Published in the Current
Pine Point is a village in balance, filled with the quiet tension between the land and the sea, inhabited by people who come and go with the tides and the seasons.
Lobstering and clamming have long been livelihoods in Pine Point. But for 120 years, tourism has been the business to be in, if you live in the Point. And now that’s changing too, as houses are rebuilt or winterized, ready for year-round residents.
And still, they that go down to the sea in boats are all around Pine Point. They’re a quiet lot, prone to pointing at their friends when you ask a question, but they’re personable enough, even friendly, if you aren’t too obvious about being from away.
Most of today’s lobstermen don’t live in Pine Point, though their forefathers, and even their fathers, did.
It has become “a nice place to live,” and property values are through the roof.
“They priced us out of here,” said lobsterman Robbie Lothrop. Born and brought up on the sandbar called Pine Point, he now lives “on the hill,” across the mouth of Jones Creek, and rents his house out on the Point.
His 50-by-70-foot lot, where the house takes up nearly all the land, has some pretty steep property taxes, he said. “The taxes on that are three grand.”
His Cape-style house on three-quarters of an acre on the hill has just about the same taxes. Many lobstermen have found the same situation.
“Most of us are up on the hill,” Lothrop said. He doesn’t think there are any working lobstermen who still live on the Point.
In his 57 years, 40 of which he has spent lobstering, he has seen a lot of changes. He points at a parking lot filled with sea gulls and a row of houses behind them.
“That was all sand dunes,” he said, remembering the ditches he and his friends used to play in among the sandy hillocks where the lot is now. Drawing a big circle with his hands, he shows where a tide pool once was.
Wind can’t blow people away
Bill Bayley is another Pine Point resident, who has been, he said, “lucky enough to get to stay” as many of his neighbors left for more affordable areas. He is the third generation of his family to run Bayley’s Lobster Pound, and his daughter works with him.
“We’ve been selling seafood on this location — the same family — for 86 or 87 years,” he said.
His grandfather came to Pine Point in 1915 with his wife and infant son, Bill’s father. The young family had been looking for a place to settle near the sea. From the train, Bill’s grandfather saw the spit of land and decided to live there.
Back then, it wasn’t the nice place to live it has become. Separated from the mainland by the marsh and the creek until the 1880s, it wasn’t exactly prime real estate even in the early 20th century . When the trains came by in the 1850s, the railroad company had to build a road out to the Point. Almost immediately it became a summer resort. But people who spent the winter were still scarce.
The wind was the problem. Ripping out of the north in winter, it was known to tear roofs apart and make life generally miserable. The wind hasn’t changed, but people now stay the winter with better shelter, Bayley said.
“They didn’t have the types of houses they have now,” he said. But the wind still blows, and though the year-rounders love the summer, Bayley said, “We pay for it in the winter.”
Bayley had thought his third-generation link was as far back as his family went in Pine Point, but when looking over old photos and family records, he learned that his grandfather’s grandfather was from Pine Point, and had lived right in the house still standing next door to the Lobster Pound.
It was a surprise to Bayley: “One of the first houses built down here is right in the parking lot.”
Bayley, like Lothrop, said economics have played a role in changing the community.
“A lot of the people that were native to this place have had to leave,” Bayley said, citing costs of housing and property taxes. But now the seasonal folks are staying longer and even moving to the Point.
“It’s not so much summer people,” Bayley said. And even the summer influx is different from the seasonal invasions other Maine coastal communities see.
“A lot of our folks aren’t quite tourists,” Bayley said. “Families have been coming here for generations and generations, and not just one or two.”
“New arrivals” not new
Mary Boutin is one of those seasonal visitors. She’s been coming to the Point since she was six months old; she’s now in her early 80s and lives both in Pine Point — Pillsbury Shores, to be exact — and in Lewiston.
The Pillsbury Shores neighborhood is friendly and low-key, too, but since homes were built on sea grass, there have been changes, too.
The days of unlocked doors, while mostly over, aren’t too far gone.
“Everybody has a key to everybody else’s house,” Boutin said. “It’s very close-knit down here.”
Talking to folks in Pine Point, whether they’re life-long residents, seasonal visitors or relative newcomers, it’s clear that everyone is related to somebody else who has, or had, a house down here. Explaining who a neighbor is involves a crash course in local genealogy.
Those ties are part of why things change slowly here. Old sand footpaths are closed by new owners, who realize over time that they can’t keep the fishermen and beachgoers
from using the only route to the beach they’ve ever known.
The sea changes things too, moving sandbars and waterlines, allowing
dune grass to grow.
“It’s amazing how much the sand has grown up in sea grasses,” Boutin said.
Houses have changed, too. People buy homes and expand them or even tear them down to build anew.
“I would love to see the houses retain what I think is the character of ‘by the seashore,’” Boutin said. “(Now) we have these very palatial places.”
Some of the house turnovers are estate sales, by children selling their parents’ former home. The next generation, Boutin said, sometimes thinks “it’s better to have the money than the responsibility.”
Another big change is how people communicate on the Point. It used to be kids yelling back and forth, or a few minutes of walking back to the house. Now beachgoers, especially parents, have two-way radios and cellular phones to keep tabs on things back at the house.
But all told, whether it’s partying on a sandbar or sitting outside on a summer’s evening listening to poetry read aloud by a friend, “We’re very happy down in this neck of the woods,” Boutin said. “We have a wonderful life down here.”
Expanding the village
But what qualifies as “down here,” to folks who live on the Point, has changed too.
“Pine Point was from here to the corner,” Bayley said, standing inside his business. “Up above the corner was Grand Beach. Across the marsh and up the hill was Blue Point.”
Now there’s a Pine Point Nursing Home on Pine Point Road, long before any signs saying “Blue Point.” But Pine Point hasn’t grown too much. It’s moved through the roundabout, what Bayley called “the corner” and up to the bridge over the
railroad tracks. And the stretch that was called Grand Beach, over to the Old Orchard Beach town line, is part of Pine Point now too. But the heart of Pine Point is still the sandy spit between Pillsbury Shores and the corner.
The old gathering place, Conroy’s Garage, has ceased to play its central role in the village, since the death of its owner, Jack Conroy, Bayley said.
“We were really a small, tight-knit community for years,” Bayley said, talking of knowing everyone in town and being able to walk into any house — they were all unlocked.
“Now it’s changed quite a bit.”
There aren’t that many kids around now, either, he said. “There are a few, but not like there used to be.”
The folks who move away don’t go far, Bayley said. “They’re all trying to stay where they can at least see it. It’s kind of difficult to move away.”
And even if it’s hard to move away, those property values have made it hard to stay.
“There’s more people all the time and there’s only just so much land on the water,” Bayley said.
Balance is important between the forces at work in Pine Point, the natives and the newcomers, the sea and the land, and even the wind and the buildings.
But nothing is permanent, Bayley said, especially on a small strip of sand sticking into the ocean.
“You can’t own it; you can only borrow it.”
Thursday, October 4, 2001
Cape housing prices stay strong
Published in the Current
In Cape Elizabeth, land values are often nearly double the national average. And despite national economic shakiness even before Sept. 11, the town’s real estate market is more than holding its own.
In 1990, the median price of a home in Maine was $87,400, according to the U.S. Census, and Cape Elizabeth’s median price was more than twice that, at $168,500.
Town-level details are not yet available from the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2000, but local realtors say Cape Elizabeth’s average house-closing price is $309,713.
“I think the world stood still for a couple of days (after Sept. 11),” said Tom Tinsman of the ERA 1 Agency office in Cape Elizabeth, “but after that the normal amount of interest has come out.”
While there isn’t much for sale in town, that’s mainly because what there is moves quickly, said Kathy Duca of Harnden Beecher Coldwell Banker’s Cape Elizabeth office.
Buyers and sellers are from a broad mix of people, with locals moving around, people moving from out of state and more people working from home. Cape Elizabeth buyers do have one thing in common, Duca said. Most of them are involved in transactions above $300,000.
With interest rates low and local rental prices high, it is very much a seller’s market.
“There are definitely more buyers than sellers in the marketplace now,” Duca said.
Prices have climbed sharply in the past two years, she said, citing homes which sold in the $200,000-$400,000 range then and are now selling for between $400,000 and $600,000.
The average list price this year for houses in Cape Elizabeth is $306,391, Duca said. But the average closing price is $309,713—$3,322 higher, indicating buyers are meeting if not exceeding asking prices for property.
House showings are frequent, too, Duca said. A house she represented was priced under $200,000. It had 40 showings in one day, resulting in eight offers by evening.
Even so, the average time on the market for Cape houses is 40 days, Duca said. She said sometimes sellers ask for too much. Houses that sold in months rather than days, she said, tended to end up selling far below the original asking price.
But even expensive houses and land are moving quickly, like at Cross Hill.
The 97-lot development off Wells Road has been in progress for the past year and a half. Buyers can purchase land and have a house custom-built.
Half of the lots have sold so far, according to developer and real estate agent Stephen Parkhurst of Re/Max by the Bay in Portland.
Lots are available for between $79,000 and $200,000. The four showcased home designs on the development’s web site all cost over $500,000.
Several homes have been completed and are occupied, while construction on more than a dozen houses is in progress. Some of those homes are nearing completion while other lots are just being cleared.
“Some people are still in the design stage,” Parkhurst said.
Of the 97 lots in the development, five are classified as “affordable housing.” Those lots will have homes built on them before being sold. Parkhurst said the houses
have been designed. Now he and the builders are reviewing the building costs before breaking ground. He admitted that progress is slow, but said things are moving forward.
“We’re not in the infancy stage. We’re more toddlers,” Parkhurst said.
He said he does not know how much he will ask for the houses once they are built, partly because the costs aren’t final yet, and partly because he is not sure what the
county’s median income figures will be when the houses are put on the market.
A spokeswoman at the Maine State Housing Authority said affordable housing guidelines usually stipulate a house-pricing formula based on the median income level in the area.
Parkhurst attributes the demand for housing in Cape Elizabeth to the local character.
“The market is still very healthy,” he said. “It’s a small town.”
Tinsman, however, is worried about the affordability of housing in the community. He said small lots are important for reduction of sprawl. Many lots in town, he said, are mandated to be large.
According to town zoning documents, much of the land in town is subject to zoning requirements that they be no smaller than 1.8 acres.
The World War II-era Cape Cod houses on quarter-acre lots in Elizabeth Park, he said, are a rare breed in Cape Elizabeth.
“It’s the closest thing to affordable housing we have,” Tinsman said, pointing out that now even those are selling for $120,000 to $130,000.
Some houses are purchased only to be torn down, Tinsman said.
Many of these are larger houses, he said.
People who buy the smaller homes don’t typically rebuild because they can only afford to buy at the lower end of the price range, Tinsman said. But even then they
renovate and fix things up in the older houses they buy.
“We see a lot of improvements in homes when they change hands,” Tinsman said.
In Cape Elizabeth, land values are often nearly double the national average. And despite national economic shakiness even before Sept. 11, the town’s real estate market is more than holding its own.
In 1990, the median price of a home in Maine was $87,400, according to the U.S. Census, and Cape Elizabeth’s median price was more than twice that, at $168,500.
Town-level details are not yet available from the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2000, but local realtors say Cape Elizabeth’s average house-closing price is $309,713.
“I think the world stood still for a couple of days (after Sept. 11),” said Tom Tinsman of the ERA 1 Agency office in Cape Elizabeth, “but after that the normal amount of interest has come out.”
While there isn’t much for sale in town, that’s mainly because what there is moves quickly, said Kathy Duca of Harnden Beecher Coldwell Banker’s Cape Elizabeth office.
Buyers and sellers are from a broad mix of people, with locals moving around, people moving from out of state and more people working from home. Cape Elizabeth buyers do have one thing in common, Duca said. Most of them are involved in transactions above $300,000.
With interest rates low and local rental prices high, it is very much a seller’s market.
“There are definitely more buyers than sellers in the marketplace now,” Duca said.
Prices have climbed sharply in the past two years, she said, citing homes which sold in the $200,000-$400,000 range then and are now selling for between $400,000 and $600,000.
The average list price this year for houses in Cape Elizabeth is $306,391, Duca said. But the average closing price is $309,713—$3,322 higher, indicating buyers are meeting if not exceeding asking prices for property.
House showings are frequent, too, Duca said. A house she represented was priced under $200,000. It had 40 showings in one day, resulting in eight offers by evening.
Even so, the average time on the market for Cape houses is 40 days, Duca said. She said sometimes sellers ask for too much. Houses that sold in months rather than days, she said, tended to end up selling far below the original asking price.
But even expensive houses and land are moving quickly, like at Cross Hill.
The 97-lot development off Wells Road has been in progress for the past year and a half. Buyers can purchase land and have a house custom-built.
Half of the lots have sold so far, according to developer and real estate agent Stephen Parkhurst of Re/Max by the Bay in Portland.
Lots are available for between $79,000 and $200,000. The four showcased home designs on the development’s web site all cost over $500,000.
Several homes have been completed and are occupied, while construction on more than a dozen houses is in progress. Some of those homes are nearing completion while other lots are just being cleared.
“Some people are still in the design stage,” Parkhurst said.
Of the 97 lots in the development, five are classified as “affordable housing.” Those lots will have homes built on them before being sold. Parkhurst said the houses
have been designed. Now he and the builders are reviewing the building costs before breaking ground. He admitted that progress is slow, but said things are moving forward.
“We’re not in the infancy stage. We’re more toddlers,” Parkhurst said.
He said he does not know how much he will ask for the houses once they are built, partly because the costs aren’t final yet, and partly because he is not sure what the
county’s median income figures will be when the houses are put on the market.
A spokeswoman at the Maine State Housing Authority said affordable housing guidelines usually stipulate a house-pricing formula based on the median income level in the area.
Parkhurst attributes the demand for housing in Cape Elizabeth to the local character.
“The market is still very healthy,” he said. “It’s a small town.”
Tinsman, however, is worried about the affordability of housing in the community. He said small lots are important for reduction of sprawl. Many lots in town, he said, are mandated to be large.
According to town zoning documents, much of the land in town is subject to zoning requirements that they be no smaller than 1.8 acres.
The World War II-era Cape Cod houses on quarter-acre lots in Elizabeth Park, he said, are a rare breed in Cape Elizabeth.
“It’s the closest thing to affordable housing we have,” Tinsman said, pointing out that now even those are selling for $120,000 to $130,000.
Some houses are purchased only to be torn down, Tinsman said.
Many of these are larger houses, he said.
People who buy the smaller homes don’t typically rebuild because they can only afford to buy at the lower end of the price range, Tinsman said. But even then they
renovate and fix things up in the older houses they buy.
“We see a lot of improvements in homes when they change hands,” Tinsman said.
Thursday, September 27, 2001
Cape students respond to attacks
Published in the Current
At the September meeting of the Cape Elizabeth School Board, students and administrators spoke about the schools’ reactions to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
The Sept. 20 meeting, postponed from Sept. 11 due to the attacks, also saw this year’s first presentations from the high school and middle school student representatives to the board.
David Greenwood and Christopher Roy, seniors at Cape High School, said they were proud of the way the high school students responded to the terrorism. Some seniors donated blood at local blood drives, while others, including Greenwood and Roy, painted the rock on Rt. 77. The students also are looking to create a memorial for the emergency workers killed during rescue attempts.
Greenwood and Roy also reported the new administration is popular, saying new principal Jeff Shedd received an 89 percent approval rating in a Period C survey in the cafeteria.
Middle school representatives Brianna Bowen and Lily Hoffman said middle school students also were working to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, by collecting donations, holding a bake sale and selling ribbons.
Bowen and Hoffman also said Sally Foster Gift Wrap sales will begin Sept. 21 and continue through Oct. 4 to raise funds for the sixth and seventh grade outdoor experience trips.
In other business, the School Board also:
Received information about the college admissions and college choices of the Cape High School class of 2001. Ninety percent of the 112-member class is pursuing post-secondary education, 94 percent of whom are attending four-year colleges. Eight percent of the class is seeking employment or working prior to further education, and two percent are entering the military.
Heard the superintendent’s and principals’ reports on the opening of school, which
included reference to how the schools handled the issue of telling students about the
Sept. 11 attacks, and the students’ efforts to help victims. Pond Cove students are holding a penny drive; middle school students are selling ribbons; over 60 high school students have signed up for a brand-new Volunteer Club.
Heard the superintendent’s report on future direction planning and the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation.
Heard reports from the finance, policy and facilities subcommittees.
Approved new fall coaches for the middle school. Sarah Jordan will coach 8th grade
girls soccer. Tim Thompson will coach 7th grade girls soccer. Jeremy LaRose will coach 7th grade field hockey. Ben Putnam will be an assistant coach for 7th and 8th grade tennis.
Approved co-curricular fee positions throughout the district, including the senior
class advisor, high school student advisory council advisors, Bartleby advisor, and fall
art club advisor. Also appointed were the 7th grade representative to the student assistance team and several mentors for new teachers.
Received a request from teacher Andy Strout to defer his sabbatical for one year,
and a request from teacher Richard Rothlisberger to have a sabbatical for 2002-2003.
Noted that those who know men and women serving in the military should notify
board member Kevin Sweeney. A group of teachers and students has volunteered to
write them letters to keep their morale up.
The school board’s next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the town council chambers.
At the September meeting of the Cape Elizabeth School Board, students and administrators spoke about the schools’ reactions to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
The Sept. 20 meeting, postponed from Sept. 11 due to the attacks, also saw this year’s first presentations from the high school and middle school student representatives to the board.
David Greenwood and Christopher Roy, seniors at Cape High School, said they were proud of the way the high school students responded to the terrorism. Some seniors donated blood at local blood drives, while others, including Greenwood and Roy, painted the rock on Rt. 77. The students also are looking to create a memorial for the emergency workers killed during rescue attempts.
Greenwood and Roy also reported the new administration is popular, saying new principal Jeff Shedd received an 89 percent approval rating in a Period C survey in the cafeteria.
