Mobility Phones - Mobile Phones

Corporations are having a hard time being anytime, anywhere.That mantra of mobile computing sure sounds good on paper, but a rapidly evolving array of nascent devices, standards, and technologies is making things tough for the people that need to manage business communications operations.

The answer, according to Cisco Systems, is something that’s always there: the network.

Until now, information technology (IT) managers have had to cobble together different technologies and services that often poorly integrate with a business’ established communications infrastructure, adding another layer of complexity to an already tough job.

Today Cisco announced its cornerstone product for addressing this problem and unifying mobile communications with the rest of IT operations. The Cisco 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine opens up the capabilities of the corporate network to mobile workers and provides the previously missing link for connecting wireless networks to corporate computing systems.

“It’s our way of helping mobile computing devices access the intelligence of the network,” says Alan Cohen, Cisco’s vice president of enterprise and mid-market solutions. “As mobile business communications usage expands, IT departments need more efficient ways to deploy wireless options. We believe the key is in tapping the existing resources of wired networks to help run these new mobile networks. Our architectural approach and our new services engine are designed with this idea in mind.”

Claiming an industry-first, Cisco says the Mobility Services Engine offers a flexible platform for third-party companies to develop new tools and applications to better integrate mobile communications with the other parts of a business’ information infrastructure.

Cohen says Cisco has already signed up some of the biggest and brightest names in IT and mobile computing for developing products that will work with the Mobility Services Engine. These companies include Agito Networks, Oracle, Johnson Controls, Nokia, Inner Wireless, Intellidot, Airtrak, and Oat Systems.

Available in June at a list price of $19,995, the Mobility Services Engine will initially support four software-based services focused on “context” awareness, security, cellular/Wi-Fi interaction, and device management.

The key to the Mobility Services Engine, Cohen says, is that it manages these special services separately from basic network operations. As such, it is possible for Cisco or its customers to easily modify these support functions or add new ones as mobile computing evolves.

Cohen says the main goal of Cisco’s efforts is to make it as simple and cost-effective as possible for IT managers to let employees access crucial business applications such as customer databases or inventory management systems no matter where they are.

But beyond providing the necessary technologies to tie wired and wireless networks together, industry observers say Cisco’s recent move can help establish a much-needed new architectural vision for how businesses can effectively manage their growing list of anytime, anywhere computing and collaboration options.

“I think their statement of direction about where they are headed with mobile computing is crucial for their customers,” says Ken Dulaney, a vice president of mobile computing for technology research company Gartner. “While there’s a lot more to do, it’s a very good first move by Cisco.”

He says Cisco’s new initiative, called Cisco Motion, reflects the logical evolution of business networking, adding that traditional architectural divisions between business networks, such wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and wireless networks, will disappear as they become part of a single network architecture.

But getting to this ideal will be no easy task, Dulaney says. For example, roaming — crossing from one network into another — is a long-term challenge that no one company will be able to solve alone. In order to maintain the quality of voice calls — or even video feeds for that matter — different networks will have to handoff their signals automatically and faster than 100 milliseconds, making the change imperceptible.

Security, especially for corporate IT departments, also looms large. While Cisco’s initial efforts with the Mobile Services Engine address some key security issues, more remain. “Bringing mobile and wired networks together on just an IP basis is one thing. But bringing them together on a security level is another challenge altogether,” Dulaney says.

Certainly, corporate IT departments need all the help they can get in developing their mobile computing operations. Mobility is particularly vexing since so much of the industry is in flux. Multiple standards and technologies are vying to be the next big thing, while the market is fractured by myriad devices, each with their own take on how mobility should work. A daunting array of communications options, such as WiMax, RFID, and new flavors of Wi-Fi have left IT managers scratching their heads. And while cellular companies are rolling out broadband offerings, business IT departments still face the task of integrating these services with their own in-house communications operations.

But there’s no doubt that companies can significantly benefit from improved mobile communications. By providing employees easier access to key business applications and information, corporations can gain a host of benefits, from greater productivity and improved customer support to tighter inventory management and increased team collaboration.

