Mobile Industry Review http://www.mobileindustryreview.com News and opinion for 250,000 industry executives and mobile fanatics. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:43:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 51.502251-0.126257http://www.feedburner.comhttp://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/fb_pwrd.gifThis Feed Powered by FeedBurner.comSmsTextNewshttp://feedburner.google.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Easter Egg in the Orange Mobile Watch video? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/BdLl_6V2TJA/easter_egg_in_the_orange_mobile_watch_video.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/easter_egg_in_the_orange_mobile_watch_video.html#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:43:35 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16343 Well then. Have you heard this rumour?

Apparently there’s an Easter Egg in the Orange Mobile Watch video.

I’m told by extremely reliable sources that something good will happen if you call the phone number shown on this video:

Now. I queried ‘what kind of good’.

I’m the guy who only ever needs one wish. Why would you need 3 wishes, ever? Your first wish: Unlimited wishes on demand, job done, right?

Anyway I’m not entirely sure what kind of goodness descends upon you when you phone the number.

Maybe you get put through to the Orange call center and get a 10 quid credit?

Maybe you and 10 other friends win a Mobile Watch (which, by the way, is very, very cool).

Or maybe you just get your name in lights on the Orange website?

I don’t know.

But I’ll phone in a minute and find out.

Although…

You know what, I won’t phone.

Just in case it’s a prize or something decent… you, dear reader, should be the one to benefit. Not me.

So I won’t phone. But if you’ve got five minutes, try out the number and mail me — ewan@mobileindustryreview.com — and let me know what happens?

Find out more about the Orange Watch Phone here.

Available from Orange for a limited time period, the Watch Phone will be available at an exclusive price point on Orange pay as you go. The device features a compact and stylish design with a Bluetooth headset, in-built speaker and a full touch-screen interface, as well as 3G+ and video-calling capabilities.

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]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/easter_egg_in_the_orange_mobile_watch_video.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/easter_egg_in_the_orange_mobile_watch_video.html Is Tesco Mobile Ireland in trouble? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/_Ku3ypWvZSk/is_tesco_mobile_ireland_in_trouble.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/is_tesco_mobile_ireland_in_trouble.html#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:26:07 +0000 Alex http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16336 Tesco Mobile Ireland - which like its UK sister operation is a joint venture between Tesco and O2, managed to rack up a deficit of €7.3m by the end of last year, according to the Irish Times.

The paper reports that the operation, launched in mid-2007, has just filed accounts at the Companies’ Registration Office (CRO) - Ireland’s equivalent to the UK’s Companies House - which show the deficit on the balance sheet as of December 31st last year, compared with a €3.1m deficit at the end of 2007.

So can we call that figure a loss? Not exactly. Whilst the accounts do say the operation made a loss in 2008, as it’s classed as a small company it only has to file a balance sheet and not a full profit and loss account. The Irish Times did ask the same question, and a spokesman for the venture said they ‘would not elaborate on its performance last year, and did not provide any details on the number of subscribers that it has recruited.’

According to the accounts, the shareholders (Tesco and O2) stumped up €11m in July 2007 to finance launch and development. The venture spent €2.5 million of this in 2007, and €6 million last year, a total of €8.5 million. This leaves €2.5m in the kitty. Not a great deal in the grand scheme of things.

So is Tesco Mobile Ireland in trouble? Maybe not quite yet. Tesco and O2 have agreed to provide ‘last resort’ funding to the company until at least 30 June 2010. But that still leaves the issue of the €8.5m it has spent so far - and whether it can repay O2 and Tesco. The accounts show the €8.5m was provided in the form of interest-free unsecured loans, of which €1.5m must be paid by December 31st 2010 and the remaining €7m by December 31st 2011.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/is_tesco_mobile_ireland_in_trouble.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/is_tesco_mobile_ireland_in_trouble.html It’s official: O2 get the Palm Pre http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/3b3ROzxdS44/its_official_o2_get_the_palm_pre.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/its_official_o2_get_the_palm_pre.html#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:13:47 +0000 Alex http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16334 Whilst it pretty much confirmed what we already knew, O2 have today announced they’ve got exclusivity on the Palm Pre in Europe. At least that’s what the headline says. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find the beginnings of a two-track rollout.

The Telefonica O2 group operates mobile networks in the UK, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Isle of Man - so you’d expect the launch to encompass all of these countries? Nope, think again.

Spain, the UK, Ireland and Germany will get the Palm Pre in time for Christmas. Where does that leave the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Isle of Man? Nowhere, apparently. And the rest of Europe? Nothing concrete yet - although it wouldn’t be a surprise if a handful of the other operators scoop up the rest of Europe.

