You can't tell the players without a program,
right? On a weekly basis, Network Computing Mobile
Observer will track the 50 private and public companies we consider to be the
top players in the mobile and wireless industries. Some of them will
be household names while others may be companies you've never heard
of. Either way, we'll help you keep a close eye on your favorite
vendor.
3Com Corporation, founded in 1979 as the pioneer of the
emerging Ethernet LAN industry, is a provider of networking products
and solutions. In fiscal 2000 the company transformed itself and its
network offerings to focus on targeted sectors of the commercial,
consumer, and carrier and network service provider markets. The
company prides itself on the development of elegant and easy-to-use
networking solutions, particularly in the areas of broadband
connections, wireless network access, and Internet Protocol (IP)
telephony. After conceding the large enterprise network
infrastructure market to Cisco a couple years ago, 3Com identified
its main markets as commercial enterprises with small- to mid-sized
locations, consumers, and carriers and network service providers.
Commercial products include access products, Local Area Network
(LAN)/Wide Area Network (WAN) infrastructure products, LAN telephony
products, and services. Consumer products include broadband
connections,
home networking products and Internet appliances. Their CommWorks
subsidiary provides communications platforms to service providers and
carriers. In October 2000, 3Com acquired Nomadic Technologies, Inc., a
developer of wireless networking products. 3Com's acquisition of
Nomadic is representative of their renewed commitment to wireless
technologies serving the needs of home and small business users, a
market 3Com believes it understands better than its competition.
Aether is a leading provider of wireless data products and
services. The company is dedicated to simplifying multivendor wireless
communication and enabling enterprises to realize the benefits of
information mobility. Founded in 1996, Aether allows individuals to
receive real-time data on handheld wireless devices using virtually
any data network, any operating system and any hardware platform.
Aether's key areas of expertise include wireless systems engineering,
software tools and services, wireless network operations, product
fulfillment and customer support. Major target markets include
financial services, field sales and service, transportation and
healthcare. Among Aether's clients are Charles Schwab, National
Discount Brokers, Allegiance Health Care, United States Postal
Service, Office Depot and Nissan. Aether provides tools and
technologies that allow enterprises to mobile-enable strategic
applications. In addition, the company maintains a data center
dedicated to the support of mobile applications.
Agere is not exactly a household name, but this
Lucent spinoff is perhaps the most dominant influence in the wireless
LAN industry. In fact, if you trace its origins back to the days of
NCR's
WaveLAN, the company was an industry pioneer, offering the first
commercially viable, direct sequence spread spectrum wireless LAN
network interface cards. Today, Agere sells communications
semiconductors, which include both optoelectronic components and
integrated circuits, worldwide. While wireless is just one element
of the company's offerings, its Orinoco product line has consistently
maintained a leadership position in the WLAN market. Nearly all the
major PC manufacturers integrate desktop and notebook PCs with
Orinoco products or resell them.
Privately held AirPrime was founded in Santa Clara, Calif., in May
1999. It is a leading provider of high-speed, CDMA (code division
multiple access) wireless data and voice products to the OEM market.
AirPrime provides wireless access solutions for use in handheld
computers, notebook PCs and Internet appliances. The company is
developing technology platforms to cover the entire range of current
and next-generation CDMA standards, from IS-95 A/B to 1xRTT, 1xEV
and beyond. In August 2001, AirPrime revealed that it would deliver the
first 3G upgradeable wireless voice and data product for use on the
Sprint PCS network.
AirPrime has secured more than $80.7 million to date in venture
funding and strategic investments. Its investors include RBC Partners
Telecom Fund, Qualcomm, Verizon Investments, GE Capital, NB Capital
Venture Partners, Omninet Capital, DRW Venture Partners,
LibertyView
Equity Partners, 3Com, Xircom (part of Intel Corp.), LSI Logic,
Angel's Forum, The Halo Fund, TechHarvest Group, Beachead Capital,
Belgravia Capital, Ideal Partners and Peloton Ventures. The company's
CEO, Anthony Gioeli, held several executive positions at Compaq and
Xircom, most recently as vice president of Xircom's worldwide OEM
business.
A privately held startup company, Airvana was formed in March
2000 by a team of senior executives from Motorola, Lucent
Technologies, Cisco Systems and Nortel Networks. The company's
goal was to develop infrastructure equipment for the RAN (Radio
Access Network) based on the 3G, 1xEV-DO high-speed mobile data
standard. Inspired by the belief that IP will change wireless
networks as profoundly as it has wired networks, Airvana is
developing IP-based RAN elements that have the potential to
improve the economics of deploying high-speed mobile Internet
services.
Driven by the mobile Internet's enormous potential and as a
reaction to declining mobile voice revenues per subscriber,
operators are pegging their future growth on mobile Internet
services. Airvana's goal is to help operators deliver on this
potential now. The company's implementation of 1xEV-DO offers
several benefits to operators and end users. Airvana's
infrastructure products give operators the flexibility to
offer high-speed, always-on, fixed and mobile services not
only to cell phones, but also to laptops, PDAs and desktop
computers. The data rates are fast enough that it can be used
to run regular Web applications in addition to custom low-
bandwidth content like WAP.
Randy Battat is the company's president and chief executive
officer. He joined Airvana from Motorola, where he was most
recently senior vice president and general manager of the
Internet and Networking Group, responsible for a full line of
wireline and wireless access solutions, broadband communications,
corporate networking, wireless content services and platform
software.
Andrew Corporation is a designer, manufacturer,
and supplier of communications equipment, services, and systems.
Andrew is a global organization with a market capitalization of over
$1.75 billion, with a fairly diversified portfolio of products
wireless and distributed communications, land mobile radio, cellular
and personal communications, broadcast, radar, and navigation. Take a
close look at the dish antennas on the next radio tower you pass by
and don't be surprised to see the Andrew red "flash" trademark.
Andrew's principal products include coaxial cables, microwave antennas
for point-to-point communication systems, special purpose antennas
for commercial and government use, antennas and earth stations for
satellite communication systems, cellular antenna products, cellular
telephone accessories, equipment shelters, radar system components
and related ancillary items and services. These products are
frequently
sold as integrated systems rather than as separate components.
Formerly a division of AT&T, AT&T Wireless became an
independent operating company on July 9, 2001, providing nationwide
wireless services for both voice and data users. (At the end of 2000,
the company had 15.2 million consolidated subscribers, amounting to a
revenue of $10.4 billion.) AT&T Wireless holds 850-MHz and 1,900-MHz
licenses, and its wireless services cover 98 percent of the U.S.
population. This includes approximately 77 percent of the U.S.
population that was covered by at least 30 megahertz of wireless
spectrum owned by the company, its affiliates or its partners. AT&T
Wireless also maintains roaming agreements that allow its subscribers
to use other providers' wireless services in regions where it does not
have operations. Customers make use of AT&T's wireless network for
data services using CDPD-standard modems. The OmniSky service
available for the Palm Vx is equipped with a modem that connects to
AT&T Wireless Services' packet data network. OmniSky subscribers can
access e-mail as well as several hundred content providers that have
created information specifically for handheld devices. AT&T Wireless
Services also provides fixed wireless services based on OFDM
(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) to over 15,000
subscribers in seven metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles,
Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Diego.
Atheros was founded in 1998 by a team of technologists from
academia and the private sector specializing in leading-edge radio and
signal processing and led by Dr. Teresa H. Meng (Atheros' current CTO),
a former professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at Stanford University. The company
is best known as the first-to-market developer of chipsets for the
802.11a wireless LAN standard, which provides communications at up to
54 Mbps in the unlicensed 5-GHz wireless spectrum. The company's
two-chip, all-CMOS, end-to-end wireless LAN solution has been adopted
by a number of firms that manufacture wireless LAN equipment,
including Enterasys Networks, Proxim, Intermec Technologies Corp. and
Intel Corp. Atheros has received nearly $100 million in funding from a
variety of private sources, including in April 2001 nearly $70 million
of third-round funding led by Fidelity Management & Research Co.
