Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM - Part Three

In Europe, Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, is the digital standard for wireless communication, accounting for 150 million users.2 In theU.S., many digital standards compete including second generation, or 2G, GSM, CDMA, TDMA, and CDPD. In fact, to ensure complete connection in Manhattan, many business people carry both Verizon and AT&T cell phones, which use CDMA and CDPD standards, respectively. 3The dominant U.S. standard is CDMA, which stands for Code Division Multiple Access. With CDMA, a cell phone uses a code to find and transmit the correct digitized conversation off the airwaves. TDMA, or Time Division Multiple Access, accomplishes the same task via a specific time slot that’s allocated to each user on each channel. CDPD, or Cellular Digital Packet Data,
breaks data files into “packets” and sends them via idle channels on existing cellular voice networks. With packet-data transmission, users pay for the volume of data transmitted not the amount of time they spend on the line.As stated earlier, GSM, CDMA, and TDMA are 2G digital standards. (1G, the first generation, emerged in the early ’80s, and comprised analog signals operating in the 800 MHz range.) Cell phones use both the 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz frequency bands, with personal communication services, or PCS, allocated to 1.9 GHz, including PCS capabilities that are often bundled together on voice-centric services. Generally, 2G’s bandwidth or “pipeline” is limited and slow. The following
table displays ideal throughput speeds.33G wireless communication is the next step and will offer broadband, high-
speed applications for video clips and Internet access. Projected transmission speeds for 3G networks are 144 Kbps for mobile users, such as a passenger in a taxi; 384 Kbps for pedestrian users; and 2 Mbps for users in fixed locations,
such as employees at a corporate headquarters site4. However, 3G has its ownset of problems. According to The Economist5, power consumption, softwareglitches, and hybrid handset woes are plaguing 3G mobile phones. (3G phones must function as 3G when they’re in range of a 3G base station and revert to 2G the rest of the time.) 4Looking ahead, 4G technology has become the great hope that will “integrate commercial wireless networks, local area networks (LANs), wireless personal area networks, radio and television broadcasting, and satellite communication
into a seamless network compatible for all mobile telecom users.”6InDecember 2000, Hewlett-Packard and Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo began formal studies on 4G systems, while in early March 2001, Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia, and Siemens launched the Wireless World Research Forum to develop 4G technologies.In the U.S. and in Europe, it appears that CDMA 3G technologies may become the dominant standard across the pond, the European governments
have not made their final decision on 3G. Here in the U.S. free market, the technology outcome will depend on the winning company that emerges from the wireless technology battle. The big market is Asia. In fact, in early May 2001, far ahead of its European
and U.S. business counterparts, Tokyo began a test roll-out of 3G iMode
technology, a packet-driven, mobile Internet service that boasts e-mail, mobile
banking, ticket booking, travel reservations, restaurant guides, and a weather
messaging service all via a subscriber’s cell phone. With iMode, fees a mere
$1.00 to $3.00 per month, a very large customer base — perhaps 30 million
users — is required to make this venture profitable. It will be some time
before the U.S. audience reaches those levels.Why are Asia and Europe so much farther ahead than the U.S.? Our existing
infrastructure, including the technology itself, as well as all of the ensuing
electronic devices, must be upgraded from 2G to 3G which will cost billions
of dollars and take countless hours of time — and that’s only if demand for
wireless services increases. Many countries in Europe and Asia had no existing
infrastructure and could begin mobile-commerce, also known as m-commerce,
using the latest technology. There are cultural differences, too. In Asia and Europe, people have a more
mobile mindset. Though their countries are much smaller, people are always
on the move and place a higher value on staying in touch and being productive
both on and off the job. For example, in Tokyo, where people spend large
amounts of time sitting on trains, a person in one car will play a game on his
cell phone with a person in another car. Not so in the U.S. where cell phones
are used in much the same way as wireline telephones — a way to
communicate person-to-person.In Japan and Europe, short message service (SMS) has exploded due not only
to users’ mobility, but also to wireless devices’ tiny screens, which we will
discuss in the next session. As the name implies, SMS allows short messages,
such as “meet me at Kinkos at five” to be transmitted from one wireless
device to another, typically two cell phones.5Currently, the laptop
computer remains the
largest wireless
device, thanks to the
installation of
wireless air cards.A grass roots phenomena, SMS accounts for approximately 10 billion messages
worldwide each month and up to 15 percent of some European firms’ revenue.
It is not widely used in the United States.Globally, some analysts predict a bleak future for 3G in the short term.
According to a report released in April 2001, 3G services will make up only 4.7
percent of the worldwide wireless market. By 2005, though, the number jumps
to 50 percent. Starting in mid-2003, the report continues, there will be moderate
subscriber acceptance in Europe.7When can we expect to benefit from 3G technology here in the States? Again,
supply and demand will determine 3G’s rollout, though it will most likely follow
the same path as cell phones. Many industry analysts predict that in
approximately three to five years, businesses in major metropolitan areas will
have upgraded their 2G networks to 3G and begun to benefit from heftier
bandwidth, increasing users’ ability to receive larger amounts of information at
faster speeds. In mid-July, AT&T rolled out 2.5G services for Seattle businesses, a
standard that may help lay the foundation for the step up to full 3G. However, like cell tower placement, 3G will only become available where it’s
most profitable. For the technology to go beyond this, volume has to increase
for service to expand. 3. Wireless devices: Small screens, small keyboards, and multiple units.
3G will increase the size of the pipeline through which information passes.
However, there’s still the size of the transmitting and receiving device itself.
