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“We will continue to raise the technology bar”

Posted: 22 June 2011 | Martin Bergek, Icomera | No comments yet

Established in 1999, Icomera is the world’s leading provider of cellular broadband gateways delivering Internet connectivity for passenger transport, public safety and enterprise applications. In an interview for Intelligent Transport, Martin Bergek, responsible for group business development, product development and marketing at Icomera, tells us about their latest applications and what the future holds for the company.
Please explain a little about Icomera’s technology?

Icomera technology bridges wide-area 3G and 4G cellular networks with on-board Wi-Fi and Ethernet access. Icomera’s wireless data communication solution enables passengers, as well as staff, to access the Internet and browse the web, check e-mails and access corporate data while travelling. It also allows real-time monitoring of the train itself. Icomera routers are ideal for a wide range of vehicles for rail and road.

Established in 1999, Icomera is the world’s leading provider of cellular broadband gateways delivering Internet connectivity for passenger transport, public safety and enterprise applications. In an interview for Intelligent Transport, Martin Bergek, responsible for group business development, product development and marketing at Icomera, tells us about their latest applications and what the future holds for the company. Please explain a little about Icomera’s technology? Icomera technology bridges wide-area 3G and 4G cellular networks with on-board Wi-Fi and Ethernet access. Icomera’s wireless data communication solution enables passengers, as well as staff, to access the Internet and browse the web, check e-mails and access corporate data while travelling. It also allows real-time monitoring of the train itself. Icomera routers are ideal for a wide range of vehicles for rail and road.

Established in 1999, Icomera is the world’s leading provider of cellular broadband gateways delivering Internet connectivity for passenger transport, public safety and enterprise applications. In an interview for Intelligent Transport, Martin Bergek, responsible for group business development, product development and marketing at Icomera, tells us about their latest applications and what the future holds for the company.

Please explain a little about Icomera’s technology?

Icomera technology bridges wide-area 3G and 4G cellular networks with on-board Wi-Fi and Ethernet access. Icomera’s wireless data communication solution enables passengers, as well as staff, to access the Internet and browse the web, check e-mails and access corporate data while travelling. It also allows real-time monitoring of the train itself. Icomera routers are ideal for a wide range of vehicles for rail and road.

Icomera recently launched the X6 Mobile Applications Router – how does it work and what are the benefits of this application for the railway/transport industry?

The unique advantage of the system is that it enables different communications networks to work in parallel. By seamlessly combining technologies into a ‘hybrid’ solution Icomera can guarantee an always-online experience to end users and applications. For the customer it means never being locked into a specific technology or bound by a single communi cation supplier’s pricing. In addition, the system enables application to be hosted on the platform. The applications are completely de-coupled from the underlying operating system and thanks to this applications can be developed and deployed without impacting the stability of the overall system.

What more can you tell us about Icomera’s recent contract with Nobina for installation of your X Series routers for buses in the Stockholm area?

The system includes an IP video surveillance application from Icomera application partner Swedish Connection, with support for local storage and video offloading. The video management system includes viewing station software with synchronised video display support. Through the system, the Swedish police will be able to search and select in the recorded data and download GPS tagged video footage directly over the Internet. Nobina will also use the Icomera X Series platform to provide Internet services for passengers on selected routes. One of the main drivers for Nobina to select Icomera as partner is that they now have the ability to add multiple applications onto the same platform, instead of having to purchase separate systems for each function they want to implement. The installation of the 400 systems will be completed in time for the start of the next school year in September 2011.

What sets Icomera apart from its competitors?

Our industry leadership and core technology has always been in superior communications on transport. This means better coverage and better bandwidth. Communication has always been a core part of our offer and we will continue to invest heavily in it. By aggregating and seamlessly switching between networks using Icomera’s patented SureWAN technology, the Icomera system can ensure an optimal connection. With the Icomera X6 we have added two new areas where we intend to be exceptional. One is the support for applications, which we have already mentioned. By allowing applications to be hosted on the system we, together with our network of partners, can rapidly respond to varying customer requirements. The final differentiator is the hardware itself. With the Icomera X6 we are taking our products to a whole new level. We built our systems on industrial PC components in the past but just like many others we have felt the pain when things break. The Icomera X6 is a modern computer platform design from the bottom up to withstand the environment on the train.

What does the future hold for Icomera?

Our systems are installed on 2,000 vehicles today. We intend to triple that within the next two years. We will continue to raise the technology bar in making it simpler and faster for transport operators to deploy new innovative applications.

 

About the Author

Martin Bergek is responsible for group business development, product development and marketing at Icomera. Martin co-founded Icomera in 1999. Prior to this, Martin worked at Cap Gemini as technology lead for embedded software design within the automotive industry. Before that Martin worked at SAAB Combitech AB where he designed both hardware and software solutions for satellites as well as making strategic business development studies for the SAAB group management.

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