Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/562181
W i r e l e s s W o r l d 3 3 W e d n e s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 9 , 2 0 1 5 they have a history of providing high qual- ity solutions for over four decades. After we visited the facility, it was easy to see why they were the gold standard and, ulti- mately, the best fit for RTC," continued Walker. "Furthermore, it was an impres- sive operation and run by very competent people, top to bottom. With U.S.-based manufacturing and countless quality certi- fications there is no doubt MultiTech is the smart choice for our business." RTC opted for MultiTech's MultiConnect ® Cell 100 Series cellular modems. Since implementing MultiTech technology, RTC now has a reliable two- way communication system available to 99 percent of its customers' school flash- ers. Customers can now enjoy "worry free" implementations and are able to receive alerts from the equipment in the MultiTech Systems (Cont'd. from p. 4) field if there is an issue. Quick emer- gency changes due to situations such as bad weather are now much easier. Looking forward, RTC plans to con- tinue to innovate and make school flash- ers even more reliable and easy to oper- ate, helping children get to school safely all over North America. MultiTech will continue to be a valuable business partner in that effort. "MultiTech has been very proactive in listening to our needs and designing products that fit our industry. Our customers now have a better solution and it has made their jobs infinitely easi- er," said Walker. "MultiTech's technolo- gy has allowed us to revolutionize the school flasher industry, and we could not have done it alone." To see MultiTech technology in action, go to booth #5432 or visit www.multi tech.com for more information. sq. ft. warehouse. Will and Laura have a six year old daughter who often takes up residence in their office. They are both avid runners who compete in everything from marathons to mud runs and enjoy snow Empire Cell Phone Accessories (Cont'd. from p. 4) skiing. Will is an enthusiastic entrepre- neur with a passion for sales. Laura is a passionate organizer, who strives to keep the EMPIRE team on task and growing the brand. For more information, visit booth #1655 or go to www.accessoryexport.com. that IoT will grow from 4.9 billion con- nected devices this year to 25 billion devices within five years (http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2 905717). The sheer growth of these "things" is astounding, but something often overlooked is that they won't only grow in number, but also in terms of locations and use cases. From heavy equipment in the oil fields of Alaska, to containers that are traversing oceans between cities, to fleets of trucks driving cross-country, to supplies being managed by govern- ment organizations or NGOs, the uses for M2M are spreading into the 80 per- cent of the world not covered by terres- trial networks. These cases are where satellite plays a role in complementing cellular. By reaching oceans and remote areas (and even the poles, as the Iridium ® network does), satellite pro- vides coverage beyond the densely populated areas where cellular towers are located. And there's growth here, too – analyst firm NSR estimates that the satellite M2M market will more than double from $1.1 billion in 2013 to $2.4 billion by 2023 (www.satellite today.com/telecom/2014/11/03/nsr- forecasts-promising-growth-in-satel- lite-m2m/). Dual-mode devices that combine cellular and satellite connec- tivity are at the heart of this trend, empowering users to have ubiquitous connections to their devices and bal- ance cost-effectiveness and reliability no matter where they are. Fleet management, defense, agricul- ture and heavy equipment industries are all areas that are driving demand for dual-mode applications. Manufacturers like Hirschmann and Taoglas have devel- oped vehicle-mountable integrated trans- Iridium (Cont'd. from p. 1) ceiver and antenna solutions that use cel- lular and satellite and in some cases also incorporate GPS. Unlike the days of bulky terminals and handsets, these antennas can be as small as 25 square millimeters, making them ideal for fleet management and tracking for compli- ance, safety and asset management. Sonobuoys used by the Navy, autonomous ground sensors, and emer- gency-response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa are just a few of the applica- tions that NAL Research has enabled via satellite M2M using the Iridium network. Tracking company Blackhawk's Farm Angel monitoring solution uses dual- mode connectivity to track New Zealand's farm vehicle operators – including vehicle misuse and accidents. Wireless solutions provider Calamp pro- duces a fully weatherproof, dual-mode, location-and-messaging device for min- ing and construction, which are especial- ly useful as emerging economies fuel industrial applications that take workers and equipment "off the grid" into forests and mines. These are just a few of the ways that satellite is being paired with cellular to extend how organizations access valuable information without lim- its. Just as the last few decades have seen the emergence of a global, intercon- nected marketplace, the next few years (and beyond) will see the growth of the global, interconnected Internet of Things that drive this marketplace. Bringing together the advantages of terrestrial and space-based satellite networks to support this growth is not only beneficial to the organizations that use them, but it's also imperative for the progress of the wire- less industry. For more information, stop