Peppe --
You've laid down the gauntlet and while I can't pick it up by myself, I'm hoping others will help out.
Clarity's homepage is amazingly lacking in details on their technology.
coastside.net
If you can download powerpoint documents, you may have more luck than I did.
So far I only have the following:
The Clarity Advantage
Clarity Wireless, Inc. was founded to develop breakthrough wireless
data communication products for computer networking and Internet
service markets. Clarity's wireless modem product technology is the
result of four years of research and development leading to
revolutionary digital signal processing (DSP) and radio frequency
(RF) techniques that will set new performance and cost standards in
wireless communications. Clarity's first products will communicate at
ten times the data rate of today's state-of-the-art wireless LAN
products.
The present generation of wireless data communication products
(offered by Lucent, Proxim, Aironet and others) is capable of
effective throughput in the range of 0.5 to 5 megabits per second
(Mbps). Multipath RF signal propagation is an inherent limitation
to the data rates that can be achieved with every existing product
technology. Multipath effects also limit present system applications
primarily to small indoor computer networks. This type of
application accounts for a small fraction of the potential market for
wireless computer networking equipment. Some of the large markets
that are not well satisfied by present wireless products include
campus area networking (corporate facilities, universities, hospitals,
airports, etc.), high speed metropolitan area consumer Internet
connections and high speed wireless local loop where line of sight
propagation is unavailable. Thus an immense business opportunity
exists for a new company that can create technology to break
through the multipath problem.
>>>
The company doesn't claim to have developed the breakthrough technology, but says there's a large business opportunity for anyone who can. Do you know what their technology is called and what it does?
Questions you might ask:
1) What frequency range does it use?
2) What distance does it cover? 1 mile? 2 miles? 10 miles?
3) Who are their customers? Are they in trials or have they installed beyond trials?
4) If they don't use LMDS, what do they use?
I've phoned Clarity and the receptionist said they don't have an IR department. I then asked if she could answer questions and she said, no, but she'd put me through to their marketing guy, who now has my message and phone number.
After phoning Clarity, I phoned Cisco. Ever try doing that? If you want an exercise in patience, I highly recommend it. I played office tag through several different messages and left my name and number with several persons, all claiming they'd call me back. By that time, I'll have forgotten why I phoned.
Not one to give up easily, I phoned Cisco back and asked to speak to one of the VPs in engineering, whose name I'd found on their website. His assistant answered and said he'd transfer me to the right department. When I finally got through and was passed off to someone who knew the acquisition and was qualified to answer my questions, I was told company policy precluded anyone but IR from giving out information. He then said, "Hold on, I'll transfer you to Investor Relations." To which I nearly gasped. "No! Please don't do that. . . that's voice mail hell. . ." He was extremely kind and found a direct line to an IR assistant that might get better results. It didn't. But, hey, I left another message.
The guy who knew the acquisition said they'd been swamped with calls, so, clearly, we're not the only ones interested in what they're doing.
Okay, it's in your court. Tell me what you know and why you think it's not LMDS. The press release says, "Clarity's technology targets the point-to-point and point-to-multipoint markets." And aside from saying it's a RF and DSP 90Mbps solution, there's little else to go on.
Incidentally, I don't think everything Cisco does is aimed at NN. I do know NN won three LMDS contracts recently --- all of them against Bosch.
From Cisco's website:
cisco.com
ATLANTA, Ga. -- June 10, 1998 -- Bosch Telecom, Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. have formed an alliance to develop and market multiservice, broadband wireless networking solutions. These solutions will help service providers deliver integrated voice, data, and video services faster and more cost-effectively.
Through the alliance, Cisco and Bosch will enable service providers to deploy high value-added services based on Broadband Wireless (BBWL) technology such as Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS). According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed recently by Bosch Telecom and Cisco Systems, the two companies will collaborate on joint engineering, product development, marketing, sales, training and customer support. LMDS enables the delivery of over a gigabit of bandwidth to a large number of customer premises' within a two to five mile radius of the radio base station. This bandwidth can be used for any mix of integrated voice, data and video applications.
From Bosch Telecom, nnouncing their first trial.:
pathfinder.com
Bosch and TI:
ti.com
Bosch showcase website:
lmds-showcase.com
I suggest clicking on "What's ahead for LMDS."
Incidentally, if you want to talk to Bosch, try:
Bosch Telecom, Inc.
P. O. Box 742466
Dallas, TX 75374
PHONE: (800) 296-4268
FAX: (972) 997-3167
E-MAIL: contact@BoschTelecomInc.com
I left a message, saying I'd like to get their response to the Cisco acquisition.
So, that's it for now.
Pat
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