NewNet Communication Technologies Acquires 3ple-Media, BV

NewNet Communication Technologies, a Skyview Capital portfolio company and recognized leader in mobile messaging and network signaling solutions for wireless, IP, and wireline networks, announced it has successfully completed the acquisition of 3ple-Media, BV. Headquartered in Schiphol-Rijk, the Netherlands, 3ple-Media is a leader in providing innovative multi-media messaging solutions to wireless carriers worldwide.

3ple-Media's award-winning Mercury platform enables carriers to implement highly cost effective, media rich, campaigns such as live media broadcast, mobile advertising, streaming video and premium content subscription services. Optimized for multimedia messaging, Mercury delivers unsurpassed performance and scalability in a carrier grade platform, allowing carriers to capitalize on revenue generating multimedia opportunities.

The acquisition of 3ple-Media and the Mercury platform represents a significant milestone in the evolution of NewNet's product portfolio and market focus. 3ple-media's globally deployed employees will become part of NewNet's team, ensuring business and product development continuity.

To read the complete article, click here.

Thomson WiFi 802.11n broadband gateways comply with newly ratified IEEE Standard

Thomson, a worldwide leader of services to content creators, has welcomed the formal ratification of the 802.11n wireless technology standard by IEEE. Its new generation of WiFi-enabled cable gateways are fully compatible with the ratified standard.

In 2009, the company launched a new range of 802.11n gateways, certified by the WiFi alliance as draft 2.0, allowing service providers to offer multiple services to the networked home including high quality video over wireless. This new ratification by the IEEE guarantees that future home networking equipment will be compliant with these devices.

Levering its expertise in the WiFi alliance for xDSL gateways, Thomson has developed a range of Wireless “n“ products in conjunction with DOCSIS 3.0 or EuroDOCSIS 3.0, resulting in a very fast and convenient solution for cable operators. The company’s product portfolio includes the TCW770 DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS 3.0 wireless cable gateway and TWG870 wireless Voice gateway for the European market as well as the DCW775 DOCSIS 3.0 wireless cable gateway and DWG875 DOCSIS 3.0 wireless Voice gateway for the U.S. market.

For the full press release, click here.

Tata Teleservices Expands Telcordia Relationship to Provide Real-Time Charging on its GSM Network

When Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL), India's fastest growing pan-India dual-technology telecom service provider, was looking to launch its GSM-based prepaid service offerings in the rapidly growing Indian market, it selected Telcordia, a leading global provider of communications network software and services for IP, wireline, wireless and cable. Just a few months later, the Telcordia solution was implemented, enabling TTSL to launch its innovative and exciting prepaid offerings on its new GSM Network.

Presently, Tata Teleservices relies on Telcordia® Real-Time Charging to deliver a highly scalable, reliable and cost-effective real-time charging solution for its nearly 40 million CDMA subscribers.

India is experiencing an unprecedented rate of subscriber growth, especially in the prepaid market, and the challenge for communications service providers (CSPs) is to attract new subscribers, retaining existing ones and increasing service use to boost revenue. As such, there is a greater need for CSPs to differentiate their service offerings by providing relevant, interactive and personalized services. Telcordia Real-Time Charging makes it easy to create and deploy customer-specific rules for rating, discounting and promotions, and enables CSPs to differentiate their service offerings and personalize the telecom experience for its customers.

For more information about Telcordia's presence in India, click here.

Qualcomm Enables Whole-House Media Streaming with Industry's First 4x4 MIMO Wireless Network Solution

New N-Stream Solution Delivers up to Four 802.11n Spatial Streams to Provide Exceptional Range and Bandwidth without Performance Degradation -

Qualcomm Incorporated, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today introduced the N-Stream Wireless LAN WCN1320 chip, the industry's first dual-band 802.11n standards-based wireless local-area networking (WLAN) solution with 4x4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Offering industry-leading performance of 600 Mbps, the new chip is designed to enable users to distribute multiple simultaneous streams of high-definition video, voice and data throughout the home, without the hassle and cost of installing cables or the interference and range problems of previous wireless technologies.

Qualcomm's N-Stream WLAN solution is being demonstrated this week at Computex Taipei and at Connections 2009 in Santa Clara.

