCI Express architecture has become the de facto I/O technology within the industry, in large part due to PCI-SIG’s dedication to I/O innovation and the insight of those who defined earlier versions in such an extensible manner,” said Nathan Brookwood, research fellow at Insight 64. “Like its predecessors, the PCIe 4.0 architecture is well positioned to preserve the industry's investments in earlier generations of PCI Express specifications while extending the technology in a manner that enables new applications and usage models.”
Approximately 24 billion lanes of PCIe have shipped in the marketplace since its introduction−a strong testament to the industry’s reliance on PCIe architecture as an open bus standard now and for the future. This next-generation PCIe architecture, while doubling the data rate, will maintain its position as a low-cost, high-performance I/O technology.
PCIe 4.0 technology will maintain backward compatibility with previous PCIe architectures and provide the optimum design point for high-volume platform I/O implementations across a wide range of existing and emerging applications. The PCIe 4.0 specification will address the many applications pushing for increased bandwidth at a low cost including server, workstation, desktop PC, notebook PC, tablets, embedded systems, peripheral devices, high-performance computing markets and more.
“Experts in the PCIe Electrical Workgroup carefully analyzed a number of target bit rates for the next generation of PCIe architecture, taking into consideration several key factors, including our ability to continue using low-cost materials. We have concluded that 16GT/s is a feasible technical solution that satisfies our member companies’ requirements,” said Al Yanes, PCI-SIG chairman. “While the preliminary analysis is encouraging, a lot more challenging work lies ahead in developing the specifications. The PCI-SIG looks forward to providing our members with a specification that not only satisfies their high performance requirements but also meets their power, cost and compatibility goals.”
The final PCIe 4.0 specifications, including form factor specification updates, are expected to be available sometime in the 2014-2015 timeframe.
After technical analysis, the PCI-SIG has determined that 16GT/s on copper, which will double the bandwidth over the PCIe 3.0 specification, is technically feasible at approximately PCIe 3.0 power levels. The data also confirms that a 16GT/s interconnect can be manufactured in mainstream silicon process technology and can be deployed with existing low-cost materials and infrastructure, while maintaining compatibility with previous generations of PCIe architecture. In addition, the PCI-SIG will investigate advancements in active and idle power optimizations, key issues facing the industry.
“The PCI Express architecture has become the de facto I/O technology within the industry, in large part due to PCI-SIG’s dedication to I/O innovation and the insight of those who defined earlier versions in such an extensible manner,” said Nathan Brookwood, research fellow at Insight 64. “Like its predecessors, the PCIe 4.0 architecture is well positioned to preserve the industry's investments in earlier generations of PCI Express specifications while extending the technology in a manner that enables new applications and usage models.”
Approximately 24 billion lanes of PCIe have shipped in the marketplace since its introduction−a strong testament to the industry’s reliance on PCIe architecture as an open bus standard now and for the future. This next-generation PCIe architecture, while doubling the data rate, will maintain its position as a low-cost, high-performance I/O technology.
PCIe 4.0 technology will maintain backward compatibility with previous PCIe architectures and provide the optimum design point for high-volume platform I/O implementations across a wide range of existing and emerging applications. The PCIe 4.0 specification will address the many applications pushing for increased bandwidth at a low cost including server, workstation, desktop PC, notebook PC, tablets, embedded systems, peripheral devices, high-performance computing markets and more.
“Experts in the PCIe Electrical Workgroup carefully analyzed a number of target bit rates for the next generation of PCIe architecture, taking into consideration several key factors, including our ability to continue using low-cost materials. We have concluded that 16GT/s is a feasible technical solution that satisfies our member companies’ requirements,” said Al Yanes, PCI-SIG chairman. “While the preliminary analysis is encouraging, a lot more challenging work lies ahead in developing the specifications. The PCI-SIG looks forward to providing our members with a specification that not only satisfies their high performance requirements but also meets their power, cost and compatibility goals.”
The final PCIe 4.0 specifications, including form factor specification updates, are expected to be available sometime in the 2014-2015 timeframe.
Asia Pacific handset shipments to witness record high 2011 figure
DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Asia Pacific Handset Shipments, Vendor Market Share, Strategies and Key Trends Q3'2011" report to its offering.
The Asia Pacific region witnessed 172.56 million units which was a massive 24.91 percent increase over the same period in 2010 (138.15 million units), reveals new research from Signals and Systems Telecom. As a result, the full year 2011 is expected to be a record one.
By contrast the Q3 2011 handset shipments fell in North America by 6.63 percent over the same period of 2010 and by 1.51 percent in Central and Eastern Europe but these declines were more than compensated for by the dramatic rises of in Asia Pacific as well as in Latin and Central America (23.39 percent) and in the Middle East and Africa (45.58 percent) resulting in overall Q3 shipments worldwide that grew in Q3 2011 by 14.86 percent over Q3 2010.
Within Asia Pacific, Q3 2011 has witnessed great changes with vendors with several making announcements of new products, new operating systems and new functionality in a drive to generate sales ahead of Q4 demand. There are now active battles being fought by all vendors to capture, maintain or win back market share but these are unlikely to immediately threaten the Nokia and Samsung lead positions although Nokia may continue to see a declining market share. In terms of the key players and market leaders, Nokia has achieved a Q3 2011 market share of 28.27 percent of all shipments to Asia Pacific and while it remains in poll position, this share is down on all previous Q3 volumes in this marketplace as it is in battle with so many aggressive competitors.
By contrast, Samsung in second place with a Q3 share of 17.09 is 33 percent up on the same time last year and is thus gradually increasing its share and slowly eroding Nokia's lead. ZTE has come from nowhere in 2009 to third position in Q3 2011 with shipments of 9.15 million units and a 5.33 percent share in Asia Pacific that is set to further challenge both market leaders.
Similarly, Huawei is fighting aggressively and has captured a 4.33 percent Q3 2011 share and is also set to make its mark hereafter. Apple continues to make good inroads with its iPhone series and while its Q3 share of 3.16 percent is down on both previous 2011 quarters, it is double that of the same period last year.
Like Nokia, Sony Ericsson is losing out to the competition with a declining market share, although its Q3 performance has been a substantial improvement over recent times reaching a 2.46 percent share with 4.22 million units; 50 percent on the same time last year.
The Asia Pacific region witnessed 172.56 million units which was a massive 24.91 percent increase over the same period in 2010 (138.15 million units), reveals new research from Signals and Systems Telecom. As a result, the full year 2011 is expected to be a record one.
By contrast the Q3 2011 handset shipments fell in North America by 6.63 percent over the same period of 2010 and by 1.51 percent in Central and Eastern Europe but these declines were more than compensated for by the dramatic rises of in Asia Pacific as well as in Latin and Central America (23.39 percent) and in the Middle East and Africa (45.58 percent) resulting in overall Q3 shipments worldwide that grew in Q3 2011 by 14.86 percent over Q3 2010.
Within Asia Pacific, Q3 2011 has witnessed great changes with vendors with several making announcements of new products, new operating systems and new functionality in a drive to generate sales ahead of Q4 demand. There are now active battles being fought by all vendors to capture, maintain or win back market share but these are unlikely to immediately threaten the Nokia and Samsung lead positions although Nokia may continue to see a declining market share. In terms of the key players and market leaders, Nokia has achieved a Q3 2011 market share of 28.27 percent of all shipments to Asia Pacific and while it remains in poll position, this share is down on all previous Q3 volumes in this marketplace as it is in battle with so many aggressive competitors.
By contrast, Samsung in second place with a Q3 share of 17.09 is 33 percent up on the same time last year and is thus gradually increasing its share and slowly eroding Nokia's lead. ZTE has come from nowhere in 2009 to third position in Q3 2011 with shipments of 9.15 million units and a 5.33 percent share in Asia Pacific that is set to further challenge both market leaders.
Similarly, Huawei is fighting aggressively and has captured a 4.33 percent Q3 2011 share and is also set to make its mark hereafter. Apple continues to make good inroads with its iPhone series and while its Q3 share of 3.16 percent is down on both previous 2011 quarters, it is double that of the same period last year.
Like Nokia, Sony Ericsson is losing out to the competition with a declining market share, although its Q3 performance has been a substantial improvement over recent times reaching a 2.46 percent share with 4.22 million units; 50 percent on the same time last year.
INSIDE Secure plays leading role at WIMA NFC USA
WIMA NFC, SAN FRANCISCO, USA: INSIDE Secure, a leader in semiconductor solutions for secure transactions and digital identity, will play a prominent role at WIMA NFC USA, the leading global conference and exhibition dedicated to Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. In addition to being a Gold-level sponsor of the event, INSIDE executives will be featured in the plenary panel, participate in an interactive industry panel, and demonstrate NFC innovation in the exhibition demo area.
"Security is a critical element of successful NFC-based products, applications and service implementations," said Didier Serra, executive vice president and general manager for the United States at INSIDE Secure. "As NFC technology becomes integrated in mobile handsets and adopted across a wide range of markets, having the optimum security infrastructure in place will be essential for encouraging rapid adoption and interoperability."?
During WIMA NFC USA, Charles Walton, chief operating officer for INSIDE Secure, will address the NFC Plenary Keynote Session on Thursday, December 1 at 8:45 a.m. He will discuss "An Authentication Framework for Secure NFC Applications." Representatives from MasterCard, VIVOtech Inc., GSMA, and C-Sam will also participate in the plenary session.
Serra will provide INSIDE's perspective on "What Needs to be In Place for Takeoff"-a lively interactive expert panel on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Serra will participate with representatives from NXP Semiconductors, UPM RFID, VIVOtech, Near Field Solutions Ltd., and Think&Go NFC.
Laurent Sanchez, vice president applications & ecosystems for INSIDE Secure presides on a jury that will judge entries in the WIMA NFC USA Best Sponsor NFC Application Contest. The contest features NFC applications submitted by conference sponsors, which will be judged for their business viability, innovation, and potential user experience. The jury will award gold, silver, and bronze prizes and conference attendees will vote for their favorite entry. Winners will be announced December 1, 2011.
"Security is a critical element of successful NFC-based products, applications and service implementations," said Didier Serra, executive vice president and general manager for the United States at INSIDE Secure. "As NFC technology becomes integrated in mobile handsets and adopted across a wide range of markets, having the optimum security infrastructure in place will be essential for encouraging rapid adoption and interoperability."?
During WIMA NFC USA, Charles Walton, chief operating officer for INSIDE Secure, will address the NFC Plenary Keynote Session on Thursday, December 1 at 8:45 a.m. He will discuss "An Authentication Framework for Secure NFC Applications." Representatives from MasterCard, VIVOtech Inc., GSMA, and C-Sam will also participate in the plenary session.
Serra will provide INSIDE's perspective on "What Needs to be In Place for Takeoff"-a lively interactive expert panel on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Serra will participate with representatives from NXP Semiconductors, UPM RFID, VIVOtech, Near Field Solutions Ltd., and Think&Go NFC.
Laurent Sanchez, vice president applications & ecosystems for INSIDE Secure presides on a jury that will judge entries in the WIMA NFC USA Best Sponsor NFC Application Contest. The contest features NFC applications submitted by conference sponsors, which will be judged for their business viability, innovation, and potential user experience. The jury will award gold, silver, and bronze prizes and conference attendees will vote for their favorite entry. Winners will be announced December 1, 2011.
Avago delivers 28G VSR-compliant ASIC SerDes geared for faster, lower-power networking equipment
SAN JOSE, USA & SINGAPORE: Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, announced that its 28-Gbps Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) core has demonstrated compliance with the Common Electrical Interface (CEI) standard for 28G Very Short Reach (VSR). Achieving CEI-28G-VSR compliance brings the high-bandwidth, low-power SerDes to a broader range of data networking applications.
The company also announced it has shipped over 200 million embedded SerDes channels integrated in Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) used for data communication in networking, computing and storage applications. The CEI-28G-VSR compliance and the shipping milestone reflect the growing demand for increased bandwidth for servers, routers and other data center equipment.
“Data center equipment designers are focused on increasing bandwidth to meet the demands of cloud computing and virtualization, but power consumption is always a key as well,” said Frank Ostojic, VP and GM of the ASIC Products Division at Avago. “With 28G VSR compliance, our SerDes cores can better help our customers address these challenges for their next-generation networking equipment, which in turn will help Avago to continue setting new SerDes capability milestones.”
Avago Intellectual Property (IP) SerDes cores can be easily integrated due to their modular, multirate architecture, and Avago has integrated over 400 SerDes channels on a single ASIC. The Avago SerDes cores feature a unique decision feedback equalization (DFE) architecture, resulting in a number of key performance differentiators such as low overall power, best-in-class data latency, and best-in-class jitter and crosstalk tolerance.
Avago has an established history of delivering on-time, reliable, high-performance ASICs. Three decades of design experience, state-of-the art hierarchical design methodology, and an IP portfolio covering multiple standards form the company’s foundation for supplying complex ASICs to the wired communications market. The broad Avago SerDes portfolio supports a wide range of standards such as PCI Express, Fibre Channel, XAUI, CEI, 10GBASE-KR and SFI, providing the flexibility to address optical, copper and backplane applications.
The company also announced it has shipped over 200 million embedded SerDes channels integrated in Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) used for data communication in networking, computing and storage applications. The CEI-28G-VSR compliance and the shipping milestone reflect the growing demand for increased bandwidth for servers, routers and other data center equipment.
“Data center equipment designers are focused on increasing bandwidth to meet the demands of cloud computing and virtualization, but power consumption is always a key as well,” said Frank Ostojic, VP and GM of the ASIC Products Division at Avago. “With 28G VSR compliance, our SerDes cores can better help our customers address these challenges for their next-generation networking equipment, which in turn will help Avago to continue setting new SerDes capability milestones.”
Avago Intellectual Property (IP) SerDes cores can be easily integrated due to their modular, multirate architecture, and Avago has integrated over 400 SerDes channels on a single ASIC. The Avago SerDes cores feature a unique decision feedback equalization (DFE) architecture, resulting in a number of key performance differentiators such as low overall power, best-in-class data latency, and best-in-class jitter and crosstalk tolerance.
Avago has an established history of delivering on-time, reliable, high-performance ASICs. Three decades of design experience, state-of-the art hierarchical design methodology, and an IP portfolio covering multiple standards form the company’s foundation for supplying complex ASICs to the wired communications market. The broad Avago SerDes portfolio supports a wide range of standards such as PCI Express, Fibre Channel, XAUI, CEI, 10GBASE-KR and SFI, providing the flexibility to address optical, copper and backplane applications.
Airtel and Healthfore launch Mediphone
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Are you stressed about timely medical help reaching your parents staying away from you? Have you ever been concerned about your child who is unwell and at home, while you are stuck in an important office meeting? Or are you one of the many in this country that have to travel miles before getting access to qualified medical help? If your answer to any of these questions is a yes – worry no more.
Bharti Airtel has joined hands with Healthfore (A division of Religare Technologies Ltd), with Fortis Hospitals as knowledge partner) - a leading name in healthcare services, to launch Mediphone. A unique 24X7 mHealth service, this allows Airtel mobile customers to avail quality health advice through their mobile phones - anytime, from anywhere!
With a low doctor-patient ratio in India, this unique mobile phone based service – Mediphone, will be a boon for Airtel mobile customers that will provide them an easy access to qualified doctors and accredited nurses. At present the service is available for the Airtel customers in Bihar, MP-CG, Rajasthan, NCR, UP & Uttarakhand, Himachal, Haryana and Punjab. Customers just need to dial 5-44-45 to avail of the facility. This service has been in pilot phase for the past three months in these circles and has been received well by the Airtel mobile users with a very high customer satisfaction rating.