Atheros currently employs over 120 people (including 35 PhDs) and has
filed more than 45 wireless technology patents. The company's
president and CEO is Rich Redelfs, who was formerly vice president and
general manager of 3Com Corp.'s Wireless and Home Connectivity
Division.
Amid the current worldwide wireless market trend of implementing 3G systems, including recent announcements by large carriers of moving forward with U.S. deployments of 3G technology, one company to watch is Avian Communications. Avian develops mobile data infrastructure equipment that can enhance existing 2.5G investments while allowing migration to both 3G and 4G infrastructures.
A recent Yankee Group report mentioned Avian as one of the new start-ups focused on purpose-built wireless infrastructure that will help fixed network IP infrastructure providers migrate to a wireless environment. The company integrates existing wireless networking and intelligent networks with next-generation IP networks through its MSSP (Mobile Services Switching Platform). MSSP enhances wireless packet data services for GPRS, UMTS and CDMA networks.
Avian Communications is privately held and supported by venture financing from St. Paul Venture Capital, Argo Global Capital, Nokia Venture Partners, Wasserstein Ventures, YankeeTek Ventures and Clarity Capital. In July 2001, the company announced it had completed a $22-million round of equity financing. Raj Alur, the company's CEO/president, was most recently vice president, strategic and segment marketing, for Lucent Technologies.
BellSouth is a communications services company that
provides voice and data services to more than 45 million customers in
the United States and 16 other countries. In addition to its core telephony
services, BellSouth has broadened its service offerings to include a
variety of broadband data and Internet services. The company is a major
provider of DSL, high-speed Internet access and was one of the first regional
Bell operating companies to make significant investments in that service.
Its wireless business is focused primarily on Cingular, a wireless company
co-owned with SBC Communications that provides wireless data and voice
services.
BreezeCOM, founded in 1992, is a comparative veteran in the
wireless industry. The company specializes in the development of
broadband wireless access solutions used by service providers and
enterprises. BreezeCOM products provide a wireless alternative to
wired Internet access, such as DSL and cable modems, and facilitate
indoor, outdoor, fixed and mobile wireless LAN connectivity. BreezeCOM
products are based on a packet switching point-to-multipoint wireless
platform optimized for high-speed Internet and intranet access. Core
technologies include spread spectrum radio, digital signal processing,
modems, networking protocols and VLSI. Among its product families are:
BreezeACCESS, broadband wireless access solutions for service
providers in licensed frequency bands such as 2.5- and 3.5-GHz MMDS
and in the license-free 2.4-GHz ISM band; BreezeNET Wireless LAN
systems, which operate in the license-free 2.4-GHz band and include
solutions for LANs, building-to-building connectivity and Internet
access; BreezeLINK E1/T1 Modems for point-to-point connectivity; and
BreezeVIEW Management Software.
Founded in July 2000, Mountain View, Calif.-based Bytemobile provides wireless carriers services to help improve functionality and security across data networks, regardless of the underlying technology, be it 2G, 2.5G or 3G. Bytemobile offers a suite of compression, acceleration and network connectivity technologies that support VPNs (virtual private networks), VLANs (virtual local area networks), network address translation, authentication, authorization and accounting.
Its main product platform, called Macara, is based on a WOSN (wireless optimization service node), which provides acceleration and security of IP-based content. The Macara WOSN is based on open standards and works with any wireless network, regardless of the network's air interface, technology generation or network architecture. On January 28, the company announced that United Kingdom-based Vodafone had purchased this platform as part of a plan to improve its GPRS network.
In December 2001, the company closed $29 million in Series B funding from a group of investors that included Ericsson Venture Partners, Benchmark Capital, CrossBridge Venture Partners, Trident Capital and R. B. Webber & Company, among others. The company now has over $44 million of total funding.
Woburn, Mass.-based Cerylion develops, markets and supports a scalable platform to deploy highly personalized wireless data applications through a link management technology that allows both desktop and wireless data users to access content and services from a variety of sources.
Cerylion developed a portal framework that integrates into carriers existing wireless services. It allows carriers to create their own branded portal that enables both wired and wireless subscribers to chain content and actions into highly personalized activity books based on their individual needs and preferences. For example, an end user booking an airline flight to New York City could trigger a series of actions, such as hotel and car reservations as well as e-mails notifying specific individuals of flight changes and meeting times. This framework is based on a link management platform supported by Cerylions WebSpace Host Server and its end-user Mobile and Personal WebSpace Managers.
Founded in 1999, Cerylion in October 2001 announced $5 million in series B convertible preferred funding. Chesnut Partners led this investment. The company is part of the Motorola, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Ericsson and Research in Motion developer programs.
Easy
choice, right? Or maybe not. Yes, despite troubled
financial times,
Cisco continues to dominate the Internet infrastructure
industry.
But their positioning in the wireless space is somewhat
more tenuous.
It will probably come as no surprise that Cisco's key
plays in wireless
are a result of acquisition. When they acquired Aironet
Communications
last year, sales immediately tripled. Such is the power of
the Cisco
brand. But their forays into fixed access wireless have
not met with
as much success.
Compaq is a leading global provider of
enterprise technology and solutions. It designs, develops, manufactures
and markets hardware, software, solutions and services, including
enterprise storage and computing solutions, communication products, and
desktop and portable personal computers that are sold in more than 200
countries. Once known primarily as a leading PC company, Compaq grew and
diversified through acquisition during the 1990s. Compaq's iPAQ mobile
computing platform has proven to be one of its most significant product
introductions in recent years. The company also sells a line of wireless
LAN products that it OEMs from several sources.
Cyneta Networks was created in January 2000 to develop and deploy an
entirely new network element -- the Resource Aware Adaptive Switching
platform. Cyneta's solution complements existing core wireless network
elements and allows carriers to optimize the delivery of IP
communications in the wireless environment. The platform enables
carriers to better understand and control the transport of IP data in
their wireless networks. The result is an improved user experience,
enhanced revenue opportunities and a greater acceptance of wireless
data in the business and consumer markets. CASP (Cyneta Adaptive
Switching Platform) allows operators to generate new value from
existing capital investments: It maximizes the network for best
performance using existing equipment, salvages bandwidth, improves
spectrum efficiencies by 20 percent, limits the amount of unnecessary
data retransmissions, provides intelligence for resource control
functionality and offers session continuity capabilities to reduce
dropped calls.
Douglas Smith is the company's CEO. He was the founder and managing
director of Taleria Ventures, a private investment firm focused on
communications infrastructure start-ups. Smith has held
senior-executive management positions at two of the largest
telecommunications equipment companies in the world, Nortel Networks
and Ericsson.
Cyneta announced on October 29 that it has secured $25 million in
second-round financing from leading venture capital firms including
Battery Ventures, Partech International, Crescendo Ventures and Vortex
Partners.
Danger Inc. is a wireless startup company primarily focused on
providing wireless service operators with an end-to-end mobile
application platform. This platform includes a back-end service and a
framework that uses standard development tools.
Additionally, Danger has developed a small (5 ounces) wireless voice
and Internet convergence device that is able to send and receive
e-mails, shoot digital photos and also work as a full-featured mobile
phone. This product is called the Hiptop and will be available to
customers during the first half of this year. Furthermore, the Hiptop
offers HTML Web browsing, e-mail with attachments, instant messaging,
personal information management (PIM) and entertainment features. The
latest company reports indicate that they are close to announcing a
deal with a major wireless carrier that will sell the device to its
customers.
This startup has venture capital backing from Orange Ventures, Mobius
Venture Capital, T-Ventures, Redpoint Ventures and others. On October
16, 2001, Danger announced second round financing of $36 million,
increasing their funding total to $48 million.
Founded in January 2000 by former Apple, WebTV and Philips veterans
Andy Rubin, Joe Britt, and Matt Hershenson; the company is based in
Palo Alto, California.
