A private Dutch company has combined traditional paging with high-tech messaging to produce “Maxing,” an advanced wireless service that Eindhoven-based CallMax bv hopes to offer commercially early next year.
Using the service, subscribers will be able to store or forward faxes, access e-mail and the Internet. The subscriber device is called a “Maxer,” a tone, numeric or alphanumeric pager with a message box.
The penetration rate for paging in the Netherlands and Sweden is more than two percent. While that pales next to the double-digit penetration rate for markets like Hong Kong and South Korea, it is high for Europe, where paging penetration in Germany, France, Rome and Spain is less than one percent.
Current paging operator PTT Telecom Netherlands claims about 350,000 subscribers, and offers POCSAG service as well as ERMES-based technology. CallMax was recently awarded the nation’s second nationwide paging license. The company said it has contracted with Glenayre Technologies Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., for infrastructure equipment worth about $5 million.
In addition to the subscriber boost anticipated by competitive service, CallMax could become popular because of a “calling party pays” feature, said Russ Allen, executive vice president of field sales and support operations for Glenayre.
CallMax will be able to bill the person calling the pager through an advanced network interface, Allen said.
Owners of CallMax include DeTeMobil (Deutsche Telecom AG), the Dutch investors of EM-Holding, and Telesystems International Wireless Services Inc., a Montreal-based investment company specializing in telecommunications. Together, the companies provide the support and capital required for operational, technical and marketing needs, said Robbert J. Boonk, CallMax marketing manager.
The company’s transmitting stations will offer nationwide coverage and are connected with an Eindhoven central station through a France Telecom satellite, according to CallMax. The new service will be able to serve a million subscribers and can be connected to other European networks.
“This is an advanced computer system which stores numbers, text, voice mail and, in the future, will also be able to store faxes,” said the company. Someone wishing to send a message to a CallMax subscriber sends it to the Message Box. The subscriber is signaled by the Maxer.
Companies can receive customized services with specially programmed Maxers; subscriptions can be tailor-made to suit the requirements and wishes of the user, CallMax said.