While 3G will allow you to transmit more information faster, you will most likely
receive and respond to it via a small screen and even smaller keypad. Again, all
the wireless pieces are not in place.Currently, the laptop computer remains the largest wireless device, thanks to the
installation of wireless air cards. For business people, the laptop will not
disappear. However, most people also need a smaller communication device
that they can carry in a briefcase, purse, pocket, or on a belt. Typically, this is a
cell phone. Together, the laptop and cell phone combination is often the
business professional’s minimum wireless traveling companions.
Choosing other types of wireless devices comes down to simple user preference.
You can opt for a PDA (personal digital assistant), a pager, or a specialized
device, such as a RIM, a customized client server application that focuses on e-
mail and functions much like a pager with a tiny keyboard at the bottom. But
how many devices do you want to carry — especially when mobility should
imply freedom of movement at the same time you stay connected to business
and personal information sources?There’s also cost. Since each device currently has its own unique IP address and
account, subscribers are billed each month for each device at varying rates, most
of which are far from inexpensive. 6This may change with all-in-one devices, though again, be cautious of the
hype. Currently, Kyrocera offers a smartphone called a QCP 6035 powered by
Palm OS®that combines a CDMA digital wireless phone, Web access, and aPalm handheld computer. While it is not as heavy as you might think,
weighing in at 7.3 ounces, it is heftier and more cumbersome than the
individual devices themselves. Keep in mind that whenever a cell phone
becomes an organizer, an e-mail device, and a telephone, it’s going to weigh a
great deal more thanks to its power source — the battery. As battery size and prices shrink, industry-specific, specialized devices will
become more prevalent, including electronic pads doctors and nurses can use
to record patient information at a patient’s hospital bed and transmit to a
central location where the information is automatically updated and
safeguarded. In the future, subscribers may also have the option to use multiple devices
with a single IP address. For example, a subscriber may use four different
devices in her home office with one bay station (one “address” that goes out
of the building). All the devices talk to the bay station, the bay station
transmits to the rest of the world, and she receives one monthly bill. With all the different devices running on different standards, how does
everyone on the network communicate? That dilemma is called
“interoperability” and it’s handled by a “protocol.” Using the carrier-based definition of the word, as opposed to the networking
industry definition, protocol is how different devices communicate with each
other and it can be a problem, particularly if one technology, such as a PDA
device running CDPD is trying to communicate with a device from a
competing technology, such as CDMA. A few years ago, AT&T cell phones
could not “talk” with Verizon cell phones. Instead, each carrier’s subscribers
could only communicate with people in their own network or to wireline
telephones.
The same can be true for competing wireless data technologies. When one
type of language must communicate with another type of language, an
electronic translation must occur, adding an additional step in the
communications journey. Until one standard emerges, interoperability will
continue to be a major problem.Wireless Area Protocol, or WAP, hoped to set the standard on how Internet
content was filtered for mobile communications. Taking a client server
approach, WAP consists of a simple microbrowser in a mobile phone. The
browser connects subscribers to a WAP gateway or server, which offers
services and applications, theoretically turning a normal cell phone into a smart
phone. WAP is designed to work with all cellular standards (CDMA, GSM,
etc.); any type of cell phone, from one-line displays to smart phones; and any7existing or upcoming wireless services, such as SMS, Circuit Switched Data,
USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Services Data), and GPRS (General
Packet Radio Service). However, what Mosaic was to the Internet, WAP is to mobile communications:
the first incarnation of a mobile Internet filter. The next sets of standards
that will have major significance are extensible markup language (XML) and
extensible stylesheet language (XSL), which are emerging as the technologies
that will enable one wireless device to talk with another — effortlessly.In theory, XML makes it possible to create a “language” that all computer
systems can read and write. Unlike hypertext markup language, or HTML,
which describes how a Web browser should arrange images and text, XML can
be used to define other markup languages that “tag” content and describe
what the images and text mean, regardless of how they’re displayed. Taking this one step further, XSL allows Web publishers to organize image and
text rules into separate “stylesheets” which automatically reformats the work
for display on any number of devices. With these technologies, a Web browser will read an XML document,
understand it, apply the appropriate XSL stylesheet, and use the sheet to
format the information on your computer screen.4. Security: How many alligators in the moat?
In May 2001, RSA Security, Inc. announced the results from a poll conducted
during a wireless security Web broadcast attended by over 500 security
professionals. Not surprisingly, 51 percent of respondents, “think data
protection is the driving security concern in wireless deployment,” while “two
thirds of respondents said that users will sacrifice convenience to protect
privacy.” There are three types of wireless security protection. 1. Basic authentication. For example, a password-protected laptop PC. In
order to gain access to the laptop, the thief needs to know the password —
or other personal information — in the user’s head. Basic authentication is
commonly used on retail Web sites where a user is asked to prove his or her
identity via a user name, password, mother’s maiden name, etc. Other examples of this type of security include electronic authentication
cards that generate a random access code every few seconds. When a user
logs on to the Internet, she presses the card, receives a code, and enters it
into a system. (The system will only accept the code that is currently
displayed on the card, which changes every minute.) After login, the user
can work for an hour or more before being asked for the code again.8Encryption can also be used as basic authentication security. In this
scenario, each machine must have the same encryption code in order to
communicate. For example, when a user sends data over the airwaves, the
encryption device on the user’s laptop scrambles it and transmits it to the
receiving device, which uses the same process to unscramble it. If a user
tries to log on to an encrypted site from a wireless device that doesn’t
“match,” his access will be denied.2. Digital certificates. In this example, a user logs on to a third-party site
which verifies, typically through basic authentication, that both the user and
the device are approved. As part of the process, the third-party site
transmits an electronic digital certificate that allows the user to connect to
the end site for a specified time period. Like a coupon with an expiration
date, the certificate can only be used for that particular session. There are
two levels of digital certificate security: server certificates, and server and
client certificates. 3. Electronic chips. Often employed by government agencies that deal with
ultra-sensitive information, this security level employs matching chips
embedded in each communication device. If the chips don’t match, access is
denied. If the security levels are somewhat confusing remember this: the same
levels of security you can employ on the Internet can be used wirelessly.