Dell pioneered the build-to-order, direct-sales
computer systems company. It is active in both consumer and business
markets and offers a full range of computer systems, including
desktop computers, notebook computers, workstations, network
servers and storage products as well as an extended selection of
peripheral hardware and software. Additionally, the company offers an
array of service options through a variety of partnerships. Dell has not
really been a leader in the mobile and wireless space, but it is a
significant player, and the company is likely to assert itself more
significantly as the market matures. Unlike Compaq, arguably its most
direct competitor, Dell does not offer a branded PDA. The company's
most aggressive move into the wireless space involves its TrueMobile
initiative, which integrates 802.11b wireless capabilities (including
built-in antennas) on its Latitude line of notebook computers. Dell is
an OEM partner of Agere/Orinoco and rebrands many of that
company's products, including wireless NICs and access points.
Deutsche Telekom is a major European telecommunications company offering
a range of fixed-line voice
telephony products and services through more than 49 million access
lines as of December 31, 2000. Through T-Mobile, Deutsche Telekom
also serves over 30 million mobile telephony customers in Europe.
Deutsche Telekom's international portfolio of subsidiaries and
investments includes telecommunications companies active in the
United Kingdom, France, Austria, Central and Eastern Europe, the
United States and Asia. In May 2001, the company acquired
VoiceStream Wireless. VoiceStream is a national provider of personal
communications service in the United States using GSM wireless
technology. As of September 30, 2000, VoiceStream and its partners
had licenses to provide service to over 220 million people and operating
systems in the United States and a total subscription base of 3.3
million users. VoiceStream has licenses in 23 of the 25 largest
markets in the United States. Prior to being acquired by Deutsche
Telekom, VoiceStream acquired Omnipoint Corp. and Aerial
Communications, substantially increasing its geographic coverage.
Diversinet is a global company involved in securing
transactions and messages associated with wireless devices such as
mobile phones, pagers, PDAs and portable computers. The company
provides the infrastructure that wireless software applications need
for secure, confidential and authenticated transactions. Example
applications include proof-of-transaction needed for mobile commerce,
approval authentication needed for enterprise automation and
permission verification needed for business-to-business purchasing.
Diversinet's technology addresses the limited screen size, processing
resources and battery life of wireless devices that present unique
challenges for mobile commerce and authenticated message exchange. The
company addresses these challenges with an advanced implementation of
PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) encryption technology.
Ever
heard of them? How about Digital Microwave, which was
their old name?
Well, maybe they're not a household name, but they are
indeed a leading
manufacturer of advanced wireless solutions for worldwide
telephone
network interconnection and broadband wireless access.
With their
newest Altium product line, they are pushing the
boundaries of spectral
efficiency, delivering over 300 MHz of raw bandwidth in a
50 MHz channel.
Ensemble Communications designs, manufactures and markets point-to-multipoint wireless systems for LMDS (local multipoint distribution services) and other broadband wireless access markets. The company's main product, its Fiberless broadband wireless system, is designed to cover the demands of small and midsize businesses.
Based on Ensemble's Adeptix technology, the Fiberless system uses time division
duplexing, adaptive modulation and adaptive time division multiple access to
deliver real-time asymmetry, modulation and bandwidth on demand using 25-MHz
channel flexibly to achieve burst rates up to 120 Mbps. The system
interconnects seamlessly with ATM, IP, frame relay and traditional voice
networks, while supporting the native signaling and quality of service levels
of each. The Fiberless system works on worldwide frequencies ranging from 10-
to 45-GHz.
San Diego, Calif.-based Ensemble on January 8 announced $25 million in
additional equity financing. Leading investors include Ampersand Ventures,
Enterprise Partners, Intel Corp. and Dell Ventures. The company also has
partnered or strategically allied with such leading network equipment providers
as Lucent Technologies, Cisco Systems, Matsushita Communications Industrial,
Samsung Corp. and DMC Stratex Networks.
Currently a subsidiary of Cabletron Systems,
Enterasys is expected to be spun off as an independent public company
this year. Enterasys is essentially the enterprise network
infrastructure portion of the old Cabletron. RoamAbout wireless
systems is one of its major product lines . Although Enterasys is
clearly a second-tier player in the wireless LAN market, the company
can take some pride in being at the top of the second tier. The
origins
of Cabletron's product line came from its acquisition several years
ago
of Digital Equipment Corp.'s network division. While the acquired
products have undergone significant transformation, many of Digital's
wireless veterans have stayed onboard, giving Enterasys a solid
foundation upon which to compete in this market.
Enterasys offers both wireless LANs within buildings and systems to
link buildings in point-to-point or multipoint configurations. Its
newly
announced wireless platform, RoamAbout R2, provides support for
802.11b Wi-Fi technology and includes the processing power and
modular architecture needed to support emerging 802.11a standards.
Enterasys has traditionally partnered with Agere Systems for wireless
radios, preferring to concentrate internal development efforts on
access points and bridges.
Many
of you know Ericsson as a leading manufacturer of cell
phones and
associated cell phone infrastructure equipment. With a
presence in
more that 140 countries, its influence on emerging
wireless markets
is significant. Ericsson has its fingers in nearly every
area of wireless
communication, but its leadership in the Bluetooth
movement is particularly
noteworthy.
Flarion Technologies offers transparent, over-the-air routing network
technology. Internet Protocol data applications and services can be
accessed at high-speeds with Flarion's flash-OFDM technology,
originally developed at Bell Labs. Flash-OFDM is less expensive than
GSM/GPRS, CDMA and TDMA. The company's first product, the RadioRouter,
will provide seamless routing to operators over any existing IP
network using a base station and chipsets.
Flarion's innovative flash-OFDM technology provides mobile network
operators breakthrough cost, speed and reliability. This allows mobile
users of devices such as PDAs, handheld PCs, laptops and smart phones
to access the Internet, VoIP and other multimedia services at speeds
previously available only over broadband connections such as DSL and
cable. Flarion's flash-OFDM system enables true end-to-end Internet
Protocol (IP) connectivity and the lowest cost per megabyte of data
delivered.
The company was formed in February 2000 out of Lucent Technologies'
New Ventures Group as an independent, privately held firm Ray Dolan is
Flarion's president and CEO. Before joining Flarion, Mr. Dolan was
Chief Operating Officer for NextWave Telecom. Prior to that he was
Executive Vice President of Marketing for Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile.
Last month, Flarion Raised $45 Million in Series B Funding for
Low-Cost Mobile Communications Network Technology. Flarion's current
investors include: Bessemer Venture Partners, Charles River Ventures,
Cisco Systems, Equitek Capital, Lucent Technologies, Nassau Capital,
and Pequot Capital.
Gilat Satellite Networks is a leading provider
of products and services for satellite-based communications networks.
Gilat designs, develops, manufactures, markets and services products that
enable complete end-to-end telecommunications and data networking
solutions, as well as broadband Internet solutions, based on VSAT satellite
earth stations, related central station (hub) equipment and software. The
company also provides service offerings that include access to satellite
transponder capacity, installation of network equipment, online network
monitoring, and network maintenance and repair services. Gilat delivers
satellite-based, end-to-end enterprise networking and rural telephony
solutions to customers across six continents and markets interactive
broadband data services. The company is a joint venture partner, with
Microsoft Corp., EchoStar Communications Corp. and ING Furman Selz
Investments, in StarBand Communications, the world's first consumer,
nationwide, always-on, two-way, high-speed, satellite broadband
Internet service provider.
GoAmerica, Inc. was established in 1996 and is best known
as a nationwide wireless Internet services provider. The company is
also focused on providing wireless email and web-based solutions for
corporations and mobile professionals across multiple data networks
using standard web browsers. GoAmerica enables its enterprise and
individual subscribers to access wirelessly the Internet, email and
corporate intranets through a wide variety of mobile computing and
communications devices. Through its network operations center,
GoAmerica offers its subscribers comprehensive mobile data solutions
for wireless Internet access drawing on resources from many industry
infrastructure partners. The Company's turnkey solution provides
wireless network services, mobile devices, software and subscriber
service and support. In addition to providing wireless services,
GoAmerica is also an application developer focused on wireless
applications for handheld devices. Their Go.Web browser and
Go.Messenger messaging software are mature and functional software
platforms.
