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SCL sells international two-way radio distribution business Simmonds Capital (SCL), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, announced that Midland International (MIC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCL, has sold an 80% controlling interest in Midland Europe, United Kingdom. As part of the transaction, a license will be granted by MIC to Midland Europe to distribute Midland two-way radio products for the professional market in Western Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East and portions of the Far East. The price was $700,000 for 80% of the shares of Midland Europe, $480,000 for inventory and royalties based on product purchase volume through June 2001. SCL has not announced the identity of the purchaser.
The purchaser intends to maintain the existing staff and facilities of Midland Europe, however, while expanding the business with both the current Midland land mobile radio products and new services.
MIC will retain a 20% equity interest in Midland Europe. American Digital Communications (ADC), Denver, has been granted an option to purchase the interest. If ADC does not purchase it, MIC has granted the new controlling shareholder of Midland Europe an option to purchase the minority interest from MIC.
The sale of the Midland Europe business is part of SCL’s plan to discontinue its two-way radio distribution business.
FCC, New Jersey, CTIA, Comcast test wireless location system Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Reed Hundt joined The Associated Group, the State of New Jersey, the Cellular Telephone Industry Association, Comcast Cellular Communications and other 9-1-1 representatives in January to conduct a demonstration of the first new wireless location system called TruePosition.
The technology, created by The Associated Group, Bala Cynwyd, PA, has been installed and is being tested for 90 days along the southern 50 miles of the I-295/New Jersey Turnpike corridor. The goal of the system is to locate 9-1-1 callers by displaying their location on an electronic map along with their mobile numbers for immediate call back by emergency officials.
The TruePosition Wireless Location System uses time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) technology to locate the callers. Similar technology is used in the Global Positioning System and many radar systems.
Transcrypt makes public offering The Securities and Exchange Commission declared Lincoln, NE-based Transcrypt International’s registration statement for an initial public offering effective.
The offer is 2.9 million shares of common stock, including 2.5 million shares offered by Transcrypt and 400,000 shares offered by selling stockholders. The selling stockholders have granted the underwriters an option to purchase as many as 435,000 additional shares to cover over-allotments. The shares are being offered at $8 per share through Dain Bosworth and Furman Selz, managing underwriters, and through other broker-dealers.
The net proceeds from the offering will be used for repaying debt, for working capital and other general purposes.
Glenayre upgrades ProNet’s nationwide network The Wireless Messaging Group of Glenayre Technologies, Charlotte, NC, announced in January that ProNet, Dallas, had placed an order for paging infra-structure equipment to build out its recently acquired nationwide frequency throughout the southeastern United States. The upgrade and expansion is valued at about $3.5 million.
Under the agreement, Glenayre will provide ProNet with GL-T-8500/T8600 transmitters, GL-C2000 controllers and GL-S2164 satellite receivers to expand the network’s coverage. The equipment upgrades and additions include seven additional GL3000 wireless messaging switches. The switches will increase the network’s subscriber capacity and support of high-speed paging protocols, including FLEX.
SkyTel distributes AccessLink from Wireless Access Wireless Access, Santa Clara, CA, is shipping its two-way wireless messaging service, AccessLink, to SkyTel. Wireless Access and Skytel provide devices and services for narrowband PCS (N-PCS) wireless data messaging. AccessLink is available now through SkyTel and its resellers. The service allows end-users to send, receive and reply to email. SkyTel will be marketing AccessLink in conjunction with its SkyWriter service.
In addition to traditional paging functions, AccessLink allows users to create custom messages directly from the device using an integrated keyboard. The user may create and send messages to other two-way devices, other one-way pagers or to anyone with an Internet email address. AccessLink users can also respond to messages by selecting one of several preprogrammed responses. Other features include a folder-based user interface, the ability to sort and save messages by topic and the ability to create and maintain personal address books.
PageMart introduces low-cost numeric roaming service PageMart Wireless, Dallas, TX, has introduced OmniRoam, a numeric roaming service. With this service, subscribers can transfer local numeric coverage on demand using a touch-tone phone and a fully automated Interactive Voice Response system (IVR). OmniRoam users dial their own pager number of gain access to the IVR, then enter the telephone area code of the location to which they plan to roam. The transaction is accomplished quickly, and the transfer of coverage is instantaneous.
The new service, which offers subscribers access to an extensive nationwide network, is being offered for an additional of $3 over the monthly service fee for local numeric coverage.
Metrocall, Desktop Paging Software announce strategic alliance Metrocall, Alexandria, VA, announced an alliance with Desktop Paging Software, Nashua, NH, an alphanumeric messaging software provider, last November. The alliance provides Metrocall’s existing and new paging service customers access to NoteSender text messaging software. NoteSender provides unlimited subscriber directory, group paging, preset messages and message logging. Metrocall customers can use NoteSender plug-in translators to import data from other paging software packages or earlier versions of Metrocall software.
Telecommunications equipment sales are on the rise Third-quarter U.S. factory sales of telecommunications equipment rose to $46.3 billion a 16% growth rate over last year’s sales of $39.9 billion, according to preliminary figures released today by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Arlington, VA. The industry sold $16.1 billion for the July-September quarter, a 17% increase over last year’s $13.8 billion.
TIA is a full-service trade organization with a membership of 600 companies that provide communications and information technology products, materials, systems, distribution services and professional services in the United States and countries around the world. Subscriber Computing acquires Intelligent Object Solutions, markets fraud detection worldwide Subscriber Computing, Irvine, CA, an international company that offers enterprise information and billing systems and serv-ices for the wireless communications industry, has acquired Intelligent Object Solutions (IOS). IOS provides fraud prevention and detection technologies for wireless service providers. Subscribers will market the applications to wireless carriers worldwide.
SCI offers wireless service providers real-time call data management through its Accellurator product line with the emphasis on post-call analysis information for detecting fraud and controlling bad debt. Prepaid metered billing, call record teleprocessing and bad debt management are key features. As an early entrant into the fraud arena, SCI has deployed its FraudWatch product, part of its Accellurator line.