However, when you’re transmitting information digitally, you’re also
depending on your wireless carrier’s security parameters. How do you determine how many alligators to put in your security moat?
As we discuss in section six, security should be based on workflow. For
example, if users simply need access to information, basic password
authentication is acceptable. If they’re transmitting information, you may
want to use encryption. Finally, if users are transferring money, digital
certificates are the smart choice. Not surprisingly, as the security level
increases, so do the costs to implement and maintain it.Keep in mind, many commercial Internet sites and applications do not
encrypt data by default. If this is the case, any data you send is exposed to
hackers who want to intercept and read it. (For an excellent tutorial on
wireless security, link to www.networkcomputing.com/1202/1202f1d1.html)5. Cost and ROI
How much will wireless technology cost? As with any new technology, it can
fluctuate wildly depending on your needs and business size. What you should
consider is all the costs — up-front and hidden. Cost components include
airtime, devices, applications development, infrastructure, as well as the
resources and expertise to support the applications and infrastructure,
including regular upgrades. 9How much will
wireless technology
cost? As with any
new technology, it
can fluctuate wildly
depending on your
needs and business
size.If, like most companies, you decide to partner with a third-party provider, also
known as a wireless application service provider, or WASP, the company
should not only offer a proven technical track record, but also display
experience in your particular industry, such as healthcare, transportation, or
finance. In many businesses, sales people purchase their own wireless devices, expense
them, and turn to their internal IT departments to solve integration and
interoperability issues. Suddenly, IT is faced with the daunting task of dealing
with 10 different devices on 10 different networks. Instead, WASPs are paid
to build a cohesive approach early on, not aggregate and solve problems. With
this type of solution, you will be able to marry the wireless device to the
individual employee based on workflow, job function, and information — and
place it all squarely on top of a coverage map. A WASP will also help you with the daunting task of sorting through the
advantages wireless service providers offer, such as coverage, pricing, service,
voice quality, security, and customer support, as well as determine how wireless
data services, including WLANs and wireless Web access, stack up. As you work with your WASP, your goal is the same as it is for harnessing any
new technology: a strong ROI. When your wireless network is up and
running, the extra productivity of mobile workers should more than make up
for support costs, not to mention your company’s ability to improve its
responsiveness to customers — provided, again, that coverage is available and
dependable. From a customer service standpoint, wireless technology will help you retain
valued customers and attract new clients who have come to expect a high
degree of electronic freedom in how and when they access information,
products, and services. For example, customers no longer have to call a
customer service number Monday through Friday, during normal business
hours, to check order status. Instead, e-tailers can send the customer an e-mail
message complete with order number and link to the carrier’s Web site for fast
shipment tracing on the road. 6. Workflow: A back-to-basics approach.
What will wireless technology bring to your business? Speed. Nothing more,
nothing less — especially as it relates to time compression and accessibility.
With wireless, the time it takes to get in touch with another individual may
drop from eight hours spent making wireline telephone calls, leaving voicemail
messages, and playing “phone tag,” to five minutes via a cell phone and SMS.
Ultimately, the content remains the same, but the time is compressed.To use the speed that wireless brings wisely, you must first understand your
enterprise’s workflow. For example, a repair person may simply need a pager10with a three-line message indicating his next appointment location, while a sales
director will require the minimum laptop with air card and cell phone. The
device should fit the job, not the other way around. The term “mobile” can also mean many things to many people. A mobile
employee may travel within the U.S., travel globally, work from home, travel
within the office itself, or a combination. For example, a marketing manager
may take his laptop out of the docking station in his second-floor office, carry it
with him to a meeting on the fifth floor, and connect to the corporate Intranet
for information via his wireless air card. Later that evening, he may carry the
laptop with him on a flight to Chicago and use it in a business meeting the
following morning. To get you started mapping your workflow, ask yourself:
Who needs access to what information? Determine who’s mobile and how
much they move around. Survey workers on how they use wireless devices
currently, and how they would like to use them.
What is each user’s mobility profile? Does the person travel? If so, how
much and to what types of destinations? Based on the answer to these
questions, as well as question one, what type of technology best fits the profile?
Remember, bandwidth isn’t always the answer. Again, a simple pager may be all
that’s needed.7. The beneficiaries.
An unlikely combination, business people and teenagers comprise the two
groups of users who will set the stage for global wireless usage. For business people, staying in constant touch with customers, the home office,
and vendors is critical to their ability to make smart, timely decisions no matter
where they are located. And while they’re there, it’s equally important for them
to stay connected to their personal lives, including sending and receiving e-mail
from family members, obtaining up-to-date financial information, and using
online services, such as local restaurant, entertainment, and shopping guides. All of this adds up to employees who feel more satisfied managing both sides of
their lives, which can go a long way in setting and/or improving a company’s
corporate culture — one of the most important determining factors in
providing superior customer service. Likewise, visit any high school in any major metropolitan area, and you will see
teenagers who are just as concerned about staying in touch via wireless devices
as their business counterparts. Consequently, colorful pagers and cell phones are
a must in book bags and backpacks. This fall’s 18-year-old college freshmen
were born in 1982 and have never known a world without personal computers.
