Motorola Unveils New Wireless Cellular Data Strategy, Opens Proprietary Protocols
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — March 25, 1992 — In response to the rapid evolution of the portable computing market, Motorola's Mobile Data Division is entering the market to work with the U.S. cellular industry to develop an open protocol packet data system.
Further, Motorola will open key over-the-air protocols used on the ARDIS network that had previously been held proprietary.
"Motorola's cellular data initiative will be leveraging more than 15 years of market leadership in wireless data communications," said Glen Brownlee, vice president and general manager of Motorola's Mobile Data Division. "Our extensive experience in the development and marketing of this technology provide an exceptional foundation for the expansion into the cellular arena. Making wireless communications available to a broader community of end-users will allow us to grow this market to its fullest potential."
Motorola is a leading supplier of private high speed, high capacity radio systems for data to police departments, utilities, transportation customers, and shared network operators worldwide. During the past five years, Motorola packet data technologies have successfully been adopted as standards by shared radio data network operators in the U.S., Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
Motorola's commitment to an open protocol on ARDIS radio data systems and extending this commitment to the cellular industry is intended to remove many of the remaining hurdles to continued growth in portable computing and personal communications. The company anticipates working with cellular carriers, at their discretion, on industry standards. Motorola will participate in those efforts and propose solutions that will help the industry to converge to key standards on open over-the-air protocols, Inter-LATA communications, and network administration. In a recent study, the Information Industries Group of Booz, Allen, & Hamilton estimated that the number of cellular data subscribers in the U.S. may reach 13 million by the year 2000.
Motorola will continue to work with computer companies to bring wireless technology to portable computers. Several manufacturers have already integrated wireless data communications capabilities for use with public data networks inside their devices. Current manufacturers incorporating this technology include IBM, NCR, Poqet, Psion, Telxon, and Itron.
"Cellular carriers and the portable computer industry will see a stream of products that will significantly simplify the challenges of mobile datacom," Brownlee added. "These products will help bring simple and affordable data communications to the mass market, where, to date, only the largest organizations have been able to afford wireless data communications." Open Protocols Support Industry Trend Toward Open Architecture
Motorola is opening several key over-the-air protocols for use on shared systems as a significant catalyst to growth in the wireless data industry. The first is the protocol currently being used on the ARDIS network in the U.S. and the Bell-ARDIS network in Canada. The second is a 9600/19,200 bit per second protocol called RD-LAP, currently in operation on two networks in Europe and being installed on the ARDIS network later this year. Motorola also intends to offer software applications interfaces such as Motorola's new WaveGuide(TM) software to facilitate the growth of available applications software.
Motorola is announcing the availability of these over-the-air protocol specifications to manufacturers who wish to provide radio modems to the shared radio data markets. These specifications will be offered through a royalty-free license. These protocols have already been selected as a communications standard by shared wireless data networks across the globe, including ARDIS in the U.S., Bell-ARDIS in Canada, the Deutsche Bundespost in Germany, and Hutchison Mobile Data Ltd. in the United Kingdom.
In summarizing today's announcements, John Major, senior vice president and general manager of Motorola's Worldwide Systems Group, said, "We are extremely excited about the potential for wireless data. All the forecasts we have seen estimate the number of potential wireless data users in the tens of millions. We think that today's announcements are a major breakthrough in making those numbers a reality."
Motorola Inc., headquartered in Schaumburg, is one of the world's leading providers of electronic equipment, systems, components and services for worldwide markets. Products include two-way radios, pagers and telepoint systems, cellular telephones and systems, semiconductors, defense and aerospace electronics, automotive and industrial electronics, computers, data communications and information processing and handling equipment. Motorola was a winner of the first Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, in recognition of its superior company-wide management of quality processes.
CONTACT:
Motorola Inc., Schaumburg
Mike Doheny, 708/576-6931
Paul Battaglia, 708/692-5884