During the last year, industry has unveiled a host of new gadgets for advanced alphanumeric paging, voice paging and messaging services.
SkyTel Corp. currently is marketing its SkyWriter two-way service using the AccessLink pager by Wireless Access Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. The carrier no longer markets Motorola Inc.’s Tango unit, which was part of SkyTel’s initial 2-Way service, launched more than a year ago, but it still is available upon request.
The AccessLink is a folder-based unit. Users can reply to messages sent by using preset responses or typing customized responses. However, custom responses can take a while to write, since users must scroll through the on-screen keyboard characters. AccessLink users also can send messages from pager to pager, said Wireless Access.
The PageWriter by Motorola and Inter@ctive by Research in Motion, are folder-based two-way units, as well. Both feature a small keyboard. PageWriter encompasses a few different models and may be ready for service sometime this summer, said SkyTel spokesman Johnny Hales.
The Inter@ctive is offered by ConectUS Wireless Communications and soon will be commercial on Ram Mobile Data USA L.P.’s two-way network. The unit allows messaging unit to unit, access to Internet e-mail and operator dispatch services, said ConectUS. ConectUS’ two-way service runs over the Ardis data network owned by Motorola. Service is available across the United States and in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Samsung Telecommunications America’s TAG pager provides functions similar to AccessLink and PageWriter, including the ability to initiate messages to other TAG pagers. The unit is being marketed exclusively through American Messaging Systems Inc., a joint venture of American Paging and Nexus Telecommunications Systems Ltd. of Israel. Nexus’ protocol is configured as a return channel that’s added to existing one-way systems. Samsung expects to release a FLEX version of TAG during the fourth quarter, said company spokesman Paul Fay.
The Motorola Tenor is in use by Paging Network Inc. and Insta-Check Systems of Miami, both operators of InFLEXion-based networks. To date, Motorola is the only producer of an InFLEXion-based unit. However, a few others, including Wireless Access, are licensed with the InFLEXion technology.
The ReadyTalk Echo is a voice pager introduced by ReadyCom Inc. and manufactured by Maxon Corp. Unlike other pagers, the Echo operates over cellular frequencies. The unit allows users to send and receive messages.
Motorola’s PageFinder and Advisor Gold are its most sophisticated one-way alphanumeric units. SkyTel is selling Motorola’s PageFinder in conjunction with its SkyWord Plus alphanumeric service, which provides users guaranteed message delivery.
Standard Telecom America Inc. recently released the Nixxo Swing-Memo, the company’s first alphanumeric unit. Shaped like a jukebox, the Swing weighs in at just 65 grams including the battery. Standard Telecom’s Nixxo Tutti is a basic numeric unit and the Nixxo Pop is an FM radio and pager in one. Pop was introduced last fall and operates in the VHF band. The company is producing a 900 MHz version of Pop that will be available commercially during the third quarter.
NEC Corp.’s MessageMaker Series include the I, II and III and Exec numeric models and the Companion alphanumeric pager, available in POCSAG or FLEX. MessageMaker II and III feature nine communication icons, including an envelope, house, heart and telephone, so users can receive a more complete message.