Middle school representatives Brianna Bowen and Lily Hoffman said middle school students also were working to benefit victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, by collecting donations, holding a bake sale and selling ribbons.
Bowen and Hoffman also said Sally Foster Gift Wrap sales will begin Sept. 21 and continue through Oct. 4 to raise funds for the sixth and seventh grade outdoor experience trips.
In other business, the School Board also:
Received information about the college admissions and college choices of the Cape High School class of 2001. Ninety percent of the 112-member class is pursuing post-secondary education, 94 percent of whom are attending four-year colleges. Eight percent of the class is seeking employment or working prior to further education, and two percent are entering the military.
Heard the superintendent’s and principals’ reports on the opening of school, which
included reference to how the schools handled the issue of telling students about the
Sept. 11 attacks, and the students’ efforts to help victims. Pond Cove students are holding a penny drive; middle school students are selling ribbons; over 60 high school students have signed up for a brand-new Volunteer Club.
Heard the superintendent’s report on future direction planning and the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation.
Heard reports from the finance, policy and facilities subcommittees.
Approved new fall coaches for the middle school. Sarah Jordan will coach 8th grade
girls soccer. Tim Thompson will coach 7th grade girls soccer. Jeremy LaRose will coach 7th grade field hockey. Ben Putnam will be an assistant coach for 7th and 8th grade tennis.
Approved co-curricular fee positions throughout the district, including the senior
class advisor, high school student advisory council advisors, Bartleby advisor, and fall
art club advisor. Also appointed were the 7th grade representative to the student assistance team and several mentors for new teachers.
Received a request from teacher Andy Strout to defer his sabbatical for one year,
and a request from teacher Richard Rothlisberger to have a sabbatical for 2002-2003.
Noted that those who know men and women serving in the military should notify
board member Kevin Sweeney. A group of teachers and students has volunteered to
write them letters to keep their morale up.
The school board’s next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the town council chambers.
Tuesday, September 25, 2001
Verizon Online addresses complaints amid anti-spam battle
Published in Interface Tech News
PORTLAND, Maine ‹ After several months of concern, customers of the former Bell Atlantic have settled into new anti-spam security measures taken by New York-based Verizon Online. Verizon, the company resulting from the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic, has been in the process of combining the two companies' policies.
Verizon Online introduced its New England and East Coast customers to a GTE policy of what it called "domain verification" for e-mail traffic being sent to its servers. When the new policy was introduced in mid-July, some customers were angered initially, but most concerns have since faded, according to company officials and industry Web sites covering the change.
Among those upset were Verizon DSL customers who hosted Web sites with companies other than Verizon. They wanted to send e-mail from addresses at their domains rather than their Verizon DSL-assigned address, from one of Verizon's domains, including Bellatlantic.net, Verizon.net, and GTE.net.
The new security is not unique to Verizon, according to company spokeswoman Bobbi Hennessey. MSN and Earthlink have similar policies, she said.
It is intended to serve two purposes, Hennessey said: to ensure that people sending e-mail through Verizon servers are Verizon customers, and to help control spam.
Some critics say the change is not an effective means of achieving spam control.
"To even suggest that this is a move to prevent spam is a red herring," wrote Joseph Barisa on MacInTouch.com, a technology news site covering Macintosh and Internet developments.
InternetWeek recently reported that some Verizon customers are pleased with the change because it allows better system security.
Hennessey said the company has had positive feedback from some people, though not as many as have complained. The move is part of a series of updates to Verizon systems that will bring the former Bell Atlantic and GTE networks into a single integrated system.
"We're aware that there are many ways of doing this," Hennessey said. She added that the policy is one GTE had in place prior to the merger.
"This is simply the best way," Hennessey said. "There's a downside to everything you select."
Of the company's 60,000 DSL subscribers, only about 1,000 called to complain. She said most of the complaints were resolved with an explanation of modifying e-mail software settings to include the user's own domain, as well as the Verizon-authorized address.
Other customers began sending e-mail through their Web hosting company's servers, rather than Verizon's, she said.
Hennessey said Verizon is working on additional spam-proofing of its systems, but declined to describe the projects. The company is expected to make an official announcement in the coming weeks.
PORTLAND, Maine ‹ After several months of concern, customers of the former Bell Atlantic have settled into new anti-spam security measures taken by New York-based Verizon Online. Verizon, the company resulting from the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic, has been in the process of combining the two companies' policies.
Verizon Online introduced its New England and East Coast customers to a GTE policy of what it called "domain verification" for e-mail traffic being sent to its servers. When the new policy was introduced in mid-July, some customers were angered initially, but most concerns have since faded, according to company officials and industry Web sites covering the change.
Among those upset were Verizon DSL customers who hosted Web sites with companies other than Verizon. They wanted to send e-mail from addresses at their domains rather than their Verizon DSL-assigned address, from one of Verizon's domains, including Bellatlantic.net, Verizon.net, and GTE.net.
The new security is not unique to Verizon, according to company spokeswoman Bobbi Hennessey. MSN and Earthlink have similar policies, she said.
It is intended to serve two purposes, Hennessey said: to ensure that people sending e-mail through Verizon servers are Verizon customers, and to help control spam.
Some critics say the change is not an effective means of achieving spam control.
"To even suggest that this is a move to prevent spam is a red herring," wrote Joseph Barisa on MacInTouch.com, a technology news site covering Macintosh and Internet developments.
InternetWeek recently reported that some Verizon customers are pleased with the change because it allows better system security.
Hennessey said the company has had positive feedback from some people, though not as many as have complained. The move is part of a series of updates to Verizon systems that will bring the former Bell Atlantic and GTE networks into a single integrated system.
"We're aware that there are many ways of doing this," Hennessey said. She added that the policy is one GTE had in place prior to the merger.
"This is simply the best way," Hennessey said. "There's a downside to everything you select."
Of the company's 60,000 DSL subscribers, only about 1,000 called to complain. She said most of the complaints were resolved with an explanation of modifying e-mail software settings to include the user's own domain, as well as the Verizon-authorized address.
Other customers began sending e-mail through their Web hosting company's servers, rather than Verizon's, she said.
Hennessey said Verizon is working on additional spam-proofing of its systems, but declined to describe the projects. The company is expected to make an official announcement in the coming weeks.
Monday, September 24, 2001
Clickshare moves toward large-scale micro-transacting
Published in Interface Tech News
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. ‹ Stepping up its support of Internet micro-transactions, Clickshare has brought a financial-services helper to the table: Multi Service Corporation, headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.
Clickshare's business is centered on micro-transactions, in which Internet users pay small amounts for specific pieces of content, such as an archived newspaper article or video clip. While many companies handle the transactions themselves, Clickshare not only moves the money, but also allows a user's registration at one member site to be valid at all other Clickshare member sites.
After the transactions, Clickshare makes sure the money gets funneled appropriately. Now Multi Service, a handler of private-label credit cards, will take care of the actual movement of money, in exchange for a cut of the transaction amount.
Forrester Research analyst James Crawford is skeptical about micro-transactions in the near term. "It's a technology in search of an audience," he said. "It's been an area that's seen a lot of activity and not a lot of success."
Name recognition is a big deal to consumers, Crawford said. He expects a micro-transaction standard to emerge, but not from small startups like Clickshare.
"It's going to come from a financial services provider," Crawford said. "Consumers just don't trust Internet startups."
ClickShare needs to process more than the $10,000 in daily transactions the company has cited as representative, Crawford added, noting that the company only retains a small percentage of each transaction.
"To be profitable, they're going to have to get orders of magnitude, more customers," Crawford said.
ClickShare CTO Richard Lerner said that is the company's major focus. "Mostly what we're doing is building up our network of clients," he said, adding that each client is a Web site with many regular viewers.
Lerner said the company has "about a dozen" live clients and is in talks with "a couple of dozen" more companies, serving what he called "potentially millions of registered users." He said the company does not have many registered users at the moment.
He hopes Multi Service's strengths will meet Clickshare's needs as it expands.
"They have a lot of expertise in handling financial matters and handling customer service," Lerner said.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. ‹ Stepping up its support of Internet micro-transactions, Clickshare has brought a financial-services helper to the table: Multi Service Corporation, headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.
Clickshare's business is centered on micro-transactions, in which Internet users pay small amounts for specific pieces of content, such as an archived newspaper article or video clip. While many companies handle the transactions themselves, Clickshare not only moves the money, but also allows a user's registration at one member site to be valid at all other Clickshare member sites.
After the transactions, Clickshare makes sure the money gets funneled appropriately. Now Multi Service, a handler of private-label credit cards, will take care of the actual movement of money, in exchange for a cut of the transaction amount.
Forrester Research analyst James Crawford is skeptical about micro-transactions in the near term. "It's a technology in search of an audience," he said. "It's been an area that's seen a lot of activity and not a lot of success."
Name recognition is a big deal to consumers, Crawford said. He expects a micro-transaction standard to emerge, but not from small startups like Clickshare.
"It's going to come from a financial services provider," Crawford said. "Consumers just don't trust Internet startups."
ClickShare needs to process more than the $10,000 in daily transactions the company has cited as representative, Crawford added, noting that the company only retains a small percentage of each transaction.
"To be profitable, they're going to have to get orders of magnitude, more customers," Crawford said.
ClickShare CTO Richard Lerner said that is the company's major focus. "Mostly what we're doing is building up our network of clients," he said, adding that each client is a Web site with many regular viewers.
Lerner said the company has "about a dozen" live clients and is in talks with "a couple of dozen" more companies, serving what he called "potentially millions of registered users." He said the company does not have many registered users at the moment.
He hopes Multi Service's strengths will meet Clickshare's needs as it expands.
"They have a lot of expertise in handling financial matters and handling customer service," Lerner said.
Friday, September 21, 2001
$20 million adds voice recognition to Nexiq arsenal
Published in Interface Tech News
MANCHESTER, N.H. ‹ A late August infusion of nearly $20 million from its investors and Manchester-based Sunrise Capital Parters led off a round of partnership announcements for telematics hardware and software company Nexiq. The first, with Salt Lake City-based Fonix, will add voice-recognition and text-to-speech software to Nexiq's in-vehicle framework for integration of electronic devices.
According to company spokesman Brian Payne, the framework allows connection of personal devices such as mobile phones and PDAs to be connected to a car, allowing access to the devices through displays on the dashboard and the console often found between the front seats.
Payne said telematics also allows electronic diagnostics to be performed from remote locations. While it is commonplace for cars to have electronic components and require attention from mechanics using special devices, it is not yet common for managers of corporate truck and car fleets to keep track of their vehicles' maintenance schedules while they are on the road.
Payne added that telematics can be somewhat like the On-Star system currently offered in GM's top-line automobiles, in which drivers can press a button and ask for directions from their location to a restaurant, gas station, or other destination.
In a report published by TechMall, USB Warburg analyst Saul Rubin predicted the rapid expansion of telematics services and devices in the near future. He said vehicle manufacturers will likely brand their own telematics services, but will outsource the building of hardware and software to support it.
MANCHESTER, N.H. ‹ A late August infusion of nearly $20 million from its investors and Manchester-based Sunrise Capital Parters led off a round of partnership announcements for telematics hardware and software company Nexiq. The first, with Salt Lake City-based Fonix, will add voice-recognition and text-to-speech software to Nexiq's in-vehicle framework for integration of electronic devices.
According to company spokesman Brian Payne, the framework allows connection of personal devices such as mobile phones and PDAs to be connected to a car, allowing access to the devices through displays on the dashboard and the console often found between the front seats.
Payne said telematics also allows electronic diagnostics to be performed from remote locations. While it is commonplace for cars to have electronic components and require attention from mechanics using special devices, it is not yet common for managers of corporate truck and car fleets to keep track of their vehicles' maintenance schedules while they are on the road.
Payne added that telematics can be somewhat like the On-Star system currently offered in GM's top-line automobiles, in which drivers can press a button and ask for directions from their location to a restaurant, gas station, or other destination.
In a report published by TechMall, USB Warburg analyst Saul Rubin predicted the rapid expansion of telematics services and devices in the near future. He said vehicle manufacturers will likely brand their own telematics services, but will outsource the building of hardware and software to support it.
Thursday, September 20, 2001
Small business tucked away in Cape Elizabeth
Published in the Current
Cape Elizabeth has a few storefront businesses, mainly found in the shopping plaza in the town center. But most of Cape’s businesses are less visible, though no less active, according to town business owners.
State law requires sole proprietorships and partnerships to register with the clerk’s office of the town in which they are based.
Corporations don’t need a town license, since their papers are on file with the state, according to Town Clerk Debra Lane.
Most of the businesses on file in the town office are service businesses, with a high concentration of design firms and financial consulting businesses. For those business owners, working from Cape Elizabeth is often as much of a lifestyle choice as anything else.
“In the graphics industry a lot of work can be done via the Internet,” said Kim McClellan of McClellan Graphic Services. She works out of her home, which enables her to adapt her schedule to her family.
“My hours are flexible,” she said. “It’s been really invaluable for me to work out of the house.”
Another home-based business is the Intelligent Design Enforcement Agency, run by Thomas and Candace Puckett. They are a writer and graphic-design team who lived in Washington, D.C., for years before moving to New England in search of a more laid back lifestyle.
“We live here for the beautiful scenery,” Thomas Puckett said.
With an office behind the house and one inside, the business isn’t exactly visible from the street.
“You would never know,” Puckett said.
High-speed Internet connectivity and reasonable shipping deadlines have enabled the Pucketts to work without much trouble.
Puckett called TimeWarner Cable’s RoadRunner Internet service “the spine of my business,” and said he has learned to work around the 4 p.m. FedEx deadline for overnight shipping.
Paulina Salvucci of Self Care Connection is also taking advantage of modern communications in her business. She is a personal coach for people coping with
chronic illness and those caring for them.
She sells her booklets and advertises her services on her business’s web site. It broadens her market base so that she can live in Maine and work with people all over the country.
“I love working at home,” Salvucci said. “It gives me a lot of freedom.”
She warned that there is a danger: “When you work at home, you can really overwork.”
She has set hours for the different tasks she needs to do, and has times of the day when she does things other than work. Even then, there are other challenges.
“You work in isolation unless you connect with other people,” Salvucci said.
She keeps in close touch with other professionals in her field, in Maine and elsewhere.
She loves living in Maine, and working in her Cape Elizabeth home office allows her to do that.
“I was one of those people who summered in Maine,” she said.
In 1979 she moved to Portland and eventually bought a house in the Cape. “I wanted someplace that was quiet and rural that was close to the city,” Salvucci said.
Businesses must file a form with the town clerk’s office and pay a one-time $10 fee, town clerk Lane said. When the business leaves town or dissolves, she said, the owner must notify the clerk. Home office businesses must also get a $50 permit from the town’s code enforcement officer.
Cape Elizabeth has a few storefront businesses, mainly found in the shopping plaza in the town center. But most of Cape’s businesses are less visible, though no less active, according to town business owners.
State law requires sole proprietorships and partnerships to register with the clerk’s office of the town in which they are based.
Corporations don’t need a town license, since their papers are on file with the state, according to Town Clerk Debra Lane.
Most of the businesses on file in the town office are service businesses, with a high concentration of design firms and financial consulting businesses. For those business owners, working from Cape Elizabeth is often as much of a lifestyle choice as anything else.
“In the graphics industry a lot of work can be done via the Internet,” said Kim McClellan of McClellan Graphic Services. She works out of her home, which enables her to adapt her schedule to her family.
“My hours are flexible,” she said. “It’s been really invaluable for me to work out of the house.”
Another home-based business is the Intelligent Design Enforcement Agency, run by Thomas and Candace Puckett. They are a writer and graphic-design team who lived in Washington, D.C., for years before moving to New England in search of a more laid back lifestyle.
“We live here for the beautiful scenery,” Thomas Puckett said.
With an office behind the house and one inside, the business isn’t exactly visible from the street.
“You would never know,” Puckett said.
High-speed Internet connectivity and reasonable shipping deadlines have enabled the Pucketts to work without much trouble.
Puckett called TimeWarner Cable’s RoadRunner Internet service “the spine of my business,” and said he has learned to work around the 4 p.m. FedEx deadline for overnight shipping.
Paulina Salvucci of Self Care Connection is also taking advantage of modern communications in her business. She is a personal coach for people coping with
chronic illness and those caring for them.
She sells her booklets and advertises her services on her business’s web site. It broadens her market base so that she can live in Maine and work with people all over the country.
“I love working at home,” Salvucci said. “It gives me a lot of freedom.”
She warned that there is a danger: “When you work at home, you can really overwork.”
She has set hours for the different tasks she needs to do, and has times of the day when she does things other than work. Even then, there are other challenges.
“You work in isolation unless you connect with other people,” Salvucci said.
She keeps in close touch with other professionals in her field, in Maine and elsewhere.
She loves living in Maine, and working in her Cape Elizabeth home office allows her to do that.
“I was one of those people who summered in Maine,” she said.
In 1979 she moved to Portland and eventually bought a house in the Cape. “I wanted someplace that was quiet and rural that was close to the city,” Salvucci said.
Businesses must file a form with the town clerk’s office and pay a one-time $10 fee, town clerk Lane said. When the business leaves town or dissolves, she said, the owner must notify the clerk. Home office businesses must also get a $50 permit from the town’s code enforcement officer.
Cape Fire Department raises $25,000 for NY relief effort
Published in the Current
In seven hours on Saturday, the town of Cape Elizabeth donated over $25,000 to help firefighters and rescue personnel in New York City.
Immediately upon hearing the news of Tuesday’s tragedies, the firefighters and rescue workers in Cape Elizabeth wanted to go to New York to help, said Fire Chief Philip McGouldrick.
“The frustration level was high,” he said. “They wanted to do something.”
McGouldrick checked with state emergency officials and learned that the rescue efforts had enough people. Cape’s crews are, he said, on a backup list if
they need more help down the road.
The department explored several options for fundraisers, but none of them seemed right. A bottle drive might have worked, if not for the recent Cape high school field hockey bottle effort.
