Taoglas USA and Sprint Collaborate to Help M2M Manufacturers With Antenna Expertise

Taoglas OTA (Over the Air) Test Chamber Provides Antenna & RF Testing and Solutions to Prepare M2M Products for Sprint Certification

Taoglas USA, Inc (www.taoglas.com), a leading provider of antenna solutions to the M2M market, announced that it is a Sprint (NYSE:S – News) M2M Collaboration Center Partner. As a Collaboration Center partner, Taoglas will help machine-to-machine (M2M) manufacturers prepare for Sprint’s over the air (OTA) transmit and receive sensitivity (TRP/TIS) and antenna performance testing.

The Sprint M2M Collaboration Center is a roll-up-your-sleeves workshop where partners and enterprise customers work side-by-side to develop commercially viable offerings based on M2M technology as well as prepare M2M devices for certification on the Sprint Network. Taoglas provides antenna solutions to M2M manufacturers and offers antenna design test services prior to manufacturers submitting devices for Sprint certification. Taoglas ensures that every antenna solution is well matched to a device’s active system and that antenna efficiency is high. Taoglas can test device performance for OTA transmit and receive sensitivity, and Total Radiated Power (TRP) — the transmit power, and a device’s Total Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS) — the receive sensitivity.

“Every year, the number of M2M devices on the Sprint network continues to grow,” said Wayne Ward, vice-president of Emerging Solutions Group. “Sprint’s open approach to expanding the M2M ecosystem, along with its flexible, robust networks and proven ability to execute solutions, helps partners and customers benefit from M2M opportunities. Partners like Taoglas bring distinct enhancements to our M2M portfolio. Our value proposition is built on streamlining the process of deploying M2M solutions, while enabling customers to tap into our extensive M2M ecosystem, where they can choose from a broad selection of applications and expertise to support their specific objectives.”

“Taoglas ensures M2M manufacturers are prepared for Sprint certification. At our antenna testing and development facility in San Diego, we offer device OTA pretest services. Manufacturers will leave the lab knowing they are prepared to begin the Sprint certification process,” said Dermot O’Shea, Joint Managing Director of Taoglas.

Taoglas antennas are now being used in Sprint certified M2M solutions, including a custom CDMA and WiFi antenna for an electric vehicle charging station. Sprint is working with Taoglas USA in the company’s new test and development lab in San Diego. Services to M2M manufacturers can also be provided through Taoglas Limited in Ireland or Taiwan.

About Taoglas: www.taoglas.com

WiSpry’s New Antenna Tuner Enables Small Antennas to Deliver High Speed Connections across Worldwide Frequency Bands

The new WS2018 combines industry’s smallest form factor with the ultimate RF performance

WiSpry, Inc., the leader in tunable radio frequency (RF) semiconductor products for the wireless industry, today introduced its WS2018 Antenna Tuner – the industry’s lowest current consumption antenna tuner. The single-chip design WS2018 sits in the RF signal chain between the antenna and the front-end module of a mobile phone and provides superior transmit and receive chain impedance optimization over the full 824 MHz – 2170 MHz Global mobile frequency range.

WiSpry’s innovative digitally tunable capacitor technology enables a completely new type of RF matching component that combines excellent RF performance with versatile digital control of the capacitance values. The WS2018 can be quickly re-programmed to compensate for antenna source impedance changes due to the need to operate over different frequency bands as well as to compensate for antenna load changes that are caused by hand, head and other body effects.

The digitally programmable capacitive elements implemented in WiSpry’s WS2018 are controlled by the modem via a MIPI Alliance RFFE or SPI serial interface, and make the WS2018 compatible with all popular Smartphone chipsets and modems.

“Our new WS2018 antenna tuner combines the industry’s best RF performance with the smallest form factor and the ability to tune any phase, any VSWR for 2G, 3G and LTE frequency bands,” said Victor Steel, VP of Products of WiSpry. “Our latest offering enables smaller antennas to deliver the high quality reception performance that today’s Smartphone users demand. We have also integrated the widely adopted MIPI RFFE interface, making this tuner plug-and-play compatible with all major Smartphone chipset vendors.”

The ultra low power WS2018 can be driven by an existing single supply rail such as an LDO regulator output or directly from the battery supply. The charge pump, serial bus and driver circuits are all fully integrated on the same CMOS die as the MEMS capacitor elements, making the WS2018 a true single chip solution for antenna impedance matching.

