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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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DIGICELL HAS THRIVED TAME THE MOBILE BEAST INOC KEEPS NETWORKS THROUGH DEDICATION UP AND RUNNING 24-7, WITH ALLEGRO—FIND KEEP CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND DETERMINATION THEM AT BOOTH 2246
Savino Griesi, CoFounder and Chief Executive Officer for Allegro, explains the company’s range of enterprise mobile applications.
WW: Tell our readers a little about your company. What’s your main line
Prasad Ravi, CEO and Co-Founder, talks about INOC’s Network Operations Center (NOC) services.
Navid ‘Tony’ Ebizadeh, President of Digicell, talks about his company.
PR: INOC helps clients with support of
NE: DigiCell International, Inc. was
WW: Tell our readers a little about UniTek Global Services and what industries you serve.
Continued on Page 46
Continued on Page 53
WW: What does INOC do?
Continued on Page 21
Continued on Page 53
MOBILE BROADBAND HOTSPOTS: CHANGING THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS
BRIGHTPOINT: GLOBAL LEADER IN WIRELESS DISTRIBUTION, SERVICES
Ricardo Salguero, President of Kika Enterprises, discusses his company’s specialization in air cards and mobile connection devices and how they can help with connectivity needs. Kika Enterprises has always been at the Continued on Page 36
BRIDGEWATER SYSTEMS–INTELLIGENT BROADBAND CONTROLS
David Sharpley, Sr. Vice President, Marketing and Product Management for Bridgewater Systems, explains intelligent broadband controls and their importance in today’s market. Continued on Page 53
QUALITY AND PEOPLE DIFFERENTIATE UNITEK FROM THE PACK
An interview with Brightpoint’s Robert J. Laikin, CEO of the world’s leading provider of supplychain solution services to the wireless industry.
WW: Tell our readers about Brightpoint. Continued on Page 47
IPGALLERY: THE NEXT GENERATION IN SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS An interview with Avihai Degani, CEO of IPgallery Inc.
WW: First tell us a little about your company. What is your main focus?
AD: IPgallery is a privately-held U.S. Continued on Page 47
WW: What’s your main line of business?
Scott Hisey, CEO and Founder of UniTek Global Services, answers questions for us about his company.
PERSONALIZED INVISIBLE MOZIDO IS MOVING SHIELDS FOR ALL YOUR MONEY INTO THE WIRELESS DEVICES FUTURE
Wireless World sat down to get the story on ZAGG from CEO Robert G. Pedersen, II.
WW: What is the ZAGG story? What is your main line of business? Continued on Page 46
WIRELESS HISTORY FOUNDATION OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR 2011
On Feb. 9, 2011, the Wireless History Foundation (WHF) announced that nominations for the 2011 Wireless Hall of Fame will be due no later than March 31. Nominations will be accepted in four categories: Service Provider, Technology, Industry Associate, and Pioneer. A candidate must be recommended by one nominator and two Continued on Page 47
Craig McNeil, CEO for Mozido, discusses the company’s current strategy and what makes them unique in the financial service industry.
WW: Tell our readers a little about Continued on Page 36
SAHARA WIRELESS: CAPTURING THE CELL PHONE ACCESSORY MARKET Sahara Wireless is a manufacturer and distributor of highquality, cost-effective cell phone accessories quickly making huge strides in the cell phone accessory market. Sahara’s Product Range: Sahara carries
Continued on Page 47
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
POSITRON ACCESS’ FLEX-STREAM TECHNOLOGY ENABLES BACKHAUL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOBILE SERVICES By Sameer Shah, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Positron Access
Positron Access is a leader in providing hundreds of Mbps to cell sites. Its unique and proven Flex-Stream technology enables carriers to offer a wide range of symmetric and asymmetric backhaul services, which support full DS3, fractional DS3 and Ethernet. This flexibility and wide range of services empower
carriers to profitably deliver services that conform to existing and future trends in wireless bandwidth consumption. Today’s wireless operators are dealing with tremendous strain on their networks due to prolific growth and dynamic shifts in the way wireless services are utilized. Consumers are turning to mobile broadband solutions to support bandwidth-intensive applications that can be accessed anywhere, anytime and
INTERTEK’S INSIGHT INTO EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES YIELDS SPEED-TO-MARKET Intertek’s industry knowledge and expertise in testing and certification drives your products to market with speed and efficiency. Comprised of 15 laboratories in 11 countries, their ICT Group has been providing support for the ICT industry for more than a decade. With accreditations and scope to conduct mobile software and content testing―as well as wireless device, network infrastructure
and quality assurance testing―Intertek stands out as the leader in providing certification for the newest, all-IP 4thGeneration (4G) network technology: Long Term Evolution (LTE). As with any evolving technology, manufacturers can expect challenges when implementing and deploying LTE products. However, Intertek’s early availability of conformance and performance
Wireless World from any device. One set of applications, which range from bandwidthintensive video streaming, datacenter connectivity and accessing the Internet, require more bandwidth going downstream to customers rather than upstream towards the network. Another set of applications, such as peer-to-peer media and sharing video, require higher upstream bandwidth as well as downstream. Wireless operators must upgrade their networks and increase the backhaul Continued on Page 36
testing capability offers a huge advantage for manufacturers upgrading to LTE. To facilitate the certification process, Intertek provides a complete testing solution to aid manufacturers through each phase of the production cycle. Besides greatly improving time-to-market, this also ensures that many potential problems are identified and solved early-on in the certification process. While LTE is the latest technology within the ICT industry, Intertek maintains full capabilities to test and certify all legacy network devices as well. As a CTIA Authorized Testing Lab, Intertek offers third-party product Continued on Page 46
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
WITH XQ, IQMETRIX HAS CREATED THE ULTIMATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE iQmetrix is pleased to announce it is unveiling XQ Interactive Retail, their revolutionary new digital media platform, at CTIA 2011 in Orlando, March 22-24.