Friday afternoon, McGouldrick said, Deputy Chief Peter Gleeson suggested a boot drive.
The department got approval from the town manager to do the drive, and on Saturday morning, members, the water extrication team and fire police fanned out across
town: by the town office building, at Fort Williams and near the town dump.
The major effort was in the parking lot next to the town building, McGouldrick said.
The idea was to have people pull off into the parking lot and give donations, he said. But traffic backed up, and firefighters headed out into the street with boots outstretched.
“The traffic got backed up a little but nobody seemed to mind,” McGouldrick said.
Donors, he said, were very generous.
“People would open their wallets and put all the money in,” he said. Donations included three $100 bills, and checks for $500, $300 and $100. Other donors
drove by again and again, dropping money in boots each time.
People responded well, McGouldrick said. “They were so happy that we were doing it.”
The effort was supported by several town children who set up their own fundraising sites and brought the money to the fire department, McGouldrick said.
The coins donated filled a five gallon bucket, he said.
“I’ve never seen so much change in my life,” McGouldrick said.
The coins have gone to be counted and are not included in the $25,000 total, McGouldrick said. The total includes only bills and checks.
The department is continuing to accept donations, but will not be soliciting on the town’s streets.
“The community gave and gave generously,” McGouldrick said.
In seven hours on Saturday, the town of Cape Elizabeth donated over $25,000 to help firefighters and rescue personnel in New York City.
Immediately upon hearing the news of Tuesday’s tragedies, the firefighters and rescue workers in Cape Elizabeth wanted to go to New York to help, said Fire Chief Philip McGouldrick.
“The frustration level was high,” he said. “They wanted to do something.”
McGouldrick checked with state emergency officials and learned that the rescue efforts had enough people. Cape’s crews are, he said, on a backup list if
they need more help down the road.
The department explored several options for fundraisers, but none of them seemed right. A bottle drive might have worked, if not for the recent Cape high school field hockey bottle effort.
Friday afternoon, McGouldrick said, Deputy Chief Peter Gleeson suggested a boot drive.
The department got approval from the town manager to do the drive, and on Saturday morning, members, the water extrication team and fire police fanned out across
town: by the town office building, at Fort Williams and near the town dump.
The major effort was in the parking lot next to the town building, McGouldrick said.
The idea was to have people pull off into the parking lot and give donations, he said. But traffic backed up, and firefighters headed out into the street with boots outstretched.
“The traffic got backed up a little but nobody seemed to mind,” McGouldrick said.
Donors, he said, were very generous.
“People would open their wallets and put all the money in,” he said. Donations included three $100 bills, and checks for $500, $300 and $100. Other donors
drove by again and again, dropping money in boots each time.
People responded well, McGouldrick said. “They were so happy that we were doing it.”
The effort was supported by several town children who set up their own fundraising sites and brought the money to the fire department, McGouldrick said.
The coins donated filled a five gallon bucket, he said.
“I’ve never seen so much change in my life,” McGouldrick said.
The coins have gone to be counted and are not included in the $25,000 total, McGouldrick said. The total includes only bills and checks.
The department is continuing to accept donations, but will not be soliciting on the town’s streets.
“The community gave and gave generously,” McGouldrick said.
Monday, September 17, 2001
Phone service snafu pits ISPs against Verizon
Published in Interface Tech News
CONCORD, N.H. ‹ Phone customers in New Hampshire have had problems getting telephone dial tones since 1999, leading to dangerous situations when even 911 is unreachable in some towns. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission has been discussing the situation for two years and, despite the filing in May of a Verizon New Hampshire proposal that could alleviate the problem, the commission has not yet determined a course of action.
"We're still analyzing the filing," said PUC chief engineer Kate Bailey, who predicted there could be a technical review session before the commission rules on the proposal, and offered no projected timetable for a ruling.
High telephone circuit use has clogged some Verizon New Hampshire central office switches, causing dial-tone delays for outbound callers, fast busy signals for inbound callers, and, in some cases, lack of any dial tone.
The N.H. PUC requires that a dial tone be available within three seconds after a customer picks up a phone. If too many other phones are in use on the same circuit, this standard cannot be met.
The congestion, which the PUC, Verizon, and the New Hampshire Internet Service Providers Association (NHISPA) attribute primarily to increasing use of dial-up Internet services, has only worsened in the past two years. Verizon New Hampshire has been installing equipment at affected switching offices throughout the state and has been experiencing a form of rolling blackouts in the phone system: as congestion is eased in one place, another location becomes overloaded.
One proposed solution is for New Hampshire ISPs to reduce their use of dial-in, or "switch-side" access to the Internet, and move instead to higher-bandwidth, dedicated-circuit systems like DSL, which are called "trunk-side" services.
The ISPs like the idea, saying they do not presently have access to trunk-side lines. "We don't have alternatives to the dial-up. They're not cost-effective for us," said Brian Susnock, president of the Nashua, N.H.-based Destek Group.
Destek has a federal suit pending against Verizon New Hampshire alleging the company engaged in improper procedures regarding exceptions to standard tariffs.
Susnock said there are, however, cheap workaround products available from Verizon New Hampshire, including alarm circuits intended to maintain constant contact between a burglar alarm system and a security company or police station.
Susnock said those circuits are not engineered for data transmission, and can have reliability problems when carrying data, but he uses them anyway because they are so much cheaper.
The PUC's solution is for Verizon to sell so-called "dry copper loops" to ISPs for data traffic. In response to a PUC request, on May 29 Verizon New Hampshire filed a so-called "illustrative tariff" to show the PUC and others what a tariff for dry copper might look like.
The proposal, still being examined by the PUC, has come under fire from the ISPs for charging excessive service fees, being inconsistent with Verizon Online's pricing practices, and for being exclusionary to ISPs.
The proposal would allow Verizon New Hampshire to charge ISPs between $200 and $2,200 in one-time fees to condition a copper loop for data transmission.
Verizon spokesman Erle Pierce said removal of these devices is time-consuming and expensive. "It's a lot of work to go out and unload those copper pairs," he said. Susnock said there is no need for Verizon workers to remove hardware from existing cables, and said there is a database which will tell engineers whether dry copper lines already exist in an area.
"Are there records which will tell you whether a cable pair is loaded or unloaded? Absolutely," Pierce said, but said they are only available for lines which already carry Verizon New Hampshire voice traffic, not for cables which currently carry no traffic. And the records are available only to what Pierce called "authorized CLECs." Pierce added, "Generally speaking, [the ISPs] want all the advantages of being a regulated company, without the regulation."
Chip Sullivan, a lawyer for Destek and for the NHISPA, said the ISPs are willing to pay for access to Verizon's engineering database, but balked at having to pay Verizon $5,000 per month in registration fees, just to be able to place orders for dry copper. On June 6, the NHPUC agreed and waived the monthly fee.
As for the alleged pricing discrepancy, Verizon Online offers DSL service in New Hampshire for $49.95 per month, less than the $64 proposed monthly cost of dry copper Verizon New Hampshire proposes. The dry copper service does not include actual Internet access, Web hosting space or e-mail, which are included in Verizon Online's fee. Pierce said the price difference is because Verizon Online buys "pre-qualified" copper, which does not need to be unloaded, and gets volume discounts.
The proposal would also prevent ISPs from buying dry copper in areas where Verizon and collocated CLECS are offering DSL service. If ISPs were operating in an area and a CLEC extended service to that area, the ISPs would be cut off. In the proposed tariff, Verizon's justification is that the ISPs have no regulation and therefore could use non-standard protocols over their wires which would cause interference with the regulated companies' services.
While the PUC has been investigating and discussing the matter and its related issues for over two years, Sullivan said much of the wait has been due to understaffing at the PUC. The deadlines for commission responses to Verizon filings, he said, are "faster than staffing allows." And even Verizon filed its illustrative tariff in 60 days, rather than the 30 days ordered by the PUC on March 29. The PUC's order promised a response from the staff within 30 days of the filing, which was on May 29.
Because there is no timetable for the next step of the evaluation process, New Hampshire telephone customers will have to hope they have a dial tone when they pick up the phone to call 911.
CONCORD, N.H. ‹ Phone customers in New Hampshire have had problems getting telephone dial tones since 1999, leading to dangerous situations when even 911 is unreachable in some towns. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission has been discussing the situation for two years and, despite the filing in May of a Verizon New Hampshire proposal that could alleviate the problem, the commission has not yet determined a course of action.
"We're still analyzing the filing," said PUC chief engineer Kate Bailey, who predicted there could be a technical review session before the commission rules on the proposal, and offered no projected timetable for a ruling.
High telephone circuit use has clogged some Verizon New Hampshire central office switches, causing dial-tone delays for outbound callers, fast busy signals for inbound callers, and, in some cases, lack of any dial tone.
The N.H. PUC requires that a dial tone be available within three seconds after a customer picks up a phone. If too many other phones are in use on the same circuit, this standard cannot be met.
The congestion, which the PUC, Verizon, and the New Hampshire Internet Service Providers Association (NHISPA) attribute primarily to increasing use of dial-up Internet services, has only worsened in the past two years. Verizon New Hampshire has been installing equipment at affected switching offices throughout the state and has been experiencing a form of rolling blackouts in the phone system: as congestion is eased in one place, another location becomes overloaded.
One proposed solution is for New Hampshire ISPs to reduce their use of dial-in, or "switch-side" access to the Internet, and move instead to higher-bandwidth, dedicated-circuit systems like DSL, which are called "trunk-side" services.
The ISPs like the idea, saying they do not presently have access to trunk-side lines. "We don't have alternatives to the dial-up. They're not cost-effective for us," said Brian Susnock, president of the Nashua, N.H.-based Destek Group.
Destek has a federal suit pending against Verizon New Hampshire alleging the company engaged in improper procedures regarding exceptions to standard tariffs.
Susnock said there are, however, cheap workaround products available from Verizon New Hampshire, including alarm circuits intended to maintain constant contact between a burglar alarm system and a security company or police station.
Susnock said those circuits are not engineered for data transmission, and can have reliability problems when carrying data, but he uses them anyway because they are so much cheaper.
The PUC's solution is for Verizon to sell so-called "dry copper loops" to ISPs for data traffic. In response to a PUC request, on May 29 Verizon New Hampshire filed a so-called "illustrative tariff" to show the PUC and others what a tariff for dry copper might look like.
The proposal, still being examined by the PUC, has come under fire from the ISPs for charging excessive service fees, being inconsistent with Verizon Online's pricing practices, and for being exclusionary to ISPs.
The proposal would allow Verizon New Hampshire to charge ISPs between $200 and $2,200 in one-time fees to condition a copper loop for data transmission.
Verizon spokesman Erle Pierce said removal of these devices is time-consuming and expensive. "It's a lot of work to go out and unload those copper pairs," he said. Susnock said there is no need for Verizon workers to remove hardware from existing cables, and said there is a database which will tell engineers whether dry copper lines already exist in an area.
"Are there records which will tell you whether a cable pair is loaded or unloaded? Absolutely," Pierce said, but said they are only available for lines which already carry Verizon New Hampshire voice traffic, not for cables which currently carry no traffic. And the records are available only to what Pierce called "authorized CLECs." Pierce added, "Generally speaking, [the ISPs] want all the advantages of being a regulated company, without the regulation."
Chip Sullivan, a lawyer for Destek and for the NHISPA, said the ISPs are willing to pay for access to Verizon's engineering database, but balked at having to pay Verizon $5,000 per month in registration fees, just to be able to place orders for dry copper. On June 6, the NHPUC agreed and waived the monthly fee.
As for the alleged pricing discrepancy, Verizon Online offers DSL service in New Hampshire for $49.95 per month, less than the $64 proposed monthly cost of dry copper Verizon New Hampshire proposes. The dry copper service does not include actual Internet access, Web hosting space or e-mail, which are included in Verizon Online's fee. Pierce said the price difference is because Verizon Online buys "pre-qualified" copper, which does not need to be unloaded, and gets volume discounts.
The proposal would also prevent ISPs from buying dry copper in areas where Verizon and collocated CLECS are offering DSL service. If ISPs were operating in an area and a CLEC extended service to that area, the ISPs would be cut off. In the proposed tariff, Verizon's justification is that the ISPs have no regulation and therefore could use non-standard protocols over their wires which would cause interference with the regulated companies' services.
While the PUC has been investigating and discussing the matter and its related issues for over two years, Sullivan said much of the wait has been due to understaffing at the PUC. The deadlines for commission responses to Verizon filings, he said, are "faster than staffing allows." And even Verizon filed its illustrative tariff in 60 days, rather than the 30 days ordered by the PUC on March 29. The PUC's order promised a response from the staff within 30 days of the filing, which was on May 29.
Because there is no timetable for the next step of the evaluation process, New Hampshire telephone customers will have to hope they have a dial tone when they pick up the phone to call 911.
Friday, September 14, 2001
Xanoptix rolls out fast optical switch
Published in Interface Tech News
MERRIMACK, N.H. ‹ As part of its work in miniaturizing switching components, Xanoptix has unveiled a collaborative effort with Camarillo, Calif.-based Vitesse Semiconductor to introduce a small 100+ Gbps optical-in, optical-out switch.
Xanoptix, which has based its business on parallel optical interconnections for the telecom and datacom markets, is increasing the density of available components for switching circuit boards, according to Harald Hamster, the company's vice president of marketing and business development.
In the space taken up by a 12-fiber interconnect, Hamster said, the new device, combining Xanoptix's XTM-1 optical transceiver and Vitesse's VSC838 36x36 crosspoint switch, can fit a 72-fiber interconnect.
At present, Hamster said, the hardware can only handle multi-mode fiber traffic, but the company is looking beyond this current limitation.
"We will certainly expand our offerings into other wavelength regimes," Hamster said.
The new device is entering beta testing and is expected to be available in early 2002, Hamster said. The companies demonstrated the combination product at the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference in Baltimore in early July.
Hamster called the demo a success, and said he got good response from potential buyers. "It shows we have a very real product and you can do real things," he said.
While the combination may work well, the marketing will still be carried out by both companies independently, Hamster said, though there may be some co-marketing.
The next step for Xanoptix is to carry the structure underlying the XTM-1 over to different optical wavelengths and longer-reaching systems.
Analyst Galen Schreck of Forrester Research is skeptical of the possibilities for Gigabit Ethernet. "We're still in the beginning phases," he said. "Once we get our protocols and applications lined up we'll be needing more high-bandwidth connections."
He expects the larger market to develop over the course of the next two to three years, though he is unsure whether Ethernet will maintain its dominance ‹ citing newcomers like InfiniBand, which will have some compliant components shipping in early 2002.
Schreck also said power and space constraints on switches aren't at a critical stage right now. "I don't see it being a widespread problem just yet," he said.
MERRIMACK, N.H. ‹ As part of its work in miniaturizing switching components, Xanoptix has unveiled a collaborative effort with Camarillo, Calif.-based Vitesse Semiconductor to introduce a small 100+ Gbps optical-in, optical-out switch.
Xanoptix, which has based its business on parallel optical interconnections for the telecom and datacom markets, is increasing the density of available components for switching circuit boards, according to Harald Hamster, the company's vice president of marketing and business development.
In the space taken up by a 12-fiber interconnect, Hamster said, the new device, combining Xanoptix's XTM-1 optical transceiver and Vitesse's VSC838 36x36 crosspoint switch, can fit a 72-fiber interconnect.
At present, Hamster said, the hardware can only handle multi-mode fiber traffic, but the company is looking beyond this current limitation.
"We will certainly expand our offerings into other wavelength regimes," Hamster said.
The new device is entering beta testing and is expected to be available in early 2002, Hamster said. The companies demonstrated the combination product at the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference in Baltimore in early July.
Hamster called the demo a success, and said he got good response from potential buyers. "It shows we have a very real product and you can do real things," he said.
While the combination may work well, the marketing will still be carried out by both companies independently, Hamster said, though there may be some co-marketing.
The next step for Xanoptix is to carry the structure underlying the XTM-1 over to different optical wavelengths and longer-reaching systems.
Analyst Galen Schreck of Forrester Research is skeptical of the possibilities for Gigabit Ethernet. "We're still in the beginning phases," he said. "Once we get our protocols and applications lined up we'll be needing more high-bandwidth connections."
He expects the larger market to develop over the course of the next two to three years, though he is unsure whether Ethernet will maintain its dominance ‹ citing newcomers like InfiniBand, which will have some compliant components shipping in early 2002.
Schreck also said power and space constraints on switches aren't at a critical stage right now. "I don't see it being a widespread problem just yet," he said.
Thursday, September 13, 2001
Blasts shake community’s peace of mind
Published in the Current
Radios and televisions in Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth were tuned to the same stations Tuesday morning. Even Burger King employees had the news on, rather than the energetic music that gets them through their shifts.
Aside from that, there was an unearthly silence. After-school activities were cancelled, government buildings around the country were closed, and even the Maine Mall in South Portland shut its doors. But perhaps the strangest view in Maine was overhead.
“It’s weird seeing no planes,” said Kim Mathieu of Scarborough.
Before the planes were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration, two of the alleged terrorists flew on a U.S. Airways flight from Portland International Jetport to Boston, where
they boarded cross-country flights which were later hijacked, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Judy Hill of Maple Street in Scarborough works at the Oak Hill Dry Cleaners. One of her customers Tuesday dropped off his wife’s United Airlines flight attendant uniforms. She was safe
on the ground in Georgia. Everyone, who came in Hill said, was struck by
the tragedy.
“You just see their faces and the hurt,” Hill said.
She was stunned to hear the news just before 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“I just had to take a deep breath and say a prayer,” she said. “I don’t know how those people are really going to get over this. It’s horrible.”
She was impressed by the efforts of rescue personnel in New York, and said President Bush faces a big challenge.
“I think President Bush has got a hard evening ahead of him,” she said.
Mathieu, whose brother is in New York, was concerned about what Bush and other leaders might decide.
“I don’t want to see anything crazy happen,” she said.
Her husband Tony echoed her concern, adding that the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. could lead to further terrorism.
