forward pages to smartphone

[possmann]

I'm strapped to a company pager and will buy the next motorola when it finally comes along so I was wondering if anyone has set up their pager to forward a page to their smartphone. How would this be done?

[Mike Temporale]

Is this an email based pager?? or plain jane phone number?

[possmann]

Hi Mike - It's a Motorola pager that can accept email messages (up to a certain line limit) and I just found out from the pager provider - SBC - that in order to enable some sort of "call forwarding" feature I would ahve to have a two-way pager. This is only a one way - can only recieve messages/pages.

So - I'm strongly considering building a business case to drop the pagers and go to mobile phone that can receive sms/text messages (like most normally can). It would make sense as just about everyone who carries a pager also carries a mobile phone - and what is the first thing we do after getting the page? Pick up our mobile phone to call the person who sent the page back - :roll:

My only concern is coverage... Do you know of anyone who discontinued their pager use in favor of just a mobile phone? How did or is that working for them? any issues regarding coverage of missed calls?

[Mike Temporale]

My only concern is coverage... Do you know of anyone who discontinued their pager use in favor of just a mobile phone? How did or is that working for them? any issues regarding coverage of missed calls?

I use my mobile as a pager/sms all the time. As far as I know, I haven't missed anything. At least no one has complained to me. I just setup an email address ([email protected]) that forwards all messages to my mobile's address ([email protected]).

Maybe you should consider a SPOT watch. It's a simple one-way messaging system that you will have with you 99% of the time. :D

[possmann]

The SPOT watch - :lol: I don't think I'll be able to build a business case around getting that for a hundered or so employees - but hey... If it is as good as a pager hmmmmmm I wonder if the company would pick up the monthly airtime... :turn-l: he ponders...

[Mike Temporale]

I think the cheapest SPOT watch is $130 US from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/robertlevynet-20/browse/-/172594/002-5033602-9512006) and the air time is pretty reasonable too. It's only $59 for 1 year, or you can pay by the month at $10.

Now I haven't had a pager in a while, but I think these prices are the same if not less.

Maybe I can find David and have him chime in on this. He has a SPOT watch and can let you know how well it works as a pager. :D

[possmann]

That would be great!

I ahve to admit that I'm a bit concerned about the coverage - I looked at my zip code area and it doesn't really cover all to much - just the city and the suburbs - while the local pager I have covers me from Milwaukee (where I am now) to chicago to madison to green bay and points in between.

Another thing is that the cost is about 3 less per month - but then if I'm paying $10 per month and I have more hip freedom... (or beltline freedom)

I know this may be getting a bit off topic but I wonder why SPOT watches are so limited in their transmission/receiption capabilities? I would hope they would use a stronger FM frequency - kinda like a pager...

[Mike Temporale]

I know this may be getting a bit off topic but I wonder why SPOT watches are so limited in their transmission/receiption capabilities? I would hope they would use a stronger FM frequency - kinda like a pager...

I think it's a matter of getting the broadcast stations setup. Or getting the local FM stations on board. That's just a guess. I really have no clue. :wink:

[possmann]

Thanks - Were's Dave when you need him?!? :lol:

[Mike Temporale]

I just PM'ed him earlier. But now I fired a message off to his watch. :lol: That's a good test eh?

[possmann]

:werenotworthy:

thanks!

[David McNamee]

So, I was offline at a client this morning when I got a message on my watch from Mike about this thread. Cool, eh?

I like the idea of using SPOT to replace paging. I see several issues, though.

1) Network coverage. Network coverage is good, but not 100% of the country is covered. The coverage maps on the MSN Direct web site are a little off - there's actually a larger area covered than what is shown. I recommend field testing that to make sure coverage is sufficient for your area.

2) Message arrival times. It has taken as long as five minutes for me to receive a message that was sent. That's fine for consumer use, but some enterprises may need the higher throughput of the pager networks.

3) MSN Messenger is required. You can only send messages to SPOT-enabled devices through MSN Messenger. That means everybody in the organization has to sign up for Passport and install MSN Messenger. This may be seriously against the policy of some companies.

4) Limited message size. I think you actually receive fewer characters in an IM to a SPOT watch than you do in an SMS message.

So, if your organization is in a covered area, messages aren't time-critical, you can run MSN Messenger, and can work with about 160 characters, using a SPOT-based watch could work fine.

HTH!

