Subject: [NEXTEL-1] MoBull spreads messages across the wireless world

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 20:45:02 -0500

MoBull spreads messages across the wireless world

Jane Meinhardt   Staff Writer

Wireless technology uses in the Tampa Bay area range from instant messaging
from vendors such as nightclubs to gleaning information from buoys at sea.

MoBull Messenger is a
new, free wireless service
introduced to the Bay area
by the University of South
Florida information
technology department in
partnership with Air2Web.

MoBull Messenger uses a
wireless platform from
Air2Web, a privately held
company based in Atlanta,
that enables users to
receive discount coupons
from vendors and notification of university and community events and news.

Michele Joel, marketing manager for the university's information technology
department, said 65 vendors are using the message service.

However, the ultimate goal is to create a staple wireless service for universities
to communicate with faculty, students and the community, she said.

The Air2Web wireless platform sends text
messages instantly to any wireless device.
Messages are sent to e-mail, cell phone text
messenger, pagers and personal digital
assistance devices.

MoBull Messenger allows students, faculty,
alumni and others to receive discount
coupons from restaurants, museums,
bicycle shops, clothing stores, nightclubs
and sporting events. The university also can
communicate with users and relay messages
about events such as athletic activities or news related to classes.

About 2,250 users are signed up on MoBull Messenger.

Through the MoBull Messenger Web site, subscribers can customize the type
of information delivered to their wireless devices. They provide personal
information such as gender and age and can select a privacy time during which
they do not want to receive any messages.

Vendors pay to advertise through MoBull Messenger, giving the university a
new source of revenue, and can instantly send coupons to subscribers.
Vendors pay a set charge for every coupon sent.

The Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa is among the businesses
involved in MoBull Messenger but has not used it much yet, said Wayne
Atherholt, the museum's vice president of retail enterprises.

"It's really neat, but it may work better for some businesses than others," he
said, adding that the museum traditionally uses print advertising.

A restaurant owner who may want to beef up his business at a particular time
can go to the MoBull Messenger Web site, enter information about a discount
offer and select targeted users. The business pays with a credit card a certain
price per number of messages, and the wireless discount coupon is sent to
targeted users.

More crucial wireless applications provide information about Tampa Bay ship
traffic, weather conditions, currents and other factors that affect the thousands
of ships that travel to and from the ports of Tampa and Manatee. The harbor
pilots that guide the ships use a system of laptops and satellites that tells them
where every ship is in the bay.

The Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, known as PORTS, aids in
safe and cost-effective navigation, hazardous material and oil-spill prevention,
and scientific research. The system measures real-time data with six-minute
updates at eight strategic locations in Tampa Bay.

PORTS consists of four acoustic Doppler current profilers, water gauges,
anemometers, an atmospheric temperature and barometric pressure sensor,
radio transmission equipment and a data acquisition system.

The PORTS information dissemination system includes telephone voice
response, modem displays and Internet sites.

The Tampa Port Authority is in the midst of developing a wireless network
infrastructure, said Lori Rafter, public relations manager.

"We're trying out some pocket PCs and already use things like radios and
personal data devices," she said. "The wireless network infrastructure will be
throughout the port, not just for security."

Ken Washington, director of information technology for the port authority,
said about one-third of the port's current infrastructure is wireless.

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2003/01/06/focus3.html

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