Sierra Wireless

Infobox Company
company_name = Sierra Wireless, Inc.
company_
company_type = Public
nasdaq|SWIR, tsx|SW
foundation = Vancouver, BC (1993)
location = Richmond, BC
key_people = Charles Levine (Chairman of the Board), Jason W. Cohenour (CEO)
industry = Communication equipment
products = Wireless PC cards, ruggedized modems, embedded modules
revenue = gain$221.3 million USD (2006) [cite web|url=http://www.sierrawireless.com/resources/corporate/documents/2006%20Financial%20Statements/2006_Annual_Report.pdf|title=Sierra Wireless 2006 Annual Report|accessdate=2007-06-03]
operating_income =
net_income = gain$9.8 million USD (2006)
num_employees = 224 [cite web|url=http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=SWIR|title=SWIR: Profile for Sierra Wireless|accessdate=2006-06-27] (180 in Vancouver) [cite web|url=http://www.vancouver.com/jobs/vancouver_job_info/top_companies/index.htm|title=Top Companies in Vancouver|accessdate=2006-06-27]
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.sierrawireless.com www.sierrawireless.com]
footnotes =

Sierra Wireless (nasdaq|SWIR, tsx|SW) is a wireless communications equipment designer and manufacturer, founded in 1993 and currently headquartered in Richmond, BC, Canada. Sierra's products are sold through indirect channels, such as wireless operators (e.g., Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless), resellers, and OEMs. [cite web|url=http://www.sierrawireless.com/resources/corporate/documents/2006%20Financial%20Statements/2006%20Q1%20Quarterly%20Report.pdf|title=Sierra Wireless 2006 Q1 Quarterly Report|accessdate=2006-06-27]

On March 6, 2007, Sierra Wireless announced its purchase of Hayward, California-based AirLink Communications, a privately held developer (and supplier) of wireless data solutions, for $27 million in cash and stock. [cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070306/sierra_wireless_airlink.html|title=Sierra Wireless to Buy AirLink|date=2007-03-06|accessdate=2007-04-10]

On August 5, 2008, Sierra Wireless announced its purchase of Junxion, producers of the Linux-based mobile wireless access points and network routers. [ [http://www.sierrawireless.com/news_events/news.aspx?year=1&contentid=80E8D22E-DD79-451A-8EC0-8C84C437E808 Sierra Wireless Completes Asset Purchase Agreement with Junxion, Inc.] ]

Sierra's core product areas are:
* AirCard products
* Mobile in-vehicle solutions (ruggedized vehicle mount modems)
* Embedded modules for OEMs
* Software solutions

Sierra's main competitors include Option Wireless NV, Novatel Wireless Inc., Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Huawei, Kyocera Wireless and ZTE. [cite web|url=http://google.brand.edgar-online.com/fetchFilingFrameset.aspx?FilingID=4296755&Type=HTML|title=Sierra Wireless 40-F Filing for the period ended 12/31/2005|accessdate=2007-03-09]

AirCard

A laptop equipped with an AirCard Type II PC card, ExpressCard, or USB modem provides the mobile user with access to a wireless wide area network.

Current Models: [cite web|url=http://www.sierrawireless.com/product/pccard.aspx|title=Sierra Wireless PC Card Series|accessdate=2006-06-27]
* AirCard 881 - 3G 3.6 Mbit/s HSDPA/HSUPA/UMTS (tri-band: 850/1900/2100 MHz bands), EDGE/GPRS (quad-band)
* AirCard 881U - 3G 3.6 Mbit/s HSDPA/HSUPA/UMTS (tri-band: 850/1900/2100 MHz bands), EDGE/GPRS (quad-band)
* AirCard 875 - 3G 3.6 Mbit/s HSDPA/UMTS (tri-band: 850/1900/2100 MHz bands), EDGE/GPRS (quad-band)
* AirCard 875U - 3G 3.6 Mbit/s HSDPA/UMTS (tri-band: 850/1900/2100 MHz bands), EDGE/GPRS (quad-band)
* AirCard 850 - 3G 1.8 Mbit/s HSDPA; Backwards compatible to UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM (Europe)
* AirCard 775 - EDGE and GSM/GPRS (quad-band: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequency bands)
* AirCard 595 - 3G EV-DO Rev A; backwards compatible to EV-DO and CDMA 1x
* AirCard 580 - 3G EV-DO Rev 0; backwards compatible to CDMA 1X
* AirCard 595U - EV-DO Revision A, USB
* AirCard 597E - 3G EV-DO Rev A; backwards compatible to EV-DO and CDMA 1x
* Compass 597 - 3G EV-DO Rev A; backwards compatible to EV-DO and CDMA 1x

Note: U suffix denotes USB connectivity

Discontinued Models: [cite web|url=http://www.sierrawireless.com/product/legacy_products.aspx|title=Sierra Wireless Legacy Products|accessdate=2006-06-27]
* CDMA
** AirCard 555
** PC3300 (Sprint), CDMA2000 1X (1900 MHz)
** AirCard 550 (Sprint)
** AirCard 510 (Sprint, Bell)
* GSM
** AirCard 750
** AirCard 710
* AirCard 860 - 3G 1.8 Mbit/s HSDPA; backwards compatible to UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM (North America)
* CDPD
** AirCard 300 PC Card

Announced, to ship:
* Q2 2008 - Compass 885 - 3G 3.6 Mbit/s HSDPA/HSUPA/UMTS (tri-band: 850/1900/2100 MHz bands), EDGE/GPRS (quad-band)

Voq Professional Phone

Main Article: Sierra Wireless Voq

The Voq Professional Phone is a tri-band Smartphone based on a 200 MHz Intel XScale PXA262 processor with stacked flash memory, running on Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 edition. Announced on October 8, 2003, the product combines elements of a mobile phone, a personal messaging device, and a PDA with such distinctive features as a flip-open QWERTY thumbpad (in addition to the familiar 12 key dial pad). [cite web|url=http://www.sierrawireless.com/news_events/news.aspx?year=2003&contentid=EC66D7D4-A958-4979-AA44-F03BD3F64CA0|title=Sierra Wireless Announces Voq Professional Phones with Innovative E-Mail Solution for Business Users|date=2003-10-08|accessdate=2006-06-26]

Despite being awarded the British Columbia Technology Industries Association (BC TIA) "Excellence in Product Innovation Award" in 2004, Sierra Wireless' entry into the competitive Smartphone market eroded their embedded module sales. On July 7, 2005, Sierra Wireless announced they would be exiting the "Voq Professional Phone initiative". [cite web|url=http://www.voq.com|title=Voq Professional Phone website|date=2006-07-07|accessdate=2006-06-26]

Models:
* A10 - 900/1800/1900 bands (Europe)
* A11 - 850/1800/1900 bands (North America)

Software Bundles:
* VoqMail Personal Edition
* VoqMail Professional Edition

ee also

* Mobile data terminal

External links

* [http://www.sierrawireless.com Sierra Wireless home page]

References