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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 23:53

    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 mitc0064@gold.tc.umn.edu Mon Apr 24 00:53:33 1995
From: "Todd L. Mitchell" <mitc0064@gold.tc.umn.edu>
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 95 17:41:20 -700
To: linkworks@digital.com
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: <2f9ad8813cc3002@gold.tc.umn.edu>
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.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
3849.1QUARK::LIONELFree advice is worth every centWed May 03 1995 01:436
    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
3849.2Really?PFSVAX::MCELWEEOpponent of OppressionWed May 03 1995 04:399
    Re: .1-
    
    	Digital has a whole line of wireless products- ROAMabout. Popular
    in hospitals and spread-spectrum technology as I recall. 
    
    Phil
    
    	
    	
3849.3Product ManagerMARVIN::WALTERWed May 03 1995 11:296
	According to VTX the ROAMabout product manager is 

	 CATHERINE HATFIELD      226-5480  DELNI ::HATFIELD      LKG01-03


	
3849.4TENNIS::KAMKam USDS (714)261-4133 (DTN 535) IVOWed May 03 1995 13:026
    check the following places:
    
    	NOTED::WIRELESS_LANS	
    	NOTED::MOBILE_NETWORKING
    
    
3849.5they need a wide area solutionCAMRY::HILMANericWed May 03 1995 13:0618
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
3849.6QUARK::LIONELFree advice is worth every centWed May 03 1995 13:183
Sigh - and I knew about RoamAbout too.  My apologies for the misinformation.

			Steve
3849.7Overview of Wireless MROA::JJAMESWed May 03 1995 15:285
    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.
3849.8ANother pointerJUMP4::JOYPerception is realityWed May 03 1995 16:356
    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
    
3849.9Thanks, Eric!HLDE01::VUURBOOM_RRoelof Vuurboom @ APD, DTN 829 4066Wed May 03 1995 16:371
    
3849.10Also Try RAM Mobile DataMARVIN::HIGGINSONPeter Higginson DTN 830 6293, Reading UKWed May 03 1995 17:4610
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
3849.11PADC::KOLLINGKarenWed May 03 1995 18:337
    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.