“It makes me wonder how many people this is going to set off,” he said.
One person set off by the tragedy was Tim, who wore a Scarborough School Department uniform shirt but would not give his last name.
“We’ve been fighting these son-of-a-guns for years,” he said, insisting that the terrorism was the work of international agents bent on taking away Americans’ privately owned weapons.
“The United Nations is responsible for this whole thing,” he said.
Esther MacDuffie of Berry Road in Scarborough was more reserved.
“It’s very difficult to get an opinion because it’s so horrifying,” she said. Her son lives in New York and she hadn’t heard from him yet, because the phone lines were jammed.
She was concerned about security procedures, especially at airports.
“I feel as if somebody somewhere slipped up,” MacDuffie said.
A woman who asked to be identified only as Pamela was concerned less about what had happened than with what would.
“I’ll be interested to know what they do about it,” she said. “It’s a very very very bad day. Nothing
feels the same.”
The initial reaction was for people to check in with loved ones, even if there was no chance
they had been in danger.
“I’ve gotten like 400 calls from my mom,” Pamela said. She works in Scarborough and her mother lives in Windham.
Beyond news of the events themselves, the television news footage was stunning and disturbing
to people.
“I haven’t seen it yet, and I’m not sure I want to,” Pamela said.
Hill had seen the pictures in the morning before coming to work, but said she was near tears all
day.
“I couldn’t watch it again tonight,” she said.
Tuesday night Cornerstone Baptist Church in Scarborough held a prayer service in the aftermath
of the tragedy. About 100 people attended, according to church officials, who noted the
church will be holding evening services Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, beginning with
a prayer session at 6:30 p.m. and a service starting at 7 p.m.
A blood drive was held Wednesday at the Maine Blood Center on Professional Drive in
Scarborough. At press time, 325 people had turned out to donate blood, according to Diane
Richard at the blood center.
Food had been donated by several local residents and businesses, she said.
Radios and televisions in Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth were tuned to the same stations Tuesday morning. Even Burger King employees had the news on, rather than the energetic music that gets them through their shifts.
Aside from that, there was an unearthly silence. After-school activities were cancelled, government buildings around the country were closed, and even the Maine Mall in South Portland shut its doors. But perhaps the strangest view in Maine was overhead.
“It’s weird seeing no planes,” said Kim Mathieu of Scarborough.
Before the planes were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration, two of the alleged terrorists flew on a U.S. Airways flight from Portland International Jetport to Boston, where
they boarded cross-country flights which were later hijacked, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Judy Hill of Maple Street in Scarborough works at the Oak Hill Dry Cleaners. One of her customers Tuesday dropped off his wife’s United Airlines flight attendant uniforms. She was safe
on the ground in Georgia. Everyone, who came in Hill said, was struck by
the tragedy.
“You just see their faces and the hurt,” Hill said.
She was stunned to hear the news just before 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“I just had to take a deep breath and say a prayer,” she said. “I don’t know how those people are really going to get over this. It’s horrible.”
She was impressed by the efforts of rescue personnel in New York, and said President Bush faces a big challenge.
“I think President Bush has got a hard evening ahead of him,” she said.
Mathieu, whose brother is in New York, was concerned about what Bush and other leaders might decide.
“I don’t want to see anything crazy happen,” she said.
Her husband Tony echoed her concern, adding that the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. could lead to further terrorism.
“It makes me wonder how many people this is going to set off,” he said.
One person set off by the tragedy was Tim, who wore a Scarborough School Department uniform shirt but would not give his last name.
“We’ve been fighting these son-of-a-guns for years,” he said, insisting that the terrorism was the work of international agents bent on taking away Americans’ privately owned weapons.
“The United Nations is responsible for this whole thing,” he said.
Esther MacDuffie of Berry Road in Scarborough was more reserved.
“It’s very difficult to get an opinion because it’s so horrifying,” she said. Her son lives in New York and she hadn’t heard from him yet, because the phone lines were jammed.
She was concerned about security procedures, especially at airports.
“I feel as if somebody somewhere slipped up,” MacDuffie said.
A woman who asked to be identified only as Pamela was concerned less about what had happened than with what would.
“I’ll be interested to know what they do about it,” she said. “It’s a very very very bad day. Nothing
feels the same.”
The initial reaction was for people to check in with loved ones, even if there was no chance
they had been in danger.
“I’ve gotten like 400 calls from my mom,” Pamela said. She works in Scarborough and her mother lives in Windham.
Beyond news of the events themselves, the television news footage was stunning and disturbing
to people.
“I haven’t seen it yet, and I’m not sure I want to,” Pamela said.
Hill had seen the pictures in the morning before coming to work, but said she was near tears all
day.
“I couldn’t watch it again tonight,” she said.
Tuesday night Cornerstone Baptist Church in Scarborough held a prayer service in the aftermath
of the tragedy. About 100 people attended, according to church officials, who noted the
church will be holding evening services Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, beginning with
a prayer session at 6:30 p.m. and a service starting at 7 p.m.
A blood drive was held Wednesday at the Maine Blood Center on Professional Drive in
Scarborough. At press time, 325 people had turned out to donate blood, according to Diane
Richard at the blood center.
Food had been donated by several local residents and businesses, she said.
Scarborough invites YMCA to consider building pool
Published in the Current
The town of Scarborough is talking to the YMCA about the possibility of building a pool next to the proposed community center on the old drive-in property near town hall.
Town Manager Ron Owens confirmed that he is meeting this week with the Portland-based Cumberland County YMCA.
Owens said there is demand for a pool, from both members of the community and the schools, but the Town Council decided not to include it in the tax-payer funded proposal for the drive-in property.
That $5.7 million proposal includes a teen center, senior center and gym and is going before voters on the Nov. 6 ballot.
“We felt that was too much to ask of the taxpayer,” to also fund a pool, Owens said. Instead, he is looking for a partnership with another agency to bring a pool to Scarborough.
“That’s where a Y would be instrumental,” Owens said.
The YMCA is not the only possibility, Owens said, mentioning the Boys and Girls Clubs as a possible alternative, but said the Y is the organization being talked about the most.
“That’s the first agency that we’ve approached,” Owens said.
Owens said a pool plan could involve the Town Council offering the Y land adjacent to the
proposed town center building.
There is space remaining that could fit a 50-meter pool, he said.
“For that to occur, we need some other agency to work with,” Owens said.
In return for the land, Owens said, the town would require the partner agency to allow some
level of access to the pool by town residents.
He hesitated to go into further specifics, saying talks are only just beginning between the Y and the town.
Scarborough resident Stephen Ives, executive director of the Northern York County YMCA in
Biddeford, said the town’s current plan for a community center leaves room for improvement.
“It’s a minimal facility. It’s a teen center, senior center and a gym,” Ives said. He said the Y could add a swimming pool and other services Ys traditionally offer, including childcare, afterschool
programs, sports, and recreation and fitness equipment.
The specifics of a Y in Scarborough would depend on the results of a study to determine the
town’s needs.
“A Y is supposed to be a response to the needs of its community,” Ives said.
One of the people working with Ives is fellow Scarborough resident, Gary O’Donnell.
“We’re still very much in the beginning stages,” O’Donnell said.
He is putting together a group of local residents to gauge community demand for services a Y could offer, and to evaluate the fundraising support the effort could garner.
O’Donnell is looking for people with energy and time to devote to the project, who reflect the diversity of town residents.
“Scarborough is a very diverse community of interests and needs,” O’Donnell said.
He has an idea of who might be a good person to join. “Someone who is passionate and retired
would be great,” O’Donnell said.
He also is concerned about how much building maintenance could cost taxpayers. A non-profit
agency, he said, would have to fund ongoing costs from donations, rather than taxes.
“There’s a wonderful opportunity to look for charitable and town partnerships,” O’Donnell said.
Ives said a Y in Scarborough would likely be a branch of the Cumberland County YMCA, which operates a swimming pool as part of its facility in Portland.
Sharing a recreation facility between the YMCA and the town of Scarborough is not without
precedent elsewhere in the country, Ives said, though it isn’t a common relationship for a municipality to enter into.
“Ys partner with everybody,” Ives said. “Ys are very attuned to collaboration.”
The national YMCA organization will get involved, through the local Y, to help O’Donnell and others study how well Scarborough could support a Y, and whether a Y would meet Scarborough’s needs. The study could take six months to a year, Ives said.
Without a solid base of willing participants and interested people, the Y won’t come.
“It really depends on the volunteers and the support from the community,” Ives said.
Scarborough residents will see a referendum for the community center on November’s ballot, but it will not include any reference to the proposed Y, Owens said.
The referendum will discuss the cost of preparing the site, building the community center, parking, a pond, picnic space and ball fields.
Any future referendum for the pool would depend on the level of the town’s involvement in the project, Owens said.
A referendum is not necessary for the Town Council to allow the Y or another organization to build on the drive-in property, Owens said.
In the end, he said, both the Cumberland County YMCA board and the Scarborough Town
Council will have to approve beginning negotiations between the two groups, as well as any
agreements reached.
The town of Scarborough is talking to the YMCA about the possibility of building a pool next to the proposed community center on the old drive-in property near town hall.
Town Manager Ron Owens confirmed that he is meeting this week with the Portland-based Cumberland County YMCA.
Owens said there is demand for a pool, from both members of the community and the schools, but the Town Council decided not to include it in the tax-payer funded proposal for the drive-in property.
That $5.7 million proposal includes a teen center, senior center and gym and is going before voters on the Nov. 6 ballot.
“We felt that was too much to ask of the taxpayer,” to also fund a pool, Owens said. Instead, he is looking for a partnership with another agency to bring a pool to Scarborough.
“That’s where a Y would be instrumental,” Owens said.
The YMCA is not the only possibility, Owens said, mentioning the Boys and Girls Clubs as a possible alternative, but said the Y is the organization being talked about the most.
“That’s the first agency that we’ve approached,” Owens said.
Owens said a pool plan could involve the Town Council offering the Y land adjacent to the
proposed town center building.
There is space remaining that could fit a 50-meter pool, he said.
“For that to occur, we need some other agency to work with,” Owens said.
In return for the land, Owens said, the town would require the partner agency to allow some
level of access to the pool by town residents.
He hesitated to go into further specifics, saying talks are only just beginning between the Y and the town.
Scarborough resident Stephen Ives, executive director of the Northern York County YMCA in
Biddeford, said the town’s current plan for a community center leaves room for improvement.
“It’s a minimal facility. It’s a teen center, senior center and a gym,” Ives said. He said the Y could add a swimming pool and other services Ys traditionally offer, including childcare, afterschool
programs, sports, and recreation and fitness equipment.
The specifics of a Y in Scarborough would depend on the results of a study to determine the
town’s needs.
“A Y is supposed to be a response to the needs of its community,” Ives said.
One of the people working with Ives is fellow Scarborough resident, Gary O’Donnell.
“We’re still very much in the beginning stages,” O’Donnell said.
He is putting together a group of local residents to gauge community demand for services a Y could offer, and to evaluate the fundraising support the effort could garner.
O’Donnell is looking for people with energy and time to devote to the project, who reflect the diversity of town residents.
“Scarborough is a very diverse community of interests and needs,” O’Donnell said.
He has an idea of who might be a good person to join. “Someone who is passionate and retired
would be great,” O’Donnell said.
He also is concerned about how much building maintenance could cost taxpayers. A non-profit
agency, he said, would have to fund ongoing costs from donations, rather than taxes.
“There’s a wonderful opportunity to look for charitable and town partnerships,” O’Donnell said.
Ives said a Y in Scarborough would likely be a branch of the Cumberland County YMCA, which operates a swimming pool as part of its facility in Portland.
Sharing a recreation facility between the YMCA and the town of Scarborough is not without
precedent elsewhere in the country, Ives said, though it isn’t a common relationship for a municipality to enter into.
“Ys partner with everybody,” Ives said. “Ys are very attuned to collaboration.”
The national YMCA organization will get involved, through the local Y, to help O’Donnell and others study how well Scarborough could support a Y, and whether a Y would meet Scarborough’s needs. The study could take six months to a year, Ives said.
Without a solid base of willing participants and interested people, the Y won’t come.
“It really depends on the volunteers and the support from the community,” Ives said.
Scarborough residents will see a referendum for the community center on November’s ballot, but it will not include any reference to the proposed Y, Owens said.
The referendum will discuss the cost of preparing the site, building the community center, parking, a pond, picnic space and ball fields.
Any future referendum for the pool would depend on the level of the town’s involvement in the project, Owens said.
A referendum is not necessary for the Town Council to allow the Y or another organization to build on the drive-in property, Owens said.
In the end, he said, both the Cumberland County YMCA board and the Scarborough Town
Council will have to approve beginning negotiations between the two groups, as well as any
agreements reached.
Cape Elizabeth greenbelt plan moves forward
Published in the Current
The Cape Elizabeth Town Council unanimously accepted the spirit of the proposed Greenbelt Plan for trails throughout the town, while not formally accepting the specific priority recommendations made in the report from the town's Conservation Commission.
In its regularly scheduled September meeting, the council also approved a proposal to develop a master plan for the Gull Crest property.
The Greenbelt Plan proposed a network of trails throughout Cape Elizabeth, linking neighborhoods to each other and to the town center. Some of the trails already exist either formally on state and town land, or informally on private land, said commission chair Dan Chase. Others, Chase said, would have to be built.
In the public comment section of the meeting, several residents spoke in favor of the proposal.
Ogden Williams, a teacher and resident of Cape Elizabeth, suggested further development of the Gull Crest property, and volunteered to help do so next summer.
Mary Beth Richardson of Valley Road near Maxwell's Farm said the informal trails in that area get year-round use.
"Having a formal [trail] system would be wonderful," she said.
A resident of Sweetser Road said she liked the informal trails and wants a formal network, but was concerned about unanticipated uses of the trails, such as all-terrain three- and four-wheelers.
Tim Robinson of Shore Road was present to speak for his family, which owns some of the property on which private trails exist. He said he has found people coming to the trails from other communities and even other states. He was concerned with overuse of trails once they became publicly available.
Peter Mullen of Two Lights Road opposed the plan, which tentatively locates a trail abutting his property. He was concerned about privacy and public foot traffic near his home.
Other residents spoke about the opportunities for the town's student-athletes, with possibilities for both cross-country running and skiing trails becoming available for meets and practices. At present, the schools have to send their teams to other locations for practice and competition.
The council was also concerned about privacy issues and reiterated the Conservation Commission's promise not to locate trails on private land without express permission from the landowners.
Councilor Carol Fritz said she liked the proposal's principles of property rights, respect for wetlands and vegetation.
Councilor Henry Berry said he was concerned that the proposal was too dedicated to the construction of a trail system, with its stipulation that opposition to specific trails shouldn't stop the effort to construct the entire system.
"Certain opposition to a particular trail might well lead to abandonment of a trail," Berry said.
The council voted approval of the vision and goals statements, as well as the guidelines for possible trail expansions. It excluded from approval the priorities for expansion and recommended additional projects.
The next item on the agenda was a proposal from OEST Associates of South Portland to draft a master trail plan for the Gull Crest property between the schools and the transfer station. It was approved unanimously.
In other business, the town abated personal property taxes in the amount of $57.36 owed by the former Shear Madness business. It was deemed too expensive to collect the money, and the person owing the taxes was not present or able to pay.
The council noted that its next two monthly meetings will be held Wednesday nights because of national holidays. The October meeting will be on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The November meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 14.
The Cape Elizabeth Town Council unanimously accepted the spirit of the proposed Greenbelt Plan for trails throughout the town, while not formally accepting the specific priority recommendations made in the report from the town's Conservation Commission.
In its regularly scheduled September meeting, the council also approved a proposal to develop a master plan for the Gull Crest property.
The Greenbelt Plan proposed a network of trails throughout Cape Elizabeth, linking neighborhoods to each other and to the town center. Some of the trails already exist either formally on state and town land, or informally on private land, said commission chair Dan Chase. Others, Chase said, would have to be built.
In the public comment section of the meeting, several residents spoke in favor of the proposal.
Ogden Williams, a teacher and resident of Cape Elizabeth, suggested further development of the Gull Crest property, and volunteered to help do so next summer.
Mary Beth Richardson of Valley Road near Maxwell's Farm said the informal trails in that area get year-round use.
"Having a formal [trail] system would be wonderful," she said.
A resident of Sweetser Road said she liked the informal trails and wants a formal network, but was concerned about unanticipated uses of the trails, such as all-terrain three- and four-wheelers.
Tim Robinson of Shore Road was present to speak for his family, which owns some of the property on which private trails exist. He said he has found people coming to the trails from other communities and even other states. He was concerned with overuse of trails once they became publicly available.
Peter Mullen of Two Lights Road opposed the plan, which tentatively locates a trail abutting his property. He was concerned about privacy and public foot traffic near his home.
Other residents spoke about the opportunities for the town's student-athletes, with possibilities for both cross-country running and skiing trails becoming available for meets and practices. At present, the schools have to send their teams to other locations for practice and competition.
The council was also concerned about privacy issues and reiterated the Conservation Commission's promise not to locate trails on private land without express permission from the landowners.
Councilor Carol Fritz said she liked the proposal's principles of property rights, respect for wetlands and vegetation.
Councilor Henry Berry said he was concerned that the proposal was too dedicated to the construction of a trail system, with its stipulation that opposition to specific trails shouldn't stop the effort to construct the entire system.
"Certain opposition to a particular trail might well lead to abandonment of a trail," Berry said.
The council voted approval of the vision and goals statements, as well as the guidelines for possible trail expansions. It excluded from approval the priorities for expansion and recommended additional projects.
The next item on the agenda was a proposal from OEST Associates of South Portland to draft a master trail plan for the Gull Crest property between the schools and the transfer station. It was approved unanimously.
In other business, the town abated personal property taxes in the amount of $57.36 owed by the former Shear Madness business. It was deemed too expensive to collect the money, and the person owing the taxes was not present or able to pay.