Still no word on pricing, the exact launch date, and how many months worth of contract you’ll have to sign in blood. However there is a set of ‘pre-notification’ pages on Palm’s website:

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]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/its_official_o2_get_the_palm_pre.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/its_official_o2_get_the_palm_pre.html Dabr.co.uk is keeping the Chinese tweeting http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/UeK-kBu36Ks/dabrcouk_is_keeping_the_chinese_tweeting.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/dabrcouk_is_keeping_the_chinese_tweeting.html#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:29:45 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16332 If you’ve got a problem visiting Twitter.com — which, clearly you have, if you’re using a standard Chinese internet connection — then there are a number of alternatives you can use instead.

The most notable is Dabr, a really efficient mobile web interface to Twitter, created by the quiet genius that is Mr David Carrington.

Former MIR contributor, Ben Smith, came across this rather nifty Channel4 News article article highlighting David’s service and carrying a good few quotes from the man himself. Have a read!

One point — for the Chinese censors reading, blocking Dabr won’t help you. David rather smartly wrote the code to port extremely, extremely easily — as he explained in the interview:

“In theory, the site ‘dabr.co.uk’ could be blocked, but as I mentioned - there are many copies of my site up and running created by Chinese users just in case that happens.”

One Twitter user in China explained: “we use third-party clients of Twitter, like dabr.co.uk, official Twitter site was banned this afternoon.”

In fact it’s so smart and lightweight, I reckon you could probably host Dabr from a Nokia running a web server.

Nice work David!Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/dabrcouk_is_keeping_the_chinese_tweeting.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/dabrcouk_is_keeping_the_chinese_tweeting.html Orange ‘watch phone’ to hit the UK in August http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/HbbdahNab_4/orange_watch_phone_to_hit_the_uk_in_august.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/orange_watch_phone_to_hit_the_uk_in_august.html#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:27:46 +0000 Alex http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16330 Orange have today announced plans to launch the world’s first touchscreen ‘watch phone’ in the UK this August. Made by LG, it’s a phone (obviously), a watch (again, I shouldn’t have to mention that), and touchscreen. But what else can it do?

It’ll be available on pay as you go, and comes with a bluetooth headset, built-in speaker, 3G and video calling. And that’s all we appear to know right now.

“Pay as you go only”, you may gasp, “why?”

Well here’s my thinking. What perfect way to sell you a gizmo you’ll probably get bored of using within a few weeks, and notch up another SIM ’subscriber’. Imagine being tied in to a 36 month contract on a watch? I couldn’t either really. It’ll also go down well with the kids - who, unless they have crazy parents with deep pockets, are usually on pay as you go these days.

The device will be available, according to Orange, ‘for a limited time period’ (there’s a pun in there somewhere), and is the first of at least three new ‘market leading’ devices they’re planning to announce before the end of the year.

Over to Tom Alexander, CEO of Orange UK, for the obligatory soundbite: “The Watch Phone is the must-have gadget of 2009. It’s handcrafted, exclusively limited, and will turn heads on the high street. Our ambition is to become the best loved communications brand in the UK, and the destination brand of choice for high-end mobile users in the market. To help us achieve this, we have secured some of the most original and innovative devices available.

“The Watch Phone is the first of these devices, all focused on bringing a 21st-century experience to our 21st century customers. Over time we also intend to match the power of these devices with bespoke multimedia packages, driving even more inspirational conversations and deeper connections for our customers.”

The last time we spoke on this very blog about mobile phones meeting watches was back in 2007 when Sony Ericsson and Fossil launched a Bluetooth watch. Seen many on the street? No nor have I - and to be honest you’d get some very funny looks talking into your wrist.

So how will the Orange/LG watch phone fair? Only time will tell. And on that note, I’ll leave you to watch the lovely demo video courtesy of Orange.

Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/orange_watch_phone_to_hit_the_uk_in_august.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/orange_watch_phone_to_hit_the_uk_in_august.html An 8.1 megapixel Sony Ericsson Android handset you can be proud of? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/K87zgtnbn_g/an_81_megapixel_sony_ericsson_android_handset_you_can_be_proud_of.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/an_81_megapixel_sony_ericsson_android_handset_you_can_be_proud_of.html#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:37:10 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16328 On Saturday, I caught Stefan’s post on IntoMobile about the Sony Ericsson Rachael. Just a rumour at the moment — although there also are some photos courtesy of Mobile.nu.

Stefan heads out on a (sensible, I think) limb and reckons it will arrive running Android 2.0.

And it’ll no doubt have a snazzy Sony Ericsson ‘Xperia’ interface, right — especially since the Mobile.nu shots all feature Xperia branding all over it.

