Orbcomm's network of 28 satellites handle short bursts of data from things such as shipping containers and electricity meters, the kind of messages that can wait a few seconds until a satellite is overhead and don't require elaborate software to process.

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Nowadays almost everyone agrees that the software offers major benefits, including cutting down on paper, reducing expensive staff and overhead, and improving clinical care and research.

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Software and Web 2.0 companies, by contrast, can be bootstrapped with more modest funds and less overhead.

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