Ericsson Broadband Modules Slated for Dell, Lenovo, LG and Toshiba Laptops

Ericsson has announced a new mobile-broadband module, the F3607gw, for connecting to HSPA/GPRS/EDGE networks. The module - whose name is less cumbersome if you consider the g is for GPS and the w is for "wake-on wireless" - will be released in June.
 
Three features in particular set the new module apart: support for the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, a 50-percent reduction in energy use, compared with the previous version, and a wake-on wireless feature that enables users to remotely wake a notebook or netbook from sleep mode.
 
The wake-on technology makes several security features possible, such as the ability to disable the computer in case of theft. In combination with embedded GPS capabilities, it can also enable operators to offer services such as remote manageability, security updates and asset protection and tracking.
 
The security aspects more specifically come courtesy of Intel's Anti-Theft PC Protection Technology. The Ericsson module acts as a bit of a middleman; SMS security messages can be sent to the module, which relays the message to the Intel Anti-Theft function inside the processor platform, which can take steps such as locking down the device and rendering it unusable.
 
Dell, LG Electronics, Lenovo and Toshiba have all signed on as customers. Once the modules are provider to them in June, Jan Backman, a director of marketing with Ericsson, says he expects devices with embedded modules to be on shelves by the mid-second-half of this year.  
 
Backman says Ericsson has seen the prices of modules drop by almost half, and that working in the economies of scale that it does enables the company to make data capabilities more realistic for customers, particularly with the costs of a data plan involved.
 
"That's why we are in this market; to drive down the market costs," said Backman.
 
Ericsson has been in business for 130 years.
 
"The first 130 years we focused on voice," said Backman. "The next 130 will be on data."