- Week summary
- General wireless data market related news
- Carriers news
- Wireless data related middleware vendors news
- Terminal development for mobile data
- Vendors of software for client wireless devices news
- Mobile application related news
- Application outsourcing and hosting news
- News about financing for wireless data businesses
| * - Star sign marks especially important (from the editor's point of view) news items and is also a link to the next important news item. |
Week summary |
- Research In Motion decouples push e-mail from application server and allows just to serve enterprise mobile applications.
- 3ple-Media offers integrated suite that combines MMSC, WAP Gateway, Video Gateway and transcoding offering out of the box mobile portal capabilities.
- a la Mobile Linux mobile OS appears in an actual phone.
- Flash Lite applications competing with J2ME and BREW offerings finally emerge.
- AT&T launches Internet-based remote home monitoring video service - unfortunately not protected from power or landline network failure - but at least that will help to popularize such services.
- Cisco buys into enterprise mobile applications - potentially making it a big vendor of push e-mail among other services.
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This section lists all breaking wireless data related news that do not belong to any particular section (or should belong to multiple) as well as to general reviews of interest.
| JupiterResearch Launches Mobile Media & Marketing Research Service With New Forecast Original news source |
| JupiterResearch announced the launch of its new Mobile Media & Marketing Research service with the release of a new report, "US Mobile Marketing Forecast, 2006 to 2011." In the report, JupiterResearch projects that total advertiser spending on mobile messaging and display advertising will grow from $1.4 billion in 2006 to $2.9 billion in 2011. |
| Datacomm Research: Six Keys to Mobile Advertising Success Original news source |
| Successful mobile advertising will be one component of an integrated mobile marketing strategy spanning promotion, sales, and customer service—and not just a series of standalone ads on small screens. That is one of the conclusions of the new 70-page report, Mobile Advertising: Opportunities & Illusions, released today by Datacomm Research Company. The report presents the six steps to mobile advertising success. It explains and compares the major mobile advertising capabilities, and discusses how the evolution of mobile handsets, networks, and related technologies will fuel mobile advertising. The report also contains a directory of 50 select mobile advertising vendors. |
| comScore Networks: Europeans More Likely than Americans to Use Mobile Phones to Access the Internet Original news source |
| comScore Networks, a specialist in global digital media measurement, releases the inaugural findings of the comScore Mobile Tracking Study, which reveals significant differences in the way that Europeans and Americans use the Web on their mobile phones. This innovative ongoing tracking study is designed to analyze and understand how consumers across six countries in Europe and America (U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) access Internet content from their mobile phones. It shows that 29 percent of European Internet users within the aforementioned countries regularly access the Web from their mobile phones compared to only 19 percent in the U.S.
Of the countries examined, the highest mobile Web penetration is seen in both Germany and Italy (34 percent for each), followed by France with 28 percent, Spain with 26 percent and the UK with 24 percent. The U.S. figure of 19 percent is the lowest of the set. |
| TNS: American Consumers Not Connecting with 3G Mobile Phone Technology Original news source |
| New findings from the TNS Global Technology Insights (GTI) 2006 study, which examines cutting-edge technology issues across key markets, indicates that American consumers, like their global counterparts, haven’t fully grasped the advantages of Third Generation (3G) mobile handsets. 3G mobile phones support high data speeds, always-on data access, and greater voice capacity, enabling consumers to use their mobile phones more interactively and for a wider range of applications, including transmitting voice and data simultaneously.
In the U.S. and around the world, more consumers than ever before have 3G phones. However, they do not seem to be associating the applications they want to use with the capabilities that 3G enables. In the U.S., 16 percent of mobile phone users have handsets with 3G technology, but only ten percent of those users make use of the 3G functionality. Globally, 20 percent of consumers have 3G capabilities, with only nine percent of users taking advantage of the enhanced service. |
| About One-Quarter of Current Mobile Phone Subscribers Support Incentive-Based Advertising, According to a Survey by Harris Interactive Original news source |
| About one-quarter (26%) of current mobile phone subscribers say they would be willing to watch advertising on their cell phone if in return they were to receive free applications for their phone. Smaller numbers (7%) of wireless subscribers say they would be interested in receiving promotional text messages if they were relevant. These are some of the results of a nationwide online survey of 1,125 U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive between August 9 and 14, 2006. |
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This section lists news about innovative and competitive usage of wireless data by network carriers.
