Wireless Standards

New Nokia Internet services

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Have you heard of Ovi.com? If Finnish cell-phone giant Nokia has anything to say about it, you will. Nokia has begun taking steps to compete in the Internet services space, taking aim at the personal web page arena currently dominated by major players like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. With a single sign-on interface for major services that include features like photo organization (a la Flickr) Nokia is aiming to take a large chunk of the still-growing consumer wireless Internet market.

For more on Nokia's new service plans:
- Read the industry news at ITWorld

Get ready for OFDM

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Orthogonal Division Frequency Multiplexing (OFDM) may not be at the center of your radar screen, but if you build wireless systems or applications, you should be learning about OFDM and what it does for wireless communications. A technology foundation of WiMAX, OFDM will be a key ingredient in allowing mobile WiMAX to have an impact on the work life of mobile professionals. OFDM makes it possible to squeeze more channels and more effective bandwidth into a given slice of radio spectrum--that's a win for WiMAX, the service providers, and the users.

For more on OFDM:
- Read the technology analysis at WirelessWeek

OMA takes control

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 06:59:57 -0400

Management has been an issue for personal computers since PC number 2 was carried through the office door, and mobile device management is beginning to take on a sense of urgency at many enterprise IT shops. The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is a group set up to deal with many mobile issues, but the working group that addresses Device Management (DM) criteria and standards is one of the most active. Both carriers and enterprise customers care about standardizing methods of keeping devices updated and administered, and neither really wants to be tied in to a single vendor for those capabilities. That doesn't mean that vendors are sitting back and waiting: Innopath Software is notable, but not unique, for making mobile device management a possibility.

For more on managing your fleet of smartphones:
- read the open-source report at WirelessWeek

Privacy blocks wireless directory

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

With more and more individuals (especially younger individuals) eschewing traditional POTS lines in favor of a cell phone-only strategy, a comprehensive directory of cell phone numbers takes on some importance. For better or for worse, though, privacy concerns and a collection of divergent state laws have made a national directory impossible. Now, Intelius, a Bellevue, Washington-based company, is offering subscriptions to a service that purports to provide just that elusive national directory. State officials in Washington and other jurisdictions are beginning to look at the service, and the CTIA is weighing in to urge the government to regulate this sort of subscription, but until things move further along the development path, most of us will have to read about it, rather than trying it for ourselves. Stay tuned for more directory news.

For more on Intelius and its challenges:
- read the whole story at WirelessWeek

Editor's Corner

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:01:39 -0500

It's that time of year
The end of a year and the dawn of another ignites reminiscence and the urge to look back and see what's taken place in the past 12 months. In talking about the wireless world, there isn't enough space in this box to expound on all the changes, the innovations, the new products, the expansion of municipal networks and the ever increasing number of mobile devices. As a NetworkWorld article details, it was a year of mergers and acquisitions with vendors buying up both services and tools to bolster their product portfolios. It was also a year that initially brought great shiny promise for advancing wireless standards, but the delivery of that promise a little scratched and rusted. Security, as usual in any computing environment, was a huge focus given that more corporate data and communications passed through wireless handhelds than ever before. All I can say from looking back at this year is that I doubt the push to make more secure and functional wireless technology will ebb anytime soon. But here's to the opportunity to take some deep breaths and ready ourselves for what's to come in 2007.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

-Judy

QUICKLINKS: Municipal WiFi may prove to be a bonanza for Earthlink; Feds looking to tax VoIP service; Much more...

Sun, 04 Jun 2006 20:00:50 -0400

Municipal WiFi may prove to be a bonanza for Earthlink. Article

Feds looking to tax VoIP service. Article

Public wireless networks and the issue of adult content access. Article

Deploying a WLAN on a tight budget via standardization. Article

Why China is taking its own route in wireless standards. Article

Laptop hog-wild with wireless capabilities

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:01:37 -0500

Dell is taking its laptops wireless and planning to debut Latitude notebooks featuring Wireless EV-DO and mobile broadband modules from Novatel Wireless. Users will be able to wirelessly transmit emails, gain access to corporate networks using a VPN, roam the Internet and share files. The embedded modules are backward compatible with 2.5G and 2G wireless standards, including GSM, GPRS, CDMA and 1xRTT. Article

Examining the impact of 802.11n

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:01:36 -0500

Keeping up with wireless standards is a big task, but trying to define what they can do and how they will impact your WiFi and mobile infrastructure is a whole other pot of potatoes. That's why an in-depth view of the draft 802.11n standard is so valuable. It provides rare perspective on the quest for the spec, how vendors and providers will benefit or not, and how it will impact the market base overall.

The low-down on EV-DO

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 19:01:36 -0500

In the eternal quest to remain up-to-date on wireless standards here's a very useful article for understanding what EV-DO, a new standard for high-speed wireless broadband, is all about. For example, many people don't know what the acronym actually stands for: Evolution Data Only or Evolution Data Optimized. Yet, according to the Telecommunication's Industry Association, EV-DO is defined as CDMA2000 High Rate Packet Data Air Interface.

A guide to wireless specs and standards

Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:01:35 -0500

If you or your security and telecom teams are having a hard time keeping track of all the wireless standards and specs, and their related acronyms, you're not alone. It's one of the reasons why organizations and publications create master definition lists for easy resource access to help IT professionals keep up with the ever-growing number of wireless specs. Here's a quick guide to the major standards, what they're focused on and what they promise to provide. Guide