NewsMob

First In-App Mobile Advertising Platform for iPhone SDK Developers

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:10:00 +0000

Smaato – provider of the SOMA (Smaato open mobile advertising) platform will preview "iSOMA" at the CTIA show next week in Las Vegas.

This new addition to award winning SOMA platform comes now with support for the iPhone SDK . In the past weeks since the official introduction of the iPhone SDK Smaato has developed a new way to monetize mobile applications for the iPhone through mobile advertising.

The SOMA API is provided free of charge to the fast growing mobile developer community which generated more than 100,000 downloads of the iPhone SDK in the first 4 days after the release by Apple Inc.

Smaato already supports leading smartphone operating systems as well as hundreds of Java ME enabled handsets with native SOMA clients. These include: Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm, Blackberry as well as Java ME. SOMA is a quick and easy way for mobile developers to ad-enable their applications – whether online (live request) or offline (cached ads) with the support of the iPhone and upcoming Google’s Android platform - SOMA covers all relevant mobile platforms.

Leading mobile developers have already implemented the SOMA client and receive ads from international ad sales networks partnering with Smaato including Advertising.com's TSM, fast rising Adconion Media Group as well as Microsoft's Screentonic.

RSS to MMS Tool for Mobile RSS Feeds Launched by Cellyspace

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:09:00 +0000

Auto-Converts RSS with Multimedia to Engage Mobile Readers

Skycore, developers of Cellyspace.com, has launched an RSS to MMS publishing tool for content providers to automatically convert and deliver syndicated RSS feeds directly to mobile subscribers messaging in-boxes using Cellyspace’s MMS technology.

According to the company, auto-conversion of RSS content will make mobile syndication easier and more readily available and by delivering multimedia feeds rather than short, text-only feeds subscribers will be more fully engaged in the content.

Also, with RSS to MMS technology, the feed can be viewed without a subscriber first logging onto a mobile web site or launching a feed reader application. Instead, subscribers are alerted on receipt of the feed and can view it immediately or whenever most convenient since it’s stored in their messaging in-box.

Converted content is presented in a slideshow format including up to eight (8) slides, each with an image, 300 characters of text and an optional URL link for additional content, info or promotions. MMS Feeds can be billed as premium to the end user, or alternatively, standard (non-premium) rated feeds. In addition to content, providers can add third-party advertising or promotions to their feed.

Feeds with both images and text are generally more compelling than those with text alone. Engaging subscribers
improves subscription retention and increases their response to any call to action in the feed, said Rich Eicher,
President of Skycore LLC.

Cellyspace publishing tools are also available for use by content providers to simplify the subscription opt-in process, including an HTML widget and link generator for the providers web site; a custom keyword for use in their print and broadcast promotions; and a WAP (mobile internet) jump page generator for mobile advertising networks.

New Global Telecoms Report Outlines Key Developments Occurring in the Industry

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:08:00 +0000

According to Research and Markets all the major developments on a global scale relate to digital media activities. To a large extent the telecoms and media industries are now being driven by the developments in this market. BuddeComm has been talking about VoIP, VoD and IPTV for many years, but the traditional companies have failed to deliver these services. As a result, developments are now moving to the web where companies such as Google/YouTube, eBay/Skype, Amazon, Yahoo, MSN, News Corp/MySpace and so on are the leaders. Current changes in this rapidly converging industry will force the telcos to spend more on IT and, as they don’t have the necessary skills in this field, more and more of this will be outsourced. This report outlines some of the key developments occurring in the industry as we move into 2008. Examples of topics covered include the emerging Femtocell technology, Vodafone’s support of WiMAX and key trends in mobile communications and mobile data sectors. The report also provides a brief overview of some of the interesting developments taking place on a regional level.

Ringbacktones Lead Growth in Mobile Music Space; Ringtone Use Declines

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Broadcast Music, the U.S. performing right organization, released its annual mobile music market projections for 2008 an figures for 2007. BMI licenses the public performing right for the musical works of its more than 375,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.

BMI projects that ringbacktones will surpass $210 million in U.S. retail sales during calendar year 2008, up 50% from BMI’s 2007 market estimate of $140 million. A ringbacktone is a musical work that is performed to the caller when they place a call to a participating mobile subscriber.