[David McNamee]

I know this may be getting a bit off topic but I wonder why SPOT watches are so limited in their transmission/reception capabilities? I would hope they would use a stronger FM frequency - kinda like a pager...

They're limited because they use the unregulated FM subcarrier frequencies - 88 TO 108Mhz, VHF. The signal reaches about 50 miles depending on atmospheric variables. Microsoft gets FM radio stations in each market to plug in a component to its equipment rack so that it can be part of the data relay network. A major market may need more than one FM station participating in order to have full coverage.

[possmann]

Thanks Dave!

that helps a lot.

[Mike Temporale]

So, I was offline at a client this morning when I got a message on my watch from Mike about this thread. Cool, eh?


I hope it wasn't too intrusive. :oops: I must admit that using the technology got the better of me, and in all reality, this was nothing urgent.

[David McNamee]

I hope it wasn't too intrusive.

Not at all. That's one of the great things about the watch. A little beep, a quick glance, and I'm back to what I was doing. Very unintrusive.

[Jason Dunn]

I'm been "SPOTing" over the last week myself - working on a review about the watch for PPCT. Pretty cool little device!

[David McNamee]

I'm been "SPOTing" over the last week myself - working on a review about the watch for PPCT. Pretty cool little device!

Get ready for dueling reviews :wink:

[possmann]

Alright - I ahve to ask - which models are you guys using?

Dueling reviews - :lol: I can already hear the banjo off in the distance!

[David McNamee]

Alright - I ahve to ask - which models are you guys using?

Dueling reviews - :lol: I can already hear the banjo off in the distance!

I've got the Abacus from Fossil.

[spg]

I also have a SPOT watch, the Abacus from Fossil. So far I really love it, but when used as a pager those points that David brought up are good ones. One more thing that he didn't mention is that you are limited to 100 messages a month with the way their service plan is currently. This could prove limiting.

One big advantage though has already been mentioned, it is very unobtrusive. Most people don't even give a second thought when you glance at your watch. Of course, outside of the ability to receive messages, the SPOT watch has other nice features as well.

To add to the "dueling reviews", I've written one and already posted it on my SPOT site - http://www.spotbuzz.com/showarticle.aspx?article=2.

One question that I know has been brought up - Will someone who already has a Smartphone really be interested in a SPOT watch? Well, I have both and I use both daily. :) I really like being able to have information available at a quick glance (SPOT watch), while at the same time being able to access more detailed information (as well as e-mail and other things like that) on the Smartphone.

[possmann]

I guess the one thing that is a Big disadvantage is only being able to send mees toa watch via MSN Messenger - that ain't gonna fly. I think MS goofed on tghat one - why not just allow anyone to send a message to your watch - make it work more like a pager? :really mad: once again - really close but something that limits its explosion on the market - especially in the business world. MS's focus on integrating and mobilizing the workforce is one of the main reasons the PocketPC OS is doing so well - why don't they just use the same formula for this technology? Jason - talk to the MS folks - tell them in SPOT 2.0 to open the ability to accept messages from any source rather than just limiting the sender to MSN Messenger...

end of rant

[spg]

I can tell you that not only have I mentioned that to the MS folks, so have several other SPOT enthusiasts. Microsoft's big concern with opening it up to receive mail messages was of course, SPAM. People already get enough of that without their watch beeping every hour or so with a new SPAM message. There may be ways around this, such as having an "allowed" list of e-mail addresses that can send a message to the watch. I think Microsoft is actively looking in to this, although I don't know when, or how long it will take for them to implement something.

Right now their main focus is getting the new sports scores channel out, after that they will turn their attention to other channel possibilities, and maybe user suggestions like these.

[Jason Dunn]

I've got the Abacus from Fossil.

Ditto.

[possmann]

OK l know this is off the smart phone topic but seeing as we are talking about the smart watch aka spot l just found the Timex answer to my watch pager question ...apparently Timex and Motorola got together to make a watch that really doubles as a pager! Has anyone tried this watch out yet? l really hope that Microsoft will move to this model-that would seel the deal for me for sure!

[Mike Temporale]

I guess the one thing that is a Big disadvantage is only being able to send mees toa watch via MSN Messenger - that ain't gonna fly.

Sorry to dig this old thread up, but I have learned of a POP3-MSNM Gateway that will allow people to email your watch. More information can be found here (http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/directpop_email_to_spot_watches.php)

:D