for the

INCISOR
TM

worldwide wireless
warrior

Video enabled Issue 167 March 2012

FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

THIS ISSUE WIRELESS MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS IN THE DIGITAL
OPERATING ROOM
DISTRACTED DRIVING MOBILE APPS
INTEL EXPANDS CONNECTED CAR ACTIVITY

www.incisor.tv
2 www.incisor.tv

incisor.tv – proving web

video does work!
In last month’s issue we published the Incisor.TV Ultra Low Power Wireless Roundtable movie that brought together the Bluetooth
SIG, the ANT+ Alliance, the DECT Forum, the EnOcean Alliance, Cambridge Consultants and Nordic Semiconductor. We had
filmed the movie in Las Vegas alongside CES 2012. If you haven’t seen it yet, click on the screen below, or hit this link here.
Immediately prior to publishing the issue you are reading now, I checked the viewing statistics for the movie. In one month, the
movie has been watched over 2600 times. Now, if you are used to ‘dog on skateboard’ YouTube movies that achieve million+
viewings, 2600 might not seem like a huge number. However, this is a b2b movie produced by and for people who are genuinely
interested in developments in the short-range wireless sector. Here at Incisor.TV we monitor lots of business TV channels, and,
believe you me, 2600+ viewings in the first month for an industry movie is very impressive.
I’m pleased at the reaction that this movie has generated, not only because if makes Incisor.TV look good, but because it means
that the participating companies are getting a good bang for their buck, and their messages have been spread far and wide.
OK, Incisor.TV sales pitch over!
In this issue Cambridge Consultants is highlighting a very important development area – the use of wireless technologies in the
medical applications. This has been an extremely important target market for some years. Tim Phipps examines the switch from
“analogue” skills to “digital” capability in the operating room, and reviews the various wireless technologies vying to rid the
tangle of cables being used to make connections from surgical instruments to monitoring stations.

Vince Holton
Publisher & editor-in-chief, Incisor / IncisorTV

INCISOR.TV FOCUS THIS MONTH CONTENTS EDITORIAL CONTACTS

INCISOR IS PRODUCED/DISTRIBUTED BY:

WIRELESS MEDICAL
COMMUNICATIONS IN
THE DIGITAL OPERATING
ROOM
Cambridge Consultants looks at
some of the latest developments in
the rapidly growing market of the
digital operating room.
What happens when you put six short-range DISTRACTED DRIVING
wireless industry competitors around a table
and ask them to fight their corner? Click on
MOBILE APPS
A Bluetooth-based solution to the
the screen to find out!
belief that existing distracted driving
apps have not met marketplace
FOLLOW INCISOR needs and expectations.
INTEL EXPANDS
CONNECTED CAR
Click here ACTIVITY
Intel says it is deepening its
understanding of how people interact
with their cars and how Intel
Click here innovations can enhance the
automotive experience.
Click I.T. Limited
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CONTACT DETAILS:
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Telephone: +44 1730 895614
Contributing writers:
Rebecca Russell, Manek Dubash,
Dean Anthony Gratton
Paul Rasmussen, Mads Oelholm.
Views expressed within are those of the Incisor
editorial and management representatives, and
of the representatives of sponsor companies.
Incisor is distributed on a monthly basis
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3 www.incisor.tv
Bluetooth SIG promotes
growth in sports and
fitness markets
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)
has told Incisor that it has created a
Sports and Fitness Working Group, and is
now accepting members. This group will
work to enhance interoperability between
Bluetooth enabled sports and fitness
sensor products and training computers
(Bluetooth Smart devices) and hub devices
such as smartphones, PCs, TVs (Bluetooth
Smart Ready devices), gym equipment,
watches, etc, to allow what the SIG is
calling a new generation of functionality.
To re-cap, Bluetooth v4.0 with low energy
technology gives any device, from a static
data-collecting sensor to a laptop or
tablet, the ability to connect, share and
distribute information in real-time. The
Bluetooth SIG claims that no other wireless
technology is able to provide the limited
energy consumption, usability, functionality
and installed-base that Bluetooth v4.0
brings to the sports and fitness market.
Products are starting to hit the market.
Mosoro has announced a Bluetooth Smart
sensor that connects to a golf club and
can instantly send information about the
player’s golf swing to a smartphone for
real-time feedback on how to improve. In
2011, Motorola introduced the
MOTOACTV, a Bluetooth Smart fitness
watch that can support low energy devices
- like a heart rate sensor, can receive alerts
from your phone, and even stream music
through Bluetooth enabled ear buds.
Fitness giant, Nike, recently introduced its
Nike+ FuelBand, a wristband that uses
Bluetooth technology to automatically sync
with your smartphone to let users easily
track and analyze physical activity.
Registration for the Sports and Fitness
Working Group and Health and Wellness
Bluetooth Ecosystem Team (BET) are open
to Bluetooth SIG Associate and Promoter
members. The SIG is encouraging
members to join either or both of the
groups, suggesting that those interested in
distilling and prioritizing key scenarios and
identifying ways to make products better
with Bluetooth technology should join the
BET. Members interested in working
directly on the specification itself should
join the Working Group.
Mike Foley, the Bluetooth SIG’s executive
director, told Incisor, “While there has been
potential for innovation in the sports and
fitness market, the introduction of
Bluetooth v4.0 makes this potential nearly
limitless and we are excited about the
adoption and use cases we have seen
from our members - the Nike+ FuelBand,
Polar’s heart rate sensor, and Wahoo
Fitness’ wide array of sensors - to name a
few. Our members are choosing to utilize
Bluetooth v4.0 instead of other wireless
options because of its massive installed
base, simple pairing and low power
features.”
Bluetooth low energy
enabled iPhone
applications for
mobile health
Cambridge Consultants was demonstrating
new Bluetooth low energy (BLE) iPhone 4S
applications using CSR’s BLE devices at
this year’s Mobile World Congress. The
company told Incisor that it had recently
worked with CSR on tools and example
device software that assists developers
wishing to create applications for Apple's
latest iPhone and Mac products; one key
target group for this being the growing
mobile health (mHealth) market. BLE
enables ultra-low power connectivity and
basic data transfer for applications
previously limited by power consumption,
size constraints and complexity of other
wireless standards.
news
The BLE iPhone app demonstrated the
transfer of blood pressure readings, using
the BLE Blood Pressure Profile, while
running on an example single-mode BLE
device that could readily be incorporated
into a blood pressure monitor. Cambridge
Consultants explained that every BLE
application faces its own challenges
relating to power consumption, data
transfer requirement and constraints of
the smartphone, but that by leveraging its
technical and medical regulatory know-
how, it is able to optimise usability for
both the device and the smartphone to
meet the needs of the mHealth space.
With its simple user interface and open
programming platform, Apple and its
iPhone line have spurred the increased
use of smartphones for applications,
including in the mHealth space. As a
recent Cambridge Consultants report;
‘The Business of Health & Wellness:
Engaging customers and making money’
outlined, the consumer and medical
spaces are likely to converge in the near
future. Health-focused iPhone apps sit
neatly at this intersection—more than
6,000 health-related apps have been
developed in the short time since its
arrival. The iPad has also made an
impact in clinical environments, with
30 percent of US physicians now
owning an iPad and using it to simplify
their daily routines, according to a
survey conducted by Manhattan
Research in 2011.
For mHealth, both local and wide area
communications are required and with
most mobile phone operating systems
providing native Bluetooth stacks, BLE is
an ideal technology for integration. BLE
technology is designed for low peak
current consumption, permitting
operation via standard coin-cell batteries
and permitting battery life of up to one
year.
See also: ‘Wireless medical
communications in the digital operating
room’ in this issue.
4 www.incisor.tv
Foley exits
Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth world had a bit of a
surprise during February when, on the
17th, Mike Foley, the Bluetooth SIG’s
executive director since 1994, announced
that he would be leaving his position
within the next few months.
To this best of our knowledge, this was
genuinely new news to most of the
Bluetooth community. Foley has
successfully carved out the niche of
public figurehead for the SIG, such that
the idea of attending a Bluetooth event
where he is not master of ceremonies is
a bit, well, strange. Mike has also co-
operated with Incisor on many, many
projects over the years, and so we will
undoubtedly miss his presence.
Incisor is already in talks with Mike to
create a proper review feature, hopefully
including a video interview, prior to his
departure, so for this issue we will
restrict our news reporting to including
here excerpts from his announcement
message, and follow-up remarks from the
chairman of the Bluetooth SIG’s board of
directors, Intel’s Chris Hansen.
Mike Foley:
For the past decade, the majority of my
professional focus has been on fulfilling
the mission of the Bluetooth SIG. During
this time, the success of Bluetooth
technology has been unparalleled. It is
amazing to look back and think of the
organization in 1999 when I first got
involved. There weren’t any products,
there weren’t any staff members, the
organization was run entirely by
committees of volunteers. Contrast that
with today where there are over 5M
products shipping every day from over
15,500 members from around the world
who are supported by a dedicated team
of 50 staff members across 7 countries.
news
It has been my honour to drive that
mission forward. It’s been an amazing
promote the brand and work with
members to drive the evolution of the
ride, full of innovation and creation. technology. I speak for the entire Board
when I thank him for his great work. We
None of this happened by accident. I wish him the very best for the future.
have had the opportunity to work with
many talented individuals over the years, I want to close by reiterating the Board’s
and it has been a pleasure. The second full support for the Bluetooth SIG’s
wave strategy is in place and going to be current strategy of driving the second
a huge success. The number of innovative wave of Bluetooth technology adoption,
products implemented with Bluetooth while maintaining our leadership position
continues to expand. Rarely does a week with current Bluetooth enabled products.
go by that I don’t see a new product Our future is incredibly bright and it’s a
utilizing Bluetooth in new ways. The thrilling time to be a part of the growing
organization is solid and on its way to Bluetooth community. We thank you for
fulfilling its mission. your vital participation and support in this
exciting effort.
With the strength of the organization
established and a solid strategy in place, I
feel it’s time for me to embark on a new
path as well. As such, I have been
working with the Board of Directors on a
transition plan. The Board is initiating a
search to fill the Executive Director
position. I will stay on with the
organization for the next couple of
months to help with the transition.
I appreciate the opportunity I have had
with the Bluetooth SIG. It has truly been
an honour working with all the members
and my fellow staff mates over the years.
While I will miss that, I also look forward
to the future.
Chris Hansen:
This morning Mike Foley announced that
he would be departing as the Executive
Director of the Bluetooth SIG, and on
behalf of the Bluetooth SIG Board of
Directors, I wanted to address our strong
and growing membership directly.
First and foremost, we want to thank Mike