Ideally, companies would like to maintain consistency across their wired and wireless networks. They want to be able to easily tie mobile devices into their existing IT infrastructure, including business databases, office phone systems, and unified communications tools.

Regardless of which network an employee is using, IT departments want to maintain one set of services, such as the same phone number, email address, and messaging functions. And paramount to IT departments is control. They want to be able to ensure the same level of security and oversight found in their established corporate networks.

Though it isn’t possible for one company to address all of these hopes and fears, Cisco can play an invaluable role as an “aggregator” of sorts and bring the growing host of mobile computing options into the corporate fold, says Maribel Lopez, principal of telecommunications consultancy Lopez Research. “Can Cisco solve all your mobility problems: no. But a company like Cisco can corral a large part of it.”

Just as importantly, Lopez says the market desperately needs guidance for how to deal with mobility. A consistent platform that can transcend changes in technologies will be a major aid to the cause, she adds.

“The idea is to set up a system that makes it as easy as possible to integrate new mobility capabilities — regardless of their associated technologies — as they come online,” she says. “Though trying to keep up with all the new mobile communications options will likely be a challenge for IT departments for a long time, it certainly can be much easier than it is today.”

Cisco announced that it will showcase at CTIA WIRELESS 2008 (April 1-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center) mobility applications that promise to change the way people connect, collaborate and access entertainment on the move. These services represent a strategic opportunity for service providers to profitably address customer demand to access information and stay connected anytime, anywhere.”Never before has it been so important that all mobile content and data be delivered instantly to users globally and across technologies with the same quality we have come to expect from wireline access,” said Larry Lang, vice president and general manager of the Services and Mobility Business Unit at Cisco. “Our desire for on-the-move connectivity has seen a marked growth in the demand for streaming visual content and applications that enable us to collaborate more effectively on the move. Teaming with a number of industry players, we are enabling service providers to deliver compelling new services that allow people to live the Connected Life.”

As service providers evolve to become experience providers, mobile broadband forms the foundation for new mobile services. Mobility is no longer about a specific device, technology or service. It’s about people being able to move freely throughout the world while maintaining continuous connectivity to others using devices of their choice.

Cisco will feature numerous technology solutions and mobile applications. These solutions include mobile video, three-screen session shifting, Broadband Wireless Gateway, and WiMAX along with the vast Cisco product portfolio, including the Internet Protocol (IP) Radio Access Network (RAN), Service Exchange Framework (SEF) and IP Transfer Point (ITP). Cisco will also highlight innovative mobile applications, including fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) for voice and unified communications and for consumers and small office/home office.

Cisco is teaming with a number of companies to showcase the following applications and services:

– The Cisco Service Exchange Framework for Mobile (Mobile SEF) is a standards-based framework that links the RAN to IP networks and their value-added services while using the proven performance and carrier-class reliability of Cisco switch and router platforms at the network layer of the Cisco IP Next-Generation Network (NGN).

– A fully interactive, animated demonstration will be given of the two most popular Cisco in the Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions: Mobile Transport over Pseudowires (MToP) and IP RAN-Optimization (RAN-O).

– The Cisco Mobility Services iDemo highlights Cisco’s new Broadband Wireless Gateway for WiMAX, the enhanced GPRS Gateway Support Node (eGGSN), Wi-Fi Mesh Network services, Mobile IP Home Agent, and the Cisco BWX series of WiMAX base stations and antennas.

– The Cisco IP Transfer Point based on Cisco 7600 Series Routers coupled with Cisco’s database for telecommunications provide a complete carrier-grade core-signaling solution for next-generation networks.

– The Cisco fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services portfolio, the broadest in industry, enables service providers to deliver the Connected Life with choice and simplicity to businesses.

– Cisco’s FMC solution, in partnership with service providers, delivers new capabilities. Cisco will showcase the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router supports the T-Mobile Wi-Fi-enabled phone for calls and also provides up to two fixed phone lines to consumers in the small office/home office market.

– The Cisco WiMAX Radio display includes the Cisco BTX-MX8 WiMAX Base station, the Cisco RFS8 Antenna System and a selection of Cisco and third-party subscriber stations or customer premises equipment (CPE). The Cisco BTX-MX8 WiMAX Base station is the only commercially deployed and proven beamforming IEEE 802.16e or fourth-generation (4G) system on the market. This base station is software upgradeable and capable of beamforming plus multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) functionality.