| Nokia supports Ukrtelecom in launching the first WCDMA 3G/HSDPA network in Ukraine Original news source |
| Nokia and Ukrainian fixed line and broadband operator, Ukrtelecom JSC, have signed a three-year frame agreement for the supply of 3G core and radio network as the operator is extending its services to the mobile domain. Nokia will support Ukrtelecom's Utel branch in opening the first WCDMA 3G/HSDPA network in Ukraine which will enable the operator to provide new end-user services, such as high speed data transfer for WAP, Internet access, video calls, and streaming for video and audio. The network will be launched in the Kiev area, from where it can be rolled out to other parts of the country. |
| Cities, Governments Go Mobile with Nortel Municipal Wireless Solution Original news source |
| Nortel announced new municipal wireless deployments that demonstrate the Company's strength in helping governments embrace broadband wireless as a strategic way to deliver efficient services that keep communities safe and productive, as well as economically competitive.
From rural to urban deployments, Nortel's Municipal Wireless Solution is being used by several new customers in North America, including Carlsbad, New Mexico; Occoquan Wireless in Occoquan, Virginia and Ronco Communications in Niagara County, New York. |
| Sprint Launches EV-DO Revision A Mobile Broadband Network Original news source |
| Sprint announced that it has upgraded the Sprint Power Vision Network, wireless broadband network covering more than 164 million people, with the faster EV-DO Revision A technology in the San Diego market – making it the first market in the country to have the technology commercially available. With the upgraded mobile broadband network, customers in San Diego will ultimately be able to utilize richer applications and services such as high-speed video telephony, music on demand, video messaging and large file uploads.
San Diego is the first of 21 markets where Sprint will roll out EV-DO Revision A this year with coverage expected to reach more than 40 million people. Sprint Power Vision users in these markets should experience significantly faster average upload speeds of 300-400 kbps (compared with 50-70 kbps of current EV-DO networks). Average download speeds should also increase to 450–800 kbps from 400-700 kbps. By 3Q 2007, Sprint's Power Vision network is expected to be completely upgraded to the faster EV-DO Revision A. |
| TELUS Launches Location Based Services With Openwave Original news source |
| Openwave Systems Inc. announced that TELUS, a leading Canadian telecommunications company, has selected Openwave Location Manager -Commercial Edition to help power its TELUS Navigator and TELUS Kid Find services, extending a well established relationship between the two companies.
Openwave Location Manager gathers a subscriber's location from multiple available sources and delivers encrypted data to the Kid Find service, allowing parents to locate their children in real-time from both the web and their TELUS mobile phone. Similarly, the TELUS Navigator service leverages location information to allow subscribers to use their handset to plan their route ahead, search for destinations from over 1.5 million points of interest and get results according to their preferred mode of travel. |
| SB Broadband AB Launches Portable Wireless Broadband in Sweden Original news source |
| Broadband AB announced the launch of high-speed wireless broadband
service in Sweden using pre-WiMAX 802.16e equipment from Navini Networks. Company
believes that added capability of being portable within service areas
will accelerate growth in the market. This was a very rapid deployment
of 50 Navini base stations in only 5 months. |
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This section lists breaking news from companies which provide middleware used by carriers and software developers to offer access to diversified corporate data.
| * RIM Releases BlackBerry Enterprise Server for MDS Applications Original news source |
| Research In Motion (RIM) announced the immediate availability of BlackBerry Enterprise Server for MDS Applications. The new software incorporates the industry-leading security, unique push-based architecture, reliability and administrative features of the BlackBerry platform to provide organizations with an easy and flexible solution for extending mobile applications to users, without the requisite of wireless email. BlackBerry Mobile Data System (MDS) is an integral component of the overall BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, enabling the secure and efficient flow of data between corporate data systems and BlackBerry handsets. BlackBerry Enterprise Server for MDS Applications provides a complete and optimized framework for creating, deploying and managing wireless applications for BlackBerry handsets. |
| * 3ple-Media Intros MMS Suite Original news source |
| 3ple-Media, the Mobile Multimedia infrastructure company, has launched a new platform to enable Mobile Operators to kick-start MMS and Video Streaming services for 2.5G and 3G subscribers, making two clear and important advances.