for his leadership and years of service
with the SIG. The growth and proliferation
of Bluetooth technology during his tenure
has been truly remarkable. Mike has
worked tirelessly as both a board member
and as Executive Director to both
5 www.incisor.tv
DECT Forum responds
to security critique with
DECT Security
Certification Program
The DECT Forum has announced a DECT
Security Certification Program. The Forum
admitted to Incisor that, during early 2009,
questions were raised in the media in various
European countries about the security
aspects of DECT equipment. It was shown
that equipment from some vendors did not
always have encryption switched on, thereby
opening up the possibility of eavesdropping
on conversations.
An international group of researchers acting
under the name deDECTed had analyzed the
DECT standard and discovered various
shortcomings. The DECT Forum acted upon
this situation by creating a DECT Security
Working Group, which was set the task of
improving the security aspects of the DECT
standard as well as to create a Certification
Program that allowed DECT vendors to have
their equipment certified against the
improved standard. With the support of
deDECTed as well as ETSI, the DECT Forum
created a roadmap consisting of several
steps to improve security aspects. This led
to the DECT standard being updated, and
the first step in that process was ratified by
ETSI during 2010.
... announces Japan working group
The DECT Forum also tells Incisor that a
DECT Forum Japan Working Group has been
established and started its activities to
promote DECT and its new use case
applications in Japan.
In the Japanese market, regulation for what
is known as “Digital Cordless Phone”, also
known as PHS (Personal Handy-phone
System), was established using the 1.9 GHz
band. This didn’t gain popularity for home
applications, while digital cordless phones
using the ISM (2.4 GHz) band have become
standard. In order to cope with future
advanced demands (such as light data
services and wide-band audio), while
realizing efficient use of spectrum allocated
in the 1.9 GHz band, the Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications (MIC) in Japan
amended the regulations for Digital Cordless
Telephone during 2010 to allow the technical
conditions of the scheme compliant with
DECT, which uses the 1.9 GHz band.
Erich Kamperschroer, Chairman of the DECT
Forum told Incisor, “The Japan Working
Group will define and develop a logo to
demonstrate the differences between the
DECT products compliant with the national
specifications and the DECT products from
other regions in the world.”
DECT gateway
shipments forecast to
reach 25M by 2015
IMS Research is forecasting that integration
of DECT and CAT-iq into residential
gateways will grow rapidly over the next four
years, from 3 million units in 2011 to 25.6
million in 2015. This market, says IMS, is
being driven by the changing use of
communications technology in consumers’
homes and the uptake of VoIP services.
IMS’ recent report ‘DECT and CAT-iq in
Residential Gateways 2012’ found that the
majority of all shipments were in Europe,
North America and Asia. Europe, traditionally
an area where DECT has fared well in
residential gateways might be the dominant
region for the technology, but it is Asia
where the greatest potential for growth lies;
shipments in the region are forecast to surge
to 6.7 million units in 2015, virtually equal to
the 6.8 million predicted for North America,
although still some way behind Europe’s
projected market of 8.5 million shipments.
IMS concluded that consumer awareness of
VoIP is expected to continue to grow as
news
products and services proliferate, and with the
benefit of features such as HD Voice offering a
significant improvement in call quality via CAT-
iq, an IP-focused extension of the DECT
standard, the technology is well placed to
become a feature of future gateways.
TI’s shows five-in-one
wireless connectivity
solutions
Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced the
WiLink 8.0 product family, which is a
collection of 45-nanometer single-chip
solutions that integrate up to five different
radios aimed at next-generation mobile Wi-Fi,
GNSS, NFC, Bluetooth and FM transmit/
receive applications. The WiLink 8.0
architecture supports various combinations of
these technologies, allowing for customized
solutions to address the needs and price
points of mobile markets. TI told Incisor that
each chip variant comes in a WSP package
that can be mounted directly on a PCB, and
includes all required RF front ends, a power
management system, and coexistence
mechanisms. At the system level, TI claims
that the five-radio WiLink 8.0 chip offers a 60
percent cost reduction, 45 percent decrease
in size and 30 percent lower power
consumption compared to traditional multi-
chip offerings.
Beyond standard GPS and GLONASS
receivers, the WiLink 8.0 GNSS core includes
a complete position engine on chip. This is
claimed to reduce system-level power
consumption and enable host-independent,
on-chip geo-fencing and location buffering for
enhanced context awareness. WiLink 8.0
solutions combine GNSS and Wi-Fi sensor
systems, plus Bluetooth low energy, ANT+
and NFC augmentation.
WiLink 8.0 solutions are apparently sampling
today to top-tier mobile OEMs. Ti forecasts
that products with WiLink 8.0 solutions inside
will ship in the second half of 2012.
6 www.incisor.tv
Nokia considers new
strapline – ‘Not dead
yet!’
It may no longer be the trailblazer in the
handset market, but that doesn’t mean
that Nokia is sitting still. The company
introduced a range of new products,
services and partnerships at Mobile
World Congress, continuing along the
road of its new strategic direction.
Launched in 2011, this has already
resulted in the adoption of Windows
Phone as Nokia's primary smartphone
platform, and additional emphasis on
location-based services with the launch
of its Location & Commerce business.
Nokia extended the range of products
with Windows Phone by introducing the
Nokia Lumia 610, which, at a cost of
€189, before taxes or subsidies, is the
most affordable Lumia yet, as well as
targeting availability of the Lumia 900 to
additional markets beyond the U.S. The
Nokia Lumia 900, which launched in
January as Nokia's first LTE-enabled
smartphone, will now be available in Dual
Carrier HSPA for up 42.2 Mbps. The
phone will become available in more
countries around the world.
Probably eyeing up Amazon’s Kindle
market, Nokia announced Nokia
Reading, suggesting that this provides a
single, integrated reading hub experience
that makes it easier and faster to enjoy
news, books, and audio books. E-
reading on phone platforms....? Hmm,
not sure about that.
Here at Incisor, we once rated Nokia’s
cameraphones as standard setters, and
the company seems to be keen to
reassume the mantel. The Nokia 808
PureView is the first smartphone to
feature Nokia PureView imaging
technologies. The 808 combines a
humungous, high-resolution 41-
megapixel sensor (no misprint – that was
41 megapixels!), Carl Zeiss optics and
Nokia-developed pixel over-sampling
technology. Nokia is claiming incredibly
sharp, detailed images, superior low light
performance and the capability to save
images in compact file sizes for sharing
in email, MMS and on social networks.
The 808 also includes Nokia Rich
Recording for CD-like quality audio
recording, full HD 1080p video recording
and playback, and Dolby Headphone
technology to transform any stereo
content into a personal surround sound
experience over any headphones.
Nokia is further blurring the line between
feature phones and smartphones,
launching three new Asha devices.
Described as having been developed for
urban consumers and entrepreneurs, the
Nokia Asha 302 is a premium QWERTY
device – see if you don’t agree with us
that it is a Blackberry-alike! It delivers a
mobile office experience with push email
and calendar, and contacts
synchronization under the Mail for
Exchange support - a first for Nokia
Series 40 devices.
In location-based services, Nokia and
Groupon will offer location-sensitive
discounts and deals. Nokia is also
announcing a new version of Nokia Drive
for Windows Phone that will come with
full offline support for turn-by-turn
navigation. Moving forward, Nokia Drive
will also remember a personal commute,
give advance traffic notice and
automatically re-route to avoid jams.
Additionally, Nokia plans to release the
Windows Phone version of Nokia
Transport for door-to-door, underground,
tram, suburban train, and bus directions
in more than 500 cities and 45 countries.
news
Google applies to test
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
gateway
When Google shows interest in a market,
that means good news for some people,
and bad news for others – i.e. those that
are already looking to dominate that
market.
It’s wireless broadband that has now
been lit by Google’s searchlight. Incisor
has learned from wireless consultant
Steve Crowley that there has been an
application submitted by Google to the
Federal Communications Commission.
And what is that all about then? Well,
Google is looking for approval for a trial
of a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled
residential gateway. The smart money
figures that Google is looking to test a
product with 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology
in it, this being a good match for
Google’s Gbps fiber network projects in
Kansas City and Palo Alto.
Now, the fact that the 802.11ac standard
is not due for approval until late in 2012
shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The
Wi-Fi industry has always been ready to
develop and ship pre-certified products,
and so Google ought to be able to land
some .11ac products for testing.
If Google is able to combine fiber to the
home and Gigabit Wi-Fi, this could
seriously spice up the home networking
and broadband markets. It’s quite
conceivable that Google could cover a
whole town with seriously fast Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth networks.
Now, where would that leave the –
somewhat tardy – mobile broadband
network operators, few of whom have
Google’s resources, and fewer still who
are likely to want to take up the fight?
