In an unprecedented show of cooperation, Glenayre Technologies Inc. and Motorola Inc. joined forces to promote ReFLEX paging systems in the Asia Pacific, organizing the ReFLEX Technology Symposium ’98 held last month in Beijing and Bangkok, Thailand.
The symposium drew representatives from more than 300 paging operators among eight Asian countries, as well as U.S. operators Paging Network Inc., SkyTel Communications Inc. and the Personal Communications Industry Association.
Attendees met to exchange information on ReFLEX technologies and applications, network migration strategies and market findings on two-way paging, Glenayre said.
As one-way paging growth is leveling or falling in most Asian nations, two-way paging is seen as a possible remedy. As such, the two companies organized the symposium to promote ReFLEX, impart technological updates, educate operators on how to best employ the technology and allow operators to share market findings.
“Glenayre is providing the region’s paging operators with information on ReFLEX technology as well as business strategies to deliver advanced messaging services,” said H.K. Cheong, senior vice president and general manager of Glenayre’s Asia-Pacific operations.
Fernando Gomez, Motorola’s vice president and general manager of the East Asia Paging Products Group, said the top five markets in the Asia-Pacific region will account for about 95 percent of the 168 million regional subscribers by 2002.
Executives at Motorola and Glenayre, with help from Washington, D.C.-based Strategis Group, forecast China will be the leader among the region’s top five paging subscriber markets by 2002, with 121 million subscribers and 71 percent of the market. Next is South Korea, with 20 million subscribers and 12 percent of the market, followed by Taiwan and Japan, with 7 million and 6 million subscribers respectively, both about 4 percent of the market. Thailand came in fifth, with 4 million subscribers and 3 percent of the Asia-Pacific market.
The companies expect China will continue as a regional and global powerhouse with half of all paging subscribers worldwide by 2003.
Motorola developed the ReFLEX protocol and Glenayre licensed it. The two companies are the primary ReFLEX infrastructure providers in the world.