To them and their much younger counterparts, wireless communication is
something they’ve come to expect.11This fall’s 18-year-
old college
freshmen were born
in 1982 and have
never known a world
without personal
computers.8. Philosophical quandaries.
The line between a person’s career and his or her personal life continues to
blur. Wireless technology will only add to the haze by making it easier for
people to stay tethered to their offices and customers 24 hours a day. In many
ways, wireless will redefine the standard business day and do away with the
phrase “normal business hours.” Whether this is good or bad remains to be
seen; though the trend toward working 10- to 12-hour business days, as well as
Saturdays, is not a positive indicator for many professionals.As mentioned earlier, wireless communication offers unprecedented speed,
including the individual’s ability to make decisions in the time it takes to press
“transmit” — without input from any other person or source. All the
information available via the Web and wireless technology is simply that:
information. The difference is that individuals can respond to the information
in a split-second, right or wrong, on their own, anytime, anywhere — from a
crowded airport while they’re sleepily waiting out a weather-delayed flight, in a
supermarket aisle while they shop for groceries with their children, or in a car
traveling down a hot, crowded highway at 65 miles per hour — at 2:00 in the
afternoon or 2:00 in the morning. The question is, are these potential
locations and times conducive to the sharp, thoughtful decision making that
will help your company stay competitive?On the up side, there’s little doubt that wireless technology will optimize both
the business and personal aspects of our lives and help us shave minutes off
each day, creating a win-win situation for both the corporation and its
employees. Wireless, used wisely, will do more for company moral than the
latest corporate motivational guru. It will also allow users the freedom to
choose when they want to work and where.A glimpse into the future world of wireless.When all the wireless pieces finally fall into place, the result will be astounding.
Sometime in the future, you will step off a plane at Logan International
Airport ready to complete a business deal in Boston, walk into the terminal,
and grab the nearest seat. You’ll turn on your wireless personal communicator
and quickly check e-mail you’ve previously specified for wireless transmission,
including an important price quote you’ve been waiting for from a supplier
that will impact your meeting later this afternoon. Before you head out to
grab a taxi, you’ll locate an e-map that pinpoints your bank’s ATM machine
nearest your hotel in Copley Plaza.Later, during a break in your meeting, you’ll receive an important page.
Another customer needs a rush order of your product. Again, using your
personal communicator, you’ll place the order online with the distribution
center closest to the customer’s home office and flag it as a “rush.” Within
minutes, the traffic manager will send you an e-mail message confirming the
order will be shipped tonight and that electronic shipment information has
been routed into your customer service pipeline.12After the meeting, you’ll return to your hotel room in a celebratory mood.
You’ll use your communicator to check baseball ticket availability for tonight’s
Red Sox game, complete with seating chart. Choosing a seat, you’ll order the
ticket and pay for it online. You’ll also get an electronic update of your bank
account balances, investment values, and recent credit card transactions.
Finally, you’ll view tonight’s weather forecast. A beautiful future is in store.13The wireless employee of the future is connected to businessinformation, as well as personal information and contentservices — anytime, anywhere.T H E F U T U R E O F W I R E L E S S T E C H N O L O G YUsing wireless wisely.Many industries are already using wireless to their advantage. In the next few
pages, we’ll highlight four applications, including two super critical data, one
global positioning satellite (GPS), and one financial services. We hope their
examples drive home the message that wireless, used wisely, can bring greater
information speed where it counts the most. CASE STUDY8Calgary ambulance service uses wireless data and GPSinformation to data boost emergency response.SnapshotThe city of Calgary Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has 175 to 200
ambulance calls per day in a city of 850,000 people. Due to skyrocketing
growth (7 to 11 percent increases in emergency calls annually), response times
to serious emergencies (delta level calls) had “crept up” past the six minute
mark, a trend deemed unacceptable by emergency response management
teams.ObjectiveEMS wants to enhance EMS voice dispatch with an accurate computer-aided
dispatch (CAD) system (known as a “smart map”) fully integrated with GPS
location data fed in real-time to the dispatch center. GPS tracking enables
automatic vehicle location of each ambulance unit, measuring speed and
position every 10 seconds and pinpointing the unit within a 50- to 70-meter
range. The initial objective was to dispatch ambulances closest to the incident
location while maintaining the status quo on EMS response times despite
increasing call volumes annually.Equipment and Network SetupCDPD network with security and encryption at 19.2 Kbps provided by Telus
Mobility of Canada. Thirty ambulances and five paramedic units are equipped
with Sierra Wireless MP200 GPS modems and receivers built into tracking
units installed in vehicle ambulances. Computer-aided dispatch software,
I-Tracker (Integraph Corp.) is modified for real-time GPS data inputs by AVL
Systems (Calgary), the systems integrator for the project. Vehicle units contain
separate voice radio systems. Current drivers locate callers’ addresses with
in-vehicle paper maps.Total Time for Project ImplementationApproximately one year. 14CASE STUDY8A statewide wireless information network.Snapshot The State of Illinois wanted a state-of-the-art mobile data system linking 102
counties to provide seamless coverage for state agencies, including public
safety, police, education, and municipal organizations. Replacing a Motorola