Firstly it provides the complete suite of Mobile Multimedia infrastructure required by Mobile Operators to deliver Mobile Multimedia, including MMSC, WAP Gateway, Video Gateway and transcoding (all currently provided by different vendors or OEM'd). Secondly the commercial model for the entire suite is pay-once, eat-all-you-can, site licensing. When combined together, these two advances finally enable Operators to unlock the much hyped potential of Mobile Multimedia. |
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This section lists breaking news from companies which manufacture actual end user wireless devices (phones, pagers, PDAs etc.), as well as other information relevant to such companies.
| HTC Selects SiRFstarIII for Use in Navigation PDA Phone Original news source |
| High-sensitivity SiRFstarIII is being used in HTC’s first GPS–enabled PDA Phone.
Available under the HTC brand as well as in customized versions for operator partners, the HTC P3300 features a single-chip SiRF GSC3 GPS receiver along with SiRF’s exclusive SiRFInstantFix service. The HTC P3300 quad-band GSM navigation smartphone combines SiRFstarIII-powered GPS location capabilities with Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0. It includes pocket versions of Outlook e-mail, calendar and contacts, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player 10, and even includes an FM stereo radio. Wireless connectivity is provided through GPRS, WiFi and Bluetooth. The HTC P3300 delivers all this in a compact package that measures 108 mm x 58 mm x 16.8 mm, weighing just 130 grams. |
| HP and Cingular Keep Business Customers Connected with New HP iPAQ Handheld Original news source |
| HP and Cingular Wireless announced that beginning Oct. 31 Cingular will be the first carrier in the United States to offer a new HP iPAQ handheld device with five wireless communications technologies. With the HP iPAQ hw6920 series Mobile Messenger, customers can use Cingular’s nationwide GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless data network, Wi-Fi, GPS, infrared and Bluetooth wireless technologies to connect business customers to their information, whether it’s corporate email or more robust industry-specific applications.
The built-in GPS (global positioning system) receiver enables customers to receive directions on their hw6920 series to points-of-interest around town and to impromptu destination choices. The hw6920 series will debut with Cingular’s first generally available, location-based solution – TeleNav GPS Navigator from TeleNav, Inc. |
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This section lists breaking news from companies which provide client software that runs in end user wireless devices (phones, pagers, PDAs etc.).
| * a la Mobile Lands First Handset Customer Original news source |
| a la Mobile, Inc., Linux systems platform company for mobile phones, announced that it has successfully landed its first handset customer. GUPP Technologies Inc, a subsidiary of 3P International Corporation Ltd, has selected a la Mobile's Convergent Linux Platform to be the software engine that drives its Dual-Mode VoWiFi/GSM Smartphone to be offered under the brand name GUPPTM. The GUPP VoWiFi/GSM Smartphone is Dual-Mode Linux Smartphone with a full QUERTY keyboard, specifically designed to deliver ease of WiFi connectivity and superior battery life. The GUPP will give the end user full mobility to make SIP-based (Session Initiation Protocol) VoIP calls, Internet browsing, music download as well as sending and retrieving emails from any WFi hotspot. |
| KDDI Selects Openwave Mercury Browser to Power EZWeb Services for Next- Generation Mobile Phones Original news source |
| Openwave Systems Inc. announced that Openwave Mobile Browser, Mercury Edition has been chosen to power KDDI's EZWeb services. The browser will be the third generation of Openwave software on KDDI handsets and further strengthens the commitment from KDDI and Openwave to deliver the most compelling mobile services available in the Japan market today. Openwave Mobile Browser Mercury Edition features improved browser functionality and inter-operability. It loads and displays content faster, giving users rich content on their mobile browser at the speed of a wired connection. |
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This section lists news that describe innovative and competitive implementation of wireless data applications.
| * Verizon Wireless Customers Can Now “Flash-Enable” Their Phones With New Get It Now Applications Original news source |
| Verizon Wireless customers can now experience a fresh look and feel on a range of new Get It Now applications as Verizon Wireless marks another mobile phone first with new technology that enables richer mobile experience, and the introduction of popular content previously found only on the PC. The technology, called Adobe Flash Lite, beefs up graphics and animation for Get It Now downloads, including games, ring tones and productivity applications.