"Qualcomm's advanced 4x4 MIMO technology sets a new performance milestone for home media streaming devices," said Mike Concannon, senior vice president of Connectivity and Wireless Modules for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "Our N-Stream solution delivers a new level of performance and range, enabling next-generation whole-house wireless LAN coverage."
Qualcomm has created WLAN reference module designs to enable manufacturers to quickly integrate WCN1320 into a wide range of media streaming consumer electronic devices such as access points, set-top boxes, and media-centric devices. The WCN1320 chip includes an internal high-speed application processor to run the WLAN software within the chip which provides OEMs the flexibility to use lower cost host processors in their design, easing integration, and reducing development costs for adding WLAN to their products.

"Qualcomm's WCN1320 chip opens up new possibilities for the digital home, and we have been collaborating closely to bring this technology to market, paired with our set-top box solutions," said Mark Samuel, general manager Cable and IP STB business, NXP Semiconductors. "We are very excited about the progress we have made in jointly enabling a new level of whole-house wireless media streaming coverage with exceptionally high bandwidth for multiple media streams."

"AppliedMicro, a global leader in energy conscious computing and communications solutions for enterprise applications, is pleased to work with Qualcomm to complement our multimedia networking expertise with this new WLAN technology," said Gopi Sirineni, AppliedMicro's vice president of consumer and SMB business. "The combination of Qualcomm's WCN1320 WLAN and AppliedMicro's Power Architecture embedded processor technology in access points, NAS, and gateways enables end-to-end solutions that accelerate the deployment of wireless media streaming for both consumer and enterprise applications."

WCN1320's advanced 4x4 MIMO technology uses four spatial streams to distribute multiple streams of concurrent voice, video and data in either the 5GHz or 2.4 GHz radio bands. Qualcomm has developed sophisticated algorithms which take advantage of the multiple transmitters and receivers to increase data throughput, extend range and overcome interference with a spectrally efficient solution. Qualcomm's WCN1320 solution is backward compatible with existing 802.11a, b, and g devices.

The highly integrated N-Stream WCN1320 solution utilizes a 65-nanometer CMOS process technology to combine an embedded applications processor, media-access controller, digital baseband, radio-frequency transceiver and system power-management in a single compact 12x12 mm package.

Qualcomm's N-Stream WLAN WCN1320 solution is expected to begin sampling in the second quarter of 2009. The WCN1320 is part of a complete end-to-end solution for 802.11n from Qualcomm, which also includes the WCN1312(TM) solution for handsets and other mobile devices.

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2009 FORTUNE 500(R) company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of the WCN1320 chip on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which 802.11n-compliant wireless local-area networking is adopted and deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2008, and most recent Form 10-Q.

Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. N-Stream, WCN1312 and WCN1320 are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Sigma Designs VP Speaks About New Roles for Wireless Home Controls and Z-Wave at Connections 2009

Sigma Designs, Inc., a leader in digital media processing system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer electronics, today announced that Ken Lowe, Sigma’s vice president of strategic marketing, will be speaking at this year’s Parks Associates CONNECTIONS™ Digital Living Conference. The panel, titled “Wireless Home Controls: New Roles and Functionality”, is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 at 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. PT in Ballroom F. The CONNECTIONS conference kicks off on Tuesday, June 2 and runs through Thursday, June 4 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.

Lowe will discuss wireless home controls and share his thoughts on the future of in-home mesh networks, what new technologies home enthusiasts can expect in the next few years and how Sigma’s Z-Wave devices accessed over the Internet can create a revolution in the wireless home network.

“Enabling wireless home control networks that can also be accessed from the Internet is an exciting next step in the direction of a modern digital home,” says Lowe. “With the continuous advancement of Z-Wave technology, consumers are now able to install a set of fully interoperable dimmers, switches, thermostats, cameras, and other home devices with the convenience of accessing them through their laptop or cell phone. With the focus on controlling energy use in the home, hundreds of Z-Wave products provide an off-the-shelf solution with this new remote management technology.”