BMI also predicted that the U.S. ringtone market will continue to decline in 2008, generating approximately $510 million in retail sales for the calendar year. This represents a $40 million or 7% reduction
from calendar year 2007, marking the second consecutive year that the U.S. ringtone market has waned. BMI pegged the 2007 market at $550 million (U.S.) in retail sales, down $50 million from the prior year. The company estimates the ringtone domain experienced sales of $600 million in calendar year 2006; $500 million in 2005; $245 million in 2004 and $68 million in 2003, respectively.

BMI’s conclusions are based on comprehensive data derived from the buying behavior of more than 200 million of the current 220 million United States mobile subscribers.

“The market for ringbacktones has grown stronger than we originally forecasted last year,” said Richard Conlon, Vice President, New Media & Strategic Development, BMI. “Its growth, coupled with the positive gains that streaming mobile media have made in 2008 alone, supports our bullish point of view on the growth of the mobile entertainment business. We see gains in mobile audio and mobile television style services in the coming years as well. As we forecasted last year, the ringtone market continues to decline as the novelty phase wears off and lower-priced substitutional products come to market.”

Cricket Launch of Two Samsung Phones

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Cricket announced two new CDMA AWS handsets from Samsung, the MyShot and Spex. Starting tomorrow, the Samsung MyShot, the world’s first CDMA AWS camera phone, and the Samsung Spex mobile phone will be commercially available at Cricket retail stores in Tulsa, Okla., and will be available soon in all Cricket markets nationwide. Cricket launched its first CDMA AWS handset March 7, 2008 and these Samsung handsets further enhance the Cricket portfolio in support of upcoming AWS market launches.
Designed to operate on the new AWS spectrum band, the tri-band Samsung MyShot and Samsung Spex also operate on the PCS and cellular bands, enabling them to work in all existing Cricket wireless markets stretching from California to New York. These new phones will also work in new Cricket markets slated to begin launching this year including Oklahoma City, Okla. and Las Vegas, Nev.

“As we prepare to launch the first of our AWS markets, we want to ensure that consumers have a choice of mobile devices when they sign up for Cricket’s unlimited wireless services. We are pleased to be the first operator to bring CDMA AWS devices to market including the Samsung MyShot and Spex,” said Al Moschner, Cricket’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “With today’s introduction, both new and existing Cricket subscribers have access to two new wireless phones that incorporate the latest AWS capability, while having the ability to operate on the PCS and cellular bands.”

The Samsung MyShot’s built-in 1.3 mega pixel camera features a self-timer, multi-shot capabilities and more. Using the phones integrated Bluetooth® wireless technology, users can easily share photos and contacts with others, and coupled with its voice recognition capability, easily place calls from their contact list. In addition, the Web-enabled Samsung MyShot supports web access for browsing and downloading of ringtones and graphics, Cricket Games & Apps, text and picture messaging capabilities, speakerphone, and personal tools such as calendar, clock and calculator. The Samsung MyShot will have a retail price of $149.99.

The slim Samsung Spex features a sleek, modern design with an easy-to-use interface. This Bluetooth®-capable handset includes a color display, speakerphone, personal tools such as calendar, memo pad and more. Additionally, the Spex supports Cricket services such as text messaging, Mobile Web for browsing and downloading favorite ringtones and graphics, and Cricket Games & Apps. The Samsung Spex will have a retail price of $119.99.

With plans starting as low as $35 per month, Cricket provides unlimited wireless calling all day and every day – without the need for contracts or credit checks. Cricket’s highest value plan – Cricket Nation 200 – is priced at only $60 per month and includes unlimited anytime minutes, unlimited U.S. domestic long distance, unlimited coverage in all Cricket markets, free text and picture messaging, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling and 200 nationwide roaming minutes per month.

iLoop Mobile and OpenMarket Provide Premier Services for Mobile Marketing and Content Distribution

