Back-Up Plan

JUST BECAUSE SECOND-GENERATION cellular technologies have been overshadowed by their faster, more-hyped siblings does not mean they do not have their uses in a mobile world, and some companies have set out to prove just that with devices that provide high-speed connectivity over older systems. We have networks that are here that are extremely useful and underutilized, contends John Daly, vice president of business development and marketing for Junxion Inc., developer of the Junxion Box wireless WAN router.

Those networks Edge, UTMS, GPRS and so on are experiencing rejuvenated use thanks to devices such as the Junxion Box, which provides high-speed IP connectivity over 2G cellular networks. Not only is such a capability useful to mobile professionals, it is ideal for retailers, health care workers, the financial industry, homeland security and other verticals, says Junxions Daly. For resellers, the immediate market opportunity, retail, is huge. Theres such an obvious ROI there. One area we didnt expect [the Junxion Box to address] is landline replacement and then landline failover.

Among other functions, the Junxion Box provides fail over capabilities until a users high-speed Internet connection returns.

The Junxion Box wireless WAN router uses proprietary software to connect devices such as laptops, desktops, retail point-of-sale terminals and remote monitoring systems with the latest cellular data services from wireless carriers, according to Junxion. The box supports plug-and-play use of all cellular backhaul technologies and the various air card modems needed to access the networks. If a companys DSL or cable modem line goes down, the Junxion Box switches the data over to a pre-selected carrier, providing failover capabilities until the high-speed Internet connection returns.

As carriers upgrade their networks, so will Junxion update the software for its boxes, the company says. Junxion so far has earned Sprint Nextel Corp. and Cingular Wireless certification. The Junxion Box also works with Verizon Wireless and Alltel Corp. Inc. services, but it has not been qualified by those carriers. Speeds typically vary from dial-up to low-end DSL. Thats a broad range but thats where it lies and it depends on where you are, Daly notes. As carriers get their 3G networks off the ground, speeds will improve to typical DSL rates, at least on the download, Daly adds. Both the EV-DO and HSPDA networks deployed today provide significantly faster downloads than uploads. Uplinks are comparable to a 56kbps dial-up connection, but this will change when EVDO Rev A and HSDPAs next iteration are introduced next year.

The Junxion Box retails for $499-$699 per unit. Junxion sells it under OEM arrangements with carriers or through value-added distributor Trio Teknologies (TrioTek), which supplies hundreds of resellers. Solutions providers can team up with TrioTek as a reseller or work as an independent rep, earning the activation commission on the wireless data service while letting Junxion and TrioTek handle the overall deployment. That alternative is called Junxion Complete. These guys can just focus on finding the opportunities for landline backup or remote security, contract Junxion and TrioTek to do the installation, and move on to other customers, says Daly. He adds the money is in the service activation, as opposed to the hardware, as is typical of the wireless industry.

Box of Tricks

Applications supported by the Junxion Box include:

• Landline Replacement Data service alternative
• Landline Failover Data service back-up
• Telemetry Data service for retail pointof- sale systems, ATM machines, kiosks, monitoring/control
• Portable Networks Event connectivity, mobile work teams, disaster response, visitor connectivity, telecommuting
• Security Remote data connectivity for security devices (video, audio, sensors, etc.)
• Mobile Data service for fleet vehicles
• Mobile Failover Back-up connectivity to existing wireless services within vehicles
• Public Transit Data service for busses, trains, vanpools, including GPS, monitor/control, passenger connectivity plus remote security devices (video, audio, etc.)
• Private Transit Data service for shuttles, vanpools, carpools, taxis, limousines, including GPS, monitor/control, passenger connectivity