Moderated by Bill Ablondi, Director of Home Systems Research at Parks Associates, panelists will discuss how the advancements in wireless technologies enable new configurations and opportunities in the connected home. This panel will discuss the technology trends, market opportunities, and design challenges in bringing new capabilities to market in familiar packages. Examples include a universal remote control (URC) that controls lights or locks the front door via a mobile phone or the ability for installers to connect security systems to garage doors, lighting controls, and HVAC systems.

Opening sessions feature TiVo, YouTube, Cisco, IBM, Yahoo!, VIZIO, AnySource

CONNECTIONS™ to address business strategies for Premium Web Video Content and Connected TV --

Parks Associates announced the speakers for two key sessions, The Marriage of Online Video to CE and Connected TV Strategies, at CONNECTIONS™, June 2-4, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. These sessions address the impact of bringing Web video content to connected TVs and the new business models emerging from manufacturers and content providers as more CE gain enhanced Internet capabilities.

The Marriage of Online Video to CE takes place Tuesday, June 2, 5:15 p.m., following the opening keynote Embedding Wireless in Consumer Electronics, by Glenn Lurie, President of Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

Speakers for this session:
>> Jim Denney, VP, Product Marketing, TiVo Inc.
>> Brent Hurley, Strategic Partner Development Manager, YouTube
>> Ken Wirt, VP, Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems

Connected TV Strategies takes place Wednesday, June 3, 9 a.m. It addresses business plans, new revenues models, and marketing strategies for CE manufacturers selling advanced televisions. Following this session, Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon, will present the morning keynote.

Speakers for this session:
>> Bruce Anderson, GM, IBM
>> Mike Harris, CEO, AnySource
>> Matthew McRae, VP, GM, Advanced Platforms, VIZIO
>> Russ Schafer, Sr. Director, Product Marketing, Connected TV, Yahoo!

Parks Associates forecasts that by 2013, worldwide annual sales of connected CE will exceed 100 million units, while cable and IPTV VoD service revenues will reach $11 billion.

To view the full press release, click here.

Wireless Networking - SiBeam's VP responds to follow up panel questions

Thank you John Marshall, Vice President, Sales & Marketing of SiBEAM, Inc. and Chairman of the WirelessHD Consortium for your responses.

For purposes of our blog, can you please reiterate the range at which your solution is most likely going to be used?

WirelessHD is an in-room solution for uncompressed, lossless video streaming that operates at full HD rates of ~4Gbps at a distance of 10m.

Can you explain “lossless compression”? How would you answer the criticism that you’re compromising the quality of the video with expensive and proprietary solutions?

Traditionally, the industry has regarded any compression technique above 4x as lossy. However, 2x and 4x compression ratios are typically regarded as lossless.

As a follow-up, is “wireless HDMI” really a term that can and should be used to describe these solutions?

This is not such a good term since no wireless technology today emulates true HDMI. That said, WirelessHD is the closest in that it streams uncompressed baseband video and supports control commands just like HDMI.

What are we realistically looking at for BoM costs to implement your solutions? What is your expectation going forward for where we’ll see the BoM costs?

As the Chair of a special interest group, we don't traditionally discuss pricing. We leave pricing discussions to our adopter and promoter companies to review when launching products.

How does your solution play internationally in light of regulatory or other restrictions?

60GHz is an interference-free, unlicensed band worldwide. Worldwide regulations permit the use of 60GHz in consumer products.

Wireless Networking Follow Up Interview with Celeno's Lior Weiss

Thank you Lior Weiss, VP of Marketing of Celeno for your responses!

For purposes of our blog, can you please reiterate the range at which your solution is most likely going to be used?

Celeno targets multi-room or whole-home applications. We quote 40m (120ft), 4 brick walls, 3+ floors, but granted this is a statistical factor depending on the actual home where the set up is. These particular numbers have been tested multiple times in European-style built homes which are even “harder” then north American home, as they are built with thicker interior walls from tougher materials such as bricks, ceramics, etc.

Can you explain “lossless compression”? How would you answer the criticism that you’re compromising the quality of the video with expensive and proprietary solutions?

