US : Novatel Wireless announced the development of the Ovation MCU1200(TM) 3G Wireless Multimedia Application Console, powered by the Conversa(TM) proprietary software suite.

The Ovation MCU1200 will provide small office/home office (SOHO), enterprise and residential markets in Europe and Asia with cost effective access to voice and broadband data services. The company expects to launch the Ovation MCU1200 in mid-2005.

The new Ovation MCU1200 allows operators to address the convergence of voice and data, by combining analog wire-line with cellular networks, and by combining 802.11b/g wireless local area network (WLAN) access with UMTS wireless wide area networks (WWAN). The Conversa software suite is designed to support innovative features that provide a rich end-user experience and optimize the performance of the Ovation MCU1200 3G Multimedia Application Console, including:

-- Broadband WWAN Internet Access. Conversa will provide user friendly and secure wireless broadband access to the Internet, email, corporate networks and virtual private networks (VPNs).

-- Advanced Device Networking. Without replacing existing equipment, Conversa will allow SOHO, enterprise and residential users to connect multiple devices, including landline telephones, desktop PCs or laptops, to wireless broadband Internet access, fax machines, printers and other WLAN-enabled peripheral devices from every office or room.

-- Analog Voice Calling. Conversa will enable voice calling from landline or cordless telephones using voice over GSM circuit switch, providing an alternative to landline phone service.

-- Advanced Security Firewalls. Conversa will enable enterprises to safely share files and securely access email, the Internet and corporate information.

-- Location Flexibility. Leveraging Conversa, the Ovation MCU1200 will provide wireless carriers with added flexibility for location deployments and comprehensive management features.

Novatel Wireless has filed for several patent protections to cover the unique elements it has conceived in the Ovation portfolio and Conversa software suite.

"The Ovation MCU1200 will provide our world-class operator customers with an innovative converged 3G solution that enables them to compete in the wire-line voice and broadband data market by delivering a convenient and more advanced communications solution to their customers," said Peter Leparulo, chief executive officer of Novatel Wireless. "The intellectual property content of the Ovation product line will also allow operators to provide value-added services and support new categories of 3G wireless applications for their customers. The technological challenges of this new Ovation model are significant, and we are pleased with the rapid pace of our development, which leverages our intellectual property, pioneering knowledge of wireless data and industry partnerships. We will continue to add higher levels of IP and functionality for our carrier customers as we build on our leadership in wireless broadband access solutions."