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Siemens Provides Key Infrastructure and Services to Deliver Wireless Internet Access across Washtenaw County, Michigan, Including Areas Limited by 'Slow-Speed' Dialup.


BOCA RATON Boca Raton (bō`kə rətōn`), city (1990 pop. 61,492), Palm Beach co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic; inc. 1925. Boca Raton is a popular resort and retirement community that experienced significant industrial development in the 1970s and 80s. , Fla. -- Siemens Communications, Inc. today announced that Internet Service Provider Internet service provider (ISP)

Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password.
 20/20 Communications of Ann Arbor, Michigan

“Ann Arbor” redirects here. For other uses, see Ann Arbor (disambiguation).
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County.
, is using Siemens solutions and services on the "Wireless Washtenaw Wireless Washtenaw is a plan to provide free wireless broadband access throughout Washtenaw County, Michigan by December 2007. As of March 2007, the pilot network provided access to downtown Ann Arbor, Manchester, and Saline. " project in Michigan's Washtenaw County. County officials developed the project to bring wireless broadband High-speed wireless transmission of data. What is "high" speed is always a changing number. Wireless systems are typically slower than land-based, wireline networks. In the past, wireless broadband started at 250 Kbps, whereas land-based broadband was generally considered to start at T1  service to all areas of the county, especially to suburban and rural residents who could only access the Internet using slower-speed dialup connections. Siemens and 20/20 have already begun installing wireless infrastructure in Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, city (1990 pop. 109,592), seat of Washtenaw co., S Mich., on the Huron River; inc. 1851. It is a research and educational center, with a large number of government and industrial research and development firms, many in high-technology fields such as , Saline, and Manchester as part of a pilot program that county officials expect will pave the way for full-scale deployment of services in 2007.

"This pioneering effort to provide a convenient, openly mobile and secure wireless Internet experience to everyone in the community regardless of their geographic location or economic status is of great importance to Siemens," said Dana Rasmussen, President, Sales and Services, Siemens Communications Inc. "Wireless Washtenaw will improve the quality of life and support economic growth in Washtenaw County, while serving as a model for other communities to follow."

The wireless initiative will bring free, basic wireless Internet access See how to access the Internet.  to anyone in the county and higher-speed access for a fee. Developed and funded without the use of public tax dollars, Wireless Washtenaw was spearheaded by the Deputy Administrator of Washtenaw County, David Behen, and a consortium of local stakeholders, universities, and government representatives. "Partnering with two firms - one, 20/20 Communications, steeped in local culture and a reputation for service excellence, and the other, Siemens, a global name synonymous with synonymous with
adjective equivalent to, the same as, identical to, similar to, identified with, equal to, tantamount to, interchangeable with, one and the same as
 technological innovation - puts our community at the forefront of creating the "new" Michigan," said Behen.

Under the terms of the Wireless Washtenaw project, Siemens and 20/20 Communications are providing a turnkey solution, with 20/20 owning and operating the network, and Siemens serving as equipment vendor, system integrator, and services provider. For the project, Siemens is providing:

* Siemens Wi-Fi Mesh radio network

* Siemens Wireless Integration Platform for authentication and provisioning

* Installation, design, RF engineering, and maintenance

* Managed services An umbrella term for third-party monitoring and maintaining of computers, networks and software. The actual equipment may be inhouse or at the third-party's facilities, but the "managed" implies an ongoing effort; for example, making sure the equipment is running at a certain quality , including service desk support, Network Operating Center (NOC (Network Operations Center) A central or regional location for monitoring a large network. Also called a "network management center" (NMC), "service management center" (SMC) or "network control center" (NCC), a NOC may be used to manage a large enterprise network, ) monitoring, and remote network management services

Located in southeast Michigan, Washtenaw County encompasses 720 square miles and has a total population of 347,111 people. Residents live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, and cities including Ann Arbor - home to the University of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries.  and Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University, mainly at Ypsilanti, Mich.; coeducational; founded 1849 as a normal school, became Eastern Michigan College in 1956, gained university status in 1959. .

Siemens and 20/20 Communications will install a high-performance wireless mesh network (1) A network that relies on all nodes to propagate signals. Although the wireless signal may start at some base station (access point) attached to a wired network, a wireless mesh network extends the transmission distance by relaying the signal from one computer to another. , which is a powerful technology that enables openly mobile wireless network coverage in rural areas where traditional wireless services have been previously too difficult or costly to provide. The Siemens Wi-Fi mesh network provides an effective solution for delivering seamless, ubiquitous wireless roaming in cities, urban, and rural environments.

To ensure maximum performance and system availability, Siemens Communications will actively manage and monitor the health of the network around the clock throughout the year. It will provide analysis and make recommendations for enhancements to ensure ongoing success. "We at 20/20 Communications are extremely pleased to partner with Siemens on this project," said Bob Wolff, President 20/20 Communications. "Siemens' worldwide experience in mesh networks gives me complete confidence in their ability to design, build, and support the Wireless Washtenaw network."

Siemens Communications will also provide customer service/support to present a consistent, high quality end-user experience. By leveraging Siemens managed services, 20/20 Communications is minimizing the costs associated with operating and supporting the Washtenaw County regional wireless mesh network.

"Wireless Washtenaw is a thriving initiative for one important reason: community partnership," said Jeff Irwin, Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. "20/20 Communications and Siemens have helped set the standard for cooperation with their contribution to the success of this initiative."

About 20/20 Communications

20/20 Communications is one of the largest private ISPs in Michigan and the largest provider of Wireless Internet Service in Southeast Michigan. 20/20 Communications was created from a merger among Ann Arbor Wireless and local Internet service provider IC.Net. Ann Arbor Wireless was best known over the last 20 years for its five retail stores that sell business and residential Internet service, mobile phones and calling plans. IC.Net had provided Internet services, such as high-speed T1 lines, to area businesses for the past 11 years. In February 2006, 20/20 also acquired Jackson-based PCS (1) (Personal Communications Services) Refers to wireless services that emerged after the U.S. government auctioned commercial licenses in 1994 and 1995. This radio spectrum in the 1.  Broadband's wireless assets and began offering and providing high-speed wireless access to its customers in Sylvan sylvan

emanating from or pertaining to woods. See also sylvatic.
, Scio and Saline townships. For more information, visit www.2020comm.com.

About Siemens

Siemens AG (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
:SI) is one of the largest global electronics and engineering companies with reported worldwide sales of $96 billion in fiscal 2005. Founded nearly 160 years ago, the company is a leader in the areas Medical, Power, Automation and Control, Transportation, Information and Communications, Lighting, Building Technologies, Water Technologies and Services and Home Appliances. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City New York City: see New York, city.
New York City

City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S.
, Siemens in the USA has sales of $18.8 billion and employs approximately 70,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Eleven of Siemens' worldwide businesses are based in the United States. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens AG and its subsidiaries employ 460,000 people in 190 countries. For more information on Siemens in the United States: www.usa.siemens.com

About Siemens Communications, Inc.

Siemens Communications, Inc. is one of the world's leading vendors of Open Communications solutions for enterprises of all sizes, enabling business processes to be more productive, faster and more secure - with any device, network or information technology infrastructure. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary

A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock.

Notes:
In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners.
 of Siemens AG with 17,000 employees globally and headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/communications

Note: Siemens is a registered trademark of Siemens AG or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All other company, brand, product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of Siemens management. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "forecast," "expect," "intend," "plan," "should," and "project" are used to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the company's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results to be materially different, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance of new products or services and changes in business strategy. Actual results may vary materially from those projected here. Siemens does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jan 23, 2007
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