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Top mobile industry players join forces to offer an integrated, full-featured solution for the mobile channel.
iLoop Mobile, the mobile technology and services company for mobile Internet, advertising, marketing, and content delivery, today announced that it has joined forces with OpenMarket, a provider of mobile messaging and financial payment processing for direct-to-consumer (D2C) mobile commerce, to provide companies with a complete solution o create, connect and manage mobile marketing, advertising and content distribution initiatives worldwide. The collaboration offers iLoop Mobile and OpenMarket customers an efficient and cost effective "one stop shop" integrated solution to launch mobile initiatives easily without the hindrance of managing multiple service and technology providers.
"iLoop Mobile has chosen OpenMarket as a connectivity provider first and foremost for the reliability and efficiency of their messaging transaction network, along with excellent customer service and responsiveness," said Matt Harris, CEO of iLoop Mobile. "We also benefit from OpenMarket's established relationships and extensive knowledge of mobile operators and their billing systems, along with the accelerated time-to-market and SAS70 compliance that our customers require. The detail and accuracy of OpenMarket's financial transaction and billing reporting is impressive. With their support for a wide range of standard and premium mobile messaging like SMS/MMS, music, games, video, subscriptions, and interactive TV campaigns, OpenMarket offers a robust solution for iLoop Mobile's connectivity offering."
Together, iLoop Mobile and OpenMarket can offer their customers a state-of-the-art mobile software solution-iLoop Mobile's mFinity Platform to create and manage mobile initiatives with OpenMarket's robust and reliable mobile transaction network. In addition to their leading application technology, iLoop Mobile also offers services and expertise in mobile campaign design, tactics and strategies.
"The combination of OpenMarket's message delivery and financial payment processing services with iLoop Mobile's content delivery and payment processing services gives customers the full package they need to create and manage complex mobile initiatives," said Steve Shivers, general manager of OpenMarket. "Both OpenMarket and iLoop are committed to making more options available to companies seeking to quickly and easily initiate or expand their mobile content offerings and revenue."

AT&T Offers More Music Choices and Customization to Mobile Music Lovers

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:05:00 +0000

The ever-growing world of mobile music just got bigger. AT&T announced the immediate availability of two new music applications -- mSpot's Make-UR-Tones and Remix -- and plans to significantly expand offerings for Napster Mobile over-the-air downloads. Make-UR-Tones allows customers to customize ringtones by using their mobile phone, and the Remix application gives customers access to their PC-based music collections directly from their phone. The result for mobile music lovers is more freedom to listen to the songs they want, when they want, on their AT&T mobile phone.
"Music is one of the most personal forms of self-expression," said Mark Collins, vice president of Consumer Data for AT&T's wireless unit. "We want to empower our customers to use music however they wish on their mobile phones. We're constantly looking for new opportunities to meet the wireless needs and wants of our customers. We are pleased
to offer our customers more choices and flexibility in how they experience music on the go."

UIQ Releasing New Version

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:05:00 +0000

UIQ Technology today announced the availability of UIQ 3.3, bringing mobile phone manufacturers even more opportunities to innovate and to diversify their product portfolios.

UIQ 3.3 based on Symbian OS v 9.3 builds on the success of the UIQ 3 family, making it possible for mobile phone manufacturers to produce different kinds of phones on the same software platform, on a single code line. UIQ 3.3 includes incremental enhancements in line with market requirements, including enhanced support for operator services and extensive customization for addressing different market segments.

"UIQ 3.3 will significantly enhance the options for creating differentiated mobile phones for different segments and different price ranges," said Mats Barvesten EVP Product Management and Ecosystems.

"Operators are also given the opportunity to promote their services through customized folders and a widget dashboard. We have integrated the Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser and added a number of new functions and possibilities that are in line with our strategy to enable phones with world class user experience."

With an aim to extend UIQ based mobile phones into the mass-market, UIQ's focus is to ensure a flexible and powerful open user interface and development platform that optimizes the options for mobile phone manufacturers to create higher volume phones for the market.

"The UIQ platform is a key enabler for several of Motorola's multimedia-centric devices -- including our new MOTO Z10 kick-slider handset, which offers users a host of features and applications for a unique mobile video experience," said Christy Wyatt, Vice President, Software Platforms & Ecosystem, Motorola. "We look forward to supporting UIQ 3.3 in future mobile devices, leveraging its new capabilities to further enhance customer experiences, and working closely with UIQ to provide the essential toolsets to our developer community."

"With UIQ 3.3, including a number of web based technologies, we see the platform evolving further to enable even richer user experience," said Ulf Persson, Corporate Vice President and Head of PBU Open Platforms at Sony Ericsson. "We welcome this release and are committed to developing and delivering products on UIQ 3.3."

Nokia Wins Frost & Sullivan Award for Mobile Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:03:00 +0000

American Mobility Award for On-deck Mobile Advertising by Frost & Sullivan, solidifying the company's position as one of the pioneers and continued leaders of the mobile advertising industry.

