Consumer Electronics Daily News

Wireless Data Volume on AT&T's Network Continues to Double Annually

Editorial by John Donovan, Senior Executive Vice President—AT&T Technology and Network Operations, AT&T Inc.

Running year-end numbers that show the same result as previous years is typically a sign of stability. 

But when the year-end numbers show a doubling of wireless data traffic from 2010 to 2011 – and you've seen at least a doubling every year since 2007 – the implications are profound.

Over the past five years, AT&T's wireless data traffic has grown 20,000%.

The growth is now driven primarily by smartphones.  Add to that new customer additions and the continuing trend of upgrades from feature phones to smartphones, and you have a wireless data tsunami.

It's a global phenomenon, as also detailed by Cisco today with the release of their annual Visual Network Index forecast.

At AT&T, we're addressing the challenge by investing to drive service improvements. AT&T has invested more than $95 billion in its wireless and wireline networks over the past five years.  In 2011, we invested $20 billion in our networks, and completed more than 150,000 wireless network improvements.  And we expect to invest about $20 billion again in 2012 with a focus on wireless, including more 4G LTE deployment, the roll-out of distributed antenna systems in key venues across the U.S. and adding even more AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network.

VTech Brings Parents a Bundle of Joy with New Line of Competitively Priced, Feature-Rich Baby Monitors

VTech® Communications Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of VTech Holdings Ltd. (HKSE: 303;  the world's largest manufacturer of cordless telephones for home and electronic learning products for children), today launched a new line of baby monitors: the Safe & Sound™ Full-Color Video and Audio Monitor (VM321) and the Safe & Sound Digital Audio Monitor (DM221). Both VTech baby monitor systems offer robust features at affordable price points, enabling parents to maximize their monitoring options with less impact to their wallets.

VTech has combined its expertise in wireless home communication with its knowledge of innovative children's electronics products to deliver a highly functional and affordable line of baby monitors.  The new baby monitor line features digital communication technology, which improves range, sound quality and reduces interference from other home devices, so that parents can easily hear sounds and see the images from the baby monitor.

For parents wanting to be completely in tune with their little ones, the VTech Safe & Sound Full-Color Video and Audio Monitor (VM321, MSRP: $149.95) provides a full audio/visual monitoring solution that gives parents peace-of-mind with up to 1,000 feet of range between the camera and parent unit. The system features high-quality video resolution (transmitting up to 22 frames per second) on a sizeable 2.8-inch video screen with a 320 x 240 pixel display (compared to a 2-inch display for the competition's slightly more expensive models).

Other unique features include a split video screen, enabling simultaneous viewing from up to four separate cameras with the purchase of additional cameras (VM310, MSRP: $49.95), along with infrared night-vision capability for viewing when the room is completely dark. The Safe & Sound Full-Color Video and Audio Monitor also features a two-way intercom system to let the little one hear parents' voices, polyphonic lullabies to play, a temperature sensor to ensure parents can keep rooms heated or cooled appropriately and vibrating alerts to noise in the baby's room for notification when the parent unit is attached with the belt clip or in a pocket. Finally, the system offers a six-level LED sound indicator to adjust volume and a rechargeable battery on the parent unit, avoiding the need to continuously stock and replace batteries.

For parents needing a more affordable solution, the VTech Safe and Sound Digital Audio Monitor (DM221, MSRP: $39.95) offers up to 1,000 feet of range and features Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) 6.0 technology, ensuring high-quality and reliable sound that prevents wireless interference from other electronic devices and security from digital snooping. Parents won't miss a gurgle or hiccup with vibrating sound alerts, sound indicators, backlit display on the parent unit and a belt clip for constant monitoring.  In addition, the intercom system allows immediate two-way communication to sooth the baby when restless. VTech offers up to 18 hours of battery life and rechargeable batteries, ensuring continuous monitoring all night, even if the family is on the go.

"Parents want peace of mind when their babies aren't in their arms, and VTech is giving them a solid alternative with monitoring products that deliver the best value for their dollar," said Matt Ramage, senior vice president, product management, VTech Communications. "Our leadership in wireless communication for the home enables us to be competitive in both quality and price, providing parents with a reliable, feature-rich solution to keep tabs on their little ones, as they go about their days and nights."

For more information on VTech and its new baby monitor products, please visit http://www.babymonitors.vtech.com.

iBuKu Pets: The Lovable New Face of Edutainment

With the launch of its new line of iBuKu Pets™, start-up technology toy company Arbor Cube has found a way to breathe new life into old smartphones while making learning safe and fun for little ones.