– The Cisco 3G Wireless WAN High-Speed Interface Card (HWIC) solution on the Cisco Integrated Services Router offers a compelling alternative to traditional wireline backup solutions on Cisco 1841, 1861, 2800 Series, and 3800 Series integrated services routers. This solution is part of the IP NGN architecture and is enabling service providers to offer 3G wireless connectivity to enterprise branch office customers demanding the highest-availability access to business-critical applications across the WAN.

– Cisco visual networking technologies help enable content session shifting across television, computer, and mobile devices delivering anywhere, any device access to consumers’ own content.

Cisco announced that Duke University will deploy the next phase of its mobility transformation by deploying an expansive next-generation 802.11n wireless network across its campus, featuring more than 2,500 Cisco access points — the largest planned 802.11n wireless network in the world by any organization to date.As a progressive leader in education and one of the first organizations to deploy 802.11n technologies, Duke will blanket more than 6 million square feet of its Durham, N.C. campus with 2,500 Wi-Fi-certified Cisco 802.11n Aironet 1250 Series access points. The deployment will provide ubiquitous wireless coverage in academic halls, libraries, residence halls and other campus buildings.

Duke’s chief information officer, Tracy Futhey, said Cisco’s 802.11n technology — which dramatically increases the speed and reliability of traditional wireless networks — is a fundamental part of Duke’s strategy to implement innovative technologies that can enhance the quality of campus life, enable new learning spaces and provide seamless access to course materials and resources for a campus population of 45,000 students, faculty and staff.

“Wireless on our campus is absolutely critical to our 24-by-7 population. Universities are an ideal testing ground for new technologies, especially wireless uses and devices, because students are spending their entire day on campus in a mobile manner. They live, learn, work and play on campus,” said Futhey. “At Duke, we really have the opportunity to apply innovative wireless technology that can meet the demands of a diverse, mobile user base and enrich their academic and social experience as a result.”

“We expect the campus-wide 802.11n wireless network to increasingly be the primary mode of connectivity for data access and mobility applications. The value of a technology like 802.11n is about enabling new kinds of uses on our campus, giving our students new opportunities and enabling faculty to push the limits and try things that were not possible before on previous wireless technologies,” Futhey added.

During real-world tests, Duke experienced predictable and reliable wireless coverage and consistent average data throughput performance of nearly 130 Mbps per client with the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series access point. In addition, tests at Duke indicated that existing 802.11g clients such as laptops connected to a Cisco Aironet 1250 Series access point obtained almost twice the data rate achieved while connected to an older wireless network, demonstrating the benefit of 802.11n to existing Wi-Fi devices.

In addition to the current benefits for the campus population, the new Cisco 802.11n wireless network supports the Duke Digital Initiative by enabling multimodal “classrooms of tomorrow” and collaborative group study areas that are now under construction in the Perkins Library. Video applications will become more pervasive with streaming audio, video and high-definition TV (HDTV) over Wi-Fi. All course materials, including digital recordings of classes, will be available anytime, anywhere using the wireless network. In addition, inside or outside of a classroom, faculty can use network resources to enhance teaching. For example, an economics professor is planning to use real-time market data as part of the course materials, clearly demonstrating the relevancy to current events.

“802.11n is clearly ready for prime time, and Cisco continues to deliver a reliable 802.11n solution to meet mobility needs,” said Ben Gibson, Cisco’s senior director of mobility solutions. “Duke is one of the first organizations to realize the benefits of a Cisco 802.11n wireless network and what it enables them to do: transform how they learn, live and play.”