Nokia acquired mobile advertising leader, Enpocket, in October 2007 and continues to leverage Enpocket's ground-breaking analytics technology to optimize campaigns, improve conversions, and measure campaign performance across the network, allowing the company to provide mobile advertising solutions to some of the biggest brand advertisers around the world.

"Nokia continues to drive innovation in the U.S. Mobile Advertising industry and remains the preferred partner of mobile operators, advertisers and content publishers," said Frost & Sullivan Senior Industry Analyst Vikrant Gandhi. "The company has been a key partner of Sprint's pioneering mobile advertising initiative and plays a central role in ad-enabling Sprint's mobile properties and powering the Sprint Mobile Media Network."

Nokia enables advertisers to place ads on publisher and operator mobile Web pages, as well as Nokia properties, representing a global consumer reach of more than 100 million mobile consumers. As part of the turn-key service for advertisers, the award-winning mobile marketing team from Nokia creates mobile campaigns for hundreds of top brands.

"We're pleased to accept this award from Frost & Sullivan," said Mike Baker, VP and head of Nokia Interactive. "We are committed to building a mobile advertising ecosystem that provides advertisers with a high-performing and measurable medium for reaching their target audience while ensuring a relevant and respectful advertising experience for consumers."

Alltel Wireless launches Alltel Social Video

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Alltel Wireless announced that customers with video-capable phones now have exclusive access to Alltel Social Video, a new application that allows customers to share and rate videos from a wide range of online outlets. To deliver the application, Alltel Wireless has teamed with Transpera, a leading provider of mobile video services, which provides the first comprehensive platform to monetize Web video on mobile phones.
Customers can subscribe to the service for $2.99 per month and access videos from sources such as Break.com, the leading online entertainment channel for men; AtomFilms, one of the world’s leading brands for independent entertainment; and GrindTV.com, a site widely recognized as the top online destination for action-oriented videos and content. After viewing the videos, customers have the option to rate the video or share the content via the “Send-to-Friend” feature. In addition, customers can search for videos across channels, create custom playlists and manage distribution lists.

“As the mobile phone continues to evolve into a portable entertainment device, Alltel Wireless is constantly seeking ways to engage customers through their phones, as more and more are taking advantage of the video capabilities offered on their handsets,” said Craig Kirkland, director of messaging and voice services for Alltel Wireless. “Alltel Social Video allows our customers to interact with video and lets them become part of an online video community.”

“Alltel Wireless is widely recognized throughout the industry as being a leader in wireless innovation. The launch of Alltel Social Video is the latest example of how Alltel provides customers with applications that tap into current trends and take full advantage of today’s technologies,” said Frank Barbieri, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Transpera. “The Transpera platform that Alltel Wireless chose to use for its social video application will provide its customers with seamless video and advertising delivery, while connecting them to the entertaining and social world of online video.”

Alltel Wireless continues to provide choice and control to the customer’s wireless experience by offering features such as “My Circle,” an industry-defining feature giving customers the freedom of unlimited calling to and from five, 10 or 20 numbers on any network for free; and was the first to offer Anytime Plan Changes, giving customers the flexibility to change their calling plans at any time, without extending their current contract.

Audiopoint Provides Personalized News and Information Services to EarthLink's Subscribers

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:17:00 +0000

Audiopoint, a speech applications company developing products for businesses that reach consumer markets, and EarthLink, one of the nation's leading Internet service providers (ISPs), announced an agreement that will give EarthLink's subscribers the ability to define their own News and Information Services leveraging Audiopoint's latest product release and speech application service. The popularity of EarthLink's Email By Phone has demonstrated that people want access to a wider range of information on the go. News and Information Services combines the existing functionality of Email By Phone with natural voice-enabled Web content. Popular content such as Local News, Weather and Stock Quotes, amongst other personalized services are now available from any telephone using simple voice commands.

uVuMobile To Provide Mobile Streaming Video And Advertising Service For Action Engine