In order to ensure that Mediphone delivers accurate medical diagnosis, Healthfore has appointed accredited doctors and well qualified nurses to attend customer calls and recommend solutions. Additionally, all medical consultants will be supported by a world-class technology solution - Medibank Health Solutions, to help examine customers’ medical cases in the most effective manner.
The partnership between Bharti Airtel and Healthfore for the launch of Mediphone represents an amalgamation that will combine the strengths of both companies in their respective industries – to deliver a credible, comprehensive and reliable mobile health service for over 170 million Airtel customers across India.
Bharti Airtel has joined hands with Healthfore (A division of Religare Technologies Ltd), with Fortis Hospitals as knowledge partner) - a leading name in healthcare services, to launch Mediphone. A unique 24X7 mHealth service, this allows Airtel mobile customers to avail quality health advice through their mobile phones - anytime, from anywhere!
With a low doctor-patient ratio in India, this unique mobile phone based service – Mediphone, will be a boon for Airtel mobile customers that will provide them an easy access to qualified doctors and accredited nurses. At present the service is available for the Airtel customers in Bihar, MP-CG, Rajasthan, NCR, UP & Uttarakhand, Himachal, Haryana and Punjab. Customers just need to dial 5-44-45 to avail of the facility. This service has been in pilot phase for the past three months in these circles and has been received well by the Airtel mobile users with a very high customer satisfaction rating.
In order to ensure that Mediphone delivers accurate medical diagnosis, Healthfore has appointed accredited doctors and well qualified nurses to attend customer calls and recommend solutions. Additionally, all medical consultants will be supported by a world-class technology solution - Medibank Health Solutions, to help examine customers’ medical cases in the most effective manner.
The partnership between Bharti Airtel and Healthfore for the launch of Mediphone represents an amalgamation that will combine the strengths of both companies in their respective industries – to deliver a credible, comprehensive and reliable mobile health service for over 170 million Airtel customers across India.
Amper selects Quantenna’s 4x4 MIMO technology for next-gen Wi-Fi router and FTTH products
FREMONT, USA & MADRID, SPAIN: Quantenna Communications Inc., a leader in ultra-reliable Wi-Fi networking for whole-home entertainment, and Amper, a Spanish multinational leader in communications, security and defense, have announced plans to ship fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) routers with Quantenna’s Full-11n 4x4 MIMO technology to deliver broadband services wirelessly in the home.
Quantenna’s 802.11n 4x4 MIMO technology for Amper’s FTTH routers will enable Amper to deliver broadband services wirelessly beginning in Q2 2012 that include the ability to stream and distribute HDTV along with other video content to multiple wireless devices. In addition, this simplifies installation and enables Amper to quickly deploy wireless services across any size home, through multiple concrete walls, floors, and devices simultaneously and reliably.
“Quantenna is pleased to partner with Amper, whose commitment to delivering high performance video in the home has enabled an increasing number of consumers to experience broadband services without wires,” said Lionel Bonnot, VP, sales and business development with Quantenna. “With our 4x4 MIMO technology capturing major designs with service providers, we continue to provide the reliability and advanced features that are required for exciting whole-home wireless products.”
“This agreement represents another step forward for Amper to encourage new business models and offer high-value communication solutions to the most demanding customers,” said Emilio Blanco, director of Access Division with Amper. “This will further reinforce our presence in Latin America and Spain and will move our next-generation solutions to these new markets in 2012.”
Broadband service providers are aggressively including high performance, reliable Wi-Fi technology in new wireless devices to enhance the user experience, expanding the applications for wireless technologies. Quantenna is the leading provider of 4x4 MIMO Wi-Fi solutions that enable manufacturers to eliminate wires and wirelessly deliver broadband video and TV services throughout the home to consumers.
Quantenna’s 802.11n 4x4 MIMO technology for Amper’s FTTH routers will enable Amper to deliver broadband services wirelessly beginning in Q2 2012 that include the ability to stream and distribute HDTV along with other video content to multiple wireless devices. In addition, this simplifies installation and enables Amper to quickly deploy wireless services across any size home, through multiple concrete walls, floors, and devices simultaneously and reliably.
“Quantenna is pleased to partner with Amper, whose commitment to delivering high performance video in the home has enabled an increasing number of consumers to experience broadband services without wires,” said Lionel Bonnot, VP, sales and business development with Quantenna. “With our 4x4 MIMO technology capturing major designs with service providers, we continue to provide the reliability and advanced features that are required for exciting whole-home wireless products.”
“This agreement represents another step forward for Amper to encourage new business models and offer high-value communication solutions to the most demanding customers,” said Emilio Blanco, director of Access Division with Amper. “This will further reinforce our presence in Latin America and Spain and will move our next-generation solutions to these new markets in 2012.”
Broadband service providers are aggressively including high performance, reliable Wi-Fi technology in new wireless devices to enhance the user experience, expanding the applications for wireless technologies. Quantenna is the leading provider of 4x4 MIMO Wi-Fi solutions that enable manufacturers to eliminate wires and wirelessly deliver broadband video and TV services throughout the home to consumers.
Now enjoy AIR FM experience on Airtel digital TV
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Airtel digital TV, the DTH service by Bharti Airtel, announced the launch of iRadio – a 24/7 entertainment application that has 21 Radio channels available to all its customers, at no additional cost.
The introduction of the 21 channels on iRadio is consistent with Airtel digital TV’s efforts of enabling customers to enjoy their entertainment experience in a language of their choice, wherever they go in India.
This latest addition to Airtel digital TV’s portfolio caters to the growing demand by customers for entertainment in a language of choice. AIR Radio has been a favourite of listeners across the country its unique entertainment mix of Music, News, Talk Shows, Variety, Interviews, Current Affairs and documentaries.
iRadio is yet another compelling reiteration of DTH’s clear advantage over analogue systems in offering unique non-channel content across genres like education, music, movies, farming and lifestyle.
The introduction of the 21 channels on iRadio is consistent with Airtel digital TV’s efforts of enabling customers to enjoy their entertainment experience in a language of their choice, wherever they go in India.
This latest addition to Airtel digital TV’s portfolio caters to the growing demand by customers for entertainment in a language of choice. AIR Radio has been a favourite of listeners across the country its unique entertainment mix of Music, News, Talk Shows, Variety, Interviews, Current Affairs and documentaries.
iRadio is yet another compelling reiteration of DTH’s clear advantage over analogue systems in offering unique non-channel content across genres like education, music, movies, farming and lifestyle.
Belkin targets to attain sales of Rs. 250 crore in 2012
BANGALORE, INDIA: Belkin India, a leading provider of interconnectivity solutions across computing and consumer electronic devices, announced its plans for 2012-2013 with an aggressive strategy to reinforce its strength and spread across product categories.
The company registered a robust growth of 62 percent in 2011 over 2010 and announced growth target of 60 percent in 2012. Belkin India recorded revenue of Rs. 150 crore in the year 2011 as compared to Rs. 95 crore in 2010 in the Indian subcontinent. Belkin India aims to target sales of Rs. 250 crore in the year starting from October 2011 to September 2012.
To accomplish the growth targets and to widen the product portfolio, the company has launched its wired and wireless keyboards and mouse range. With the launch of these products, Belkin India aims at completing its wide portfolio of products in the IT peripheral category. To support the product marketing and brand building activities in India, the company has earmarked a marketing and advertisement investment of Rs. 12 crore for the year 2012.
Mohit Anand, MD, Belkin India subcontinent, said: “Since our inception in 2009, Belkin has been able to establish a strong hold in the Indian market. After our success in India, we have begun to establish a strong foothold in the SAARC region. In the year ahead, Belkin plans to consolidate its position as a pioneer in path-breaking technology, innovation combined with great emphasis on customer relevant products.
"The company also plans to strengthen its business through an aggressive sales channel expansion in the tier II and tier III markets for its business and expansion. We are very excited about completing our product portfolio in the IT peripheral category with the launch of Belkin wired and wireless keyboards and mouse range. We have appointed Supertron Electronics Limited as our national distributor for Belkin keyboards and mice range. They will help us to gain further inroads into wider markets.”
Also, in order to provide better after sales service to Belkin customer, the company has launched a 24x7 technical support in Hindi. This initiative will make Belkin the first IT company in India to provide this service in the local language. Belkin customers can dial on the nationwide toll free number 1800 419 5546 in case of any technical support required. Also, Belkin has set up more than 50 service centres in the country where any Belkin products can be replaced across the table.
Belkin aims to add greater convenience to the lives of people working on computers at home and in offices with their latest launch keyboard and mouse to meet the specific requirements of the Indian customers.
Belkin has launched the K100; a wired keyboard with multimedia keys. It features spill resistant design with a USB and PS/2 compatible and comes with a three-year limited warranty. The mouse range launched today includes wire and wireless mouse with optical and laser technology. The company also launched their combination package in wire and wireless configuration.
All of these products come with a three-year limited warranty. The MRP of the products are:
- Wire and wireless mouse range from Rs 429 to Rs. 1,199.
- Keyboard – Rs 569.
- Combo package ranges from Rs 869-Rs 2,629.
The company registered a robust growth of 62 percent in 2011 over 2010 and announced growth target of 60 percent in 2012. Belkin India recorded revenue of Rs. 150 crore in the year 2011 as compared to Rs. 95 crore in 2010 in the Indian subcontinent. Belkin India aims to target sales of Rs. 250 crore in the year starting from October 2011 to September 2012.
To accomplish the growth targets and to widen the product portfolio, the company has launched its wired and wireless keyboards and mouse range. With the launch of these products, Belkin India aims at completing its wide portfolio of products in the IT peripheral category. To support the product marketing and brand building activities in India, the company has earmarked a marketing and advertisement investment of Rs. 12 crore for the year 2012.
Mohit Anand, MD, Belkin India subcontinent, said: “Since our inception in 2009, Belkin has been able to establish a strong hold in the Indian market. After our success in India, we have begun to establish a strong foothold in the SAARC region. In the year ahead, Belkin plans to consolidate its position as a pioneer in path-breaking technology, innovation combined with great emphasis on customer relevant products. "The company also plans to strengthen its business through an aggressive sales channel expansion in the tier II and tier III markets for its business and expansion. We are very excited about completing our product portfolio in the IT peripheral category with the launch of Belkin wired and wireless keyboards and mouse range. We have appointed Supertron Electronics Limited as our national distributor for Belkin keyboards and mice range. They will help us to gain further inroads into wider markets.”
Also, in order to provide better after sales service to Belkin customer, the company has launched a 24x7 technical support in Hindi. This initiative will make Belkin the first IT company in India to provide this service in the local language. Belkin customers can dial on the nationwide toll free number 1800 419 5546 in case of any technical support required. Also, Belkin has set up more than 50 service centres in the country where any Belkin products can be replaced across the table.
Belkin aims to add greater convenience to the lives of people working on computers at home and in offices with their latest launch keyboard and mouse to meet the specific requirements of the Indian customers.
Belkin has launched the K100; a wired keyboard with multimedia keys. It features spill resistant design with a USB and PS/2 compatible and comes with a three-year limited warranty. The mouse range launched today includes wire and wireless mouse with optical and laser technology. The company also launched their combination package in wire and wireless configuration.
All of these products come with a three-year limited warranty. The MRP of the products are:
- Wire and wireless mouse range from Rs 429 to Rs. 1,199.
- Keyboard – Rs 569.
- Combo package ranges from Rs 869-Rs 2,629.
Service provider router market decelerated sharply in Q3
REDWOOD CITY, USA: According to a newly published report by Dell'Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the networking and telecommunications industries, worldwide demand for Service Provider Routers decelerated sharply in the third quarter of 2011 following six consecutive quarters of year-over-year expansion at double-digit rates.
Projected to approach $10 billion for the full year 2011, the Service Provider Routers grew just 3 percent in the third quarter. The report points to shifts in investment priorities and weak macroeconomic conditions, especially in North America and Europe, as key contributors to the market slowdown.
"We have seen a trend of Service Providers shifting investments from wireline to wireless infrastructure, which has led to reduced demand for routers," said Shin Umeda, VP at Dell'Oro Group. "Use of Service Provider Routers in wireless networks has increased significantly over the past two years, but wireline networks still account for more than 80 percent of deployments," added Umeda.
The top five Service Provider Router vendors for 3Q11, in ranking order were Cisco, Juniper, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, and Ericsson.
Projected to approach $10 billion for the full year 2011, the Service Provider Routers grew just 3 percent in the third quarter. The report points to shifts in investment priorities and weak macroeconomic conditions, especially in North America and Europe, as key contributors to the market slowdown.
"We have seen a trend of Service Providers shifting investments from wireline to wireless infrastructure, which has led to reduced demand for routers," said Shin Umeda, VP at Dell'Oro Group. "Use of Service Provider Routers in wireless networks has increased significantly over the past two years, but wireline networks still account for more than 80 percent of deployments," added Umeda.
The top five Service Provider Router vendors for 3Q11, in ranking order were Cisco, Juniper, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, and Ericsson.
Telstra refreshes its network advantage
Claudio Castelli, Senior Analyst, Ovum
AUSTRALIA: Ovum attended the Telstra Industry Analyst Summit 2011 and was briefed on the company’s strategy. Telstra continues towards its goal of becoming a network-centric applications and services provider: leveraging its share in the traditional carriage business to offer an increasing number of network integrated applications and services relying on the intelligence Telstra is building into its network.
While there are many challenges ahead, especially in building and managing the ecosystem of partners required to succeed, the strategy appears to have already started pay off, with significant revenue growth coming from network application and services.
In the post National Broadband Network (NBN) era Telstra will no longer be able to differentiate on the basis of its access network assets. The way to maintain a competitive advantage is by transforming its network into an intelligent and secure platform for delivering applications and services.
Telstra’s plan is to provide a layered approach that separates the services and application layer from the transport layer for better flexibility, allowing services to be device- and access-agnostic. This will give Telstra the flexibility required to build its services proposition independently of the access network, and allow it to use either its own access assets (fixed or mobile) or from the NBN Co.
To deliver on this strategy Telstra has been investing in its IP network core based on IMS, and developing a series of solutions that form a unique proposition of end-to-end managed services. This includes a range of security products, and forms the basis for its cloud services portfolio.
The recently announced Application Assured Networking solution will allow enterprises to predefine performance metrics for selected applications and allocate bandwidth dynamically on-demand. This online policy control feature, which will be available mid-2012, is a growing customer requirement. Ovum's recent end-user survey shows that 76 per cent of large enterprises in Australia are interested or very interested in the ability to prioritize the performance of individual business applications and 74 per cent in the ability to instantly change the bandwidth of a connection from a portal.
The recent figures suggest that Telstra is on the right track and the strategy is starting to pay off. Revenues from network applications and services (NAS) grew 11 per cent in FY2011 to AUD$1.1 billion, while the traditional carriage business grew only 1per cent.
However, it is cloud services where expectations are greatest. With the recently announced AUD$800 million investment and an increasing number of customers across business and enterprise Telstra seems to be on track to achieve its expected 20 per cent CAGR by 2014.