Well, for one our solution is not proprietary and this is important. We believe we have the only solution which is fully standards based: WiFi radio technology and H.264 compression technology. Expensive is also a relative term, but suffice to say that as a standards based solution it has the ability to enjoy the aggressive price curve of the 802.11n mass market for example. As far as “lossless compression”: First, I would say that other than 60GHz technology all other technologies use some kind of lossy compression. And even 60GHz technology will need to use compression in the future as video quality scales up and adds higher resolutions, deeper color depths and higher frame rates. All digital media is lossy compressed, otherwise it would have been impossible to get HD video to the consumer. In fact even IPTV and Blu-Ray normally use H.264 lossy compression. Now, when combining radio technologies to send the video over the air, compression becomes even more important. Lossy compression is the only efficient-enough technique to send over the air video over distances while mitigating the fluctuations of the radio channel capacity. The trick is to build a solution that will work this out with “Perceived lossless” quality to the human eye and even more so – doing it in a standard way. It is a fact that WiFi+H.264 built correctly (with high enough throughputs and zero packet error rate) achieves “Perceived lossless” video quality over distances and robustly enough while being standards-based and achieving the right price points. The importance of standards-based is clear when one watches WiFi technology embedded into TV’s anyway for Widgets and over the top video delivery.

As a follow-up, is “wireless HDMI” really a term that can and should be used to describe these solutions?

We sometime use also Wireless HD. But typically we use Wireless HDMI to differentiate and stress that real-time compression is required vs. Wireless HD where video comes in already compressed in the home network (for example in an IPTV deployment)

What are we realistically looking at for BoM costs to implement your solutions? What is your expectation going forward for where we’ll see the BoM costs?

BoM is really a question of volume and timing. But with 802.11n chipsets solutions hitting already the sub-$10 mark, suffice to say we believe the combination of WiFi and H.264 is a winner in the long run. Also, when one considers BoM , one needs to take into calculation the bigger picture. With WiFi radio technology there are greater efficiencies as on the TV receiving side – WiFi is already mandatory as well as H.264 decoders for over-the-top services as well as widgets. So BoM is shared over applications !

How does your solution play internationally in light of regulatory or other restrictions?

With WiFi being standards-based we don’t have any regulatory issues.

For more information about Celeno, click here.

Home wide HD video over wireless product launched by AXAR Media

AXAR Media revealed the AXAR 1000 to deliver high-definition (HD) video wirelessly throughout the home.

The AXAR 1000 Sender and Receiver are the only HD video over wireless products to combine globally ubiquitous standards, such as 802.11n Wi-Fi and H.264 AVC, with proprietary techniques to send live TV and recorded video to HDTVs throughout the home.

The stylish devices have two inputs enabling HD video, from set-top boxes, DVRs or Blu-ray players, to be securely distributed over Wi-Fi. The HD content can also be received by Wi-Fi enabled PCs, notebooks and mobile devices.

The AXAR 1000 is a simple to use self install product targeted towards pay TV operators who want to offer a flexible multi-room solution to their subscribers. The product’s intuitive functionality means it can be readily set up by the end user, eliminating the need for a costly truck-roll.

A recent report by Informa Telecoms and Media has predicted the HDTV market will grow from 44 million households in 2008 to 179 million by 2012. As this happens, consumers will be looking for easy ways to view HD content on the proliferation of displays around their homes, and wireless solutions will be the preferred choice.

AXAR Media demonstrated its technology as part of the UKTI’s CES Unveiled event. It is one of a select group of companies chosen by UKTI to highlight British innovation at CES.

For more information about AXAR Media and the AXAR 1000, please click here.

ProVision launches AXAR Media to deliver video over wireless throughout the home

ProVision Communications launched its consumer products division, AXAR Media. At CES the Bristol, UK based specialists in video over wireless technology launched its first product, which distributes HD video over wireless throughout the home.

AXAR Media demonstrated its technology as part of the UKTI’s CES Unveiled event. It is one of a select group of companies chosen by UKTI to highlight British innovation at CES.

ProVision will demonstrated its wireless HDTV technology to potential customers, investors and analysts at CES.