ALERTS private two-way land radio network, the network RFP would involve
300 state agencies and a minimum of 3,000 users. Ameritech Cellular (now
Cingular Wireless, part of SBC Wireless) joined forces with Illinois Valley
Cellular, United States Cellular, and First Cellular of Southern Illinois to create
a statewide CDPD footprint.Objective Ubiquity, low-cost, high degree of functionality, the largest statewide wireless
data network that can be used by states, as well as local government and record
management system data. The state-required links to the Illinois criminal
justice system, state and municipal police, fire, ambulance, public works and
support for other existing private Datatac RF networks used by law
enforcement.Equipment and Network SetupSCA (formerly Software Corporation of America) now a Motorola companywas contracted to provide the IWIN client software, middleware, and switch
server maintained by the State of Illinois. Officers use Panasonic CF-27
ToughBook laptops with NextCell internal wireless modems and 3-watt dock-
mounted NextCell wireless modems with integrated GPS receivers. The
Panasonic ToughBooks contain Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Ed, Word
Perfect Suite V.9 and Windows-based IL Criminal Law & Traffic Law.ResultIWIN — the Illinois Wireless Information Network — is now implemented in
78 countries throughout the state, with 95 percent statewide coverage. “The
single most important factor is to give officers in the field the ability to do an
inquiry on an individual or a license plate, to run a warrants search, and tie into
the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC) database,” said LEADS
administrator Steve Miller. “Besides inquiry, the next most important
requirement was messaging — not only between officers, but also intra-agency
and inter-agency. By the end of 2002, the state expects 1,800 mobile units to
be tied to the network. The system has already resulted in a 425 percent
increase in the number of inquiries made into the system.Total Time for Project ImplementationTwo years. 15CASE STUDY8Wireless empowers owner-operator truck drivers.Snapshot Business Capacity Owners (BCOs) are the driving force behind
transportation/logistics technology leader Landstar System, Inc. The
company, located in Jacksonville, Fla., provides contract logistics intermodal
transportation services for companies nationwide. However, they don’t
employ a single owner-operator truck driver. Instead, Landstar’s business
model relies on a network of more than 8,000 owner-operators better known
as BCOs. Using state-of-the-art technology solutions, Landstar connects these
drivers with available loads, maximizing transportation opportunities.Objective Landstar was one of the first logistics companies to embrace Internet
technology by creating a Web presence that posted all available loads online.
While this move increased business opportunities for its growing network of
BCOs, there were still some constraints in accessing the data. Landstar
required wireless data access for its mobile population of users. “With 8,800
BCOs on the road and few opportunities to plug in and see a load, a wireless
data solution is logical solution,” said Patrick Wise, vice president, eCommerce
of Landstar.Equipment and Network SetupHandsets by Nokia (7,190) equipped with WAP; Web site by Landstar; wireless
implementations provided by PhoneOnLine.com. PowerTel provided the
wireless network for the United States and Canada. Hardware devices:
Mitsubishi T250.ResultIncreased productivity and load handling. Thanks to the business solution
delivered by PhoneOnLine.com, the BCOs can conveniently access the
Landstar database over the wireless Internet with a microbrowser-based phone,
pager, PDA, or other wireless device.Total Time for Project ImplementationLess than 60 days. 16CASE STUDY8Suretrade offers device-agnostic wireless Web stocktrading.SnapshotSuretrade, a price-competitive Internet broker, was looking for a highly secure,
easy-to-use wireless stock trading system for its customers. Because the
company offers the lowest costs for stock and margin trades, its user profile is
young, aggressive, and highly cost-conscious. “They have a very aggressive
young retail customer profile,” observed Sergey Fradkov, w-Trade’s Chief
Technology Officer. “Although the customers aren’t day traders, they trade
more than average, and don’t need a lot of bells and whistles — but they want
cheap trades — very basic. They have a lot of affinity with college and
university types, but attract independent investors at all ages and income
levels.”Objective Friendly interface and device-agnostic architecture, implementing wireless
solutions over WAP on a variety of devices, including RIMs, Palm VII,
phones, and even SIM cards. “Down the road, as devices change, Suretrade
doesn’t want to rebuild its whole wireless system. That’s the selling point,”
Fradkov said. “The systems infrastructure is there to handle it if need be.
Nothing prohibits them from going and spending some money, buying new
devices and giving them to their more active customers.”Equipment and Network SetupMiddleware and applications software provided by w-Trade Technologies,
which provides the front end to the Suretrade service. Access to the wireless
network is via a large number of wireless carriers.Result“Customer response has been tremendously positive, and Suretrade’s wireless
trading service has proven particularly popular with professionals on the road,”
Charles Salmans, a Suretrade spokesman, said. Says Fradkov, “Suretrade is
satisfied with what they see.”Total Time for Project ImplementationTwo months. 17About Access Data CorporationAccess Data Corp. is a leading end-to-end provider of consulting, creative,
software, and hosting solutions for the financial services industry. Combining
the extensive “domain specific” technology expertise of its consultants with its
proprietary CognitionSMmethodology, Access Data shortens time to market andminimizes risk for its clients. The firm provides Web-based solutions in areas
such as: investment management, shareholder services, sales force automation,
customer relationship management, knowledge management, and branding.