XQ transforms the in-store experience with a suite of dynamic digital media solutions that entertain, educate and guide shoppers through the process of buying a mobile device. Using interactive touchscreen displays equipped with intuitive browsing and streaming software, XQ puts all the relevant products and information at customers’ fingertips.
“We are thrilled to launch XQ at CTIA, to demonstrate an exciting new way for wireless retailers to attract customers and enhance their phone shopping experience,” says Christopher Krywulak, President and CEO of iQmetrix. “The entire retail industry is moving towards more interactive in-store solutions and XQ is ahead of the curve.” XQ uses cutting-edge technology to bridge the gap between online and brickand-mortar shopping. Displaying a continuous flow of interactive media, XQ brings the store to life and pulls customers in with eye-catching content.
MICROSIGNS LETS MOBILE DEVICE RETAILERS CONTROL MARKETING MIX MicroSigns’ digital merchandising platform lets mobile-device and CE retailers manage tighter control over the marketing mix on their shop floors, ensuring that what’s on display stays aligned with fast-shifting features, products and rates. Featuring interactive 3.5" color LCDs that replace paper labels, MicroSigns’ networked digital POP system ensures the right prices, rate plans, services and accessories are all associated
with the right products, across a retail network and down to individual stores. MicroSigns’ unique merchandising management system is designed specifically for mobile phone retailers. Controlled over a Web-enabled wireless network, MicroSigns lets retailers show and rapidly change complete product and service bundles (handset information, rate plans, services, accessories, promotions, insurance, and warranties) on eye-catching displays
FLOATOGRAPH TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FOR WIRELESS CARRIERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS As wireless carriers have built and expanded their networks across the United States, a key challenge has been
keeping networks up and running in the wake of natural disasters, terror attacks, and other public safety emergencies.
Wireless World Once in store, customers can use XQ to browse product catalogs to select a device, a rate plan, features, add-on accessories and promotions. By giving shoppers everything they’re looking for―engagement, convenience and information to identify the device and price they want―XQ truly creates the ultimate customer experience. Over the past 10 years, iQmetrix has become the North American market leader for wireless retail management software. The company’s flagship product, RQ4, is widely considered the most comprehensive solution of its kind. XQ’s digital screens and software integrate
directly with RQ4, enabling retailers to customize the experience of each shopper, maximizing customer profile information, purchasing history, inventory data and so much more―all in one synchronized system. iQmetrix combined the back-end operations of RQ4 with the front-end customer experience of XQ to once again make a dramatic impact on the North American wireless retail landscape. To learn more about XQ Interactive Retail, visit www.EnergizingRetail.com, e-mail XQ@iQmetrix.com or call 866IQMETRIX (476-3874). Visit them at CTIA booth 4237 for a complete tour of the XQ Interactive Retail experience!
positioned next to featured devices. Using MicroSigns, complex pricing can be dynamically managed in all locations, ensuring high levels of price and marketing mix compliance. Developed in Montreal, Canada, and already being used in Europe and North America, the system easily ties in and works with data from other production systems and processes that mobile and CE retailers use to develop and manage their POP marketing mix. When MicroSigns starts deploying, it operates with the goal of providing the retailer with a means to ensure the entire bricks-and-mortar estate is 99 percent compliant with cross-channel marketing objectives―within 48 hours of the program roll-out.
A rights-based user control system also allows all visual merchandising content to be validated online by distributed teams. MicroSigns’ flexible planogram tool provides a fully-configurable, coded reference model for planning, execution, and conformity reporting, and enables real-time views of content displayed at each retail position. Mobile phone retailers who incorporate the MicroSigns platform into store operations see better visual-merchandising processes, faster execution at retail, and a positive impact on sales through an improved customer experience. For more information, call 514-2744548, e-mail info@microsigns.com or visit www.microsigns.com.
Wireless carriers need the capability to rapidly deploy temporary, mobile equipment to augment their networks, restore communication links and meet spiked demand for network capacity. From the chaos of September 11th, to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast’s wireless infrastructure, to the huge crowds flooding into Washington, D.C. to attend President Obama’s inaugural festivities, the wireless industry has faced the challenge
of providing reliable, ongoing service to both subscribers and emergency service providers. The Federal Communication Commission recently assessed that steps should be taken to enable the wireless industry to continue to meet these challenges. In May of last year, the FCC’s Office of Broadband Initiative released a technical paper entitled “A Broadband Continued on Page 46
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
P4C GLOBAL INC.–BUILDING A BETTER E-WASTE SOLUTION FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS P4C Global is leading the charge in building more transparent and cleaner ewaste solutions for its partners. The company, which was founded in 2003 and is located in Chatsworth, Calif., is focused on pushing the envelope for developing e-waste solutions that build both economic and humanitarian benefits. The EPA estimates that more than 200 million tons of e-waste related to
telecommunications is accumulated annually, and this figure is growing. We aim to provide more solutions to industry partners so that they can easily offer green programs to their customers. Our focus will continue to create economic benefit for utilizing a green solution and allow e-waste management to improve the recycle rate here in the U.S. Our goal of improving the U.S.’s recycle rate of 25
PRIVATE PLANET: CARRIERS CAN INCREASE ARPU BY OFFERING USER-FRIENDLY PERSONAL CLOUDS With the silicon chip revolution of the 1960s, the advent of the personal computer in the 1980s, and the mobile phone and Internet revolutions in the 1990s, we have reached the 21st century with everyday people constantly using the Internet and Internet-enabled devices. People now depend on their mobile phones, laptops, desktops, TV set-top boxes and PDAs for their daily communication, business and private affairs and entertainment. A typical person spends over an hour a day online. In fact, the Internet revolution happened so fast that
we are still struggling to understand all the implications of this new medium. It has already transformed communications, print media and television companies, and has drastically changed the way we communicate both in enterprises and as private individuals. Today, the Internet Cloud―the computing infrastructure and services offered through data centers that are outside enterprises and homes―offers a wide variety of hosted solutions and services. However, what it currently lacks is a platform that will empower the individual to