I reckon it’ll be about a billion times better than the original Windows Mobile Xperia though.

Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/an_81_megapixel_sony_ericsson_android_handset_you_can_be_proud_of.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/an_81_megapixel_sony_ericsson_android_handset_you_can_be_proud_of.html Nokia’s got no game: Android handset not coming in September http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/gS6fi1DMaGo/nokias_got_game_android_handset_coming_in_september.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/nokias_got_game_android_handset_coming_in_september.html#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:06:34 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16324 Strongly, strongly, strongly denied by Nokia, apparently…

Andy Kitson over at Juniper Research caught this Guardian article which confirms the possibility of a Nokia device, running Android.

Now then.

Now then, now then, now then.

Richard Wray at The Guardian calls this a ’strategic U-turn’. I call it a killer move. An absolute killer.

They can test the market, see how people react … it really will be interesting putting a N97 Symbian device next to (for example) an N97 Android device, and seeing which one gives the better all round experience.

I’ve long held that Nokia’s hardware is second to none. Absolutely second to none. The amount of work they put in to their devices, the amount of thought, the amount of *workmanship* is exceedingly impressive. I’ve seen it first hand at one of their test labs. (See the MIR video of that day).

Set aside the hardware and let’s look at the operating system and user interface. Well. There’s not too much to be said from a positive perspective, other than it is certainly very capable. If you wanted to program your handset’s trajectory to the moon, well, count on the operating system doing an efficient job. But if you want to do other stuff quickly and easily… there’s a problem.

Developing for Symbian is an absolute flipping nightmare. That’s why I suggested that a head-in-the-sand-Nokia would be best placed setting up warehouses filled with independent developers working away trying to create interesting things for the Nokia platform (because, nobody else is).

But if you throw the baby out with the bathwater — a good idea in my book — that is, develop a Nokia handset running Android… well then, you free up the capabilities for a heck of a lot of developers to jump into the game.

The Android handset is supposedly launching in September — at the Nokia World conference. Count on me being there to bring you some stimulating perspective.

I’m encouraged.

Thoroughly encouraged. Nokia’s taken their head out of the sand.

It’s just one handset, mind. Just one Android device. Touchscreen, of course. But how will we all react to it?

Positively?

I wonder.

I think I’ll have a highly positive reaction.

I wonder about the die-hard Nokia fans.

What does this mean for Symbian? Obviously Nokia will still continue to make Symbian handsets — but if their Android one flies off the shelves, they might need to seriously look at that.

Interesting times.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/nokias_got_game_android_handset_coming_in_september.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/nokias_got_game_android_handset_coming_in_september.html 3 and Vodafone: Two roaming data cost cuts, two very different offers http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/-FiYxYHtCtk/3_and_vodafone_two_roaming_data_cost_cuts_two_very_different_offers.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/3_and_vodafone_two_roaming_data_cost_cuts_two_very_different_offers.html#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:50:32 +0000 Alex http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16322 Why do mobile tariffs always seem to be overly complicated? With the recent July 1st EU charges cap there was a chance to make the cost of using data services abroad nice and simple. So how did the operators do? Let’s take two examples.

First, Vodafone. They announced a cut in roaming charges across the EU to £4.99 a day for up to 25MB. That works out, as the press release helpfully says, at the equivalent of 20p per MB. But wait, in true operator fashion there’s a little bit of a complicated twist.

That £4.99 a day deal is just for mobile data. Under 1MB Vodafone will charge you a per KB rate, with 100KB costing 50p. Go above a meg and you’ll instantly be charged £4.99 for the remaining 24MB. What happens after 25MB? You get charged another £4.99, and get another 25MB. And so on and so forth.

If you’re planning to use your mobile broadband dongle, that price doubles - but so does the inclusive data bundle. Whether the per KB charging for dongle usage remains is a little unclear, but you’ll be charged £9.99 for 50MB chunks of data. Again, this is all on a daily basis - so if you use 2MB of data every day for a week on your laptop it’ll end up costing a rather hefty £69.93.

If you venture outside of the Europe (Vodafone have defined all of Europe - whether it’s in the EU or not - as ‘zone 1′), it’s £14.99 per day per 25MB on your phone, or £29.99 per day per 50MB on your dongle.

At this point, I’d imagine even the more maths-savvy consumer is a bit lost in figures. Why can’t things just be simple - one price for data per megabyte whether it be on your laptop or mobile?