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:11:00 +0000

uVuMobile announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Action Engine, The On-Device Portal Company to provide an integrated multimedia services platform that gives media companies and wireless operators a user-friendly experience for streaming video and audio content on a wireless device. This agreement will enable Action Engine customers to enhance their on-device portals with rich, on-demand multimedia options that can be advertising enabled.
Mobile multimedia continues to be one of the fastest growing services in the wireless industry. According to Research and Marketing, streaming media enterprise markets were at $230 million in 2006 and are anticipated to reach $2 billion by 2013, uVuMobile’s flexible and scalable platform for streaming video and audio can provide a presence that extends far beyond the traditional video on-demand services being offered today and provides for advertising insertion, including pre-roll, mid-roll, and post roll video commercials.
“This licensing agreement with Action Engine is another example of how uVuMobile is leveraging its mobile platform within the mobile video and audio delivery industry. Through this partnership, Action Engine will be able to deliver its customers streaming media and video advertisements and services across a wide variety of devices. This agreement also makes Action Engine the first company to integrate streaming video, mobile advertising and on-device portal technology into a single platform – offering a single source for delivering, managing and monetizing mobile multimedia services for its customers,” said Bill Loughman, President and CEO of uVuMobile.

Wisair to Bring Wireless USB Functionality to Mobile Devices

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:09:00 +0000

Wisair announced that it is furthering its efforts to bring embedded Wireless USB technology to portable and handheld electronic devices with its new SDIO Wireless USB solution. Based on the Wisair WSR601 low-power single chip, the design enables vendors to embed Wireless USB into portable devices, such as digital still cameras, camcorders and smart phones, using the Secure Digital Input/Output (SDIO) interface.

"Wisair is committed to making the use of Wireless USB the ultimate experience for consumers. As part of this effort, we are enabling module vendors to implement small form-factor, low-power modules based on our single chip. These modules will be utilized by OEMs to integrate Wireless USB into mobile devices," said David Yaish, CEO of Wisair.

The Wisair WSR601 single chip has received regulatory approvals in Japan, the U.S., and Europe, and was recently certified by the USB-IF.

The Wisair design package includes a comprehensive platform for the development of embedded Wireless USB device solutions, based on the SDIO interface. Using the development platform, hardware and software, developers can implement an embedded small form factor module that is controlled by the device side application CPU via the SDIO bus.

modu is the World’s Lightest Mobile Phone

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:43:00 +0000

The Guinness World Record™ for the world’s lightest mobile phone has been awarded to modu for its tiny and sophisticated mobile phone. modu was awarded this prestigious honour after careful consideration by the Guinness World Records™ judges, who declared that: “The lightest mobile phone is the modu, which weighs 40.1 g (1.41 oz).” Guinness World Records added: modu’s dimensions are 72.1 mm (2.8 inches) x 37.6 mm (1.4 inches) x 7.8 mm (0.3 inches).”

modu launched its innovative mobile phone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event, held in Barcelona, Spain in February 2008. modu is the world’s first modular mobile phone, supported by a variety of ecosystem partners. At the heart of the ecosystem is modu - a tiny, sleek mobile phone that is fully functional and easy to use. modu can be slipped into a wide variety of modu jackets - stylishly designed phone enclosures and modu mates – modu-enabled consumer electronic products. modu's ecosystem offers boundless possibilities in a simple and affordable way.

Throughout the design process of modu, the emphasis has been on keeping the phone small, light and compact in order that modu’s innovative approach could be realized. The result is a phone that is not only miniature, but also superbly designed and minimalist, whilst offering all the functions and capabilities of a normal-sized handset.

Zack Weisfeld, modu’s VP Marketing, said: “The Guinness World Record™ is a great achievement for a team that has worked tirelessly to take modu from the drawing board to producing full working devices in less than a year. From the outset, modu’s tiny dimensions and super light weight have been fundamental to delivering the disruptive, modular communication concept that modu embodies.

“With modu, the mobile phone can now be added to the list of ‘invisible’ items that people carry with them wherever they go, such as a bunch of keys, their wallet and their watch."

China Mobile Phone Output Reached 594.4 Million Units

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:35:00 +0000

According to Research and Markets, in 2007, China mobile phone output reached approximately 594.4 million units, among which, 548 million units were legal products from official mobile phone producers and 46.4 million units were illegal products from official mobile phone producers. In 2007, sales volume reached 180.7 million units, amounting to 16% of the world total. In the same year, the global mobile phone output reached 1.141 billion units, of which 52 percent was from the Mainland China, exceeding 50% for the first time.

