Motorola Inc.’s Messaging Systems Products Group announced the latest upgrade to the FLEX protocol, called the FLEX G1.9. According to the company, the upgrade allows FLEX pagers to recognize geographic locations-so it can keep the correct time when moving through time zones-and enables integrated access to Internet content and wireless e-mail services. The protocol is backward compatible and provides increased battery life by up to 50 percent, said Motorola. “The FLEX protocol is now much more than just a wireless transport system for moving bits of data,” said Dr. Alain Briancon, vice president and director of MSPG’s FLEX Architecture and Protocol Systems. “With upgrade G1.9, FLEX is firmly positioned as a rich set of enabling technologies that provide an open standard for easy implementation of exciting new applications to increase revenues and penetrate new markets.”
The Latin American paging industry now has an association to call its own. Temporarily headquartered in Santiago, Chile, the Latin American Messaging Association (LAMA) represents providers of messaging services and equipment manufacturers. LAMA Chairman Kristopher W. Brigham expects “to raise the public awareness level of messaging services and work closely with governments’ regulatory bodies.” Members include service providers such as Arch Latin America, PageNet do Brasil, Directel and OrbCom; and manufacturers such as Glenayre/Wireless Access and Motorola Inc. Contact: Kristopher Brigham Telephone: (+56) 2 335-2207; Fax: (+56) 2 244-2967
U.S.-based Metromedia International Telecommunications Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Metromedia International Group Inc., said Communicatii Nationale Mobile S.A., a joint venture between the Metromedia parent company and an unnamed partner, now provides nationwide FLEX paging in Romania. “Because of the launch of our calling party pays service in Romania, we needed to consider a high-speed protocol that would allow us to maximize our channel capacity,” said John Duffy, vice president of paging operations for Metromedia’s Radio Paging Group.”
