Varis' Smart Com IS Leaky Feeder system is the only mining communication network to receive unconditional approval from the West Virginia Communications-Tracking task force. Varis' Smart Tag Resource Tracking system received conditional approval that will be upgraded to unconditional approval when its MSHA certification is complete this month.

For more information please see http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/070607/b0607115A.html

We have made the latest version of the Remote Diagnostic Web Server software available from our website: Smart Com Downloads. This page lists the most current versions of the Web Server software and Diagnostic Receiver firmware. Please contact us (info@varismine.com) or your distributor if you have any questions.

BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam Mine in South Australia and Xstrata Craig Mine have been successfully upgraded to Varis Smart Com. In Xstrata's case the upgrade was made to enable hundreds of PLCs to control ventilation fans using the Ethernet communication capability of Smart Come. Olympic Dam's upgrade was to eliminate the previous Leaky Feeder system's channel cross-talk, expand the number of available channels and implement an easier to maintain and expand network with Local and Remote Diagnostics. The Olympic Dam upgrade of 5 Head Ends and 360 Line Amplifiers was performed by Varis' Australian Distributor GCS over a 8 week period.

Becker Mining Systems is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Varis - Smart Underground Communications into the Becker Group of Companies.

The combined product offerings will provide a generous choice of products regardless of mining method and communications needs. With a wide range of intrinsically safe VHF and UHF Leaky Feeder, RFID and Collision Avoidance solutions, Becker and Varis are able to meet modern mine communication and control requirements.

More information on the Becker and Varis products and distribution are available at becker-mining.com & varismine.com.

Xstrata Nickel's Craig Mine will be deploying technology previously implemented next door at Xstrata Fraser Mine. Varis will be upgrading Craig's Leaky Feeder system to Smart Com and this improved network will enable safer, more productive blasting using Varis' Smart Blast. The Leaky Feeder upgrade will also enable Ethernet over Leaky Feeder and thus opens the doors to numerous safety, productivity and cost saving opportunities. Completion date is scheduled for December 2006.

Varis has completed its third and final Distributor Training Conference of 2006. Hats off to our newest trained technicians!

Our sincerest condolences to the families of the miners who lost their lives at the Alma #1 and Sago mine disasters.

In response to calls by US legislators for improved safety through improved communication for underground miners Varis would like to review the current options available for implementation.

Click here to read more

Pinnoak’s Oak Grove mine in Adger, Alabama is home to Varis’ latest Smart Tag Resource Tracking system. This system will initially track 10 vehicles using four Smart Tag readers. Smart Tag can detect 50 tags traveling underground at 35 mph and each reader can support up to 4 antennas to minimize the number of readers required. The system can be easily expanded to track additional vehicles or personnel.

Two readers are hooked up to the mine’s fiber network and the other two communicate using TCP/IP over Varis’ Smart Com Leaky Feeder system using off-the-shelf cable modem technology at speeds up to 54 Mbps. In addition to providing the high-speed networking, Smart Com provides guaranteed, contiguous wireless two-way voice coverage for the underground workings. Two way voice is used by police, military and dispatching organizations to provide effective crew coordination and emergency response.

Varis and its US Distributor Wholesale Mine Supply LLP would like to thank Pinnoak for its forward-thinking implementation of communications technology to improve worker safety.

Spectrum is a wireless solutions company that integrates communication technologies and products to satisfy mobile voice, data, and video requirements, providing paging, radio communication, satellite and broadband wireless for commercial, industrial and government services throughout the north.

Spectrum's technicians will be trained by Varis to support its full range of products including Smart Com, Smart Blast and Smart Tag.

If you are a mine between Hemlo and Manitoba looking to improve communications give Spectrum a call at 1-888-458-8807.

Varis has completed commissioning a Smart Com Leaky Feeder system at Shandong Gold's Jiaojia Mine. This installation was used to provide technical training to Varis' local distributors (pictured below). The Jiaojia mine system includes Varis' latest Remote Diagnostic software and can eventually be upgraded to high speed Ethernet when the mine is ready to implement Resource Tracking and automation.

Varis would like to thank Shandong Gold Group for their wonderful hospitality and look forward to a long future together.

Varis has just commissioned a large order from Falconbridge for two Smart Blast Systems for their Fraser Mine.

The Smart Blast system includes eight remote blasting units (orange unit pictured below) that will allow initiation of blast areas throughout the mine from a central blasting unit (yellow unit pictured below) located on the surface. Though a very large mine, with over 65 kilometers of tunnels, complete signal coverage from the Varis Smart Com leaky feeder system will allow 2-way communications between the central blasting unit and the remote blasting units.

Falconbridge decided to go with the Smart Blast System because they expect to save an estimated $200K a year and will ensure a safer work environment for their underground personnel.

