Set Yourself FREE! The Wireless DBA Julie Dunnam Principal Technical Specialist, OCP SCT Session 36022

Objective  To relate information for IT professionals seeking to increase their free time by investing in a wireless solution.

Related Sessions  Recommended or related sessions: – – Wireless Applications Development – A puppet show. – – Oracle Mobile and Wireless Technology Overview – – Leveraging Wireless Data and Collaboration in the communications Industry – – Developing Occasionally Connected Applications using Oracle 9iLite

DISCLAIMER  No endorsement is made, implied or inferred  Not being paid by any provider or manufacturer  Only represents what I have learned in my personal quest to find a wireless solution  Be sure to check out your solution, before being committed in a contract.

Heavyweight vs Liteweight Geek-Nerd vs Inconspicuous  Carry laptop, cell, PDA, GPS, and all the other junk you can find and strap it on a police issued toolbelt, or better yet, a couple of ammo belts from the local Army-Navy store.  The Nerd Jacket and Pants  One consolidated Solution (MY GOAL!)

Main Topics  Carriers  Devices  Functionality  Applications  Costs

Vocabulary/Definitions  TDMA – Time Division Multiple Access - A digital air interface technology used in cellular networks. TDMA allows multiple users to access a single radio frequency channel without interference by allocating unique time slots to each user within each channel.

GPRS  A GSM data transmission technique that transmits and receives data in packets instead of a dedicated channel.

Hot-Spot  Uses WiFi for WLANs. McDonalds, Starbucks, colleges and universities. Mostly in metropolitan areas.  T-Mobile is best known for these  Appear in Starbucks, Airports, Universities

Vocabulary Continued Neat Site for many wireless acronyms and definitions: ary5

Modes  Air interface transmission methods (such as analog, digital, or digital PCS) a phone can use to communicate with a wireless network.

Single mode  Only work on one type of network, such as analog or digital

Dual mode  Can work with both analog and digital networks.

Tri mode  Tri-mode phones (aka "dual band, dual mode" and "digital multi-network (DMN)") can work with analog, digital and digital PCS networks.

Wireless Technology ‘Bands’  A wireless network's operating system, enabling communication between a cellular phone and its carrier. The main interface technologies are GSM, GPRS, WiFi and Bluetooth  GSM(Global System for Mobile Communications) – 1900 – US Only Band / 900 – Non-US Band  WiFi – (Wireless Fidelity) – Relates to Hotspots  Bluetooth - Radio technology that enables devices such as computers, mobile phones and hands-free kits to be connected without cables up to 30 feet away. Provides complete wireless mobility.

Major US Carriers  AT&T – Best for international coverage  Cingular – Seems to be the provider of choice  Nextel – Not tested at time of print  Sprint – Large selection of devices, only unlimited data plan, coverage for DATA is sparse  T-Mobile – Claims a reciprocal agreement with AT&T and Sprint, with no roaming  Verizon – “Can you hear me now?”

Devices  Smart Phones – A class of wireless phone handsets with many features, and often a keyboard. What makes the phone "smart" is its ability to handle data, not only voice calls.  PDA – A portable computing device capable of transmitting data. These devices make possible services such as paging, data messaging, electronic mail, computing, facsimile, date book and other information handling capabilities  PocketPC – Phone Edition – A portable computing device capable of transmitting data. These devices make possible services such as paging, data messaging, electronic mail, computing, facsimile, date book and other information handling capabilities

Another solution  Hardware needed – Laptop – Cell phone – ~Data Jack –  Cost – Around $100 plus cell minutes

Cautions  Check the following – Roaming (Free or not)  A factor in the overall cost – Unlimited data or measured in Kbytes  Could make your bill soar!!! – Contract length  avoid getting in a long-term trap – Coverage areas  Take the coverage maps with a grain of salt

Features to Confirm  Memory  Battery Capacity – Talk time – Standby Time  Applications – Cost – Can you get what you need?

Relevant Web Sites to visit – ne.htm ne.htm – – –

COST  Sprint has only unlimited Data plan  Most carriers charge by KB downloaded  Generally device cost is between $300-$500.  Plans for voice(500 mins) plus data (minimal) run you slightly higher than normal cell usage  Real difference is in your utilization of wireless internet.  If you can, wait, prices will go down, while services and applications get better.

BONUS  Little Bitty Printers!!! – Small variety – Cost (Ruh-Roh!) – Kewl as kewl can be!!! – Thermal printing

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Set Yourself FREE! The Wireless DBA Julie Dunnam Principal Technical Specialist, OCP SCT Session 36022