Handspring, Inc. is a provider of handheld computers
created by former employees of Palm. The Company's first product, the
Visor handheld computer, is a Palm Pilot look-alike personal organizer
that is enhanced by its Springboard expansion slot. Since the Visor's
introduction in October 1999, more than 2,500 developers have
registered with Handspring's developer program to receive support in
developing modules. Examples of modules commercially available or in
development include a digital camera, an MP3 player, a two-way pager,
a wireless LAN interface, a mobile phone, and a global positioning
system. Handspring's Visor has earned a reputation as highly
compatible with the Palm application portfolio. Although this should
come as no surprise in light of the technical similarity of the two
platforms, these market perceptions are as important to Handspring as
they were to PC plug compatible manufacturers of the early 1980s.
While Handsping's financial performance has been very good, they do
face significant challenges both from Palm, whose newest platforms
include expansion slots, and from manufacturers of Pocket PC devices,
which currently provided more power.
Hughes Electronics is a wholly owned
subsidiary of General Motors Corp. and a major player in the satellite
and wireless communications industry. The company provides advanced
communications services on a global basis. Hughes has developed a
range of entertainment, information and communications services for
the home and business markets, including video, data, voice,
multimedia and Internet services.
Comprised of three main units, Hughes reported 2000 revenues of
$7.3 billion. Its DIRECTV division is the leading provider of
satellite-
based video entertainment services in the United States. PanAmSat
Corp., of which is 81 percent is owned by Hughes, trades separately on
the NASDAQ market and is the world's leading provider of satellite
services, with a global deployment of 21 satellites. Hughes Network
Systems supplies satellite-based private business networks. It is also
a
leading producer of set-top receivers for DIRECTV and provides the
DIRECPC satellite-based Internet access service.
i3 Mobile is a developer and marketer of premium mobile
products and consumer subscription services for mobile telephones
and other wireless communications devices. The company went public in
2000 and at the beginning of 2001 claimed a subscription base of over
400,000 customers. While small in comparison to established carriers,
i3 Mobile is much more focused on wireless application services than the
bigger players. The company has established partnerships with over 25
wireless network operators and businesses. This network of providers
reaches virtually all major North American markets and includes such
major wireless network operators as AT&T Wireless and Bell Mobility,
such regional network operators as U.S. Cellular, and businesses including
New York Times Digital. The distribution network reaches more than 40
million mobile telephone subscribers. i3's business is predicated on the
delivery of a suite of premium subscription products via an easy-to-use,
consumer-friendly delivery mechanism.
The old IBM built its vast empire by establishing de facto
industry standards in the mainframe computing space. When
standards-based computing and communications systems became popular in
the 1980s and 1990s, some predicted the demise of IBM. But that didn't
happen. Credit IBM management for being agile enough to shift
strategy, embracing standards and leveraging its huge professional
services organization to maintain favor with Fortune 1000 accounts.
Now that mobile and wireless are emerging as critical elements of many
enterprise technology strategies, IBM is there as well, providing
underlying software infrastructure through products like WebSphere,
hooks for wireless messaging services and professional consulting
services to help organizations deploy and manage these new
technologies. IBM's commitment to mobile and wireless is truly
significant, akin to its commitment to e-business in years past. And,
in a way, its enthusiasm provides credibility to an emerging industry
still trying to fully develop the value proposition associated with
wireless communications.
Intel's core business is semiconductors, supplying the
computing and communications industries with chips, boards and
systems building blocks that find their way into computers, servers,
and networking and communications products. The company is
organized into four product-line operating segments: the Intel
Architecture Group, the Wireless Communications and Computing
Group, the Networking and Communications Group and the New
Business Group. The Wireless Communications and Computing Group
provides a variety of component-level hardware and software used in
digital cellular communications products and other applications using
both low-power processing and flash memory. Intel products support
handheld devices, such as mobile phones, two-way pagers and personal
digital assistants. In addition to chip and board-level products, Intel
also offers a range of network equipment, including a family of
Ethernet interface cards, the Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 LAN PC card,
the Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 LAN access point, the Intel GigaBlade
network accelerator, the Intel IXP225 DSL and IXP220 DSL network
processors, the Intel 80303 I/O processor, the Intel PRO/DSL 3100
modem and the wireless AnyPoint.
Intermec is a division of UNOVA, which is involved in both
automated data solutions and industrial automation. Intermec currently
focuses on global supply chain solutions and the development,
manufacture and integration of wired and wireless automated data
collection, radio frequency identification and mobile computing
systems. The company's products and services are used by customers in
many industries to improve the productivity, quality and
responsiveness of business operations, from supply chain management
and enterprise resource planning to field sales and service. In the
mobile and wireless space, Intermec markets a complete line of Wi-Fi
certified 802.11b solutions, including access points, NICs, voice over
wireless and management systems. In addition, Intermec continues to
service an installed base of OpenAir wireless
users.
Intersil
designer and manufacturer of analog and digital
integrated circuits
for the wireless communications markets. Within the
wireless LAN
industry, the Company's PRISM chip sets are the dominant
licensed
technology enabling low-cost delivery of products
conforming to
the 802.11 specification. The Company sells over 4,500
products
to more than 28,000 customers worldwide. In the PC
industry, we
have "Intel Inside." In wireless LANs, the
products you
buy are more likely than not to have "PRISM
Inside.
ipUnplugged develops networking products for mobile networks. It provides mobility and remote access solutions for corporations, mobile operators and ISPs. The company's solutions enable mobile users to move freely from one network to another without having to reconnect, change settings or risk losing a connection at any point. This creates a seamless network for mobile users.
The company's solutions for mobilizing corporate networks are based on the convergence of several new IP-based technologies that route traffic, keep track of individual usage and ensure that corporate network resources are restricted to authorized users. ipUnplugged's products are based on state-of-the-art mobility and security technologies. Some examples of these technologies include the implementation of Mobile IP, which provides mobility functionality; Diameter, which manages authentication; and IPSec, which ensures confidentiality.
The Mobile IP protocol enables a personal device to be addressed by the IP address it uses in its home network, regardless of the network to which it is currently attached. Diameter provides a mobile IP-based system with flexible mechanisms for collecting accounting information and creating business relations between the owners of foreign and home domains. IPSec provides security in both transport and tunnel mode. In addition to using IPSec tunneling, ipUnplugged utilizes the IPSec transport mode on top of IP-IP tunnels between MSRs at different sites to reduce the required subnet configurations. ipUnplugged optionally applies IPSec tunnel mode between client and home MSRs on top of the mobile IP tunnel.
Founded in 1999, the company launched its first products in April 2001. The investment, in the form of a convertible loan, represents a first investment in ipUnplugged for Indusrifonden and Mobile Internet Capital, which is the VC arm of NTT DoCoMo. Ikuo Nishikoa oversaw Mobile Internet Capital's investment.
IPWireless, founded in April 1999, has developed a groundbreaking,
advanced 3G broadband solution that today enables service providers
worldwide to offer portable, high-speed Internet access. With the
industry's first proven, standards-based implementation of broadband
wireless communications, the company gives both consumer and
business customers high-speed, anytime/anywhere wireless access to the
Internet. Using UMTS TD-CDMA (TDD) standards, IPWireless' solution
can be deployed on existing packet-based infrastructures. The solution
also supports simple end-user self-provisioning, thus minimizing
service provider operating expenses.
The technology is in commercial production and fully operational.
Following completion of its beta trial in Greensboro, N.C., IPWireless
was selected by Inukshuk Internet of Canada, a Microcell subsidiary,
to trial its 3G broadband wireless total network solution. This
collaboration marked the first-ever international trial of a 3G, UMTS,
standards-based, broadband wireless Internet access technology.
IPWireless is well funded, with over $120 million in equity financing
from a prestigious group of venture capital firms and private
investors.
A European-based team of over 100 world-class engineers developed
the IPWireless technology over a two-year period. IPWireless is led by a
world-class management team comprised of seasoned entrepreneurs
and executives from such Fortune 500 companies as Lucent, Qwest
Wireless and Pacific Bell as well as a wide range of dynamic start-ups. The
company is headquartered in San Bruno, Calif.; its product development
is based in the United Kingdom; and its technical field support is
located in Denver.
