Sagem Wireless
Encyclopedia
Sagem Wireless was a multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Paris, France. Sagem Wireless was engaged in the designing and manufacturing of customised connected lifestyle devices and services for mobile network operators and global consumer brands. The company had a 15 year history in mobile devices development and delivery and was incorporated as Sagem Wireless in January 2009 following investment in Sagem Mobile
by Sofinnova Partners in August 2008. Sagem Wireless was majority owned by Sofinnova Partners, with minority stakes owned by SAFRAN
and Sagem Wireless founders and staff.
In addition to working with brands (mobile operators, exclusive brands and global lifestyle brands) to design and develop customised devices, Sagem Wireless also worked with OEMs
, government bodies and enterprises to deliver a range of business services. These include ODM services for handset manufacturers, Machine-to-Machine
(M2M) products and services, and customised devices for governments and law enforcement agencies.
Sagem Wireless had research and development
centres in Europe and China and an extensive portfolio of technology patents
. It works closely with Sofinnova portolio companies and other technology partners to integrate technology innovations into its devices, including Near Field Communications
(NFC), e-paper, biometric fingerprint sensors and battery technology.
During the period 1996-2000, the Mobile Phones and Radiocommunications Systems and Radiocommunications Networks business units were led by Thierry Buffenoir. In 2001, Buffenoir became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sagem Mobile, the mobile phone operating division of Sagem. Under Buffenoir’s leadership, by 2004 Sagem Mobile had grown to become a top 5 European handset manufacturer and market leader in France, its home market.
Following the creation of SAFRAN
in 2005, the Group once again refocused on its core businesses, divesting both its mobile phone and broadband businesses in 2008, to create Sagem Wireless and Sagem Communications respectively.
In 2009 the first connected lifestyle devices were launched by Sagem Wireless, including branded devices for Porsche Design and Hello Kitty
. Operator branded devices included the Vodafone 533 Crystal – a device developed exclusively for Vodafone together with Crystallized by Swarovski Elements.
In October 2009, Sagem Wireless announced a licencing agreement with PUMA to deliver a branded mobile phone that is "completely tailor designed, from the inside out", adding the design will reflect "the DNA of the PUMA brand".
At Mobile World Congress
2010, Sagem Wireless unveiled two new devices – the PUMA PHONE and the CosyPhone.
In November 2010, the company launched Binder - a white-label e-Reader - and announced French retailer FNAC and Telecom Italia as customers.. Also that month, the CosyPhone became commercially available.
In the spring of 2011 Sagem Wireless was renamed Mobiwire and was bankrupt soon after.
Sagem Wireless technology partners include:
SAGEM Communication
SAGEMCOM is a French company, headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, involved in communication systems and consumer electronics.Formerly a division of SAGEM , Sagemcom became, in 2005, a subsidiary of SAFRAN, the high-technology international group formed by the merger of SAGEM and Snecma...
by Sofinnova Partners in August 2008. Sagem Wireless was majority owned by Sofinnova Partners, with minority stakes owned by SAFRAN
SAFRAN
Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...
and Sagem Wireless founders and staff.
In addition to working with brands (mobile operators, exclusive brands and global lifestyle brands) to design and develop customised devices, Sagem Wireless also worked with OEMs
OEM
OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
, government bodies and enterprises to deliver a range of business services. These include ODM services for handset manufacturers, Machine-to-Machine
Machine to Machine
Machine-to-Machine refers to technologies that allow both wireless and wired systems to communicate with other devices of the same ability...
(M2M) products and services, and customised devices for governments and law enforcement agencies.
Sagem Wireless had research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
centres in Europe and China and an extensive portfolio of technology patents
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
. It works closely with Sofinnova portolio companies and other technology partners to integrate technology innovations into its devices, including Near Field Communications
Near Field Communication
Near field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in proximity to each other, usually by no more than a few centimeters. It is expected to become a widely used system for making payments by smartphone in the United States...
(NFC), e-paper, biometric fingerprint sensors and battery technology.
Pre-Telecoms Era
In 1925, Marcel Môme created the Société d’Applications Générale d’Electricité et de Mécanique (Sagem), whose initial business was primarily mechanical engineering. Sagem quickly diversified its business, for instance by making precision equipment for the French navy. The Société d’Applications Téléphoniques was created in 1932 and taken over by Sagem in 1939, as the Société Anonyme de Télécommunications (SAT), making it a major player in telephony and telecom business.Entry in the Telecoms market
In the 1940s Sagem moved into the telecoms market with the production of telex machines. In 1962, Robert Labarre was named president and CEO, a role he held until 1987 when he was replaced by Pierre Faurre who had led a management buyout of company in 1985. The appointment of Faurre coincided with the launch of first Sagem-made fax machine and followed by the launch of a new generation fax machine in 1990.Involvement in mobile phones
In 1996 Sagem invented a consumer fax machine, the “Phonefax”, and also created the first French GSM mobile phone and the first satellite TV set-top box. Just one year later, Snecma took full control of its subsidiary SEP (Société Européenne de Propulsion), marking its full-fledged entry in the space propulsion market. SFIM Industries were acquired by Sagem in 1999 and, together with other subsidiaries, consolidated as SAGEM operating divisions in 2000.During the period 1996-2000, the Mobile Phones and Radiocommunications Systems and Radiocommunications Networks business units were led by Thierry Buffenoir. In 2001, Buffenoir became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sagem Mobile, the mobile phone operating division of Sagem. Under Buffenoir’s leadership, by 2004 Sagem Mobile had grown to become a top 5 European handset manufacturer and market leader in France, its home market.