7 www.incisor.tv
Wearable sports and
fitness devices will hit
90 million shipments
in 2017
The market for wearable sports and fitness
activity sensors is set to explode over the
next few years, ABI Research tells Incisor, as
a new generation of devices collect and
automatically share data online. Nike, Adidas,
and Motorola are just some of the companies
to recently launch new wearable wireless
products and there are plenty more to follow
them. Mobile handset accessory vendors,
consumer electronics companies, fitness
management service offerings, and online
services providers will all join a market that
has long been the preserve of specialist, high-
end vendors such as Polar and Garmin.
Principal analyst Jonathan Collins
commented, “Sports, fitness, and well-being
applications will be the key engine of growth
in the wearable wireless healthcare market as
demand for a new wave of devices will be
driven not just by growing consumer interest
and awareness but also by increased
competition and support for a raft of new
applications.”
Collins also believes that strong growth will
take place within home monitoring
applications for assisted living, remote patient
care to help manage chronic conditions, and
within hospitals and clinics. Over the next five
years, the total market for wearable wireless
devices in sports and healthcare will grow, he
said, to 169.5 million devices in 2017, up from
20.77 million in 2011, a CAGR of 41%.
At the heart of this growth will be ultra-low
power wireless connectivity from wearable
devices to mobile phones through support
for Bluetooth Smart in handsets and
devices. “Leveraging mobile handsets to
provide automated online data access opens
up the wearable wireless market to real-time
online connectivity. Although not the only
option, standardization around Bluetooth
Smart will be the bedrock of this market
growth,” said Collins.
Nordic single chip
solution for Bluetooth
Smart tags
Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic
Semiconductor has released its new µBlue
nRF8002 System-on-Chip (SoC) single chip
solution for Bluetooth Smart wireless tags and
other accessories such as bracelets, pendants,
keychains, small toys, and armbands.
Nordic claims that adding the µBlue nRF8002
to a product design demands no specialist
understanding of Bluetooth low energy
wireless technology or any embedded firmware
development. Using a Nordic nRFgo-
compatible nRF8002 Development Kit,
developers can design Bluetooth Smart tags
and accessories using a simple graphical user
interface that allows them to go no deeper
than configuring the built-in application layer
and mapping inputs and outputs to external
components such as buttons, LEDs, and
buzzers.
The nRF8002 is supplied in a 5x5mm QFN
package and includes a fully-qualified
Bluetooth v4.0 low energy protocol stack, a
configurable application layer, and built-in
support for a range of Bluetooth v4.0 profiles
including: Find Me, Proximity, Alert
Notifications, and Battery Status. The Find Me
profile allows users to pair small - but
commonly misplaced - everyday objects with
their Bluetooth v4.0 smartphone in order to
locate either from the other.
The Proximity profile adds further out-of-range
functionality to the Find Me profile to allow
users to pair valuable everyday Bluetooth v4.0
objects (e.g. smartphones and computers)
with, for example, a wireless tag so that it
alarms or securely locks the valued item if the
user and item are separated by more than a
specified distance.
news
connectBlue releases
Bluetooth low energy
module
Swedish company connectBlue has
launched a new Bluetooth module based on
Bluetooth Specification Version 4.0,
featuring Bluetooth low energy technology.
The OLP425 can either be delivered as is
with digital and analog GPIOs or complete
with battery, temperature sensor,
accelerometers, and humidity sensor.
Bluetooth low energy technology is rapidly
being integrated in small mobile Android /
Apple iOS / Windows devices thanks to the
unique features of an extremely long battery
lifetime, fast connection times and
interoperability focus provided by the
standard. connectBluet points out that
industrial and medical customers can now
easily utilize “apps” for Human Machine
Interface (HMI), gateway and data
acquisition functionality. In the past they
had to rely on application tailored tools; now
they can use a smart phone instead.
Rolf Nilsson, CEO of connectBlue told
Incisor, “But we can offer more than “just”
the Bluetooth low energy advantages. Our
new OLP425 module is a unique low energy
platform; our hardware is either delivered
out-of-the-box or it is extra-equipped with
added features. The customers then embed
their own application software.”
Nilsson went on to explain that
connectBlue’s module is delivered with a
number of digital and analogue GPIOs. The
module can be equipped to support
additional customer requirements with a
coin cell battery, temperature sensor,
accelerometers, and humidity sensor. Using
the IAR Embedded Workbench, the
customers then embed their own
application software. Customer application
software includes machine / device access
and asset management, data conversion,
data acquisition, and logic.
8 www.incisor.tv
Wireless medical
communications in the
digital operating room
Tim Phipps,
Cambridge Consultants.
In its origins, surgery used equipment that
was somewhat like adapted DIY tools:
saws, chisels and drills. All of the
necessary skills had to be learnt through
experience and reproduced by the dextrous
ability of the individual. Recently, the trend
has been towards a more repeatable
process, making progress towards the goal
of more repeatable outcomes for the
patient. New technologies are supporting
this trend - the operating room of the future
is digital! You could call it a switch from
“analogue” skills to “digital” capability in
the operating room. Some of the new
digital equipment includes digital video
pictures via endoscopes for laparoscopic
surgery and ENT procedures; digital X-ray
images; and even digital robotics to assist
with locating and holding tools.
With one of the largest independent wireless
development teams in the world, Cambridge
Consultants has a pedigree of creating ‘world
firsts’ in wireless communications, including
within the medical sector. In this edition of
Incisor, we look at some of the latest
developments in the rapidly growing market of
the digital operating room.
Increasingly we can see a tangle of cables
being used to make connections from
surgical instruments to monitoring stations:
the use of technology has brought great
benefits, but we have lost some of the
freedom of the old tools. Cambridge
Consultants has a vision of the operating
room of the future in which surgical tools,
once again, become smaller and more mobile.
We expect that wireless connectivity will play
a part by keeping connectivity required in the
digital operating room, whilst enabling
mobility and ease of use.
What happens when we cut the cables?
One example of this vision is the use of
mobile X-ray inspection with wireless
connectivity. In this case the equipment
comes to the patient, rather than the patient
Tim Phipps, Medical Wireless Lead for
Cambridge Consultants
needing to be moved out to a fixed piece of
equipment in a dedicated, single function
department. Another benefit is in increased
operational efficiency with faster changes to
the connectivity during the setup procedures.
Quite apart from the maintenance issues
surrounding sterilisation and long term
mechanical integrity of wires.
So, which wireless technology will meet the
demanding requirements of the operating
room? The obvious place to start is with
conventional Wi-Fi. It is a simple and readily
available technology which is well understood
and easy to use. However, the key problem
with Wi-Fi in hospitals is that there is existing
infra-structure for Wi-Fi based wireless LAN,
which will have been carefully optimised to
maximise availability and coverage. This gives
two co-existence problems: firstly the
wireless medical equipment may interfere with
the existing network infrastructure, and
secondly the wireless medical device may
suffer from interference and be unable to
deliver reliable performance.
There are two new standards within the Wi-Fi
family which are potentially a better fit. In the
5GHz band, 802.11ac promises very high data
rates, of around 1Gb/s, in spectrum that is still
relatively unused: though we might expect
hospital IT departments and domestic users to
take up this band, as quickly as we saw the
2.4GHz spectrum fill up. Another option is
802.11ad, which uses a large amount of new
spectrum at 60GHz to deliver similar very high
data rates. This high frequency has the benefit
of giving good antenna efficiency from very
small antennas, which would be suitable for
integration into compact medical devices;
however, the disadvantage is the lack of
penetration through solid obstacles requiring
line-of-sight operation.
An often over-looked technology is Ultra Wide
Band (UWB) which operates in the United
States in bands from 3 to 10GHz at a transmit
power of –41.3dBm/MHz. Data rates of up to
800Mb/s are possible with transmissions that
don’t have a problem co-existing with Wi-Fi.
However, spectrum sharing with like-systems is
a potential future issue.
Finally, one disruptive innovation that is causing
big changes in the medical world is Bluetooth
Low Energy (BLE) in the iPhone. Suddenly a
whole new class of medical “appcessories” has
emerged. The technology enabler for this new
wave is BLE’s ability to implement standby
operation for long term monitoring applications.
The regulatory enabler has been the FDA’s
willingness to approve iPhone apps for medical
usage. We predict an explosion of wireless-
enabled monitoring in all kinds of approved
medical devices.
Cambridge Consultants offers design services
with a world leading capability in both wireless
and medical product design. Our quality and
project management systems are certified to
ISO 13485, to ensure that we can deliver to our
clients' fast track and regulatory compliant
development programs.
www.cambridgeconsultants.com
9 www.incisor.tv

