By Rich Karpinski

May 20, 2011 2:53 PM

From enabling mobile apps to real-time policy and rating and more, a slew of innovative upstarts drew attention at this week’s show.

With “innovation” being a key theme for the entire event, this week’s TIA 2011 also gave a formal nod to some small, innovative telecom start-ups chosen by a panel of service providers and featured in an innovation showcase sponsored by the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley.

The startups focused on key problems from across the industry, including helping mobile operators to manage the mobile app onslaught to delivering new capabilities to move those same mobile networks to more sophisticated pricing modules.

For instance, Seven Networks is aiming to solve an increasingly pressing problem: alleviating the impact of session-heavy mobile apps on both end-user devices and carrier networks, said Christina, Trampota, Seven’s senior product marketing manager. “Users need help keeping their battery life up and their data usage under control,” she said, noting that carriers have an even greater need to minimize unnecessary sessions on their networks.

The company’s Open Channel platform sits in the network and works with a thin client on end user devices and through caching and intelligent management techniques can reduce network sessions by up to 70%, said Trampota. Seven Networks has worked in the past with device makers like Samsung – helping to power its Social Hub — but came to TIA with a new product and charter targeting mobile operators, she said.

Matrixx Software, meanwhile, is tackling the similarly large-scale problem of helping operators move more real-time policy and rating capabilities out to the edge of their networks, where they are needed to deliver more sophisticated pricing of mobile services, said Jennifer Kyriakakis, founder and vice president of marketing for Matrixx.

According to Kyriakakis, rating systems can usually handle sophisticated rating schemes, but in batch mode; or simple rating scenarios, but more in real-time. What mobile operators need are systems that can implement complex policies and services – like loyalty programs, data top-offs or upsells; and more – but do so in a real-time, transaction-heavy way that prevents carriers from both data leakage and bill shock scenarios that kick off costly revenue assurance processes, she said.

The rest of the Innovation showcase included:

3z, a manufacturer and value added distributor of antenna alignment technologies, specializing in GPS-based alignment tools, and next-generation alignment monitoring sensors.

Aegis Mobility, which develops context-based wireless applications that enable people to manage their mobile communications based on activity, location, time and personal preferences.

appMobi, provider of cloud-based tools and services for supporting large scale mobile app ecosystem and developer communities.

DeveloPeace Labs , which is focused on the design, develop and manufacture free open source end-to-end GSM infrastructure as a platform for profitable cellular services in Africa.

iKnowWare , which has created an mHealth platform delivers medicine reminders, remote data collection, and other medical information by SMS or MMS.

WirelessCraft , which is focused on reducing energy consumption at wireless cell sites, data centers, and other telecom locations.

San Jose, Ca, May 10, 2011 – The Telecom Council of Silicon Valley has partnered with TIA 2011: Inside the Network, held May 17 – 20, 2011 in Dallas, Texas, to highlight startup innovation at the show. The Telecom Council Showcase, located at booth 417, will ensure that TIA 2011 attendees leave the show having seen new products, tried new services, heard new ideas, and met new companies that are pushing the envelope of the telecom industry.

8 early-stage products were chosen to be highlighted in the showcase from 100s of applications by a panel of Telecom Council member judges from AT&T, BT, Ericsson, Huawei, NTT, Verizon and more. The companies selected to be included were judged on standard Telecom Council criteria – innovation, momentum, viability, and management.

In addition to highlighting these innovations on the show floor, showcasing companies will be presenting live on the main stage on the show floor on 5/18 and 5/19 1:30-2:00pm.

The technologies being highlighted in the Innovation Showcase vary – from antennae and cloud computing solutions to location-based and mHealth services. Participating companies include:

• 3z – http://3ztelecom.com/
• Aegis Mobility – www.aegismobility.com
• appMobi – www.appmobi.com
• DeveloPeace Labs – www.developeace.com
• iKnowWare – www.iknowware.com
• MATRIXX Software – www.matrixxsw.com
• SEVEN Networks – www.seven.com
• WirelessCraft – www.wirelesscraft.com

More on these companies and how the Innovation Showcase works at http://telecomcouncil.com/TIA2011

About Telecom Council of Silicon Valley:

The Telecom Council of Silicon Valley is Where Telecom Meets Innovation. We connect the companies who are building communication networks, with the people and ideas that are creating it – by putting those companies, research, ideas, capital, and human expertise from across the globe together in the same room. Last year, The Telecom Council connected over 1,000 executives from 500 telecom companies and 25 fixed and wireless carriers across 40 meeting topics. By joining, speaking, sponsoring, or simply participating in a meeting, there are many ways telecom companies of any size can use the Telecom Council network. For more information and to join our invitation list, visit www.telecomcouncil.com.

“We are extremely excited about this invitation from the Telecom Council to present our Antenna WASP platform at the Innovation Showcase during TIA 2011. We believe our product addresses an area that all carriers need and want. Now, both potential after market and OEM clients will have the opportunity to experience it live on stage”, said Enzo Dalmazzo, Managing Principal and Founder of 3Z.

The Antenna WASP is a monitoring sensor solution that is mounted on the back of any standard wireless antenna, offering constant tilt, roll and azimuth data once an hour, 24 hours a day. It is 100% wireless using ZigBee® technology, so no wiring is necessary up to the antennas. Antenna WASP uses a military grade 20-year lifespan battery for power, so it is meant to outlast the antenna host where it is mounted. The solution offers access to captured data via a GUI that can be accessed at the tower site via Ethernet, or remotely at a NOC over a secured internet connection. Carriers and Service Providers can use the real time data to learn exactly what areas of their network are affected during significant events. Carriers will be able to pinpoint those areas that require immediate assistance, and therefore not have to rely on human observance to determine the state of their antenna alignment during and right after any natural or other disaster.

