Jamaica , N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 19, 2005–Concourse Communications expanded its WiFi coverage area in the New York City airports to include all public areas of Terminal One at JFK International Airport. Previously coverage existed only in Terminals 8 and 9. Terminal One becomes the first all-international terminal to be able to offer WiFi service to the 3800 average daily enplaning passengers and its tenants.

Concourse Communications Group offers wireless communications services at major U.S. airports and other commercial venues including the LaGuardia, JFK, Newark Liberty, Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan, Minneapolis/St. Paul International, Nashville International, Ottawa International, O’Hare, Midway and Toronto International (pending) airports. These systems provide wireless voice, data and video services supporting the public, commercial wireless service providers, airport operators and their tenants.

GLOBETrekker

Norsat Unveils GLOBETrekker - The Next Generation of Ultra-Portable Satellite Systems

Amsterdam, The Netherlands — (Market Wire) — 09/09/2005 — Norsat International, Inc. (TSX: NII) (OTC BB: NSATF) unveiled the new Norsat GLOBETrekker, a revolutionary “backpackable,” broadband satellite system, at the IBC 2005 Exhibition in Amsterdam. The GLOBETrekker is an intelligent, ultra-portable satellite system that enables users to establish a reliable broadband connection on short notice — anywhere in the world — even in harsh and hostile conditions. It is designed to be carried in a backpack, is airline checkable, and fits in small vehicles. It is helicopter- and parachute-friendly.

"This signals a significant development in the industry in three areas — portability, intelligence and durability," explained William Coyne III, president and CEO of Norsat. "No longer do you need to lug your transit cases to move your satellite system from place to place. Secondly, the GLOBETrekker has sophisticated ‘built-in intelligence.’ Our sensor-driven system manager automatically monitors and adjusts for environmental operating conditions such as moisture, sand and rain. This is significant as it means that the system can operate effectively even in harsh weather conditions. Thirdly, Norsat has added additional ruggedized features to enable the GLOBETrekker to be operational even in the most arduous situations. Norsat is setting a new standard for satellite communications."

William Coyne III, President and CEO of Norsat

The GLOBETrekker is particularly well suited for "grab-and-go" applications and "temporary situations" — where broadband communications need to be initiated quickly and on very short notice or on a temporary basis. Its ergonomically designed backpack and overall "quick-connect" design enables users to transport, assemble, operate and disassemble it quickly and discreetly. This is particularly appealing to journalists, disaster relief agencies, the military and first responders who are often given short notice of an assignment. This is also of interest to companies seeking an emergency backup system, luxury travelers, business owners and VIPs seeking to establish a reliable broadband connection while they are traveling.

The GLOBETrekker is equipped with sophisticated "built-in" intelligence. The GLOBETrekker’s Sensor Driven System Manager is housed in a single board computer, which acts as the nerve center of the entire system. It continuously monitors the internal environment of the system and automatically counters harsh weather elements (extreme temperatures, sand and humidity) by engaging built-in defenses. This latest system was designed to withstand harsh transport and operating conditions. The GLOBETrekker sports three physical layers of protection including a hard shell exterior, shock absorbing foam inserts and a shock-mounted baseband.

The GLOBETrekker supports data transmission rates of up to four megabits per second. It is capable of operating on multiple bands, including the Ku, Ka and X bands. The GLOBETrekker is a highly integrated system which includes a 1m carbon fiber antenna, RF electronics, motorized azimuth/elevation superstructure, motorized feed assembly, built-in inclinometer, compass, GPS and a baseband unit with a modem, spectrum analyzer, DVB-S receiver, Ethernet switch, DC-DC converter and shock protected chassis.

Norsat is accepting advance orders for the GlobeTrekker. Norsat can be found in Booth OEE145 in the Outdoor Europa Exhibit Area at IBC 2005 in Amsterdam, between September 9th and September 13th, 2005, and at Booth 1145 in the Canadian Pavilion section of DSEi at the ExCeL Centre in London, between September 13th and 16th, 2005.

GLOBETrekker Backpack

Norsat International, Inc. designs, engineers and markets intelligent satellite solutions for high-speed data transmission. For more than 25 years, Norsat has built a reputation in the field of satellite technology by providing its customers with innovative products and has sold more than 2.5 million products in 87 countries around the world. Norsat’s latest innovation is the Norsat OmniLink™ line of portable satellite terminal products that provide rapidly deployable broadband satellite data and video connectivity in areas where traditional communications infrastructure is insufficient, damaged, or non-existent. Norsat’s sectors of concentration include Health Care, Military, Emergency Services and Media.

