US CA. : AirLink Communications announced another industry first, the introduction and commercial availability of its newest modems designed for CDMA 1x EV-DO wireless networks. The Raven-E and PinPoint-E modems are the first and only rugged intelligent modems available today for EV-DO networks, delivering maximum data speeds up to 2.4 Mbps. The commercial-grade products, which began shipping to customers in early November, have already been certified on Sprint and Alltel networks, and additional carrier certifications are scheduled for completion in early 2006.

The Raven-E and the PinPoint-E are designed with an Ethernet interface to enable easy configuration and installation, as well as take advantage of the higher data rates offered by EV-DO technology. The Raven-E platform is ideal for a wide range of business and industrial applications, such as remote monitoring and automation, primary and back-up data backhaul, disaster recovery, mobile enterprise and sales force automation. The PinPoint-E combines the robust functionality of the Raven-E with a built-in high-precision GPS receiver and an embedded location service application, which makes it perfect for markets like public safety, AVL, automated dispatch and asset tracking. The PinPoint-E also has a serial connector with available input lines for event monitoring and reporting.

The Raven-E and PinPoint-E EV-DO modems are powered by the AirLink Embedded Operating System (ALEOS) -- the longstanding industry benchmark for reliable and feature-rich embedded intelligence. With extensive capabilities like remote monitoring and configuration, packet-diagnostics and over-the-air firmware updates, ALEOS technology simplifies installation and maintenance of any solution. EV-DO technology enables truly mobile broadband performance with typical data speeds similar to DSL. Combined with the robust intelligence of ALEOS, the AirLink solutions are optimal for countless industrial and enterprise applications that require reliable always-on, pervasive connectivity.

GetWireless, an AirLink Authorized Dealer and beta tester for the new product launch, realized an immediate ROI from using the Raven-E modem as a backup internet connection when its own wireline network shut down over a three day period. "When we lost our internet connection, I plugged the Raven-E modem into our internal router, changed some settings, and was able to immediately regain internet connectivity," remarked Bryan Rasmussen, CIO of GetWireless. "All of our enterprise systems ran smoothly, including: email, accounting systems, merchant processing, and general internet browsing. We would have been helpless without the Raven-E."

"We're proud to be the first company to deploy a commercial-grade, rugged, intelligent modem offering for EV-DO," said Justin Schmid, AirLink senior vice president, marketing and business development. "But the real winners are the end customers who will benefit from the faster data transfer rates of EV-DO, combined with the security, reliability and intelligence of our Raven-E and PinPoint-E modems."

EV-DO stands for Evolution Data Optimized, the 3rd generation or 3G wireless technology from QUALCOMM. Offering high-speed data access to mobile users, EV-DO is also interoperable and backwards compatible to existing CDMA 1x networks, which have a broad nationwide footprint. With typical speeds of 400-700 Kbps and max speeds up to 2.4 Mbps, EV-DO offers a significant performance improvement compared to CDMA 1x.