ProVision Communications, a wireless and HD video company, has been working with leading broadcast operators and set top box manufacturers including Thomson, Pace, the BBC, and BSkyB since 2001. Recent developments have included real time video transmission over Wi-Fi to portable devices at outside broadcasting events, along with HD and wireless innovations for set top boxes and media home gateways.

ProVision’s expertise lies in its end-to-end understanding of wireless networks and video systems: this includes MPEG-4/H.264 Advanced Video Codecs, radio propagation, antenna design, wireless networking, and reliable interoperation between HD video and wireless standards. ProVision is now strongly placed to deliver its world-leading HD video networking products and technologies to cable and satellite TV operators. The company is based in Bristol, UK.

For more information please visit
http://www.provision-comm.com/ .

WirelessHD™ to Host Technical Workshop at CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit on August 28th

WirelessHD Consortium will host a pre-show workshop on Thursday, August 28, in cooperation with CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit. CONNECTIONS™ Europe will host an opening evening reception on August 28, where attendees and media can meet CONNECTIONS™ Europe and WirelessHD event participants.

The WirelessHD 1.0 Specification Workshop, to be hosted from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM on August 28 at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol Berlin, will address how WirelessHD technology is advancing instant wireless access to high-quality digital content with simple controls.

WirelessHD technology is based on the 60GHz frequency band and offers the fastest available data rates for the connected digital lifestyle, up to 4Gbps. The workshop will provide a technical overview of the world's first global standard for true uncompressed, wireless high-definition audio, video, and data networking.

Founder & VP of Product Strategy at Radiospire Networks Speaking at CONNECTIONS, plus Company Insights

Tandhoni Rao, Ph.D, Founder and Vice President of Product Strategy at Radiospire Networks will be speaking at the CONNECTIONS Conference this June 26th at 11:15 AM at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Rao will be participating on the Wireless Networking Panel called "Fun Without Cords: Wireless Networking for Multimedia."

Radiospire Networks newest initiative...

Several standardization initiatives for in-home high-definition wireless connectivity have already been proposed, but history has shown that industry consortia aimed at furthering standardization tend to slow progress when it's being driven or initiated by a single vendor. Real progress happens when an open standards body, such as IEEE, is involved in helping find the solution that is in the best interests of advancing the technology itself rather than serving a single vendor's agenda.

Right now, Radiospire is actively involved with the standardization process via IEEE's 802.15.3c working group, and is focused on bringing the best possible product to the consumer as quickly and efficiently as possible via the standardization effort, regardless of the technology vendor initially behind it.

Radiospire Networks' biggest challenge...

Radiospire is currently in the process of scaling its supply chain to adequately handle the transition to mass production and distribution on the world scale next year. Successful and speedy development of this full supply chain will present the company with the most difficult challenge for 2008.

Long Term Goals...

Radiospire sells chips directly to consumer electronics manufacturers, with the eventual goal of product incorporation within digital home systems. Radiospire also currently markets products to branded CE companies, with plug-and-play AirHook-branded products such as home theater and gaming hubs, and a dongle pair for the television and set-top box. Ultimately, however, the company aims to have its technology embedded in televisions and other digital peripherals to wirelessly connect the entire home theater system without the need for any additional products.

Successful Product...

Radiospire is the first wireless HD chip manufacturer to integrate the consumer electronics control (CEC) functionality into its products.

Increasingly important to television and home theater manufacturers, the CEC channel allows AV products to communicate with one another over an HDMI system, enabling single-remote system control and simplifying the home theater experience for the consumer. Manufacturers are increasingly coming to value this capability, and have shown tremendous interest in Radiospire's unique solution with its integration.

Greatest Strengths...

Unlike its competitors, Radiospire's wireless solution was built from the ground up and specifically designed for high-definition video.

While others have rushed to re-purpose existing solutions (WiMedia, 802.11n, etc.), Radiospire has built an entirely new chip optimized for streaming HD applications. By utilizing a 1.7 GHz link, Radiospire can deliver completely pure data without the addition of expensive equipment or other special techniques to manipulate the stream, at a rate up to 40 times that of its competitors'. And unlike all other competing technologies, Radiospire's solution is spectrum agnostic, and fully scalable for the future. Ready now for the 3.1 - 10.6 GHz unlicensed spectrum, and engineered for future use at 60GHz, AirHook has been created to solve the wireless HD conundrum today, and specifically designed to leave room for the more sophisticated content and advanced radio technology of tomorrow.