Kyocera Corporation, the parent company of the global Kyocera
Group, is a diversified manufacturer of ceramic parts, electronic
components, and optical instruments. The company's wireless division,
Kyocera Wireless Corp., was formed in 2000 when Kyocera International,
Inc. acquired QUALCOMM(R) Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone
business. Kyocera Wireless is now one of the world's leading wireless
phone manufacturers. Their innovative and popular QCP 6035 smartphone
is one of the most successful integrated phone/PDA devices based on
the Palm OS operating system. It combines a CDMA digital wireless
phone, Web access and a Palm handheld computer. While Kyocera is
relatively new to the consumer communications business, their vast
corporate resource base makes them a player to be watched in coming
years.
Launched in 1997, LGC Wireless helps operators quickly expand
existing networks, cost-effectively build out new networks and reliably deliver
new wireless voice and data services to rapidly growing subscriber
bases. LGCell products open the world to wireless signals by carrying
them around structural bends and curves -- handling the obstacles of
concrete, steel and earth with ease. The patented LGCell also can be
combined with a microcellular base station to increase the signal
capacity of a facility. Best of all, LGCell systems are compatible
with all operators, frequencies and protocols -- including the 3G
technology that is soon to be deployed.
Other LGC products include InterReach Unison and MetroReach.
InterReach Unison is an intelligent, software-based, wireless
networking system that operates as a seamless extension of the
public wireless network infrastructure. It expands the reach of wireless
communications by delivering crystal-clear signals and ample capacity
throughout any public or private facility. MetroReach, which uses
broadband optical technology, lets you centralize radio resources at
selected sites and distribute the signals to remote endpoints.
Simultaneous broadcast of all radio channels to all endpoints
increases network efficiency by up to 30 percent.
LGC Wireless' customers are wireless service providers, wireless
infrastructure manufacturers, telecom access rights owners,
distributors and enterprise/corporate accounts. Key domestic
customers include AT&T Wireless, Cellular One, Nextel, Vodafone/AirTouch, Nortel
Networks and Lucent Technologies (AG Communications). International
customers include Telecel, Vodafone and Telefonica Movil.
LinCom Wireless is a fabless semiconductor company focused on
standards-based systems solutions for wireless connectivity in the
enterprise and home environments. LinCom is extending the edgeTM by
providing the enabling technology for ubiquitous connectivity of
voice, video, and data. LinCom's initial products will be based on the
dominant Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) standards known
collectively as IEEE 802.11. LinCom's ComboLinkTM product family will
bridge the gap between the dominant WLAN standards, 802.11b and
802.11a, by supporting both modes of operation cost effectively.
LinCom is a wholly owned subsidiary of Titan Corporation, a large
diversified technology company. Titan's emerging technology strategy
is to build and launch technology companies that have large commercial
potential, and to position these companies for liquidity events in
which proceeds transfer to shareholders. LinCom's relationship with
Titan provides the stability of a large company while allowing LinCom
the market focus and agility of a wireless semiconductor innovator.
LinCom Wireless is led by a world-class management team with extensive
experience in semiconductor, home media, and wireless technologies
from companies such as C-Cube Microsystems, LSI Logic, Dell, Compaq,
Ericsson, Hughes Electronics, TRW, Hynix, AMD, Lucent, and Qualcomm.
Lucent, spun off from AT&T in 1995, is a
manufacturer of communications systems. Its primary customer base
consists of medium to large network operators and service providers.
Lucent is also engaged in the sale of microelectronic components for
communications applications to manufacturers of communications
systems and computers. Prior to 2000, Lucent competed with Cisco
and Nortel in the enterprise network space, but this business was
spun-off to form a separate company called Avaya. In 2001, Lucent
formalized plans to spin off its microelectronics business unit, which is
now called Agere. Agere is now the developer of the Orinoco wireless
LAN product line. Lucent offers a variety of switching solutions for
both voice and data networks. The company is also considered a leading
player in the optical networking space. Lucent's primary wireless
product families include mobile switching centers, operations and
maintenance centers, and base-station systems. Lucent is heavily
committed to building switching infrastructure for 3G wireless
networks, and it's a development partner with Qualcomm.
Founded in May 2000, Megisto Systems' just released a new architecture that allows carriers to deliver and bill for advanced mobile services via always-on connections to 2.5G, 3G or WLAN Networks. The Mobile Subscriber Service (MSS) includes a Universal Mobility feature, which ensures that users receive network services from a single mobile operator regardless of the access network technology.
Megisto System's products are directed at mobile operators, IP service providers and MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) worldwide. The company's Mobile Internet Service Gateway delivers a subscriber- and service-aware core that helps operators create, deliver and charge for personalized, value-added services. At a time when carriers are moving toward upgrading their networks to GPRS, the services included in Megisto's infrastructure, which features billing and tracking of subscribers behaviors, are expected to draw interest from many network operators.
Since its founding, Megisto has closed $60 million in funding, making it one of the best-funded startups in the market. Headquartered in Germantown, Md., the company's investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Columbia Capital, Grotech Capital Group, New Enterprise Associates and Norwest Venture Partners. Its management team comes from established networking companies such as Ericsson, Lucent/Bell Labs, Torrent Networking Technologies, 3Com, Newbridge Networks, Chipcom, Global TeleSystems, Sprint, Level3 and Hughes Network Systems.
A year or two ago, maybe Microsoft wouldn't have made our
list, but they are certain to leverage their dominant industry
influence in desktop and server computing into the mobile and wireless
space. After several ill-fated attempts, their Windows CE operating
system and associated synchronization tools have finally emerged as
credible offerings. Microsoft clearly has its vision focused on other
areas of the mobile and wireless space, including the development of
system software to serve as the basis of future converged voice/data
devices. At a more mundane level, Microsoft's endorsement or neglect
of emerging wireless technologies like Bluetooth often has an impact
on market perceptions of the viability of these technologies.
Motorola is a major player in the integrated communications
and embedded electronic markets. The company's products include
software-enhanced wireless telephones, two-way radio and messaging
products and systems as well as networking and Internet-access
products. Motorola covers a broad set of markets, including
consumers, network operators and commercial, government and
industrial customers. It also provides end-to-end systems for the
delivery of interactive digital video, voice and high-speed data
solutions
for broadband operators as well as embedded semiconductor solutions
for customers in the networking and computing, transportation,
wireless communications and digital consumer/home networking
markets.
Motorola was established in 1928 and its early products included car,
home and police radio systems. The company later became very active
in the defense and space markets. These initiatives signaled a gradual
migration away from the consumer electronics space, though
Motorola's mobile phone business (including the popular StarTac
device)
still represents an important component of its product portfolio.
Following a merger with General Instruments, Motorola became a major
player in cable modems and set-top devices.
Navini Networks, founded in January 2000, offers broadband access
equipment that provides unparalleled benefits to telecommunications
carriers. These benefits, in turn, may be passed on to end users.
Navini has developed the first zero-install, non-line-of-sight,
nomadic, wireless access network for telecommunications carriers
that want to deploy broadband services in a scalable and cost-
effective manner. Furthermore, the company provides
telecommunications carriers with the lowest total cost of ownership --
up to 50 percent lower than DSL and cable, and up to 70 percent lower
than fixed wireless technologies.
Backed by 12+ patents, Navini's product offerings solve the key
challenges associated with delivering a zero-install,
non-line-of-sight broadband solution. Its Ripwave product line
operates in the 2.4- and 2.6-GHz spectrums. The three products in
this line are: the Ripwave BTS (Base Station), a carrier-class, fully
redundant base station that delivers broadband access to end users;
the Ripwave EMS (Element Management System), an IP-based element
manager that seamlessly plugs into an intranet or the Internet and
provides comprehensive element, subscriber and performance
management; and the Ripwave CPE (Customer Premise Equipment), a
small and sleek device that provides end users with true plug-and-play,
nomadic, anytime/anywhere Internet access.
To date, Navini has attracted $65.5 million in funding from top-tier
venture capital firms, including Austin Ventures, Sequoia Capital,
Sternhill Partners, Granite Ventures, Alcatel Ventures, Crimson
Capital, GATX, Intel Capital, Reliant Energy Ventures, Sanmina Corp.
and Silicon Valley Bank.