The next generation

for distracted driving
mobile apps
By Kevin McWilliams, Founder and CEO, SafeApp, LLC

On October 17, 2011, SafeApp publically

launched DO NOT DISTURB (Bluetooth),
a distracted driving prevention app,
using Bluetooth technology, that allows
smart phone users to automatically
control what, when, where and how
information is received while on the
road. The app was launched at the
National Organizations for Youth Safety
(NOYS) Teen Distracted Driving Summit
outside Washington, DC. The
conference created an opportunity to
introduce SafeApp to foundations,
organizations, and government
departments focused on the number
one cause of teen deaths, car accidents.
A Consumer Reports representative who
attended the conference published an
on-line article titled “Fighting distracted
driving: Technology can be part of the
solution” which highlighted SafeApp and
other new technology displayed at the
conference.

DO NOT DISTURB (Bluetooth) was

developed based on a belief that existing
distracted driving Apps had not met the
marketplace desired solution. DO NOT
DISTURB (Bluetooth) is the first distracted
driving app to activate based on the
Bluetooth connection between a user’s
smart phone and existing Bluetooth
hardware within a car or earpiece. DO
NOT DISTURB (Bluetooth) allows for a
private and secure connection while
driving. Prior to the release of DO NOT
DISTURB (Bluetooth) only GPS motion-
based apps were available as distracted
driving prevention solutions.
Bluetooth is a low energy alternative
solution to battery intensive GPS
technology in smart phones. Additionally,
GPS motion-based apps have been prone
to unintended activations while users are
seated as a passenger in a car, train, or
bus due to the motion activated logic.
According to Strategic Analyst, Bluetooth
will be standard in 90% of cars by 2016.
DO NOT DISTURB (Bluetooth) features
within the app’s device configurations,
allowing the user to select which paired
Bluetooth hardware the user wants the app
to recognize and activate upon connection. teen drivers are using the app as intended.
This allows a husband, wife or teen driver Social users can link Facebook and Twitter
to select which Bluetooth hardware to be accounts to automatically update their
recognized by the app based on the page or handle once they have arrived at
primary or secondary user of the car. their destination with the help of DO NOT
DISTURB (Bluetooth).
Customizable features within the general
configurations allow the user to customize SafeApp envisions a broad range of inter-
how services are managed while the app is connectivity between smart phones and
activated. The DO NOT DISTURB Bluetooth hardware as more household
(Bluetooth) default setting silences all appliances and office hardware feature
incoming text, emails, alerts and phone calls Bluetooth. SafeApp sees DO NOT
while allowing phone calls to be received DISTURB (Bluetooth) as the first step to
hands-free via the Bluetooth connection. creating an automated, virtual solution for
Text and phone calls are automatically unplugging while on the road, at the office,
replied to while the app is activated. or at home with the family. DO NOT
DISTURB (Bluetooth) is available on the
Parental controls and activation history Android Market today with additional rollout
“report cards” can be set up to ensure to iPhone and Blackberry users in 2012.
SafeApp, LLC (“SafeApp”) is a mobile application (“app”) company focused on the
development, implementation, and sale of situational-based applications for risk
management, privacy enhancement and data management. Our philosophy is to
enhance the user’s control over what, when, where and how information is received.
10
Intel Corporation has announced
several automotive investments and
initiatives that it says are designed to
spur innovation and product
development in the connected car
experience. The investments include
the new Automotive Innovation and
Product Development Center,
expansion of Intel Labs Interaction and
Experience Research (IXR) in
automotive, an academic outreach
program, and the establishment of the
$100 million Intel Capital Connected
Car Investment Fund.
Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini
commented, "In today's mobile world,
personal computing touches every part of
consumers' daily lives while at home, at
the office and on the road. By broadening
our research efforts, academic and
capital investments and opening the
Automotive Innovation and Product
Development Centre, Intel is deepening
its understanding of how people interact
with their cars and how Intel innovations
can enhance the automotive experience."
The Automotive Innovation and Product
Development Centre will serve as Intel's
global centre of competence for the
development of products and
technologies for in-vehicle infotainment
and telematics solutions for the
connected car. The centre will optimize
Intel technologies for applications and
services as well as capabilities for
consumer electronics integration,
performance optimization and system
design.
www.incisor.tv
Intel invests in the
connected car
Located in Karlsruhe, Germany, Intel says looking at new ways to use the Internet,
that the site benefits from its proximity to sensors and context-aware technology
top technical universities and an to determine what and how information
ecosystem of hardware and software should be presented to drivers and
vendors with expertise in automotive passengers to reduce complex
technology. The customized facility interactions while driving.
features a unique secured car park that
provides an on-site location for Intel to
Creates $100 Million connected
install, test and showcase developments.
car fund
Additional features include
instrumentation, a myriad of antennae to Intel Capital has announced an
provide satellite, TV, digital video and investment fund focused on fostering
GPS for development and testing, and an automotive technology innovation. Over
engineering & compute infrastructure. the next 5 years, Intel Capital will invest
in hardware, software and services
Intel also announced plans for a companies that are developing leading-
comprehensive academic program that edge ingredient technology and platform
includes fundamental and applied capabilities that support Intel's focus
research, curriculum development and areas in automotive.
internship programs to foster the
exchange of innovative ideas amongst
academia, Intel and the automotive
industry. The program will be hosted at
the Karlsruhe site and will tap into an
Intel European Research and
Development network of researchers and
“its Intel is deepening
understanding of
developers, labs and research
relationships.
how people interact
with their cars and how
With the expansion of Intel Labs
Interaction and Experience Research, Intel innovations can
Intel is planning that, alongside its
customers, it will obtain valuable insights enhance the automotive
into consumer experiences in the car.
Intel told Incisor that it aims to apply that
knowledge to the development of
technology solutions for the vehicle and
experience.
”
transportation infrastructure to make the
driving experience more enjoyable,
intuitive and safe. For example, Intel is
11
low energy wireless news
World’s most connected Mobile NFC metro
washing machine? tickets to be used by
What if your washing machine could detect 1 in 8 mobile users
what you’ve put in the laundry and adjust
its own settings automatically? NXP
Semiconductors has recently been
showcasing its RFID- and NFC-enabled
smart washing machine demonstrator,
featuring advanced yet practical wireless
functionality. The most popular feature of
the demo is fabric detection: The washing
machine reads information about the fabric
type and colour from RFID-tagged buttons,
helps you avoid mixing white and dark
laundry, and optimizes the washing program
based on the characteristics it reads from
both the clothing and the detergent itself.
Another popular feature of the demo is
NFC-based maintenance: Using an NFC-
enabled phone, an authorized maintenance
technician can perform diagnostics on the
smart washing machine onsite, change its
status, upgrade firmware, and launch an
app that communicates directly with the
manufacturer’s service centre using the
phone’s built-in 3G connection. A close-up
view of the latest NXP smart washing
machine demo is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOa5piX
cxis
Jan Willem Vogel, senior director, industrial
applications marketing at NXP
Semiconductors told Incisor, “Major home
appliances are becoming ‘smarter’ by the
day - yet we’ve only started to explore the
universe of possibilities when it comes to
two-way communication. We’re particularly
excited about our new smart washing
demonstrator, which brings together our
advanced application insights, our expertise
in RFID and NFC, as well as our broad-
based understanding of the complex sub-
systems driving white goods today.”
And if you want to see all of this in action,
you can also click on the screen at the top
of this column to watch the demo!
A new report from Juniper Research has
found that 1 in 8 (13%) of North American
and Western European mobile users will use
their NFC-enabled mobile phone as a metro
rail or bus ticket by 2016, compared with
less than 1% today. Worldwide, mobile users
are now beginning to adopt mobile tickets
as an integrated part of their mobile lifestyle,
whether for airline, road or rail transport,
sporting or entertainment event access.
The report found that, while mobile tickets of
all types are growing in popularity, the ability
to “tap” an NFC phone containing a mobile
ticket against an entrance gate has
tremendous user appeal. For operators, a
mobile phone ticket also provides new
marketing and sales opportunities previously
not available using paper or contactless
smartcard tickets.
The report warns, however, that NFC
Ticketing must be thoroughly tested before
being launched to the public. For metro
and bus tickets in particular, speed of
passenger processing is of the essence and
queues must not be allowed to build up as a
result of ticket processing delays either in
mobile phones, gating or back office
systems.
In conversation with Incisor, report author
David Snow added, “NFC mobile ticketing is
still in its early stages, but it holds great
promise across the entire mobile ticketing
market. Metro ticketing is leading the way
as an NFC ticket is a natural evolution from
a contactless transport card and can
leverage the existing infrastructure. Add to
this the option of simultaneous payment and
you have created a compelling user
experience.”
Other findings from the report led Juniper to
forecast that worldwide mobile ticketing
www.incisor.tv
transactions are set to quadruple to 23
billion by 2016, and that also by 2016, NFC
mobile tickets will represent more than
50% of all mobile ticketing revenue.
NFC on a SIM card
gives new life to legacy
phones in China