AUSTRALIA: Ovum attended the Telstra Industry Analyst Summit 2011 and was briefed on the company’s strategy. Telstra continues towards its goal of becoming a network-centric applications and services provider: leveraging its share in the traditional carriage business to offer an increasing number of network integrated applications and services relying on the intelligence Telstra is building into its network.
While there are many challenges ahead, especially in building and managing the ecosystem of partners required to succeed, the strategy appears to have already started pay off, with significant revenue growth coming from network application and services.
In the post National Broadband Network (NBN) era Telstra will no longer be able to differentiate on the basis of its access network assets. The way to maintain a competitive advantage is by transforming its network into an intelligent and secure platform for delivering applications and services.
Telstra’s plan is to provide a layered approach that separates the services and application layer from the transport layer for better flexibility, allowing services to be device- and access-agnostic. This will give Telstra the flexibility required to build its services proposition independently of the access network, and allow it to use either its own access assets (fixed or mobile) or from the NBN Co.
To deliver on this strategy Telstra has been investing in its IP network core based on IMS, and developing a series of solutions that form a unique proposition of end-to-end managed services. This includes a range of security products, and forms the basis for its cloud services portfolio.
The recently announced Application Assured Networking solution will allow enterprises to predefine performance metrics for selected applications and allocate bandwidth dynamically on-demand. This online policy control feature, which will be available mid-2012, is a growing customer requirement. Ovum's recent end-user survey shows that 76 per cent of large enterprises in Australia are interested or very interested in the ability to prioritize the performance of individual business applications and 74 per cent in the ability to instantly change the bandwidth of a connection from a portal.
The recent figures suggest that Telstra is on the right track and the strategy is starting to pay off. Revenues from network applications and services (NAS) grew 11 per cent in FY2011 to AUD$1.1 billion, while the traditional carriage business grew only 1per cent.
However, it is cloud services where expectations are greatest. With the recently announced AUD$800 million investment and an increasing number of customers across business and enterprise Telstra seems to be on track to achieve its expected 20 per cent CAGR by 2014.
Allstream taps Ciena for national broadband network
TORONTO, CANADA & LINTHICUM, USA: Allstream Inc., one of Canada's leading national communication solutions companies, and Ciena Corp. announced the deployment of Ciena’s coherent optical technology in the operator’s 100G-capable national broadband network. The augmented network ensures Allstream can provide heightened network resiliency and performance with its scalable, high-bandwidth national network.
* The enhanced national broadband network allows Allstream to deliver enhanced managed wavelength services to customers in high-capacity transaction environments such as data centers, financial institutions, and government services.
* Leveraging Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform equipped with WaveLogic coherent optical processors, Allstream significantly increased its network capacity and resiliency throughout Canada—without adding significant cost and complexity to the network—to deliver bandwidth-intensive applications, such as IP-based collaboration tools, multimedia and social networking, advanced Internet services, remote data storage and videoconferencing.
* Allstream is also utilizing leading-edge network management software solutions from Ciena to ensure optimal network performance.
A long-standing Ciena customer, Allstream is a designated Managed Service Provider (MSP) partner in Ciena’s BizConnect global partner program.
* The enhanced national broadband network allows Allstream to deliver enhanced managed wavelength services to customers in high-capacity transaction environments such as data centers, financial institutions, and government services.
* Leveraging Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform equipped with WaveLogic coherent optical processors, Allstream significantly increased its network capacity and resiliency throughout Canada—without adding significant cost and complexity to the network—to deliver bandwidth-intensive applications, such as IP-based collaboration tools, multimedia and social networking, advanced Internet services, remote data storage and videoconferencing.
* Allstream is also utilizing leading-edge network management software solutions from Ciena to ensure optimal network performance.
A long-standing Ciena customer, Allstream is a designated Managed Service Provider (MSP) partner in Ciena’s BizConnect global partner program.
Monday, November 28, 2011
CPqD, Padtec and Civcom to design 100Gbps module for high speed optical transmission
PETACH TIKWA, ISRAEL: CPqD, Padtec and its subsidiary Civcom announced an agreement for research and development of modules for optical transmission equipment at high speed. The goal would be to create a new generation of optical communication systems for broadband, which would enable transmission rates of up to 8Tbps per fiber, and is expected to bring products to market in the second quarter of 2012.
The modules, which are developed by the partnership and provided by Civcom - an Israeli high speed optical transceiver manufacturer - will be integrated initially into the equipment of Padtec, the largest manufacturer of optical transmission systems in Latin America, and later on will be offered to the global market.
The project is a continuation of 100 Gigabit Ethernet Project, which has been conducted since 2010 by CPqD based on DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing).
"With this agreement, we're combining the knowledge of CPqD technology in optical transmission at 100Gbps and the experience of Padtec and Civcom in the area of production engineering in order to speed-up the introduction of new products into the market," said in a statement Helio Graciosa, president of CPqD.
"This innovative technology developed by CPqD in Brazil in partnership with Padtec and Civcom will be made available globally to potential customers investing in optical networks to meet growing global demand for bandwidth” Stated Jorge Salomão Pereira, president of Padtec.
“We are excited to be part of this joint project for100Gbps, as it complements Civcom’s offering of 1Gbps-10Gbps, 12.5Gbps through 40Gbps product lines, and provides a complete solution for our customers’ need,” said Gabby Shpirer, Civcom’s CEO.
The modules, which are developed by the partnership and provided by Civcom - an Israeli high speed optical transceiver manufacturer - will be integrated initially into the equipment of Padtec, the largest manufacturer of optical transmission systems in Latin America, and later on will be offered to the global market.
The project is a continuation of 100 Gigabit Ethernet Project, which has been conducted since 2010 by CPqD based on DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing).
"With this agreement, we're combining the knowledge of CPqD technology in optical transmission at 100Gbps and the experience of Padtec and Civcom in the area of production engineering in order to speed-up the introduction of new products into the market," said in a statement Helio Graciosa, president of CPqD.
"This innovative technology developed by CPqD in Brazil in partnership with Padtec and Civcom will be made available globally to potential customers investing in optical networks to meet growing global demand for bandwidth” Stated Jorge Salomão Pereira, president of Padtec.
“We are excited to be part of this joint project for100Gbps, as it complements Civcom’s offering of 1Gbps-10Gbps, 12.5Gbps through 40Gbps product lines, and provides a complete solution for our customers’ need,” said Gabby Shpirer, Civcom’s CEO.
Swisscom demos GreenTouch Consortium's energy-saving large scale antenna array
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: GreenTouch, a global industry initiative dedicated to dramatically improving the energy efficiency of information and communications technology (ICT) networks by a factor of 1,000, announced that its Large Scale Antenna System demonstration has traveled to Switzerland for a pair of demonstrations in Bern this month, under the aegis of Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecommunications provider.
The GreenTouch Large Scale Antenna System (LSAS) was built by the GreenTouch Mobile Communications Working Group to show how many antennas -- hundreds or thousands -- could be used together to improve the energy efficiency of wireless communications. It demonstrates that transmitted radio power can be significantly reduced as the number of antenna elements is increased. For example, an antenna array made up from 100 elements could transmit only one percent of the energy transmitted by a single antenna, while giving the same quality of service.
Swisscom, a GreenTouch founding member, brought the LSAS demonstration to Bern in early November to present to the Swiss authorities responsible for compliance with non-ionizing radiation safety standards (radio waves used in wireless communication as well as visible and infrared light are all forms of non-ionizing radiation). The second event, on November 22, was the company's annual technology showcase. The innovative Large Scale Antenna System was shown to Swisscom's technical and managerial community on that occasion as an example of the collaborative research done by GreenTouch. Moreover, it heightened awareness about future challenges to reduce energy consumption in the whole telecommunications network.
"Switzerland has some of the strictest limits on non-ionizing radiation in the world," said Claude Monney, senior consultant at the innovation department of Swisscom and member of the GreenTouch Executive Board. "The LSAS will bring a new paradigm on how the exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields should be evaluated in the future. Due to its inherent, always changing, radiation pattern, some new thoughts might be needed and implemented in the Swiss legal framework. "
"We are excited that Swisscom is able to demonstrate LSAS technology at this important event," said Gee Rittenhouse, GreenTouch chairman. "These technology demonstrations provide excitement in the ICT community and show the real impact of teams from around the globe working together to achieve significant change. With GreenTouch entering its second year, we expect to see an acceleration of technology demonstrators and their appearance worldwide."
What distinguishes the GreenTouch Large Scale Antenna System from other antenna systems and enables it to achieve such a significant reduction in power is the way in which it transmits signals. Instead of broadcasting signals throughout the entire coverage area as other antenna systems typically do, the LSAS utilizes knowledge of the propagation channels to transmit concentrated beams of information selectively to many users at once. The greater the number of antenna elements deployed, the higher the concentration of the beams and, therefore, the lower the power that any antenna needs to send a given amount of information.
Importantly, along with the large reduction in radiated power, signal strength and quality of service are maintained. In practical application together with advances in other wireless technologies, the potential benefits that this technology could yield are immense.
The GreenTouch Large Scale Antenna System (LSAS) was built by the GreenTouch Mobile Communications Working Group to show how many antennas -- hundreds or thousands -- could be used together to improve the energy efficiency of wireless communications. It demonstrates that transmitted radio power can be significantly reduced as the number of antenna elements is increased. For example, an antenna array made up from 100 elements could transmit only one percent of the energy transmitted by a single antenna, while giving the same quality of service.
Swisscom, a GreenTouch founding member, brought the LSAS demonstration to Bern in early November to present to the Swiss authorities responsible for compliance with non-ionizing radiation safety standards (radio waves used in wireless communication as well as visible and infrared light are all forms of non-ionizing radiation). The second event, on November 22, was the company's annual technology showcase. The innovative Large Scale Antenna System was shown to Swisscom's technical and managerial community on that occasion as an example of the collaborative research done by GreenTouch. Moreover, it heightened awareness about future challenges to reduce energy consumption in the whole telecommunications network.
"Switzerland has some of the strictest limits on non-ionizing radiation in the world," said Claude Monney, senior consultant at the innovation department of Swisscom and member of the GreenTouch Executive Board. "The LSAS will bring a new paradigm on how the exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields should be evaluated in the future. Due to its inherent, always changing, radiation pattern, some new thoughts might be needed and implemented in the Swiss legal framework. "
"We are excited that Swisscom is able to demonstrate LSAS technology at this important event," said Gee Rittenhouse, GreenTouch chairman. "These technology demonstrations provide excitement in the ICT community and show the real impact of teams from around the globe working together to achieve significant change. With GreenTouch entering its second year, we expect to see an acceleration of technology demonstrators and their appearance worldwide."
What distinguishes the GreenTouch Large Scale Antenna System from other antenna systems and enables it to achieve such a significant reduction in power is the way in which it transmits signals. Instead of broadcasting signals throughout the entire coverage area as other antenna systems typically do, the LSAS utilizes knowledge of the propagation channels to transmit concentrated beams of information selectively to many users at once. The greater the number of antenna elements deployed, the higher the concentration of the beams and, therefore, the lower the power that any antenna needs to send a given amount of information.
Importantly, along with the large reduction in radiated power, signal strength and quality of service are maintained. In practical application together with advances in other wireless technologies, the potential benefits that this technology could yield are immense.
Teradici signs distribution agreement with Westpac to expand PCoIP VDI adoption in Korea
BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Teradici, developer of the innovative PC-over-IP (PCoIP) protocol that enables a true PC experience for desktop virtualization, announced a distribution agreement with Westpac, a provider of virtual desktop infrastructure server and display solutions in Korea. With established relationships with Korean resellers and system integrators, Westpac will help Teradici meet demand for the APEX 2800 PCoIP server offload card in Korea.
“We are pleased to further strengthen Westpac's partnership with Teradici by distributing the APEX 2800 server offload card in Korea,” said Henry Kim, CEO of Westpac. “The virtual desktop market is expected to grow quickly and APEX 2800 will accelerate the growth of VMware VDI deployments in Korea through Westpac.”
Designed to offload PCoIP image encoding from VMware View servers, the Teradici APEX 2800 server offload card is a performance enhancement to VMware View deployments. It can dynamically manage unexpected peaks in CPU processing demands ensuring a consistent high level user experience at the desktop while dramatically reducing CPU utilization and allowing IT managers to provide increased VDI consolidation ratios.
“Westpac is dedicated to delivering the latest technology solutions and superior service to their customers,” said Trent Punnett, vice president of marketing, Teradici. “We are excited to have them as a key distribution partner to further strengthen Teradici’s presence in Korea.”
“We are pleased to further strengthen Westpac's partnership with Teradici by distributing the APEX 2800 server offload card in Korea,” said Henry Kim, CEO of Westpac. “The virtual desktop market is expected to grow quickly and APEX 2800 will accelerate the growth of VMware VDI deployments in Korea through Westpac.”
Designed to offload PCoIP image encoding from VMware View servers, the Teradici APEX 2800 server offload card is a performance enhancement to VMware View deployments. It can dynamically manage unexpected peaks in CPU processing demands ensuring a consistent high level user experience at the desktop while dramatically reducing CPU utilization and allowing IT managers to provide increased VDI consolidation ratios.
“Westpac is dedicated to delivering the latest technology solutions and superior service to their customers,” said Trent Punnett, vice president of marketing, Teradici. “We are excited to have them as a key distribution partner to further strengthen Teradici’s presence in Korea.”
PAETEC to supply fiber services to Fort Drum through contract with Department of Defense
HERNDON, USA: PAETEC Holding Corp. and its subsidiaries, which serve the growing network needs of government enterprises and carrier customers, announced that it has been awarded a three-year contract by the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) to provide Fort Drum with fiber and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) services.
Located in northern New York near Watertown and just outside of the Adirondack Mountains, Fort Drum trains an estimated 80,000 troops annually and is home to the 10th Mountain Division. Fort Drum, like other major US Army facilities requires the highest level of service, approaching 100 percent up-time. To accommodate this need, DISA has awarded PAETEC a contract to install diverse fiber access systems from its backbone network near Syracuse and Watertown, NY to the base.
Utilizing these diverse fiber paths, PAETEC has deployed diverse and redundant DWDM network services connecting Fort Drum to other DISA network nodes in the region. This network solution will help ensure that DISA’s networks at Fort Drum remain effective in the event of a catastrophic event, such as a fiber cut anywhere on the network.
“When you have a military facility that houses one of the Army’s largest units, you need to be confident that the network services are dependable,” said Mike Magliato, PAETEC VP of government markets. “This is the twenty-fifth military facility that we have provided these services to, showing the quality offered by our diverse fiber routes and redundancy.”
PAETEC and its subsidiaries serve governmental entities, such as the Department of Defense and Defense Information Systems Agency, FAA, Department of Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, US Army, Air Force and Navy, US Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security. In 2010, the company announced the activation of the 500th high capacity circuit delivered to the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Circuit speeds for the DoD range from DS-3 to 10 Gbps wavelengths, covering 14 states and more than 150 locations.
“As our network extends to more government facilities, so does our dependability around providing robust access points,” said Clint Heiden, president of PAETEC Fiber Services. “Military facilities require top-of-the-line security and reliability, and our infrastructure has proven time and time again that it lives up to those needs.”
PAETEC owns and operates a state-of-the-art fiber network spanning 36,700 route miles, offering reliable, efficient and scalable network solutions for enterprise, service provider and government customers. Its high capacity bandwidth solutions include custom networks, Ethernet, wavelength, SONET, voice, data and Internet options.
