In the vein of 007 and his accessory antics, Seiko Communications of America is making it possible to receive pages, security-coded messages and other information by watch, and soon by car radio or personal computer.
The Beaverton, Ore.-based Seiko company, a joint venture of Seiko Corp. and Seiko Epson Corp., introduced its MessageWatches two years ago in Los Angeles, and has since opened its network in several other markets including Seattle, Portland, San Diego and Las Vegas, said spokeswoman Dianna Schmid. Seiko’s network is completed in New York, but not yet commercial.
A MessageWatch user receives limited alphanumeric paging messages and information services on their watch, which is outfitted with Seiko’s Advanced Communications and Timekeeping Technology, or ACTT, chipset.
The company’s ACTTIVE network delivers paging and information services over excess frequencies leased from FM radio stations. Information services include weather forecasts twice daily, sports-local, collegiate and professional, seasonal ski conditions, surf reports, same day market closings and lottery numbers.
The paging technology is numeric, but allows for sending predetermined text messages by calling a number and selecting from a menu of prewritten messages including “come home” or “call the office.” Another option is to leave a voice mail message and the voice mail box notifies the end user.
Messages also can be delivered by computer. Via Seiko’s World Wide Web site, brief personalized text messages can be sent.
Once issued, a message travels on a phone line to Seiko’s Message Center, which sends the information to its FM subcarrier station and from there wireless signals are transmitted to the user device.
MessageWatch customers in one market automatically are connected to Seiko’s other networks when traveling in those areas.
Seiko recently received a patent to add a private message capability to MessageWatches, but the capability is not yet commercial. Typically messages appear in text across the watch’s face, but private messages will transmit directly to the MessageWatch’s memory. Once delivered, the watch will notify the user, who can read the message only by entering a predetermined security code, said Seiko. The code must match the security coded message sent. If an incorrect code is entered a preset number of times, the watch erases the message from memory.
Schmid said there are currently four MessageWatch models, which include a few sports watches, a plastic watch and a metal model. Altogether there are 13 styles, which vary by color or metal. Suggested retail is between about $100 and $190. Service activation is $20, and per month service is about $8 for customers that sign up for a year. Month to month, service costs about $13.
Initially MessageWatches were available through resellers only, but Seiko now markets the product through retailers including The Good Guys and Staples.
Schmid noted MessageWatches keep perfect atomic time, which is updated at least 36 times a day. “If you go to Chicago and back to L.A., your watch will switch back to Pacific time by the time the airplane has landed.”
Schmid declined to specify how many MessageWatch customers the company has, but said, “many thousand.”
Seiko recently started consumer testing of the Seattle Wide-area Information for Travelers, a project that began about two years ago in Washington. Working with Delco Electronics’ navigation unit and a battery powered IBM PC, SWIFT aims to provide users traffic information, including details about congested or problem areas, and transportation information, like the next bus arrival. Also involved in the SWIFT project are the Washington Department of Transportation, the University of Washington, Metro Traffic Control, the King County Department of Metropolitan Services, the Federal Highway Administration, Etak Inc. digital mapping and SAIC (the program evaluator). Schmid didn’t say when a car unit would be available.