AdaptiveMobile, the leading provider of mobile subscriber protection for enterprises and individuals, today unveiled a powerful set of parental controls that operate across any mobile device, network or technology. The solution, which combines the AdaptiveMobile Policy Control Framework with the Cisco Service Exchange Framework, gives parents the ability to block inappropriate sites, such as those featuring pornography or other adult content, as well as restrict access to sites like MySpace and Facebook. In addition, parents will be able to limit access to certain technologies, like SMS and MMS, as well as block unauthorised phone numbers.The solution works on mobile operators’ networks, providing an in-depth and granular level of monitoring, that goes beyond simple threat and application blocking to perform instant and automated policy lookup, filtering content and application access according to settings provided by parents. With this solution, parents can vary access levels for different members of their family, allowing some mobile Internet access for teenagers but blocking all access for younger children.

“Teenagers and children are the fastest adopters of mobile content and applications and with mobile phones now serving as minicomputers, children have increasing access to violent and inappropriate content as well as access to social networking sites and contact from strangers,” said Lorcan Burke, Chief Executive Officer at AdaptiveMobile. “With this launch, AdaptiveMobile, working with Cisco, is providing a robust set of controls that give parents the tools they need to ensure a safe mobile experience for their children.”

“As mobile user-generated content and services continue to gain in popularity, and carriers keep on opening up their deck to off-deck content and improving the mobile Web browsing experience, the need to monitor and block inappropriate and copyright violated content will become increasingly important for carriers and customers mobile subscribers,” said Julien Blin, Research Analyst - Wireless and Mobile Communications at IDC. “Cisco and AdaptiveMobile are responding with an offering that protects the most vulnerable mobile users, children and teenagers.”

The Femto Forum, the independent industry association that supports femtocell deployment worldwide, has launched a programme to help harmonise the integration of femtocells into mobile core networks. Operator demand to launch femtocells quickly has led to the development of many different methods for integrating potentially millions of femtocells into the network core. Although this is not holding up the commercial deployment of femtocells, this programme will help unite these different approaches in the longer term and set the stage for the development of future standards.At the Femto Forum’s next plenary in March 2008, a variety of approaches to femtocell network integration will be put forward by members. Synergies between the approaches will be identified and the Femto Forum will provide a framework within which consensus can be built around similar approaches.

This will enable vendors to respond quickly to operator demands for interoperability, and will provide a platform from which members can advance the best approaches into the relevant standards bodies — the Femto Forum is not itself a standards making body.

The Forum has already agreed a reference architecture which will be used to provide a consistent basis for comparison between the different network integration options. A set of ‘hot topics’ - criteria that any integration method must meet in order to satisfy operator requirements - has also been agreed, including scalability and multi-vendor support.

“Femtocells have got off to a flying start and more deployments will take place in the near future but it is crucial that all the players in the market begin to plan together for the longer term. Operators have been vocal about their desire for a more unified approach to femtocell network integration as the scale of deployments increases. This programme represents the first time the femtocell community has come together to forge a future technology path through consensus,” said Simon Saunders, Chairman of the Femto Forum. “This conjoined approach will not only encourage interoperability and increase economies of scale thereby helping keep costs low, but it will also help to support far-reaching new femtocell applications.”

In other news the forum also welcomes new members who are already active in the working groups, these include: Acme Packet, AudioCodes, BT, Cellcom Israel Ltd, Cisco, Ericsson, GENBAND, Huawei, KTL, mobilkom austria AG, NewStep Networks, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung, SaskTel, SOFTBANK MOBILE, Telecom Italia and Vodafone. This brings the forum’s membership to 58 companies which include many of the world’s largest telecoms companies as well as the smaller innovative players in the femtocell sector. A full list of members is available on the Femto Forum website - (http://www.femtoforum.org/femto/membership.php).

Two significant announcements from Vodafone and Cisco demonstrate that heavyweight players are taking the market for indoor base stations (femtocells) seriously.Vodafone is taking some very practical and tangible steps to address poor indoor coverage and the potential revenue opportunity.

Principal Analyst Andrew Parkin-White believes that Vodafone’s femtocell trials “will help to resolve the technical issues associated with large scale femtocell deployment, and allow the operator to evaluate a number of commercial options for femtocells.”

Cisco has acquired an equity stake in UK-based femtocell specialist, ip.access, building on Cisco’s recent investments in Linksys and set-top-box manufacturer Scientific Atlanta.