Varis ha concluido apenas su primera Conferencia de Distribuidores que incluyó tres días repletos de la instrucción en los productos serie Smart de Varis. El grupo gozó también parte de la belleza natural en y alrededor de Sudbury tal como una tarde alrededor de Lago Ramsey y un día de pesca en el Lago Hurón. Con un poco de suerte tuvieron una buena pesca y un almuerzo fresco de pez fue gozado por todos. Querremos dar gracias a nuestros distribuidores por dedicar parte de su tiempo para hacer el viaje a Sudbury desde Québec, EEUU, Venezuela, Chile, España y Australia. Sus esfuerzos y contribuciones han ayudado a hacer esta una conferencia exitosa. Esta Conferencia es un testamento de Varis y nuestro grupo de distribuidores a nuestro compromiso al mejor servicio de atención al cliente.

Varis has just concluded its first Distributors Conference which included three full days of training on the entire suite of Varis’ Smart products including Smart Com Ethernet. The group also enjoyed some of the natural beauty in and around Sudbury such as an evening cruise around Lake Ramsey and a day of fishing on Lake Huron. As luck would have it, the fish were biting and a fresh fish lunch was enjoyed by all. We would like to thank our dedicated distributors for making the journey from Quebec, USA, Venezuela, Chile, Spain and Australia. Their efforts and contributions have helped to make this a successful conference and is a testament to their commitment to the best customer service possible.

Read it here.

Come see us at CIM Tradex in Toronto, April 24-27, Booth #1108 where we will be demonstrating our new Smart Com Ethernet as well as Smart Tag and Smart Blast. We look forward to seeing you there.

Varis announces that it has successfully demonstrated high speed Ethernet over its existing Smart Com Leaky Feeder system. The Smart Com Ethernet system uses Varis’ proven Smart Com amplifier and its 30 MHz bandwidth to provide high speed TCP/IP data transfer through Leaky Feeder. It utilizes industry standard cable modem technology to provide wired and wireless Ethernet applications such as computer networking, IP cameras, teleoperation and VoIP in underground hotspots for less than $1000.

“Any Leaky Feeder system can be converted to Smart Com Ethernet at a fraction of the cost of installing fiber or twisted-pair networks” says Matt Ward, President of Varis. “One of the great things about Smart Com Ethernet is that it will impact operational efficiencies in a huge way, yet it is a simple robust infrastructure that miners are familiar with so that maintenance, repair and expansions can be handled in-house.” Existing Smart Com installations can implement Ethernet without upgrade, and can continue to benefit from Smart Com’s diagnostics and 500m amplifier spacing.

Since its inception in 1996, Varis has been revolutionizing the underground communications industry with state of the art communication and automation products and unequalled service. Through communication, Varis continues to enhance mine safety and productivity around the world.

For more information about Smart Com Ethernet or any other of the Varis line of products please visit www.varismine.com or contact them at 1-877-658-2747 toll free Canada/USA, or +1-705-674-8111.

Varis anuncia que ha demostrado con éxito Ethernet de alta velocidad sobre su sistema agujereado existente del Smart Com Leaky Feeder. El sistema de Smart Com Ethernet utiliza el amplificador probado Smart Com de Varis y su anchura de banda de 30 megaciclos para proporcionar transferencia de datos de alta velocidad de TCP/IP a través de alimentador agujereado Leaky Feeder. Utiliza tecnología de cable módem estándar de la industria para proporcionar usos atados con alambre y sin hilos (wireless) de Ethernet tales como establecimiento de una red de las computadoras, cámaras fotográficas del IP, teleoperation y VoIP en subterráneos por menos de $1000.

"Cualquier sistema Leaky Feeder puede ser convertido a Smart Com Ethernet por una fracción del coste de instalar la fibra o las redes del par" dice Matt Ward el presidente de Varis. "Una de las grandes cosas sobre Smart Com Ethernet es que afectará effeciencias operacionales de una manera enorme. Tambien con una infraestructura robusta y simple, que los mineros encontraran familiar para poder manejar mantenimiento, reparación y extensiones en el local". Las instalaciones existentes de Smart Com pueden poner Ethernet en ejecucion sin mejorar, y podran continuar beneficiando del diagnóstico de Smart Com y del espaciamiento del amplificador de los 500m.

Desde su inicio en 1996, Varis ha estado revolucionando la industria subterránea con la comunicación avanzada y los productos de la automatización y lo mejor en servicio de comunicación,. Varis continúa realizando seguridad y productividad de las minas alrededor del mundo.

Para más información sobre Smart Com Ethernet o cualquier otro producto de Varis, favour de visitar www.varismine.com o contactenos en el +705-674-8111.