ASCOM

ASCOM can refer to:

Ascom (company)

Ascom Holding AG is a telecommunications company specializing in "Mission-Critical Communication". The company focuses on the areas of Wireless Solutions (customer-specific on-site communications solutions) and Network Testing (testing and optimization solutions) for mobile networks.

The company has subsidiaries in 17 countries and a workforce of some 1600 employees worldwide.

Ascom registered shares (symbol ASCN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich. Subsidiary is Ascom (Schweiz) AG with former company names Hasler AG, Hasler Ascom AG and Ascom AG.

Ascom Wireless Solutions is a provider of on-site wireless communications for segments such as hospitals, manufacturing industries, prisons, retail and hotels. The company offers a range of voice and professional messaging communication systems, supporting and optimizing the Mission-Critical processes of the customers. The solutions are based on VoWiFi, IP-DECT, Nurse Call and paging technologies, integrated into existing enterprise systems. The company has subsidiaries in 10 countries and 1,600 employees worldwide. Founded in the 1950s as TATECO based in Göteborg, Sweden, Ascom Wireless Solutions is part of the Ascom Group, listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange.

ASCOM (standard)

ASCOM (an abbreviation for AStronomy Common Object Model) is an open initiative to provide a standard interface to a range of astronomy equipment including mounts, focusers and imaging devices in a Microsoft Windows environment.

History

ASCOM was invented in late 1997 and early 1998 by Bob Denny, when he released two commercial programs and several freeware utilities that showcased the technology. He also induced Doug George to include ASCOM capabilities in commercial CCD camera control software.

The first observatory to adopt ASCOM was Junk Bond Observatory, in early 1998. It was used at this facility to implement a robotic telescope dedicated to observing asteroids. The successful use of ASCOM there was covered in an article in Sky & Telescope magazine. This helped ASCOM to become more widely adopted.

The ASCOM standards were placed under the control of the ASCOM Initiative, a group of astronomy software developers who volunteered to develop the standards further. Under the influence of Denny, George, Tim Long, and others, ASCOM developed into a set of device driver standards. In 2004, over 150 astronomy-related devices were supported by ASCOM device drivers, which were released as freeware. Most of the drivers are also open source.