Access Data is headquartered in Pittsburgh with offices in Boston, Chicago,
New York, and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.accessdc.com
or call 1-888-799-1744.Cited Sources12G Mediocrity Belies 3G Promises by Ed Sutherland; March 28, 2001;www.mcommercetimes.com.2 Going Mobile: The Wireless Web and Other Data Solutions; CellularTelecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA). Copyright 2001 CTIA.
www.wirelessdata.org. 3Generation Wireless by Blesson Mathews; June 11, 2001;www.networkcomputing.com.4WirelessWeek.com, Glossary, “3G” definition.5Pass the Painkillers; “The Economist,” May 3, 2001.6The Only Wireless Constant is Incompatibility; March 16, 2001;www.allNetDevices.com.7Study Calls 3G Prospects “Bleak” by allNetDevices Staff, April 24, 2001;www.allNetDevices.com.8 Going Mobile: The Wireless Web and Other Data Solutions; CellularTelecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA). Copyright 2001 CTIA.
www.wirelessdata.org. General Sources
The Survivor’s Guide to 2001: Mobile and Wireless Technology by Dave Molta,
December 11, 2000; www.networkcomputing.com.
Tearing Down the Wireless Babel, by Stephen H. Wildstrom, “BusinessWeek,”
June 18, 2001.
Wireless Secrets and Lies by James Ledbetter, June 25, 2001, “The Industry18© 2001 Access Data Corporation. All rights reserved.Standard Magazine.”WIRELESS GLOSSARY83G Third Generation Wireless: The next step in the development of
wireless communications. The first generation was analog and the second was
digital (CDMA,TDMA, and GSM). Third generation systems are expected to
provide broadband, high-speed data applications — both fixed and mobile.Air Time: Actual time spent talking on the wireless telephone. Most carriers
bill customers based on how many minutes of air time they use each month.
The more minutes of time spent talking on the phone, the higher the bill.AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service): The term used by AT&T’s Bell
Laboratories (prior to the breakup of the Bell System in 1984) to refer to its
cellular technology. The AMPS standard has been the foundation for the
industry in the United States, although it has been slightly modified in recent
years. “AMPS-compatible” means equipment designed to work with most
cellular telephones.Analog: The traditional method of modulating radio signals so that they can
carry information. AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency
modulation) are the two most common methods of analog modulation.
Though most U.S. cellular systems today carry phone conversations using
analog, some have begun offering digital transmission. See also Digital
Modulation.ARDIS (Advanced Radio Data Information System): A nationwide, public
two-way wireless packet data network, originally developed by IBM, now
owned and operated by Motient.Authentication: A process used by wireless carriers to verify the identity of a
mobile station.AVI (Automatic Vehicle Location): The ability to pinpoint the location of a
vehicle within a given range.Bandwidth: A relative range of frequencies that can carry a signal without
distortion on a transmission medium.Base Station: The central radio transmitter/receiver that maintains
communications with mobile radio telephones within a given range (typically a
cell site). See also Cell, Cell Site.Bluetooth: A technology specification for small form factor, low-cost, short-
range radio links between mobile PCs, mobile phones, and other portable
devices. It is expected to enable users to connect a wide range of computing
and telecommunications devices without the need to connect cables.1920Browser: Software that moves documents on the World Wide Web to your
computer, PDA, or phone. See HDML, HTML, HTTP, and WML.CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access): A spread-spectrum approach to
digital transmission. With CDMA, each conversation is digitized and then
tagged with a code. The mobile phone is then instructed to decipher only a
particular code to pluck the right conversation off the air. The process can be
compared in some ways to an English-speaking person picking out in a
crowded room of French speakers the only other person who is speaking
English. See also Digital Modulation.CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data): Technology that allows data files to
be broken into a number of “packets” and sent along idle channels of existing
cellular voice networks. Cell: The basic geographic unit of a wireless system. Also, the basis for the
generic industry term “cellular.” A city or county is divided into smaller “cells,”
each of which is equipped with a low-powered radio transmitter/receiver. The
cells can vary in size depending upon terrain, capacity demands, etc. By
controlling the transmission power, the radio frequencies assigned to one cell
can be limited to the boundaries of that cell. When a wireless phone moves
from one cell to another, a computer at the Mobile Telephone Switching
Office (MTSO) monitors the movement and at the proper time, transfers (or
“hands off”) the phone call to the new cell and another radio frequency. The
handoff is performed so quickly that it’s unnoticeable to the callers. See also
Base Station, Cell Site.Cell Site: The location at which communications equipment is located for
each cell. A cell site includes antennas, a support structure for those antennas,
and communications equipment to connect the site to the rest of the wireless
system. This equipment is normally housed in a small shelter at the base of
the site. Although many antennas are placed on towers, where existing
structures provide for a site that is higher than its surroundings, antennas will
be placed on them. For example, antennas have been placed on water towers,
grain silos, and building rooftops. See also Base Station, Cell.Channel: A path along which a communications signal is transmitted.Circuit Switched: A switching technique that establishes a dedicated and
uninterrupted connection between the sender and the receiver.CMRS (Commercial Mobile Radio Service): The regulatory classification
the FCC uses to govern all commercial wireless service providers, including
Personal Communications Services, cellular, and Enhanced Specialized Mobile
Radio. Co-Location: The siting of two or more separate companies’ wireless
antennas on the same support structure. See also Cell Site.Compression: Reducing the size of data to be stored or transmitted in order
to save transmission time, capacity, or storage space.DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite): A high-powered satellite, or satellite
service, which sends signals to relatively small dishes installed at homes and
office buildings.DECT (Digital European Cordless Telephone): A cordless telephone
standard, based on Time Division Multiple Access, developed in Europe for
applications in wireless PBXs, residential, and public limited-range wireless
service.DES (Data Encryption Standard): A 56-bit, private key, symmetric
cryptographic algorithm for the protection of unclassified computer data
developed by IMB in 1977.Dial-Up: The use of a standard telephone to create a telephone or data call.Digital Modulation: A method of encoding information for transmission.