For more information, please visit www.wispry.com.

About WiSpry

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., WiSpry is a fabless RF semiconductor company that designs and manufactures RF-CMOS integrated circuits and components for leading manufacturers of mobile phones, laptops and wireless data communications products. Utilizing the Company’s core competency in RF micro-electro-mechanical systems (RF-MEMS) technology, WiSpry creates revolutionary wireless ‘System on Chip’ MEMS-based RF architectures, and has recently begun shipping products to several Tier 1 mobile handset manufacturers. WiSpry tunable RF-MEMS devices enable the development of reconfigurable RF front-ends, allowing system designers to achieve the architectural innovation required to meet the growing challenges of mobile communications networks. For more information, visit www.wispry.com.

About MIPI Alliance

MIPI Alliance is a global, collaborative organization comprised of companies that span the mobile ecosystem and are committed to defining and promoting interface specifications for mobile devices. MIPI Specifications establish standards for hardware and software interfaces which drive new technology and enable faster deployment of new features and services. For more information on MIPI Alliance and the RFFE standard, visit http://www.mipi.org.

Mace Partners with SecuraTrac® to Offer Hi-Tech Mobile Personal Security Systems

New app and GPS phone deliver instant emergency alerts and mobile safety for the family

Mace Security International, Inc. (OTCQB: MACE) and SecuraTrac, LLC, a dynamic provider of personal location services and devices, announced a new partnership today. Mace will now be offering the latest developments in hi-tech safety products from SecuraTrac, including LifeTrac® Mobile PERS and the SecuraFone™ mobile phone application, to all of its customers.

Chris Holbert, CEO of SecuraTrac, said, “We are excited to be working with Mace International to bring their customers our LifeTrac and SecuraFone product lines. Our partnership will offer their current and future customers new options for mobile safety solutions for seniors, children and businesses with lone workers.”

The LifeTrac® Mobile PERS solution works with a small, light and durable mobile phone that is a fully capable GPS locator called the MobileProtector. The MobileProtector combines the features of traditional senior mobile safety devices, including: motion detection and inactivity alerts, speed alerts and 24/7 emergency response teams that can be reached with the press of a button, with the capabilities and functionality of a cell phone. SecuraFone is a mobile app that harnesses the power of GPS technology to connect customers with a world-class emergency response center. In addition, SecuraFone automatically tracks and reports locations and offers more than six alert types including speed, distracted driver, SOS and SecuraFence alerts. SecuraFone is currently available for iPhone and Android phones.

Mace will be offering both product lines to its current and future customers via the Mace International website and its network of 500 dealers.

Morgan Hertel, Vice President and General Manager of Mace CS, states, “We are pleased to partner with SecuraTrac and to offer their new and exciting products through our distribution channel and to our customers.”

For more information please visit www.macecs.com.

About SecuraTrac

SecuraTrac® develops, markets, and sells a suite of products dedicated to bringing families closer together and improving employee safety through GPS location based technology and state-of-the-art, easy-to-use websites. SecuraTrac’s SecuraPAL® Guardian solution for children is the recipient of The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval and their LifeTrac® MobileProtector solution for seniors is currently nominated for Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards for Excellence in Mobile & Wireless Communication Technology. SecuraTrac has also developed a new GPS safety app, SecuraFone™, for mobile devices and a free lifesaving service called SecuraChild™ that leverages crowd sourcing and social media to broadcast and speed up the location of missing children. The company is headquartered in Hermosa Beach, Calif. For more information please visit www.securatrac.com.

About Mace International, Inc.

Mace Security International, Inc. (OTCQB: MACE) is a manufacturer of personal defense and electronic surveillance products marketed under the famous brand name Mace®, and the owner and operator of a wholesale central monitoring station. For more information please visit the Mace International website at www.mace.com. The Mace Central Station website is www.macecs.com.

OpenWays Announces Next Generation Mobile Key Apps for Smartphones

Mobile Key Apps Now Available for ALL Smartphone Operating Systems

OpenWays, inventor of Mobile Key and the world leader in mobile based hotel front-desk bypass solutions, will unveil its next generation of mobile applications at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York Nov. 13-15. The new apps makes it possible for ALL smartphone operating systems, including Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, J2ME, Symbian OS, Brew, MeeGo, and Bada, to run the Mobile Key App.