Cue 3 and their new charges. £1.25 per MB - no minimums, no bundles, no 24 hour windows and no differentiation between your phone or a dongle. A pricing model so simple that it takes one sentence to explain, versus four paragraphs. OK so it may be more expensive per megabyte if you’re a heavy user, but at least you don’t need a calculator and a calendar to work it all out.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/3_and_vodafone_two_roaming_data_cost_cuts_two_very_different_offers.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/3_and_vodafone_two_roaming_data_cost_cuts_two_very_different_offers.html The T-Mobile takeover rumour mill continues http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/DncE83wiclQ/the_t-mobile_takeover_rumour_mill_continues.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/the_t-mobile_takeover_rumour_mill_continues.html#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:36:17 +0000 Alex http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16317 There was an interesting article in The Observer over the weekend, featuring an interview with Matthew Key, Chief Executive of O2.

Is he worried about being left out of the bidding war for Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile UK business unit? Quite probably, but he plays it quite cool. “We are watching developments closely, but if you’re asking me whether it’s consuming my time day and night, the answer is no,” he says. I’m entirely relaxed about the situation - no one is running around here like headless chickens.”

Meanwhile the Sunday Times reports Vodafone is talking to Deutsche Telekom about swapping it’s Turkish operation (formerly Telsim) for T-Mobile UK. To put that possibility into figures, Vodafone paid £2.6bn for the Telsim operation in 2006, but has since written it down due to competition from Turkcell - the dominate player in the market. It could raise £1.5bn of the projected £3m worth of T-Mobile UK by disposing of the Turkish unit.

Finally, the Daily Mail adds its usual dose of doom, gloom and ‘they’re all out to get us’ sensationalism with a report that says ‘Telecoms regulator Ofcom is warning potential bidders for T-Mobile that any takeover deal will face the toughest scrutiny, amid fears that it would lead to a sharp increase in prices for consumers.’

Happy days indeed, with sources close to Deutsche Telekom still claiming there’s ‘no rush’ to offload T-Mobile UK. With new MD Richard Moat (formerly of Orange) less than two months in the job there still may be time to avoid being swallowed up by a rival player. Speaking of Orange, they’re still in the frame for a deal with T-Mobile. Or not, if you believe the claims a possible deal was rejected a few weeks ago.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/the_t-mobile_takeover_rumour_mill_continues.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/the_t-mobile_takeover_rumour_mill_continues.html Five megapixels in the Nokia 6700? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/RNCuN_ZLQcw/five_megapixels_in_the_nokia_6700.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/five_megapixels_in_the_nokia_6700.html#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:52:26 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/five_megapixels_in_the_nokia_6700.html

I saw this as I was walking by… Five megapixels in this form factor? I might have to take a serious look at that. The N97 is lovely but the 6700 series are so lightweight! Good for the cut of your pinstripe or jeans pocket.
 
 - Taken at 8:38 PM on July 03, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu

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]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/five_megapixels_in_the_nokia_6700.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/five_megapixels_in_the_nokia_6700.html o2 offering Samsung i7500 Android handset from August http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/vWAm-VMeLTs/o2_offering_samsung_i7500_android_handset_from_august.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_offering_samsung_i7500_android_handset_from_august.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:24:24 +0000 Jonathan Mulholland http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_offering_samsung_i7500_android_handset_from_august.html Wow, two Android scoops in one day!

After playing with, and being impressed by, the HTC Hero earlier today I decided to head to the shops after work on the off chance of finding out some news about the ‘missing in action’ Samsung i7500.

Today is the first Friday of the month you see - it’s when the new mobile catalogues hit the high street and when most stores find out what new handsets they’ll be getting to sell.

Like a lot of Android fans I’ve been waiting to see when the i7500 would hit the UK, so I was pretty excited to find this on page 6 of O2’s July catalogue. Talking to the guys in the store they confirmed they’re expecting it to be on sale in August.

So O2 will soon have the Android i7500, the iPhone, and if rumours are to be believed, the Palm Pre on offer. Quite an impressive device line up.Related Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_offering_samsung_i7500_android_handset_from_august.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_offering_samsung_i7500_android_handset_from_august.html I just got my hands on an HTC Hero demo unit for 10 minutes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/zmf-6CikoD0/i_just_got_my_hands_on_an_htc_hero_demo_unit_for_10_minutes.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/i_just_got_my_hands_on_an_htc_hero_demo_unit_for_10_minutes.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:31:12 +0000 Jonathan Mulholland http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16312

Jonathan Mulholland here!

I just got to have a 10 minute play with an HTC Hero, and I’m impressed.

First impressions - it feels great in the hand. It’s a very angular shape but is very comfortable to hold.

The material is a soft plastic. It seems to resist finger prints and feels much nicer to hold than my iPhone - it doesn’t get slipery or greasy like the back of the plastic iPhone’s can. It also feels quite small to hold - it’s not as big as the pictures I’ve seen suggest.

