RoW Short Takes

Zucotto Wireless shuts doors, soon to reopen in U.S.One-time promising wireless startup Zucotto Wireless has officially shut its doors and laid off all of its employees without severance. The company, which was based in Ottawa, also had an office in San Jose. Several conflicting reports have surfaced detailing the reasons why the company failed to become viable. Some have pointed the fingers at a management team that heaped gifts on staff and took lavish trips. Others say the venture capitalists backing the company wanted too much control over the firm. Ultimately, Zucotto failed to convince device manufacturers that its Java-based chips would be key to providing multimedia content over wireless handsets. It is still unclear what will happen in the near future, but reports indicate the company will reopen under a different name in the U.S. LogiSense and Inviz deploy hotspot billing systemCambridge ON-based LogiSense Corp. and Inviz Network Inc. have teamed up to deploy a hotspot billing platform allowing high-end hotels to offer their visitors anywhere access to the Internet. The two companies worked together to implement LogiSense’s engageIPTM hotspot billing and optimization software in several large hotel chains including Marriot Renaissance, Radisson Huntley and Oceana. Upon launching an Internet browser, hotel guests and visitors are directed to a hotel-branded secure sign-up page where they enter pre-paid card or credit card information. According to a news release, the LogiSense engageIPTM hotspot suite enables organizations to deploy an automated, manageable and secure Wi-Fi location in less than a week. STMicroelectronics selects Agilent’s RF design kitFrance-based chip designer and manufacturer STMicroelectronics has selected Agilent Technologies’ RF design environment (RFDE) as its environment of choice for RF/mixed signal integrated circuit design. The RFDE was introduced in June 2002 and was the first product to come from the Agilent and Cadence Design Systems alliance. STMicroelectronics has begun to upgrade its R&D operations to the Agilent and Cadence design flow. Fairmont Hotels teams up with chip giant Intel for Wi-FiFairmont Hotels & Resorts is teaming up with Intel Corp. to promote Intel’s Centrino mobile technology for notebook computers. As part of that push, Fairmont has completed the installation and verification of wireless Internet access in its 41 luxury hotels. Each hotel now has up to six hotspots capable of supporting dozens of simultaneous users on a shared backbone. Additionally, Intel signage will figure prominently within Fairmont’s hotels noting that the particular location supports connectivity for all Centrino-enabled notebook computers. RIM unveils new smaller BlackBerry devicesResearch in Motion Ltd. has introduced two new lighter and smaller BlackBerry devices for the European marketplace. The Java-based 6210 and 6220 are equipped with all the traditional BlackBerry features, but also include recently introduced wireless synchronization functionality. Both devices were unveiled at the CeBIT conference, which took place in Hanover, Germany last week. In other RIM news, the company announced that it is working with Vodafone D2 to bring the BlackBerry to Vodafone’s corporate customers in Germany. Rogers Wireless launches wireless skateboard gameToronto-based Rogers Wireless Inc. has launched JAMDAT Mobile Inc. and Activision Inc.’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 wireless game to its subscribers. Canadian wireless gamers can now spin and jump with other top-rated skateboarders from around the world. Rogers subscribers who purchase Motorola Inc.’s T720, Motorola’s recently released handset with a colour screen, can download and play the game for free until May 15. Those who buy the T720 will automatically be entered in a draw to win a Sony PlayStation2. Nortel selected by T-Mobile for GPRS deploymentNortel Networks Corp. has been selected by T-Mobile International as its preferred supplier of wireless infrastructure for GPRS network rollouts across Europe. T-Mobile will use Nortel’s Univity Packet Core. This latest contract is incremental to an earlier contract the two companies signed in May 2002. Initial implementation will begin in Germany and the United Kingdom. Mobile Knowledge acquired by merchant banking fundLongitude Fund Limited Partnership has acquired Mobile Knowledge Inc., a provider of GPS-based mobile dispatch systems for the taxi and limousine industry. As a result of the acquisition, Mobile Knowledge will become a private company. The Ottawa company was forced into receivership by Longitude Fund LP, Mobile Knowledge’s primary debt holder (RoW, Feb. 4/03). On March 14, the Ontario Superior Court approved the acquisition of Mobile Knowledge. Longitude Fund LP plans to keep Mobile Knowledge in tact, including the management team and more than 50 jobs in Ottawa. Infowave adds support for Palm Tungsten WInfowave Software Inc. has introduced Symmetry Pro and Infowave Mobile Messaging products with support for Palm Inc.’s Tungsten W wireless handheld. Both products are available for a free download at www.infowave.com/products/trials.htm. The Vancouver firm’s wireless messaging products are now available for a wide variety of wireless platforms. In other Infowave news, its Symmetry Pro wireless email software will be bundled with every Pocket PC Phone Edition and Handspring Treo device that T-Mobile USA plans to ship. WebTech Wireless unveils new telematics product for fleetsWebTech Wireless Inc. has introduced the WebTech Locator 4000, a ruggedized telematics device that operates on both GSM/GPRS networks as well as on Orbcomm’s satellite network. In a news release, the company notes that the WebTech Locator 4000 is the first fleet management product for the transportation industry to operate on both a terrestrial wireless and a satellite network. SAMSys expands relationship with Tunity TechnologiesToronto-based SAMSys Technologies Inc. has expanded its relationship with Tunity Technologies Pte Ltd. Tunity will now become a value-added reseller of SAMSys RFID systems. Under an expanded agreement, SAMSys will provide Tunity will RFID reader hardware for deployment in the Asia-Pacific logistics industries.

RoW Short Takes

News | March 18, 2003

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