RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-IBM Corp. announced it has formed an independent business unit, IBM Mobile & Wireless Systems, to provide a complete line of mobile and wireless products for industry applications, including field sales and service, health care and public safety.
The new unit will work with IBM solution units, wireless device manufacturers and business partners and will focus on customized solutions integrating handheld or mobile systems, wireless adaptors, mobile computing software applications and the newest types of cellular and radio frequency networks, IBM said.
An integrated approach is key to the new unit’s strategy, according to IBM Mobile & Wireless Systems Manager Brad Silvernail. “Working from a total solution perspective, we can recommend and provide the best type of wide-area or local-area network configuration,the most efficient type of radio network and modem devices and even pre-load application software for the customer,” he said.
As part of its expanded efforts in the market, IBM Mobile & Wireless Systems will introduce a family of radio frequency multifunction terminals, enhancements and new software for existing wireless modems and the AS/400 Wireless LAN Token Ring Access Point, which expands LAN and RF data collection solutions to AS/400 client/server systems using IBM Token Ring connectivity, IBM said. The terminals will support all three IBM wide-area wireless modems, as well as LAN connectivity.
IBM also announced a cooperative agreement with Melard Technologies Inc. that will allow IBM to offer a completed wireless hardware solution for field-service automation. The solution will integrate IBM’s PCMCIA [Personal Computer Memory Card International Association] wireless modems for Ardis and Cellular Digital Packet Data networks with Melard’s Ranger wireless series of handheld computer devices.