Wireless World percent on telecommunication products is the drive for P4C Global, and as a company we are working to provide our customers more solutions that can translate into a wider variety of programs for consumers. We are providing green value-added e-waste solutions for waste handlers, electronics retailers, wireless carriers and OEMs, as well as a local community and business solution for recycling under our Phones 4 Charity operation. We also cater to a wide variety of cell phone refurbishing centers, wholesalers, and retail centers with our redistribution programs. In 2011, we will
intelligently gather data, services and content. Private Planet® is committed to building just such personal platforms for the Internet Cloud. So many things in our lives are now digital (messages, e-mail, documents, photos, videos, computer applications) that we need a way of managing our digital assets and services in a more organized way. Private Planet provides personal Cloud computing platforms, enabling mobile telecom carriers to provide a carrierbranded personal Cloud computing platform and mobile device software to their subscribers. Private Planet has developed
work with several companies in completely powering their entire operating model by providing logistics, processing, inventory management and sales disposition services tailored to meet their needs. We have built a green-techfocused facility that is ISO 9001/14001 and R2 Compliant in California to prove that providing green e-waste solutions can add economical benefits to the ewaste ecosystem. Our program provides partners with the ability to leverage our processing expertise and green programs Continued on Page 36
a highly-innovative Personal Cloud Computer platform that offers individuals industrial strength cloud storage, personal productivity tools, communication, publishing and synchronization tools. Put simply, Private Planet gives you the ability to manage your ‘digital life’–all your data, all your content and all your communications—through one place on any of your devices. There are three things that make Private Planet stand out. Firstly, they have complete focus on Cloud-empowering individuals; a Private Planet user has sole control over their data and identity on the Internet. Secondly, Private Planet is obsessed with making things simple and providing an easy-to-use, attractive and carrier-branded interface across all devices and platforms: Continued on Page 36
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wireless World
‘CALL ME’ – NEW WEB SERIES EXPLORES LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE AGE OF CELL PHONES Do you feel bereft without your Blackberry? Do your relationships begin and end in LOLs and OMGs? Do you express love in a text message? Yes, you Allegro (Con’t. from p. 1)
of business?
SG: Allegro has been providing fullspectrum mobile solutions for nine years. We specialize in enterprise mobile applications, which we build on the Allegro Configurable Mobile Platform. The platform allows us to offer secure, welldesigned mobile applications across many devices and operating systems. Our products integrate seamlessly into our clients’ complex existing environments. In addition to software, Allegro provides mobility consulting and a full compliment of surrounding services, such as wireless infrastructure, hardware procurement and managed services. WW: Can you tell us more about the Allegro Mobile Platform?
SG: The company was started for the purpose of providing a complete mobile solution, and to accomplish this in the
have cell phone connection addiction. But if cell phones seem to chart the course of your relationships, they are also a window, er, screen, onto modern life in best way possible, we built the Allegro Configurable Mobile Platform. The Platform has embedded into it the best practices learned from servicing many of the largest enterprises in various verticals. Business logic is left configurable, as is UI and the various interface options. The platform can be leveraged in the Cloud by our customers’ development teams and by our channel partners to deliver robust, secure, and targeted solutions in as little as a few hours.
WW: Can you tell us a little more about your WiFi infrastructure and hardwareprocurement services?
SG: Often, our customers are best served by having a single hand to shake. So, by also providing these surrounding services, we provide them the peace of mind of a single point-of-contact for the complete solution. Be it before the application deployed, for things like WiFi infrastructure and hardware procurement, during or with training and
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the 21st century. In his innovative new Web series Call Me, which recently premiered at www.harrysinclair.com, awardwinning New Zealand director Harry Sinclair explores how dating and relationships have been transformed by the technology that keeps us constantly connected and constantly craving connection. Fittingly set in Los Angeles, the cell phone capital of the free world, Call Me centers around Theo, a well-meaning,
albeit misguided, phone junkie who lives his life on his cell. His stories are told through phone conversations, voicemail and texts. The series also follows a dozen other characters who share details of their sex lives while on line at the deli and break-up in IMs. For Call Me Sinclair has gathered a cast of Los Angeles actors including Nathan Huber, Stephen Heath, Danielle Parsons and Sarabeth Deleury Stroller.
deployment services, or after with our managed services―we can help. In 2009, Allegro was the second-highest volume seller of Motorola WiFi in North America. Last year, Allegro completed the first Motorola AP7181 WiFi Mesh network in the world, which covered an entire city and was leveraged for Smart Grid and municipal functions, along with corporate and consumer use.
We have never charged overruns on a project, and likewise, have always delivered upon statements of work by deadline. Our recognition as the first company in the world to be certified for mobile on SAP retail, and numerous accolades and top global customers also help set us apart from the competition.
WW: What market segments do you specialize in?
SG: We are currently most active in transportation and logistics, retail, field services, healthcare and government. WW: What distinguishes you from the competition?
SG: We are known as the company to go to when you need to get it done. I am proud to say that Allegro has distinguished itself by providing unparalleled reliability as a software solution provider.
WW: To what do you attribute your company’s success?
SG: Our consistency and ability to deliver have kept clients loyal. Since the beginning, Allegro has focused on providing the enterprise mobile worker with peaceof-mind and efficiency. When the mobile solution in your mobile worker’s hands makes their job easier, while delivering improved customer satisfaction, everyone wins. Visit Allegro Mobile Solutions at the Ontario Pavilion, booth 2246. Contact us by telephone at 888-626-5262 or online at www.allegrowireless.com.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Kika Enterprises (Con’t. from p. 1)
forefront of new technology. We are one of the only companies in the U.S. that specializes solely in air cards and mobile connection devices. We focus on solving the need for permanent Wi-Fi connection, given that providers and their customers need a company to distribute these products at a lower price and without a permanent contract. We are the supplier of choice for small and mid-size providers, including MVNOs and carrier retail stores.
What Customers Today Want, And What Our Devices Do For Them Users want to connect whenever and wherever, and not be tied down by locating hot Mozido (Con’t. from p. 1)
your company.