Pulse~LINK Showcases Whole-Home HD Video Distribution at CONNECTIONS™

“No new wires” solution moves HD content
throughout the home

--------------------------------------------

Parks Associates and CEA® announced Pulse~LINK as a gold sponsor of CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase. The Ultra Wideband (UWB) semiconductor company will demonstrate its CWave® networking solution for whole-home HD video distribution in booth #501 of the CONNECTIONS™ Showcase. Devices enabled with the CWave chipset allow HD video content, multi-channel audio and high-speed data located anywhere in the home to be shared room-to-room across the existing coax backbone and wirelessly within a room.

The CWave® UWB chipset extends HD connectivity to a variety of devices in the home, including set-top boxes, HDTVs, DVRs, DVD players, gaming devices, Media Center PCs, and other multimedia equipment.

Pulse~LINK will demonstrate CWave® Wireless-for-HDMI and CWave® Ethernet-Over-Coax solutions at the show. With the integration of CWave® Wireless-for-HDMI, digital displays can be mounted anywhere in a room without needing to run data cabling from the TV to the content source. Pulse~LINK’s CWave® Ethernet-Over-Coax platform networks up to nine HD multimedia content source and display devices throughout the home with end-to-end Quality of Service over existing coax cabling and splitters, eliminating the high expense of re-wiring a home with Ethernet cables. Pulse~LINK’s demonstration of its Ethernet-Over-Coax solution will also showcase CWave’s coexistence with other signals, such as MoCA technology, on the same coax cable.

Bruce Watkins will also participate on the panel “Fun Without Cords: Wireless Networking for Multimedia” on June 26, moderated by Parks Associates analyst, Harry Wang.

Wireless & Powerline Controls: View From the Channel

Wireless & powerline control technologies have been around for years; adoption among home systems integrators has been limited. What’s the outlook for 2008?

by Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research, Parks Associates

Whole-home control systems are typically found in high-end, new homes – detached single-family homes and multiple dwelling units (condos, co-ops, and apartments). In a good year for homes, builders start 1.2 to 1.5 million homes, with about 300,000 in MDUs. In a good year. The past year was not a good year for homebuilding, and prospects are not looking good for another couple of years. Therefore, what about the market for controls in existing homes … the other 100+ million?

The retrofit market has traditionally been a tough one to tackle. Installing control systems meant cutting holes in walls, pulling wires through tough-to-reach places, and, most importantly, keeping customers pleased during the disruption. Parks Associates and EH Publishing’s research of home systems integrators/installers has consistently indicated that about 50% of the typical home systems integrator’s revenues are generated from new construction; 50% from existing homes (retrofit projects). Our 4Q07 Channel Monitor survey revealed that the percentage for control systems is slightly weighted toward new homes (53%).

Based on these findings, one might conclude that there is considerable activity targeting the existing home market. However, consider the lopsided ratios: more than 99% of all homes in the U.S. are existing homes, not newly built, but existing homes account for only 47% of integrators’ control revenues. Further, Parks Associates’ consumer research indicates that fewer than 7% of all households have any form of electronic controls. Clearly there is an opportunity here. An opportunity, that is, if several conditions can be met: 1) there is demand for home controls, 2) they can be installed without a major disruption, and 3) the price is right.
Creating demand needs to be the sole subject of another article ; for now, the focus is on available solutions, in particular powerline and wireless control systems requiring no new wires to be pulled through walls.

Products incorporating Echelon’s LonWorks or PCS’s UPB powerline technologies, ZigBee and Z-Wave wireless technologies, or SmartLabs’ INSTEON powerline/wireless technology have been around for years. Many of these products are very affordable when compared to high-end home controls from AMX, Crestron, and Lutron. Are home systems integrators/installers aware of these technologies, and if so, what do they think about them with respect to their control projects?