INSIDE Secure and Sunward Telecom
are demonstrating a new NFC upgrade
solution that fits entirely within a
standard-size SIM card and achieves
industry-standard, 4-cm proximity
transaction performance when inserted in
a non-NFC mobile phone, simulating a
MasterCard PayPass payment
transaction. The two companies told
Incisor that the demonstration shows how
non-NFC mobile phones can be easily
upgraded to perform payment and other
transactions simply by inserting a new
SIM card. The partners plan to accelerate
the adoption of NFC card-emulation
applications within legacy mobile phones
in China and other markets with a large
installed base of phones.
The NFC SIM card product developed
by Sunward Telecom achieves its
performance using core technology from
INSIDE that reduces the effects of the
metals and electrical noise typically found
within mobile phones and other mobile
devices. When inserted into a phone, the
NFC SIM card is able to communicate at
4 cm with contactless readers compliant
with the ISO 14443 and EMVCo
standards.
Sunward Telecom expects to begin
shipping NFC SIM card products based
on the INSIDE technology in the fourth
quarter of this year.
12
low energy wireless news
Visa and Monitise aim
to transform mobile
payments in India, but
not with NFC….
Movida, a mobile payments joint venture
backed by Visa and Monitise, has signed
an agreement with HDFC Bank, India’s
second largest private bank, to introduce
a first of its kind mobile payment service.
The new service allows HDFC Bank
customers to pay bills, top up prepaid
airtime and buy tickets from their mobile
phone and is designed to operate across
all mobile networks using any Visa or
non-Visa branded payment account. It
can be used by any mobile subscriber,
anywhere and accessed by even the
most basic mobile phone.
Naushad Contractor, Movida’s President
and head of the Monitise and Visa joint
venture in India, told Incisor: “This is a
service designed for Indians. As we
rollout the service to other banks more
Indians will be able to benefit from
mobile payments. Wave goodbye to
waiting in long queues or visiting post
offices or payment machines to pay bills
as you will now be able to do that right
from your mobile phone. This service is
going to drastically reduce the time and
energy Indians waste every day waiting
to pay bills.”
The new service uses menu-based USSD
mobile technology making it one of the
easiest services to use and the most
widely available. USSD is a protocol used
by GSM cellular telephones to
communicate with the service provider's
computers. USSD can be used for pre-
paid callback service, mobile-money
services, location-based content
services, menu-based information
services. USSD messages are up to 182
alphanumeric characters in length. Unlike
Short Message Service (SMS) messages,
USSD messages create a real-time
connection that remains open and allows
for a two way exchange of a sequence
of data. This, the partners claim, makes
USSD more responsive than services
that use SMS.
After linking their HDFC Bank Visa or
non-Visa payment card to their mobile
phone number, cardholders can access
the service via USSD over Movida’s
secure connection. From then on it is
just a matter of selecting the payment
service required and making the
payment. A simple menu can complete a
transaction in only a few steps.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to
realise that the potential market is huge,
and, as India continues the upgrade of
its Internet and telecoms infrastructure
to rural areas, the new mobile service
will allow millions of Indians currently
excluded from enjoying the benefits of
mobile and online payment services to
become part of the digital age via their
basic prepaid mobile phone.
The service is initially being offered to a
select number of valued customers
before being rolled out across the
country later in the year.
Most Incisor readers will have been
thinking that NFC had to be involved in
mobile payment transactions, but the
USSD system seems simpler both to
implement and to use. Could it be rolled
out more quickly and more widely,
sidestepping the complications that
seem to have held NFC-based payment
systems to date? Comments are
welcome, and time will tell.
www.incisor.tv
Cambridge
Consultants Blogs
Why are we blogging? We believe that
the technology market is much better
when it is highly connected, and social
media is a fantastic tool that instantly
connects people who face similar
challenges, irrespective of whether they
are budding entrepreneurs running their
first high growth start up company or a
captain of industry in charge of a global
bluechip company. So, if you’d like to
add to the debates, please feel free to
comment on any of our blogs. It would
be great to hear from you.
Patrick Pordage
Marketing
Communications
Director
Cambridge Consultants.
Corporate Blog
Our corporate blog covers new product
development, open innovation,
accelerating start up companies and
other topics that involve using
innovation to achieve market
leadership, along with technology
stories that we hope you will find
interesting/
Consumer Products Blog
Topics include connected devices,
beverage dispensing, eco innovation,
new product introduction (NPI), open
innovation, novel control interfaces and
other topics related to our development
of innovative consumer electronics,
domestic appliances and fast moving
consumer goods.
Wireless Medical Blog
Examining mobilehealth and telehealth
technology ad market challenges, this
blog provides insight from implantable
and hospital communications to
consumer health applications.
Follow us on Twitter:
@CambConsultants
13
low energy wireless news
How to get started with
batteryless wireless
technology
EnOcean has announced its new ESK 300
starter kit for batteryless wireless
technology. The starter kit includes a
variety of energy converters and modules
enabling the creation of energy-
autonomous wireless sensors. EnOcean is
aiming at enabling its OEM partners to
break into new application areas for
energy harvesting technology — ranging
from building automation through smart
homes and smart metering to industry
and logistics.
EnOcean’s batteryless wireless
technology harvests energy directly from
its surroundings — from light, differences
in temperature or motion. This means that
all products enabled by this technology
are entirely maintenance-free, requiring no
wiring or cabling, and are particularly
flexible in implementation. The ESK 300
starter kit includes a mechanical energy
converter and a wireless module with
integrated solar mini-cell. Sensors and
wireless solutions developed using the
starter kit will therefore be powered by
the energy produced by pressing a button
or through a light source.
The kit consists of a switch module (PTM
200) for building services, components for
different switch applications (PTM 330,
ECO 200), a temperature sensor module
(STM 330), a USB gateway (USB 300), PC
software for visualisation (DolphinView
Basic) and a sample case for industrial
switching solutions.
EnOcean told Incisor that with the PTM
200 it is possible to implement energy-
autonomous wall mounted switches or
handheld transmitters. Combining the
PTM 330 wireless module with the ECO
200 mechanical energy converter is a
basis for a variety of maintenance-free
wireless switches in an industrial
environment. The solar-powered STM 330
sensor can measure temperature in a
room or on machinery. This module is
characterised by its extremely low power
consumption plus high reliability. If a
measured value is transmitted every 15
minutes for instance, 3.6 hours of
charging in daytime and 200 lux are
adequate for uninterrupted operation.
With its energy storage mechanism fully
charged, the module is fully functional for
four days in complete darkness.
The starter kit is already available for
OEM partners priced at €79 (suggested
retail price).
Fibaro introduces
“brain” behind
household automation
products
Fibaro is showing its new Home Center 2
(HC2) at CeBIT 2012 during March. HC2
can be used as a central control unit for
all Z-Wave devices in the home. The
integrated Z-Wave interface module
allows the user to control all compatible
devices from their PC or laptop, and to
monitor their status via a control screen.
The Gateway communicates using
sensors and devices throughout the
home with a choice of wireless or wired
communications.
The Fibaro system can be installed on
mobile devices. Using a mobile app,
Smartphone users can switch off a light
or lower the blinds if they have forgotten
to do so before leaving the premises.
HC2 gives users complete control over
lighting, heating and air conditioning
systems, blinds, alarm systems, garage
doors as well as audio and video devices,
etc. that are integrated in their personal
home network.Devices can communicate
www.incisor.tv
wirelessly. The status of each device is
continuously monitored since the centre
and devices communicate with one another
via Z-Wave technology.
One neat feature is to track family members
via GPS (Global Positioning Service) and
connect scenarios to special actions. For
example: when a family member
approaches home, HC2 localizes him/her
via GPS and launches a planned scenario,
eg. closes windows, increases heating
temperature, opens the gate etc.
Verizon joins the Z-
Wave Alliance
Verizon has signed up to the Z-Wave
Alliance. Commenting, Alliance chairman
Mark Walters said, “This membership is an
extension of our partnership that was
formed with the debut of Verizon’s
connected home products last year. We
look forward to continuing this partnership
as Verizon extends its home control
offerings.”
In October 2011, Verizon launched its
connected home solution, Verizon Home
Monitoring and Control, which uses Z-Wave.
With this, Verizon provides a variety of home
monitoring and energy management cross
platform capabilities enabled by Z-Wave
technology. With the Verizon connected
home solution, consumers can do things
like monitor their home’s energy usage
and control appliances and electronics
remotely with a computer, smartphone,
FiOS TV, and tablets.
Verizon’s mission statement says that it is
‘breaking down old technology boundaries
to create a borderless world where work,
play and home become one virtual reality’.
The company’s goal is to provide anytime,
anywhere connectivity to the information
and the entertainment end users want on
any device.
14
The five trends
that are going
to Change the
Conversation
in 2012
It was not strictly on topic for a short-
range wireless publication, we know, but
a conversation with Manish Sablok,
head of marketing for Central North and
East (CNE) Europe at Alcatel-Lucent
Enterprise, gave us food for thought on
how changes in the make-up of the
workforce and tighter financial demands
on businesses will drive real changes in
how users communicate across the
enterprise in 2012, ranging from the
social imperative to cloud delivery.
First: The social imperative. For the first
time, enterprises now seriously have three