In the first half of 2007, the mobile phone output in the Mainland China totalled 266.8 million units, up 33.4% year on year and its combined sales revenue stood at CNY161.08 billion, up 29.6% year on year. Among the total output, 32.8 million were for CDMA mode, 234 million for GSM mode. Domestic sales volume reached 83 million units and exports arrived at 183.8 million. In the later half of 2007, mobile phone production reached 327.6 million units, of which 230.2 million units were for exports, and 97.4 million for domestic sales.

Kodiak Networks Announces Mobile Applications to Address End-User Demand for New Conferencing, Group Messaging and Contact Management Services

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Kodiak Networks, a provider of applications for wireless carriers, announced a series of innovative clientless and client-based mobile applications targeted at business and consumer segments. The clientless applications provide end-users with the ability to assign a telephone number to a group of individuals that they can use for conferencing, text messaging, or voice messaging, directly from their mobile contact list. Both the group text and voice messaging applications allow recipients to reply to the originator or reply to all message recipients, directly from the message. This announcement also includes the first-ever client-based scheduled conferencing application, which allows users to set-up meetings directly from their mobile handset. All of these applications converge wireless and land-line calling functionality, that address end-user demand for integrated group communications and help operators increase revenue and retain customers.

Thin Multimedia to Showcase thinMobile Ad Advertising Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:21:00 +0000

Thin Multimedia, a developer and provider of mobile multimedia advertising solutions, will be showcasing thinMobile Ad™ at CTIA WIRELESS 2008. thinMobile Ad includes TMI’s best-in-class Banner Overlay which shows a banner advertisement while a user is viewing a video or listening to audio content. Along with Banner Overlay, thinMobile Ad can be utilized to insert video or audio advertisements when a user watches videos or listens to audio content on their mobile device. Visit TMI’s booth to see demonstrations of Banner Overlay and video ad insertion.
thinMobile Ad is the industry’s first advanced mobile advertising solution to effectively integrate banners and content overlays directly into a mobile video. TMI’s turnkey solution provides set-up, automated ingestion, integration with third party advertising platforms, monitoring and tracking of the delivery of ads. thinMobile Ad™ gives mobile advertisers unprecedented range of options to achieve their performance objectives. TMI’s cutting-edge technology allows content providers and wireless carriers to offer non-intrusive multimedia advertising for mobile devices.

Wireless Carriers Must Effectively Target Customer Segments

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:46:00 +0000

A new report from Diamond Management & Technology Consultants finds that wireless carriers in mature markets typically
are not marketing targeted pricing plans to specific customer segments
as effectively as they should. Diamond’s
paper, entitled “Targeted Pricing,”
explains that targeting can be performed on the basis of wireless
subscribers’ usage patterns or demographics,
but notes that pricing is just one element of a targeted value
proposition.

“Carriers looking to add new customers at
their competitors’ expense have little choice
but to develop differentiated offers—which
are often based on price,” said Hamilton
Sekino, a Partner in Diamond’s Telecom
practice and author of the paper. “The rise
of family plans has locked a larger portion of subscribers into group
contracts, which increases the barriers for many subscribers to change
carriers.”

Discounts on new phones for existing subscribers and other incentives
have added to carriers’ difficulty in
converting competitors’ subscribers, known as “customer
churn.” According to Diamond’s
report, these factors have largely contributed to a drop in monthly
churn rates from 2.5 percent in 2000 to 1.7 percent today—and
only 1.3 percent for postpaid plan subscribers.

“Companies run the risk of losing money if
they do not undertake adequate preparation when launching new pricing
plans,” said Sekino. “Wireless
carriers cannot afford to approach pricing plans blindly, and must
validate their targeted plans.”

For instance, carriers need to weigh the value of mass-market
advertising campaigns against the value of marketing specific pricing
plans through media outlets that cater to particular demographic
segments. While some companies have developed innovative pricing
structures, most wireless carriers adopt the mass-market approach for
pricing plan introductions—often not the most
cost-effective approach.

T-Mobile USA Launches BlackBerry 8820

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:19:00 +0000

T-Mobile USA announced the availability of the BlackBerry^® 8820 smartphone, featuring built-in GPS and support for T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service for Wi-Fi calling. Available in a sophisticated midnight blue finish, the BlackBerry 8820 is RIM's thinnest BlackBerry smartphone.