Hitachi "Bling"

Berlin –(Business Wire)–Sept. 2, 2005– 8-GB "Mikey" & 30/60-GB "Slim" Hard Drives Stimulate New MP3 and Mobile Phone Designs. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies says high-capacity, miniature hard drives are the new jewelry or "bling" for their ubiquity and desirability among the consumer digerati (see "Hard Drive is the New Bling" video at http://www.hitachigst.com/harddrivebling). Hitachi’s latest "bling" are the industry’s smallest one-inch and lightest 1.8-inch hard drive, introduced in concept earlier this year under the monikers Mikey and Slim.

Hitachi anticipates these two hard drives will play key roles in the emergence of high-capacity smart phones, multi-function audio/video players and other handheld consumer devices. CE manufacturers across these segments have already designed Mikey and Slim into prototype consumer devices, the earliest of which are expected out this year.

The new drives feature a combination of CE-specific features, such as higher capacity on smaller footprints, easier integration with a ZIF connector, industry-first CE-ATA interface, significantly lower power consumption for longer device battery life and industry-leading shock protection through a number of technologies, including a new drop sensor.

"We believe the hard drive — especially miniature hard drives — has become the must-have accessory for today’s portable electronic devices; in consumer electronics, the hard drive has truly become the new ‘bling’ for both the valuable and priceless data they carry," said Bill Healy, senior vice president, marketing, HDD business planning and strategy, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "Mikey and Slim offer the unique combination of small physical size and high capacity to give new categories of devices — like smart phones — the benefit of more powerful applications that require multiple gigabytes of capacity at an affordable price."

Mikey — Microdrive 3K8

Mikey, officially called the Hitachi Microdrive 3K8, will be available with 6 and 8 gigabytes(a) (GB) of storage capacity and, yet, is nearly 20-percent smaller and consumes 40 percent less power than its predecessor. The 3K8 is also the first hard drive to offer the CE-ATA interface, which is designed to support the specific relationship between small-form-factor hard drives and the handheld consumer electronic devices in which they are embedded.

In addition, Hitachi is deploying drop-sensor technology on the new Microdrive, which protects against data loss in the event of a drop. Acting like a sixth sense, Hitachi’s ESP or Extra Sensory Protection(TM) technology works by immediately parking the read-write head safely away from the surface of the disk when it detects a fall, preventing head/disk contact which may cause data loss.

ESP is activated during a drop of as little as four inches (10 cm) and effectively allows the operating-shock tolerance to mimic non-operating-shock tolerance, which in the 3K8 equates to 2000 Gs, the industry’s highest shock rating for a one-inch hard drive. ESP es expected to be especially useful in emerging hard-drive-based smart phones, which may experience greater user handling and, potentially, a greater number of drops than other types of consumer devices.  

Travelstar C4K60 Slim

Hitachi’s newest 1.8-inch drive, the Hitachi Travelstar C4K60 Slim, is 30-percent thinner than its predecessor, measuring 5 mm on the one-disk model. With its new physique, Hitachi says Slim is tougher and lighter than any other 1.8-inch drive on the market, for a total volume advantage of 10 percent.

Slim offers an upper capacity of 30- and 60-GB of storage on the one- and two-disk model, respectively. Slim, like Mikey, features a ZIF connector for ease of integration in consumer electronic devices. Both drives are using femto slider technology for improved shock performance and power consumption. Specifically, Slim features a 20-percent improvement in operating shock tolerance and offers the highest shock rating in its class.

Industry-first CE-ATA Support

In delivering the industry’s first product to support the CE-ATA, Hitachi is highlighting its commitment to create hard drives that meet the specific needs of CE device manufacturers, such as low pin-count, low voltage, power efficiency, cost-effectiveness and integration-efficiency.  The new CE-ATA interface, along with parallel ATA, will be available on all capacities of the Microdrive 3K8. Hitachi is also making the 3K8 available in the ATA on MMC interface. In addition, Hitachi plans future support for CE-ATA on its 1.8-inch Travelstar product line.

"Hard Drive is the New Bling" Drawing

As part of its new product introduction and effort to underscore the growing value of hard drives to consumers, Hitachi is offering web site visitors the opportunity to win real "bling." A gold and diamond-studded accessory will be given to 25 lucky winners to carry with their equally valuable hard-drive-based MP3 or mobile phone devices. The charms are each valued at USD $500.00.

Hitachi "Bling"

Interested US residents, eighteen years of age or older, who visit the Hitachi web site between September 2, 2005 and October 7, 2005 may find information on how to enter: http://www.hitachigst.com/harddrivebling. The drawing will take place on October 17, 2005. Winners will be notified by October 21, and prizes will be distributed by November 1, 2005.

Availability

The 6- and 8-GB versions of the Microdrive 3K8 are now shipping in limited quantities, with volume shipment planned for October. Hitachi’s ESP technology and support for the CE-ATA and ATA-on-MMC interfaces will be available starting in December.