different generations working together
across the enterprise: the Boomers,
Generation X, and Generation Y. They have
different user behaviours, and the industry
needs to reconcile all of these different
habits into a single unified multimedia
enterprise communication platform for
email, instant messages, video and social
networking.
Second: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).
In order to meet the expectations of our
mixed generation workforce in 2012 with
their different expectations, enterprises
need to understand that, alongside existing
laptops and desk phones, we are now also
encountering the increased
consumerisation of the enterprise, and
therefore need the network to be able to
deal with any device, from smartphones to
tablets. Enterprises need to deliver the
same user experience regardless of which
device is chosen.
Third: Creating mashup applications.
Business, customer service and unified
communications applications are still
siloed and are often run independently
from one another. Users need to be able to
manage these multiple applications
through a single unified interface, ensuring
that they interact with one another and
providing the user with a consistent
experience over any device.
Fourth: Convergence. All this means
that enterprises will have to start moving
to a more converged architecture for
both network and application
deployment, to deliver any application
over any network, and do so through any
of the user's devices.
Fifth: Deployment, and the inevitable
shift to cloud. The need to improve the
overall user experience – based on any
application on any network using any
device – combined with the need for
enterprises to shift to more cost effective
costs models is moving enterprises
towards the cloud-based Opex model as
well as the Capex model for financing IT
purchases. And this will inevitably
change the specification of their
communications infrastructure. Sablok
suggested that his company, as a
network infrastructure provider has to be
able to provide organisations with the
technical and commercial support to
deploy communication solutions in any
model they want – on-site, hosted,
outsourced, or any combination of these.
Themes running through this are
connectivity, interoperability and
improving the user experience, all of
which are fundamental principles for the
SRW sector that will doubtless be a key
enabler for the systems Sablok was
describing. So, maybe we weren’t so far
off topic after all.
www.incisor.tv
Snippets
CSR continues aptX push
At this year’s Mobile World Congress, CSR
was promoting the continuing take-up of its
bought-in aptX audio coding technology.
According to the company’s MWC press
release, three new HTC One Series phones
are using aptX, as are two new versions of
Sennheiser’s Bluetooth stereo headsets –
the MM 450-X and the MM 550-X.
New NFC-based chip protects
luxury goods
INSIDE Secure has introduced the
VaultIC160, a memory-enriched NFC-based
security solution designed for embedding
into high-end consumer or industrial
products that are often targeted by
counterfeiters and cloners. The new
chip packs 14 Kbytes of accessible
programmable non-volatile (NV) memory
in addition to 1.5 Kbytes of NV memory
used to hold authentication certificate
information. By incorporating the
VaultIC160 in their products, manufacturers
of high-end consumer goods, such as
handbags, “grand cru” wine, watches and
consumables can track their products
through distribution and retail channels, and
allow consumers to use an NFC-equipped
smartphone — or a simple contactless
reader — to verify that the product is an
original and not a counterfeit, and to access
the other information stored on the chip.
NXP expands its RFID business in
North America
NXP Semiconductors is expanding its Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) team in its
North American headquarters. Led by new
hire Anno Hermanns, an RFID IC designer,
NXP is establishing a complete RFID tag IC
development team in San Jose, California.
Hermanns will be responsible for building
and leading the new RFID IC development
team in San Jose. The new North American
based team will focus on ultra-low power
tag IC architecture, fast non-volatile
memories and design collaboration, whilst
NXP's European RFID team will concentrate
on propelling frequency agnostic and
applications focused offerings to a whole
new level of RFID performance.
Z-Wave hosts Smart Home
specialist forum at CeBIT
At the international CeBIT trade fair,
which takes place from 6th to 10th March,
the CeBIT life platform will focus on
technologies relating to digital lifestyles
– a subject that includes intelligent
home control systems. Members of the
Z-Wave Alliance, an open consortium of
manufacturers, will be presenting a
range of possibilities offered by such
technologies, as well as highlighting how
these can be the point of entry to smart
grids, at the Smart Home specialist forum.
15
high speed wireless news
Embedded Wi-Fi
chipsets will slash
combo sales
NPD In-Stat is forecasting the demise of
the standalone, combo chipsets that have
been providing Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and FM
radio functionality for handsets and other
mobile devices. Its researchers cite that in
November of 2011, Qualcomm unveiled
new details regarding its Snapdragon S4
class processors. These new Snapdragon
processors will have integrated baseband
processors for not only 3G/4G cellular
standards, but also Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Qualcomm believes that these new
chipsets will enable power savings and
improve the manageability of the Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth radios. NPD In-Stat suggests
that other processor manufacturers, which
have been acquiring both cellular and Wi-Fi
intellectual property over the past two
years, will soon follow suit. As a result,
new In-Stat research forecasts the
potential Wi-Fi combo chipset revenue
loss, as new processors with embedded
Wi-Fi baseband eliminate the need for
separate monolithic Wi-Fi combo chipsets,
could be as high as $590 million in 2015.
Greg Potter, an NPD In-Stat analyst told
Incisor, “One of the critical factors in
determining the impact from these
integrated processors is the impact on the
bill-of-materials cost. Not only do you
eliminate the need for a Wi-Fi combo chip,
you potentially simplify the PCB in phones,
tablets, and similar devices. Other benefits
include the potential to decrease the
number of antennas and the elimination of
potential signal interference. The initial
markets for these chipsets will be high-end
and mid-tier smartphones along with
Android tablets. Moving forward, expect
these chips to migrate down to low-end
smartphones, low-end tablets, and even
basic and feature phones.”
Potter continued, “With new processors
integrating Wi-Fi, we are also likely to see
a benefit to Wi-Fi adoption rates in some
markets. Digital home devices such as
TVs and set top boxes that are beginning
to consider smartphone processors as the
basis of their platforms may find Wi-Fi an
additional and valuable feature,
accelerating adoption and increasing the
overall Wi-Fi demand.”
NPD In-Stat’s research findings
concluded that combo chip prices will see
a steady decline, and by 2015 they will
decrease by over one fourth of 2010
pricing levels.
Global telecomms
company commits to
multi-gigabit WiGig
wireless
Huawei, which is a global information and
communications technology solutions
provider, has joined the Wireless Gigabit
(WiGig) Alliance Board of Directors.
Naturally, the WiGig people are pleased
about this, going so far as to suggest that
the move ‘emphasises the significant
industry momentum now backing the
world’s most important short-range
wireless standard’. Yes, of course.
Nothing being over-stated there, at all.
The WiGig Alliance announced in
December that it has completed all
necessary components to define a multi-
gigabit wireless docking specification. It
has also recently hosted its first
interoperability test event, and received
ITU-R recognition.
The WiGig Alliance is calling for more
developer involvement in the creation of
the unified specification for multi-gigabit
wireless docking. Creation and
publication of the specification is
intended to enable a broad range of
advanced uses, including wireless
docking and connection to displays
www.incisor.tv
between personal computers, consumer
electronics and PC, CE, handheld devices.
More plugfests are scheduled throughout
this year with first release of certified WiGig
products scheduled for early 2013.
Cisco delivers
standards-based 'small
cell' Wi-Fi solution to
mobile operators
At Mobile World Congress, Cisco
introduced what it claims is the industry's
first carrier-grade, end-to-end Wi-Fi
infrastructure to deliver Next-Generation
Hotspots (NGH). The company also
announced that it is working with several
leading global service providers, including
AT&T, BT, PCCW mobile, Portugal Telecom,
Shaw Communications, Smart and True, to
deliver mobile services with a new
generation of intelligent "small cell"
solutions utilizing licensed and unlicensed
radio technology.
Cisco told Incisor that it is now embedding
Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA)-
approved NGH technology within its service
provider Wi-Fi portfolio, and recently
became the first to deploy NGH technology
to enable cellular-like roaming for Wi-Fi
networks. The WBA's NGH initiative is
based on the Hotspot 2.0 specification
established by the Wi-Fi Alliance and is
designed to provide mobile users with a
seamless Wi-Fi experience. Cisco said that
it has deployed over 12 million access
points, the majority of which can now be
upgraded to support NGH.
Cisco's goal is for its Small Cell Gateway to
enable operators to manage subscriber and
service information while integrating
2G/3G/4G LTE and femtocell (licensed)
networks with Wi-Fi (unlicensed) networks,
and to deliver seamless experiences across
multiple heterogeneous access networks.
16
high speed wireless news
Rollout of Wireless HD
video-enabled devices
begins
According to researchers at NPD In-Stat,
wireless high-definition (HD) video technologies
are the next frontier in consumer electronic (CE)
connectivity, streaming uncompressed 1080p
high-definition video across the living room. The
category is comprised of three technologies:
wireless home digital interface (WHDI),
WirelessHD, and Wireless Gigabit (WiGig).
Earliest applications for wireless HD video
technologies were centred around the CE cluster
and were used primarily as an HDMI cable
replacement. Today it has evolved into the PC
cluster, connecting mobile PCs to DTVs.
Significant future use will likely be for connecting
mobile devices to digital televisions (DTVs). New
NPD In-Stat research forecasts that nearly 23
million wireless HD video-enabled devices will
ship in 2015.
Brian O’Rourke, NPD In-Stat research director
told Incisor, “While all three technologies will see