Mobile Key by OpenWays is the first and only ubiquitous mobile phone-based front-desk bypass solution that is truly deployable today and enables hotel guests to use any of the 5.8 billion cell phones worldwide as a room key. It is fully interoperable, carrier independent and highly secure. This self-service option is meeting guests’ demands for more service and it’s reducing hotels’ operating costs while building competitive advantages.

“Mobile Key continues to grow in demand among travelers as an alternative, self-service method for securely unlocking room doors without having to stand in line at the front desk to obtain a plastic room key,” said Pascal Metivier, OpenWays founder and CEO. “As more and more hotel companies and independent operators request this service, we needed to make the Mobile Key app available to everyone — and that meant extending it beyond just the Apple iOS platform.”

This generation Mobile Key app, like its first generation platform, allows smartphone users to securely obtain their room number and room key by simply pressing an icon on their intelligent device. New to this release is the way the apps are developed, using an innovative cross-compilation technology combined with semantic analysis. The approach means that the deployment, maintenance and updating of Mobile Key apps across all platforms are much simpler than ever before.

“The next generation of Mobile Key apps also is ideal for hotel staff to have on-line, real-time management of its master keys,” Metivier said. “With Mobile Master Key by OpenWays, a lost or stolen master key can be neutralized in real time without having to walk to all locks in the building for reprogramming, like it has to be done today.”

OpenWays Mobile Key apps can be used with existing hotel chains mobile applications to be offered as a value-added service to mobile guests while increasing lucrative direct bookings, which carry higher margins than those through indirect channels. In addition to its smartphone application mode, Mobile Key remains available in the highly ubiquitous and efficient “ALL cell phone” mode that already has proven to be a great success with hotel guests and continues to drive strong repeat business.

To learn more about the Mobile Key apps: http://openways.com/pages/contacto.html.

Calix Expands VDSL2 Portfolio

New Solutions Bring Industry-Leading Density and Deployment Flexibility to Calix Unified Access Portfolio

Calix Inc. (NYSE: CALX – News) today announced major expansions to its Unified Access portfolio that bring industry-leading VDSL2 density and deployment flexibility to communications service providers, allowing them to greatly increase their competitiveness and extend the life of their copper networks. Today’s announcements include:

Two new Ethernet eXtensible Architecture (EXA) Powered VDSL2 lines cards for the E7-2 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP), featuring industry-leading density and flexibility — up to 96 VDSL2 combo ports or 48 overlay ports and support for bonding and vectoring, two 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GE) ports, and two ports capable of GE or 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbps) service delivery — in a two card slot, one rack unit (1RU), modular chassis-based form factor.
A new VDSL2 combo card for the Calix B-Series Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs), featuring 48 VDSL combo ports with bonding support and ADSL2+ fallback, as well as four 10 GE ports for optimal uplink capacity in a 1RU card.

With this addition, the Calix Unified Access portfolio now supports what we believe to be the widest array of advanced DSL solutions in the market — from small fixed form factor solutions to large high density chassis, and a variety of modular cabinet retrofits and sealed nodal solutions in between. With a comprehensive portfolio of systems well suited for virtually any deployment scenario, bonding and ADSL fallback standard across all VDSL2 solutions on the B-, C-, and E-Series platforms and nodes, and a price point that clearly justifies its deployment instead of existing ADSL options, Calix VDSL2 solutions have become a “universal” DSL alternative for service providers, offering a superior mix of performance, flexibility, and value.

“Our latest VDSL2 innovations, with extraordinarily high density and support for vectoring and bonding, offer what we believe to be the pinnacle of widely deployable DSL advancements,” said Kevin Pope, senior vice president of product development at Calix. “The Calix Unified Access portfolio now provides a wide variety of VDSL2 options that can deliver speeds in excess of 100 Mbps over existing copper plant. By leveraging VDSL2 solutions across the B6, C7, or E7 today, service providers can greatly enhance their broadband service offerings quickly and cost-effectively, and leverage these same platforms if required in the future to deliver advanced fiber access services.”