Verizon Wireless, along with some of the leading content providers, launched several Get It Now applications today that rely on this new advance in mobile technology. These new Get It Now applications are currently available on four phones from Verizon Wireless, including The V (LG VX9800), Motorola RAZR V3c and V3m and Samsung SCH-a950. Flash Lite is expected to be available on additional handsets in the coming weeks. |
| Opera Mini Web browser for your BlackBerry or Treo Original news source |
| Opera Software announced that Opera Mini, the free Web browser for mobile phones, is available for the popular BlackBerry and Palm handsets. Opera Mini offers BlackBerry and Palm Treo users a faster delivery of Web pages and overall better user experience. |
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This section lists news about outsourcing/hosting of mobile corporate/enterprise applications by e.g. software developers, network carriers, and consulting companies. News about mobile access to portals are also included here.
| VEEKER Makes Mobile Video Communication Easy Original news source |
| VEEKER announced the Beta launch of the first mobile-to-internet service that enables U.S. consumers to simply and effectively communicate with one another using the video cameras in their mobile phones. The company’s name refers to the term “Veek,” a video peek into life, shot with a mobile phone’s video camera, and sent to VEEKER. Veeks sent to VEEKER are viewable within seconds at VEEKER.com, and (using the embedded VEEKERplayer) on any website that accepts embedded codes, such as MySpace, Xanga, and Blogger. Veeks are sent from mobile phones as MMS messages, using the MMS message composer resident on every mobile phone equipped with a video camera. |
| * AT&T Launches Remote Home Monitoring Video Service Nationwide Original news source |
| AT&T Inc. launched an innovative new home monitoring service that will help customers stay more connected to their homes and families while they are away. The new service, which is available nationwide, enables customers to use both personal computers and Cingular wireless devices to access high-quality, streaming digital video and other real-time data and information from their homes — at virtually any time and from anywhere.
The new service is an example of AT&T's continuing commitment to innovation, and its strategy for delivering converged, IP-based services that enable customers to access content, critical applications and information virtually anytime, anywhere, and using any device.
The AT&T home monitor service combines live and recorded video (non-audio) capabilities with a range of environmental sensor options to provide customers with a powerful, flexible toolkit to help them stay connected to the people and things they value most. For example, the service allows users to remotely control lighting in their homes, and it can provide a range of alerts and reports on home conditions, such as motion, door and window activity, water leakage, and temperature changes. The service is available via AT&T to customers of Cingular Wireless services, and can be accessed via virtually any Cingular wireless phone or PDA capable of supporting Internet access and Java, as well as nearly any broadband-enabled PC. The service is optimized for residential customers who subscribe to AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet as well as Cingular services. |
| NeoMedia to Bring qode Direct-to-Mobile Web Technology to China Original news source |
| NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. announced expansion of its marketing efforts in China through an agreement to provide its direct-to-mobile-web qode technology for a popular social networking Web site with more than 2 million registered users. NeoMedia said it signed an agreement with Cyber Century of City Here, a leading Internet marketing firm. Cyber Century operates www.gbq.cn - for "girl, boy and Q (for question)." GBQ, established in 2000, currently has 2 million registered users, mainly 18 to 35 years of age, and mostly college students. The off-line strategy implemented by Cyber Century for GBQ fits very well with qode and its ability to link users by clicking on smart codes with mobile camera phones. With qode, GBQ members will be just a click away from finding out more about how, when and where to meet other GBQers. |
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This section lists news about new financing opportunities for and in the wireless data industry.