These are some of the questions we posed to dealers in our 1Q07 and 1Q08 Channel Monitor surveys. First, are they aware of these technologies? Figure 1 compares results from these surveys for selected technologies. Awareness of ZigBee and Z-Wave wireless technologies has increased significantly; Z-Wave nearly doubled in awareness level over the period. These increases are not surprising given the marketing efforts from the alliances behind these technologies. UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) from PCS (Powerline Control Systems) scored high in familiarity on the 2008 survey and has been a favorite of some integrators as a complement to their wired control systems for several years.

Few dealers are very familiar with INSTEON, a dual-mesh, powerline/wireless technology from SmartLabs, and LonWorks from Echelon. INSTEON has been popular as a do-it-yourself (DIY) technology with products available on the SmartLabs’ SmartHome website. LonWorks is popular in commercial and MDU installations in Europe and Asia, but it has launched a Digital Home initiative aimed at residential markets. We expect to see awareness of HomePlug C&C to increase during 2008 as the HomePlug Powerline Alliance plans to approve the final specification in 3Q08.

We asked dealers, in addition to their awareness of the technologies, about their opinions on using these technologies in solutions for their customers. A common theme across all technologies was dealer uncertainty about the capabilities of these approaches. We think that the underlying cause of uncertainty is resistance to change. Dealers are familiar with traditional wired systems; change requires new learning and risks potential failure in some applications. New learning coupled with risk is a huge hurdle for any business to overcome.

Often new technological approaches are adopted by those seeking to differentiate their business and/or offerings from incumbents. The home systems integration channel is growing with entrepreneurs from the ranks of IT VARs, electrical contractors, and security dealers. In addition, the retail installer Geek Squad has said it is eyeing the market for control systems; other, similar firms are also interested.

The Bottom Line: there are more than a 100 million homes in the U.S. alone not taking advantage of the convenience and savings (energy & money) home controls offer. Affordable, retrofit-ready wireless and powerline controls are a couple of pieces to the puzzle that is the retrofit market.

This article was published for the 2008 CONNECTIONS™ Conference Industry Insights, the official publication of CONNECTIONS™.

The Evolution of U.S. Mobile Broadband Wireless

by Michael Cai, Director, Broadband & Gaming, Parks Associates
and James Kuai, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

3G: at Full Throttle
In the U.S. mobile broadband market, all major mobile carriers except T-Mobile have launched 3G mobile networks. At the end of 2006, out of the 225 million cellular subscribers in the United States, 15 million used a 3G-based mobile broadband service via cell phone, PDA, laptop, or other device. Also, we estimate there were 3.5 to 4 million data card service subscribers in the U.S. in mid-2007.

While WCDMA/HSPA technologies dominate worldwide, CDMA operators such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel currently own the majority of mobile broadband customers in the U.S. These two companies have both commercially deployed EV-DO, and together they accounted for 13-14 million subscribers at YE 2006. AT&T’s mobile broadband business also has shown great market traction. In October 2007, it introduced its first HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)-compatible data card service, making AT&T’s mobile broadband service comparable to Verizon and Sprint’s in terms of throughput. In terms of other wireless technologies, although AT&T and BellSouth have tested mobile WiMAX, their intent was to deliver broadband services to regions not covered by its DSL network. AT&T made it clear that it will not be aggressive in alternative technologies, evidenced by its divestiture of WiMAX spectrum to Clearwire.

T-Mobile USA, the U.S. operation of T-Mobile International AG & Co., has been the slowest to join the mobile broadband bandwagon. One of the reasons is the lack of licensed 3G spectrum. As a result, T-Mobile had been suffering from busy network traffic and deficient reception. Fortunately, its success in the FCC AWS spectrum auction in Q4 2006 more than doubled its spectrum holdings in the top 100 markets. T-Mobile USA began rolling out its UMTS network in March 2007, and the company plans to complete most of the network by 2008.

Mobile WiMAX: Sprint and Clearwire’s Drama
In the mobile WiMAX area, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) decided to include WiMAX technology in the IMT-2000 set of standards in October 2007. This decision endorsed WiMAX (IEEE Standard 802.16) as a global standard and escalated opportunities for global deployment of the technology as equipment vendors and network carriers worldwide will have more confidence in this new technology. On the other hand, the commercialization of mobile WiMAX is making progress, with the help of a healthy industry ecosystem.