some type of market adoption over the forecast
period, WiGig is likely to be the most popular
wireless HD video technology. The specification
has support from a wide range of technology
companies, including silicon vendors, CE device
makers, mobile phone vendors, and software
companies. In addition, WiGig will be the 60GHz
Wi-Fi specification, called 802.11ad.”
O’Rouke also observed that desktops, standard
notebooks, and netbooks are unlikely to adopt
the technology over the length of the forecast
period, primarily because of the cost. NPD In-
Stat’s research suggests that WiGig/802.11ad is
likely to be big in mobile PC docking solutions,
and WirelessHD and WHDI are focusing more on
CE-based solutions. DTV is the most important
market in CE, as wireless mobile PC-to-DTV
connections are a key use case for wireless HD
video. The WiGig Alliance has many WLAN
silicon vendors among its members, as well as a
diverse assortment of major technology
companies, including Intel, Microsoft,
Panasonic, Samsung, Nokia, and Broadcom.
Ericsson to acquire Wi-
Fi company BelAir
Networks
Ericsson has entered into an agreement to
acquire 100% of the shares in the privately-
held Canadian Wi-Fi company BelAir Networks.
Ericsson told Incisor that bringing BelAir into
its folder gives it a strong carrier grade Wi-Fi
portfolio, technological expertise, IPR, and
established customer contracts and
relationships. The terms of the transaction
were not disclosed.
Ericsson launched its Network Integrated Wi-Fi
solution in September 2011. The acquisition of
BelAir Networks will be part of Ericsson’s
heterogeneous network (hetnet) strategy to
improve the mobile broadband experience by
managing the co-existence of mobile
technologies and Wi-Fi.
BelAir Networks’ indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi
systems have been developed to enable
service providers to build scalable Wi-Fi
networks. The company develops mobile
networking solutions that are deployed by
service providers including AT&T and Comcast.
Established in 2002, BelAir Networks is based
in Ottawa, Ontario and has approximately 120
employees. BelAir Networks’ employees will
join Ericsson’s global organization.
Bernard Herscovich, CEO of BelAir Networks
told Incisor, “By focusing on the needs of
leading service providers, BelAir Networks has
achieved industry leadership with our unique
portfolio of carrier-grade Wi-Fi. This transaction
is a natural step in the continued development
of BelAir Networks and we believe that
Ericsson presents a strategic and cultural fit.”
The acquisition is expected to close during the
first half of 2012, subject to customary closing
conditions
www.incisor.tv
INCISOR TV
Video presentations
When it comes to assessing what is really
going on in the market, there is no substitute
for seeing products in action and hearing
100% accurate information from the people at
the sharp end. Incisor TV provides that insight.
Click on the links below to watch recent
Incisor TV presentations
Incisor.TV Ultra Low Power Roundtable
CES 2012 – Best Bluetooth of CES
4iiii Innovations shows ANT-based sports and
fitness solution
New industry SIG – Weightless for white space
Neul whitespace launch event
Bluetooth SIG All Hands, Mike Foley keynote
Bluetooth SIG AHM,
Bluetooth Ecosystem teams
Bluetooth SIG AHM, Board of Directors panel
IncisorTV at CES 2011 – Bluetooth Best of CES
IncisorTV at CES 2011 – Day 2
IncisorTV at CES 2011 – Day 1
Rococo discusses LocalSocial
Bluetooth High Speed Technology
Frontline – Interoperability testing
Bluetooth SIG BETS programme
Frontline – BPA500 protocol analyser
Aftermarket Bluetooth versus Factory fit
Who needs stress? Says Jabra
EnOcean Alliance –
energy harvesting technology
Aftermarket Bluetooth versus factory fit
Bluetooth 2010 All Hands Meeting
Anoto - 10 years of digital pen and paper
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CES 2010 Daily Show report – Day 1
CES 2010 Daily Show report – Day 1
CES 2010 Daily Show report – Day 1
BiteBack Asia
BiteBack USA
BitBack UK
IncisorTV commercial for CSR/SiRF merger
DECT Forum and CAT-iq in 2009
Bluetooth SIG – Best of CES 2009
WiMedia Alliance – UWB in 2009
Incisor showreel
WiMedia special - UWB - a high performance
solution / part 1
WiMedia special - UWB - a high performance
solution / part 2
WiMedia special - WiMedia and Bluetooth
WiMedia special - Updating the
WiMedia roadmap
WiMedia - The future for UWB
Bluetooth low energy wireless technology
IncisorTV commercial for CSR – BlueCore7
17
white space/4G/m2m news
Test solution for VoLTE
enables LTE-based
voice services
The latest Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) test
solution for LTE is based on the R&S
CMW500 wideband radio communication
tester with new options and the R&S UPV
audio analyzer. The R&S CMW500 emulates
an LTE network and the R&S UPV assesses
the voice transmission and voice quality of
the LTE user equipment according to an
objective set of test criteria. The analyzer
uses a perceptual objective listening quality
analysis (POLQA) measurement algorithm to
perform this task. The solution also tests
whether the LTE user equipment can signal a
voice call and how it performs under realistic
network conditions.
R&S told Incisor that the CMW-KAF10 option
is particularly aimed at equipment developers
who deal with the relevant R&D scenarios for
VoLTE. The R&S CMW-KAC10 option is
designed for carrying out conformance tests.
Rohde & Schwarz offers test cases for text
messaging (SMS) services over LTE as well.
The R&S CMW500 also makes it possible to
verify the handover of a VoLTE voice channel
from LTE to WCDMA in line with the single
radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) standard.
The SRVCC standard specified by 3GPP
describes how user equipment can perform
the handover from the LTE packet switched
bearer to a WCDMA circuit switched bearer
during an active VoLTE voice connection.
This ensures that the connection does not
drop when changing bearer services, even if
there is insufficient LTE network coverage.
Because LTE is an IP-based network, it did
not originally support voice and SMS
services. The focus was instead on mobile
data services due to LTE’s high transmission
rates and large capacity. Until very recently,
LTE-compatible user equipment handled
voice calls by switching automatically to
other mobile radio standards such as GSM
or WCDMA. VoLTE now provides for LTE
voice services that are based on IP
multimedia subsystems (IMS). Network
operators and manufacturers of mobile user
equipment are using this technology in order
to fully utilize the LTE infrastructure in the
future.
China cellular M2M
revenue to exceed $2.7
billion in 2016
According to ABI Research, the M2M market
is largely characterized by cellular module
shipments and connections. ABI told Incisor
that China’s cellular connection revenue,
which constitutes more than one-third of the
Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) M2M market, is
expected to grow from $642 million in 2011
to $2.76 billion in 2016.
Jake Saunders, vice president of forecasting
commented, “China’s latest economic five-
year-plan has placed the ‘Internet of Things’
as a key, strategic national industry initiative
for the country. Carriers have made
significant progress through 2011 in terms of
developing technologies, unified platforms,
applications, and strategic cooperation.”
Saunders believes that China Mobile started
M2M development early, positioning it as its
third wave of its long-term business
offerings. It has also moved into developing
M2M standards and promoting economies of
scale, positioning itself as an integrator with
no real focus on an end-to-end solution
approach. China Unicom has launched
sector-specific M2M applications such as
Bank New Horizon, Ocean New Horizon, and
Logistics New Horizon. In addition, China
Unicom has also made inroads into the
telematics market as a telematics service
provider (TSP). China Telecom is apparently
a late-comer in the domestic M2M market
and is seeking to gain fast market entry by
offering value-added services through their
strong relationships with enterprise clients.
ABI believes that the cellular module market,
a key measure of the M2M market currently,
www.incisor.tv
is facing growing commoditization and price
pressures from China-based module vendors.
These include not only SIMCom Wireless
Solutions, Huawei, and ZTE, but smaller
vendors as well, including Quectel, Neoway,
and Fibocom.
NTT DOCOMO and
Jasper Wireless push
M2M in Japan
Jasper Wireless, which develops connected
devices platforms for machine-to-machine
(M2M) and consumer electronics, has
announced an agreement with NTT DOCOMO
to wirelessly connect machine-to-machine
(M2M) and consumer electronics devices
across Japan. Jasper Wireless provides a
variety of M2M connections including but not
limited to telematics, consumer electronics
and m-health.
Cindy Patterson, executive vice president,
worldwide sales at Jasper Wireless told
Incisor, “The Japanese market has always
been at the forefront of innovation in
connected consumer electronics and
advancements in the automotive industry –
and DOCOMO has always been at the
vanguard of commercializing new
opportunities in mobile communications. In
working with DOCOMO, Jasper Wireless is
partnering with not only the market leader in
Japan, but also with an organization with a
track record in opening up new markets.”
Patterson observed that as consumer
electronics and M2M devices come to market
with embedded connectivity, market success
depends on finding the right business models
to service different verticals and consumers
globally. Her company, she suggested, has
developed the applications and services that
support flexible business models as well as
the automation of operational processes,
including custom device provisioning, instant
activation, real-time diagnostic tools and
detailed billing and usage reports, ensuring a
superior out-of-box end-user experience.
18 www.incisor.tv

events

DATE EVENT LOCATION NOTES LINK

March 20 - 22 ecobuild London., UK EnOcean Allianceexhibiting http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/

2012 energy harvesting wireless
solutions

April 15 - 20 light+building Messe Frankfurt, World’s biggest trade fair

2012 Franfurt, Germany for lighting & intelligent http://light-building.messefrankfurt.com
buildings

April 24 - 26 Bluetooth Special Renaissance - http://www.bluetooth.org

2012 Interest Group All Vancouver Hotel,
Hands Meeting Vancouver, Canada

June 12 - 14 Wi-Fi Alliance Toronto, Ontario, - http://www.wi-fi.org/events_

2012 member meeting Canada overview.php?id=351

June 27 - 28 European ZigBee Munich, Germany http://www.zigbee-devcon-europe.de/

2012 Developers
Conference

Jan 8 - 11 2013 International Las Vegas, Nevada, - www.cesweb.org

2013 CES USA

March 5 - 9 CeBIT Messegelande, - http://www.tradefairs.com

2013 Hanover, Germany

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