The council noted that its next two monthly meetings will be held Wednesday nights because of national holidays. The October meeting will be on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The November meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 14.
Friday, September 7, 2001
Sonus refines market approach
Published in Interface Tech News
WESTFORD, Mass. ‹ Sonus Networks continued to broaden its partnership with companies in the packet-switched voice sector in early August by adding seven new companies to its roster, which includes nearly 150 companies providing add-ons to Sonus' hardware.
Sonus provides hardware and basic software for switching voice traffic on packet networks, allowing phone and data carriers to handle all of their traffic over one network, rather than two parallel ones, as is done presently.
Company CEO Steve Nill said Sonus puts together hardware and software and a basic set of applications for voice switching, and allows other companies to build additional applications, permitting clients to buy products and services that have already been tested together.
Mindy Hiebert, a senior analyst at the Boston-based Yankee Group noted that most of the company's announcements this year have been about companies testing Sonus products or working to build on them. With so much testing and so little roll-out, Hiebert said she is guarded about the company's future.
Sonus is changing its technical focus, Hiebert said. "The product that they have right now is very focused on (class 4) Internet offload," she said. "They're trying to migrate it to class 5."
Such a major change in technology, Hiebert said, makes her cautious. "I haven't seen them demonstrate the (technical) acumen to do what they're trying to do," she said. "(Carriers) want a viable solution in their network that they know is going to hold out. They can't afford any network outages."
Nill said the company and its partners are targeting the multibillion-dollar worldwide circuit switch market. He wants to see RBOCs, large CLECs, and "next-generation carriers" like Global Crossing and Qwest using Sonus products.
In April, Japan's Fusion Communications began using Sonus products. Fusion subscribers now number 510,000 customers in 17 Japanese cities. BellSouth has said it will use Sonus products to migrate traffic off its voice networks.
The company had second-quarter revenues up 27 percent from the first quarter this year, while spending 30 cents per share as compared with 51 cents per share in the first quarter. Sonus is expecting $200 million in revenue this year, Nill said.
"We're just not seeing and not hearing what their capabilities are moving forward," Hiebert said, adding there haven't been enough large-scale deployments of Sonus products to prove they can do what they say.
Nill remained confident in the potential of the company's products and services. "We're bringing client-server to voice," he said.
WESTFORD, Mass. ‹ Sonus Networks continued to broaden its partnership with companies in the packet-switched voice sector in early August by adding seven new companies to its roster, which includes nearly 150 companies providing add-ons to Sonus' hardware.
Sonus provides hardware and basic software for switching voice traffic on packet networks, allowing phone and data carriers to handle all of their traffic over one network, rather than two parallel ones, as is done presently.
Company CEO Steve Nill said Sonus puts together hardware and software and a basic set of applications for voice switching, and allows other companies to build additional applications, permitting clients to buy products and services that have already been tested together.
Mindy Hiebert, a senior analyst at the Boston-based Yankee Group noted that most of the company's announcements this year have been about companies testing Sonus products or working to build on them. With so much testing and so little roll-out, Hiebert said she is guarded about the company's future.
Sonus is changing its technical focus, Hiebert said. "The product that they have right now is very focused on (class 4) Internet offload," she said. "They're trying to migrate it to class 5."
Such a major change in technology, Hiebert said, makes her cautious. "I haven't seen them demonstrate the (technical) acumen to do what they're trying to do," she said. "(Carriers) want a viable solution in their network that they know is going to hold out. They can't afford any network outages."
Nill said the company and its partners are targeting the multibillion-dollar worldwide circuit switch market. He wants to see RBOCs, large CLECs, and "next-generation carriers" like Global Crossing and Qwest using Sonus products.
In April, Japan's Fusion Communications began using Sonus products. Fusion subscribers now number 510,000 customers in 17 Japanese cities. BellSouth has said it will use Sonus products to migrate traffic off its voice networks.
The company had second-quarter revenues up 27 percent from the first quarter this year, while spending 30 cents per share as compared with 51 cents per share in the first quarter. Sonus is expecting $200 million in revenue this year, Nill said.
"We're just not seeing and not hearing what their capabilities are moving forward," Hiebert said, adding there haven't been enough large-scale deployments of Sonus products to prove they can do what they say.
Nill remained confident in the potential of the company's products and services. "We're bringing client-server to voice," he said.
Tuesday, September 4, 2001
Metrobility makes short leap with Gigabit Ethernet range
Published in Interface Tech News
MERRIMACK, N.H. ‹ Working to appeal to telecom carriers, Metrobility Optical Systems has extended Gigabit Ethernet transmission distances to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles), considered by many to be a marginal improvement over the 40-50 km (25-31 miles) typically available.
"This is not the order of magnitude improvement the industry is looking for," said Aberdeen Group analyst Andrew McCormick.
Metrobility officials said the company offers signal re-timing to combat the attenuation of an optical signal over distance, and that there are several distances available, rather than just a 70-km length.
Company senior product manager Charlie Wang said Metrobility complements its extended network distance with its NetBeacon software. NetBeacon, Wang said, not only permits long-distance data transmission, but also troubleshooting capability for remote locations and network links.
"When you have a problem, our link-loss return capability allows us to do troubleshooting (remotely)," Wang said.
Wang said he sees the new development as a move toward expanding metropolitan regional networks and reaching rural locations.
"We extend the traditional WAN capability into a metropolitan Ethernet network," Wang said. "This type of capability can fit into all sorts of situations."
The company intends to offer more products for carriers, including optical Ethernetworking, which, as of press time, was expected to enter volume production in August.
McCormick was not enthused. "If you can get some extra distance, you can go a little bit farther," he said, noting there are some better services, like Sonnet and ATM for longer-distance high-bandwidth connections.
The distance extension comes as part of Metrobility's process to refocus on service providers rather than just equipment manufacturers. "We have realigned our company's product portfolio," Wang said.
Metrobility also has a patent pending on its "Stealth IP" technology, which Wang said makes use of space between Ethernet packets for network monitoring and maintenance without increasing demands on available bandwidth.
MERRIMACK, N.H. ‹ Working to appeal to telecom carriers, Metrobility Optical Systems has extended Gigabit Ethernet transmission distances to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles), considered by many to be a marginal improvement over the 40-50 km (25-31 miles) typically available.
"This is not the order of magnitude improvement the industry is looking for," said Aberdeen Group analyst Andrew McCormick.
Metrobility officials said the company offers signal re-timing to combat the attenuation of an optical signal over distance, and that there are several distances available, rather than just a 70-km length.
Company senior product manager Charlie Wang said Metrobility complements its extended network distance with its NetBeacon software. NetBeacon, Wang said, not only permits long-distance data transmission, but also troubleshooting capability for remote locations and network links.
"When you have a problem, our link-loss return capability allows us to do troubleshooting (remotely)," Wang said.
Wang said he sees the new development as a move toward expanding metropolitan regional networks and reaching rural locations.
"We extend the traditional WAN capability into a metropolitan Ethernet network," Wang said. "This type of capability can fit into all sorts of situations."
The company intends to offer more products for carriers, including optical Ethernetworking, which, as of press time, was expected to enter volume production in August.
McCormick was not enthused. "If you can get some extra distance, you can go a little bit farther," he said, noting there are some better services, like Sonnet and ATM for longer-distance high-bandwidth connections.
The distance extension comes as part of Metrobility's process to refocus on service providers rather than just equipment manufacturers. "We have realigned our company's product portfolio," Wang said.
Metrobility also has a patent pending on its "Stealth IP" technology, which Wang said makes use of space between Ethernet packets for network monitoring and maintenance without increasing demands on available bandwidth.
Thursday, August 23, 2001
Oxford Networks expands broadband coverage area
Published in Interface Tech News
In Norway, the company built a central office and laid 400 strands of fiber as part of creating its own infrastructure to compete with Verizon.
"We ran copper to people's houses. We don't have Verizon copper anywhere," said Todd DeWitt, the company's general manager of network solutions.
Oxford has seen DSL demand rise as people who own houses in the area decide to telecommute more frequently.
According to DeWitt, real estate agents often come to Oxford with lists of addresses, and the service provider tells the agents which houses can get DSL service, so home buyers can weigh that in their decision making.
"We've more or less affected the real estate market with DSL," DeWitt said.
The company's growth is supported by its telephone system, which serves 14,000 customers in western Maine. That financial stability is important for customers and investors, according to senior analyst Maribel Dolinov at Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.
Oxford is also building a major network access point in Portland to speed up Internet traffic within Maine.
Several larger services may be partnering in that effort, which will shorten the network distance between Maine's major Internet service providers to just one hop, DeWitt said.
As part of these of expansions, Oxford has summoned the software of Sanford, Maine-based Somix Technologies to manage its network. Somix's WebNM product, DeWitt said, is both useful and backed by responsive customer service. Since the package was installed in June, DeWitt said, it has been very useful.
"We've gotten a lot more information out of our network," he said. Oxford also offers reports to its customers, so they can see their network usage and Web site traffic.
"They like to know what's going on in their services," DeWitt said.
Dolinov agreed. "Customers want to make sure that you are delivering on what you say you are offering," she said. "Good network management can allow companies to predict problems and solve them before they occur, leading to better service more consistently. It's absolutely essential going forward."
In Norway, the company built a central office and laid 400 strands of fiber as part of creating its own infrastructure to compete with Verizon.
"We ran copper to people's houses. We don't have Verizon copper anywhere," said Todd DeWitt, the company's general manager of network solutions.
Oxford has seen DSL demand rise as people who own houses in the area decide to telecommute more frequently.
According to DeWitt, real estate agents often come to Oxford with lists of addresses, and the service provider tells the agents which houses can get DSL service, so home buyers can weigh that in their decision making.
"We've more or less affected the real estate market with DSL," DeWitt said.
The company's growth is supported by its telephone system, which serves 14,000 customers in western Maine. That financial stability is important for customers and investors, according to senior analyst Maribel Dolinov at Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.
Oxford is also building a major network access point in Portland to speed up Internet traffic within Maine.
Several larger services may be partnering in that effort, which will shorten the network distance between Maine's major Internet service providers to just one hop, DeWitt said.
As part of these of expansions, Oxford has summoned the software of Sanford, Maine-based Somix Technologies to manage its network. Somix's WebNM product, DeWitt said, is both useful and backed by responsive customer service. Since the package was installed in June, DeWitt said, it has been very useful.
"We've gotten a lot more information out of our network," he said. Oxford also offers reports to its customers, so they can see their network usage and Web site traffic.
"They like to know what's going on in their services," DeWitt said.
Dolinov agreed. "Customers want to make sure that you are delivering on what you say you are offering," she said. "Good network management can allow companies to predict problems and solve them before they occur, leading to better service more consistently. It's absolutely essential going forward."
Monday, August 20, 2001
My digital encumbrances, myself
Published in Mainebiz
When it comes to digital technology, I consider myself a pretty basic gadget guy. I can honestly say I’m not some overly wired freak who walks around all day with a headset on, gesticulating wildly as I talk to the air.
Though I do have four eyes, I don’t wear a small computer monitor on my glasses, the better to read my e-mail at one-inch range. And what’s up with those guys — why are they always guys? — who wear digital headcams so you can see what they’re doing just by looking at their websites? Thanks, but no thanks.
I may not be a freak, but I am nevertheless digitally encumbered. Don’t get me wrong — all the gadgets are great, and it’s amazing and wonderful to be able to communicate with so many people so many different ways, and so quickly.
Eight years ago, when I first spent extended time overseas, I remember being thrilled as I coordinated travel plans across the Atlantic in a six-message e-mail exchange lasting only 15 minutes. Now we don’t even think twice about such an exchange. Technology is everywhere, and it’s moving “at the speed of business,” as at least one company’s ad campaign says.
But here’s the rub: Do I always need to be moving that fast? Is my on-the-job productivity really heightened that much by being more or less constantly plugged in, or does it just allow me to be more inefficient?
My digital encumbrances, after all, are varied and wondrous: laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA), Internet-capable mobile phone, a gaggle of cords and adapters and other gizmos to allow everything to talk to each other and that let me take my encumbrances on the road and overseas.
I’m an avowed tech lover, but even I have come to the realization that this kind of connectivity must have a limit.
I realize this is not a new idea; doomsayers have been wringing their hands over the consequences, real and imagined, of digital encumbrance for a decade or more. But with the gadgets getting smaller, cheaper, sexier and more powerful — witness the advent of wirelessness and the number of people these days who can’t seem to get behind the wheel of an SUV without sparking up the mobile phone — it’s as much of an issue as ever, especially for business people for whom the notion of “staying connected” is as important as maintaining a pulse.
The only way we’re going to nip the connectivity bug in the bud is by just saying no: turning off the pager when we go out to dinner, turning off the cell phone at the kids’ Little League game, going for more than five minutes between e-mail checks. It’s fair to say that somebody somewhere will want to check their e-mail while reading a wireless newspaper that can also receive faxes, but I am not that person.
Thus, my new tech credo: Enough is enough. Enough with 24/7/365 connectedness. Enough with the fetishes over size and speed. (Though a laptop that moves at 1 GHz would be so sweet!) Technology is not an end unto itself but rather a tool. I am my own man. I am not my digital encumbrances.
At least, I don’t think I am.
Getting a big digital grip
As someone running his own small business — I’m a freelance writer — I find I’m constantly evaluating the state of the gadgets I have with me. Do I need to have my phone on during lunch with a friend? Do I keep the to-do alarm on my handheld on or off if I’m in a meeting? Does an
overnight trip somewhere require the laptop, or can I make do with the handheld and its keyboard? We’d like to think such questions have to do with productivity, but what they’re really about is being connected — and that’s not the same as being productive.
Still, we insist on missing the distinction and focusing, as often as not, on the pain our gizmos cause us. More and more of us are sporting a wider array of digital gadgetry on our belts, after all, and we all spout the same vacuous platitudes at business gatherings and parties. “I really
hate being in a movie theater/play/concert/yoga class and hearing somebody’s phone ring,” we complain. “My Palm Pilot would be great, if only I remembered to bring it with me,” we lament.
We’re all starting to get sick. Our devices are becoming the focus of our attention, rather than tools to make our ideas become reality.
Time, in other words, for all of us connected types to get a big collective grip.
If I can learn from my digital missteps, anybody can. I’m 27, I run my business out of my apartment in Portland, and I began dabbling in technology in sixth grade, when my parents bought a 128KB color computer, the IBM PCjr. (Now I carry 32 times more memory and lots more processor power in a little handheld computer clipped onto my belt.) Later on I became a multimedia software developer, but I changed careers because I got tired of doing cool stuff with computers just because I knew how. I’m quite at ease with the technology itself, but I’m not so
sure about its effect on my productivity.
I’ve got early-stage connectivitis, true, but I’m trying to boost my immune system with powerful doses of perspective.
As a small business, I don’t have a lot of spare cash to blow on stuff that makes me look cool but doesn’t actually work. As a frequent traveler, I need things that are light, easy to use and, above all, reliable. Like any smart buyer, I check things out before I buy, and weigh the pros, cons and costs of a purchase. But there are a few things I wish somebody had told me before I dropped a couple of hundred bucks on a handheld personal digital assistant, or signed on for a mobile phone plan.
None of these things, for starters, are actually as small as they seem. Most of them need something else to work properly: batteries, a power cord, a CD drive, and so on. There are external keyboards and modems for handhelds that increase the space and weight requirements significantly. No matter your destination, you have to pack up all your gear, get it in the car or taxi or airplane or rickshaw, and then take it all out of the case and set it up again. As you arrive at the meeting, your focus is not on what you’re going to say, but on whether the equipment will work the way it did when you tested it the day before. So it goes when you’ve got a case of connectivitis.
Part of me insists on thinking that I should have known all this before I began acquiring gadgets — on the other hand, how could I have known about connectivitis before I became connected?
Beware the slippery slope
I own a fair number of these tools myself [see “He’s gotta have it” on previous page], and I’m learning that each has its place. They allow me to work where I need to, when I need to. But I’ve learned that I only need to carry my equipment when I’m actually going to work on it.
During work time, I can maximize my productivity and even enjoy it — at least, sometimes. Try writing your next project or progress report under a tree in a park, or on the beach — it may not make the work go any faster, but it will certainly be more enjoyable than doing it in some fluorescent-lit cubicle.
Aside from allowing me to work in the great outdoors — Can you honestly say you’ve used your encumbrances to work in the great outdoors? If not, why? — the gear has more than earned its keep on numerous occasions. I was recently in the middle of a phone interview and realized
I needed additional background on a company. My laptop was on, connected to the Internet and sitting right in front of me. Without the other person knowing, I hit a couple of websites and found what I needed, which meant I was able to ask a series of follow-up questions I’d have
missed otherwise.
A plus of my PDA and phone is that they combine well, and they allow me to carry less and still do most of what I could with a laptop. Does this mean that I carry them absolutely everywhere? No. While I do drag my phone around most places, I’ve learned over time when I will need
my PDA and I leave it at home the rest of the time.
There are add-ons for these gadgets, which can make life — and my work life — even easier. PDAs have the widest array of extras, though mobile phones have Internet connectivity now, and even little attachable cloth keyboards you can roll up and stick in your pocket. My back-up modules have saved my PDA data many times, when batteries have died or I’ve deleted the wrong thing from my handheld’s memory.
But the pluses, as I’ve learned the hard way, make for a slippery slope. You become more dependent on the gear and on the gadgets they attach to. Your belt becomes more cluttered, and
your pockets fill with spare batteries.
For some folks this is a fashion statement as well as a professional connectivity issue. Not only do they have all the gear, but it’s top-of-the-line and brand-new and they’re awfully pleased with themselves as a result. I say they’re sick.
I need a phone and a PDA and sometimes a laptop. Do I also need a pager? A second phone? A fax machine in my car? No, no and no, and I’m hard-pressed to imagine anyone who does. I’ve known some doctors to wear two pagers — their own and an “on-call” beeper that rotates from person to person as shifts change — but that’s as far as I can conceive of going. I guess if the issue comes down to life and death, I’m willing to concede a little.