Antenna WASP’s live stage presentation at TIA 2011 comes after an extremely successful launch of the platform during the CTIA 2011 Show in Orlando Florida, back in March. “Ever since the debut of our platform in Orlando, we have been inundated with multiple Carrier and OEM trial requests of our product. As a result of this past event, we are currently on formal conversations with several US carriers, 2 Asia-Pacific carriers, and at least 3 OEM potential clients, for the licensing of our technology to be potentially build into new antenna products”, said Francisco Laboy, Director of Business Development for 3Z. The young company also looks forward to taking advantage of TIA‘s international reach, to meet potential new channel partners interested in taking their new monitoring platform into global markets.

About Telecom Council of Silicon Valley
Innovation Showcase at TIA 2011® 
May 17 – 20, 2011
 Gaylord Texan Resort, Dallas Texas

The Telecom Council of Silicon Valley is Where Telecom Meets Innovation. We connect the companies who are building communication networks, with the people and ideas that are creating it – by putting those companies, research, ideas, capital, and human expertise from across the globe together in the same room. Last year, The Telecom Council connected over 1,000 executives from 500 telecom companies and 25 fixed and wireless carriers across 40 meeting topics. By joining, speaking, sponsoring, or simply participating in a meeting, there are many ways telecom companies of any size can use the Telecom Council network. For more information and to join our invitation list, visit www.telecomcouncil.com.

About 3Z Telecom

3Z Telecom, a member of NATE (North American Tower Erectors Association), is a manufacturer and value added distributor of antenna alignment technologies, specializing in GPS-based alignment tools, and next-generation alignment monitoring sensors. 3Z Telecom is the trusted choice of wireless carriers and wireless contractors in the US and selective international markets. Founded in 2006, 3Z Telecom is based in Miramar, Florida, and provides wireless carrier antenna network alignment products and services to both wireless carriers and wireless contractors worldwide. For more information, visit www.3ztelecom.com.

Miramar, Florida – 3Z Telecom, Inc. (3Z), a leading provider of wireless network antenna alignment technology products, today announced that it will be exhibiting at Booth #444 in the Tower Technology Summit Conference, at the International CTIA Wireless 2011® show. 3Z Telecom will be featuring their new product, Antenna WASP (Wireless Antenna Sensor Pod), a new pioneering antenna alignment monitoring technology for wireless carrier networks.

Alignment monitoring is one of the last frontiers in the quest to enhance and ensure outdoor antenna network health and efficiency. Wireless carriers lack an effective and efficient way to monitor their antennas and ensure that they are properly aligned. Carriers have, for a long time, relied on rudimentary processes to align their antenna networks including compass-based techniques. More recently, they have instituted newer and more reliable GPS-based technologies as mandatory for antenna alignment. However, none of these methods address the constant changes and potential errors in antenna alignment caused by natural phenomenon, or human error. “Antenna Alignment monitoring was simply exclusive of particular antenna manufacturing standards, that have been adopted by less than 7% of carriers in the US and globally. There was simply no standard-agnostic alignment monitoring solution in the market, until now”, said Francisco Laboy, Business Development Director for 3Z.

The Antenna WASP is a monitoring sensor solution that is mounted on the back of any standard wireless antenna, offering constant tilt, roll and azimuth data once an hour, 24 hours a day. It is 100% wireless using ZigBee® technology, so no wiring is necessary up to the antennas. “It is extremely un-obstructive. It offers an outstanding lifespan, surpassing that of the antenna it is mounted on. To be exact, each Antenna WASP sensor is designed to last up to 20 years, providing constant data for that period of time every hour”, added Laboy. The solution offers access to captured data via a GUI that can be accessed at the tower site via WiFi, or remotely at a NOC over a secured internet connection. Carriers and Service Providers can use the real time data to learn exactly what areas of their network are affected during significant events. “They can pinpoint those areas that require immediate assistance, and therefore not have to rely on human observance to determine the state of their antenna network during and right after any natural or other disaster.”

Antenna WASP will make its debut at the International CTIA Wireless 2011® show in Orlando, March 22-24. “We could not have picked a better venue to debut our new Antenna WASP solution”, said Enzo Dalmazzo, Managing Principal at 3Z. “We will use the show to demonstrate the solution live to our visitors, and to promote carrier trials that could start as early as April of 2011.” 3Z also looks forward to taking advantage of CTIA ‘s international reach, to meet potential new channel partners interested in taking their new monitoring platform into new global markets.

About CTIA

Tower Technology Summit at International CTIA Wireless 2011®
March 22 – 24, 2011
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
Visit the Tower Technology Summit at International CTIA WIRELESS 2011®, the largest and most comprehensive trade show in the wireless industry. It is the premier venue to exchange ideas, create partnerships and collaborate to bring wireless telecommunications to new heights. This show is the convergence of more than 1,200 exhibiting companies representing all facets of the wireless industry, where more than 40,000 professionals from over 125 countries meet, all working toward the common goal of revolutionizing the wireless industry.

About 3Z Telecom

3Z Telecom, a member of NATE (North American Tower Erectors Association), is a manufacturer and value added distributor of antenna alignment technologies, specializing in GPS-based alignment tools, and next-generation alignment monitoring sensors, 3Z Telecom is the trusted choice of wireless carriers and wireless contractors in the US and selective international markets. Founded in 2006, 3Z Telecom is based in Miramar, Florida, and provides wireless carrier antenna network alignment products and services to both wireless carriers and wireless contractors worldwide. For more information, visit www.3ztelecom.com.