MicroBurst bursts onto data scene: Aeris gives wireless telemetry a new look

A facilitator of wireless data and messaging transmission is hoping to jump-start the sluggish wireless data sector by simplifying involvement of network operators.

Aeris Communications, a 5-year-old technology developer based in San Jose, created its MicroBurst technology to carry short bursts of data over the overhead control channel of a cellular network. The technology is designed for applications such as vending machine monitoring, vehicle location tracking, security system monitoring and utility meter reading.

In theory, Aeris' concept is on par with the Cellemetry service that BellSouth developed, and it is competitive with wireless data offerings such as cellular digital packet data (CDPD) and circuit-switched data. But those solutions require wireless network operators to adapt their systems to accommodate the additional hardware and software required to carry data.

Where MicroBurst is distinct, at least as far as Aeris is concerned, is in its simplicity. Rather than putting the onus on the public network carrier, Aeris maintains a service control point (SCP) and home location register hub on the nationwide SS7 network (see figure).

"We got feedback from the carrier community that rejected the idea of a gateway at the switch," said Dick Gossen, president of Aeris.

The MicroBurst devices issued to end users-the radios that transmit monitoring information-use non-dialable area codes and function as cellular roamers. When those devices connect to a wireless network, their transmissions are processed the same way a cellular roamer's would be and forwarded to Aeris, their home carrier. Aeris then transmits the data to whatever service provider is responsible for providing the telemetry-based offering to end users.

"Our radio devices are legitimate roaming cellular devices," Gossen said. "Every radio in the field has a mobile identification number and an electronic serial number."

With MicroBurst, the wireless network is merely an avenue over which transmissions travel, and network operators need to perform very little network alteration-no new hardware, no new software, no licensing fees-to participate.

"In essence, to enable MicroBurst, all [carriers] need is a point code translation into the switch to process MicroBurst just as they would any roamer," said Wade Vesey, vice president of sales and marketing at Aeris. Carriers that enable MicroBurst to be carried over their networks receive a straight percentage of revenue from roaming devices, he said.

"If all they want to do is enable their networks to carry MicroBurst, they just collect a check once a month," Vesey said. "Where MicroBurst makes its money is in counting packets through its hub."

To date, Aeris has signed agreements with Century Cellunet, Ameritech and Western Wireless to deploy MicroBurst technology.

Aeris views the national scale of the SS7 network as one of its greatest advantages. Companies that want to offer large-scale monitoring or tracking services-for example, railroads that want to track the location of their cars or overnight shipping companies that want to monitor their drop-boxes around the country-need only come to one central point to instantly get a nationwide footprint.

That is essentially a new take on wireless data development, which has traditionally been viewed as something that wireless network operators were required to market. Now, the challenge for Aeris is to work with end service providers to spur servicesthat will help the technology move ahead.

"We found that the greatest way to kick-start the industry was for a developer or integrator to come to one place to cut a nationwide deal," Vesey said. "The key thing is that we need to get applications that are truly large in volume-applications that will drive hundreds of thousands of units in the near term."

One of the companies Aeris is working with is Ademco, which Vesey referred to as "the Microsoft of the alarm and security world." The company is the largest manufacturer of security equipment electronics and essentially functions as an OEM supplier to providers of alarm and security services.

Ademco has been using a proprietary wireless technology to provide redundancy to its systems but found itself limited by coverage and difficult installation processes.

"We started looking at ways of getting into resale of public wireless networks," said Ivar Bazzy, manager of business development at Ademco. "We began to think that the best solution would be one based in the cellular system, but the problem was price. Airtime is still very expensive."

The company looked at RAM Mobile Data but found it too geographically limiting and too expensive, he said. Ultimately, Ademco settled on MicroBurst and signed manufacturing and service agreements with Aeris.

"It turns out that their solution is, in many ways, perfect for what we're trying to do," Bazzy said. "It provides the coverage of the cellular system, it's packet based and it's cheap." MicroBurst also provides a single point of contact to Ademco.

Ademco does use the RAM network to send data to security providers because of the limits of MicroBurst in the reverse direction, Bazzy said. MicroBurst is a two-way system in theory, but it is only capable of sending pre-programmed trigger messages over the downlink.

"It's about a one-and-a-half system," Bazzy said. "It can get any data up, but it can't receive arbitrary data."

With new capabilities that MicroBurst provides, Ademco is now looking beyond the security and alarming areas into additional wireless telemetry applications.

"We've been in the telemetry business for a long time, and the thing that's been holding it back is that the economics weren't right," Bazzy said. "If telemetry's going to happen, it's going to happen with MicroBurst."

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