According to Arbor Cube co-founder Simon Channey, iBuKu Pets combine the tech toys element of meaningful play with a huggable device protector and an environmentally-responsible message to encourage the reuse of the millions of old smartphones collecting dust in drawers or bound for landfills.

iBuKu Pets feature a soft body that will expand to house a smartphone or iPod Touch®. The cushiony shell protects fragile electronics and is available in many characters kids will love.

More than just a cute toy, iBuKu Pets offer dozens of practical applications including serving as a nightlight, alarm clock, wireless battery charger, still and video camera, music player and educational toy appropriate for ages three to 12. 

The line will initially debut with two patent-pending models: a base model featuring the doll only and an upgraded version with an internal battery and wireless charging designed to benefit new or older smartphones that may have trouble holding a charge. Future plans call for additional technology features that will allow iBuKu Pets to grow with their child.

Channey points out iBuKu Pets are a natural extension of children's fascination with technology. He cites a 2011 Neilsen survey that found nearly half of kids ages one to 12 wanted an iOS device for Christmas. "As parents ourselves, we know that kids today love technology and this is a great way to let them safely play with a phone that otherwise could have wound up in a landfill. And with all the educational apps out there and our plans for educational add-ons, we are excited to harness that interest so kids have the chance to learn in a fun and unique way," says Channey.

Arbor Cube has patent-pending technology to protect current and future applications of the iBuKu Pets line. The company will take pre-orders at the Toy Industry Association's American International Toy Fair 2012 in New York and the final product will be available to ship in spring 2012. For additional information visit www.ibukupets.com.

Motorola CLP Two-Way Radios Enable Security Guards to Comfortably Monitor Security Gates and Doors

When used in conjunction with a wireless callbox, the new Motorola CLP1010 and CLP1040 two-way radios enable security guards to monitor security gates and doors without being confined to a desk. These radios are about than half the size of a dollar bill and weigh less than 2.5 ounces so security guards can comfortably carry them all day long. The palm-sized CLP series radios are 40% smaller and 50% lighter than other business two-way radios.

IntercomsOnline.com is now the Motorola Authorized Business Two-Way Radio Reseller for these radios.

One of the most unique characteristics that make the radio even more comfortable to carry is the CLPs optional magnet-mount accessory. With it, you can literally mount the radio anywhere on your clothing. No belt or even pants required!

Says IntercomsOnline.com marketing director David Onslow, "When paired with one of our long-range wireless callboxes, the Motorola CLP series enable security guards to roam the building or campus and not be confined to a guard shack or desk. This enables a single guard to be more productive thus reducing the number of security guards needed. That’s something you can’t do with a traditional wired access control solution."

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment of security guards is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This occupation will have a very large number of new jobs arise, about 152,500 over the projections decade. Concern about crime, vandalism, and terrorism continues to increase the need for security."

With rising demand comes rising employment costs so finding ways to increase efficiency of your guards will become increasingly important.

While the CLP1010 and CLP1040 radios were designed for the retail, hospitality, and restaurant industry, with their military-grade reliability, ease of use, and sleek styling, IntercomsOnline.com is finding that they have uses in a myriad of other industries.

Nearly 500,000 "App Economy" Jobs in United States

TechNet, the bipartisan policy and political network of technology CEOs that promotes the growth of the innovation economy, today released a new study showing that there are now roughly 466,000 jobs in the "App Economy" in the United States, up from zero in 2007.

The study, sponsored by TechNet and conducted by Dr. Michael Mandel of South Mountain Economics LLC, also found that App Economy jobs are spread throughout the nation. The top metro area for App Economy jobs is New York City and its surrounding suburban counties, although together San Francisco and San Jose together substantially exceed New York.  And while California tops the list of App Economy states with nearly one in four jobs, states such as Georgia, Florida, and Illinois get their share as well.  In fact, more than two-thirds of App Economy employment is outside of California and New York.  The results also suggest that the App Economy is growing quickly and that the location and number of app-related jobs are likely to shift greatly in the years ahead.

"America's App Economy – which had zero jobs just 5 years ago before the iPhone was introduced – demonstrates that we can quickly create economic value and jobs through cutting-edge innovation," said Rey Ramsey, President and CEO of TechNet.  "Today, the App Economy is creating jobs in every part of America, employing hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers today and even more in the years to come."

