Wavecom today announced the launch of its new WISMO (WIreless Standard MOdem) family of entry level GSM/GPRS modems for machine-to-machine (M2M) applications. The new product line provides wireless voice and data connectivity in a highly compact form factor and at a very competitive price, without compromising M2M industry specific requirements.

The new WISMO modem is extremely easy to use. It is easy to get started with, thanks to Wavecom’s brand new Expresso "Discover & Learn" Microsoft® Windows® tool that enables integrators to view the standardised AT command interface while operating the WISMO features. It is easy to integrate in existing automated or manual assembly lines, thanks to its castellation form factor which also facilitates the visual control on the manufacturing line. And it is easy to service in the field, thanks to the manual removal possibilities provided by the castellation design.

Unlike most entry-level solutions currently available on the market, the WISMO modem benefits from world-class manufacturing quality and delivery performance. The WISMO is produced on an ISO TS 16949 (automotive standard) certified manufacturing site, and benefits from all the inspection equipment already in place for automotive-grade products. Regarding deliveries, 95% of shipments from the factory arrive within 4 weeks from the order date and the on-time delivery rate is close to 100%, equating to significant logistics benefits for customers operating efficient JIT (Just In Time) manufacturing processes.

As for all Wavecom products, the purchasing price of the WISMO includes essential Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) coverage for the GSM/GPRS standards. The IPR coverage provided by Wavecom means that Wavecom customers do not have to negotiate their own complex licensing agreements with essential patent holders, and they are also legally protected from any patent infringement claims from these holders.

Customer product certification is made easy thanks to pre-certification of the "all inclusive" nature of the WISMO whose design includes all the hardware and software needed to perform the cellular modem function. To make development and certification even easier, WISMO buyers can benefit from Wavecom’s existing range of professional services including design review, global product certification support, three different IMEI handling services, and express or fast delivery should the standard 4 weeks not be fast enough.

For an even shorter time-to-market, customers can get custom-developed turnkey M2M solutions from Wavecom’s fully-owned subsidiary Anyware Technologies. Anyware provides end-to-end M2M solutions based on a generic, secure and scalable platform: the M2M OperatingPortal™. The offer includes all the parts of an M2M solution, including the embedded application, device management, asset management, and consumer and enterprise web interfaces hosted and operated on a secure infrastructure. The M2M OperatingPortal™ is hardware-independent and can integrate wireless modules from any supplier.

"Addressing the market for low-cost voice and data modem solutions, the new WISMO perfectly complements our existing portfolio of feature-rich, added-value integration products," said Philippe Guillemette, Chief Technology Officer at Wavecom. "Its simplicity and multi-dimensional ease of use, combined with all the quality, supply and reliability benefits that a market leader like Wavecom can offer, makes the new WISMO family a very attractive solution for any customer wishing to connect their existing wired or disconnected product to the wireless Internet using a modular design approach."

The first product in the new WISMO family, the WISMO 218, supports multi-bearer (GSM, CSD, SMS, FAX, GPRS) and multi-codec (HR, FR, EFR, AMR), is postage stamp sized at just 25mm x 25mm x 2.8mm, and is easily placed inside the customer product via either manual or common automated machine placement soldering methods. Castellation was selected for the first product in the new family as it is perfectly matched for a modem with an inherently low number of connection points and offers significant advantages over the more complex to use LGA mounting mechanism.

Customer sampling will start in March, followed by commercial availability commencing in May 2009.