The 2G Story

Posted by on May 7th, 2013

2G has made some headlines in the M2M world over the past week with Sprint announcing continued support for the network. The discussions over the future of 2G have intensified over the last the couple of years with the generational shift in technology from 2G to 3G and now LTE.

While some carriers, like Sprint, have expressed a commitment to the technology, other carriers have announced plans to dedicate spectrum towards the development 4G technologies. So, while the industry will eventually make its way to the newer 4G networks, M2M still strongly demands the reliability and coverage offered through 2G.

Here are a couple of interesting figures that illustrate how intertwined 2G and M2M currently are:

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One partner that we work closely with to support these technologies is Queclink. Dedicated to the development and support of 2G M2M devices, Queclink allows customers to select from a variety of very affordable 2G modules. Recently launched, the GV55 Lite module is a powerful vehicle tracking module in an ultra-slim design and packed with diverse features including a built-in uBlox chipset and quad band GSM/GPRS frequencies. At a fraction of the cost of 3G and 4G modules, this powerful 2G module provides some perspective into the many strong possibilities that 2G offers to M2M.

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Posted in 2G |

RACO Wireless and Rogers Made Simple

Posted by on May 7th, 2013

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Recently announced, RACO Wireless entered into a carrier agreement with Rogers Communications that opens the doors of the Canadian market to customers of RACO Wireless. The much anticipated deal provides seamless relief to those customers looking doing business north of the border.

Here are a couple of details that you should understand:

  1. Borders and Barriers are Removed

RACO Wireless has built its foundation on making things easier, and that same strategy filters to our customers. With this carrier agreement, along with the previously announced carrier agreements, RACO Wireless has brought together a powerful and diverse offering that allows its customers the ability to select and manage the carrier and technology that best fit their particular needs.

  1. About Rogers

Rogers is Canada’s largest provider of wireless data communications. Offering GPRS/Edge, HSPA and LTE, Rogers offers nationwide (Canada) coverage and ongoing support of GSM data for M2M.

  1. OMS Enables

To be fully integrated into the award-winning Omega Management Suite, Rogers’ service will allow you to use the same tools for all of your solutions – regardless of where they are located. This might be the best part of it all. If your solution requires different technologies or is located in different parts of the world, we have made it easy for you to manage a global solution with one portal.

For more information on this announcement, contact your business development manager.

Posted in Uncategorized |

Oh Canada! RACO Wireless Adds Rogers Communications to Carrier Offering

Posted by on April 18th, 2013

Rogers BlogAnnounced today, RACO Wireless has reached a carrier agreement with Rogers Communications that further broadens the global coverage options offered by RACO Wireless through the Omega Management Suite. This news follows the additional carrier agreements reached with Sprint and Telefonica earlier in the year, growing both the global footprint and the versatility of technology available through RACO Wireless.

This agreement is of particular importance as a growing number of RACO Wireless’ customers either currently do business in Canada or have plans to do business in the country. Additionally, this agreement allows customers within the United States that operate connected devices near the US/Canada border to have a more sustainable coverage option.

Regarding the agreement, John Horn, President of RACO Wireless, added: “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to run their businesses. By expanding our footprint in Canada we not only meet the needs of our expanding customer base by allowing them to grow internationally with proven tools, but we provide them with a clear advantage over their competition.”

As previously mentioned, Rogers’ service will be made seamlessly available through the Omega Management Suite (OMS). Customers of RACO Wireless will be able to manage all aspects of their solution including report features, usage alerts, billing, rate plans, and carrier selection.

Posted in Rogers | Tagged |

New Carrier Agreements: What does it all mean?

Posted by on March 11th, 2013

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Last month the wireless world converged in Barcelona to attend Mobile World Congress, the largest mobile show on earth. As always, there were some very interesting applications showcased and announcements made at the event. However, when it came to the M2M world specifically, the new carrier agreements announced by RACO Wireless gathered many of the show headlines.

RACO Wireless announced agreements that will bring network coverage by both Sprint and Telefonica into the services offered by RACO Wireless. These agreements will be in addition to the existing relationships that RACO Wireless holds with T-Mobile and EE.

With all of the interest that has followed these announcements, the question still looms: what does this mean for a current or potential customer of RA
CO Wireless?

Flexibility and Simplicity

Similar to the famous Mac vs. PC or Coke vs. Pepsi debates, discussions have raged over cellular carrier preference for years. While those debates will unavoidably continue, RACO Wireless has brought multiple carrier options under one roof – allowing a variety of choices that will be fully integrated into one award-winning management portal.

From billing and usage alerts to device provisioning and management, customers can take care of all of their M2M needs from one single login, regardless of network carrier choice. This is one more example of why RACO Wireless is seen as the easiest to do business with.

Technology Choices

While the gap between GSM and CDMA is closing as LTE comes into focus, it will be quite a few years before it makes sense for most M2M applications to transition to a technology like LTE.  Making a decision between cellular technologies can be a unique challenge. One technology may offer stronger building penetration while the other may offer a longer battery life or better coverage. No matter the needs of the solution or the technology preference, partners of RACO Wireless can be equipped with the appropriate technology to meet their diverse set of needs.

Global Footprint

It’s been well-documented that technology shrinks the world. As simple as that may sound, it has been somewhat complex to manage a multinational connected solution. These agreements will allow a broader international footprint of connected services provided by RACO Wireless – eliminating the need for customers to seek out separate connectivity arrangements with multiple foreign carriers.

John Horn, President of RACO Wireless, said of this benefit, “these agreements allow the internet of things to expand into markets that previously were either too complicated or too expensive to penetrate.”

The additional network agreements open the doors for customers of RACO Wireless in Central and South America.

As M2M continues to move forward at a blistering pace, it is great time to be a part of the industry. Every day, technology is cutting through inefficiencies and making the world a better place. Through all of this growth, it is critical to have a partner like RACO Wireless that understands the intricacies of the industry and can offer the right tools and networks to make the Internet of Things a reality. The future is bright for RACO Wireless and its customers.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , |

Mobile World Congress 2013 – Highlights (so far)

Posted by on February 27th, 2013

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Already on the homestretch of Mobile World Congress 2013 and the headlines continue to roll in. It was anticipated that the Internet of Things (IoT) would steal the show, as it has in the past. With big consumer-facing announcements made by the likes of Mozilla and Sony and HP, much of the M2M buzz has centered on RACO Wireless’ announcement that brings Sprint and Telefonica into their service offering.

Under the deals, RACO Wireless will be able to offer a variety of technology choices with an improved global reach to their customers. Interest in these enhanced offerings has already started to spring up among current and prospective M2M customers.

During day 2 of the show Fierce Wireless hosted their well-known luncheon that featured an M2M all star cast gathered to discuss the future of the connected car. John Horn, President of RACO Wireless, openly discussed the future drivers of demand for the connected vehicle and at one point suggested the possibilities of a ‘Soft SIM’ that would allow owners the flexibility to select the appropriate network service provider, depending on geography or pricing options. That idea was rebutted by AT&T’s Glen Lurie saying that the networks would fight hard against that idea. Overall, it was a great discussion and one that will continue well into the future.

Day 3 of the show should be equally interesting as many of the innovative M2M applications get a chance to shine through the buzz of the tech giants. Already we have seen a couple of ‘outside-the-box’ applications (see: GPS Cane and M2M Basketball).

Stay tuned for more details…

Posted in Barcelona, MWC |