Information (in most cases a voice conversation) is turned into a series of
digital bits — the zeros and ones of computer binary language. At the
receiving end, the information is reconverted to its original form. Digital
transmission offers a cleaner signal and is less immune to the problems of
analog modulation such as fading and static. (To appreciate the difference,
compare the fidelity of a standard LP record with that of a digital compact
disk.) Digital transmission has been embraced by the wireless industry because
it offers major gains in capacity compared to analog. See also CDMA, TDMA,
and GSM.DSP (Digital Signal Processor): A specialized computer chip that performs
calculations on digitized signals that were originally analog and then sends the
results.E-mail (Electronic Mail): Messages sent across communications networks
— both wireless and landline.EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility): The ability of equipment or
systems to be used in their intended environment within designed efficiency
levels without causing or receiving degradation due to unintentional
electromagnetic interference. Proper shielding of devices reduces interference.21Encryption: The transformation of data, for the purpose of privacy, into an
unreadable format until reformatted with a decryption key: “Public key”
encryption utilizes RSA (which stands for its developers, Rivest, Shamir, and
Adleman) encryption key. PGP, or Pretty Good Privacy, is a cryptography
program for computer data, e-mail, and voice conversation.ESMR (Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio): Digital mobile telephone
services offered to the public over channels previously used for two-way analog
dispatch services. See also SMR.ESN (Electronic Serial Number): The unique number assigned to a wireless
phone by the manufacturer. According to the FCC, the ESN is to be fixed and
unchangeable — a sort of unique fingerprint for each phone. See also MIN.ETACS (Extended Total Access Communications System): The
conventional wireless technology used in the United Kingdom and other
countries. It was developed from the U.S. AMPS technology.Extranet: An Intranet-like network that a company extends to conduct
business with its customers and/or its suppliers. Extranets generally have secure
areas to provide information to customers and external partners.FCC (Federal Communication Commission): The government agency
responsible for regulating telecommunications in the U.S.FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access): Method of radio
transmission that allows multiple users to access a group of radio frequency
bands without interference.FHSS: (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum): A technique used in spread
spectrum radio transmission systems, such as wireless LANs and some PCS
cellular systems, that involves the conversion of a datastream into a stream of
packets.Frequency: A measure of the energy, as one or more waves per second, in an
electrical or light-wave information signal. A signal’s frequency is stated in
either cycles-per-second or Hertz (Hz). See also Hertz.Frequency Re-Use: The ability to use the same frequencies repeatedly within a
single system, made possible by the basic design approach for wireless. Since
each cell is designed to use radio frequencies only within its boundaries, the
same frequencies can be re-used in other cells not far away with little potential
for interference. The concept is akin to an FM radio station in Chicago using
the same frequency as one in Denver without interference. The re-use of
frequencies is what allows a wireless system to handle a huge number of calls
with a limited number of channels. 22GHz (GigaHertz, Billions of Hertz): Personal Communications Services
operate in the 10.9 GHz band of the electromagnetic spectrum. See also
Hertz, KHz, MHz.GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): An extension to the GSM standard
to include packet data services. It is expected to be launched in 2000.GPS (Global Positioning System): A satellite system using 24 satellites
orbiting the earth at 10,900 miles that enables users to pinpoint precise
locations using the satellites as reference points.GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications): A world standard for
digital wireless transmissions. GSM is the most widely used standard in the
world today with more than 150 million users worldwide. See also TDMA.GSO (Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit): A satellite in orbit 23,000 miles
over the equator with an orbit time of 24 hours. Also known as geostationary.Hand-Off: The process by which the Mobile Telephone Switching Office
(MTSO) passes a wireless phone conversation from one radio frequency in one
cell to another radio frequency in another cell. It is performed quickly enough
that callers don’t notice. See also MAHO.Hands-Free: A feature that permits a driver to use a wireless car phone
without lifting or holding the handset. An important safety feature.HDML (Handheld Device Markup Language): A modification of
standard HTML, developed by Phone.com for use on small screens of mobile
phones, PDAs, and pagers. HDML is a text-based markup language that uses
HyperText Transfer Protocol (http) and is compatible with Web servers.Hertz: A measurement of electromagnetic energy, equivalent to one “wave”
or cycle per second. See also KHz, MHz, GHz.HTML (HyperText Markup Language): An authoring software language
used on the Web. HTML is used to create Web pages and hyperlinks.HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): The protocol used by the Web
server and the client browser to communicate and move documents around
the Internet.iDEN (Integrated Dispatch Enhanced Network): A wireless technology
developed by Motorola that works in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, and 1.5 GHz
radio bands. The technology supports, on one handset, voice — both dispatch
radio and using PSTN connection — numeric paging, Short Message Service
(SMS), data, and fax transmission.23IMSI (International Mobile Station Identifier): A number assigned to a
mobile station by the wireless carrier uniquely identifying the mobile station
nationally and internationally. See also MIN, TMSI.IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications-2000): The
standard for third-generation mobile communications systems. In Europe, it is
called UMTS and in Japan it is called J-FPLMTS.Infrared: A band of the electromagnetic spectrum used for airwave
communications and some fiberoptic transmission systems. Infrared is
commonly used for short-range (up to 20 feet) through-the-air data
transmission. Many PC devices have infrared ports, called Infrared Serial Data
Link (IRDA), to synchronize with other devices. IRDA supports speeds up to
1.5 Mbps.Interconnection: The routing of telecommunications traffic between the
networks of different communications companies.IXC (Interexchange Carrier): A long-distance phone company.Java: A programming language from Sun Microsystems which abstracts data
on bytecodes so that the same code runs on any operating system. Java
software is generally posted on the Web and downloadable over the Internet to
a PC. HotJava is installed on a Web browser and enables Java programs to be
delivered over the Web and run on a PC.Jini: A technology from Sun Microsystems that is expected to enable devices
to link together to form an ad hoc community, without installation or human
intervention.LEC (Local Exchange Company): The traditional local, wired monopoly
phone company.LEO (Low Earth Orbit): An orbital plane a few hundred miles above the
earth. A new generation of communications satellites are being launched in
this orbit. LEO satellites are generally divided into two groups: big and little
LEOs, with each group assigned specific radio frequencies. Big LEOs support
both voice and data communications while little LEOs support only data
communications.LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System): A system developed by
Bellcore for Wireless Local Loop (WLL) applications. In the U.S., the FCC set
aside a total LMDA bandwidth of 1.15 GHz in the 28-GHz, 30-GHz, and 31-
GHz frequency bands. LMDS supports voice and high-speed interactive data,
with the potential to provide bandwidth of as much as 500 Mbps.24MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): A network covering a larger area than
a Local Area Network (LAN) and less than a Wide Area Network (WAN).