NEC is a 100-year-old company with a diverse portfolio of
offerings, including computer systems, industrial electronics systems,
communications systems, electronic devices and software. The
company's three divisions are NEC Networks, which primarily
manufactures and sells communications systems and equipment to
service providers and network operators; NEC Solutions, which
primarily provides such services as systems integration services and
Internet services, and manufactures and sells computer systems for
mainly corporate and individual customers; and NEC Electron Devices,
which primarily manufactures and sells semiconductors and other
electron devices for equipment manufacturers. NEC Networks
produces a wide variety of mobile network systems and equipment,
including base stations, mobile switching systems and network
management systems. It is actively involved in the development of
WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) systems, one of which
is based on the IMT-2000 standard for third-generation mobile
communications systems. NEC Networks also manufactures wireless
communications systems, including terrestrial and satellite microwave
communications systems and wireless access systems such as
wireless LAN and fixed-access wireless systems.
Nextel Communications is one of the nation's leading
providers
of integrated, all-digital wireless service. The Nextel National
Network provides customers with what the company refers to as a 4-in-1
business solution: guaranteed all-digital cellular service, Nextel
Direct Connect, Nextel Wireless Web and text/numeric messaging
capabilities. Nextel services also feature built-in call security and
cloning protection. Revenues for 2000 were $5.7 billion and, as of Q1
2001, the company had 7,200,000 subscribers. The Nextel National
Network provides service to thousands of communities across the United
States, including 182 of the top 200 markets. Nextel International
currently operates in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and the
Philippines, and it has investments in wireless companies operating in
Canada and Japan. The Nextel network uses integrated iDEN (Digital
Enhanced Network) technology developed by Motorola. Nextel has more
than 16,000 employees.
NTT primarily
provides nationwide telecommunications services in Japan. It is a
holding company for its wholly owned subsidiaries, Nippon Telegraph
and Telephone East Corp. (NTT East), Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
West Corp. (NTT West), and NTT Communications Corp. (NTT
Communications). The NTT Group is the largest provider of wireline and
wireless voice, data, Internet and related telecommunications services
in Japan, and it operates one of the largest telephone networks in the
world. NTT Group provides cellular telephone services and Personal
Handy-phone System services through NTT DoCoMo and its eight
regional subsidiaries (together, NTT DoCoMo Group). NTT DoCoMo Group
is the largest provider of cellular telephone services in Japan and is one
of the largest cellular operators in the world, as measured by the
number of subscribers, with over 29 million subscribers as of March
31, 2000. NTT DoCoMo is 67.1 percent owned by NTT. Public investors
own the balance of NTT DoCoMo's shares.
Nokia Corp. manufactures mobile phones and supplies
multimedia
terminals as well as mobile, fixed and Internet Protocol networks and
related services, The Finnish company's core businesses include the
development, manufacture and delivery of infrastructure solutions to
service providers and mobile phones to end users. Nokia is the world's
number-one maker of cellular phones, snagging over 70 percent of
sales. Although margins are thin in the handset market, the company
is well-positioned to capitalize on 3G infrastructure investments once
that market expands. It also has its fingers in other wireless
markets,
including wireless LANs.
Nomadix develops and markets mobility software technology that enhances security and enables transparent mobility in wireless and wired data networks in the enterprise, public LAN and residential markets. The company's Network Service Engine software allows network managers to automatically configure every user for network connectivity, securely authenticate those users for access privileges, and then monitor and enforce policy for users' high-speed data services, whether they are in the office, at home or on the road.
The company licenses its embedded software to network equipment manufacturers of wireless access points and such other devices as routers, switches and residential gateways. Nomadix also has partnered with several OEMs and system integrators/VARs and, on February 19, signed a cooperation agreement with Agere Systems for the development of public area advanced access points.
A privately held company based in Southern California, Nomadix was founded in 1998. The pre-IPO networking company is backed by a group of venture capital firms, investment banks and strategic partners, including Avalon Investments, BancBoston Robertson Stephens' Bayview Partners, Intel Capital, Keystone Venture Capital, Spinner Asset Management and Smart Technology Ventures.
Nortel's origins are in the PBX market, and its
products have enjoyed an excellent reputation for quality and
innovation. The company has expanded in recent years, through both
internal growth and acquisition, and is now a major player in the
service provider and enterprise markets. It provides optical
networking solutions, access and core networking solutions, and
wireless networking systems, among other networking solutions, to
service providers and carriers around the world. In the wireless
space, Nortel competes with Nokia and Motorola for market dominance.
The company competes somewhat less successfully with Cisco the
enterprise network market, and its wireless LAN offerings have not
been terribly successful, either.
Novatel Wireless was founded in 1996 with specific
expertise in TCP/IP-based technologies such as CDPD (Cellular Digital
Packet Data). The company develops wireless system solutions for
mobile and fixed environments. Its wireless WAN modems are grouped
into five product categories: the Minstrel family of wireless palmtop
modems, the Merlin wireless PC cards, the Sage wireless serial modems,
the Lancer 3W wireless 3-watt modems and the Expedite family of
wireless-embedded modules. These products are designed to enable
wireless access to the Internet, e-mail and corporate LANs. They also
serve as enabling technology for vertical applications such as POS,
ATM, AVL, telemetry and other applications requiring wide-area
networking. All of these products are based on the CDPD wireless WAN
network, which provides communications at speeds of up to 19.2-Kbps.
Novatel also offers provisioning, activation and systems-integration
services to its customers to facilitate use of its products. Like many
smaller players in the wireless sector, Novatel Wireless has been
experiencing some significant financial challenges in the current down
economy, but its products are highly regarded by users.
OmniSky provides wireless data applications and services
for use on mobile devices, notably Palm OS- and Windows-CE based PDAs.
The company offers a suite of wireless data applications and services to
wireless carriers, hardware manufacturers, content providers and other
third parties, enabling those companies to offer branded or customized
versions of the company's wireless applications and services to their own
end users. OmniSky also offers its wireless services directly to
individuals and enterprises under the OmniSky brand through more than 1,500
retail locations and other direct sales and marketing channels, including
the company's Web site. With the company's applications and services, users
can wirelessly send and receive corporate and personal e-mail messages,
instant message, navigate the Internet, access Internet content optimized
for mobile devices and securely conduct mobile commerce transactions.
OmniSky's wireless e-mail and Internet service use the CDPD (Cellular
Digital Packet Data) network, which covers 167 major metropolitan areas
and encompasses over 172 million people.
Oracle Corp. is the world's leading supplier of software for
information management and the world's second largest independent
software company. With annual revenues of more than $10.9 billion, the
company offers its database, tools and application products, along
with related consulting, education and support services, in more than
145 countries around the world. Best known for its flagship database
management system, Oracle software runs on PCs, workstations,
minicomputers, mainframes and massively parallel computers, as well as
on personal digital assistants and set-top devices. Oracle emphasizes
Internet-enabled solutions that provide a cost-effective way to expand
market opportunities, improve business process efficiencies and
attract and retain customers. Oracle9i Application Server Wireless is
a mobile middleware product that extends access to any existing
application from any mobile device, including Web-enabled phones,
personal digital assistants and pagers.
It is difficult to underestimate the impact Palm has had on
the mobile computing industry. Some may forget that Palm's origins
were with modem-maker US Robotics, which 3Com acquired in the 1990's
in a high-profile deal. Unfortunately for 3Com, the dialup market in
which US Robotics was king, grew quickly into a commodity market. Were
it not for the Palm assets that came in the acquisition, it might have
gone down as one of the biggest high-tech acquisition failures in
history. Last year, 3Com spun out the Palm unit into a separate
company, and while Palm has faced significant financial challenges
over the past year,
the company's new product offerings will likely reinvigorate
its position in the coming year.