"The App Economy, along with the broad communications sector, has been a leading source of hiring strength in an otherwise sluggish labor market," said Dr. Michael Mandel, the report's author and President of South Mountain Economics and former Chief Economist for BusinessWeek.

The full study, entitled "Where the Jobs Are," is available at: http://bit.ly/AlGe4l.

Top U.S. Metro Areas With Highest Percentage of App Economy Jobs
New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island	9.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	8.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	6.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	5.7%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana	5.1%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria	4.8%
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet	3.5%
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy	3.5%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta	3.3%
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	2.6%
Top Ten States for App Economy Jobs (Percentage)
California	23.8%
New York	6.9%
Washington	6.4%
Texas	5.4%
New Jersey	4.2%
Illinois	4.0%
Massachusetts	3.9%
Georgia	3.7%
Virginia	3.5%
Florida	3.1%

The research shows that when it comes to employment impacts, each app represents jobs—for programmers, for user interface designers, for marketers, for managers, for support staff. Conventional employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are not able to track such a new phenomenon because this economic ecosystem is so new.  The research analyzed detailed information from The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) database, a comprehensive and up-to-the-minute compilation of want ads, to estimate the number of jobs in the App Economy.

The total number of Apps Economy jobs includes jobs at 'pure' app firms such as Zynga as well as app-related jobs at large companies such as Electronic Arts, Amazon, and AT&T, as well as app 'infrastructure' jobs at core firms such as Google, Apple, and Facebook.  In addition, the App Economy total includes employment spillovers to the rest of the economy.

Mad for Mobile: Half of CIOs Say Their Firms Have or Will Offer a Mobile Application In Coming Year

"There's an app for that," may apply to nearly half of U.S. businesses before the year is over, a new survey by Robert Half Technology shows. Twenty-seven percent of CIOs polled recently said their companies already offer a mobile application, while another 22 percent said they plan to offer one in 2012.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis.  It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees.

CIOs were asked, "Has your company developed a mobile application for customers and clients, or do you plan to offer one in the next 12 months?" Their responses:

You have one now	27%
You don't have one now but plan to offer one in the next 12 months	22%
You don't have one and don't plan to offer one in the next 12 months	43%
Other/don't know	9%
Total	100%

As mobile applications become more prevalent, there is no shortage of issues for the IT teams tasked with developing them. In the same survey, CIOs said the two greatest challenges for IT teams developing these applications are collaborating across departments and finding IT professionals with the skills to build them.

CIOs were asked, "What is the greatest challenge for IT teams when developing a mobile application for the business?" Their responses:

Collaborating across departments	29%
Finding and hiring IT professionals with the necessary expertise	28%
Keeping the application up to date	19%
Gaining approvals from the application store or market	16 %
Other/don't know	8%

"Building mobile applications requires intense collaboration between numerous groups within the organization, including marketing, IT, operations and sales," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology.  It's important for mobile application developers to have strong soft skills, in addition to the ability to write code and test and debug software applications."

As more companies look to develop mobile apps, the demand for IT professionals who specialize in this area has increased, according to the Robert Half Technology 2012 Salary Guide, which shows starting salaries for mobile applications developers are expected to increase 9.1 percent next year -- one of the largest increases of any IT position researched.

Added Reed: "Because the demand for professionals with a track record of building successful mobile apps currently outpaces the supply, companies are willing to pay a premium for professionals with these skills."

Tucows Launches Ting: A New US Mobile Phone Service

Tucows Inc., a global Internet services company dedicated to making simple useful services that unlock the power of the Internet, today announced the launch of Ting, a mobile phone service dedicated to bringing clarity and control to US mobile phone customers.

Small businesses and families in the US are overpaying for mobile service and underserved by their mobile service providers. With Ting, Tucows seeks to offer a fresh alternative by emphasizing clarity, usability, a sincere commitment to customer support and significant monthly savings.

"What people are forced to put up with from mobile service providers just doesn't make sense. It's too complicated, too opaque, too adversarial, too expensive and frankly too inhuman," said Elliot Noss, CEO of Tucows. "We're changing that. Ting is a mobile service that makes sense."

Ting has a very different approach to pricing than the major providers. Minutes, messages and megabytes are each billed separately. If customers use less of any than they anticipated, they are credited at the end of the month. If they use more, they are simply billed the appropriate additional amount, without onerous penalties or premiums. Businesses and families can pool an unlimited number of phones and data devices on one Ting account, offering even greater savings over other providers' more limited sharing options.