Located in northern New York near Watertown and just outside of the Adirondack Mountains, Fort Drum trains an estimated 80,000 troops annually and is home to the 10th Mountain Division. Fort Drum, like other major US Army facilities requires the highest level of service, approaching 100 percent up-time. To accommodate this need, DISA has awarded PAETEC a contract to install diverse fiber access systems from its backbone network near Syracuse and Watertown, NY to the base.
Utilizing these diverse fiber paths, PAETEC has deployed diverse and redundant DWDM network services connecting Fort Drum to other DISA network nodes in the region. This network solution will help ensure that DISA’s networks at Fort Drum remain effective in the event of a catastrophic event, such as a fiber cut anywhere on the network.
“When you have a military facility that houses one of the Army’s largest units, you need to be confident that the network services are dependable,” said Mike Magliato, PAETEC VP of government markets. “This is the twenty-fifth military facility that we have provided these services to, showing the quality offered by our diverse fiber routes and redundancy.”
PAETEC and its subsidiaries serve governmental entities, such as the Department of Defense and Defense Information Systems Agency, FAA, Department of Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, US Army, Air Force and Navy, US Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security. In 2010, the company announced the activation of the 500th high capacity circuit delivered to the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Circuit speeds for the DoD range from DS-3 to 10 Gbps wavelengths, covering 14 states and more than 150 locations.
“As our network extends to more government facilities, so does our dependability around providing robust access points,” said Clint Heiden, president of PAETEC Fiber Services. “Military facilities require top-of-the-line security and reliability, and our infrastructure has proven time and time again that it lives up to those needs.”
PAETEC owns and operates a state-of-the-art fiber network spanning 36,700 route miles, offering reliable, efficient and scalable network solutions for enterprise, service provider and government customers. Its high capacity bandwidth solutions include custom networks, Ethernet, wavelength, SONET, voice, data and Internet options.
Global LTE industry landscape
ALBANY, USA: While LTE adoption is moving at a much quicker pace than initial analyst expectations, a number of hurdles still exist that undermine the early adoption of LTE by many countries. Firstly, the limitation of the frequency spectrum presents a major setback for many network operators, as majority of the spectrum bands suitable for LTE are yet to be fragmented in many regions.
The 800 MHz 'digital dividend' band covered primarily by television broadcasters, in particular, has caused setbacks for many countries in Western Europe, a region where LTE is financially feasible. Furthermore the requirements for initially high investments and economies of small scale production have challenged early adoptions for most developing countries in the Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America regions.
Nonetheless, LTE's distinct long term advantages such as high data rates, capacity enhancement and OPEX reduction are likely to drive large scale adoption in a majority of countries worldwide by 2015.
The 800 MHz 'digital dividend' band covered primarily by television broadcasters, in particular, has caused setbacks for many countries in Western Europe, a region where LTE is financially feasible. Furthermore the requirements for initially high investments and economies of small scale production have challenged early adoptions for most developing countries in the Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America regions.
Nonetheless, LTE's distinct long term advantages such as high data rates, capacity enhancement and OPEX reduction are likely to drive large scale adoption in a majority of countries worldwide by 2015.
HISTORY being made on digital platforms
MUMBAI, INDIA: HISTORY, the world’s leading factual entertainment channel, which debuted its India edition on October 9th, 2011 and reached out to 45 mn viewers within a month of its launch, is now available on the Mobile Platform. The channel has taken a step further to offer thrilling and action packed content from its channel to the viewers across the country.
HISTORY will be available on both platforms - Live Streaming as well as Video On Demand on GPRS enabled mobile phones. To access the application, the user will have to send the keyword “HISTORY” as an SMS to 51818. The user can chose to either view the channel or key episodes from a particular show.
This service is available via Mobile TV across all leading mobile operators on such as Vodafone, Airtel, Idea, Aircel, BSNL, MTNL, Reliance, Tata Docomo and Tata Indicom. There will be different subscription charges based on the package viz., daily (Rs. 7/-) or monthly (Rs. 150/-) based on the user’s choice. The service will soon be available in other Indian languages as well.
Cutting across segments & demographics, HISTORY had helped grow the Factual Entertainment Genre by 30 percent in just the first month of launch. The channel has also carved its niche in the digital space and is actively interacting with fans. It released its launch TVCs with Salman Khan, before it went on air, to offer Netizens a sneak preview of what it had in store for them.
The effort yielded an unprecedented response - generating more than 3 lakh fans within just a month of its launch, which is already more than any other channel in the genre!
HISTORY has partnered with Hyderabad based Apalya Technologies, which will enable the channel to power its content on Mobile TV.
HISTORY will be available on both platforms - Live Streaming as well as Video On Demand on GPRS enabled mobile phones. To access the application, the user will have to send the keyword “HISTORY” as an SMS to 51818. The user can chose to either view the channel or key episodes from a particular show.
This service is available via Mobile TV across all leading mobile operators on such as Vodafone, Airtel, Idea, Aircel, BSNL, MTNL, Reliance, Tata Docomo and Tata Indicom. There will be different subscription charges based on the package viz., daily (Rs. 7/-) or monthly (Rs. 150/-) based on the user’s choice. The service will soon be available in other Indian languages as well.
Cutting across segments & demographics, HISTORY had helped grow the Factual Entertainment Genre by 30 percent in just the first month of launch. The channel has also carved its niche in the digital space and is actively interacting with fans. It released its launch TVCs with Salman Khan, before it went on air, to offer Netizens a sneak preview of what it had in store for them.
The effort yielded an unprecedented response - generating more than 3 lakh fans within just a month of its launch, which is already more than any other channel in the genre!
HISTORY has partnered with Hyderabad based Apalya Technologies, which will enable the channel to power its content on Mobile TV.
Wi2Wi announces ultra-small SiP-product featuring 802.11b/g/n-WiFi and Bluetooth-3.0
SAN JOSE, USA: Wi2Wi, Inc., a leader in Wireless System-in-Package (SIP), module, and subsystems for embedded applications, has introduced W2CBW0015 new ultra-small SiP-product featuring 802.11b/g/n-WiFi and Bluetooth-3.0.
Wi2Wi’s W2CBW0015 is based on Marvell’s 8787 state-of-the art WiFi solution, first to feature WiFi-Direct certification for low-power embedded wireless applications, delivering high-performance, robust, secure, and seamless connectivity for enterprise, industrial, smart-metering/smart-home, and government applications.
Key features of Wi2Wi’s W2CBW0015 includes WiFi-802.11n support up to 150Mbps bit rate over the air with 40 MHz channels, Bluetooth-3.0 support up to 24Mbps bit rate over the air, WiFi-Direct, and Mobile Embedded Hotspot (MEH).
Wi-Fi Direct eliminates the need for a traditional hot spot in many situations, establishing instead a high-performance, direct peer-to-peer network, capable of supporting enterprise and industrial end-users in all the ways they use handheld devices, including real-time content sharing, directly printing from handhelds, distributing video from a handheld to a large screen or monitor. Data transmissions are protected by WPA2-certified security protocols, featuring encryption algorithms considered fully secure.
Wi2Wi’s W2CBW0015 is Ultra-Small measuring 9.5 x 9.5 x 1.3 mm and includes the power-amplifier, switch, voltage-regulator, EEPROM and crystal, all integrated into a single-chip form SiP. This state-of-the –Art product supports all major processor families in the enterprise and industrial OEM markets including Freescale, TI, and Marvell. W2CBW0015 will also come with the pre-certification for FCC, CE, and IC. These three value-adds substantially minimize the RF-know-how requirements, significantly simplify integration of WiFi and Bluetooth into the OEM customers’ products, reduce time-to-market, and development cost.
“W2CBW0015 is a major product for our new portfolio addressing broad applications for the major enterprise & vertical market segments.” Wi2Wi’s CEO Dr. Reza Ahy noted, “Our current products are adopted by major industry leaders and have been shipping in volume in our target markets. Wi2Wi’s new product family supports the latest WiFi-802.11 and Bluetooth-3.0 standards with core capabilities of WiFi-Direct and Mobile Embedded Hotspot for our Fortune-500 customers.”
Wi2Wi just completed another record performance quarter ending in September 2011, with a large number of design wins in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia markets.
Wi2Wi’s W2CBW0015 is based on Marvell’s 8787 state-of-the art WiFi solution, first to feature WiFi-Direct certification for low-power embedded wireless applications, delivering high-performance, robust, secure, and seamless connectivity for enterprise, industrial, smart-metering/smart-home, and government applications.
Key features of Wi2Wi’s W2CBW0015 includes WiFi-802.11n support up to 150Mbps bit rate over the air with 40 MHz channels, Bluetooth-3.0 support up to 24Mbps bit rate over the air, WiFi-Direct, and Mobile Embedded Hotspot (MEH).
Wi-Fi Direct eliminates the need for a traditional hot spot in many situations, establishing instead a high-performance, direct peer-to-peer network, capable of supporting enterprise and industrial end-users in all the ways they use handheld devices, including real-time content sharing, directly printing from handhelds, distributing video from a handheld to a large screen or monitor. Data transmissions are protected by WPA2-certified security protocols, featuring encryption algorithms considered fully secure.
Wi2Wi’s W2CBW0015 is Ultra-Small measuring 9.5 x 9.5 x 1.3 mm and includes the power-amplifier, switch, voltage-regulator, EEPROM and crystal, all integrated into a single-chip form SiP. This state-of-the –Art product supports all major processor families in the enterprise and industrial OEM markets including Freescale, TI, and Marvell. W2CBW0015 will also come with the pre-certification for FCC, CE, and IC. These three value-adds substantially minimize the RF-know-how requirements, significantly simplify integration of WiFi and Bluetooth into the OEM customers’ products, reduce time-to-market, and development cost.
“W2CBW0015 is a major product for our new portfolio addressing broad applications for the major enterprise & vertical market segments.” Wi2Wi’s CEO Dr. Reza Ahy noted, “Our current products are adopted by major industry leaders and have been shipping in volume in our target markets. Wi2Wi’s new product family supports the latest WiFi-802.11 and Bluetooth-3.0 standards with core capabilities of WiFi-Direct and Mobile Embedded Hotspot for our Fortune-500 customers.”
Wi2Wi just completed another record performance quarter ending in September 2011, with a large number of design wins in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia markets.
Mobile handset sales to rise to 887 million in 2013
DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of IE Market Research Corp.'s new report "4Q.2011 Asia Pacific Handset Market Share and Forecast: Mobile Handset Sales in Asia Pacific to rise to 887 million in 2013" to its offering.
Asia Pacific Handset Market Share and Forecast is one of the most comprehensive database of its kind in the world, and it covers 28 vendors in China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of Asia Pacific. We provide estimates and forecasts at the country level based on primary field research undertaken in these markets as part of Global Consumer Telecommunications and Global Enterprise Telecommunications Surveys.
Our use of sales data which combine survey data, operator surveys, and Point of Sale (POS) data globally is an accurate, robust, and forward-looking metric for shipment data announced by vendors in any given quarter.
The companies covered include: Alcatel, Apple, BenQ, Casio, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HTC, Huawei, Kyocera, Lenovo, LG, Mitsubishi, Motorola, NEC, Ningbo Bird Co.,Ltd., Nokia Oyj, Palm, Panasonic, Pantech & Curitel Communication, Philips, Research In Motion, Sagem Wireless, Samsung Electronics, SANYO Electric, Sharp, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Toshiba and ZTE.
Asia Pacific Handset Market Share and Forecast is one of the most comprehensive database of its kind in the world, and it covers 28 vendors in China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of Asia Pacific. We provide estimates and forecasts at the country level based on primary field research undertaken in these markets as part of Global Consumer Telecommunications and Global Enterprise Telecommunications Surveys.
Our use of sales data which combine survey data, operator surveys, and Point of Sale (POS) data globally is an accurate, robust, and forward-looking metric for shipment data announced by vendors in any given quarter.
The companies covered include: Alcatel, Apple, BenQ, Casio, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HTC, Huawei, Kyocera, Lenovo, LG, Mitsubishi, Motorola, NEC, Ningbo Bird Co.,Ltd., Nokia Oyj, Palm, Panasonic, Pantech & Curitel Communication, Philips, Research In Motion, Sagem Wireless, Samsung Electronics, SANYO Electric, Sharp, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Toshiba and ZTE.
TEMA seeks Prime Minister's protection
NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Indian Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association (TEMA), in a communication to the Honorable Prime Minister, Government of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has asked for a level playing field for the home grown telecom equipment manufactures.
According to the communication sent to the Prime Minister Office, while appreciating the UPA Government's resolve to support the Indian telecom equipment manufactures in terms of rightful share in the Indian telecom network business, the TEMA communication highlighted the lack of implementation strategy on part of the UPA Government.
"We are not asking anything out of context from the Hon'able Prime Minister or which is outside the National Telecom Policies of 1994 or 1999 or the recommendations made in the draft Policy 2011. We are seeking his and UPA Government's honest support in reaching the milestones mentioned in these policy papers and also the statements made by the Honorable Prime Minister at various times by adopting transparent and logical methodology which does not negate the Indian Telecom Story in any way," said Ashok K. Aggarwal, honorary director general, TEMA.
In its communication to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, besides creating a level playing field for the Indian Telecom Manufacturers, TEMA has suggested the adoption of the following six points which would create further impetus to the Indian telecom story.
* Identification of clear milestones and implementation plans for the telecom manufacturing sector;
* Set up a 'Nodal Expert Council' for monitoring the implementation of NTP2011;
* Preferential treatment to be mandated for 'Indian Products' ;
* Introduction of R&D Cess on all Licensed Telecom Service Providers and incentives for Service Providers by granting reduced contribution on meeting targets of purchasing "Indian Products;
* Compliance to national standards and certification of all telecom equipments by TEC before induction in the Indian telecom network;
* Remodeling the tax structure so as to dispense with the financial disadvantage for home grown telecom equipment manufacturer.
According to Aggarwal, the adoption of these six points would pave the way in ensuring the growth of manufacturing sector and commensurate with the growth of the telecom service in India in the next decade.
According to the communication sent to the Prime Minister Office, while appreciating the UPA Government's resolve to support the Indian telecom equipment manufactures in terms of rightful share in the Indian telecom network business, the TEMA communication highlighted the lack of implementation strategy on part of the UPA Government.
"We are not asking anything out of context from the Hon'able Prime Minister or which is outside the National Telecom Policies of 1994 or 1999 or the recommendations made in the draft Policy 2011. We are seeking his and UPA Government's honest support in reaching the milestones mentioned in these policy papers and also the statements made by the Honorable Prime Minister at various times by adopting transparent and logical methodology which does not negate the Indian Telecom Story in any way," said Ashok K. Aggarwal, honorary director general, TEMA.
In its communication to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, besides creating a level playing field for the Indian Telecom Manufacturers, TEMA has suggested the adoption of the following six points which would create further impetus to the Indian telecom story.
* Identification of clear milestones and implementation plans for the telecom manufacturing sector;
* Set up a 'Nodal Expert Council' for monitoring the implementation of NTP2011;
* Preferential treatment to be mandated for 'Indian Products' ;
* Introduction of R&D Cess on all Licensed Telecom Service Providers and incentives for Service Providers by granting reduced contribution on meeting targets of purchasing "Indian Products;
* Compliance to national standards and certification of all telecom equipments by TEC before induction in the Indian telecom network;
* Remodeling the tax structure so as to dispense with the financial disadvantage for home grown telecom equipment manufacturer.