Proxim designs, manufactures and markets high-performance
wireless networking products. The company has been a leading player
in the development of spread spectrum RF transceiver modules and
wireless LAN adapters, and its products have achieved a dominant
position in such key vertical markets as healthcare, manufacturing
and retail. The development of the IEEE 802.11 standards and the
subsequent market domination of direct sequence systems have
resulted in significant challenges for Proxim, which has long touted
FH
(frequency hopping) technology as superior. The company continues
to promote FH technologies and is the leading player behind the
HomeRF technology standards. At the same time, Proxim has hedged
its bets by introducing innovative wireless infrastructure products
that support 802.11b as well as other wireless technologies. In
addition, Proxim has become a significant player in the metropolitan
area wireless market with its Stratum product
line.
Qualcomm was virtually unheard of by the IT industry before they
had a baseball parked named after them, but inside the wireless
industry, they are a real giant, developing and delivering digital
wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA
digital technology. Qualcomm owns patents that are essential to all of the
CDMA wireless telecommunications standards that have been adopted or
proposed for adoption by standards-setting bodies worldwide. They
have licensed they're essential CDMA patent portfolio to more than 80
telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide, and those patents
provide an incredible revenue stream, driving resources for future
innovation.
Raytheon Company is probably best known as a supplier of
defense electronics products and technology, including missiles,
radar, surveillance and reconnaissance, and many other systems.
Raytheon's commercial electronics businesses leverage defense
technologies in commercial markets, producing, among other things,
thin film filters for optical communications products, gallium
arsenide MMIC components for direct broadcast satellite television
receivers, gallium arsenide power amplifiers for wireless
communications products, wireless broadband solutions, thermal imaging
products, automobile radar systems, marine electronics for the
commercial and military marine market, and other electronic components
for a wide range of applications. Their offerings in the wireless LAN
industry have enjoyed limited success, though their lack of adherence
to 802.11b standards has been a significant problem. Given their core
expertise, many analysts expect Raytheon to be a significant player in
next-generation wireless systems.
ReefEdge products allow the enterprise to deploy laptops, PDAs and proprietary devices as 'first-class' computing tools-today. The enterprise of the future is one in which every employee will be a mobile user and where every laptop and handheld device is wireless. The new mobile workforce will collaborate more easily, be more productive within flexible office configurations, and will easily travel between buildings in a campus environment-or across office locations worldwide.
ReefEdge products eliminate the security risks and complexities of deploying and operating WLANs, and offer unparalleled mobility, scalability and management. Purpose-built, ReefEdge products unify multi-vendor, multi-technology network configurations such as 802.11a, 802.11b and Bluetooth and provide connection to all mobile devices. Their products deliver unmatched wireless network performance and intuitive management with industry leading security, quality-of-service, and mobility support. ReefEdge technology allows organizations to control, access and use the wireless network to their full advantage.
Founded in May 2000 by former senior executives from AT&T, IBM and Prodigy and headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, ReefEdge boasts a world-class team of technical engineers who have received more than 200 patents, developed dozens of award winning products, and published hundreds of technical papers on information technology, networking and wireless industry issues. ReefEdge has been shipping products since Spring 2001 and provides products to companies around the world. ReefEdge is backed by a team of committed investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, Columbia Capital, RRE Ventures and Allegra Partners.
Research in Motion (RIM) is a leading designer, manufacturer
and
marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the mobile
communications market. Through development and integration of
hardware, software and services, RIM provides solutions for wireless
access to such time-sensitive information as e-mail, messaging and
Internet- and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables
third-party developers and manufacturers in North America and around
the world to enhance their products and services with wireless
connectivity. RIM's portfolio of award-winning products includes the
RIM Wireless Handheld product line, the Blackberry wireless e-mail
solution, embedded radio modems and associated software development
tools. RIM was founded in 1984 and is based in Waterloo, Ontario.
SBC Communications is a holding company that,
through its subsidiaries, provides a comprehensive offering of
communications services and products in the United States and has
investments in more than 20 countries. The company's services and
products are marketed under several established brands, including
Ameritech, Nevada Bell, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, SNET, Southwestern
Bell and its joint venture with BellSouth Corp. and Cingular Wireless,
which was formed in April 2000. The wireless segment of SBC's
business provides domestic wireless telecommunications services,
including local, long distance and roaming services. Wireless services
and products also include certain enhanced services, paging services
and wireless equipment. The wireless operating segment provided
approximately 15 percent of the company's operating revenues in
2000.
Sierra Wireless is a provider of wireless data communications
hardware and software products. The company develops wireless PC cards for
portable computers, rugged vehicle-mounted wireless modems and OEM modules for
embedded applications. Sierra Wireless' business success is built on core
competencies in areas critical to successful wireless data communications.
These include pushing the limits of form factor miniaturization, reducing
power consumption, integrating wireless modems into computing devices and
developing wireless protocols and enabling software. The company is involved
in product development for existing and emerging wireless data networks in
North America, Europe and Asia, and it has strong relationships with major
wireless carriers, including AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS.
Existing networks include CDPD and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
networks such as Sprint PCS. Emerging networks include next-generation,
high-speed GPRS and UTMS networks.
While our Mobile and Wireless 50 list is admittedly
biased toward U.S. companies and companies doing a substantial portion of
their business in the United States, we felt it was appropriate to include a
few international players of significance. SK Telecom is a Korean wireless
service provider, serving over 12 million subscribers in that country. It
provides both cellular telecommunications services and paging services
and covers nearly 100 percent of the country's population. The
company has experienced monumental growth in its subscription base in recent
years, and it has begun to offer innovative services that have gained
recognition worldwide. SK Telecom is one of the first service providers
to deploy a CDMA-based 3G system, and its ambitious plans include
expansion into other Pacific Rim countries as well as into the North
American market.
Sprint
was the pioneer in offering digital cellular services in
the United
States with its PCS product line built around CDMA
technology. As
appealing as the service was from a technology
perspective, lack
of coverage, particularly in mid-sized markets, was a
big problem.
However, by the end of 2000, Sprint had coverage in over
300 metropolitan
markets. In addition, the emergence of dual-mode phones,
coupled
with roaming agreements with other carriers, provides
Sprint with
a service offering that meets most users' needs. Sprint
has also
been the leading player in providing fixed-access
wireless services
using MMDS frequencies. Sprint now offers service in 13
metropolitan
areas. While significant technical problems have been
encountered
in areas where user density has been high, a new
generation of MMDS
modems will likely provide a solution to these
problems.
Starent Networks develops next-generation, intelligent, mobile
infrastructure solutions that connect users to IP networks and
network providers to their users. Its ST16 Intelligent Mobile
Gateway offers multimedia service delivery, scalability for rapid
network growth, mobility for always-on mobile connections and
cost-effective migration to an all-IP mobile network.
Samsung Electronics and Eastcom Communications recently have
acquired this system to provide high-speed services to their
CDMA2000 networks. The ST16 Intelligent Mobile Gateway transfers
data traffic from a radio network onto an IP network at
approximately 150 Kbps. It works as an access and media gateway,
providing voice and data integration as well as allowing mobile
phone users to access the Web and retrieve Internet data using
voice commands.
Founded in August 2000, Starent is a privately held company
headquartered in Tewksbury, Mass. In November 2001, the company
announced it completed a $22-million second round of equity
financing. Investors are lead by Matrix Partners, North Bridge
Venture Partners and Highland Capital Partners.
Best known for its relational data management software
systems, Sybase provides a range of software infrastructure necessary
to integrate and manage large enterprises on the Web. The company's
key products and services include databases, enterprise portal
solutions, and mobile and wireless solutions. iAnywhere Solutions'
products and solutions extend enterprise systems to remote and
wireless devices. Its m-Business Platform is an integrated, end-to-end
software platform for extending the reach of e-business applications,
enterprise data and content to mobile and wireless devices. SQL
Anywhere Studio is a data management and enterprise synchronization
technology that enables rapid development and deployment of
distributed e-business solutions for workgroups, laptops, handhelds
and intelligent appliances. iAnywhere m-Business Studio is a wireless
application server that provides data synchronization, messaging, and
content and session management to extend e-business to wireless
devices. It also includes a gateway for secure wireless connectivity
between IT and communications networks (that is, cellular networks
including GSM, CDMA and TDMA, as well as packet radio networks
including GPRS, CDPD and Mobitex). iAnywhere Mobile Manager is an
all-in-one solution that provides central control of software
distribution and updates, system configuration, and device inventory
for desktops, laptops, servers and handhelds. It's aimed at reducing
costs related to software distribution, helpdesk support and inventory
maintenance as well as lost productivity.
