Calypso Wireless Inc. has been honored with the 2005 Wi-Fi Technology of the Year Award by Frost Sullivan. The company received the award for its revolutionary Automatic Switching of Network Access Points (ASNAP) technology that enables seamless roaming between Global Systems for Mobile communications (GSM)-based cellular/GPRS and 802.11-based Wi-Fi networks.
The Calypso C1250i dual mode WiFi-GSM-GPRS VoIP cellular phone runs on Intel PXA series application processors and Microsoft WinCE 5.0 and roams between these two networks. It is more beneficial for data-intensive applications such as mobile video and data file transfers that leverage the high-data rates of Wi-Fi networks.
Calypso’s patented ASNAP technology represents the convergence of cellular and Wi-Fi, thereby enabling any mobile device to switch seamlessly between cellular and wireless IP networks through wireless local area network (WLAN). ASNAP also assists mobile carriers in achieving an efficient allocation of network resources by freeing cellular spectrum space for data and voice transmission, and increasing the availability of bandwidth for other users.
ASNAP allows cell phones and other mobile devices to automatically detect an available WLAN and then switch between the signals from a GSM/GPRS or CDMA cellular tower to a short-range broadband network such as cable with Wi-Fi. The wireless customers remain connected to the GSM/GPRS or CDMA network until their cell phone detects and switches to a Wi-Fi network, at a speed of up to 11 Mbps.
The technology has immense potential since it ensures global connectivity of voice, video, and data by way of the most efficient connection point, at a lower cost to both the mobile operator and the consumer. Switching between cellular and WLAN networks also enables movie-quality, real-time videoconferencing through cellular phones, fast pictures and video clips with data messaging and audio, and two-way data messaging.
Online Ad Market to Reach $18.9 Billion
JupiterResearch, a division of Jupitermedia Corporation, has released its 2005 Online Advertising Forecast which reveals that online advertising will continue steady growth over the next five years, eventually reaching $18.9 billion in 2010, compared to $9.3 billion at the end of 2004. This growth reflects not only advertiser confidence in the medium, but also the strength of advertising on search engines in 2010. Search engine advertising will generate more revenue than standard display advertising by 2010.
Compound annual growth rates tell the story: Display will grow at seven percent and search will grow at over 12 percent over the next five years. The rise of search engine marketing, however, is only one element of an overall growing online advertising market. Other areas will also experience sustained growth over the next several years. Classified advertising will grow at nearly 10 percent, reaching $4.1 billion in 2010. Advertisers will also take great advantage of the growing number of broadband-connected households to field rich and streaming media advertisements. Rich media spending will grow at a 25 percent compound annual growth rate (to $3.5 billion) and streaming media will grow at a 30 percent compound annual growth rate (to $943 million) by 2010.
32% Growth in Content Management Market
Madar Research has reported that the content management market in the GCC countries is set to grow by 32 percent in 2005. Findings in the recent study indicated that combined spending on document and content management software and services in the GCC this year is estimated to reach $94 million, compared to $72 million in 2004. Last year, the UAE spent $23 million on content management solutions, while Saudi Arabia’s total spend was pegged at $16 million. According to Madar, the content management market is expected to register a compounded average growth rate (CAGR) of 24.5 percent for five years starting 2005, reaching about $280 million by 2010.
Madar’s study showed that government and quasi-governmental entities accounted for an estimated 40 percent of all major content management software installations and upgrades in the GCC last year. Banking and finance companies accounted for 12 percent of total installations, followed by oil and gas companies at eight percent.
Government policies in terms of mandating electronic transformation within the administration were ranked as the primary market demand driver, followed by the explosive growth of unstructured data, while internal security within organizations was ranked as a tertiary growth driver.
“Companies especially in the government sector have realized the importance of adopting content management solutions to achieve a higher degree of productivity and efficiency, and this is reflected in the market for ECM solutions in the GCC,” said Abdul Kader Kamli, president and research director, Madar Research.
AJIB, Arab Advisors Group Reach Pact
The Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB) and Arab Advisors Group concluded an agreement by which AJIB buys a 55 percent stake in Arab Advisors Group. The cash transaction will allow AJIB and the Arab Advisors Group to leverage strategic synergies to enhance the quality and scope of services of Arab Advisors Group and leverage these services to enhance the investment banking activities of AJIB.
With the Arab Advisors Group becoming an AJIB subsidiary, the company is set to expand its coverage of sectors with a very near launch of equity and financial research in regional stock markets. The aim is to provide top quality, independent and objective research and analysis of all major economic sectors in the region.
Arab Advisors Group — a private shareholding company registered in Jordan — will now be owned by AJIB (55 percent) and Jawad Abbassi (45 percent). Arab Advisors Group current management team will remain intact and Abbassi will continue to be the general manager of the company. AJIB will be fully active in the new Arab Advisors board of directors and will be instrumental in steering the company in the upcoming era of rapid expansion.
Weekly Internet Weirdness
Ramadan seems to have left many people staring at their e-mail for hours. This may be the reason for the nasty proliferation e-mails packed with the stuff of urban legends. The latest e-mail making the rounds is one claiming that Ericsson has free phones on offer. This is of course not true.
“Ericsson is distributing cell phones for free over the Internet to compete with Nokia, which is doing the same,” reads the e-mail. “They want to be better known through the Internet by word of mouth and so they are giving away their new WAP phone. All you need to do is mail this to eight of your acquaintances. In two weeks you will receive an Ericsson T18. If you send this e-mail to 20 people or more, you will receive an Ericsson R320 Wap Phone.”
Unfortunately, Ericsson is not the only firm being scammed. Out in cyberspace are plenty more scam mails containing cash appeals, weird photos and bizarre news stories. Before you send one of these around and either make a fool of yourself or start a panic, please consider contacting the concerned party directly or check the story out at http://urbanlegends.about.com/.
