THE FUTURE AS SEEN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

ROUGH STUFF

For obvious insurance and public relations reasons, you may never see “America's Ruggedest Videos” depicting the pratfalls, accidents and consequences of Murphy's Law that field technicians and their test equipment suffer.

However, at Itronix, an Acterna subsidiary and maker of ruggedized computing devices for the mobile environment, designers write the script for such a show. To build a laptop-computing device that survives nature's elements, short-tempered technicians, the laws of gravity and, yes, the scorch from a hot cup of Joe, designers must anticipate the worst. They must out-klutz the klutziest contractor and double-dare the most daring data hotshot.

Two decades of horror stories, field trials and development have culminated into a suite of case-hardened computing devices from Itronix — for telecom techs, the company built the GoBook MAX.

The GoBook Max's magnesium casing and shock-mounted hard drive help it withstand the impact from repeated instances of butterfingers. Technicians who live by the adage, “when it rains it pours” can now duck for cover and leave the laptop out in the rain while it downloads trouble tickets across the CDPD wireless network. “Telecom is the last business to adapt wireless into its [test] systems because they always had [access to] free dial tone,” said Jeff Thomas, marketing communications manager for Itronix.

The laptop works in both extreme heat and extreme cold, a Midwest problem looking for a solution if there ever was one. It has been tested under so many conditions that it will likely work even when technicians wish it wouldn't. At 6.2 pounds, the GoBook requires little more arm strength than the typical happy hour.

However, field test tools must do more than guard against abuse and bad karma. In fact, the company went so far as to build in its own “karma” with Common Radio Module Architecture, which enables techs to swap or upgrade wireless modem units in the field.

“The Internet-based download service helps upgrade remote users who don't get into the office,” said Brian Yurkiw, director of sales for Itronix.
— Tim McElligott
www.itronix.com

SATISFYING SECURITY

After taking a hard look at network security, wireless LAN technology company Agere Systems developed the WEPplus security software enhancement to its Orinoco wireless LAN-based networks.

Included in the company's Winter Software release, WEPplus became an element of all of its products at the end of November. The enhancement is expected to help prevent hacker programs such as AirSnort from exploiting any part of the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption standard, which is used in a majority of 802.11b wireless networks.

“The way we looked at it was the top three items our customers were concerned with were security, security and security,” said Richard Edgar, product manager of client products for Agere. “The reason we did it was to try to give people confidence back into the whole security mechanism in wireless.”

Agere supplies its WEPplus-enhanced Orinoco technology to various OEM manufacturers such as Dell and Gateway. “WEPplus is one element of the bigger security picture. Implementing it restores traffic and restores confidence, whether in the home, office or with the end-user using a credit card,” Edgar said.
— Kelly Carroll
www.agere.com

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