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Press Releases
06/28/07
KYOCERA Passport KPC650 PC Card, KR1 Mobile Router and 200 Module win M2M Magazine's Prestigious Value Chain Awards
British Petroleum and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission honored for successful, cost-effective Kyocera-powered solutions
San Diego, CA - (June 28, 2007) - - Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless handsets and devices, along with two end-user customers and a team of technology partners, won Value Chain Awards from M2M Magazine for innovative machine-to-machine (M2M) technology solutions that improved business processes and customer service while increasing return on investment for the corporate adopters. The Kyocera Passport KPC650 PC Card and the Kyocera KR1 Mobile Router were awarded gold honors for enabling secure, high-speed mobile networks to power field communications and reporting for British Petroleum (BP) technicians. For the fourth consecutive year, the Kyocera 200 Module was recognized by the Value Chain committee and awarded bronze honors for enabling real-time, always-on CDMA wireless communication for Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) roadside emergency call boxes designed to improve highway emergency procedures and safety standards in California.
"These Value Chain awards highlight Kyocera's leadership in both the M2M and data solutions categories and demonstrate Kyocera's growing portfolio of cutting-edge products that are flexible and easy to integrate with other leading technology providers for innovative new applications," said Dean Fledderjohn, general manager of the M2M product line at Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Time and time again, CDMA-based M2M technology has proven a smart investment for businesses across multiple industries and government agencies to meet and exceed performance goals and maintain a competitive edge in today's fast-paced business environment."
The Value Chain Awards honor the most successful corporate adopters of M2M technology along with the team of solution providers that made their success possible. The awards highlight the process of combining multiple technologies - such as device-connectivity hardware, radio modules, network services and application software - and showcase how all the elements of the M2M value chain work together to create winning solutions for the end customer.
"We chose BP and MTC for Value Chain Awards because both companies adopted M2M applications that demonstrate how the cooperation of multiple technology providers enable ingenious solutions to increase performance and customer satisfaction while containing costs," said Peggy Smedley, editorial director and publisher, M2M Magazine. "The M2M market is at an exciting juncture in its growth where teams of technology providers are working together to combine telemetry and next-generation wireless applications that increase business value as well as drive M2M adoption."
British Petroleum Brings Safety Standards and Productivity to the Next Level
To meet the goals of a 2007 initiative to reduce field accidents, improve driver safety and improve field communications and productivity, BP worked with Sapias and a team of technology providers to integrate a sophisticated, two-pronged M2M solution. The award-winning solution utilizes GNX-10 LMU telemetry units in BP field service vehicles to give management and field technicians the ability to communicate in real time as well as to provide instantaneous GPS information while monitoring an extensive menu of onboard diagnostics such as driver speed, seat belt engagement, acceleration/deceleration rates, drive time, idle time and other mission-critical data. The solution includes a powerful alert engine that keeps BP personnel informed of critical conditions as they occur - wherever they are working. GPS information optimizes fleet operations by providing real-time visibility of the proximity of trucks to other resources and locations, actual routes driven and the location of nearest service station, among other benefits.
The Kyocera KR1 Mobile Router and Passport KPC650 PC Card leverage the CDMA EV-DO network to provide secure, mobile, high-speed Internet for technicians in the field - via both a Wi-Fi hot spot that surrounds the vehicle as well as a wired Ethernet connection to a laptop dock located in the vehicle. The Kyocera KR1 Mobile Router takes a single EV-DO broadband connection via the Kyocera Passport EV-DO PC card and creates a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot for multiple PCs using 802.11b&g technology, delivering download speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps (similar to wired broadband). With the Kyocera portion of the BP solution in place, technicians are able to bring their laptops close enough to the pipeline to read embedded monitors that instantly assess the health, productivity and safety of the pipeline, allowing technicians to immediately send reports back to command central or download schematics and plans to make on-the-spot repairs. In turn, management can also respond in real time to provide instruction on immediate next steps.
Early results are outstanding, with driver safety violations diminishing and the number of accidents decreasing. With improved driving records, BP expects to realize significant cost savings on insurance rates as well as fuel savings as average vehicle speeds continue to decrease. In addition, improved field communication has greatly improved productivity allowing technicians to increase the number of jobs assigned per quarter as well decrease the amount of overtime hours worked as less time is wasted in the field.
MTC Call Boxes Ensure Always On Communications - Now and in the Future
Motorist aid call boxes have been on the sides of California roads since the mid 1960s to provide stranded and/or endangered travelers with a way to communicate in emergency situations. To accommodate municipalities that upgraded communication systems to CDMA digital technology as well as to provide voice communications in addition to data, the MTC recently upgraded more than 4,100 call boxes with Comarco roadside units that integrate the Kyocera M200 Module for always-on voice and data communications. Solar powered by SunWize panels and battery backup, they are easily installed on a simple roadside pole and are designed for remote programming and software upgrades. Each box is pre-programmed to be answered by a call center, 911 center or local highway patrol or police department who can then dispatch help immediately. The new cost-effective boxes eliminate expensive and time-consuming trenching required by conventional landline systems and are ideal for even the most remote, hard-to-reach locations where call boxes are likely to be moved or relocated. In addition, the Kyocera M200 integration enables next-generation carrier upgrades without the need for costly equipment overhauls and provides the technical flexibility for the MTC to explore other call box uses such as transmission of traffic-related data to improve emergency management activities.
About Kyocera Wireless M2M Modules
Kyocera Wireless offers a suite of three machine-to-machine wireless modules designed to enable real-time communications over CDMA 1xRTT networks. The Kyocera 300 Module builds off the award-winning Kyocera 200 Module, integrating the latest Qualcomm chipsets for a significantly smaller form factor, lower power consumption, and extended operating temperatures while also adding stand-alone GPS capability to digital voice and packet data communications. The Kyocera 300 Module is ideal for telematics and fleet applications as well as small, integrated asset tracking devices.
The low-cost Kyocera 1xD Module is designed for data-only M2M telemetry applications requiring basic connectivity with a small, inexpensive and rugged module. It is ideal for remote metering, monitoring and alarm applications among others.
Kyocera Wireless is known globally for its long-term presence and support of the M2M industry and enabling world-class M2M applications. Kyocera offers its modules with outstanding integration tools and services, as well as optional developers' kits. For more information or details of features, sales, support and case studies, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com/m2m-business.
About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA wireless devices and accessories for customers worldwide. Kyocera Wireless maintains an operating belief in the genius of simplicity and strives to make the wireless experience as simple and intuitive as humanly possible. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Based in San Diego, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. For more information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com.
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2006, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$10 billion (JP¥ 1,181,489 million) with net income of approximately US$596 million (JP¥ 69,696 million).