People considering Ting are encouraged to instantly calculate how much they'll save with Ting by entering past bills from their current provider into the Ting Phone Savings Calculator on the Ting site (http://ting.com/calculator).

The site offers customers clear, visual snapshots of their usage throughout the month and a great deal of administrative control over usage and device features.

The customer support team boasts a "no hold policy" from 8am-8pm ET Monday through Friday and "geek support" from smart, passionate people that are empowered to solve problems.

Ting is now available to US businesses and families at Ting.com (http://ting.com).

Globecomm Maritime Extends Ericsson Mobile Connectivity to Worldwide Globecomm Maritime Extends Ericsson Mobile Connectivity to Worldwide Fleet

Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM), a leading global provider of communications solutions and services, announced today that it has been selected by Ericsson as a subcontractor of the maritime GSM/VSAT managed operation for an Ericsson mobile communication network. The network will be implemented on up to 400 container vessels worldwide over the next two years, providing end-to-end 24/7 automated monitoring and real-time information control.

Globecomm will provide below-deck equipment and provide operation services, under a seven-year subcontract to Ericsson Denmark.

Globecomm will provide its se@FLEX VSAT service, including integration of shipboard terminals accessing Ku-band satellites as a part of Ericsson´s rollout, and will utilize Globecomm’s Hosted Wireless Services. The global se@FLEX VSAT platform will provide automatic roaming between Ku-band satellite beams on a global basis at a flat rate. The global system will access over 20 satellite beams operating through 13 teleports and including fiber backhaul to the Globecomm Data Center in New York. The Hosted Wireless Service will provide hosted BSC services, BTS/BSC monitoring and performance management by using Ericsson equipment.

The Globecomm Maritime solution offers Ku-band maritime service coverage which reaches the global shipping lanes and a worldwide managed network of fiber-linked teleports for transmission and management of customer traffic.

Keith Hall, Globecomm President and COO, said: "This contract is a great example of how far Globecomm has come as a global managed network services provider. We take great pride in becoming a major player in the next generation Maritime market and this contract is a major stepping stone. We look forward to the opportunities that will arise from this contract and our partnership with Ericsson.”

Andy Silberstein, Globecomm Senior VP and General Manager, said: "Our collaboration with Ericsson on this important project enables us to utilize Globecomm’s global maritime VSAT network together with our hosted wireless GSM services, bringing together two core Globecomm capabilities to provide a total solution for our customer.”

Telecom Ventures Partners with LightSquared to Offer Branded Mobile Broadband Services to Underserved Markets

LightSquared™, a wholesale carrier building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will create consumer choice and drive industry innovation, and Telecom Ventures have announced a wholesale agreement that will enable Telecom Ventures' two entities, Assist Wireless and New-Talk, to deliver branded mobile broadband services to underserved customers.

Both Assist Wireless and New-Talk are certified as Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) providers by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), allowing them to offer subsidized telephone services, better known as Lifeline, to low-income subscribers.

Assist Wireless, which targets unbanked and underbanked consumers, provides wireless services to tens of thousands of customers in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri and Oklahoma, and plans to expand its footprint to several other states, including California, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas. New-Talk offers local phone services to a growing base of thousands of customers in Texas, which include a range of value-added services, including bilingual customer representatives and the ability to check account balances, pay bills and view invoices online.

With LightSquared, Assist Wireless and New-Talk will now be able to offer reliable, world-class mobile broadband data services at competitive prices to their Lifeline customers.

"Access to advanced mobile broadband services will open up vast opportunities for our customers," said Byron Young, chief executive officer of Telecom Ventures. "With LightSquared's unique business model and state-of-the-art technology, we can deliver affordable, reliable access to our growing base of subscribers across the country, and ensure they won't get caught in the digital divide."

With Telecom Ventures, LightSquared now has wholesale agreements with 39 wholesale customers. These customers include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, nationwide retailers, regional phone companies, CLECs, mobile content providers and others who plan to use LightSquared's network to offer competitively-priced wireless service to their customers.

"LightSquared's mission is to ensure that more than 260 million people have access to wireless broadband services," said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer of LightSquared. "Telecom Ventures shares our belief in the importance of delivering these services to underserved markets, and in the process, democratizing wireless for all Americans."

