Motorola Demonstrates Technology for a New Family of PCMCIA-Format Intelligent Wireless Modems
BURLINGAME, Calif. — June 15, 1993 — Motorola Tuesday demonstrated the technology for a new family of PCMCIA intelligent wireless and wireline modems, expected to be commercially available in the U.S. over the next 18 months.
They will be ideal for a variety of applications ranging from simple messaging and electronic mail to database queries and updates, information service access and portable computer access to local- and wide-area networks.
Current studies by leading market research firms indicate that in the U.S. alone, the number of wireless data users could exceed 12 million by the year 2000. The number of computing/communicating devices with PCMCIA slots could grow to nearly 10 million by 1996, according to market research and consulting firms specializing in the mobile computing market.
Slightly larger than a credit card, Motorola's Type II PCMCIA wireless modems are only 5 mm thick, and typically include their own battery and antenna. These "intelligent modems" provide users with maximum flexibility in use. For example, because Motorola's wireless cards have their own battery, they can be used in "stand-alone mode." The user is alerted to a message, which has been stored in the modem's internal memory. The user at his convenience plugs in the modem card to read the message.
Additionally, the user is free to use the PCMCIA slot for other applications, while the self-powered PCMCIA card stands ready to receive messages. And the light weight and small size of the self-powered PCMCIA card means that a user is more likely to carry it and rely on it as a primary communications tool.
The products that comprise Motorola's intelligent wireless modem family will fall into three categories: one-way wide-area networking; two-way wide-area networking; and two-way local-area networking. These new products will support existing wireless communication protocols and networks.
The first wireless one-way wide-area modem from this family is the NewsCard Advanced Information Receiver. Announced last November at COMDEX, NewsCard, when used with a PCMCIA-enabled computing/communicating device, lets users receive electronic mail, information services, data files, updates, and paging messages. NewsCard, which will begin shipping to computer manufacturers as an OEM product this summer, runs on a single AAA battery, drawing no power from the host device. It is functional within or away from the host, and can store up to 128 kilobytes of data.
A prototype of the first wireless, two-way, PCMCIA wide-area modem was also demonstrated today and will be released in 1994. This product lets users send and receive wireless electronic mail, access applications and information services, and update and query databases.
In addition, Motorola is developing a PCMCIA card for wireless local-area networking, which will also be released in 1994.
Motorola UDS also demonstrated a PCMCIA-format wireline modem that, when used in conjunction with the latest versions of Motorola's MicroTAC family of personal cellular telephones, enables wireless data exchange over circuit-switched cellular networks. This product, which also connects to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), will ship in the fourth quarter of 1993.
A number of enabling networks which support wireless data communications are already in place, including EMBARC, MobileComm Nationwide Messaging, SkyTel and others for one-way wireless communications, and ARDIS and RAM Mobile Data for two-way wireless communication. Motorola will also support future protocols and networks, including those based on the Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) protocol, as well as networks offering advanced messaging and services in the 900 MHz narrowband PCS spectrum, such as Mtel's proposed Nationwide Wireless Network (NWN).
This new family of intelligent wireless and wireline modems will be widely available in the U.S. through various distribution channels. Motorola plans to unveil more products and disclose pricing and distribution details at Fall COMDEX.
Motorola's Paging and Wireless Data Group (PWDG) incorporates the company's business activities involved in the design, manufacturing and distribution of paging and wireless data communications products, systems and services for computer companies, carriers and end-users. The group also manages Motorola's share of ARDIS, the data network jointly owned with IBM.
Motorola Inc. headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., is one of the world's leading manufacturing of electronic equipment, systems and components for worldwide markets. Additional products include two-way radios, cellular telephones and systems, integrated circuits and discrete semiconductors, defense and aerospace electronics, automotive and industrial electronic equipment, and information processing and handling equipment. Revenues in 1992 were $13.3 billion.
CONTACT:
Motorola Inc.
Mario Salvadori, 708/576-7164
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Edelman Technology Communications
Lisa Croel, 415/968-4033