CM: Mozido provides businesses low-cost, white-labeled financial services. In simple terms, we move money. What does that really mean, you ask? Well, when a telecom carrier, retailer, etc., wants to offer financial services to their customers―like domestic and international money transfers, P2P transfers, bill payments, personal loans, among others―they use Mozido’s platform to provide these fee-generating services to their consumers. They don’t even have to know anything about financial services or the regulatory and compliance considerations that come with financial services. It can get a bit complicated, but we take care of it all from start to finish. P4C Global (Con’t. from p. 12)
to bridge the gap in the downstream of recycling that can put product back into use and responsibly recycle with R2 certified companies the true scrap. We are also set to work with other firms around Positron (Con’t. from p. 4)
bandwidth to meet this growth. They are faced with major capital investments at a time when they need to control costs given that revenue growth is not in line with the increasing bandwidth requirements. Fiber is the ultimate bandwidth solution but deploying it is expensive, time-consuming and not feasible in certain locations. Fortunately, there is copper bonding, a solution that addresses the
spots or paying for permanent contracts. Carpoolers want to be able to connect on their way to work. Business owners want to be able to show their products to clients on the go. Our devices allow people to do this. They change the way they do business. Our mobile broadband hotspot and USB devices are portable, fitting in your pocket, allowing you to take your connection anywhere you go. These mobile broadband connections also do not require installation software, and allow for up to five connections on the same device. There is no need to buy multiple devices or multiple contracts. Users can avoid the cost of using their data plan and running up their data rates. Especially important WW: How did Mozido get its start?
CM: Mozido’s original goal was to bank the unbanked. There are almost 2 billion people in the world that don’t have a bank account or even access to formal financial institutions, yet they have a mobile phone. Mozido’s platform and mobile applications turn any phone, whether it’s a low-end, non-data-capable phone or a smartphone, into a virtual wallet that is able to facilitate commerce. WW: Where is Mozido going with its product and strategy?
CM: We’re still focused on the unbanked, but where we originally saw the opportunity being mobile, we now see it being across multiple channels.
Wireless World for smart phone users is the ability to use applications like Facetime and Skype from anywhere.
What Our Devices Do For You MVNOs and regional carriers are not only competing amongst themselves to raise profits and keep costs down, but also with host carriers such as Sprint and Verizon, who can keep their costs down because of their volume and purchasing power. For MVNOs and regional carriers, our devices are the best choice in keeping up with new trends in customer demand, while also keeping costs down and staying within budget. We offer our devices at 50 percent lower rates than big manufacturers, who not only have high prices, but
Mobile works great in remote pockets of the world and Mozido’s platform is second-to-none addressing this segment. Banking the unbanked and getting the everyday consumer to use their mobile device as a commerce device ironically requires more than just mobile touch points. So we’ve added point-of-sale integration, Web portals and smartphone apps into the mix to give our customers an opportunity to fully address all of their customer’s needs. Now consumers can move money in a lot of different ways. WW: What would you say makes your company unique?
high minimum-order quantities. Providers who carry our devices are able to build customer loyalty by offering a product that is affordable for the customer and can be used for up to five connections. By also offering prepaid service, providers can further expand their customer base and mobile broadband offerings. This device is truly revolutionary in that is allows you to not be tied down to a fixed Internet connection or Wi-Fi hotspot, putting the user in control. Our products can also connect non-USB devices, such as iPads, smart phones, and e-readers. For more information, please visit www.kikaenterprises.com, stop by booth 5330, or call us at 866-200-1317. just providing a solution on the mobile device. Of course, we cover mobile, and even within the mobile realm, we have USSD, SIM Toolkit, Java, iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps. However, we also cover POS, IVR and the allpowerful Internet. But most importantly about Mozido, we’re not just technology. We’re not just zeros and ones. In fact, our biggest strengths are our amazing partnerships and how we integrate with those partners, thus offering our customers continually evolving ways to increase functionality and revenue. That’s what sets us apart.
CM: Right off the bat, Mozido offers more touch points for customers than our typical competitor, meaning we’re not
To learn more about Mozido, be sure to visit them at the mCommerce Pavilion, booth 3490, or e-mail them at letsmove@mozido.com.
the world to develop additional reuse capabilities for batteries and other would-be scrap e-waste. Our mission is to create both economic and environmental benefits by managing the e-waste process stream more efficiently and responsibly.
We are proud to say that throughout the years, not only have we been able to save more than a million tons of e-waste from the waste stream, but we have also allowed our partners to generate millions in donations to humanitarian efforts. Our program saves thousands of tons in
cardboard recycling alone, providing our partners with green and safe shipping solutions along with a portfolio of customizable e-waste programs. Find out more about P4C Global at booth 5143, call 877-742-4562, or visit www.p4cglobal.com.
immediate needs of carriers that is reliable, accessible, very profitable and quick to deploy. Positron’s Aktino DMT-based technology is ideal for these different and changing traffic profiles as its patented DMT-based technology allows it to dynamically shift capacity to either the upstream or the downstream. Operators can use the same equipment to deploy services targeting the specific bandwidth profile and they can also quickly
adapt to new applications that shift the traffic profile to one direction or the other. This unique flexibility of varying the upstream and downstream ratio allows it to be an ideal solution for cell site backhaul. With Positron’s Aktino solution, carriers can support flexible bandwidth profiles with downstream and upstream ratios ranging from 3-to-1, 5-to-1, 8-to-1 as well as symmetric 1-to-1. Positron Access is the only vendor that offers the
technology to provide this level of flexibility, reliability and performance on a single span. Just when copper was thought to be outdated, innovative technologies, such as Positron’s Aktino Flex-Stream solution, enhance the capabilities of existing infrastructure and widen the range of profitable services available to customers. For more information, stop by their booth 3636 or visit www.positron access.com.
