Entrepreneurs start wireless sourcing interest group

By siliconindia staff writer   |   Monday, 08 March 2004, 20:30 IST
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RICHARDSON: The Indus Entrepreneurs' (TiE) Dallas – Fort Worth chapter has initiated a new division devoted to the creation, expansion and exploitation of wireless opportunities. The Sourcing Interest Group's (SIG's) mission is to advance entrepreneurship and knowledge of wireless technologies and help develop Texas as the focal point for worldwide wireless intelligence. Dayakar Puskoor, founder and chief executive officer of JP Mobile will chair the SIG. Today, enterprises of all sizes are using secure wireless access for corporate data to saves costs, increase employee productivity and increase customer satisfaction. Wireless networks are being installed in hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and copy centers so customers have access to the Internet and their company information while they conduct business off-site. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, so small that they would fit within the period at the end of this sentence, are being attached to retail merchandise so that merchants can immediately send replenishment orders to distribution centers and suppliers when an item is sold. Miniaturized global positioning systems (GPS) are being attached to rail cars and tractor-trailer rigs to give instant location data to traffic schedulers at shipping companies. Devices are being installed inside rail cars and trailers to monitor the condition of the shipped goods. Satellite communication is available to automobile owners for use in emergencies or simply to unlock a vehicle. Utility meters are being read remotely. Some countries with under-developed communications systems are even skipping over copper and fiber cables and going directly to wireless. "The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Texas has a prime opportunity to capitalize on the knowledge and skills already existing in the area," said Puskoor. "Although the telecommunications industry may still be slightly depressed, the talent that exists in the state makes this a prime opportunity to launch a catalytic group of like-minded individuals to share knowledge and wisdom, and create a world center of wireless expertise." "This state is in a prime position to capitalize on wireless," said Pulin Patel, president of the TiE Association Chapter. "Major corporations located here are making miniaturized chip components, numerous telecommunications companies have large presence in the state devoted to wireless communications, scores of very smart people exist in the region both inside and outside of the university systems conducting far-reaching research in wireless applications, and an immense number of gifted entrepreneurs and capital investment activities are already in place, exploiting everything from device manufacture to software application development. The timing is just right for this SIG to exist.” The first public meeting of the TiE Wireless SIG is March 30, 2004. Additional information will be posted on the association website at www.tie-dfw.org. Membership is not required in the association to attend the meeting, but to be an active participant in the association or SIG does require membership.