QUALCOMM and Globalstar USA Announce Joint Licensing Agreement to Sell Satellite Packet Data Services
Pact Opens the Door for a New Era of B2B Remote Telemetry, Tracking And Control Via Satellite Covering Vast Areas Not Accessible by Terrestrial Wireless Services
LAS VEGAS, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) and Globalstar USA/Caribbean today announced a licensing agreement to sell Globalstar Commercial Data Services, two-way data satellite communications using the Globalstar Satellite Data Modem (GSP-1620) by QUALCOMM. This agreement expands Globalstar Data Services beyond Internet and e-mail access to encompass the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), telemetry, fleet management and asset tracking markets.
This agreement is an exclusive arrangement between QUALCOMM and Globalstar USA, which enables Globalstar USA to offer Globalstar Commercial Data Services in Globalstar USA's territory for single unit retail rates beginning at a $10 per month for service and usage charge of $0.15 per Kilobyte second. Integrators and original equipment manufactures (OEMs) are encouraged to contact Globalstar USA/Caribbean to discuss wholesale pricing options. Using the Globalstar constellation of 48 Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellites, the Globalstar Satellite Data Modem provides a reliable, wireless Internet Protocol (IP) data link to remote locations where terrestrial landline and wireless services are unavailable.
"New product offerings, like the Globalstar Satellite Data Modem by QUALCOMM, will help expand the market for Globalstar service," said Scott Becker, senior vice president and general manager, QUALCOMM Wireless Systems. "This opens up a range of industrial data applications for two-way business-to-business communications, such as reliable wireless remote asset tracking, and the ability to relay telemetry information from remote sites."
Globalstar Commercial Data Services will allow system integrators and OEMs to offer cost-effective, satellite-based data solutions for their application-specific products.
A few of the many examples of data telemetry applications are shown below:
-- The SCADA industry can monitor, manage, control and track telemetry
devices.
-- Oil and gas pipeline operators can supervise and control flow in
real-time at multiple points without having to deploy field personnel,
reducing costs and increasing response time.
-- The mobile market can track vehicle location and collect engine and
environmental data.
-- Telemedicine users can use a link from a remote site to connect to a
medical facility.
"This agreement allows QUALCOMM and Globalstar USA to offer satellite data solutions for businesses at a highly competitive rate," said Dennis McSweeney, vice president and general manager for Globalstar USA/Caribbean. "With the Globalstar Satellite Data Modem, system, integrators and OEMs can now offer a cost-effective total data solution to businesses."
Globalstar Commercial Data Services are currently being tested by a number of trial customers including XATA Corporation, Ocuity, LLC and Xtra Web, Inc.
The Globalstar Satellite Data Modem provides an open-air, full-duplex data pipe that can be integrated into a monitoring and control system. Using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, the modem sends data to a Globalstar gateway in a given territory, which then forwards packet data to the Internet. The modem is compatible with Microsoft Windows 95/98/2000 Dial-Up Networking and offers 9.6 Kilobits per second (Kbps) maximum speed, with a 7.7 Kbps average throughput. Additional features include Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunneling and Short Messaging Service (SMS).
About QUALCOMM
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. The Company's business areas include CDMA integrated circuits and system software; technology licensing; the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless(TM) (BREW(TM)) applications development platform; Eudora(R) e-mail software; digital cinema systems; and satellite-based systems including portions of the Globalstar(TM) system and wireless fleet management systems, OmniTRACS(R) and OmniExpress(TM). QUALCOMM owns patents that are essential to all of the CDMA wireless telecommunications standards that have been adopted or proposed for adoption by standards-setting bodies worldwide. QUALCOMM has licensed its essential CDMA patent portfolio to more than 100 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2000 FORTUNE 500(R) company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market(R) under the ticker symbol QCOM.
About Globalstar USA/Caribbean
As the exclusive Globalstar service providers in the United States and the Caribbean, Globalstar USA and Globalstar Caribbean are responsible for marketing, selling and distributing mobile satellite communications service, including billing and customer care operations, as well as building and operating the United States and Caribbean ground stations, or "gateways," which switch calls to and from the satellite to the land-based public switched telephone network. Globalstar USA and Globalstar Caribbean are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Vodafone Group Plc. (NYSE: VOD), which is a partner of Globalstar Limited Partnership (Nasdaq: GSTRF), the partnership of the world's leading telecommunications service providers and equipment providers that built, owns and operates the satellite network. For more information, visit our website at www.globalstarusa.com. Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including QUALCOMM's ability to successfully develop high-speed data applications for the Globalstar system on a timely and profitable basis and continued operation of the Globalstar system in light of economic, political and other risks, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in QUALCOMM's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 24, 2000, and most recent Form 10-Q.
NOTE: QUALCOMM, OmniTRACS and Eudora are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. OmniExpress and BREW are trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Globalstar is a trademark of Loral QUALCOMM Satellite Services, Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Globalstar USA/Caribbean
CO: Globalstar USA/Caribbean; QUALCOMM Incorporated; Globalstar Limited Partnership; Vodafone Group Plc.
ST: Nevada, California
IN: MLM TLS
SU: LIC
03/20/2001 12:00 EST prnewswire.com |