Private Planet (Con’t. from p. 12)
Windows, BlackBerryOS, Android, iOS, OS X, Linux, Symbian. Thirdly, Private Planet works in partnership with their customers with a business model that is based on revenue share with carriers who retain the lion’s share of personal data storage services that carriers deliver based on The Private Planet platform. This year, Private Planet has launched the Personal Productivity Services suite, providing basic Cloudbased and Cloud-assisted personal services including carried-branded personal Cloud data stores, mobile and remote printing, easy Web-publishing from mobile devices, device-to-device (D2D) remote file browsing, PIM functions
(such as agenda, to do list, notes) and text chat and cross-platform push-to-talk voice chat services. Private Planet’s business model is to create partnerships with carriers (and telecom service providers) who will offer services to their subscribers as a valueadded service, creating new Cloud-related revenue streams and increasing the ARPU. For more information or to arrange for a meeting with Private Planet at the show, please e-mail info@pripla.com, visit www.pripla.com, call 650-618-1852 or stop by booths 4290-D or 3663-C. Private Planet is a registered trademark of Private Planet Ltd. Other products mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
DigiCell International (Con’t. from p. 1)
founded in 1994 from the President’s home office with very little working capital. Through dedication and determination, DigiCell International, Inc. became one of the more-known distributors in the wireless industry. Throughout the many years since 1994, DigiCell International, Inc. has been one of the largest open-market distributors and recently has begun to directly represent manufacturer products in the following categories: handsets, smartphones, data devices ZAGG (Con’t. from p. 1)
RP: ZAGG is the premier mobile accessories company, offering innovative mobile accessories from skins and shields to audio, power, and keyboard solutions. We opened in 2005 in a backyard workshop and have grown at incredible speed to become a tech trendsetter traded on the NASDAQ Global Market. ZAGG is both our NASDAQ stock symbol and an acronym for Zealous About Great Gadgets.
ZAGG’s popular brands include our flagship product: the invisibleSHIELD®, which is a patented, virtually invisible and indestructible film-protection system, available in over 5,000 designs for the most popular electronics. We also have award-winning in-ear headphones called ZAGGbuds™ as well as the ultimate companion for the Apple iPad, called the ZAGGmate™, which was Intertek (Con’t. from p. 4)
testing and certification to CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association) programs, and maintains the capacity to streamline 2G, 3G and Over the Air (OTA) performance testing to a full range of standards. Through their extended network of labs, they can provide CDMA, Ev-DO, GSM, WiMAX and Wi-Fi
and accessories.
WW: What would you say makes your company unique?
NE: We are dedicated to providing exceptional, custom-tailored distribution and supply chain solutions in a space that has become less customer-focused and more about ‘big business.’ We continue to listen to our customers’ needs as much as we try selling them a product.
WW: Are you new products?
introducing
any
recently shown on The Oprah Winfrey Show. ZAGG is one of the fastest growing companies in America; our products are available online at ZAGG.com and in most major retailers.
WW: What do you see as being the biggest tech trend in the market for 2011?
RP: Many tech pundits have said that 2011 will be the year of the tablet, and the first few months have borne that out. Apple’s recent announcement of the iPad 2 is a major component, but so are the Motorola Xoom, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the BlackBerry Playbook, and several other great-looking devices that we have seen.
NE: We are currently in the process of launching a new OEM manufacturer of 2G and 3G handsets in the North American marketplace. Also, we are launching the first pre-paid data device in the U.S. and a 3G/4G wireless router with modems.
illustrate just that.
NE: Over the years, our primary focus has been mostly on handsets; however, we see great growth with data products and our product lineup is beginning to
We have reserved a Meeting Room space and would like to meet you. Please call to schedule an appointment—800-4741316 x 3001.
WW: Where is your current product emphasis?
and available for nearly any gadget. As mentioned, the invisibleSHIELD is available for over 5,000 devices, a number that grows every day. ZAGG products, including the invisibleSHIELD, are top selling SKU’s in most mobile chains. We are dedicated to developing new designs for our current products, and we are always looking for innovative ways to accentuate our relationships with gadgets. WW: Does ZAGG plan to introduce new products in 2011?
RP: ZAGG is in a great position, as our products are generally device-agnostic
RP: We just recently announced a new ZAGGmate for the Apple iPad 2. Our ZAGGmate is a protective and functional companion to the Apple iPad that accentuates the utility while matching the design, look and feel of the iPad. A built-in wireless keyboard allows for fast, responsive typing and interaction with the iPad’s features. Beyond that, we always have exciting things in the works,
solutions. With proven experience in existing wireless network certification, Intertek has a strong history working with leading ICT manufacturers and is certified by Verizon Wireless to conduct ‘Safe for Network’ testing. Intertek’s experienced team of ICT engineers is familiar with the most up-todate procedures and works closely with global carriers in all regions of the world to offer a one-stop shopping experience
for device manufacturers and mobile application developers. They provide testing and certification for global regulatory requirements, product safety, and network performance and add value to your product cycle with multiple certification and approval marks for global market access. Intertek Group, with more than 100 years of experience and more than 1,000 labs in 100 countries overall, is a
WW: Where does ZAGG fit into the tech market?
Wireless World
Floatograph (Con’t. from p. 10)
Network Cost Model” that estimated the funding required to provide interoperable communications to America’s first responders. The report cited what is known in the industry as “Deployable Equipment Caches”―including Cellular on Wheels (COWS)―as a key solution for “exceptional times and places when public safety and commercial infrastructure is insufficient.” In fact, the paper estimates that over the next 10 years, expenditures of $200 million will be required to provide for “a fleet of public safety deployables, vehicular area network systems” and other equipment. In response to the significant continuity of service challenges facing the wireless industry, Floatograph™ Technologies―one of the country’s leading manufacturers of telescoping masts and tactical trailers―stepped forward to offer a broad range of affordable, effective solutions. During emergencies, disaster relief, and situations requiring the temporary deployment of additional wireless infrastructure, Floatograph products provide dynamic
WW: To what do you attribute your company’s success?
NE: Hard work and determination to provide products and solutions in situations where they are most challenging to find for our customers and business partners.
but as a publicly-traded company we have to be careful about disclosing our future plans.