Accelerating Network Transformation with the E7-2 ESAP

The Calix E7-2 ESAP was first brought to market in 2009 and rapidly gained notoriety as North America’s leading platform for advanced fiber access deployments (the majority of Last Mile U.S. Broadband Stimulus awardees announced publicly have chosen the E7-2 for their projects to date). Now this functionality has been expanded to include industry leading Fiber Forward services as well. With up to 96 VDSL2 subscribers serviceable from a single 1RU chassis, the E7-2 is the highest density and most flexible VDSL2 platform on the market. Well suited to an all-video world where service providers find it difficult to accurately predict advanced service take rates, the E7-2 is a two-slot modular chassis that can be deployed on a pay-as-you-grow basis. Also environmentally hardened, it is capable of being deployed virtually anywhere — from retrofit cabinets to space-constrained central offices. The E7-2 is also vectoring and bonding capable, with the ability to deliver broadband speeds of 100 Mbps to all subscribers simultaneously. Each card was also designed with multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) ports for the ability to create several 10 GE rings from one node location. This design delivers another level of flexibility with the possibility of node splitting, where service providers can incrementally double backhaul transport by moving platforms from existing GE rings to a new 10 GE ring with tremendous capacity for growth.

As broadband demand continues to increase, new broadband-ready devices and services proliferate, and an all-video world becomes a reality, service providers may wish to continue to transform their networks to all fiber. The E7-2 can easily handle that transition by replacing any VDSL2 card with a GPON or point-to-point GE card. Thus, a transformation to fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) can be supported with no forklift upgrade or additional capital expenditure. No matter what timetable a service provider may have, whether a rapid migration or a steady evolution to fiber, the E7-2 provides the capacity and flexibility needed to keep on the evolutionary path.

Additional features of the E7-2 with VDSL2 support line include:

• The VDSL2-48C combo card – 48 combo ports per line card for 96 combo ports in 1RU and two 10GE ports and two GE/2.5GE ports per card or four 10GE and four GE/2.5GE ports per 1RU
• The VDSL2-48 card – 48 overlay ports in 1RU card as well as four GE/2.5GE ports per chassis
• Wide deployment flexibility in the 1RU form factor with the ability to be installed in a low-profile OC-100 cabinet or retrofitted into any existing cabinet in the field

“Two years ago, Horizon Telcom was the first service provider to deploy the E7-2, and now we are just as excited to be the first to utilize the platform’s VDSL2 support,” said Trevor Kendall, executive general manager of operations at Horizon Telcom. “We have already experienced the flexibility and value of the small form factor, the ease of services turn-up, and the pay-as-you grow value of the platform in our fiber deployments. Now, we are looking forward to leveraging the same value in our copper network. With 100 Gbps per slot capacity and support for vectoring and bonding, we are confident that the E7-2 allows our network to be ready for any new services that may be coming our way.”

VDSL2 Support Spans the Unified Access Portfolio

Although the small 1RU form factor of the E7-2 make it well suited for a wide variety of deployment scenarios, Calix has a wide variety of other platforms, nodes, and form factors that are tailored for other situations. Ideally suited for nodal locations, pole deployments, or multi-dwelling units, the E3-48 and E3-12C sealed Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) provide 48 and 12 ports respectively of VDSL2 support with ADSL fallback. Both support bonding, and the E3-48 is also vectoring capable. The E5-120 and E5-121 fixed form factor ESANs also provide 24 ports of VDSL2 support in a small 1.5RU form factor. At the remote terminal and central office, the C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP) and the B6-001, B6-006, and B6-012 ESANs also support high density VDSL2 services as well as bonding.

A new VDSL2 combo card, the B6-256, was recently released and is being deployed widely, including with long-time B6 customer Rural Telephone/Nex-Tech in rural Kansas. Also with full bonding support and ADSL2+ fallback, the card delivers increased capacity over existing copper networks. In addition, B6-256 card features four 10 GE ports for optimal uplink capacity.

From solutions optimized for high density central office environments to small form factor solutions optimized for unique deployment scenarios, the Calix Unified Access portfolio provides what Calix believes to be the industry’s widest variety and most flexible VDSL2 solutions. Calix also offers an array of cabinet options for a multitude of deployment densities.

These new solutions will be introduced to Calix customers and on display today at the Calix User Group Conference at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About Calix

Calix (NYSE: CALX – News) is a global leader in access innovation. Its Unified Access portfolio of broadband communications access systems and software enable communications service providers worldwide to be the broadband provider of choice to their subscribers. For more information, visit the Calix website at www.calix.com.