| PacificNet Acquires Interest in Mobile Internet Portal in China Original news source |
| PacificNet Inc., a provider of CRM, ecommerce and gaming technology in China announced that it has entered into an agreement with MOABC, a mobile internet portal in China, to purchase a 20% ownership equity interest in MOABC to strengthen PacificNet's wireless internet, mobile games, and mobile e-commerce unit. |
| * Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire Orative Original news source |
| Cisco announced a definitive agreement to acquire the privately-held company, Orative Corp of San Jose, California. Orative provides an application which will allow Cisco to extend its Unified Communications portfolio to mobile devices such as cell phones and smartphones.
In March 2006, Cisco announced its Unified Communications system based on Cisco's service-oriented network architecture (SONA), which enables businesses of all sizes to integrate their communications systems with their IT infrastructure, thereby creating a single communications platform. The Cisco Unified Communications system of voice, video and IP communications products and applications enables organizations to communicate more effectively by leveraging all services located in the network from anywhere, with any device, at anytime.
Orative develops mobile software solutions that extend the communications and collaboration capabilities of the Cisco Unified Communications system to business mobile phone users. With Orative Enterprise Software, mobile phone users can coordinate conversations, collaborate with colleagues, view information on Unity voicemail messages, screen unwanted telephone calls and interruptions, and securely access personal and corporate phone books. Together, Cisco and Orative will transform the mobile phone into a true business device, using Cisco Unified CallManager for call control, Cisco MeetingPlace for collaboration and Cisco Unity as the voicemail platform. |
| Impatica Closes Equity Financing Original news source |
| Impatica Inc., an Ottawa-based specialist in the delivery and viewing of PowerPoint presentations over the Internet and wireless networks, today announced that it successfully completed an equity financing.
On October 26, 2006, the Company completed a private placement to accredited investors whereby it sold 1,100,000 shares of Class A Common stock at $0.25 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $275,000 before payment of commissions and expenses. As part of the offering, the Company also issued 550,000 five-year warrants to purchase common shares at $0.30 per share. |
| New Mobile Games Development Studio Massively Mobile Announces Its Entry into the Wireless Gaming Arena Original news source |
| Video game industry veterans formerly of Gameloft and Activision, Inc. have joined forces to launch Massively Mobile, a game development studio committed to delivering ground breaking entertainment for mobile devices. The company has developed a proprietary engine that will allow them to deliver immersive and addictive single and multiplayer gaming experiences, utilizing the unique advantages of the mobile platform to offer players new experiences not possible on other gaming platforms. |
| eBuddy Secures 5 Million Euro in Series A Funding Original news source |
| eBuddy, independent provider of web-based messaging, announced it has secured EUR 5 million in its series A financing from Lowland Capital Partners. eBuddy has over 35 million users worldwide including 4 million mobile users and adds over 1.5 million new users to its network each month. eBuddy offers an internet service which enables users to chat with AOL, MSN and Yahoo accounts without having to install any program. Users can also access eBuddy on their mobile phone, independent of carrier or device type via the WAP- or mobile internet- browser. |
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A recommended introductory reading that may be helpful in understanding the scope of this publication is the Wireless Data Forum's Wireless Data Primer.
A glossary of wireless industry terms and acronyms can be found at the Wireless Week site.
Disclaimer: The information presented is personal opinion of Leonid Iakovlev (the editor) and does not necessarily represent the opinion of any company with which he may be affiliated or of any referred third party. All information in this report is NOT guaranteed to be accurate. The information and links were however verified at the time this text was created. Editor does not take responsibility for any actions you may take based on the information you find here. Editor accepts no liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions or by statements of any kind in this publication, whether such errors result from accident, negligence, or any other cause. Editor assumes no liability for incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of information in this publication. Editor provides no warranties regarding the information contained in this publication, whether expressed, implied, or statutory, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Editor also does not assume any liability for links from this publication to publications from other companies, organizations, or individuals. Editor does not imply endorsement of any specific company, organization, or individual through offering links to this content. All information provided within this publication is subject to change at any time and is provided for informational purposes only by the editor. All products and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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