According to Aggarwal, the adoption of these six points would pave the way in ensuring the growth of manufacturing sector and commensurate with the growth of the telecom service in India in the next decade.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Open Mobile API release 2 available from SIMalliance
LONDON, UK: With the news that SIMalliance Open Mobile API Release 1 is being specified by an increasing number of mobile network operators and already implemented by some handset manufacturers as the de facto standard for access to the Secure Element (SE), SIMalliance announced the availability of its Open Mobile API Release 2.
Featuring a new service layer, the new Open Mobile API Release 2 enhances the current transport API to provide a more intuitive interface and increasingly powerful functionality to make it easier for developers to connect their applications to the Secure Element within todays feature phones and smartphones.
By choosing to implement the Open Mobile API, handset manufacturers will be able to enrich their application portfolios through the introduction of a host of mobile services that demand the highest levels of security and identity protection afforded by the Secure Element.
For developers this common API eliminates the need to reengineer applications to each specific device by delivering a single, consistent specification and interface across multiple operating systems. By making the move, application developers will be able to manage costs, and reduce time to market and increase revenue.
In addition, a common set of reusable high level services as crypto, file management, discovery, PKCS#15 and secure storage, allows developers to allocate time and resource to developing the functionality of their application rather than focusing on the complexities of integration with the device’s Secure Element.
According to Frédéric Vasnier, Chairman of the Board, SIMalliance: “The importance, and the adoption, of Secure Element(s) in the device is now beyond question. The challenge for the developer community has always been how to access SE(s) to fully secure their services in the most straightforward manner. With the launch of the SIMalliance Open Mobile API Release 2 that barrier has now been removed and will stimulate the creation of a host of new payment, loyalty and identity management services.”
Featuring a new service layer, the new Open Mobile API Release 2 enhances the current transport API to provide a more intuitive interface and increasingly powerful functionality to make it easier for developers to connect their applications to the Secure Element within todays feature phones and smartphones.
By choosing to implement the Open Mobile API, handset manufacturers will be able to enrich their application portfolios through the introduction of a host of mobile services that demand the highest levels of security and identity protection afforded by the Secure Element.
For developers this common API eliminates the need to reengineer applications to each specific device by delivering a single, consistent specification and interface across multiple operating systems. By making the move, application developers will be able to manage costs, and reduce time to market and increase revenue.
In addition, a common set of reusable high level services as crypto, file management, discovery, PKCS#15 and secure storage, allows developers to allocate time and resource to developing the functionality of their application rather than focusing on the complexities of integration with the device’s Secure Element.
According to Frédéric Vasnier, Chairman of the Board, SIMalliance: “The importance, and the adoption, of Secure Element(s) in the device is now beyond question. The challenge for the developer community has always been how to access SE(s) to fully secure their services in the most straightforward manner. With the launch of the SIMalliance Open Mobile API Release 2 that barrier has now been removed and will stimulate the creation of a host of new payment, loyalty and identity management services.”
BT to manage FCC’s international networked IT services
MADRID, SPAIN: FCC, one of the world’s top services, infrastructures and renewable energy companies, has signed a 50 million Euros agreement with BT, one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, for the delivery of global data network and fixed communications services for a period of five years.
This agreement covers more than 50 countries in four continents - from Egypt to France, from the UAE to Russia, from Peru to Singapore and the United States. It includes wide and local area networking services, fixed voice services, video conferencing and remote access for more than 12,000 users located in approximately 850 sites.
"The solution designed by BT will centralise all of our current data centres into only two centres in Spain, allowing us to consolidate our international communications network. By creating a robust technology platform, this supports the Citizen Services Group’s strategy of expanding activities internationally. Working together with BT will make it happen with greater efficiency and reliability, while gaining improvements in performance," says Antonio Gómez Ciria, GM, Administration and Information Technology of FCC.
"Thanks to the high level of commitment and the quality of services we have provided in recent years, FCC now recognises BT as one of its most important strategic partners. We are very proud of this achievement and to have successfully responded to the challenging and demanding needs of a multinational leader such as FCC," says Jacinto Cavestany, VP for Spain, Portugal and Latin America, BT.
Cavestany adds: "Our global presence and our award winning technologies are the assurance for FCC that they will enjoy from day-one a world class communications infrastructure that will accompany its expansion throughout the world for the foreseeable future."
This agreement covers more than 50 countries in four continents - from Egypt to France, from the UAE to Russia, from Peru to Singapore and the United States. It includes wide and local area networking services, fixed voice services, video conferencing and remote access for more than 12,000 users located in approximately 850 sites.
"The solution designed by BT will centralise all of our current data centres into only two centres in Spain, allowing us to consolidate our international communications network. By creating a robust technology platform, this supports the Citizen Services Group’s strategy of expanding activities internationally. Working together with BT will make it happen with greater efficiency and reliability, while gaining improvements in performance," says Antonio Gómez Ciria, GM, Administration and Information Technology of FCC.
"Thanks to the high level of commitment and the quality of services we have provided in recent years, FCC now recognises BT as one of its most important strategic partners. We are very proud of this achievement and to have successfully responded to the challenging and demanding needs of a multinational leader such as FCC," says Jacinto Cavestany, VP for Spain, Portugal and Latin America, BT.
Cavestany adds: "Our global presence and our award winning technologies are the assurance for FCC that they will enjoy from day-one a world class communications infrastructure that will accompany its expansion throughout the world for the foreseeable future."
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Peru: National broadband plan and spectrum auction to fuel growth
CAMBRIDGE, USA: Broadband penetration in Peru is expected to double from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 9.3 percent in 2016, driven by the government's national broadband plan to bring Internet connectivity via fiber-optic cables to isolated regions, according to a new report from Pyramid Research.
Peru: National Broadband Plan and Spectrum Auction to Fuel Growth offers a precise profile of the country's telecommunications, media and technology sectors based on proprietary data from Pyramid's research in the market. It provides a detailed competitive analysis of both the fixed and mobile sectors, tracks the market shares of technologies and services and monitors the introduction and spread of new technologies.
"In 2011, broadband penetration will reach 4.7 percent, still among the lowest in the region just ahead of Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala and Nicaragua," says Pyramid Research Analyst, Juliana Gomez. Broadband penetration will be driven by the government's national broadband plan, which aims to bring Internet connectivity via fiber-optic cables to isolated regions such as the Sierra and Selva.
As economic development touches cities outside Lima in the Sierra region of the country, competition for new subscribers will expand the reach of fixed networks. Telefonica and Telmex are both offering double- and triple-play bundles, including fixed telephony, broadband Internet and pay-TV services. "Given the low penetration of Internet services and the government support for developing broadband networks, broadband has great potential to fuel bundles," she indicates.
Peru: National Broadband Plan and Spectrum Auction to Fuel Growth offers a precise profile of the country's telecommunications, media and technology sectors based on proprietary data from Pyramid's research in the market. It provides a detailed competitive analysis of both the fixed and mobile sectors, tracks the market shares of technologies and services and monitors the introduction and spread of new technologies.
"In 2011, broadband penetration will reach 4.7 percent, still among the lowest in the region just ahead of Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala and Nicaragua," says Pyramid Research Analyst, Juliana Gomez. Broadband penetration will be driven by the government's national broadband plan, which aims to bring Internet connectivity via fiber-optic cables to isolated regions such as the Sierra and Selva.
As economic development touches cities outside Lima in the Sierra region of the country, competition for new subscribers will expand the reach of fixed networks. Telefonica and Telmex are both offering double- and triple-play bundles, including fixed telephony, broadband Internet and pay-TV services. "Given the low penetration of Internet services and the government support for developing broadband networks, broadband has great potential to fuel bundles," she indicates.
HTC and Beats intro new HTC Sensation XE smartphone
NEW DELHI, INDIA: HTC Corp., a global designer of mobile devices, has unveiled the new HTC Sensation XE in India. The first in the new line of HTC’s smartphones to feature Beats Audio technology that delivers studio quality audio, taking HTC’s flagship handset to a new level of high fidelity audio.
The HTC Sensation XE offers consumers the ultimate multimedia experience, setting a new standard for audio quality in the mobile market. In addition, the HTC Sensation XE boosts performance and battery life even further with the addition of a blazing fast1.5GHz dual core processor and an extended battery that enables you to listen, watch, speak and browse for even longer.
“Audio is a crucial part of any consumer’s mobile experience and we are constantly pushing the audio boundaries to achieve not only improved voice but music, movies and gaming experience,” said Faisal Siddiqui, Country Manager, HTC India. “The HTC Sensation XE offers a truly incredible experience that demonstrates our commitment to place consumers at the center of their mobile worlds.”
The HTC Sensation XE offers consumers the ultimate multimedia experience, setting a new standard for audio quality in the mobile market. In addition, the HTC Sensation XE boosts performance and battery life even further with the addition of a blazing fast1.5GHz dual core processor and an extended battery that enables you to listen, watch, speak and browse for even longer.“Audio is a crucial part of any consumer’s mobile experience and we are constantly pushing the audio boundaries to achieve not only improved voice but music, movies and gaming experience,” said Faisal Siddiqui, Country Manager, HTC India. “The HTC Sensation XE offers a truly incredible experience that demonstrates our commitment to place consumers at the center of their mobile worlds.”
Mobile technology: still too complicated
UK: Top of many Christmas lists this year will be a new mobile phone, but a smartphone may well prove to be an unused present. According to 20 percent of 4,500 consumers in nine countries, smartphones are extremely frustrating simply because onscreen keyboards are too small for fingers.
This research supports the most recent OFCOM study which shows 95 percent of the over 65 age group do not use a smartphone. In the 55-64 age group, the use of smartphones remains low at 17 percent. The research, by SSI, cited poor battery life as a further frustration by 37 percent of respondents.
The research once again demonstrated that more functionality and complexity within smaller devices is not what people want from new technology with consistent comments such as - “I have no use for this functionality” and “I do the same with another device.”
“To fully integrate into people’s lives, technology has to be easy to use,” said Albert Fellner, the founder of emporia Telecom. “This latest research demonstrates again a real opportunity to address this anxiety and create something that is both stylish and easy to use for anyone who finds mobile technology unnecessarily complicated.”
According to OFCOM, 39 percent of over 65s do not use any of the functionality of a mobile beyond making voice calls: no uploading of pictures; playing music; gaming; or social networking. Only 19 percent use the camera. SSI identifies the clock as the most used feature on phones, 43 percent use it all the time and a further 40 percent very often.
This research supports the most recent OFCOM study which shows 95 percent of the over 65 age group do not use a smartphone. In the 55-64 age group, the use of smartphones remains low at 17 percent. The research, by SSI, cited poor battery life as a further frustration by 37 percent of respondents.
The research once again demonstrated that more functionality and complexity within smaller devices is not what people want from new technology with consistent comments such as - “I have no use for this functionality” and “I do the same with another device.”
“To fully integrate into people’s lives, technology has to be easy to use,” said Albert Fellner, the founder of emporia Telecom. “This latest research demonstrates again a real opportunity to address this anxiety and create something that is both stylish and easy to use for anyone who finds mobile technology unnecessarily complicated.”
According to OFCOM, 39 percent of over 65s do not use any of the functionality of a mobile beyond making voice calls: no uploading of pictures; playing music; gaming; or social networking. Only 19 percent use the camera. SSI identifies the clock as the most used feature on phones, 43 percent use it all the time and a further 40 percent very often.
Schneider Electric launches Digilink to capture opportunities in structured cabling distribution market
SINGAPORE: Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, has announced the launch of its Digilink structured cabling system, which complements its LifeSpace business’ structured cabling offerings.
Through its expansion of the structured cabling distribution market, Schneider Electric provides the customers with Digilink, high performance-to-price ratio products, to specially address the data network needs of medium to small-sized offices and the residential market.
“The launch of the Digilink complements and completes local structured cabling system offering and places Schneider Electric in pole position, further strengthening the company’s leading role in structured cabling technology,” said Jason Tan, director, LifeSpace Sales and Marketing, Schneider Electric Singapore. “Digilink, with reliable quality and high performance-to-price ratio, offers more choices to customers and serves as a new growth platform for Schneider Electric.”
All products are verified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) for safety, performance and quality in order to effectively ensure the usability and reliability of a data network. From patch panels to cables and patch cords, including copper and fiber solutions, Digilink can always bring customers the advantages of FIRM, LIGHT, SLIM and FAST. Digilink can fulfill the needs of medium to small enterprises, offices and homes efficiently and quickly, and centralise all the audio, text, visual and any other data signals into one single transmission channel, creating a connected and modern living and working environment.
Through its expansion of the structured cabling distribution market, Schneider Electric provides the customers with Digilink, high performance-to-price ratio products, to specially address the data network needs of medium to small-sized offices and the residential market.
“The launch of the Digilink complements and completes local structured cabling system offering and places Schneider Electric in pole position, further strengthening the company’s leading role in structured cabling technology,” said Jason Tan, director, LifeSpace Sales and Marketing, Schneider Electric Singapore. “Digilink, with reliable quality and high performance-to-price ratio, offers more choices to customers and serves as a new growth platform for Schneider Electric.”
All products are verified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) for safety, performance and quality in order to effectively ensure the usability and reliability of a data network. From patch panels to cables and patch cords, including copper and fiber solutions, Digilink can always bring customers the advantages of FIRM, LIGHT, SLIM and FAST. Digilink can fulfill the needs of medium to small enterprises, offices and homes efficiently and quickly, and centralise all the audio, text, visual and any other data signals into one single transmission channel, creating a connected and modern living and working environment.
Alvarion completes acquisition of Wavion
WASHINGTON, USA: Alvarion Ltd, a provider of optimized wireless broadband solutions addressing the connectivity, capacity and coverage challenges of public and private networks, has completed the acquisition of privately-held Wavion, which was announced on November 2, 2011.
The Wavion acquisition enables Alvarion to further leverage its years of experience providing carrier-grade solutions to create a unique combination of multi-technology capabilities which can be optimized for various types of networks and applications.
“The acquisition of Wavion will enable us to address the market for carrier-grade WiFi, one of the fastest growing segments of telecom equipment, with advanced technology designed specifically to serve the most demanding applications of both public and private networks,” said Eran Gorev, president and CEO of Alvarion.
“We are pleased that we were able to close the acquisition quickly and will focus on rapid integration to leverage our combined strengths. We continue to expect the acquisition to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings beginning in Q2 of 2012.”
The Wavion acquisition enables Alvarion to further leverage its years of experience providing carrier-grade solutions to create a unique combination of multi-technology capabilities which can be optimized for various types of networks and applications.
“The acquisition of Wavion will enable us to address the market for carrier-grade WiFi, one of the fastest growing segments of telecom equipment, with advanced technology designed specifically to serve the most demanding applications of both public and private networks,” said Eran Gorev, president and CEO of Alvarion.
“We are pleased that we were able to close the acquisition quickly and will focus on rapid integration to leverage our combined strengths. We continue to expect the acquisition to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings beginning in Q2 of 2012.”
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
UK to attain 8 million LTE subscriptions by 2015
DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "LTE Insights Service - LTE in the UK: Deployment Plans, Operator Strategies, Spectrum and Forecasts 2011 - 2015" report to its offering.
