Quake Global Modems to Ride Big-Rigs
Ricochet Wireless ‘Net May Bounce Back Again
HIGH TECH
by Brad Graves, Staff Writer
Custom satellite modems from San Diego-based Quake Global, Inc. are part of a communications system Volvo Trucks is introducing to its line of big-rig tractors.
The deal is worth $12 million to Quake. Options could push it up to $60 million.
Quake started working with Volvo in May 2000, and has contracted to be Volvo’s supplier for six and a half years, said Jim Moir, Quake’s vice president for contracts and administration.
The truck maker calls its product Volvo Link, and promotes it as an affordable system among its competitors. Volvo Link will record miles driven, maintenance information and truck performance, then transmit it to Volvo’s computer via the Orbcomm satellite network.
Trucking company managers , whether they are mom-and-pop operators or medium-sized carriers , can then study the information. Since the system is Web-based, they can retrieve the data anywhere.
The system also carries two-way text messages. A global positioning system gives the truck’s location, and since the modem is tucked out of view, it may even steer authorities to a stolen vehicle.
The system could one day go aboard all Volvo big rigs. The Swedish manufacturer bases its North American truck operations in Greensboro, N.C.
– – –
Wireless Strands: Portions of San Diego could get their Ricochet high-speed wireless Internet service back during the second quarter, says a Ricochet spokeswoman.
Ricochet Networks, Inc., a new subsidiary of Aerie Networks, Inc., is currently testing the system in its home city of Denver.
San Jose-based Metricom, Inc. originally operated the service, and left a network of small transceivers on San Diego-area streetlamps after it filed for bankruptcy in July.
The reborn Ricochet announced it had hired Diverse Networks, a company run by Metricom alumni, to help with engineering and operational challenges.
“It’s like putting a puzzle back together,” said John Griebling, Ricochet Networks’ chief technical officer.
In unrelated news, Cingular Wireless has announced a service that will deliver corporate e-mail programs like Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes to certain, Internet-ready handheld phones or wallet-sized computers. Cingular’s Xpress Mail service requires no system integration work on a corporate computer’s “back end” to make it function.
– – –
Landlines and Light Waves: Siemens AG is putting optical switches from San Diego-based OMM, Inc. (Optical Micro Machines) into its telecom equipment , specifically, into Siemens’ Optisphere long-haul dense wavelength division multiplexing product line.
The German company is intimately familiar with the private Sorrento Mesa outfit, since Siemens Venture Capital is an OMM investor.
OMM is also introducing two new optical switches. One can optically switch any of two input fibers to any of 16 output fibers.
Siemens and OMM are showing their wares at the Optical Fiber conference early this week in Anaheim.
– – –
Tugging Cable: Barona Casino has awarded Pacific ComTel of Escondido a cabling contract worth in excess of $1 million.
Workers will install new optical fiber and copper wire for broadband Internet, data, telephone and satellite TV. The six-month project will serve existing buildings and reach into Barona’s new casino and hotel expansion.
Barona also plans improvements to its video surveillance system. Voice over Internet Protocol phones are in Barona’s future.
Send high-tech news to Graves via e-mail at
bgraves@sdbj.com.
