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Ascom, a leading provider of mission-critical wireless solutions and security solutions to businesses, announced today that it will soon be releasing its IP-DECT (News - Alert) communications platform in North America.

The Ascom IP-DECT System combines the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard, operating in the Unlicensed-PCS spectrum (1920-1930 MHz), with emerging VoIP technologies, capitalizing on both packet data and dedicated high-quality wireless voice on a single network.

According to a company press release, the solution consists of three DECT 6.0 portable handsets and IP-DECT base stations – capable of transmitting and receiving voice packets wirelessly – which can be registered directly to an IP-PBX (News - Alert) (SIP or H.323 based) or to a TDM-PBX using the Ascom VoIP Gateway (News - Alert) (T1 Q-SIG or 5ESS based). As such, these phones use the DECT standard to handle VoIP calls wirelessly in an office building or other location – and can also be used for multi-site locations (providing there is a PBX in each location). With this modular, scalable wireless phone system, companies small and large can mobilize their workforces, save on communications costs and improve communications efficiency.

“Our IP-DECT communications solution presents existing and prospective customers with an interference-free wireless VoIP solution that is not only extraordinarily cost effective but also easy to deploy and maintain,” said Chad West, president of Ascom (US) Inc., in a press release. “We continue to expand and enhance our product offering to ensure that we maintain the most comprehensive on-site wireless communication technology portfolio. This platform truly enables the best of both worlds!”

The new phone system is expected to be available in Q2 2007.

In other news, Ascom Security Solutions announced earlier this month that it has landed a contract worth several million Swiss francs to supply its Transport Management System (TMS) to the Russian company Mitrapoint.

Specifically, Mitrapoint, a service company, will equip 15,000 of its vehicles with the TMS solution, which is used to track vehicles carrying high-risk goods. Using this solution, transport companies, taxi operators, vehicle rental companies, bus operators and firms engaged in security tasks can better manage and monitor their operations and scheduling. The system lets companies track and manage their vehicles, as well as record a wide range of vehicle-related data such as fuel consumption, mileage and operating times. In addition to providing full statistical evaluation of the data, the system provides bidirectional data communication between a company’s head office and the vehicles. This allows the end customer to significantly improve the organization and efficiency of its internal processes.

The system offers yet another unique benefit: In the event of theft, a vehicle equipped with the TMS can be located very precisely and returned to its owner.

Ascom also made news on TMCnet earlier this month when it announced that it had been selected by Avaya (News - Alert) to join the company’s DeveloperConnection program.

Ascom is also the developer of the FreeNET VoWiFi System for voice over WiFi; the i75 wireless handsets; and the UNITE Messaging Suite, a family of applications that deliver messages, alerts and data from any information system directly to on-site handsets, wide-area pagers, cell phones, PDAs and Blackberry devices.

For more information, visit www.ascom.com.

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Patrick Barnard is Assignment Editor for TMCnet and a columnist covering the telecom industry. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.