A new research report from Signals and Systems Telecoms reveals that the UK will see LTE subscriptions jump to 8 Million by 2015, following commercial adoption in 2013. With over 7 million subscriptions and a penetration level of over 11 percent, the UK is one of the leading mobile broadband markets not only in Western Europe but throughout the world. As a result, the UK was one of the first countries to witness HSPA rollouts over UMTS networks, followed by widespread commercialization of USB dongles and mobile broadband subscription packages.
In the UK, a similar adoption strategy was anticipated with the introduction of the 3GPP LTE standard, that is widely endorsed as the next generation and most cost efficient standard for mobile broadband, with over 36 commercial deployments worldwide.
However, spectrum congestion issues have considerably delayed commercial LTE adoption in the UK, putting the UK behind other major mobile broadband markets such as Germany, the US, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and South Korea that have already started offering commercial mobile broadband services over LTE. Nonetheless, due to rising pressure from operators, the Government and consumers alike, spectrum auctions are expected by Q4'2012 and commercial commitments expected by Q1'2013.
With a number of LTE trials already operating, most notably O2's recently launched trial in London; LTE adoption is set to become a reality, in the UK, with subscriptions anticipated to reach 8 million by 2015, representing a CAGR of 198.76 percent between 2013 and 2015. This report provides insights to the key factors affecting LTE adoption within the UK, including operator strategies and roadmaps, spectrum and regulatory issues and subscriptions forecasts up to 2015, in addition to providing an overview of the current state of the worldwide LTE market.
A new research report from Signals and Systems Telecoms reveals that the UK will see LTE subscriptions jump to 8 Million by 2015, following commercial adoption in 2013. With over 7 million subscriptions and a penetration level of over 11 percent, the UK is one of the leading mobile broadband markets not only in Western Europe but throughout the world. As a result, the UK was one of the first countries to witness HSPA rollouts over UMTS networks, followed by widespread commercialization of USB dongles and mobile broadband subscription packages.
In the UK, a similar adoption strategy was anticipated with the introduction of the 3GPP LTE standard, that is widely endorsed as the next generation and most cost efficient standard for mobile broadband, with over 36 commercial deployments worldwide.
However, spectrum congestion issues have considerably delayed commercial LTE adoption in the UK, putting the UK behind other major mobile broadband markets such as Germany, the US, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and South Korea that have already started offering commercial mobile broadband services over LTE. Nonetheless, due to rising pressure from operators, the Government and consumers alike, spectrum auctions are expected by Q4'2012 and commercial commitments expected by Q1'2013.
With a number of LTE trials already operating, most notably O2's recently launched trial in London; LTE adoption is set to become a reality, in the UK, with subscriptions anticipated to reach 8 million by 2015, representing a CAGR of 198.76 percent between 2013 and 2015. This report provides insights to the key factors affecting LTE adoption within the UK, including operator strategies and roadmaps, spectrum and regulatory issues and subscriptions forecasts up to 2015, in addition to providing an overview of the current state of the worldwide LTE market.
Protecting children from mobile porn gets push from national governments
SAN JOSE & SUNNYVALE, USA: Mobixell Networks and Commtouch announced a new effort to support mobile operators worldwide to comply with proposed Web content regulation. Mobixell Seamless Access Mobile Internet Gateway, featuring Commtouch GlobalView URL Filtering offers advanced content filtering capabilities which enable telecom operators to improve security for mobile device users and ensure compliance with child protection Web content legislation.
National governments, including those in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, are promoting legislation to protect children from pornography and other unsuitable Web content. The ability for mobile device users, many of whom are minors, to freely access the Web, has made this an especially critical issue for telecom operators. If implemented, legislation would require operators to actively block undesirable content and make certain types of content available only if users opt-in to receive it.
However, compliance with such laws could be challenging for operators, since Web pages and their content are constantly changing, and new sites are registered daily. In addition, some sites, particularly those with user-generated content (blogs, social networking sites, etc.), may contain a mixture of family-friendly and inappropriate content.
The Mobixell/Commtouch solution solves this problem, enabling telecom operators to block access to Web sites deemed unfit for children and comply with even the strictest child protection regulation. Content categorization from Commtouch is available as a module of the Mobixell Seamless Access Mobile Internet Gateway which enables telecom operators to manage complex content delivery policies, offering a variety of opt-in user protection services, including parental control, real-time rating and content verification.
“As the use of mobile devices to access the Web increases, it is essential that mobile operators provide increased protection for their users from potentially harmful Web sites,” said Noam Green, VP marketing at Mobixell. “The Mobixell/Commtouch solution lets us offer our mobile operator customers an important service for their customers to counter these threats and to ensure that operators comply with pending Web content legislation.”
The content categorization mechanism within the Mobixell platform is powered by Commtouch’s GlobalView URL Filtering solution and the cloud-based GlobalView Network. The technology continuously monitors and analyzes Web traffic to provide real-time, accurate categorization of URLs from anywhere in the world. The solution accurately categorizes dynamic user generated content and Web 2.0 sites. Commtouch’s GlobalView Network also features the largest source of real-time, accurate Web threat data via the Commtouch Security Alliance, a union of leading information security community organizations, companies and individuals that share Web threat data.
“The profusion of mobile devices and smartphones among children has increased the ease at which they have access to unsuitable content on the Web. Optional parental control solutions can be installed on mobile devices, but these would not absolve operators of responsibility when these new regulations go into effect,” said Ofer Tal, VP of international sales and business development at Commtouch. “We are pleased to work with Mobixell to provide the best possible protection for all mobile users, while ensuring service providers comply with new protection laws.”
National governments, including those in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, are promoting legislation to protect children from pornography and other unsuitable Web content. The ability for mobile device users, many of whom are minors, to freely access the Web, has made this an especially critical issue for telecom operators. If implemented, legislation would require operators to actively block undesirable content and make certain types of content available only if users opt-in to receive it.
However, compliance with such laws could be challenging for operators, since Web pages and their content are constantly changing, and new sites are registered daily. In addition, some sites, particularly those with user-generated content (blogs, social networking sites, etc.), may contain a mixture of family-friendly and inappropriate content.
The Mobixell/Commtouch solution solves this problem, enabling telecom operators to block access to Web sites deemed unfit for children and comply with even the strictest child protection regulation. Content categorization from Commtouch is available as a module of the Mobixell Seamless Access Mobile Internet Gateway which enables telecom operators to manage complex content delivery policies, offering a variety of opt-in user protection services, including parental control, real-time rating and content verification.
“As the use of mobile devices to access the Web increases, it is essential that mobile operators provide increased protection for their users from potentially harmful Web sites,” said Noam Green, VP marketing at Mobixell. “The Mobixell/Commtouch solution lets us offer our mobile operator customers an important service for their customers to counter these threats and to ensure that operators comply with pending Web content legislation.”
The content categorization mechanism within the Mobixell platform is powered by Commtouch’s GlobalView URL Filtering solution and the cloud-based GlobalView Network. The technology continuously monitors and analyzes Web traffic to provide real-time, accurate categorization of URLs from anywhere in the world. The solution accurately categorizes dynamic user generated content and Web 2.0 sites. Commtouch’s GlobalView Network also features the largest source of real-time, accurate Web threat data via the Commtouch Security Alliance, a union of leading information security community organizations, companies and individuals that share Web threat data.
“The profusion of mobile devices and smartphones among children has increased the ease at which they have access to unsuitable content on the Web. Optional parental control solutions can be installed on mobile devices, but these would not absolve operators of responsibility when these new regulations go into effect,” said Ofer Tal, VP of international sales and business development at Commtouch. “We are pleased to work with Mobixell to provide the best possible protection for all mobile users, while ensuring service providers comply with new protection laws.”
Infonetics Research ups carrier Ethernet equipment forecast to $40.2 billion by 2015
CAMPBELL, USA: Infonetics Research released excerpts from its latest Carrier Ethernet Equipment market size, market share, and forecast report.
“The carrier Ethernet equipment market continues to grow strongly, so much so that we’ve increased our long-term forecast from $37.5 billion to $40.2 billion by 2015. Some market segments are growing faster while others are slowing faster than we originally anticipated. The largest downward changes are in the Ethernet microwave and VDSL equipment segments, and the largest upward change is in the hot carrier Ethernet switch segment,” explains Michael Howard, principal analyst for carrier networks and co-founder of Infonetics Research.
Highlights
* Infonetics expects the global carrier Ethernet equipment market to finish 2011 up 15.7 percent to $32 billion, following a 30.5 percent hike in 2010.
* Service provider investment in carrier Ethernet equipment continues to outpace overall telecom capex, which Infonetics expects to be up 6 percent in 2011.
* The carrier Ethernet equipment market is being driven chiefly by the move to packet-based IP next-generation networks and growing consumer, business, and mobile backhaul traffic, particularly video traffic.
* The carrier move to packet depends heavily on IP, MPLS, and Ethernet, as operators gradually employ the use of Ethernet transport instead of SONET/SDH.
* Mobile backhaul continues to be a particular growth area for carrier Ethernet, with IP/Ethernet equipment expected to make up 95 percent of all mobile backhaul spending by 2015.
* The largest carrier Ethernet investments are in routers, carrier Ethernet switches (CES), and optical gear, which together make up more than two-thirds of the total carrier Ethernet market.
* Cisco leads the carrier Ethernet switch market with 45 percent of global revenue, with no close competitors.
* ADVA and Ciena lead the fast-growing global Ethernet access device (EAD) market.
“The carrier Ethernet equipment market continues to grow strongly, so much so that we’ve increased our long-term forecast from $37.5 billion to $40.2 billion by 2015. Some market segments are growing faster while others are slowing faster than we originally anticipated. The largest downward changes are in the Ethernet microwave and VDSL equipment segments, and the largest upward change is in the hot carrier Ethernet switch segment,” explains Michael Howard, principal analyst for carrier networks and co-founder of Infonetics Research.
Highlights
* Infonetics expects the global carrier Ethernet equipment market to finish 2011 up 15.7 percent to $32 billion, following a 30.5 percent hike in 2010.
* Service provider investment in carrier Ethernet equipment continues to outpace overall telecom capex, which Infonetics expects to be up 6 percent in 2011.
* The carrier Ethernet equipment market is being driven chiefly by the move to packet-based IP next-generation networks and growing consumer, business, and mobile backhaul traffic, particularly video traffic.
* The carrier move to packet depends heavily on IP, MPLS, and Ethernet, as operators gradually employ the use of Ethernet transport instead of SONET/SDH.
* Mobile backhaul continues to be a particular growth area for carrier Ethernet, with IP/Ethernet equipment expected to make up 95 percent of all mobile backhaul spending by 2015.
* The largest carrier Ethernet investments are in routers, carrier Ethernet switches (CES), and optical gear, which together make up more than two-thirds of the total carrier Ethernet market.
* Cisco leads the carrier Ethernet switch market with 45 percent of global revenue, with no close competitors.
* ADVA and Ciena lead the fast-growing global Ethernet access device (EAD) market.
Globalstar signs agreement with Thales Alenia Space to return second-generation satellite to service
COVINGTON, USA: Globalstar Inc., a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, governments and consumers, and satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space announced the signing of an agreement to develop satellite software to enhance operations of the Globalstar second generation satellites.
As Globalstar has previously announced, one of twelve new second-generation satellites that have been launched is not currently providing service due to an issue with two of its momentum wheels. According to the agreement announced today, Thales Alenia Space will develop and provide the software necessary to adapt the in-flight configuration for this satellite, allowing it to return to service and sustain operations compliant with the objectives of its 15-year mission. This solution is expected to be implemented in stages over the coming months and is intended to be available for other satellites, if they experience similar issues in the future.
"Following weeks of simulations, design analysis and discussions with Thales Alenia Space, we welcome Thales' agreement to develop a solution that should enable the affected satellite to return to full service and accomplish its primary mission of providing 15 years of high quality mobile satellite voice and data services," said Tony Navarra, president of Global Operations for Globalstar.
"Thales Alenia Space has allocated major skilled resources to this development, which would allow Globalstar to operate the satellite even with this wheel anomaly. This software, after full validation on Thales Alenia Space Software and Avionics test benches, will be then uploaded in flight, thanks to on board computer capability. It will also be available for other satellites, if needed, to help ensure their expected lifetime," said Michel Fiat, CTO of Thales Alenia Space.
Globalstar is also in the final decision-making period for its third satellite launch currently scheduled for December and expects to announce updated launch information shortly.
As Globalstar has previously announced, one of twelve new second-generation satellites that have been launched is not currently providing service due to an issue with two of its momentum wheels. According to the agreement announced today, Thales Alenia Space will develop and provide the software necessary to adapt the in-flight configuration for this satellite, allowing it to return to service and sustain operations compliant with the objectives of its 15-year mission. This solution is expected to be implemented in stages over the coming months and is intended to be available for other satellites, if they experience similar issues in the future.
"Following weeks of simulations, design analysis and discussions with Thales Alenia Space, we welcome Thales' agreement to develop a solution that should enable the affected satellite to return to full service and accomplish its primary mission of providing 15 years of high quality mobile satellite voice and data services," said Tony Navarra, president of Global Operations for Globalstar.
"Thales Alenia Space has allocated major skilled resources to this development, which would allow Globalstar to operate the satellite even with this wheel anomaly. This software, after full validation on Thales Alenia Space Software and Avionics test benches, will be then uploaded in flight, thanks to on board computer capability. It will also be available for other satellites, if needed, to help ensure their expected lifetime," said Michel Fiat, CTO of Thales Alenia Space.
Globalstar is also in the final decision-making period for its third satellite launch currently scheduled for December and expects to announce updated launch information shortly.
Cisco storms back in IP edge market, Huawei posts biggest loss
CAMPBELL, USA: Infonetics Research released excerpts from its third quarter 2011 (3Q11) Service Provider Routers and Switches vendor market share report, which analyzes the IP edge router, IP core router, and carrier Ethernet switch (CES) market segments and the manufacturers within them.
“Of the top five vendors, only Cisco increased its overall carrier router and switch revenue in the third quarter of 2011, up 3 percent from the previous quarter to $1.43 billion. Since Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Juniper and ZTE all saw double-digit percent declines in their carrier router and switch revenue in the same period, Cisco rises back up to over 40% market share for the first time this year,” notes Michael Howard, principal analyst for carrier networks at Infonetics Research.
Howard adds: “In the critical IP Edge segment (edge routers and carrier Ethernet switches), which now makes up 79 percent of the carrier router and switch market, Cisco expanded its lead to 36.2 percent on the strength of its recently refreshed carrier Ethernet switch portfolio and its ASR 9000. Cisco’s share gain is at the expense of its top competitors, particularly Huawei. With Huawei posting the largest sequential drop in IP edge market share in 3Q11, from 17.2 percent to 12.3 percent, Cisco’s IP edge share now nearly triples Huawei’s.”
Highlights
* The global service provider router and switch market, which includes IP edge routers, IP core routers, and carrier Ethernet switches (CES), is down 7.1 percent sequentially to $3.5 billion, following a 14.3% increase the previous quarter.
* Year-over-year, the carrier router and switch market is up 4.5 percent.
* In 3Q11, the IP edge segment (IP edge routers and CES), is down 6.7 percent sequentially but up 4.3 percent from the year-ago third quarter.
* Top vendors posting gains in the IP edge segment in 3Q11 over 2Q11: Alaxala, Cisco, Ericsson, NEC, and Nokia Siemens.
* Regionally, North America lead the downward trend in 3Q11 with the largest decline in carrier router and switch revenue (-15 percent from 2Q11), despite all the concerns about the Euro zone.
