News
Issue #2003 - 27 (October 2003)
(Updated Oct. 22, 2003)

INFRASTRUCTURE, PRODUCTS & SERVICES

WiFi News This Week

1. Wi-Fi Management
Mapesbury Communications Ltd and Birdstep Technology ASA announced recently that Mapesbury has selected Birdstep's IP Zone management software platform for the UK-wide rollout of MCom's Wi-Fi service offering. Available in Q4, the partnership provides MCom with a complete Wi-Fi management solution that is scalable and flexible to handle future growth. The solution will power T-Mobile WLAN service at Texaco service stations in the UK.

By using a wirelessly enabled laptop, users will be able to connect to the Internet and their corporate network to read and respond to emails or download presentations, just as they would in the office. 

2. Early IEEE 802.16a - WMAN Compatible Product Announced 
See related news item in this newsletter. 

3. Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, has selected TeleSym's SymPhone System software for voice calling on campus-wide wireless networks.
SymPhone adds cordless-phone capability to mobile computers. The Dartmouth contract calls for TeleSym to support thousands of users on what must surely be one of the world's largest wireless IP telephony installations, which is eventually expected to serve a community of 13,000 students, faculty, and staff. We note that this is not a first "first" for Dartmouth: It was the first Ivy League institution to be fully wired, then fully wireless. By year-end it will be the first college fully to deploy VoIP on its wireless networks. The system has been in testing for a year, and Dartmouth began its migration to Internet calling last month by distributing the telephone software to incoming students. The first SymPhone product being distributed runs on Pocket PC-based PDAs. TeleSym is completing client software for the Palm and Apple Macintosh operating systems, also to be provided under this contract. SymPhone users dial calls from an on-screen dial pad and existing contact lists, to reach any telephone in the world. SymPhone server software connects callers to enterprise phone systems and PBXes.

4. WLAN Growth
See related news item in this newsletter.

Sources: Different, including 802.11 Report Newsletter

MobileInfo Comments and Advisory: We are encouraged by Dartmouth being bold enough to deploy VoIP for the entire campus. Let the academic institutions debug the initial technology deployment bugs. Once again the forward-looking younger generation helps us out. 

Note: This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of Securities Exchange act of 1934 in USA. Similar provisions exist in other countries. There is no assurance that the stipulated plans of vendors will be implemented. MobileInfo does not warrant the authenticity of the information. Readers should take appropriate caution in developing plans utilizing these products, services and technology architectures.  All trademarks used in this summary are the property of their respective owners.