Carrier briefs

Sprint this week is expected to unveil an instant-messaging platform that lets mobile workers connect to enterprise applications and to other employees.

Called Universal Application Messaging, the service runs on Sprint's recently upgraded wireless network. Employees using the service can be tied to corporate directories with the same access rights they'd have at their desktops.

Aerie Networks launched its Ricochet mobile high-speed wireless service last week in San Diego. Ricochet lets mobile users connect to the Internet or private data networks at an average speed of 176K bit/sec, Aerie says. San Diego is the second market where Ricochet has reappeared.

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Sprint this week is expected to unveil an instant-messaging platform that lets mobile workers connect to enterprise applications and to other employees.

Called Universal Application Messaging, the service runs on Sprint's recently upgraded wireless network. Employees using the service can be tied to corporate directories with the same access rights they'd have at their desktops.

Aerie Networks launched its Ricochet mobile high-speed wireless service last week in San Diego. Ricochet lets mobile users connect to the Internet or private data networks at an average speed of 176K bit/sec, Aerie says. San Diego is the second market where Ricochet has reappeared.

Ricochet was formerly operated by Metricom, which went bankrupt last year. Metricom shut down the Ricochet network, which operated in 15 metropolitan areas. Aerie purchased the Ricochet equipment and is relaunching the service in cities where the company thinks it can turn a profit. The Ricochet service is available for $45 per month.

Sockeye Networks has drummed up $12 million in its second round of financing from Baker Capital and Polaris Venture Partners. Sockeye offers route-optimization services for users and service providers. The company offers its GlobalRoute services that it says lets customers with multihomed, dedicated Internet access lines from multiple providers reduce costs while improving performance.

Savvis Communications announced last week that it is taking over Intel Online's data centers in Chantilly, Va.; London; Santa Clara and Tokyo. Intel announced in June that it would exit the Web hosting business.

Savvis will acquire the equipment and software to support each customer that transfers over from Intel. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Read more about lans & wans in Network World's LANs & WANs section.