Although the company faces multiple challenges, Sprint Nextel remains an important player in mobile WiMAX. It chose mobile WiMAX as its next-generation technology to leverage its 2.5GHz spectrum and differentiate from other service providers based on technology merits and a time-to-market advantage. It announced an audacious plan in August 2006 to deploy a national WiMAX network. Sprint believes that mobile WiMAX can help build a new business model that enables consumers to purchase embedded consumer electronic devices at retail and then bring them to its network for connectivity services, providing supplementary revenue to its traditional mobile voice services. Also, unlike AT&T or Verizon, Sprint does not have a landline business anymore, and thus it hopes to leverage mobile WiMAX and compete with DSL or cable Internet in the residential broadband market

Furthermore, Clearwire and Sprint’s partnership drama may be one of the most memorable events in 2007’s telecom industry. As number one and number two 2.5GHz spectrum holders and both WiMAX advocates, Clearwire and Sprint Nextel announced a partnership in July 2007 to accelerate the deployment of WiMAX technology across the U.S. This high-profile partnership was announced only to be cancelled just a few months later, which again cast a shadow on Clearwire and WiMAX’s future. This split is likely to dampen the enthusiasm of investors and delay the original schedule of a national WiMAX network in the U.S.

Marketing, Devices, and Open Access are Key to Commercial Success
Moving forward, the mobile broadband industry has to go beyond road warriors or mobile workers. Understandably, the adoption of and interest in a mobile broadband service is much higher among those who travel nationally or internationally at least several times per year and those who spend more than 20% of their work time traveling locally. Reducing fees will help the market to grow, but in order to appeal to mass-market consumers, service providers should offer flexible a la carte plans so consumers can add and drop services based on their needs.

Besides pricing, Internet-friendly phones and mobile broadband-enabled consumer electronic devices are also critical in the evolution. For example, Amazon.com launched a wireless e-book, called Kindle, in November 2007, which utilizes Sprint’s EV-DO 3G to download content. Although it is still too early to predict its success, Kindle has received acclaim partly because of the wide availability of 3G mobile broadband that greatly facilitates content downloads. In addition to Sprint, other carriers also have vocally embraced the open access principle, which is likely to accelerate the adoption of mobile broadband. Verizon announced that in early 2008, it will publish its technical standards for devices to interface to its network, and then any device that meets the minimum technical standards, be it a game player or a digital camera, will be able to connect to the network. AT&T responded with a vague statement declaring that its GSM network had always been “open” in the sense that users of unlocked phones can buy a SIM card to join its network, but the company failed to mention whether devices other than mobile phones will be able to access its 3G network.

Going forward, the 700 MHz auction, which will happen between 2008 and 2009, is set to champion the open access and open device principles and change the competitive landscape. The auction will cause several changes in the mobile broadband industry. First, the physical characteristics of the 700 MHz band will ensure wide availability and better quality of mobile broadband. Secondly, companies outside of the traditional telecom industry might become mobile broadband service providers and increase the level of competition. More competition and the open-access principles will certainly lead to more diverse business models, such as advertisement-supported services. Incumbent mobile carriers will also be forced to change their attitudes and business models. Lastly, consumers will enjoy more affordable and personalized services and have more freedom to choose their preferred devices, applications, and service providers.

This article was published for the 2008 CONNECTIONS™ Conference Industry Insights, the official publication of CONNECTIONS™.

MoCA™ announced as Diamond Sponsor for CONNECTIONS™

Parks Associates and CEA are pleased to announce MOCA™ as a Diamond Sponsor of CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase.

The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA™) is an open, industry driven initiative promoting distribution of digital video and entertainment through existing coaxial cable in the home. MoCA™ technology provides the backbone for whole home entertainment networks of multiple wired and wireless products.

• No new wires
• No installation or truck roll
• No interference with existing networks
• If you have coax, it works
• Compliments any wireless network

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase will be held June 24-26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. CONNECTIONS™ sessions provide high-level research, knowledge, and analysis to over 1,000 executives from the converging industries developing consumer products and services.