WW: What distinguishes your products from the competition?
RP: ZAGG was the first company to wrap the full body of a gadget in razorthin, optically clear, protective film. Our invisibleSHIELD is the premiere film on the market and we have a patent on our protection system, so anyone else is really following the path we have blazed. But we also continue to innovate new products within the tech industry. ZAGG fosters a culture of innovation and uncommon drive to deliver the best mobile accessory solutions to customers worldwide.
Visit ZAGG at booth 2278 or contact Media/PR Manager Nate Nelson at 801263-0699 x 107.
worldwide provisionary of quality and safety services. They have the expertise, global testing capacity and advanced project management techniques to get your products into more markets faster. For more information about their Wireless and Mobile testing and certification services, please visit them online at www.intertek.com/ wireless, email icenter@intertek.com or call 800-WORLDLAB. turnkey solutions such as rapidly-deployable mobile cell sites, wireless hotspots, power generation stations, and climatecontrolled computer enclosures and mobile data centers. The company’s products offer an endless array of options to meet the growing needs of wireless carriers as they seek to ensure continuity of service. Floatograph products are reliable, easy to operate and maintain, and are engineered to withstand the demands of unpredictable weather and ongoing use in urban and rural environments. The company is based in Maryland and its products are manufactured in Indiana. Floatograph is best known for its versatile high-quality telescoping masts and mobile trailer systems that are in use around the globe. Originally designed to use for the U.S. military, Floatograph’s innovative products provide smart and cost-effective solutions for the continuity of infrastructure challenges facing the wireless industry today. Stop by booth 1659 to learn more about Floatograph’s services, call 301-563-3082 or visit their website at www.floatograph.com.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wireless World Brightpoint (Con’t. from p. 1)
RJL: Brightpoint is a global leader in providing wireless distribution and supply-chain solution services that enable mobile operators, MVNOs, manufacturers, and retailers to manage their supply chains more efficiently. In 2010, Brightpoint customized, distributed and shipped nearly 100 million mobile devices [valued at approximately $14 billion] across 26 countries around the globe making Brightpoint the largest mobile phone distributor and supplychain solutions provider in the world. WW: What would you say makes Brightpoint unique?
RJL: At Brightpoint, we differentiate ourselves through innovation, exemplary performance, employee commitment, and adherence to a strong set of core values. Our daily actions demonstrate our commitment to our customers and suppliers. We are committed to our customers by providing an efficient channel IPgallery (Con’t. from p. 1)
communications software company with an R&D office in Israel, enabling service providers the ability to deliver next generation cloud-based services, which can be accessed by any device over any network type.
WW: Why should service providers be concerned about social communications?
AD: Social networking is growing exponentially and stripping value away from service providers. These third-party sites and Over the Top (OTT) providers are getting end-users’ attention with a host of creative features that draw them to their sites and services. It’s impossible to monetize these end-users when their attention is elsewhere. WW: What do service providers need to do differently? Sahara Wireless (Con’t. from p. 1)
the full range of cell phone accessories for Metro PCS, LG, AT&T, Sprint, Boost Mobile, Southern Link, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon. It’s product line covers face plates (hard, silicon/gel, solid, design, single line and full diamonds), batteries, head sets, adaptors, chargers, bluetooth, combo cases, displays, holsters, laptop bags, neck straps, memory cards, phone charms, pouches, screen protectors, snap ons, pouches, transmitters, 3-in-ones, 4-inones, etc., in addition to other fascinating and useful items. It carries a range of Huawei, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, Sanyo and ZTE products. What makes Sahara successful: Even though entering the tough market of cell phone accessories was not an easy job, Sahara’s vibrant team made it look effortless by supplying superior-quality products at affordable prices. A strong intention to make the company successful kept them going until they established their presence among the top sellers of cell
to consumers. We are very consultative with our clients and work to understand how we can drive value that addresses a particular need for the world’s largest retailers, mobile operators, and manufacturers.
WW: What is your growth strategy for 2011 and beyond?
RJL: We have grown faster than the wireless industry growth rate in terms of handsets handled in each of the last five years. We will continue to increase the breadth and intrinsic value of Brightpoint’s services and solutions. Our focus is to strengthen and expand Brightpoint’s competitive differentiation by creating an effective global business system that retains local responsiveness. As a Nasdaq-listed company since 1994, we focus on smart and responsible growth. In the last six months, we added one new Center of Excellence [super hubs and logistics centers] in Sweden and three in the U.S., giving Brightpoint in excess of two million square feet of supply chain logistics and distribution
AD: Service providers must rethink how they leverage social networking to increase their sphere of influence, grow their embedded services and stay more connected to their customer base on a daily basis, maintaining their brand image and leveraging their core assets. The future winners will be those that simplify overall multimedia communications, giving personalized control to the consumer in how they communicate, find, watch and share content over any network, any device, at any time.
services facilities in the U.S. alone. To grow faster than the market in the next 10 years, we must maintain strong relationships with the leading smartphone and tablet manufacturers. Tablets and smartphones will fuel the wireless industry’s growth.
WW: What would surprise people about your company?
RJL: We have a presence in 26 countries and serve more than 50 countries across the globe. We have approximately 4,000 employees, ship to more than 100,000 points of sale, and serve more than 25,000 B2B customers. In the United States alone, approximately one out of every three handsets sold makes its way through a Brightpoint facility. WW: Tell readers about your customer philosophy.
RJL: Our goal at Brightpoint is to delight our customers and suppliers every day. This has been a key to our
MCZ, consumers can now take control and simplify how they talk, chat, watch, share and transfer multi-media communications over any broadband device through a social communications environment that is branded by the service provider. WW: What unique capabilities will service providers now have?