With the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home mobile add-on plan, customers can enjoy the freedom of unlimited, nationwide calling over any Wi-Fi network at home, across accessible corporate Wi-Fi networks or at T-Mobile HotSpot locations nationwide. When connected through Wi-Fi, access to information continues to include all of the BlackBerry platform's security features. Customers can also enjoy faster Web browsing at Wi-Fi speeds.

Using the BlackBerry 8820 smartphone's built-in GPS and location-based applications, such as BlackBerry Maps, customers can navigate between meetings and locate the closest restaurant or use other advanced services such as TeleNav GPS Navigator^{to receive audible turn-by-turn directions to reach their next destination.

The quad-band phone also supports international roaming and is enabled for T-Mobile's popular myFaves^{service experience for quick, one-click access to five people byinstant messaging, e-mailing, texting or calling from the Home Screen.

"Customers want and need to stay connected to the important people in their lives," said Leslie Grandy, Vice President of Product Development, T-Mobile USA. "With unlimited nationwide calling using T-Mobile's popular HotSpot @Home mobile service, access to personal or business e-mail, and reliable GPS navigation services, the BlackBerry 8820 from T-Mobile provides unparalleled value for our customers at home, at the office and everywhere in between."

"The BlackBerry 8820 smartphone blends powerful communications, connectivity and navigation capabilities with exceptional ease-of-use and executive class styling." said Mark Guibert, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, RIM. "Together with the innovative T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, the BlackBerry 8820 offers incredible flexibility and convenience for both professional and personal needs."}}

Samsung Electronics Signs Multi-Year Global Agreement with Nuance Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:09:00 +0000

Nuance Communications, Inc., a provider of
speech and imaging solutions, announced that Samsung Electronics
recently signed a multi-year agreement, renewing and expanding its
commitment to the full range of Nuance Mobile applications. With Nuance speech solutions for mobile devices,
Samsung will simplify and enhance the way its customers use mobile
phones, applications and services.

The global license agreement includes Nuance's VSuite,
Vocalizer, and VoiceMode speech-based services and interfaces,
which have collectively shipped on more than 160 Samsung models for the
last several years. The Nuance products are also shipping on Samsung's
top-selling devices, such as the SCH-U340 and SPH-M300 available from
Verizon and Sprint. Text-to-speech solutions, enabling capabilities
such as text message read-out, are also included in the new Samsung
contract.

VSuite is Nuance's ubiquitous voice control solution that enables
hands-free, one-step access to mobile device features from a simple
push of a button and a voice command. Nuance's speech-to-text solution,
VoiceMode, offers users a faster and easier way to input text on mobile
devices. Users can enter text in any application by simply pressing a
button and dictating words and sentences naturally and continuously.

"Samsung is at the leading edge of innovation and design for
mobile devices," said Steve Chambers, president of the mobile and
consumer services division at Nuance. "Nuance and Samsung share a
commitment to continually enhance the overall mobile user experience,
offering consumers a simple, safe and convenient way to interact with
mobile phones. By expanding its use of Nuance VSuite, Samsung can make
it easier than ever for users to control mobile devices and access
advanced mobile applications and content."

LG KF510 Global Launch

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:03:00 +0000

LG announced the global launch of the KF510 boasting an extremely-slim body with dynamic functional design.
The eye-catching color gradations of LG-KF510 are the first ever to be used on a mobile phone, with choices of Stardust Dark Gray and Sunset Red on the full metal exterior.
The gleaming LED lights of the touchpad brighten with a gentle touch of a fingertip, allowing one to scroll and navigate the animated multifunction menu using the new ‘Interactive Touch Lighting’ system.
Besides the stylish design, the LG-KF510 is outfitted with quality features. LG KF510 allows the user to enjoy 3MP camera with a power flash and a one-second response time. With the advanced MP3 player the user can automatically sort music into play lists or categories. These features are supported by a long lasting battery that saves power capacity through Auto Luminance Control which self-adjusts to the brightness of the LED screen.
“2008 is the year for a new paradigm in mobile phone design and LG is setting the benchmark,” says Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We have established ourselves as a leader in this field and the LG-KF510 is a unique addition in our mobile portfolio. With its sleek aesthetic and superior technology, it will appeal to many discerning consumers that value both style and substance."
LG-KF510 will be available at most major mobile retailers in regions including Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, from April.

