In the first major initiative since the group formed in December, the WirelessReady Alliance held its first member meeting last week in Vancouver, where members discussed the state of the wireless data industry and plotted future strategy.
Sierra Wireless Inc.-which formed the group-brought together 23 hardware vendors, software developers, systems integrators, service providers and applications providers to make up the alliance. Its vision is to speed the adoption of mobile computing by delivering complete and compelling wireless data solutions. New members include software developers Cerulean Technologies Inc., Dynamic Mobile Data, Utility Partners, Full Stream Technologies and River Run Software Group.
Andrew Harries, Sierra Wireless vice president of marketing, kicked off the meeting with a state of the industry discussion.
“Basically, we’re of the view that we’re moving from Phase I of the wireless data industry-which has a 20-year history dominated by mission-critical vertical applications-to Phase II, which is moving toward mainstream business users,” he said. “The inflection point is close. There’s going to be a much faster rate of growth once the mainstream business users adopt it. We see many signs that that’s close.”
The driver of this expanding market, he said, is the increasing popularity of Internet use and handheld devices.
“That’s where we’re going to target our solutions,” he said.
To date, the alliance members have teamed up to introduce several bundled packages, which Harries said now are in distribution channels.
One is a wireless Internet bundle for Windows CE devices combining Bell Atlantic Mobile airtime with the Sierra Wireless AirCard 300. Another is an enterprise e-mail bundle from AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., River Run software and Sierra Wireless. The final bundle consists of components from Sharp Electronics, GoAmerica, MobileForce Technologies and Sierra Wireless.
“These are indicative of the solutions we’re going to be seeing going forward,” he said. All WirelessReady solutions will be integrated and tested for interoperability before being released as a complete bundled package, he added.
Todd Heintz also was named program manager for the alliance, a new position. Heintz formerly was with Ernst & Young.
“We have a significant number of other companies expressing interest in joining. One development that held up recruitment was lack of an alliance manager,” Harries said. With that void filled, Harries said membership should grow.
Heintz said his goal is to facilitate members working together to develop more bundled solutions and to provide information for the alliance’s Web site.
The meeting also gave the alliance a better idea of what its members want from the organization, Harries said.
“They want more information, more partnership ability and more interoperability tests,” Harries said. However, one function of the alliance members seem to have shunned to date is testing products and stamping them with a WirelessReady-approved logo.
“What members haven’t decided on is how far they want to go with WirelessReady certification,” Harries said. “There has been some reluctance to putting a WirelessReady logo on packages. Sometimes, large manufacturers fear losing control of their branding and their message.”