TranSwitch Announces LTE™ Fixed Wireless Residential Gateway Solution Based on Atlanta 2000 Communications Processor

TranSwitch Corporation, a leading provider of consumer and telecom semiconductor solutions, has announced the availability of a new LTE™ (*Long Term Evolution; a 4G wireless broadband technology) fixed wireless reference design that enables wireless providers to deliver broadband voice, video and data services to homes and enterprises. TranSwitch’s reference design incorporates its Atlanta 2000™ processor and complete software solution which is designed for high performance, real time services under real world network conditions.

Atlanta 2000™ LTE Fixed Wireless Gateway Solution will be Showcased at the Las Vegas Hilton, Suite 1269, During the 2012 International CES.

According to a recent GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) report, 174 commercial LTE network deployments are in progress or planned in 64 countries, including 26 networks that have already commercially launched. While LTE services are initially targeted at mobile subscribers, LTE fixed wireless networks are also gaining traction worldwide as wireless carriers can simultaneously offer wireless and fixed services, such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP), high speed internet access, and television service, to consumers’ residences and businesses.

“Until now, residential broadband access has been the exclusive domain of wire-line service providers. LTE is a game changer in that it allows wireless carriers around the globe to offer equivalent services such as VoIP, high-speed internet and IP video to residential customers. Additionally, LTE allows traditional fixed services to be bundled at retail wireless stores without the significant provisioning and service deployment costs usually associated with providing these services. The launch of TranSwitch LTE fixed wireless reference design is a significant milestone in our strategy to address the growing demand for LTE broadband access,” reports Kris Shankar, Sr. Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing of TranSwitch Corp. “We have successfully leveraged years of telecommunications expertise to deliver a turnkey hardware and software solution which enables our customers to rapidly enter the fixed wireless LTE market for voice, video, data and home automation over an IMS (Infrastructure Management Services) infrastructure.”

TranSwitch’s Atlanta 2000 incorporates triple processor cores including a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) as well as hardware security engines and packet processing accelerators which combine to deliver unparalleled performance under degraded network conditions. According to Shimon Edelhaus, Senior Director of Software Engineering at TranSwitch Corp, “The key differentiator for the TranSwitch LTE reference design is that it delivers high throughput internet access and high quality, multi-channel voice while meeting the key requirements of telecommunications carriers in terms of IMS compliance and QoS (Quality of Service)."

Atlanta 2000™ LTE™ Fixed Wireless Gateway Solution Key Features

Software:

• Integration of the Atlanta 2000 product family’s triple play functionality with IMS compliant, Voice over LTE™ (VoLTE) deployment-ready stack
• Fully integrated support for leading dual band 2x2 and 3x3 WiFi 802.11n modems
• Outstanding VoIP, ISDN and CAT-iq density and voice quality
• Certified OMA-DM and Broadband Forum Management and Provisioning
• Dual Stack IPv4/IPv6, Hardware based security and tunneling (IPSec /PPPT/L2TP /SSL)
• Best-in-class performance Java Virtual Machine and OSGI for Home Automation Applications over LTE

Hardware:

• Integrated dual RISC cores: 400 MHz Tensilica Xtensa LX2 with MMU
• Single or dual hardware encryption engines
• Integrated VLIW architecture DSP, supporting up to eight channels of deep compression wideband or narrowband codecs or 16 channels of G.711
• Comprehensive Wireline and Wireless Codec support Two USB 2.0 dual mode (Host/Device) interfaces
• Three Hardware Accelerated Gigabit Ethernet ports

For more information on TranSwitch’s A2000™ LTE fixed wireless gateway solution, please visit: www.transwitch.com.

* LTE is a trade mark of ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)

About TranSwitch Corporation TranSwitch Corporation (NASDAQ: TXCC)  designs, develops and supplies innovative semiconductor and intellectual property (IP) solutions that provide core functionality for voice, data and video communications equipment for network, enterprise and customer premises applications. Founded in 1988, TranSwitch® is headquartered in Shelton, Conn.  The company provides integrated multi-core network processor System-on-a-Chip (SoC) solutions and software solutions for fixed, 3G and 4G mobile, VoIP and multimedia infrastructures.  For the customer premises market the company offers a family of communications processors that provide best-in-class performance for a range of applications and  also provide interoperable connectivity solutions that enable the reliable distribution and presentation of high-definition (HD) content for consumer electronics and personal computer  markets.