Plus new WiMax chips for public safety and faster 3G services in the new product roundup

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

September 18, 2006

3 Min Read
Q Gets Mail

From the Monday grab-bag of new technologies and devices comes a hosted email service for the Q, public safety applications for WiMax, and ever-faster 3G cards for data-hungry notebook users.

Q Got Mail: Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) has teamed up with Apptix to offer a hosted mobile email service for its new Q smartphone. (See Moto Queues Up With Q.)Apptix's system includes features such as shared calendars, public folder access, and email synchronization. Apptix’s managed service provides continuous IT administration and management of tasks like adding or deleting mailboxes, setting up distribution lists, and changing account details.

Intended for small- and medium-sized businesses, the package will comprise the Moto Q, Apptix Hosted Exchange, and a voice and data service plan. It's expected to be available in the fourth quarter of this year.

WiMax Safety Dance: WiMax chip designer Picochip says that its silicon is part of a public safety network system assembled by M/A-COM, a Tyco Electronics Ltd. (NYSE: TEL) unit.

The hardware works in the 4.9GHz band -- the airwaves allocated to public safety workers. Chip vendors such as Airspan Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: AIRN) and SkyPilot Networks Inc. have been talking up the prospects for WiMax in public safety applications for a while. Manufacturing-and-services conglomerate Tyco, however, has the size to win contracts for major public safety applications like its sometime rival Northrop Grumman Corp. (See Northrop Grumman Wins NYC Safety Deal.)

Sierra Revs Up: Sierra Wireless Inc. (Nasdaq: SWIR; Toronto: SW) says it has started shipping faster CDMA Revision A cards to Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) in preparation for the launch of this faster 3G service in the fourth quarter of this year.

The Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 Sprint Mobile Broadband Card for EV-DO Revision A [Ed note: Hey, snappy name.] is a PC card that will retail for between $250 and $100 -- depending on the length of the contract the user signs with Sprint. Sierra says that Rev A technology could up download speeds to 450-850 kbit/s, or up to six times faster than what's currently available.

There have been rash of new card announcements recently, due in part to the fact that carriers have started to see significant revenue from mobile data services in both the consumer and enterprise markets. (See Sprint & Verizon Push 3G.)

Big Blue Finds Wireless: Also finding new wireless businesses is IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) The company has updated its Lotus Sametime messaging software so companies can now wirelessly message with BlackBerry BlackBerry devices, Windows Mobile gadgets, and Symbian Ltd. phones.

IBM's India research laboratory also showed off its business finder technology -- software that enables users to find nearby and recommended service vendors like plumbers, electricians, carpenters, or doctors. IBM hasn't announced any customers for the location tracking code yet, but the capabilities unveiled appear to make it the next step on from the location services offered by Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Verizon Wireless , and others. (See Location Services Lost on Users.)

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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