Typically, a MAN connects two or more LANs. In addition to data, a MAN
may also carry voice, video, image, and multimedia.MHz (MegaHertz): Millions of Hertz Cellular and ESMR systems operate in
the 800 and 900 MHz bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. See also Hertz,
KHz, GHz.MIN (Mobile Identification Number): A number assigned by the wireless
carrier to a customer’s phone. The MIN is meant to be changeable, since the
phone could change hands or a customer could move to another city. See also
ESN, IMSI, TMSI.MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions): The standard format,
developed and adopted by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), for
including non-text information in Internet mail, thus supporting the
transmission of mixed-media messages across TCP/IP networks. In addition
to covering binary, audio, and video data, MIME is the standard for
transmitting foreign language text that cannot be represented in ASCII code.Mobitex: A cellular land radio-based packet switched data communications
system used by BellSouth’s two-way packet data network and developed by
Ericsson.MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office): The central computer that
connects a wireless phone call to the public telephone network. The MTSO
controls the entire system’s operations, including call monitoring, billing, and
hands-off.NAM (Number Assignment Module): The NAM is the electronic memory
in the wireless phone that stores the telephone number and electronic serial
number.Non-Wireline Cellular Company: The Block “A” carrier. The “A” originally
stood for “alternate,” i.e., the non-Bell or “B” carrier in a market. The FCC, in
setting up the licensing and regulatory rules for cellular, decided to license two
cellular systems in each market. It reserved one for the local telephone
company and opened a second system — the Block A system — to other
interested applicants. The distinction between Block A and Block B was
meaningful only during the licensing phase at the FCC. Once a system is
constructed, it can be sold to anyone. Thus in some markets today, both the A
and B systems are owned by telephone companies — one happens to be the
local phone company for the area and the other is a phone company that
decided to buy a cellular system outside its home territory. See also Wireline
Cellular Company.25Packet: A bundle of data organized in a specific way for transmission. The
three principle elements of a packet include the header, the text, and the trailer
(error detection and correction bits).Packet Radio: The transmission of data over radio using a version of the
X.25 data communications protocol. The data is broken into packets and
transmitted wirelessly.Packet Switching: Sending data in packets through a network to a remote
location. The data sent is assembled by the PAD (see definition below), often
called a “modem,” into individual packets of data.PAD (Packet Assembler/Disassembler): A device that assembles characters
into packets that are transmitted by a packet switching network. A PAD also
receives packets and disassembles them into a format that can be handled by
the terminal or host.Pager: Small portable receivers that are generally inexpensive, reliable, and
have nationwide coverage. Pagers began as one-way devices, but two-way
paging capabilities are available over some networks, notably packet data and
narrowband PCS networks.PC Card: The new name for PCMCIA cards (see definition). A small, credit-
card sized device, compatible with the PCMCIA PC Card Standard, that
packages for memory and input/output.PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association):
A standards body that sets the standards for PC cards.PCS (Personal Communications Services): FCC terminology describing
two-way, personal, digital wireless communications systems. Several traditional
cellular companies now offer PCS services.Picocell: A wireless base station with extremely low output power designed to
cover an extremely small area, such as one floor of an office building.PIM (Personal Information Manager): Also known as a “contact manager,”
is a form of software that logs personal and business information, such as
contacts, appointments, lists, notes, occasions, etc.POP: Short for population. One “POP” equals one person. For example, a
carrier whose market serves 1 million people is said to offer service to 1
million POPs. In the wireless industry, systems are valued financially based on
the population of the market served.26RF (Radio Frequency): A frequency will above the range of human hearing.Roaming: The ability to use a wireless phone to make and receive calls in
places outside one’s home calling area.Service Charge: The amount paid each month to receive wireless service.
This amount is fixed and is to be paid regardless of how much or how little
the wireless phone is used.SIM (Subscriber Identity Module): A computer chip set in a handset that
contains information needed to identify the subscriber when connecting to the
network, especially for billing purposes.Smart Card: A credit card-sized card with a microprocessor and memory.Smart Phone: A phone with a microprocessor, memory, screen, and built-in
modem. The smart phone combines some of the capabilities of a PC on a
handset.SMR (Specialized Mobile Radio): Private business service using mobile
radiotelephones and base stations similar to other wireless services. It is
usually used in dispatch applications, such as delivery companies or taxicab
organizations. Specialized Mobile Radio is the forerunner of ESMR service.