We’re gonna make it after all
After all, everyone — doctors, stock brokers, lawyers, bike messengers, even journalists — needs time away from the job. Without time away, connectivitis takes its terminal form, whereupon the fun stops and productivity slams to a halt. We all know that feeling; as a small business person, my work already has a tendency to creep over the edges of my personal life. Right now, for example, it’s almost 5:30 p.m. on a Friday. Where am I? Sitting here typing.
Typing, yes, but typing in the knowledge that recovery is close at hand. Sometimes I need to turn the computer off, not answer the phone, and put down the handheld — and I’m OK with that.
Even so, technological developments are working hard to prevent me from being OK with that. I do think it would be great to get a remotely updated plastic newspaper; I wouldn’t have to pitch so many trees into the recycling bin. But what always comes with new technological capabilities is the promise — no, make that more of a threat — that I need to be even more productive than I already am.
Soon after I get one of those wireless newspapers, somebody’s going to try to sell me a “solution” that will allow me to get my e-mail on it, too. I don’t want that. If I’m reading the newspaper, I’m reading the newspaper. When I want to stop and check my e-mail, I will.
I value my work a great deal, and my quest for perspective is fueled in large part by wanting to do it better and more efficiently. Technology can be a big help, but it can also be a powerful agent for distraction, lack of productivity and stress. If I’m always being distracted, what takes most of my attention is not what’s most important, but what’s making the most noise.
Set your limits and stick to them. You don’t need to be rigid about this; expand them when circumstances warrant. Be sure to take your anti-connectivitis supplements every day: family, friends, time outdoors, time with a book. If you find yourself facing a moment of weakness,
think of a line from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” theme song: “You’re gonna
make it after all.”
And to think Mary Richards actually made it without the help of a laptop or a PDA. Amazing.
He’s gotta have it
The economics, psychology and cool of digital encumbrance: our correspondent’s arsenal of gear
(batteries not included)
Computer
Gear: Apple Powerbook G3, 233MHz
Outlay: $2500
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Laptops keep getting cooler and more powerful. Who needs a desktop machine anymore? Grab a titanium-clad power machine and compute anywhere.
Personal digital assistant
Gear: Handspring Visor, Deluxe, $200; Handspring Visor 56K modem, $90 Landware GoType! Keyboard, $70
Outlay: $360
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ****
Bottom line: All my business and personal contact information is contained in one small device on which I can also edit text, send e-mail and surf the web. Great when traveling light, but I use my laptop when I’m home. The Handspring modem has been discontinued, but similar items are available at Handspring.com for $89-$119.
Cell phone
Gear: Ericcson R289LX mobile with Internet capability, and charger
Outlay: $100, plus $45/month (including limited Internet access) for AT&T wireless service
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Seems everybody’s got a mobile phone these days, but this one can tell me what time movies are showing or recommend a good nearby restaurant for a business lunch. It also takes voicemail messages and lets me know who’s calling before I answer.
Plugs and adapters
Gear (pictured top to bottom): Three-pronged power adapter for UK/Ireland sockets, sold as part of a worldwide power adapter set, $50 from TeleAdaptUSA.com; two-pronged flat-pin adapter for U.S. plugs to fit into non-grounded sockets, less than $1 at most hardware stores; two-pronged round-pin power adapter for European sockets, part of the set sold by TeleAdaptUSA.com
Outlay: $51
Utility: *****
Cool factor: None
Bottom line: No power, no work. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important. Lose these small items and your overseas productivity is gone. You can also win points with ill-prepared fellow travelers by having spares for loan.
Zip drive
Gear: VST Zip 100 expansion bay drive for Powerbook G3; Iomega Zip disk, 100 megabytes (pictured)
Outlay: Drive, $219.95; disks, $44.95/five-pack
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Better than dragging a Zip drive around with cables to connect to power and your computer. Just pop this in the expansion bay and you’re away. Even outside the laptop, it’s smaller than most Zip drives. A single Zip disk holds the equivalent of 80 floppies; it reads and writes faster than a typical floppy, and is sturdier, too.
Service, access and power
Gear: RoadRunner cable Internet service, $40/month, plus $10/month for LineRunner voice-over-IP service; dialup Internet access for Visor and on the road with laptop, $12/month; home electricity usage, 2.9 kwh/day or $10.50/month, includes lights, kitchen, TV, etc.
Outlay: About $72/month
Utility: *****
Cool factor: **
Bottom line: I couldn’t work without these services, but it’s not like you can rack up status points with your friends by showing off your ISP bill.
When it comes to digital technology, I consider myself a pretty basic gadget guy. I can honestly say I’m not some overly wired freak who walks around all day with a headset on, gesticulating wildly as I talk to the air.
Though I do have four eyes, I don’t wear a small computer monitor on my glasses, the better to read my e-mail at one-inch range. And what’s up with those guys — why are they always guys? — who wear digital headcams so you can see what they’re doing just by looking at their websites? Thanks, but no thanks.
I may not be a freak, but I am nevertheless digitally encumbered. Don’t get me wrong — all the gadgets are great, and it’s amazing and wonderful to be able to communicate with so many people so many different ways, and so quickly.
Eight years ago, when I first spent extended time overseas, I remember being thrilled as I coordinated travel plans across the Atlantic in a six-message e-mail exchange lasting only 15 minutes. Now we don’t even think twice about such an exchange. Technology is everywhere, and it’s moving “at the speed of business,” as at least one company’s ad campaign says.
But here’s the rub: Do I always need to be moving that fast? Is my on-the-job productivity really heightened that much by being more or less constantly plugged in, or does it just allow me to be more inefficient?
My digital encumbrances, after all, are varied and wondrous: laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA), Internet-capable mobile phone, a gaggle of cords and adapters and other gizmos to allow everything to talk to each other and that let me take my encumbrances on the road and overseas.
I’m an avowed tech lover, but even I have come to the realization that this kind of connectivity must have a limit.
I realize this is not a new idea; doomsayers have been wringing their hands over the consequences, real and imagined, of digital encumbrance for a decade or more. But with the gadgets getting smaller, cheaper, sexier and more powerful — witness the advent of wirelessness and the number of people these days who can’t seem to get behind the wheel of an SUV without sparking up the mobile phone — it’s as much of an issue as ever, especially for business people for whom the notion of “staying connected” is as important as maintaining a pulse.
The only way we’re going to nip the connectivity bug in the bud is by just saying no: turning off the pager when we go out to dinner, turning off the cell phone at the kids’ Little League game, going for more than five minutes between e-mail checks. It’s fair to say that somebody somewhere will want to check their e-mail while reading a wireless newspaper that can also receive faxes, but I am not that person.
Thus, my new tech credo: Enough is enough. Enough with 24/7/365 connectedness. Enough with the fetishes over size and speed. (Though a laptop that moves at 1 GHz would be so sweet!) Technology is not an end unto itself but rather a tool. I am my own man. I am not my digital encumbrances.
At least, I don’t think I am.
Getting a big digital grip
As someone running his own small business — I’m a freelance writer — I find I’m constantly evaluating the state of the gadgets I have with me. Do I need to have my phone on during lunch with a friend? Do I keep the to-do alarm on my handheld on or off if I’m in a meeting? Does an
overnight trip somewhere require the laptop, or can I make do with the handheld and its keyboard? We’d like to think such questions have to do with productivity, but what they’re really about is being connected — and that’s not the same as being productive.
Still, we insist on missing the distinction and focusing, as often as not, on the pain our gizmos cause us. More and more of us are sporting a wider array of digital gadgetry on our belts, after all, and we all spout the same vacuous platitudes at business gatherings and parties. “I really
hate being in a movie theater/play/concert/yoga class and hearing somebody’s phone ring,” we complain. “My Palm Pilot would be great, if only I remembered to bring it with me,” we lament.
We’re all starting to get sick. Our devices are becoming the focus of our attention, rather than tools to make our ideas become reality.
Time, in other words, for all of us connected types to get a big collective grip.
If I can learn from my digital missteps, anybody can. I’m 27, I run my business out of my apartment in Portland, and I began dabbling in technology in sixth grade, when my parents bought a 128KB color computer, the IBM PCjr. (Now I carry 32 times more memory and lots more processor power in a little handheld computer clipped onto my belt.) Later on I became a multimedia software developer, but I changed careers because I got tired of doing cool stuff with computers just because I knew how. I’m quite at ease with the technology itself, but I’m not so
sure about its effect on my productivity.
I’ve got early-stage connectivitis, true, but I’m trying to boost my immune system with powerful doses of perspective.
As a small business, I don’t have a lot of spare cash to blow on stuff that makes me look cool but doesn’t actually work. As a frequent traveler, I need things that are light, easy to use and, above all, reliable. Like any smart buyer, I check things out before I buy, and weigh the pros, cons and costs of a purchase. But there are a few things I wish somebody had told me before I dropped a couple of hundred bucks on a handheld personal digital assistant, or signed on for a mobile phone plan.
None of these things, for starters, are actually as small as they seem. Most of them need something else to work properly: batteries, a power cord, a CD drive, and so on. There are external keyboards and modems for handhelds that increase the space and weight requirements significantly. No matter your destination, you have to pack up all your gear, get it in the car or taxi or airplane or rickshaw, and then take it all out of the case and set it up again. As you arrive at the meeting, your focus is not on what you’re going to say, but on whether the equipment will work the way it did when you tested it the day before. So it goes when you’ve got a case of connectivitis.
Part of me insists on thinking that I should have known all this before I began acquiring gadgets — on the other hand, how could I have known about connectivitis before I became connected?
Beware the slippery slope
I own a fair number of these tools myself [see “He’s gotta have it” on previous page], and I’m learning that each has its place. They allow me to work where I need to, when I need to. But I’ve learned that I only need to carry my equipment when I’m actually going to work on it.
During work time, I can maximize my productivity and even enjoy it — at least, sometimes. Try writing your next project or progress report under a tree in a park, or on the beach — it may not make the work go any faster, but it will certainly be more enjoyable than doing it in some fluorescent-lit cubicle.
Aside from allowing me to work in the great outdoors — Can you honestly say you’ve used your encumbrances to work in the great outdoors? If not, why? — the gear has more than earned its keep on numerous occasions. I was recently in the middle of a phone interview and realized
I needed additional background on a company. My laptop was on, connected to the Internet and sitting right in front of me. Without the other person knowing, I hit a couple of websites and found what I needed, which meant I was able to ask a series of follow-up questions I’d have
missed otherwise.
A plus of my PDA and phone is that they combine well, and they allow me to carry less and still do most of what I could with a laptop. Does this mean that I carry them absolutely everywhere? No. While I do drag my phone around most places, I’ve learned over time when I will need
my PDA and I leave it at home the rest of the time.
There are add-ons for these gadgets, which can make life — and my work life — even easier. PDAs have the widest array of extras, though mobile phones have Internet connectivity now, and even little attachable cloth keyboards you can roll up and stick in your pocket. My back-up modules have saved my PDA data many times, when batteries have died or I’ve deleted the wrong thing from my handheld’s memory.
But the pluses, as I’ve learned the hard way, make for a slippery slope. You become more dependent on the gear and on the gadgets they attach to. Your belt becomes more cluttered, and
your pockets fill with spare batteries.
For some folks this is a fashion statement as well as a professional connectivity issue. Not only do they have all the gear, but it’s top-of-the-line and brand-new and they’re awfully pleased with themselves as a result. I say they’re sick.
I need a phone and a PDA and sometimes a laptop. Do I also need a pager? A second phone? A fax machine in my car? No, no and no, and I’m hard-pressed to imagine anyone who does. I’ve known some doctors to wear two pagers — their own and an “on-call” beeper that rotates from person to person as shifts change — but that’s as far as I can conceive of going. I guess if the issue comes down to life and death, I’m willing to concede a little.
We’re gonna make it after all
After all, everyone — doctors, stock brokers, lawyers, bike messengers, even journalists — needs time away from the job. Without time away, connectivitis takes its terminal form, whereupon the fun stops and productivity slams to a halt. We all know that feeling; as a small business person, my work already has a tendency to creep over the edges of my personal life. Right now, for example, it’s almost 5:30 p.m. on a Friday. Where am I? Sitting here typing.
Typing, yes, but typing in the knowledge that recovery is close at hand. Sometimes I need to turn the computer off, not answer the phone, and put down the handheld — and I’m OK with that.
Even so, technological developments are working hard to prevent me from being OK with that. I do think it would be great to get a remotely updated plastic newspaper; I wouldn’t have to pitch so many trees into the recycling bin. But what always comes with new technological capabilities is the promise — no, make that more of a threat — that I need to be even more productive than I already am.
Soon after I get one of those wireless newspapers, somebody’s going to try to sell me a “solution” that will allow me to get my e-mail on it, too. I don’t want that. If I’m reading the newspaper, I’m reading the newspaper. When I want to stop and check my e-mail, I will.
I value my work a great deal, and my quest for perspective is fueled in large part by wanting to do it better and more efficiently. Technology can be a big help, but it can also be a powerful agent for distraction, lack of productivity and stress. If I’m always being distracted, what takes most of my attention is not what’s most important, but what’s making the most noise.
Set your limits and stick to them. You don’t need to be rigid about this; expand them when circumstances warrant. Be sure to take your anti-connectivitis supplements every day: family, friends, time outdoors, time with a book. If you find yourself facing a moment of weakness,
think of a line from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” theme song: “You’re gonna
make it after all.”
And to think Mary Richards actually made it without the help of a laptop or a PDA. Amazing.
He’s gotta have it
The economics, psychology and cool of digital encumbrance: our correspondent’s arsenal of gear
(batteries not included)
Computer
Gear: Apple Powerbook G3, 233MHz
Outlay: $2500
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Laptops keep getting cooler and more powerful. Who needs a desktop machine anymore? Grab a titanium-clad power machine and compute anywhere.
Personal digital assistant
Gear: Handspring Visor, Deluxe, $200; Handspring Visor 56K modem, $90 Landware GoType! Keyboard, $70
Outlay: $360
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ****
Bottom line: All my business and personal contact information is contained in one small device on which I can also edit text, send e-mail and surf the web. Great when traveling light, but I use my laptop when I’m home. The Handspring modem has been discontinued, but similar items are available at Handspring.com for $89-$119.
Cell phone
Gear: Ericcson R289LX mobile with Internet capability, and charger
Outlay: $100, plus $45/month (including limited Internet access) for AT&T wireless service
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Seems everybody’s got a mobile phone these days, but this one can tell me what time movies are showing or recommend a good nearby restaurant for a business lunch. It also takes voicemail messages and lets me know who’s calling before I answer.
Plugs and adapters
Gear (pictured top to bottom): Three-pronged power adapter for UK/Ireland sockets, sold as part of a worldwide power adapter set, $50 from TeleAdaptUSA.com; two-pronged flat-pin adapter for U.S. plugs to fit into non-grounded sockets, less than $1 at most hardware stores; two-pronged round-pin power adapter for European sockets, part of the set sold by TeleAdaptUSA.com
Outlay: $51
Utility: *****
Cool factor: None
Bottom line: No power, no work. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important. Lose these small items and your overseas productivity is gone. You can also win points with ill-prepared fellow travelers by having spares for loan.
Zip drive
Gear: VST Zip 100 expansion bay drive for Powerbook G3; Iomega Zip disk, 100 megabytes (pictured)
Outlay: Drive, $219.95; disks, $44.95/five-pack
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Better than dragging a Zip drive around with cables to connect to power and your computer. Just pop this in the expansion bay and you’re away. Even outside the laptop, it’s smaller than most Zip drives. A single Zip disk holds the equivalent of 80 floppies; it reads and writes faster than a typical floppy, and is sturdier, too.
Service, access and power
Gear: RoadRunner cable Internet service, $40/month, plus $10/month for LineRunner voice-over-IP service; dialup Internet access for Visor and on the road with laptop, $12/month; home electricity usage, 2.9 kwh/day or $10.50/month, includes lights, kitchen, TV, etc.
Outlay: About $72/month
Utility: *****
Cool factor: **
Bottom line: I couldn’t work without these services, but it’s not like you can rack up status points with your friends by showing off your ISP bill.
Wednesday, July 25, 2001
TeraConnect expands throughput, lessens data bottleneck
Published in Interface Tech News
NASHUA, N.H. ‹ TeraConnect hopes major data-transmission companies will breathe a little easier with the introduction of its new T-48 fiber optic interconnection device, which permits data transfer at rates up to 120 gigabits per second.
Intended for use in high-capacity routing and switching systems, and high-end servers that contain routing and switching hardware, the T-48 is a two-dimensional array converting fiber optic signals to electrical signals used in computer equipment.
In large setups, multiple pieces of equipment are placed in rack systems and connected with high-bandwidth fiber optic cables. The machines can work only as fast as they can transfer data to each other.
"There is a bottleneck in trying to interconnect the machines themselves," said Bill Lindsay, TeraConnect's director of product marketing. Lindsay said the T-48 does the work of four standard 1x12 fiber arrays in half the space on a circuit board, and with less power consumption.
Maribel Dolinov, senior telecom analyst for Forrester Research in Boston, said the product is desirable for companies like Cisco and Nortel, which are among TeraConnect's potential customers.
"One of the things the systems providers are looking for is people to assemble (component groups) and then sell them," Dolinov said.
That is exactly what TeraConnect says it is doing.
"The traditional optical communication systems were built one link at a time," Lindsay said. The T-48 offers four dozen links in one component.
Dolinov said cost, size, and power consumption are all large factors in manufacturers' purchases of optical-electrical conversion equipment, and said TeraConnect's offering may solve some problems in those areas.
TeraConnect, which spun out of BAE Systems in November 2000, has been working on this project for over a year, taking advantage of its continued access to BAE Systems clean rooms and engineering equipment.
"That's a big competitive advantage for us," Lindsay said.
The company is pursuing deals with major market players. While reluctant to name specific potential customers, Lindsay said the company is targeting four major markets: routers, switches, high-performance servers, and storage.