“This is an interesting move from Cisco, allowing it to leverage and integrate its IP networking capability into the wireless environment,” says Parkin-White, co-author of the latest Analysys report 3G Network Evolution from 2007 to 2012: HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX and femtocells. In contrast to current wisdom, this report concludes that HSPA+ (combined with femtocells and a broadcasting network) has greater potential than LTE over the next five years.

“If there is a time to take a serious look at femtocells in the context of an overall evolving 3G architecture, that time is now,” Parkin-White says.

In 2007, Analysys Research conducted extensive analysis into the potential market for femtocells, and found that they have the potential to become a disruptive technology in the mobile world.

“MNOs are finally considering how femtocells fit into their overall technical approach. Femtocells appear to offer the possibility of a lower-cost strategy for cellular network architecture and build. Furthermore, they may offer the potential to unlock new sources of revenue, by allowing an operator to launch a range of innovative services for the business and consumer markets,” says Parkin-White.

On the other hand, Parkin-White urges MNOs to ignore the hype and speculation, and take a balanced view of the potential of femtocell services in these markets.

“There is no guarantee of success without a carefully developed business plan that puts forward a practical and profitable approach to the deployment of femtocells,” says Parkin-White.

ip.access, the award-winning market leader in femtocell and picocell technologies, today announced that Cisco has made an investment in the company. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.Already cash-positive with its existing 2G picocell business, ip.access has secured funding from an impressive array of industry supporters for its breakthrough Oyster 3GTM femtocell, which is currently in trials with major mobile network operators globally. Existing ip.access investors include Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild Gestion, Intel Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, ADC and Motorola Ventures.

Building on ip.access’ unique experience in cellular-over-IP technology, the Oyster 3G femtocell is a low-power wireless access point which plugs into a residential broadband DSL or cable connection to deliver a 3G mobile phone signal indoors. With operators increasingly seeking to exploit the benefits of all-IP networks, femtocells are a natural choice for delivering cost-effective 3G coverage and high-speed data capacity to mobile phone users at home. Analysts are predicting a huge market for femtocells: a recent report from IDATE forecasts that 10 million UMTS femtocells will ship worldwide in 2010, rising to 18 million in 2011.

Operators plan to integrate femtocell technology within residential gateways and set-top boxes, such as those offered by Cisco’s consumer products business. These integrated products will help enable fixed broadband and mobile services to be bundled together. They will also ultimately help enable mobile phones to better communicate with PCs, TVs and other devices in the ‘Connected Home’ - for example, a slideshow of photos captured on a camera phone could be displayed on a TV set.

“We are delighted to have Cisco as an investor,” said Stephen Mallinson, CEO of ip.access. “As the worldwide leader in Internet Protocol-based networks, Cisco brings complementary skills and experience to address the needs of operator and consumer customers.”

ip.access’ 2G picocells are already deployed in more than 30 live networks around the world. The company was recently selected as a Red Herring 100 Global Award winner. It also won numerous awards during 2007 for its Oyster 3G femtocell technology, including a Global Mobile award for ‘Best Radio Access Product’, Light Reading’s ‘Leading Light’ Award for ‘Best New Product from a Private Company’, and a World Communication Award for ‘Best Technology Foresight’.

ip.access will be demonstrating the capabilities of the Oyster 3G femtocell at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 11-14 February 2008. About ip.access

Based in Cambridge, UK, ip.access ltd is a leading manufacturer of cost-effective picocell and femtocell infrastructure solutions for GSM, GPRS, EDGE and 3G. These solutions bring IP and cellular technologies together and solve in-building access problems for mobile operators, opening up new revenue streams while defending existing business.

ip.access is the company behind the Oyster 3GTM femtocell, winner of numerous industry awards including the Best Radio Access Product at the 2007 Global Mobile Awards. The Oyster 3G dramatically increases 3G cell capacity and coverage; improves quality of experience; and drives down costs. Oyster 3G is ready for today’s mobile networks and tomorrow’s IMS infrastructure.

The ip.access nanoGSM is the world’s most deployed picocell solution for cellular networks. It provides GSM, GPRS and EDGE coverage and capacity for offices, shops and using satellite backhaul passenger aircraft, ships and in remote rural areas.