* The EMEA and Asia Pacific regions each posted 6 percent declines, while Central and Latin America (CALA) is the only region that posted an increase, led by Brazil.
“Of the top five vendors, only Cisco increased its overall carrier router and switch revenue in the third quarter of 2011, up 3 percent from the previous quarter to $1.43 billion. Since Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Juniper and ZTE all saw double-digit percent declines in their carrier router and switch revenue in the same period, Cisco rises back up to over 40% market share for the first time this year,” notes Michael Howard, principal analyst for carrier networks at Infonetics Research.
Howard adds: “In the critical IP Edge segment (edge routers and carrier Ethernet switches), which now makes up 79 percent of the carrier router and switch market, Cisco expanded its lead to 36.2 percent on the strength of its recently refreshed carrier Ethernet switch portfolio and its ASR 9000. Cisco’s share gain is at the expense of its top competitors, particularly Huawei. With Huawei posting the largest sequential drop in IP edge market share in 3Q11, from 17.2 percent to 12.3 percent, Cisco’s IP edge share now nearly triples Huawei’s.”
Highlights
* The global service provider router and switch market, which includes IP edge routers, IP core routers, and carrier Ethernet switches (CES), is down 7.1 percent sequentially to $3.5 billion, following a 14.3% increase the previous quarter.
* Year-over-year, the carrier router and switch market is up 4.5 percent.
* In 3Q11, the IP edge segment (IP edge routers and CES), is down 6.7 percent sequentially but up 4.3 percent from the year-ago third quarter.
* Top vendors posting gains in the IP edge segment in 3Q11 over 2Q11: Alaxala, Cisco, Ericsson, NEC, and Nokia Siemens.
* Regionally, North America lead the downward trend in 3Q11 with the largest decline in carrier router and switch revenue (-15 percent from 2Q11), despite all the concerns about the Euro zone.
* The EMEA and Asia Pacific regions each posted 6 percent declines, while Central and Latin America (CALA) is the only region that posted an increase, led by Brazil.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
NeoPhotonics doubles capacity of narrow linewidth tunable lasers for coherent DWDM systems
SAN JOSE, USA: NeoPhotonics Corp. announced that the company is in the process of doubling capacity for production of narrow linewidth tunable lasers. NeoPhotonics offers these lasers in an OIF MSA standard ITLA form factor and the products are designed to provide the low noise and narrow linewidths required for 40 and 100 Gbps coherent applications.
The NeoPhotonics products are compact, widely-tunable laser assemblies designed to be optimized for narrow linewidth with up to 35mW launch power in the C band and 20mW in the L band. The products’ narrow linewidth and frequency stability are enabled by a NeoPhotonics phase-shifted DFB laser chip and a proprietary packaging technology, while the ITLA assembly also includes an integrated wavelength locker as well as industry standard electrical and firmware interfaces. The narrow linewidth tunable laser has been available to customers since April 2010 and has become one of the leading lasers used in coherent systems.
“Our narrow linewidth tunable lasers are key components for coherent transport in telecommunications systems, which we believe is rapidly emerging as a dominate architecture for 40 and 100 Gbps networks,” said Tim Jenks, CEO of NeoPhotonics. “We believe there is currently a shortage of these critical products while demand continues to grow. We are in the process of more than doubling our production capacity of narrow linewidth tunable lasers with minimal expected additional capital expenditures. We anticipate our added capacity to be on-line in the first quarter of 2012.”
The NeoPhotonics products are compact, widely-tunable laser assemblies designed to be optimized for narrow linewidth with up to 35mW launch power in the C band and 20mW in the L band. The products’ narrow linewidth and frequency stability are enabled by a NeoPhotonics phase-shifted DFB laser chip and a proprietary packaging technology, while the ITLA assembly also includes an integrated wavelength locker as well as industry standard electrical and firmware interfaces. The narrow linewidth tunable laser has been available to customers since April 2010 and has become one of the leading lasers used in coherent systems.
“Our narrow linewidth tunable lasers are key components for coherent transport in telecommunications systems, which we believe is rapidly emerging as a dominate architecture for 40 and 100 Gbps networks,” said Tim Jenks, CEO of NeoPhotonics. “We believe there is currently a shortage of these critical products while demand continues to grow. We are in the process of more than doubling our production capacity of narrow linewidth tunable lasers with minimal expected additional capital expenditures. We anticipate our added capacity to be on-line in the first quarter of 2012.”
txtWeb announces new mobile apps “InSight” for small businesses
BANGALORE, INDIA: txtWeb announced a short messaging service (SMS) application – ‘InSight’ designed by InVenture. InVenture is a micro-investment platform that allows everyday individuals to invest in small businesses in under-served communities across the globe.
Through their online platform InVenture connects supporters with growing micro-entrepreneurs, and allows them to re-allocate the returns from these investments in future micro-businesses. Taking InVenture’s platform to the next level the InSight app was launched on the txtWeb to track financial and social metrics of its micro-entrepreneur partners on mobile phones.
Data captured by the InSight app will help InVenture micro-entrepreneur partners track and analyze their financial performance, and give online supporters valuable information for measuring the social benefit of their “InVestment” instantly on their mobile phones.
“The beauty of InSight lies in its simplicity. The user responds to simple prompts and the responses are organized in such a way that allows organizations to easily access and analyze data from anywhere in the world. InSight service is aligned to textWeb’s vision – democratizing access to information,” says Rupesh Shah, director NGO Outreach & Partnerships, txtWeb.
Developed on the txtWeb platform, the InSight app prompts the micro-entrepreneurs to report their daily revenue and expenses via SMS to the InSight system. The data is tracked and analyzed by the txtWeb team, and easy to understand reports are sent back to the micro-entrepreneurs so they can follow their growth. The data captured by InSight can also be accessed by researchers, market analysts, and others interested in measuring the implications of small business growth on families living in poor communities.
Through their online platform InVenture connects supporters with growing micro-entrepreneurs, and allows them to re-allocate the returns from these investments in future micro-businesses. Taking InVenture’s platform to the next level the InSight app was launched on the txtWeb to track financial and social metrics of its micro-entrepreneur partners on mobile phones.
Data captured by the InSight app will help InVenture micro-entrepreneur partners track and analyze their financial performance, and give online supporters valuable information for measuring the social benefit of their “InVestment” instantly on their mobile phones.
“The beauty of InSight lies in its simplicity. The user responds to simple prompts and the responses are organized in such a way that allows organizations to easily access and analyze data from anywhere in the world. InSight service is aligned to textWeb’s vision – democratizing access to information,” says Rupesh Shah, director NGO Outreach & Partnerships, txtWeb.
Developed on the txtWeb platform, the InSight app prompts the micro-entrepreneurs to report their daily revenue and expenses via SMS to the InSight system. The data is tracked and analyzed by the txtWeb team, and easy to understand reports are sent back to the micro-entrepreneurs so they can follow their growth. The data captured by InSight can also be accessed by researchers, market analysts, and others interested in measuring the implications of small business growth on families living in poor communities.
Indian mobile handset sales to reach 231 million units in 2012
MUMBAI, INDIA: Mobile device sales in India are forecast to reach 231 million units in 2012, an increase of 8.5 percent over 2011 sales of 213 million units, according to Gartner Inc. The mobile handset market is expected to show steady growth through 2015 when end user sales will surpass 322 million units.
The Indian mobile device market is very competitive with more than 150 manufacturers selling devices to consumers. While most of the local and Chinese manufacturers have remained focused on low cost devices, some manufacturers have built capabilities to deliver smartphone devices and even ventured into other global markets.
“The big global brands will continue to face competition from local and Chinese brands as some of these brands are building capabilities to compete at a larger level covering broader consumer segments,” said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. “G’five, Karbonn Mobile and Micromax occupied third, fourth, and fifth positions after Nokia and Samsung in the third quarter.“
India, accounting for approximately 12 percent of worldwide sales, is an important market for device manufacturers, with aspirations to grow their global market share. Due to its sheer size and open market (mobile devices being sold independently of cellular connection), it has attracted many global mobile device manufacturers. The market is also supported by many local manufacturers. Mobile manufacturers also are competing against many brands in the black markets who areselling without invoices.
“The entry of Indian mobile handset players focusing on low-end, value conscious consumers has intensified competition in the Indian mobile device market. he average selling price (ASP) of a mobile device is approximately $45, with 75 percent of devices sold costing below $75,” said Gupta. ”Smartphone sales in India made up 6 percent of total device sales in the first three quarters of 2011, and this share is expected to increase to 8 percent in 2012.”
With the growing influence of local handset players in the low-end segment, the traditionally stronger, big global players have had their positions weakened. At the same time, the midrange to high-end market is getting increasingly competitive too, with a greater focus from global players on the Indian market, and the launch of competitively priced midrange and high-end mobile devices. The Indian mobile device market is driven by the lowest call rates in the world and dominated by low-cost devices, which account for 75 percent of overall sales in India in 2011.
The Indian mobile device market is very competitive with more than 150 manufacturers selling devices to consumers. While most of the local and Chinese manufacturers have remained focused on low cost devices, some manufacturers have built capabilities to deliver smartphone devices and even ventured into other global markets.
“The big global brands will continue to face competition from local and Chinese brands as some of these brands are building capabilities to compete at a larger level covering broader consumer segments,” said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. “G’five, Karbonn Mobile and Micromax occupied third, fourth, and fifth positions after Nokia and Samsung in the third quarter.“
India, accounting for approximately 12 percent of worldwide sales, is an important market for device manufacturers, with aspirations to grow their global market share. Due to its sheer size and open market (mobile devices being sold independently of cellular connection), it has attracted many global mobile device manufacturers. The market is also supported by many local manufacturers. Mobile manufacturers also are competing against many brands in the black markets who areselling without invoices.
“The entry of Indian mobile handset players focusing on low-end, value conscious consumers has intensified competition in the Indian mobile device market. he average selling price (ASP) of a mobile device is approximately $45, with 75 percent of devices sold costing below $75,” said Gupta. ”Smartphone sales in India made up 6 percent of total device sales in the first three quarters of 2011, and this share is expected to increase to 8 percent in 2012.”
With the growing influence of local handset players in the low-end segment, the traditionally stronger, big global players have had their positions weakened. At the same time, the midrange to high-end market is getting increasingly competitive too, with a greater focus from global players on the Indian market, and the launch of competitively priced midrange and high-end mobile devices. The Indian mobile device market is driven by the lowest call rates in the world and dominated by low-cost devices, which account for 75 percent of overall sales in India in 2011.
ITG and GETI to add ACH to pay-by-phone virtual terminal
BUFFALO, USA: The ITG, IVR Pay-by-Phone gateway, combines this ACH capability with credit card processing to offer a complete payment solution. A significant benefit to businesses using the Pay-by-Phone virtual terminal is the ability to certify PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance, because the system does not store credit card data over the VoIP network.
Users of the system are provided a dedicated dial in telephone number and met with a company specific greeting. Callers are then given customized instruction on how to complete their electronic payments. The call flows have been implemented in accordance with NACHA & GETI guidelines. There is no need for any additional hardware and/or software. ITG offers full support for a variety of system to system interfaces including integration with existing IVR systems and customer management software.
"This partnership with IVR Technology Group will substantially enhance payment processing options for GETI clients by integrating GETI solutions into the Pay-by-Phone virtual terminal,” said John Laurell, vice president of technical operations at GETI. "Partnering with ITG offers us the opportunity to provide our resellers and their end user customers with the ability to field customer service calls for payment processing 24 hours a day.”
Users of the system are provided a dedicated dial in telephone number and met with a company specific greeting. Callers are then given customized instruction on how to complete their electronic payments. The call flows have been implemented in accordance with NACHA & GETI guidelines. There is no need for any additional hardware and/or software. ITG offers full support for a variety of system to system interfaces including integration with existing IVR systems and customer management software.
"This partnership with IVR Technology Group will substantially enhance payment processing options for GETI clients by integrating GETI solutions into the Pay-by-Phone virtual terminal,” said John Laurell, vice president of technical operations at GETI. "Partnering with ITG offers us the opportunity to provide our resellers and their end user customers with the ability to field customer service calls for payment processing 24 hours a day.”
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sierra Wireless and ACTIA collaborate on wireless platform for remote vehicle management and emergency services
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Sierra Wireless and ACTIA announced that the ACTIA Group, an international provider of value-added electronic equipment for the automotive market, has selected Sierra Wireless AirPrime AR Series modules to provide high-performance connectivity for its latest in-vehicle technology platform. AirPrime AR Series modules were designed and developed to achieve the highest level of compliance with automotive specifications, providing an unmatched level of quality and performance under harsh operating conditions.
The new platform, called the ACU-II (ACTIA Connect Unit second generation), uses the AirPrime module to allow drivers to connect and manage various functions of vehicles through a smartphone application, giving them the ability to, for example, lock or unlock their doors or turn on the heater. It also provides compliance with European and Russian eCall requirements and enables stolen vehicle tracking functionality to meet regulations in other areas such as Brazil.
“We needed a wireless solution provider that understood the unique requirements of the automotive market,” said Christian Sahlén, VP of Marketing and Sales at ACTIA Nordic. “Sierra Wireless offered unmatched experience and expertise in the integration of wireless for automotive and telematics applications, as well as a solution that provided eCall support already built-in, making the company a natural fit for our project.”
As part of their collaboration, Sierra Wireless and ACTIA are supporting the HeERO pilot project, currently underway in Sweden. Managed by ERTICO ITS Europe, the HeERO pilot project was created to prepare the European member states for introduction of eCall (Emergency Call) by implementing and testing eCall pre-deployment pilots in real-life environments in nine countries.
The purpose of eCall is to reduce injuries and fatalities in the event of car accidents, through the automatic dialing and transmission of incident information to emergency services. The eCall system is designed to be interoperable across Europe, to guarantee service regardless of location.
“The integration of mobile connections into vehicles, whether for remote management, tracking, safety, navigation, or infotainment, is a growing trend and one in which Sierra Wireless has participated from the start, first providing embedded modules and software libraries for in-vehicle applications more than 10 years ago,” said Didier Dutronc, senior VP and GM, Embedded Solutions for Sierra Wireless. “We are thrilled to collaborate with ACTIA to provide an innovative wireless solution that can make such an impact on both safety and quality of life for drivers.”
The new platform, called the ACU-II (ACTIA Connect Unit second generation), uses the AirPrime module to allow drivers to connect and manage various functions of vehicles through a smartphone application, giving them the ability to, for example, lock or unlock their doors or turn on the heater. It also provides compliance with European and Russian eCall requirements and enables stolen vehicle tracking functionality to meet regulations in other areas such as Brazil.
“We needed a wireless solution provider that understood the unique requirements of the automotive market,” said Christian Sahlén, VP of Marketing and Sales at ACTIA Nordic. “Sierra Wireless offered unmatched experience and expertise in the integration of wireless for automotive and telematics applications, as well as a solution that provided eCall support already built-in, making the company a natural fit for our project.”
As part of their collaboration, Sierra Wireless and ACTIA are supporting the HeERO pilot project, currently underway in Sweden. Managed by ERTICO ITS Europe, the HeERO pilot project was created to prepare the European member states for introduction of eCall (Emergency Call) by implementing and testing eCall pre-deployment pilots in real-life environments in nine countries.
The purpose of eCall is to reduce injuries and fatalities in the event of car accidents, through the automatic dialing and transmission of incident information to emergency services. The eCall system is designed to be interoperable across Europe, to guarantee service regardless of location.