Symbol
Technologies is best known for the bar-code scanning
systems used
by retail stores throughout the world. Since Symbol has
traditionally
focused on vertical markets, it isn't as well known in
the enterprise
networking space, but it has been a pioneer in the
development of
wireless LAN technology. Symbol's early products were
based on proprietary
frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technology,
though it was
one of the first vendors to deliver an FHSS product
complying with
the IEEE 802.11 standard. However, unlike other FHSS
vendors, Symbol
was quick to recognize the strategic importance of the
IEEE 802.11b
standard, which is based on direct sequence spread
spectrum (DSSS)
technology. In fact, Symbol was one of the founding
members of the
Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), the
organization
responsible for WiFi certification. Symbol has also
cultivated effect
OEM arrangements with Intel, 3Com, and Ericsson, and it
continues
to be a major innovator in areas like management,
security, and
PDA wireless interfaces.
A team of scientists and engineers in 1997 formed
Terabeam. Its mission was to break the bandwidth bottleneck that
exists between businesses and the nation's fiber-optic networks.
Today, the company's Fiberless Optical network has caught the
attention of investors, industry analysts and prospective customers
alike. Using its Fiberless Optical technology, the company sends a
safe, low-power, invisible stream of light through the air to connect
businesses to Terabeam's IP network and to intercity destinations, the
Internet and the gateways of the nation's broadband fiber networks.
Terabeam in April 2000 launched a strategic partnership with Lucent
Technologies. Under the agreement, Lucent invested cash, intellectual
property and other considerations valued at $450 million. On April
12, 2000, Terabeam announced the completion of its third round of
equity financing, totaling $105 million. Major investors in the
company include Softbank Venture Partners, Oakhill Venture Partners,
Madrona Investments, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Merrill Lynch IBK
Positions, Fidelity Management and Research Co., T. Rowe Price
Investment Services, Capital Research Management Co. and Bessemer
Venture Partners. The company's CEO, chairman and president is Dan
Hesse, who prior to joining Terabeam spent 23 years at AT&T, most
recently serving as president and CEO of AT&T Wireless Services.
Verizon Communications Inc. provides a broad array of
wireline and wireless communications services. Verizon
Communications was formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation, which
was
incorporated in 1983. The Company began doing business as Verizon
Communications on June 30, 2000, when Bell Atlantic Corporation
merged with GTE Corporation. Earlier, Bell Atlantic had merged with
NYNEX, one of the most significant integrations of regional bell
operating companies, spinoffs of the old AT&T. The Company's
subsidiaries
provide communication services to more than 27.5 million customers,
with nearly 109 million access line equivalents. The Company's global
presence extends to over 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia
and the Pacific. Domestic wireless products and services include
cellular, Personal Communications Services (PCS), paging services and
equipment sales. The Company provides wireless communications
services in the United States, principally through Verizon Wireless,
which
represents an integration of four formerly independent wireless
carriers: Bell Atlantic Mobile, GTE Wireless, AirTouch and PrimeCo.
Verizon Wireless had 27.5 million wireless subscribers as of December
31, 2000. It offers wireless voice and data services across the United
States.
ViAir, Inc. is a mobile applications management and services delivery
platform provider for wireless carriers. Wireless Web veterans who
recognized the need for applications and software infrastructure to
immediately drive adoption and use of the wireless Web founded it in
February 2000.
Their first commercial application, WirelessInbox, is deployed by
major wireless carriers including Nextel Communications, Rogers AT&T
Wireless and TELUS Mobility and is available to more than 20 million
subscribers. WirelessInbox enables carriers to provide their
subscribers with immediate access to their corporate and Internet
email, calendars and contacts using any Web-enabled device on any
network. Because there is no need to deploy a server behind the
firewall, subscribers can get access to their most valued information
in just minutes. WirelessInbox fully integrates with carriers billing
and provisioning systems and is designed to be completely
private-labeled and branded by the carrier.
Also available is their Wireless Application Manager, the first fully
integrated carrier-grade infrastructure that provides carriers with
the ability to easily manage and deliver differentiated,
revenue-producing mobile Internet content and applications. Using
Wireless Application Manager, carriers can completely control their
mobile Internet experience and can quickly and easily create rich,
unlimited content and applications feature packages for target user
segments. Carriers can extend the functionality of Wireless
Application Manager to their enterprise accounts, allowing enterprise
IT managers to manage and securely control access to enterprise-based
content and applications without investing in new IT infrastructure or
professional services.
Wavelink Corp. is a leading provider of wireless communications
software for the management of wireless networks, devices and
applications. The company also developed a wireless platform that
enables firms to easily develop and deploy wireless enterprise
applications. Since 1992, Wavelink's innovative software has powered a
growing number of Fortune 1,000 companies, with more than 5,000
customers in over 50 countries to date. The company supports the
world's most popular programming languages and device operating
systems with technology that spans WLANs and WWANs or, the mobile
Internet. Wavelink in December 2000 acquired ROI Systems, a wireless
software developer focused on terminal emulation, host integration
and legacy connectivity. Wavelink's investors include Whitney & Co.,
Washington Mutual, Digital Partners and Cascadia Capital.
The Wavelink application mobilization solution gives IT professionals
and programmers total flexibility to create robust wireless data
applications while abstracting them from the nuances and complexities
of wireless networks and mobile devices. Consequently, applications
can be written and updated once, and they will perform across the
many device types as well as the evolving network and device
technologies with host integration and terminal emulation. Wavelink's
device management products are used worldwide to wirelessly
configure and update multiple devices from a customer's centralized
server and synchronize applications over any wireless network. Its
network management product is used to deploy and manage wireless
LANs, and it significantly improves functionality and quality. Wavelink
on September 10 secured $10 million in second-round financing to drive
the introduction of wireless LAN management and application-enabling
solutions for the enterprise.
Western Multiplex provides broadband wireless
access systems both in the United States and abroad with products
that enable service providers, businesses and other enterprises to
deliver data, voice and video services. Its core product offerings
fall
into two general areas, with a third emerging. Western's Lynx series
is
widely deployed as a wireless access and back-haul device by
corporations and service providers. It provides data rates ranging
from 56-Kbps to 45-Mbps in a variety of frequency bands. The
company's multi-T1 configurations, operating in the unlicensed 2.4-GHz
and 5.8-GHz bands are extremely popular. Western more recently
introduced its Tsunami line of high-performance, wireless point-to-
point Ethernet bridges, which offer performance up to 480-Mbps.
Tsunami products also offer one or more T1 interfaces.
In addition to point-to-point wireless, Western Multiplex is very
interested in meeting the needs of the multipoint wireless market.
Western early in 2000 acquired Ubiquity Communications, which was
developing point-to-multipoint wireless technology. In 2001, Western
acquired WirelessHome, another company developing multipoint
technology. Since that acquisition, Western has decided to close its
Ubiquity operations.
With operations in 65 countries, WorldCom provides consumers
and enterprises alike with a wide range of voice and data
communications services. Basic services include long-distance voice
services, while more advanced Internet services are offered over one
of the largest private networks in the world. Data services include
frame relay, ATM, IP VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and Web hosting.
In the wireless space, WorldCom offers basic and enhanced paging
services on a nationwide basis. The company is also the nation's
largest reseller of wireless service and offers fixed-access wireless
Internet services in a number of metropolitan areas. Today's WorldCom
represents the merger of WorldCom and MCI communications, and WorldCom
Group provides communications services including data,
Internet-related, commercial voice and international. For the three
months ended March 2001, revenues rose 12 percent, to $6.10 billion.
Net income fell 27 percent, to $532 million. The MCI Group provides a
range of communications services, including long-distance voice
communications, consumer local voice communications, wireless
messaging, private line services and dial-up Internet access. For the
three months ended March 2001, revenues fell 13 percent, to $3.62
billion. Net fell 89 percent, to $62 million.