With more than 30 live networks around the world and many more being deployed, ip.access is the partner of choice for operators competing in the new converged marketplace.

ip.access counts Scottish Equity Partners, Rothschild Gestion, Intel Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, ADC, Cisco and Motorola Ventures among its shareholders.

Cisco and the Oriental Bangkok Hotel today announced the world’s first deployment of Cisco’s next-generation wireless 802.11n technology in the hospitality industry. The new high-speed wireless network supports the Oriental Bangkok’s vision to offer superior guest experience through information and communications technology (ICT).Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points have been installed throughout the hotel, allowing guests and staff to stay connected even as they move from floor to floor.

Mr. Paul Jones, hotel manager, The Oriental Bangkok, said, “The Oriental is recognised as one of the world’s foremost luxury and legendary hotels. With over 130 years of history behind the hotel, achieving this reputation is an honour for the hotel, and one which we respect by constantly evolving with the times and with the expectation of our guests. In terms of technology, in today’s world, this means offering the latest advancements to make a guest’s stay as comfortable and convenient as possible. We are delighted to be the first hotel in the world to offer the latest Cisco wireless 802.11n technology in our rooms. It reinforces our tradition of providing exceptional guest service.

“Today’s business travelers demand more than simple connectivity: They value voice, video and data options which are efficient, convenient, highly secure and most importantly can be accessed anytime, anywhere in the hotel,” he added.

“We are proud that the first hotel in the world to deploy this highly advanced wireless technology comes from Thailand, putting the country on the ICT map. The Cisco Thailand team worked closely with the Oriental Bangkok Hotel to help ensure that the solution we proposed solved a business challenge. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point was the first enterprise-class access point to be Wi-Fi certified to support the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard and provides the versatility, high capacity and enterprise-class features demanded by wireless local-area network customers. It is a modular, dual-band access point with a choice of 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 radio modules. The Cisco Aironet AP1250 Series Access Point is designed for challenging RF environments such as a hotel,” said Tatchapol Poshyanonda, managing director of Cisco Thailand.

“We are excited to be part of the effort in delivering innovative and differentiating premium services to the valuable guests of the hotel,” he added.

Cisco announced that it will provide a dual-mode IP telephony solution that utilizes the N902iL FOMA / wireless LAN dual-mode mobile phone from NTT DoCoMo, coupled with Cisco Unified CallManager and the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. This solution is the world’s first to extend the rich office IP communications capabilities enabled by the Cisco Unified Communications system to a dual-mode mobile handset using the standards based, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interface. By offering seamless connectivity between NTT DoCoMo’s FOMA3G network and a Cisco Unified Wireless Network deployed in a business environment, this solution helps enable business users to enjoy single-number access, a single office voice mailbox, Mobile Voice Access and other mobile application capabilities. This represents a clear productivity benefit for employees and a compelling opportunity to converge and streamline business communications.

“NTT DoCoMo welcomes the support of Cisco Unified CallManager and Cisco’s Unified Wireless Network, which are used by many people in the wireless LAN market. This integration was something our customers had requested since the release of our previous model, N900iL,” said Hiroshi Sawada, Managing Director of NTT DoCoMo’s Solution Business Department. “Our plans are to provide a stable communication environment for the N902iL and with our continued work with Cisco and the cooperation of various companies we will be able to expand the dual-mode IP telephony service.”

When connected to the Cisco Unified Wireless Network in the office environment, employees will be able to place, receive, hold and forward calls just as they would from a desktop IP phone. Additionally, employees will be able to access office voicemail and interact with other office IP telephony features from their mobile phones. The mobile handset and Cisco Unified Wireless Network both support 54 Mbps Wi-Fi standard IEEE 802.11g along with IEEE 802.11e to ensure network performance and quality of service for voice traffic on the wireless LAN. Outside the office, the N902iL will operate on the NTT DoCoMo FOMA network and will receive incoming office calls using Cisco’s mobile solutions for unified communications.

Cisco and Apple today announced that they have resolved their dispute involving the “iPhone” trademark. Under the agreement, both companies are free to use the “iPhone” trademark on their products throughout the world. Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark. In addition, Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications. Other terms of the agreement are confidential.