NEW YORK-Voice Signal Technologies Inc. will begin commercial sale later this summer of its VoiceTag wireless communications speech- recognition solution, designed to be embedded in the device instead of relying on computer servers or distributed architecture.The privately held company, headquartered in Woburn, Mass., is...
CellStar Corp. said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has informed it that the investigation into its compliance with federal securities laws has been terminated. "We are pleased to put this matter behind us and have believed from the beginning that the company complied...
In technology as in life, the last protocol on stage is the hero. While time will serve as jury in due course, for now the CDMA operators and manufacturers seem to be gloating, sometimes quietly and sometimes on rooftops, that they are a few...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands-Royal Philips Electronics NV said it will quit making mobile-phone handsets and cede it to a venture with China Electronics Corp. to make them.The Financial Times reported that although CEC will take on some of Philips' 3,100-person staff at its consumer communications unit,...
SINGAPORE-Singapore network operators will not make General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) widely available to consumers here before the end of this year, executives from operators and handset manufacturers said at the CommunicAsia exhibition recently. Handset manufacturers also admitted the shortage of devices is delaying...
TOKYO- NTT DoCoMo, in cooperation with KPN Mobile and E-Plus, is scheduled to launch i-mode-like services in the Netherlands and Germany in the fourth quarter. Access, a Japanese provider of microbrowsers for non-PC devices including NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service, is also exploring the European...
Handsets/ devicesMitsubishiMitsubishi released three new handsets. The Eclipse is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) phone with a color display. The dual-band phone offers 256 colors and up to 86 kilobits-per-second data speeds. It has several features for business users. The phone allows users...
TOKYO-Amid harsh competition among mobile carriers, Japanese cellular handsets have been evolving rapidly. Most handsets currently used are light, tiny, fashionable and smart. Internet-ready capabilities and color screens are almost standard functions.NTT DoCoMo is selling only i-mode-enabled handsets, all J-Phone's handsets have color screens...
DUBLIN, Ireland-Opinion is divided on the identity of the "killer applications" that will allow operators to make a return on their significant investments in General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and third-generation (3G) technology. But while operators develop prototype services and grapple with technical difficulties...
NEW DELHI, India-Wireless network operators the world over are preparing to move from offering voice-only services to data and content-based services. The transition means they will have to install real-time, flexible, scalable billing systems capable of handling complex third-party environments. A bigger challenge is...
NEW DELHI, India-Though a late starter, the Asia-Pacific region may steal a march over Europe in rolling out third-generation (3G) networks.On May 30, NTT DoCoMo became the first operator in the world to offer 3G services on a trial basis. In addition to this,...
DENVER, United States-The third-generation (3G) hype is much less intense than a year ago, as executives and engineers get down to the nitty-gritty of making the new technology-and their business plans-work. It is a time of industry transition and stealth-mode research and development, along...
Wireless giants CMG, Comverse, Ericsson, Logica, Motorola, Nokia and Siemens are partnering to raise awareness of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and to promote the technology's development in an open global market. MMS combines audio and video clips, photographs and images with text messaging. The...
NEW YORK-A noteworthy dynamic has developed in which major players like AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Cingular Wireless and Sprint PCS are actively promoting prepaid services, while smaller providers like Dobson Communications Corp. and TeleCorp PCS want to minimize its role."The irony is not lost...
By outsourcing their handset and network equipment production, major vendors may be unwittingly yielding enormous influence to contract electronics manufacturers that could acquire enough expertise and experience to develop their own brands and technologies.Two reports, one by market research firm Bear Stearns and the...
Forget about 3G speed. Bring on the services."Today's network speed and coverage are more than adequate for most of the so-called 3G services," said Matin B. Dunsby, global wireless initiative leader of Deloitte Consulting, echoing the often understated fact that the glorified services anticipated...
DENVER-Qwest Wireless last week filed to change its Enhanced 911 Phase II solution from a network-based solution to an assisted Global Positioning Satellite-or hybrid-solution.Qwest in November was one of the 14 carriers to file with the Federal Communications Commission for a network-based solution. Fifteen...
NTT DoCoMo applies for stock listings, calls back handsetsNTT DoCoMo Inc. has applied for listings this fall on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange, according to various sources.Japan's largest mobile wireless operator went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in...
The GSM Association-the body behind GSM and GPRS networks, as well as the popular short message service-announced last week another standards effort, one that some industry observers believe will be a major catalyst for the worldwide uptake of the mobile Internet."We view the creation...
Timing is everything. As European wireless markets face saturation, the rollout of next-generation services becomes even more essential to the continued growth of the industry. "Ultimately, the potential is there, the question is, can the handset manufacturers come out with the handsets and can...
In a triangular deal, German-based operator T-Mobil is partnering with Agere Systems to adopt Samsung's General Packet Radio Service class 8-cell phone.The phone, which will be made available commercially during this quarter, uses Agere's semiconductor chips and software.The Samsung GPRS wireless handsets equipped with...
Cellemetry L.L.C.Numerex Corp. announced that its subsidiary, Cellemetry L.L.C., will incorporate Ida Corp.'s Global Trakit Data Center in its Cellemetry network, enabling automatic vehicle location and remote asset management. According to Geoff Girdler, head of the Numerex wireless communication group, "This powerful tool for...
NEW YORK-By early fall, the Federal Communications Commission expects to issue rules governing software-defined radio, which industry participants believe will revolutionize wireless communications, Bryan Tramont said June 11 at the SDR Forum Conference."There is support for SDR within the FCC ... Commissioner (Kathleen) Abernathy...
SAN DIEGO-Wireless Knowledge Inc. and Kyocera Wireless Corp. announced they are partnering to offer mobile applications for businesses using the Kyocera QCP 6036 smart phone."With our custom applications and shrink-wrapped software products, Wireless Knowledge is committed to supporting Kyocera's CDMA handsets by enabling users...