In the context of those markets he talked about possibly approaching companies like Cisco, Nortel, Sun, and EMC. He said TeraConnect is also eyeing major telecom service providers and metro-area operators.
Lindsay said the company is involved in smaller deals now, as prospective clients purchase a few T-48s for testing with their products. He said he anticipates sales to increase as the test results come back.
NASHUA, N.H. ‹ TeraConnect hopes major data-transmission companies will breathe a little easier with the introduction of its new T-48 fiber optic interconnection device, which permits data transfer at rates up to 120 gigabits per second.
Intended for use in high-capacity routing and switching systems, and high-end servers that contain routing and switching hardware, the T-48 is a two-dimensional array converting fiber optic signals to electrical signals used in computer equipment.
In large setups, multiple pieces of equipment are placed in rack systems and connected with high-bandwidth fiber optic cables. The machines can work only as fast as they can transfer data to each other.
"There is a bottleneck in trying to interconnect the machines themselves," said Bill Lindsay, TeraConnect's director of product marketing. Lindsay said the T-48 does the work of four standard 1x12 fiber arrays in half the space on a circuit board, and with less power consumption.
Maribel Dolinov, senior telecom analyst for Forrester Research in Boston, said the product is desirable for companies like Cisco and Nortel, which are among TeraConnect's potential customers.
"One of the things the systems providers are looking for is people to assemble (component groups) and then sell them," Dolinov said.
That is exactly what TeraConnect says it is doing.
"The traditional optical communication systems were built one link at a time," Lindsay said. The T-48 offers four dozen links in one component.
Dolinov said cost, size, and power consumption are all large factors in manufacturers' purchases of optical-electrical conversion equipment, and said TeraConnect's offering may solve some problems in those areas.
TeraConnect, which spun out of BAE Systems in November 2000, has been working on this project for over a year, taking advantage of its continued access to BAE Systems clean rooms and engineering equipment.
"That's a big competitive advantage for us," Lindsay said.
The company is pursuing deals with major market players. While reluctant to name specific potential customers, Lindsay said the company is targeting four major markets: routers, switches, high-performance servers, and storage.
In the context of those markets he talked about possibly approaching companies like Cisco, Nortel, Sun, and EMC. He said TeraConnect is also eyeing major telecom service providers and metro-area operators.
Lindsay said the company is involved in smaller deals now, as prospective clients purchase a few T-48s for testing with their products. He said he anticipates sales to increase as the test results come back.
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
Bottomline patents payment messaging system
Published in Interface Tech News
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. ‹ Moving to protect its electronic invoicing and payment software for businesses, Bottomline Technologies received a patent in late June for its e-payment notification system. The system, called ERADS (electronic remittance advice delivery system), is already distributed as part of Bottomline's PayBase payment-automation software.
Bottomline chairman and CEO Dan McGurl said ERADS makes it easier for both parties to know what transactions have occurred.
"When you make an electronic payment," McGurl said, "there are certain limitations that do not allow organizations to send all the remittance information with the payment. (ERADS) is a real-world technology that enables organizations to work around the limitations."
Bottomline still has about 20 patents pending, McGurl said, all of which are for aspects of the company's e-payment and e-invoicing products. The protection offered by a patent improves what McGurl said is the company's already-strong position in the marketplace.
Bottomline's major initiative of late has been moving from a client-server style system to a Web browser-based implementation, a project McGurl is pleased with."We have substantially strengthened our product line with this Web-based (system)," he said.
Harry Wollhandler, vice president of research at Peterborough, N.H.-based ActivMedia Research, agreed. "The systems they've developed meet the criteria of the marketplace rather well," Wollhandler said.
The issue now for Bottomline, Wollhandler said, is to see how the market standards develop. If Bottomline's products can work with most companies' accounting systems, Wollhandler expects them to do well.
"The issue is critical mass. Can you get enough partners involved?" he added.
Bottomline is making an effort, according to McGurl said. FleetBoston, Citibank, and UPS all use Bottomline products and resell them to their customers.
The opportunity is real, Wollhandler said, for systems like Bottomline's to really take off. "Bill presentment is hard for banks," he said. "In terms of corporate business, (systems like ERADS) start to bypass the credit card, saving 2.3 percent on every transaction."
Wollhandler said Bottomline, which will announce its annual financial report in the first week of August, is moving in the right direction.
"Too many companies have gone after investors at the expense of going after customers. The strategy they seem to be putting into place is going after customers and letting investors take care of themselves," Wollhandler said.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. ‹ Moving to protect its electronic invoicing and payment software for businesses, Bottomline Technologies received a patent in late June for its e-payment notification system. The system, called ERADS (electronic remittance advice delivery system), is already distributed as part of Bottomline's PayBase payment-automation software.
Bottomline chairman and CEO Dan McGurl said ERADS makes it easier for both parties to know what transactions have occurred.
"When you make an electronic payment," McGurl said, "there are certain limitations that do not allow organizations to send all the remittance information with the payment. (ERADS) is a real-world technology that enables organizations to work around the limitations."
Bottomline still has about 20 patents pending, McGurl said, all of which are for aspects of the company's e-payment and e-invoicing products. The protection offered by a patent improves what McGurl said is the company's already-strong position in the marketplace.
Bottomline's major initiative of late has been moving from a client-server style system to a Web browser-based implementation, a project McGurl is pleased with."We have substantially strengthened our product line with this Web-based (system)," he said.
Harry Wollhandler, vice president of research at Peterborough, N.H.-based ActivMedia Research, agreed. "The systems they've developed meet the criteria of the marketplace rather well," Wollhandler said.
The issue now for Bottomline, Wollhandler said, is to see how the market standards develop. If Bottomline's products can work with most companies' accounting systems, Wollhandler expects them to do well.
"The issue is critical mass. Can you get enough partners involved?" he added.
Bottomline is making an effort, according to McGurl said. FleetBoston, Citibank, and UPS all use Bottomline products and resell them to their customers.
The opportunity is real, Wollhandler said, for systems like Bottomline's to really take off. "Bill presentment is hard for banks," he said. "In terms of corporate business, (systems like ERADS) start to bypass the credit card, saving 2.3 percent on every transaction."
Wollhandler said Bottomline, which will announce its annual financial report in the first week of August, is moving in the right direction.
"Too many companies have gone after investors at the expense of going after customers. The strategy they seem to be putting into place is going after customers and letting investors take care of themselves," Wollhandler said.
Sunday, January 28, 2001
Bottom of the food chain
Published in the Antarctic Sun
Every meal. Every break. Every glass, plate, fork, knife, spoon, pot, pan, sandwich, juice container…. Every time a dining room attendant (DA) turns around at McMurdo, there’s more to do.
But too often to diners on station they’re just the blue-clad bodies moving a rack of glasses right in front of you or the faces at the dishroom window.
Most of the time, the DAs are smiling, and that’s a tribute to their resilience. "It’s the most difficult job on station, and they probably work harder than anybody else," said Jan Jasperson, the winterover food service supervisor, who said that if he could do anything for them, it would
be getting DAs paid more than the $350 a week they earn.
The DAs play a role in every part of the galley operation, except one. "We don’t cook food," said lead DA Ginger Alferos.
The DAs clean and restock dishes, prep food and salads, make sandwiches and flight lunches, make sure the food lines are stocked, and clean the whole place when the meals are done.
"I do different jobs: deli, floating, pot room, dishroom, it all depends on your mood," said DA Amanda Dow.
The pot room is really where the legends of DA-dom are made. While sitting in on their "family meal," at a strange time like 9:30 a.m. for lunch, the stories come out. Many of them involve the cramped rectangular space called the pot room.
The din in there can be deafening. With big, metal pots and pans resounding while they are moved through stainless steel sinks, the shift starts out loud. Add the music, the singing along and the joketelling and it’s a big party, albeit crusty food in abundant attendance.
In the background is a periodic rumble of the disposal, a giant one, almost the size of a five-gallon bucket. And, as one story goes, a DA once dumped a big pot of mashed potatoes into it instead of scraping the pot into food waste first. As if it were karmic retribution, the disposal exploded, spraying ground-up food everywhere and covering the operator’s face with a big white cloud of potato glop.
It seems gross. It is gross. But then the DAs think it’s funny, which gives insight into how they survive.
"The people make it fun," Dow said. Some of their on-the-job entertainment comes from people who pass through the galley. The DAs keep tallies, like how many people lick their fingers before touching serving utensils. At times they’ll take surveys, asking questions through the dishroom
windows as people stack their plates. It’s a good way to keep their minds active while working a mindless job.
Their presence is appreciated. "There’s no way we could do what we do without them," Jasperson said. In the rest of the world, Jasperson said, the jobs akin to the DAs are held by high school students. But in their lives back home, these DAs are food-service workers, teachers, outdoor guides and other professionals, including a nurse and a geologist.
It can be a good leg up for future jobs in the U.S. Antarctic Program, though. DAs can prove their ability to endure hardship and show their skills with the community.
"They’re our front-line defense," Jasperson said, explaining that the DAs are the first to hear feedback from the community and take the most heat for problems in the galley.
They put up with it because they want to get to Antarctica and they stay because they’re here. There is some appreciation from the community, the DAs say, but there’s no such thing as too much. The folks in the galley, though, know the value of the grunt work.
"We love our DAs," Jasperson said.
Every meal. Every break. Every glass, plate, fork, knife, spoon, pot, pan, sandwich, juice container…. Every time a dining room attendant (DA) turns around at McMurdo, there’s more to do.
But too often to diners on station they’re just the blue-clad bodies moving a rack of glasses right in front of you or the faces at the dishroom window.
Most of the time, the DAs are smiling, and that’s a tribute to their resilience. "It’s the most difficult job on station, and they probably work harder than anybody else," said Jan Jasperson, the winterover food service supervisor, who said that if he could do anything for them, it would
be getting DAs paid more than the $350 a week they earn.
The DAs play a role in every part of the galley operation, except one. "We don’t cook food," said lead DA Ginger Alferos.
The DAs clean and restock dishes, prep food and salads, make sandwiches and flight lunches, make sure the food lines are stocked, and clean the whole place when the meals are done.
"I do different jobs: deli, floating, pot room, dishroom, it all depends on your mood," said DA Amanda Dow.
The pot room is really where the legends of DA-dom are made. While sitting in on their "family meal," at a strange time like 9:30 a.m. for lunch, the stories come out. Many of them involve the cramped rectangular space called the pot room.
The din in there can be deafening. With big, metal pots and pans resounding while they are moved through stainless steel sinks, the shift starts out loud. Add the music, the singing along and the joketelling and it’s a big party, albeit crusty food in abundant attendance.
In the background is a periodic rumble of the disposal, a giant one, almost the size of a five-gallon bucket. And, as one story goes, a DA once dumped a big pot of mashed potatoes into it instead of scraping the pot into food waste first. As if it were karmic retribution, the disposal exploded, spraying ground-up food everywhere and covering the operator’s face with a big white cloud of potato glop.
It seems gross. It is gross. But then the DAs think it’s funny, which gives insight into how they survive.
"The people make it fun," Dow said. Some of their on-the-job entertainment comes from people who pass through the galley. The DAs keep tallies, like how many people lick their fingers before touching serving utensils. At times they’ll take surveys, asking questions through the dishroom
windows as people stack their plates. It’s a good way to keep their minds active while working a mindless job.
Their presence is appreciated. "There’s no way we could do what we do without them," Jasperson said. In the rest of the world, Jasperson said, the jobs akin to the DAs are held by high school students. But in their lives back home, these DAs are food-service workers, teachers, outdoor guides and other professionals, including a nurse and a geologist.
It can be a good leg up for future jobs in the U.S. Antarctic Program, though. DAs can prove their ability to endure hardship and show their skills with the community.
"They’re our front-line defense," Jasperson said, explaining that the DAs are the first to hear feedback from the community and take the most heat for problems in the galley.
They put up with it because they want to get to Antarctica and they stay because they’re here. There is some appreciation from the community, the DAs say, but there’s no such thing as too much. The folks in the galley, though, know the value of the grunt work.
"We love our DAs," Jasperson said.
Sunday, January 21, 2001
Preserving the huts: Protecting the heritage
Published in the Antarctic Sun
Almost exactly 99 years ago, construction began on the first building on Ross Island: Robert Scott’s Discovery Hut. Now, researchers and fundraisers are stepping up the effort to preserve and restore the historic huts in the Ross Sea area.
Ross Island’s three huts – Scott’s on Hut Point and Cape Evans and Ernest Shackleton's on Cape Royds – are the primary targets for preservation, though there are over 30 historic sites in the region, including memorial crosses and supply depots left by the early Antarctic explorers.
"We have the responsibility for the practical management of Heroic Age sites in the Ross Sea area," said Nigel Watson, executive director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, a New Zealand-based, non-profit organization.
To date, the AHT has hired conservators to come to the Antarctic to slow or halt the decline of metals, woods and fibers at historic sites. The trust also maintains a collection of artifacts in Christchurch, which are being worked on and will eventually, Watson said, be returned to their original locations.
But the trust’s work so far has only slowed the rate of decay of rare historic artifacts. "We really haven’t halted the decline," Watson said. "As you look through the huts you can see the decay. Don’t take it for granted, because one day it might not be there," he said, noting that one of the two buildings at Cape Adare is no longer standing.
Watson said the trust is now looking at different approaches to maintaining each historic hut site, ranging from a possible full restoration of the Discovery Hut to its original condition, to preserving a hut at Cape Evans or Cape Royds in something close to its current condition, though treating the materials to prevent future decay.
This could cost several million dollars, Watson said. The AHT relies on donations from the public for its operating budget. The money must fund responsible care for the huts, Watson said.
To that end, the conservation effort is backed up by scientific research. Bob Blanchette of the University of Minnesota, and Roberta Farrell of the University of Waikato in New Zealand are conducting a joint effort, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation, to study the decay and deterioration of wood in the historic huts.
The main source of damage to the wood is erosion. High winds sandblast the outer walls of the huts. This is visible, Blanchette said, particularly on the beams supporting the verandah of the Discovery Hut.
There is also chemical deterioration. The high salt content of the snow in the area, due both to the nearby seawater and to gas emissions from Mount Erebus, weakens the wood fiber.
Further, Blanchette said, fungi within the huts are attacking the materials that are sheltered from the storms to which the outer walls are subjected. In addition, there seems to be a soil fungus attacking the wood foundations. It is not clear, Blanchette said, how this fungus arrived at the historic sites or how it retained its ability to attack wood in a wood-less environment.
"The fungi that we’re finding are very unusual and appear to be unique to the Antarctic," he said.
Part of the research is also looking at the impact of visitors to the hut, who introduce dirt, heat and moisture into closed-up buildings. Blanchette’s group has installed temperature and humidity monitors in the huts, and is trying to keep close track of the length of time visitors spend in the huts.
Blanchette and Watson are optimistic. Watson noted that the centenaries of the construction of each hut are coming up within the next decade. That provides a unique historical angle on fundraising, he said, which may have very positive results for the huts’ preservation.
Blanchette also believes that research and conservation can work hand in hand to restore and protect the huts before they disappear.
"It’s not too late," Blanchette said.
Almost exactly 99 years ago, construction began on the first building on Ross Island: Robert Scott’s Discovery Hut. Now, researchers and fundraisers are stepping up the effort to preserve and restore the historic huts in the Ross Sea area.
Ross Island’s three huts – Scott’s on Hut Point and Cape Evans and Ernest Shackleton's on Cape Royds – are the primary targets for preservation, though there are over 30 historic sites in the region, including memorial crosses and supply depots left by the early Antarctic explorers.
"We have the responsibility for the practical management of Heroic Age sites in the Ross Sea area," said Nigel Watson, executive director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, a New Zealand-based, non-profit organization.
To date, the AHT has hired conservators to come to the Antarctic to slow or halt the decline of metals, woods and fibers at historic sites. The trust also maintains a collection of artifacts in Christchurch, which are being worked on and will eventually, Watson said, be returned to their original locations.
But the trust’s work so far has only slowed the rate of decay of rare historic artifacts. "We really haven’t halted the decline," Watson said. "As you look through the huts you can see the decay. Don’t take it for granted, because one day it might not be there," he said, noting that one of the two buildings at Cape Adare is no longer standing.
Watson said the trust is now looking at different approaches to maintaining each historic hut site, ranging from a possible full restoration of the Discovery Hut to its original condition, to preserving a hut at Cape Evans or Cape Royds in something close to its current condition, though treating the materials to prevent future decay.
This could cost several million dollars, Watson said. The AHT relies on donations from the public for its operating budget. The money must fund responsible care for the huts, Watson said.
To that end, the conservation effort is backed up by scientific research. Bob Blanchette of the University of Minnesota, and Roberta Farrell of the University of Waikato in New Zealand are conducting a joint effort, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation, to study the decay and deterioration of wood in the historic huts.
The main source of damage to the wood is erosion. High winds sandblast the outer walls of the huts. This is visible, Blanchette said, particularly on the beams supporting the verandah of the Discovery Hut.
There is also chemical deterioration. The high salt content of the snow in the area, due both to the nearby seawater and to gas emissions from Mount Erebus, weakens the wood fiber.
Further, Blanchette said, fungi within the huts are attacking the materials that are sheltered from the storms to which the outer walls are subjected. In addition, there seems to be a soil fungus attacking the wood foundations. It is not clear, Blanchette said, how this fungus arrived at the historic sites or how it retained its ability to attack wood in a wood-less environment.
"The fungi that we’re finding are very unusual and appear to be unique to the Antarctic," he said.
Part of the research is also looking at the impact of visitors to the hut, who introduce dirt, heat and moisture into closed-up buildings. Blanchette’s group has installed temperature and humidity monitors in the huts, and is trying to keep close track of the length of time visitors spend in the huts.
Blanchette and Watson are optimistic. Watson noted that the centenaries of the construction of each hut are coming up within the next decade. That provides a unique historical angle on fundraising, he said, which may have very positive results for the huts’ preservation.
Blanchette also believes that research and conservation can work hand in hand to restore and protect the huts before they disappear.