AD: By leveraging Cloud computing, service provider’s digital network, Web 2.0 gateway into social networks, and core assets for delivering voice, messaging and content, IPgallery has created a personalized social-networking environment named “My Contact Zone (MCZ)”. Through
AD: Through social networking integration, service providers will now have a converged social contact data base, which is magnitudes larger than their current customer base. They will now be able to provide single sign-on services, simplifying how customers chat and communicate with their friends across any social network. In addition, consumers will have their own reachability environment, controlling how their friends and family can reach them through an enhanced one number service, and a personalized EPG environment for watching, sharing and transferring
phone accessories in the U.S.
the U.S., including Hawaii.
WW: How can IPgallery help service providers leverage social networking?
Sahara’s formula: • A management team of high-powered visionaries; • Excellent ‘owned’ production capabilities which allows Sahara the freedom to save money by eliminating expensive middlemen, also giving it the ability to maintain quality-control of its own products, which is just a dream for other suppliers of cell phone accessories in this market. Having its own factory also allows the company to be innovative in its designs which is evident from the look of its high-quality and beautiful cell phone accessories, with its stylish, trendy and unique designs; and • An efficient sales and shipping team which brings in the business and keeps everything running flawlessly.
Other Unique Features: Sahara’s expertise in cost-effective production and timesensitive shipping gives it leverage over other suppliers. Even though Sahara operates from their head office in Fremont, Calif., its customers can have their orders delivered almost anywhere in
Carrier Supply: Sahara is open to supplying cell phone carriers with their own packaging.
Private-Packaging Supply: Master dealers, wholesalers and distributors can contact Sahara for their own packaging and products.
The Future for Sahara: With expansion plans well underway, Sahara’s products will soon be available around the world. No place is too far away for this company. The company’s motto being “Best for Less, Quality for Less,” they certainly stay true to this objective, passing on huge savings and opportunities to its wholesalers and retailers. Everyone profits with Sahara Wireless. Sahara invites distributors looking for opportunities to enter or expand in the cell phone accessory market.
For more information, visit Sahara Wireless at booth 5137, or contact them by phone at 510-687-1265, fax 510-6871297 or www.saharawls.com.
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growth over the last 20 years. I communicate this customer philosophy to our work force globally by reminding our people that, ‘We don’t have a business without customers.’ WW: Why should customers and manufacturers choose Brightpoint?
RJL: For network operators, MVNOs, manufacturers, and retailers who are looking to turn their fixed-cost models into variable-cost models that also drive costs out of their supply chain, Brightpoint offers end-to-end, distribution, and supply-chain solution capabilities on a global platform that delivers success. Nobody works harder for their customers and partners than Brightpoint does. In addition, we have been included among FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired Companies for four of the last five years. For more information, call 877-4472355, e-mail info@brightpoint.com or visit www.brightpoint.com.
Broadcast Channels, VOD, and user-generated content over any device. WW: How does this generate new revenues for the Service Provider?
AD: By creating their own branded social communications environment and simplifying how consumers communicate and share with each other, service providers now have more access to their customer base on a daily basis, and connections to all of their friends. This can generate increased third-party advertising revenues, VOD services, reduced churn, and other enhanced viewing services with their current embedded base and friends that aren’t even current customers. For more information on how to start building and leveraging social communications, please stop by booth 3476, visit www.ipgallery.com or email info@ipgallery.com Wireless Hall of Fame (Con’t. from p. 1)
seconders. Nomination forms and guidelines are available on the WHF website at www.wirelesshistoryfoundation .org/nominationform.html. Last year the WHF inducted four individuals at the inaugural Wireless Hall of Fame Dinner, bringing the total number of inductees to 28. The Wireless Hall of Fame program began in 2000. Current members contributed to ground-breaking achievements in all areas of technology, business, and public service. Eligibility for the Wireless Hall of Fame is based on an individual’s contributions to the advancement of wireless services, products, and programs. “The wireless industry is fortunate to include many individuals in different fields who have made significant contributions to the industry. We are looking forward to selecting a number of them for special recognition in October,” said WHF Board member Charlie Townsend, CEO of Aloha Partners II, who chairs the selection committee. For more information, visit www.wirelesshistoryfoundation.org.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wireless World UniTek Global Services (Con’t. from p. 1)
SH: UniTek Global Services is a specialty communications services contracting company that I co-founded in 2004. We are currently traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol UNTK. Our corporate headquarters is in Blue Bell, Pa. We have a workforce of more than 5,200 people working in 102 locations throughout the United States and Canada. UniTek provides network engineering and design, construction, project management, and installation/fulfillment services to Fortune 200 companies in the telecommunications, broadband cable and satellite markets.
WW: The wireless industry is experiencing unprecedented technology deployments, what opportunities do you see and how is UniTek positioned to take advantage of them?
SH: UniTek has a long and successful INOC (Con’t. from p. 1)
their wireless and fiber infrastructure by monitoring their networks 24-7 and responding quickly to alarm conditions. By ensuring our clients’ networks have high uptime, we keep their customers happy. WW: Tell us about your company history.
PR: The founders of INOC collectively brought significant experience in designing, deploying, and supporting carrier and enterprise networks. The team always felt that network support operations and tools should be designed to handle alarm conditions quickly and efficiently, while providing complete visibility into the appropriate support processes and procedures. So we really focused on developing a NOC platform that addresses these requirements and we use it to support our clients. A powerful dashboard and reporting system complement Bridgewater Systems (Con’t. from p. 1)
WW: Tell us about Bridgewater Systems.
DS: As the leader in intelligent broadband controls, Bridgewater provides preintegrated solutions that allow mobile and converged operators to: • Transform their networks to 4G; for example, LTE, WiMAX, etc. • Optimize 3G networks with dynamic solutions that manage bandwidth consumption, control congestion and support intelligent offload to alternate networks such as Wi-Fi. • Innovate with new services including new service models, M2M, and dynamic promotions. WW: What are intelligent broadband controls and why they are relevant?