“The integration of mobile connections into vehicles, whether for remote management, tracking, safety, navigation, or infotainment, is a growing trend and one in which Sierra Wireless has participated from the start, first providing embedded modules and software libraries for in-vehicle applications more than 10 years ago,” said Didier Dutronc, senior VP and GM, Embedded Solutions for Sierra Wireless. “We are thrilled to collaborate with ACTIA to provide an innovative wireless solution that can make such an impact on both safety and quality of life for drivers.”
Internet census finds IPv6 adoption grows by 1,900 percent
SANTA CLARA, USA: Infoblox Inc. announced results of an IPv6 Census conducted by the Measurement Factory and sponsored by Infoblox. The census revealed that the percentage of zones under .com, .net and .org that support IPv6 has increased by 1,900 percent over the past 12 months. According to the census, this dramatic increase can be primarily attributed to the introduction of support of IPv6 by a single registrar, Go Daddy.
As the global supply of IPv4 addresses continues to dwindle, supporting IPv6 is becoming an inescapable requirement and will become a business imperative for organizations with an Internet presence. Organizations will need to support the rapidly growing number of customer, partner and visitor IPv6-enabled devices that access their Internet presence. Encouraging registrars and service providers to support IPv6, establishing a prudent migration plan and testing transition technologies are essential to successful adoption of IPv6, which will provide businesses with flexibility and room to grow.
“If your external presence only supports IPv4, then the only devices that can communicate with you will be those with IPv4 addresses,” says Cricket Liu, GM of the Infoblox IPv6 Center of Excellence. “To the growing population of pure IPv6 devices, you’re invisible. We can’t ignore the emerging competitive advantages of IPv6, but we also don’t need to adopt IPv6 in one great, costly leap. Focus first on providing IPv6 to the outside world and then work inward in stages. Do this and IPv6 deployment will be relatively painless and prove to be a valuable long-term investment for business growth.”
IPv6 support by registrars can increase adoption
The script-based, automated census of IPv6 support by a percentage of .com, .net and .org Internet subdomains revealed:
* A 1,900 percent increase – from 1.27 percent in the 2010 sample to 25.4 percent in the 2011 sample – in the zones that support IPv6.
* IPv6 adoption by popular registrar Go Daddy represents a significant portion of the growth.
* Factoring out Go Daddy’s contribution, the percentage of zones that support IPv6 increased organically more than two-fold over the previous year to over 3 percent.
* The top three countries in IPv6 adoption are France, USA and Czech Republic.
* Slightly more than 2 percent of the zones surveyed were served by mail servers that support IPv6.
* Less than 1 percent of the zones had IPv6-enabled web servers.
Go Daddy’s adoption of IPv6 illustrates how a single large registrar can have substantial influence on global IPv6 adoption. The high percentages of IPv6 support in France and the Czech Republic are also attributable to adoption by a few registrars: Gandi and OVH in France and Active 24 in the Czech Republic.
As the global supply of IPv4 addresses continues to dwindle, supporting IPv6 is becoming an inescapable requirement and will become a business imperative for organizations with an Internet presence. Organizations will need to support the rapidly growing number of customer, partner and visitor IPv6-enabled devices that access their Internet presence. Encouraging registrars and service providers to support IPv6, establishing a prudent migration plan and testing transition technologies are essential to successful adoption of IPv6, which will provide businesses with flexibility and room to grow.
“If your external presence only supports IPv4, then the only devices that can communicate with you will be those with IPv4 addresses,” says Cricket Liu, GM of the Infoblox IPv6 Center of Excellence. “To the growing population of pure IPv6 devices, you’re invisible. We can’t ignore the emerging competitive advantages of IPv6, but we also don’t need to adopt IPv6 in one great, costly leap. Focus first on providing IPv6 to the outside world and then work inward in stages. Do this and IPv6 deployment will be relatively painless and prove to be a valuable long-term investment for business growth.”
IPv6 support by registrars can increase adoption
The script-based, automated census of IPv6 support by a percentage of .com, .net and .org Internet subdomains revealed:
* A 1,900 percent increase – from 1.27 percent in the 2010 sample to 25.4 percent in the 2011 sample – in the zones that support IPv6.
* IPv6 adoption by popular registrar Go Daddy represents a significant portion of the growth.
* Factoring out Go Daddy’s contribution, the percentage of zones that support IPv6 increased organically more than two-fold over the previous year to over 3 percent.
* The top three countries in IPv6 adoption are France, USA and Czech Republic.
* Slightly more than 2 percent of the zones surveyed were served by mail servers that support IPv6.
* Less than 1 percent of the zones had IPv6-enabled web servers.
Go Daddy’s adoption of IPv6 illustrates how a single large registrar can have substantial influence on global IPv6 adoption. The high percentages of IPv6 support in France and the Czech Republic are also attributable to adoption by a few registrars: Gandi and OVH in France and Active 24 in the Czech Republic.
MTS launches innovative solution to optimize mobile Internet
MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), the leading telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS countries, announced the deployment of Flash Networks' Harmony Mobile Internet Services Gateway to optimize the volume of mobile data traffic. With this deployment, MTS is able to reduce content and web page download times and increase mobile Internet speed.
Flash Networks' Harmony optimizes picture, video, and other mobile data to ensure the fastest possible download speed regardless of which mobile device is used to connect to the Internet – mobile phone, tablet, or PC via 3G-modem. In order to reduce mobile network traffic load while viewing a video stream, Harmony applies a special buffering mechanism to allow users to watch video streams as they load, without downloading the entire video.
MTS launched a pilot project to test the technology for all customers in Murmansk. By the end of 2011, the new traffic optimization technology will be available to all users of the MTS unlimited mobile Internet in Russia. The solution was developed by Flash Networks and integrated in MTS' network together with the Russian system integrator Technoserv.
"The solution introduced by MTS will provide our customers with faster and more convenient Internet access as the up-to-date text and multimedia compression technology applied by Flash Networks optimizes data in a way practically imperceptible to the human eye," said Sergei Stepanyuk, head of Data Transmission Department at MTS. "Using the data optimization platform allows us to reduce our mobile network data transmission load by almost 40 percent and our transit load by 30 percent, ultimately resulting in faster Internet speeds and better quality of data services for our users."
"We are pleased to offer MTS the most advanced solution for managing traffic while providing mobile Internet services. Harmony enables MTS to optimize up to 90% of its mobile Internet traffic, including web and video applications, and to provide complete data services to its subscribers," said Merav Bahat, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Flash Networks. "MTS has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative operators in Russia and the CIS countries. By choosing our solution, they have significantly strengthened their leading role in wireless data transmission services."
"Having deployed the Harmony solution, MTS has further advanced its line of projects aimed at data traffic management. These projects will not only significantly improve the quality of services provided to their clients, but will also considerably optimize the cost of traffic. Technoserv, together with its partners, has been helping MTS deploy the most up-to-date and efficient solutions for more than six years, and we believe that this project will lead to the successful development of further business," said Andrey Borodin, Technoserv account director for JSFC "Sistema".
Flash Networks' Harmony optimizes picture, video, and other mobile data to ensure the fastest possible download speed regardless of which mobile device is used to connect to the Internet – mobile phone, tablet, or PC via 3G-modem. In order to reduce mobile network traffic load while viewing a video stream, Harmony applies a special buffering mechanism to allow users to watch video streams as they load, without downloading the entire video.
MTS launched a pilot project to test the technology for all customers in Murmansk. By the end of 2011, the new traffic optimization technology will be available to all users of the MTS unlimited mobile Internet in Russia. The solution was developed by Flash Networks and integrated in MTS' network together with the Russian system integrator Technoserv.
"The solution introduced by MTS will provide our customers with faster and more convenient Internet access as the up-to-date text and multimedia compression technology applied by Flash Networks optimizes data in a way practically imperceptible to the human eye," said Sergei Stepanyuk, head of Data Transmission Department at MTS. "Using the data optimization platform allows us to reduce our mobile network data transmission load by almost 40 percent and our transit load by 30 percent, ultimately resulting in faster Internet speeds and better quality of data services for our users."
"We are pleased to offer MTS the most advanced solution for managing traffic while providing mobile Internet services. Harmony enables MTS to optimize up to 90% of its mobile Internet traffic, including web and video applications, and to provide complete data services to its subscribers," said Merav Bahat, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Flash Networks. "MTS has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative operators in Russia and the CIS countries. By choosing our solution, they have significantly strengthened their leading role in wireless data transmission services."
"Having deployed the Harmony solution, MTS has further advanced its line of projects aimed at data traffic management. These projects will not only significantly improve the quality of services provided to their clients, but will also considerably optimize the cost of traffic. Technoserv, together with its partners, has been helping MTS deploy the most up-to-date and efficient solutions for more than six years, and we believe that this project will lead to the successful development of further business," said Andrey Borodin, Technoserv account director for JSFC "Sistema".
Ozonetel System launches first of its kind cloud telephony solution CPBX
BANGALORE, INDIA: Ozonetel Systems, a pioneer in the 'cloud telephony' technology in India, has launched CPBX -- India's first of its kind cloud telephony solution for the SMB segment during the sidelines of NASSCOM Product Conclave in Bangalore.
The newly launched CPBX will bridge a significant gap in the way business communication materializes with the customer over voice supported by SMS/Social Media. CPBX enables the business to have a professional presence to its customers when they call, and efficiently route the call to appropriate person without any dependency on human element.
Online, email/SMS based reports and alerts gives immediate return on invest for the business owner as he is able to track sales leads and customer support issues in real time and more over the system is future ready as its integrated with Social Media sites like twitter & FaceBook to track customer feedback.
The newly launched CPBX will bridge a significant gap in the way business communication materializes with the customer over voice supported by SMS/Social Media. CPBX enables the business to have a professional presence to its customers when they call, and efficiently route the call to appropriate person without any dependency on human element.
Online, email/SMS based reports and alerts gives immediate return on invest for the business owner as he is able to track sales leads and customer support issues in real time and more over the system is future ready as its integrated with Social Media sites like twitter & FaceBook to track customer feedback.
North American NGN equipment market to grow at 17.6 percent CAGR over 2010-2014
DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Next Generation Network Equipment Market in North America 2010-2014" report to its offering.
One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the need for faster data transfer through organizational networks. The NGN equipment market has also been witnessing increasing focus on green NGN equipment. However, the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing concern over data security could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
TechNavio's report, Next Generation Network Equipment Market in North America 2010-2014, has been prepared based on an in-depth analysis of the market with inputs from industry experts. The report analyzes the current NGN equipment market landscape in North America and its growth prospects. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
Key vendors dominating this market include Cisco Systems, Juniper Network, Huawei Technologies, and Alcatel-Lucent.
An analyst from TechNavio's Networking team, said: "The use of green next generation network (NGN) equipment is an emerging trend in North America. With the advent of high-density computing equipment, power usage has increased drastically. As a result, organizations are concerned about the power consumption levels of networks and are demanding energy-efficient network equipment."
According to the report, one of the main drivers of the NGN Equipment market in North America is the need for faster access to data over the network. With NGN equipment, organizations are able to integrate separate voice and data networks into a much simpler and more flexible network using packet switching and IP protocols. The report also discusses the challenges associated with increasing cost of resources and expertise.
One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the need for faster data transfer through organizational networks. The NGN equipment market has also been witnessing increasing focus on green NGN equipment. However, the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing concern over data security could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.
TechNavio's report, Next Generation Network Equipment Market in North America 2010-2014, has been prepared based on an in-depth analysis of the market with inputs from industry experts. The report analyzes the current NGN equipment market landscape in North America and its growth prospects. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
Key vendors dominating this market include Cisco Systems, Juniper Network, Huawei Technologies, and Alcatel-Lucent.
An analyst from TechNavio's Networking team, said: "The use of green next generation network (NGN) equipment is an emerging trend in North America. With the advent of high-density computing equipment, power usage has increased drastically. As a result, organizations are concerned about the power consumption levels of networks and are demanding energy-efficient network equipment."
According to the report, one of the main drivers of the NGN Equipment market in North America is the need for faster access to data over the network. With NGN equipment, organizations are able to integrate separate voice and data networks into a much simpler and more flexible network using packet switching and IP protocols. The report also discusses the challenges associated with increasing cost of resources and expertise.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
RDA Microelectronics intros CMMB mobile TV chip for TD-SCDMA
SHANGHAI, CHINA: RDA Microelectronics, a fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets RF and mixed-signal chips for cellular, connectivity and broadcast applications, announced the introduction of its RDA5891 CMMB Mobile TV SoC for TD-SCDMA handsets and smartphones. CMMB (China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting) is the mobile video standard utilized with TD-SCDMA, China's 3G standard supported by the country's largest telecom operator China Mobile.
RDA's single chip CMMB solution integrates the RF tuner, demodulator, UAM (User Authentication Module) and CPU, thereby reducing the total number of external components while achieving superior performance and lower power consumption. The device is developed using 55 nanometer CMOS process technology and packaged in a 5x5 QFN design, which further enables a significant reduction in the overall bill of material cost.
"Our new CMMB chip further increases RDA's addressable silicon content in 3G handsets for China's growing TD-SCDMA market," commented Vincent Tai, chairman and CEO of RDA Microelectronics. "With the addition of our CMMB chip, RDA now has five available sockets in a TD handset that also include our transceiver, front-end module, Bluetooth and FM products.
"We expect to further increase our silicon content to six sockets with our highly integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM combo chip, which will sample by next month. Together, these products give RDA an addressable dollar content per TD handset that is three times that of a GSM handset. Current estimates project a 70 percent increase in TD-based handset shipments next year, and we believe our competitive new products roadmap will enable us to gain market share and replicate the market leadership that we have achieved with our other products."
With rapid subscriber growth anticipated for TD-SCDMA in 2012, CMMB is expected to become a key feature in China Mobile's TD handsets. China Mobile serves more than 630 million subscribers, including more than 43 million TD subscribers. According to China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), CMMB mobile phone TV service surpassed 10 million users this year and is available in over 330 cities across the country.
RDA's single chip CMMB solution integrates the RF tuner, demodulator, UAM (User Authentication Module) and CPU, thereby reducing the total number of external components while achieving superior performance and lower power consumption. The device is developed using 55 nanometer CMOS process technology and packaged in a 5x5 QFN design, which further enables a significant reduction in the overall bill of material cost.
"Our new CMMB chip further increases RDA's addressable silicon content in 3G handsets for China's growing TD-SCDMA market," commented Vincent Tai, chairman and CEO of RDA Microelectronics. "With the addition of our CMMB chip, RDA now has five available sockets in a TD handset that also include our transceiver, front-end module, Bluetooth and FM products.
"We expect to further increase our silicon content to six sockets with our highly integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM combo chip, which will sample by next month. Together, these products give RDA an addressable dollar content per TD handset that is three times that of a GSM handset. Current estimates project a 70 percent increase in TD-based handset shipments next year, and we believe our competitive new products roadmap will enable us to gain market share and replicate the market leadership that we have achieved with our other products."
With rapid subscriber growth anticipated for TD-SCDMA in 2012, CMMB is expected to become a key feature in China Mobile's TD handsets. China Mobile serves more than 630 million subscribers, including more than 43 million TD subscribers. According to China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), CMMB mobile phone TV service surpassed 10 million users this year and is available in over 330 cities across the country.
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