Following the creation of SAFRAN
SAFRAN
Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...
in 2005, the Group once again refocused on its core businesses, divesting both its mobile phone and broadband businesses in 2008, to create Sagem Wireless and Sagem Communications respectively.
Recent History
Sagem Wireless was launched in January 2009 with investment from Sofinnova Partners and with Thierry Buffenoir as its CEO. As a now independent company, Sagem Wireless undertook a shift in strategy away from the traditional ODM space of operator-branded low-range handsets and towards the design, developing and delivering of customised mid and high-range mobile devices for global lifestyle brands and mobile operators.In 2009 the first connected lifestyle devices were launched by Sagem Wireless, including branded devices for Porsche Design and Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
. Operator branded devices included the Vodafone 533 Crystal – a device developed exclusively for Vodafone together with Crystallized by Swarovski Elements.
In October 2009, Sagem Wireless announced a licencing agreement with PUMA to deliver a branded mobile phone that is "completely tailor designed, from the inside out", adding the design will reflect "the DNA of the PUMA brand".
At Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress
The GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world...
2010, Sagem Wireless unveiled two new devices – the PUMA PHONE and the CosyPhone.
In November 2010, the company launched Binder - a white-label e-Reader - and announced French retailer FNAC and Telecom Italia as customers.. Also that month, the CosyPhone became commercially available.
In the spring of 2011 Sagem Wireless was renamed Mobiwire and was bankrupt soon after.
Technologies
Sagem Wireless partners with innovative technology companies to integrate third party technology into its devices. As part of the Sofinnova Partners group of companies, Sagem Wireless also has access to the skills and expertise of other businesses in the group.Sagem Wireless technology partners include:
- INSIDE Contactless – chip designer for contactlessNear Field CommunicationNear field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in proximity to each other, usually by no more than a few centimeters. It is expected to become a widely used system for making payments by smartphone in the United States...
high security payment and consumer electronics applications - Myriad GroupMyriad GroupMyriad Group is a French/Swiss software company in the mobile phone sector. It was established in 2009 by the merge of the companies Purple Labs and Esmertec. The two companies had mostly common owners, and the deal was executed so that Esmertec, a publicly listed company, acquired Purple Labs in...
– global leader in mobile software and OS - Sensitive Object – touchscreen solutions
- Streamezzo – mobile TV and rich media
- Revolt Technology – long lasting mobile batteries
- Varioptic – world leader in liquid lens technologyElectrowettingElectrowetting is the modification of the wetting properties of a surface with an applied electric field.-History:...
for cameras in mobile phones - UPEK – biometricBiometricsBiometrics As Jain & Ross point out, "the term biometric authentication is perhaps more appropriate than biometrics since the latter has been historically used in the field of statistics to refer to the analysis of biological data [36]" . consists of methods...
fingerprint solutions - Sagem Orga – Smart card manufacturer
- ArkamysArkamysArkamys is a French-based company specialising in digital signal processing. Its audio processing solutions are applied in the sectors of Consumer Electronics and Car audio....
– 3D sound DSP libraries - Total Immersion – augmented realityAugmented realityAugmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
solutions - Spatial View – auto-sterescopicAutostereoscopyAutostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...
3D video technology - DiBcomDiBcomDiBcom is a French fabless semiconductor company that designs chipsets for low-power mobile TV and radio reception. Its chipsets are compliant with the current worldwide Digital Video Broadcasting standards DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-H, DVB-SH, with ATSC-M/H, ISDB-T , CMMB and with DAB, DAB+, DMB in...
– chipsets for low-power mobile TV and radio - Spraylogik – dispensing systems and technologies
- Mobiles Republic – On Device Portal for mobile content
- Cellmania – wireless search, provisioning and billing solutions to operators
- Connect Things – barcodes and contextualised-location and time based content management systems
- Sagem Communications – broadband terminals, convergence and energy solutions
Operator branded devices
- Vodafone 533 Crystal
- Designed exclusively for Vodafone, the device is an example of CRYSTALLIZED - SwarovskiSwarovskiSwarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
Elements elegantly applied to a mobile phone. Launched October 2009.
- Vodafone 540 Grey
- Vodafone 540 Black
- Vodafone 540 White
Exclusive brands
- Porsche Design 9521
- Porsche Design 9522
- Porsche Design 9522 Black Edition
Global brands
- Hello Kitty Day Edition
- Hello Kitty Night Edition
- Hello Kitty Kawaï
- Roxyphone
- Puma phoneSagem Puma PhoneThe PUMA Phone is a mobile touchscreen phone manufactured by Sagem Wireless in 2010....