DS: We define intelligent broadband controls in two ways: Service control manages network access using static policies to control which devices/ subscribers can access the network and under what conditions access is granted; policy control is more dynamic in nature
history of designing, engineering and performing construction of fiber networks throughout the U.S. and Canada. We have been involved in some of the industry’s largest and most successful builds. Based on available data, the addressable market for wireless and wired broadband is roughly $40 billion annually. With increased data consumption, the rollout of 4G/LTE networks, fiber backhaul deployment, and the expansion of wireless coverage, the opportunity is only getting larger. Our merger with BCI last year has given us the opportunity to participate in the convergence of the wired and wireless world that we now live in. Through backhaul fiber deployment, we have become one of the few companies that have the capability to provide true end-to-end solutions for our customers.
differentiates UniTek from your peers and why a service provider or tower owner would choose UniTek over some other company?
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technology-driven culture of accountability. Every day we look for ways to get better and that has been a difference-maker for UniTek.
WW: What do you think will be the greatest challenge for UniTek and for the wireless industry?
WW: With all of these deployments, you must face a lot of competition from other companies in your industry. Tell us what
SH: Well, I know this may sound like a cliché, but it starts with our people. We have attracted the best people that I have ever worked with and put them all under one roof. You can’t build a company with over 5,000 people unless you are creating a culture of respect, integrity and results. We have always been heavily focused on quality as well. So, we have managed to combine great people with a focus on delivering the best results to our customers. The last piece of the puzzle for us was figuring out how to use technology to deliver services that could provide our clients with real-time data and quality reports that would differentiate us from our peers. We have built a platform based on our proprietary technology which combines great people with a
this NOC platform. The company started providing NOC services more than 11 years ago and now has a significant client base in North America.
improves the quality of NOC support by allowing NOC Engineers to focus on the right alarms and issues, thus reducing the time to problem resolution.
PR: Our typical clients have wireless and/or fiber infrastructure–indoor and outdoor DAS networks, WiMAX networks, microwave, enterprise, metro, regional, or national fiber networks.
WW: How does your service address the unique challenges of this market?
PR: Well, both wireless and fiber clients usually have equipment from a variety of manufacturers. INOC integrates the equipment for monitoring, develops support workflows—including dispatch, integrating with client’s internal systems such as Trouble Ticketing and CRM— and provides a cohesive branded support experience. A unique aspect of our equipment integration is the significant amount of resources we devote to understand all the alarms supported by the manufacturer on a particular device, understand the service context in which the equipment is deployed by our client, and then implement intelligent and relevant alarm processing. This significantly and controls what happens when subscribers or devices are on the network and what occurs during different network conditions.
Service control and policy control are extremely relevant as they collectively act as the cerebral function of a mobile operator’s network and enable the operator to offer services to consumers, enterprises, and machine markets. WW: What are some of the big challenges operators are facing today?
DS: Mobile-data traffic is growing exponentially—corresponding data service revenues are not growing at the same rate. Consumer appetites for new devices and applications—streaming media in particular—while driving mobile data growth, are also contributing to network congestion that impacts overall customer experience. Mobile operators are seeking ways to differentiate with innovative services to help bridge that revenue gap. WW: What products does Bridgewater offer to help overcome these challenges?
WW: Everyone, from cell phone users to the cellular carriers that service those customers, expects their services and infrastructure to be working properly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What do you do for your own services?
PR: That’s a great question! If we are supporting clients that want to ensure their services are available 24-7, we have to make sure our own NOC infrastructure is available 24-7! And we do. We have dual NOCs—our primary NOC is in Madison, Wis., and our Disaster Recovery NOC is near Chicago; we also have highly redundant network connectivity, a highavailability NOC platform, and redundant storage systems and power. WW: Who are your clients?
DS: Bridgewater offers a portfolio of intelligent broadband control products including: Service Controller (AAA), Policy Controller (PCRF) and Home Subscriber Server (HSS)—all anchored by a common subscriber and device identity management system. WW: Policy is a hot topic today. Why is that?
DS: Operators can derive immense value from policy control. It is becoming more of a mandatory component, not one that is optional. At Bridgewater, we see policy in two ways: as both a medicine and as a vitamin for operators. As a medicine, it can cure specific ills or challenges, drive down CAPEX and OPEX costs, help alleviate network congestion and manage mobile data growth. More importantly, as a vitamin, policy can act as a boost, enabling new services, generating new revenues, and improving customer loyalty and competitive differentiation. WW: What additional value does Bridgewater bring to mobile operators investing in network transformation?
SH: We are all facing challenges with the rapid nature of the wireless deployments because of a shortage of great people. In the tougher economic times, everyone tends to go leaner. I always tell our people that the unemployment rate in the wireless industry for great people is zero! It’s important to hire, train and retain the best people possible in order to perform the best service for our customers.
For more information on UniTek please visit www.unitekglobalservices.com or stop by CTIA booth 1040. For specific questions please email wirelessworld_ feedback@unitekgs.com.
We support various technologies used on these networks—Ethernet, SONET, DWDM, PON, ATM, TDM, IP, MPLS. We also support Enterprise clients. WW: What is often the biggest misconception about using a NOC Service?
PR: Losing control and visibility. But the reality is, clients feel they gain tremendous visibility across their entire infrastructure and can truly focus on expanding their business, while being confident that high-quality support is being delivered to their customers.
For more information, stop by the INOC booth 3835, call 877-NOC-24X7 or visit www.inoc.com. DS: As an independent software vendor, we bring the following value to mobile operators:
First, as operators invest heavily in the mobile packet core and RAN, they seek varying levels of independence in their choice of vendors. Typically, they do not want to be tied to a single network equipment manufacturer. An independent set of broadband controls, such as those offered by Bridgewater, provide a level of network element independence, allowing them to ensure ongoing cost/performance improvements. Second, our solutions are independent of network-access-type, whether it be Wi-Fi, HSPA, CDMA or LTE as examples. This independence allows operators to converge and transform their networks at their own pace. Lastly, our open, standards-based approach enables Bridgewater to integrate with a variety of IT environments for provisioning, reporting, subscriber and device data and so forth—providing greater flexibility for our customers. Find Bridgewater Systems at booth 4476 and online at www.bridgewatersystems.com.