The Travelstar C4K60 Slim will begin volume shipment of the 30-GB version at the end of this month. The 2-disk, 60-GB Slim model will ship in the first quarter of 2006.

(a) 1 gigabyte equals one billion bytes; accessible capacity may be less

 
    Technical Specifications
    ————————
 
    Microdrive 3K8 "Mikey"
 
    6/8 GB (PATA/CE-ATA/ATA on MMC)
    5 mm in height
    13 grams maximum weight
    3600 rpm
    8.33 ms average latency
    105 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
    1 glass disk platter
    2 GMR recording heads
    2000 G/1ms non-operating shock
    400 G/2ms operating shock
    12 ms average seek time
    190 mA current read/write for +3.3VDC
    20 mA current standby for +3.3VDC
    MB/sec maximum interface transfer rate 33 Ultra DMA mode-2
    1.8 Bels typical idle acoustics
    1.8 Bels typical operating acoustics
 
    Travelstar C4K60 "Slim"
 
    20, 30, 40, 60 GB
    5/5/8/8 mm in height
    46/46/57/57 grams maximum weight
    4200 rpm
    7.1ms average latency
    101 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
    1/1/2/2glass disk platter(s)
    2/2/4/4 GMR recording head(s)
    1500 G/1ms non-operating shock
    600 G/2ms operating shock
    15 ms average seek time
    1.0 W active read/write
    0.4 W active idle
    0.08 W standby
    MB/sec maximum interface transfer rate 100 Ultra DMA mode-5
    1.6/1.6/1.8/1.8 Bels typical idle acoustics
    2.2/2.2/2.4/2.4 Bels typical operating acoustics
 

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies was founded in 2003 as a result of the strategic combination of Hitachi’s and IBM’s storage technology businesses. Hitachi GST is the industry’s second largest hard disk drive manufacturer in revenue.

The company’s goal is to enable users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing access to large amounts of storage capacity in formats suitable for the office, on the road and in the home. The company offers customers worldwide a broad range of storage products for desktop computers, high-performance servers and mobile devices. More information on Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, is available on the company’s web site at http://www.hitachigst.com .

SEATTLE, WA — (MARKET WIRE) — 09/01/2005 — Technology companies InstantService and Direct Interactions are using the Workforce Recruitment Program provided by the Office of Disability Employment of the U.S. Department of Labor (http://www.dol.gov/odep/) to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to work from home. A growing segment of the outsourced call center industry is moving to a home-based worker model that is becoming known as "homesourcing."

The homesourcing model allows customer service providers to hire higher quality workers than are available to a traditional call center. The typical work-at-home agent has a college degree and is often an additional source of income for the household.

"Working from home helps our team to better balance work with the needs of their families," said Matt Storey, founder of Direct Interactions. "High satisfaction among our agents leads to satisfied customers and better results for our clients."

Using software provided by InstantService, Direct Interactions agents help online customers apply for loans using live chat. Web site visitors may have questions about the lending process, the status of their application, or the costs involved. A recent Direct Interactions client study measured customer’s live chat satisfaction at more than 92%.

"InstantService is excited to be a part of this unique partnership with Direct Interactions," says Scott Carlin, InstantService vice president of sales. "Our goal is to improve both the top and the bottom line of companies utilizing our communication technology. We offer an easy-to-use, efficient and accessible application that enhances the customer service experience. We are very pleased with the positive impact our technology has on our clients, their customers and their agents."

With InstantService and Direct Interactions, financial services are able to significantly increase the profitability of their web sites without large investments in technology, staff, or office space. After a two to four week implementation and training period, Direct Interactions agents are able to deliver a high level of service that has consistently exceeded the expectations of clients’ web site visitors.

Direct Interactions provides inbound customer contact services for sales and support in the financial services industry. Using the InstantService chat and email management suite, Direct Interactions agents have tools to provide online sales and customer support.

The key to the success of Direct Interactions is the staff. Through the Workforce Recruitment Program provided by the Office of Disability Employment of the United States Department of Labor, Direct Interactions agents have college degrees, families, and enjoy the opportunity to work from home according to their own schedule. By providing a worker-friendly environment, the staff feels it is able to provide a higher level of customer service than is typically available from traditional office-based workers. 

InstantService provides multi-channel customer communications for online sales and support. Their integrated live chat, email management, knowledge base, website analytics and lead capture solutions are designed to increase sales and improve customer support while reducing contact center costs. InstantService is a hosted application that integrates with existing ecommerce and CRM systems, facilitating relationships between companies and their customers.

Clients include America West Airlines, REI, H&R Block, Intuit, 3Com, McAfee, Xerox, Sento, Ditech, Sony Online Entertainment, Cendant, Ernst & Young, NEC Mitsubishi, and Venus Swimwear. For more about InstantService, visit http://www.instantservice.com