"It’s not too late," Blanchette said.
Sunday, December 24, 2000
Warm bodies, warm hearts: A day with McMurdo's GAs
Published in the Antarctic Sun
It’s early morning. Most folks are struggling to get to work with coffee in hand. But several brighteyed, low-paid men and women are bouncing off the walls in the GA shack next to the carpenters’ shop at McMurdo.
Led by former general assistant Sally Lyon, this season’s operations GAs are ready to work. Lyon doles out the day’s tasks.
"Heather, you’ll go to waste. Lynn, you’ll go to the galley, but it’s just for the morning," Lyon says. She also sends two GAs in a Spryte to replenish the Penguin Ranch fuel supply. The remaining two head out to Williams Field to re-flag a route on the ice shelf.
These operations GAs are not the only ones in town. But the work of several other GA's assigned is with designated departments in town, such as facilities maintenance and fuels department, is bit more specialized.
The nine operation GAs are the ones out shoveling snow, moving boxes, entering data and generally helping out all around McMurdo Station.
It doesn’t take a lot of training to be a GA, though they do go to happy camper and sea ice schools early in the season. But it does take a certain type of person.
Lyon picks her crew carefully from a pool of applicants that by far outnumbers the number of positions available. They're all seeking a job with adventure. "The variety is what attracts most people," Lyon said.
Most of the people she picks, Lyon said, are flexible and have a sense of humor as well as
a broad range of life experiences. This year’s GAs include a former Peace Corps volunteer,
a former tour director with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and a person
who worked with delinquent youth.
But there is one characteristic that pervades all else in the application process, Lyon said: "Somehow they’ve made it clear that they will do anything to get here."
This means Lyons doesn't have to sell the job; she even tries to discourage applicants. She starts an interview by telling them about the worst parts of the job. If they still sound positive, she tells them the good parts.
As the season progresses, work varies a bit, but not always enough. Sometimes GAs end up doing the same thing for several days. Though from the beginning they were told that this would almost certainly happen, it is still sometimes difficult.
When the job does change every day, on the other hand, there’s different challenge. "You don’t see the big picture," said GA Lynn Keating. A day-long task for a GA may be part of a month’s worth of effort for everyone else; having a sense of closure about a project is rare.
Lyons tries to mix up the tasks among the group a bit, to keep them interested in what’s going on, and to keep them learning about how the station operates. "My goal is that they’re as excited to work on January 20 as October 20," Lyon said.
She reminds them to be aware of where they are and how amazing it is. "When you’re shoveling, don’t forget to look up," Lyon said.
In addition to becoming well-rounded in operations, being a GA is a good way to make a good impression on people who will be hiring for next season. "It’s a great springboard," Lyon said.
All of last year’s McMurdo GAs came back for another season, whether for winter at Palmer or in town this season. Many more ex-GAs work all over town and throughout the Antarctic program.
"Everywhere you go, there’s former GAs," said GA Heather Reider.
From those former GAs and the quality of work of each year’s crew, the word is spreading
that GA labor is valuable, Lyon said. "People are starting to recognize that there’s an incredible amount of talent in this group," Lyon said.
Lyon’s combination of practicality and motivation works out well for her and for the GAs. Most of them are active most days, and they are able to work without much supervision. "They exceed my expectations," Lyon said.
And even outside of work the GAs stick together as a team. "A roomful of strangers become the best of friends in four months," Lyon said. In the morning, they trade jokes and stories,
as well as tips and thoughts about previous work or that day’s upcoming projects. At lunch, they rally around each other, asking, "How’s your day going?" and exchanging reports of how life and work are in different departments.
The bottom line for most of the GAs is that they’re here on the Ice and experiencing a range of ways to work and live. "If you’re going to work your butt off for not very much money, why not do it here?" Lyon said.
It’s early morning. Most folks are struggling to get to work with coffee in hand. But several brighteyed, low-paid men and women are bouncing off the walls in the GA shack next to the carpenters’ shop at McMurdo.
Led by former general assistant Sally Lyon, this season’s operations GAs are ready to work. Lyon doles out the day’s tasks.
"Heather, you’ll go to waste. Lynn, you’ll go to the galley, but it’s just for the morning," Lyon says. She also sends two GAs in a Spryte to replenish the Penguin Ranch fuel supply. The remaining two head out to Williams Field to re-flag a route on the ice shelf.
These operations GAs are not the only ones in town. But the work of several other GA's assigned is with designated departments in town, such as facilities maintenance and fuels department, is bit more specialized.
The nine operation GAs are the ones out shoveling snow, moving boxes, entering data and generally helping out all around McMurdo Station.
It doesn’t take a lot of training to be a GA, though they do go to happy camper and sea ice schools early in the season. But it does take a certain type of person.
Lyon picks her crew carefully from a pool of applicants that by far outnumbers the number of positions available. They're all seeking a job with adventure. "The variety is what attracts most people," Lyon said.
Most of the people she picks, Lyon said, are flexible and have a sense of humor as well as
a broad range of life experiences. This year’s GAs include a former Peace Corps volunteer,
a former tour director with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and a person
who worked with delinquent youth.
But there is one characteristic that pervades all else in the application process, Lyon said: "Somehow they’ve made it clear that they will do anything to get here."
This means Lyons doesn't have to sell the job; she even tries to discourage applicants. She starts an interview by telling them about the worst parts of the job. If they still sound positive, she tells them the good parts.
As the season progresses, work varies a bit, but not always enough. Sometimes GAs end up doing the same thing for several days. Though from the beginning they were told that this would almost certainly happen, it is still sometimes difficult.
When the job does change every day, on the other hand, there’s different challenge. "You don’t see the big picture," said GA Lynn Keating. A day-long task for a GA may be part of a month’s worth of effort for everyone else; having a sense of closure about a project is rare.
Lyons tries to mix up the tasks among the group a bit, to keep them interested in what’s going on, and to keep them learning about how the station operates. "My goal is that they’re as excited to work on January 20 as October 20," Lyon said.
She reminds them to be aware of where they are and how amazing it is. "When you’re shoveling, don’t forget to look up," Lyon said.
In addition to becoming well-rounded in operations, being a GA is a good way to make a good impression on people who will be hiring for next season. "It’s a great springboard," Lyon said.
All of last year’s McMurdo GAs came back for another season, whether for winter at Palmer or in town this season. Many more ex-GAs work all over town and throughout the Antarctic program.
"Everywhere you go, there’s former GAs," said GA Heather Reider.
From those former GAs and the quality of work of each year’s crew, the word is spreading
that GA labor is valuable, Lyon said. "People are starting to recognize that there’s an incredible amount of talent in this group," Lyon said.
Lyon’s combination of practicality and motivation works out well for her and for the GAs. Most of them are active most days, and they are able to work without much supervision. "They exceed my expectations," Lyon said.
And even outside of work the GAs stick together as a team. "A roomful of strangers become the best of friends in four months," Lyon said. In the morning, they trade jokes and stories,
as well as tips and thoughts about previous work or that day’s upcoming projects. At lunch, they rally around each other, asking, "How’s your day going?" and exchanging reports of how life and work are in different departments.
The bottom line for most of the GAs is that they’re here on the Ice and experiencing a range of ways to work and live. "If you’re going to work your butt off for not very much money, why not do it here?" Lyon said.
Sunday, November 26, 2000
Pinpoint precision: Geographic locators are accurate to within tenths of an inch
Published in the Antarctic Sun
Several scientists in the U.S. Antarctic Program use specific measurements and locations on the surface of the Earth as key elements in their research. They watch many processes, including
the movement of glaciers, growth or shrink rates of ice sheets and rock layers and the melting of patches of snow in the Dry Valleys.
These researchers use the Global Positioning System, originally created for combat use by the U.S. Defense Department, to locate themselves and their study areas very specifically. At McMurdo Station each summer are GPS experts who provide equipment and training for about 20 science groups on the continent.
“We’re supporting grantees who are using GPS for their field research,” said project leader Bjorn Johns, of the University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO), a group of 100 academic institutions, including the National Science Foundation, promoting the use of high-accuracy GPS for scientific research.
Many people on the Ice and in the U.S. have their own handheld GPS units, which cost around $200. “It’s become a national utility,” Johns said.
Commercial handhelds provide accuracy to within about fifteen feet of an actual location, Johns said. By contrast, the equipment Johns and his colleague Chuck Kurnik issue are accurate to within tenths of an inch, cost around $15,000 and involve a plattersize antenna and laptop computer-size receiving box.
GPS is based on a group of satellites orbiting Earth and several ground stations monitoring them. The satellites broadcast their position in space and the exact time from an on-board atomic
clock. By receiving the signals from several satellites, a GPS unit on the ground can calculate its location.
But that can be difficult at high latitudes because the satellites don’t pass directly overhead, which would give the best possible readings. “They’re all low on the horizon in the polar regions,” Johns said.
All of the positions calculated are relative to other, fixed, known locations. To be precise, measurements need to be compared very carefully with the exact trajectories of the satellites at the time of the reading.
“That typically means collecting and post-processing data,” Johns said. That process can take a couple of days, he said. Some groups need Johns and Kurnik to do GPS portion of their work, while other researchers need technical assistance or data-processing help.
Johns and Kurnik also install both permanent and temporary stationary GPS stations to monitor ongoing geologic processes and to improve accuracy of nearby readings.
This season, they put a station on Mount Erebus to watch how underground activity changes the volcano’s surface. “If there’s any inflation or deflation of the volcano relative to McMurdo we’ll see that,” Johns said. If anything significant happened on Erebus, or anywhere else with a permanent GPS monitoring station, the data would be valuable for scientists.
“When an event occurs, you’ve captured it, with pre- and post-event data,” Johns said.
Another important element is fixing the exact antenna position to the ground. If a measurement is accurate within fractions of an inch, a human error in antenna placement for observation could
appear to be a large fluctuation in surface movement.
To provide a stable platform, Johns and Kurnik sink a metal rod into the rock or ice and affix a leveling platform to the rod. The antenna screws onto the platform.
Each reading, then, is taken from the same location relative to the rod. If a location change is measured, it means the rod has moved, and therefore the rock or ice surrounding the rod has moved.
This type of measurement is possible around the world using base stations and satellite readings anywhere on the surface of the Earth. But Johns said Antarctica is where GPS gets used most heavily. He and Kurnik may support five science projects during the rest of the year, and more than 20 during the summer field season on the Ice.
The GPS work helps influence future research, Johns said. This season at Icestream C, a group wanted to drill an ice core in an area where the glacier isn’t moving very quickly. Because of GPS
surveying last year, they knew where one was.
GPS is also used to map the atmosphere. Since GPS uses radio waves, which behave differently as atmospheric conditions change, GPS readings at known locations can show variations in
the ionosphere and troposphere through changes in radio waves along different paths.
Johns and Kurnik don’t directly interact with the atmospheric mapping projects, which are not based in Antarctica, but help people use GPS in all kinds of ways. “Everyone has something they want measured,” Johns said.
Several scientists in the U.S. Antarctic Program use specific measurements and locations on the surface of the Earth as key elements in their research. They watch many processes, including
the movement of glaciers, growth or shrink rates of ice sheets and rock layers and the melting of patches of snow in the Dry Valleys.
These researchers use the Global Positioning System, originally created for combat use by the U.S. Defense Department, to locate themselves and their study areas very specifically. At McMurdo Station each summer are GPS experts who provide equipment and training for about 20 science groups on the continent.
“We’re supporting grantees who are using GPS for their field research,” said project leader Bjorn Johns, of the University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO), a group of 100 academic institutions, including the National Science Foundation, promoting the use of high-accuracy GPS for scientific research.
Many people on the Ice and in the U.S. have their own handheld GPS units, which cost around $200. “It’s become a national utility,” Johns said.
Commercial handhelds provide accuracy to within about fifteen feet of an actual location, Johns said. By contrast, the equipment Johns and his colleague Chuck Kurnik issue are accurate to within tenths of an inch, cost around $15,000 and involve a plattersize antenna and laptop computer-size receiving box.
GPS is based on a group of satellites orbiting Earth and several ground stations monitoring them. The satellites broadcast their position in space and the exact time from an on-board atomic
clock. By receiving the signals from several satellites, a GPS unit on the ground can calculate its location.
But that can be difficult at high latitudes because the satellites don’t pass directly overhead, which would give the best possible readings. “They’re all low on the horizon in the polar regions,” Johns said.
All of the positions calculated are relative to other, fixed, known locations. To be precise, measurements need to be compared very carefully with the exact trajectories of the satellites at the time of the reading.
“That typically means collecting and post-processing data,” Johns said. That process can take a couple of days, he said. Some groups need Johns and Kurnik to do GPS portion of their work, while other researchers need technical assistance or data-processing help.
Johns and Kurnik also install both permanent and temporary stationary GPS stations to monitor ongoing geologic processes and to improve accuracy of nearby readings.
This season, they put a station on Mount Erebus to watch how underground activity changes the volcano’s surface. “If there’s any inflation or deflation of the volcano relative to McMurdo we’ll see that,” Johns said. If anything significant happened on Erebus, or anywhere else with a permanent GPS monitoring station, the data would be valuable for scientists.
“When an event occurs, you’ve captured it, with pre- and post-event data,” Johns said.
Another important element is fixing the exact antenna position to the ground. If a measurement is accurate within fractions of an inch, a human error in antenna placement for observation could
appear to be a large fluctuation in surface movement.
To provide a stable platform, Johns and Kurnik sink a metal rod into the rock or ice and affix a leveling platform to the rod. The antenna screws onto the platform.
Each reading, then, is taken from the same location relative to the rod. If a location change is measured, it means the rod has moved, and therefore the rock or ice surrounding the rod has moved.
This type of measurement is possible around the world using base stations and satellite readings anywhere on the surface of the Earth. But Johns said Antarctica is where GPS gets used most heavily. He and Kurnik may support five science projects during the rest of the year, and more than 20 during the summer field season on the Ice.
The GPS work helps influence future research, Johns said. This season at Icestream C, a group wanted to drill an ice core in an area where the glacier isn’t moving very quickly. Because of GPS
surveying last year, they knew where one was.
GPS is also used to map the atmosphere. Since GPS uses radio waves, which behave differently as atmospheric conditions change, GPS readings at known locations can show variations in
the ionosphere and troposphere through changes in radio waves along different paths.
Johns and Kurnik don’t directly interact with the atmospheric mapping projects, which are not based in Antarctica, but help people use GPS in all kinds of ways. “Everyone has something they want measured,” Johns said.
Swedish Polar Ambassador visits Ross Island
Published in the Antarctic Sun
The New Zealand Antarctic Program played host to the Swedish polar ambassador, Eva Kettis, last week.
She had been in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, for a meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and was invited to be a guest at Scott Base.
After several days on weather hold in Christchurch, Kettis arrived on the Ice for her second visit. Her first visit was to a site on the Antarctic Peninsula where a hut was built by an early Swedish Antarctic explorer, Otto Nordenskjold, in 1901.
Sweden, which signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1984, maintains two small summer-only camps in Queen Maud Land and cooperates with Finland and Norway in areas of logistics and operations.
“We have subscribed totally to the Antarctic Treaty goals,” Kettis said.
While she is the ambassador for both polar regions, Kettis said she concentrates most of her
effort on the Arctic. “That’s perhaps nearer to our heart,” Kettis said.
She works with the Arctic Council, a group that includes the eight countries that border the Arctic and several groups of Arctic indigenous people. “That is quite unusual for intergovernmental cooperation,” Kettis said.
The political issues, she said, are very different in the north and south polar regions. For example, since the Arctic is largely ocean, no country can make territorial claims. Research,
on the other hand, is similar in the two areas.
“The science has a clear bipolar aspect,” Kettis said. “I think it has not only polar aspects but global aspects.”
On her trip to the Ice, she visited Ross Island’s historic huts, various field camp locations around the Ross Sea and in the Dry Valleys, and visited McMurdo, where she was particularly
impressed by the mawsonii in the old aquarium.
“I never thought I would see a big toothfish,” Kettis said.
As well, she toured Scott Base and liked what she saw. “They are very well equipped and it
works very well,” Kettis said.
She was unable to leave on schedule because of the weather, which frustrated her a bit, but Kettis said she was glad to be able to see this part of “this huge and beautiful continent.”
The New Zealand Antarctic Program played host to the Swedish polar ambassador, Eva Kettis, last week.
She had been in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, for a meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and was invited to be a guest at Scott Base.
After several days on weather hold in Christchurch, Kettis arrived on the Ice for her second visit. Her first visit was to a site on the Antarctic Peninsula where a hut was built by an early Swedish Antarctic explorer, Otto Nordenskjold, in 1901.
Sweden, which signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1984, maintains two small summer-only camps in Queen Maud Land and cooperates with Finland and Norway in areas of logistics and operations.
“We have subscribed totally to the Antarctic Treaty goals,” Kettis said.
While she is the ambassador for both polar regions, Kettis said she concentrates most of her
effort on the Arctic. “That’s perhaps nearer to our heart,” Kettis said.
She works with the Arctic Council, a group that includes the eight countries that border the Arctic and several groups of Arctic indigenous people. “That is quite unusual for intergovernmental cooperation,” Kettis said.
The political issues, she said, are very different in the north and south polar regions. For example, since the Arctic is largely ocean, no country can make territorial claims. Research,
on the other hand, is similar in the two areas.
“The science has a clear bipolar aspect,” Kettis said. “I think it has not only polar aspects but global aspects.”
On her trip to the Ice, she visited Ross Island’s historic huts, various field camp locations around the Ross Sea and in the Dry Valleys, and visited McMurdo, where she was particularly
impressed by the mawsonii in the old aquarium.
“I never thought I would see a big toothfish,” Kettis said.
As well, she toured Scott Base and liked what she saw. “They are very well equipped and it
works very well,” Kettis said.
She was unable to leave on schedule because of the weather, which frustrated her a bit, but Kettis said she was glad to be able to see this part of “this huge and beautiful continent.”
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