A new San Diego-based company has begun developing subscriber communicators for low-speed,
two-way global data communications over Orbcomm’s low-earth-orbit satellite network. Quake Wireless Inc. expects
to have its first commercial LEOlink product this summer.
Quake got into the subscriber communicator business
through acquisition. It purchased technology and certain intellectual property rights for LEOlink from Torrey
Communications Corp., a San Diego company that has gone out of business. Torrey developed the first- and second-
generation LEOlink units, but apparently came to market too early and was not successful.
Privately owned Quake
was incorporated at the end of December.
The new LEOlink 2500, which Quake plans to have ready for beta testing
in 90 days, is an integrated communicator-meaning it contains the complete communications array and antenna in one
housing-for tracking and monitoring items such as construction equipment, railcars, water supplies, hazardous-waste
facilities and pipelines.
The unit takes advantage of the global coverage that satellite communications offers,
allowing customers to attach the Quake device to equipment and monitor it from anywhere in the world. The data
transmission is at a maximum of 2400 bits per second. The LEOlink device measures 10 inches by 16 inches by 4
inches.
Orbcomm offers a large business opportunity for the industry because there are a lot more
“things” that need to be monitored than people, said Quake spokeswoman Gwen Carlson. Such applications
offer a definite improvement for companies that normally would have to send personnel into remote areas to check on
equipment, she said. In addition, companies can get monitoring feedback constantly, rather than
occasionally.
“With the LEOlink communicator, the transportation industry, heavy equipment suppliers and
even maritime organizations can know exactly where their property is, as well as how long it has been moving or
stationary,” according to Quake. “In addition, the LEOlink is equipped to monitor emergency occurrences,
such as the failure of a generator.”
The two-way communicator is designed not only to track and monitor an
asset’s location, but offer details such as temperature and battery voltage.
Data from the device would be sent to an
Orbcomm satellite, then to one of 14 Orbcomm gateways around the world, to an Orbcomm network control center,
and then on to a value-added reseller, to Quake or directly to the customer. Quake President Brian Niznik explained
customers can set up their own applications for organizing the received data, or Quake can set up a private location on
its Web site and establish reports for customers to access.
Quake currently is building products and components
only for the Orbcomm satellite system, but has not ruled out developing offerings for other systems in the
future.
“There might be something in the future other than Orbcomm, but we don’t want to bite off more than
we can chew (right now),” Niznik said.
Orbcomm is the only global satellite system up and running today that
has communications offerings for those who need low-speed data communications solutions, Niznik commented. The
Iridium L.L.C. system, he explained, is not optimized for this market.
“It’s obvious to me that the big LEOs
are focused on voice transmission,” said Niznik. “Of the little LEOs, Orbcomm is the only one in business,
offering (low-speed) data at cost-competitive prices.”
Orbcomm is a 28-satellite system, which launched
commercial service in late 1998. Orbcomm lists its service offerings as specifically fixed-asset monitoring, mobile-
asset tracking and two-way messaging.
Quake has been approved as an authorized Orbcomm manufacturer.
The
other companies that are Orbcomm subscriber communicator manufacturers are CTI/RayCom Inc. of South Korea,
Magellan Systems Corp., Panasonic Industrial Co., Scientific-Atlanta Inc. and Stellar Satellite Communications
Ltd.
Niznik said Quake will differentiate its market focus by offering a product ruggedized for harsh environments
and fully integrated with an onboard computer. The other companies, he explained, either offer handheld products, only
OEM modules or communicators for certain vertical markets.
Quake also is offering an OEM module. The
company last week announced a deal with Belgium-based Cardian N.V., which is the exclusive provider of Orbcomm
service in France, Finland and the Baltic States. As part of the agreement, Cardian will distribute the LEOlink 2500 in
Europe and India.
In addition, Cardian will use Quake’s OEM module along with its own technology to develop a
handheld subscriber communicator, the LEOlink 3500, which will enable users to send e-mail messages from anywhere
in the world. The 3500 is scheduled to be commercially available in the third quarter, according to Niznik.
Before
joining Quake Wireless, Niznik was vice president of Torrey Communications, where he evaluated vertical market
opportunities and initiated strategic relationships such as the one with Orbcomm. Prior to that, Niznik was international
business development manager and senior marketing manager for the OmniTracs Division of Qualcomm Inc.
The
other leadership at Quake includes Jim Arnett, chief operating officer and chief financial officer. Arnett’s background is
in the investment banking industry. He has spent the last two years in San Diego designing and implementing strategic
plans for high-technology companies. Before that, he was an investment banker with Paine Webber Inc.
Heading up
the technical area is David Schoen, vice president of engineering and operations. Schoen comes from Torrey Science,
where he served as chief technical officer and provided technical direction on all projects, including transceivers for
Orbcomm.
Quake currently has 20 employees, all in San Diego.