by booth #5541 or go to www.iridium.com. order to separate the services they offer from the network that delivers them. VoLTE enables operators to provide high- quality voice services in the same way they transmit data, regardless of carrier network. Disaggregation of service and access gives mobile operators the opportunity to explore truly innovative services that set them apart from other operators and offer increased value to their customers. As of April 2015, 393 operators have launched LTE networks in 138 countries (www.gsacom.com/news/gsa_425.php). Twice as many operators are investing in VoLTE compared to last year. While voice over the Internet service may seem ubiquitous to consumers thanks to over- the-top apps like Skype and Viber, VoLTE eliminates the need for an app. Consumers use the phone's native dialer to make calls as they would normally, but those calls are routed over the data net- work via IP. For operators, the appeal of moving to a single-technology voice/data LTE network is compelling in its sim- plicity, cost-efficiency and potential for network-independent features. The emergence of Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) comple- ments VoLTE by allowing operators to treat any web-connected endpoint as a communications endpoint. With WebRTC, they can offer services to any smartphone or device – not just those connected to their own access network. As a technology, WebRTC allows cus- Mitel (Cont'd. from p. 1) tomers to use VoLTE services even if the person at the other end of the call doesn't have a VoLTE device. That opens a world of possibilities for operators to reach new customers. And consumers will be able to use any device on any carrier network. Rich Communications Services (RCS) and messaging combined with VoLTE enables content sharing and con- textual communications to be added to basic VoLTE services. A conversation that starts with messaging can turn into a voice call and then a video call – seam- lessly. Although RCS services have been available over data networks using third- party apps, VoLTE allows these services to be launched directly from the phone, without launching an app. Ultimately, VoLTE is the first step toward a fully virtualized network – without boundaries. The ability to deliver services on any network, regardless of access provider, removes geographical and technological barriers. Mitel is work- ing with mobile operators around the world to help launch basic VoLTE using our software-only solution as a founda- tional platform. As operators become comfortable with the service, they will expand their services. Eventually, virtu- alization enables the operator community to think and act at the speed of the Internet. After all, that's what customers expect. Mitel is committed to helping operators exceed those expectations. For more information, stop by booth #6028 or go to www.mitel.com. home but may still be isolated from the family and community services they need to help them through the transition. The organization was founded and is managed today by the Bergquist family of Bob, Gail, Brittany, Robbie and Courtney Bergquist. Since 2004, Cell Phones For Soldiers, which mails approximately 1,500 calling cards a week, has provided more than 216 mil- lion "Minutes That Matter" to service members and veterans. Cell Phones For Soldiers accepts donations of funds and gently-used cell phones. The donated cell phones are refurbished or recycled, which generates funds to provide calling cards and emer- gency funds for military members. The calling cards reach service members in a variety of ways. They're often requested by chaplains or commanders who distrib- ute them to the men and women with whom they serve. Family support organ- izations enclose them in care packages. Often a family member will request that the organization send them directly to a serving son or daughter. "We get a lot of first-hand accounts for how important these minutes are to stay in touch. Our phone cards were a lifeline to stay in contact with their families. One soldier was able to call on Thanksgiving. Being able to hear those voices is so much better than just get- ting a letter," says Cell Phones For Soldiers Co-founder, Robbie Bergquist. Cell Phones For Soldiers (Cont'd. from p. 1) "We had a story from a mother who called and said the last time she ever heard her son's voice was with one of our phone cards. It can be very impor- tant. You never know what's going to happen over there." Cell Phones For Soldiers continues to serve veterans after they've returned home with its Helping Heroes Home pro- gram. Veterans returning home some- times simply can't afford to pay the charges to communicate with extended family or support services that can help them transition back into the life they left behind when they were deployed, Bergquist explains. "It's really important for domestic air time for these veterans. Right now they're being priced out of the market. These guys, a lot of them are making $30,000 or less," he says. "Being able to provide domestic air time is important. It's one way we can help these guys and ladies as they come home from serving their country." There are a variety of ways for CTIA Super Mobility attendees to support the effort. Companies may donate gently used cell phones or air time minutes. Each $5 contribution, or donated device valued at $5, will provide troops with 2.5 hours of free talk time. For further information, visit booth #6728 during CTIA Super Mobility 2015. After the show, call Rob Berquist at 781.588.5096, Charlie Taylor at 612.695.0055 or visit www.cellphones forsoldiers.com.