IWCE: Genesis sees Commander market expand

Mar 27, 2007 11:44 AM, By Donny Jackson

More From Rebanding

LAS VEGAS--Motorola has decided that the Genesis Group’s GenWatch3 Commander network-management software portfolio can be used for purposes other than aiding 800 MHz rebanding licensees, the Genesis Group announced here at IWCE.

“Motorola did have a restriction on our GenWatch 3 Commander series that it was only going to be sold for rebanding,” Burks said. “That is gone … So GenWatch 3 is available to replace SIMS II and SIP for any reason--rebanding or not.”

Motorola previously announced it would not support SIMS II and SIP systems as rebanding occurred, meaning rebanding licensees using those systems needed an alternative network-management software package. The Genesis Group developed the Commander series--scaled-down versions of its GenWatch3 solution--for Motorola to meet the “comparable facilities” standard established by the FCC.

However, sales to rebanding clients have been nonexistent to date, Burks said. As most public-safety agencies being rebanded remain mired in negotiations with Sprint Nextel, other licensees have identified applications for the Commander software that fits their needs and Motorola let the Genesis Group sell the packages.

“[Motorola officials] see the fact that rebanding is [proceeding like] mud going uphill, and they don’t want us to be hurting like they are,” Burks said. “The products are in the price pages as being only for rebanding. But we’ve sold five of them, and not one of them has been for rebanding.”

Thus far, Genesis has sold three Commander solutions to the city of New York—used by the fire department, emergency medical services and the department of information technology—one to the city of Fort Worth, Texas. Another package has been sold to a large county on the West Coast, Burks said.

Burks said the full Commander package is designed to replace Motorola’s SIMS II, while the Commander LE software is designed to replace SIP. Announcements will be made later in the year regarding Motorola’s other network-management products, Burks said.