Pringo and Mozes Team to Bring Mobile Marketing to Online Communities

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:36:00 +0000

Pringo, the provider of white-label online community platforms, today announced a partnership with Mozes,
Inc, a mobile marketing company that lets anyone make their campaign,
promotion or event more interactive using the mobile phone and web. As a
result, Mozes will integrate its technology into Pringo's solutions,
allowing Pringo customers to better engage users of their community using
text and voice messaging, as well as the Web, and delivering a trusted
mobile marketing solution to social networks.

The agreement provides an innovative way for marketers to reach their core
audiences by incorporating social networking with mobile marketing. With
Mozes' on-demand mobile marketing platform, Pringo customers can create
text message and voice programs, including text polls, trivia games and
mobile offers. Administrators can also deliver mobile content, such as
ringtones and wallpapers, or alert users of the latest news straight to
their cell phone. Consumers can then participate in these campaigns through
the online community.

A common application of the technology is in text-to-win. Examples include
sports teams using this combination for last minute ticket sales, or ticket
give-aways to drive users to a Web site or portal to see if they are
winners. This is a perfect environment for mainstream brands looking for
new ways to reach large audiences through advertising.

"Mobile is the most effective and personal way to reach large audiences
quickly and easily," said Dorrian Porter, CEO of Mozes. "Pringo's
social-networking client base brings our platform to communities that want
to engage their members with rich, real-time relationships on the mobile
phone."

"By integrating Mozes' best-in-class mobile platform, we're providing our
customers with every touch point they need to successfully create a
thriving and loyal user base for any online portal," said Majid Abai, CEO
of Pringo. "Pringo's strategy is to offer our customers the best tools to
build online communities that will attract, retain and grow a user base
quickly and at low cost."

Virgin Mobile USA Launch New Plans Without Annual Contracts

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Virgin Mobile USA
has unveiled a host of new Monthly and Pay As You Go Plans Without
Annual Contracts that offer consumers even better value and more
flexibility. With no annual contracts, Virgin Mobile USA allows its more
than 5 million customers to change plans at any time without hassle or
extra charges.Virgin Mobile USA's recurring monthly plans now feature discounted
Messaging Packs, which cover email, IM, text and picture messaging. For
just $10 per month, customers on these plans also get access to
Unlimited Text & Messaging. Other wireless offers, for example,
require up to twice that amount and don't include all types of
messaging.
"There is no reason for consumers to lock themselves into the
restrictive terms of a postpaid contract plan to get real value," said
Dan Schulman, chief executive officer, Virgin Mobile USA, "especially
at a time when many people need greater control over their spending and
use of credit. We're closing the gap between those features
traditionally offered by postpaid carriers and the value available from
our plans without annual contracts."

New Google Mobile Search Experience

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:57:00 +0000

Google has set out to improve the mobile-search experience on handsets. Google LCB (LCB? - Local Category Browse?) is a new search service which seems to be focusing on searching for businesses with as little text input as possible. It’s
easy to set up, input your Postal (Zip) Code, and location, and you are
ready to browse a list of business categories. There's still a search-box for traditional search-string entry, but the emphasis seems to be on browsing through the categories for a list of options.

India to Overtake U.S. as World's Second-Largest Mobile Market

noreply@blogger.com (NewsMob) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:16:00 +0000

Subscribers base to cross 300 million in April 2008.
Wireless subscribers base reaches 250 million mark. India to become second largest wireless network in the world by April 2008.
Wireless Subscribers addition is 8.53 million in February 2008.
Broadband continues to grow in the country.
Tele-density cross 25% mark.
Total 8.49 million telephone connections have been added during February 2008 as compared to 8.74 million connections added in January 2008. The total number of telephone connections reaches 290.11 million at the end of February 2008 as compared to 281.62 million in January 2008. The overall tele-density is 25.31% at the end of February 2008 as against 24.63% in January 2008. In the wireless segment, 8.53 million subscribers have been added in the month of February 2008 as against 8.77 million subscribers added in the month of January 2008. The total wireless subscribers (GSM, CDMA & WLL(F)) base stood at 250.93 million at the end of February 2008. It may also be noted that India is likely to become second largest wireless network in the world after China in the first half of April 2008. US is adding about 2-3 million subscribers in a month where as China is adding around 6-7 million subscribers in a month. India's monthly wireless subscriber addition is highest in the range of 8-9 million a month. Thus India's wireless subscriber base during the first half of April 2008 will surpass that of USA and will become second largest wireless network in the world.