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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:	The Digital way of working

Moderator:	QUARK::LIONELON

Created:	Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5321
Total number of notes:	139771

3849.0. "Spread Spectrum Wireless Solution Problem..." by HLDE01::VUURBOOM_R (Roelof Vuurboom @ APD, DTN 829 4066) Tue May 02 1995 20:53

    This came in on our corporate account email address.
    Does anybody know if we (Digital) do "spread-spectrum wireless
    solutions" (or even what they are). And assuming that someone,
    somewhere in Digital actually makes a living out of this who that
    person might be? Pointers/help appreciated.
    
    re roelof
    
From [email protected] Mon Apr 24 00:53:33 1995
From: "Todd L. Mitchell" <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 95 17:41:20 -700
To: [email protected]
Mime-Version: 1.0
X-Mailer: Mozilla/1.0N (Windows)
Content-Type: text/plain;  charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Subject: Spread-spectrum wireless
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Status: RO

Please send me information regarding your line of spread-spectrum 
wireless network solutions.  I hope this is the correct e-mail address 
for this information...I selected the choice that seemed closest to my 
need from the WWW.  In any case, I need this information for a feasability 
study I am conducting for my employer.  I am a patrol supervisor with the 
City of Fridley, MN, police department.  

We want to break off from the county-wide Motorola MDT network and set 
up our own network.  We want maximum throughput for minimal price, and 
CDPD is too expensive.  We also have a problem with frequency allocation, 
and if your solutions include frequency licensing then we could avoid 
this hassle.  Finally, our laptops would be primarily docked in patrol 
cars that roam the city, up to several miles from the server.  I know 
that your maximum throughput devices are limited in range, especially 
when omni-directional antennas are used.  Do you have an 
intermediate-throughput solution that would allow us dependable connect
ions over several miles using omni-directional antennas?  

I need this information yesterday.  This is an afterthought in a total 
system development that has been underway for a year and a half.  
(Don't laugh, I'm not in charge of it.  I'm just the propellor head 
in the group.)

Thanks,

Todd Mitchell, Corporal
Fridley Police Department
6431 University Avenue NE
Fridley, MN 55432
H: (612) 631-9417
P: (612) 538-2452

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
3849.1		QUARK::LIONEL	Free advice is worth every cent	`Tue May 02 1995 22:43`	6
	I wasn't aware that Digital offered any wireless network products. Spread-spectrum is a method where the information is spread across many different frequencies - reducing the effects of interference and making it very hard to "eavesdrop". Steve
3849.2	Really?	PFSVAX::MCELWEE	Opponent of Oppression	`Wed May 03 1995 01:39`	9
	Re: .1- Digital has a whole line of wireless products- ROAMabout. Popular in hospitals and spread-spectrum technology as I recall. Phil
3849.3	Product Manager	MARVIN::WALTER		`Wed May 03 1995 08:29`	6
	According to VTX the ROAMabout product manager is CATHERINE HATFIELD 226-5480 DELNI ::HATFIELD LKG01-03
3849.4		TENNIS::KAM	Kam USDS (714)261-4133 (DTN 535) IVO	`Wed May 03 1995 10:02`	6
	check the following places: NOTED::WIRELESS_LANS NOTED::MOBILE_NETWORKING
3849.5	they need a wide area solution	CAMRY::HILMAN	eric	`Wed May 03 1995 10:06`	18
	Roam about is a local area network spread sprectrum product. Clearly a police department is looking for a wide area product, especially since he is considering Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD). CSS is exploring various alternatives in this space, including ruggedized hand held slate computers that can communicate wireless data using several approaches. I will forward .0 to our local sales rep in minneapolis. I suspect a bigger issue will be that the Fridley Police department is probably not on the list of 1000 accounts that we can sell to, but at least we can help him out with some informaton. eric hilman css
3849.6		QUARK::LIONEL	Free advice is worth every cent	`Wed May 03 1995 10:18`	3
	Sigh - and I knew about RoamAbout too. My apologies for the misinformation. Steve
3849.7	Overview of Wireless	MROA::JJAMES		`Wed May 03 1995 12:28`	5
	FORBES ASAP magazine, April 11, 199, page 99 has a great 10 page article about wireless networking. It explains "spread spectrum, CDMA, TDMA and other jargon in a very approachable way. They are very high on Steinbrecher Corp and Qualcomm. Its an excellent introduction to a hot segment of the industry.
3849.8	ANother pointer	JUMP4::JOY	Perception is reality	`Wed May 03 1995 13:35`	6
	You can also contact Donna Woznicki (DELNI::WOZNICKI) She is the product marketing manager for all the RoamAbout products (we have both spread spectrum and frequency hopping products) debbie
3849.9	Thanks, Eric!	HLDE01::VUURBOOM_R	Roelof Vuurboom @ APD, DTN 829 4066	`Wed May 03 1995 13:37`	1

3849.10	Also Try RAM Mobile Data	MARVIN::HIGGINSON	Peter Higginson DTN 830 6293, Reading UK	`Wed May 03 1995 14:46`	10
	At one point we were doing some joint bids and SI work with RAM Mobile Data (in Europe). This is more the sort of wide area system you need. I also know that RAM is (or was, it's two years since I was actively following this) in the US. Terri Richardson was co-ordinating this last time I heard of it, she is in Valbonne (828-5788 according to Elf). Peter
3849.11		PADC::KOLLING	Karen	`Wed May 03 1995 15:33`	7
	I asked about this locally and was told: Unfortunately for this customer, the RoamAbout / WaveLAN stuff only works over a path of a thousand feet or so. The best solution in the "truly mobile" domain is still a V32BIS PCMCIA modem (I have and recommend the AT&T Paradyne Keep-In-Touch) connected to a cellphone.