The UI is ‘whizzy’. Feels more consistent than the vanilla version of Android. Didn’t get much time to play with it but it does look good and felt reasonabley fast.

The grey colour that Orange will be selling this in looks very smart, really makes it look like a desirable handset.

I had planned to be getting a Samsung i7500 (if it ever shows up) at some point over the summer but now I’m not so sure!

(You can catch more of my posts here). Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/i_just_got_my_hands_on_an_htc_hero_demo_unit_for_10_minutes.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/i_just_got_my_hands_on_an_htc_hero_demo_unit_for_10_minutes.html Zer01 Mobile: Going nowhere? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/VgQYfMLYT3k/zer01_mobile_going_nowhere_.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/zer01_mobile_going_nowhere_.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:26:18 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16310 There is, I think, a market for a well run, focused mobile virtual network operator.

At CTIA back in March, there was a small but significant buzz about Zer01 Mobile — a totally new entrant proposing unlimited voice and data within the United States for around $60-70.

Nice.

At first glance, that sounds brilliant.

Indeed, I met quite a few people who took me to a corner and quietly showed me their Zer01 mobile trial sim card. I remember being very jealous. I remember thinking I might as well get a Zer01 account, instead of signing-up with T-Mobile.

Indeed, if you can get the MVNO strategy *right* for the uber geeks, you could count on getting 100-200k customers like me and the US readers of MIR pretty quickly.

I was reading a post earlier this week by Enterprise Strategy Group’s Steve Duplessie.

Steve doesn’t mince his words and his analysis is famed across the tech industry. Mention the words ‘Steve Duplessie’ to many a wide-eyed analyst relations professional and you’ll see their eyes widen even further. The chap not only knows his stuff, he’ll beat you around the head with it.

In his post, Steve points out that any firm that, “sends out a release such as this, but can’t even get it on their own Web site.”

He’s then helpfully cut and paste the release from Zer01 Mobile (which, I would also link to, if it was published on their site… but it’s not). Finally, Steve comments, “Hey zer01 - cool thoughts, horrid execution. At least Vonage had snappy commercials.”

Agreed.

Zer01 works using VoIP. Which is a total arse. It’s perfectly fine if you’ve got bandwidth. But the moment bandwidth becomes scarce in your area/server/cell/whatever, you’ll find yourself praying for 4k/sec guaranteed throughput.

You also have to use Windows Mobile. Another gaping flaw for anyone who doesn’t use the platform.

The next flaw? You can’t actually ’sign-up’ for Zer01. You can’t buy from their site. Instead, Zer01 are waiting for enterprising chaps to contact them and setup a sub-MVNO under them.

Right.

Yes, we shall see. Like Steve, I’d like for it to be a success. But I very much subscribe to his final sentiments: “Cool thoughts, horrid execution.”Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/zer01_mobile_going_nowhere_.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/zer01_mobile_going_nowhere_.html Adfonic’s European mobile ad marketplace http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/psSX3kP0fRM/adfonics_european_mobile_ad_marketplace.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/adfonics_european_mobile_ad_marketplace.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:22:57 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16308 If you work in mobile marketing/advertising, chances are, your eyes are on Adfonic here in Europe.

Over to the seriously useful Farney Media for more information:

Adfonic launched a self-service mobile ad marketplace this week. The platform allows advertisers to build, execute, monitor and control campaigns.

Publishers have access to tools and real-time reporting and analytics to maximise their earning potential from mobile advertising.

Advertisers can bid on the mobile ad inventory, and price is dictated by supply and demand.

Mobile sites won’t be able to set a floor price on their ad inventory, but it is something Adfonic are keen to introduce.

Very, very interesting. If it gets the requisite attention, it could really change the mobile ad marketplace.

You can read Ciaran’s full post (and interview with Adfonic) here. Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/adfonics_european_mobile_ad_marketplace.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/adfonics_european_mobile_ad_marketplace.html Carphone London sells 800 iPhone 3GS devices in 60 minutes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/g4XpSh2aEvc/carphone_london_sells_800_iphone_3gs_devices_in_60_minutes.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/carphone_london_sells_800_iphone_3gs_devices_in_60_minutes.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:26:00 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16306 Vojtech has just arrived into London from the Czech Republic. He’s a PR specialist and was instrumental in helping us out during MIR’s visit to the country.

He’s a San Francisco veteran and, actually speaks better English than many Californians.

Vojtech’s arrived in London to head up the tech section at his PR firm. His first task after arriving in the city?

Get an iPhone 3GS. Obviously.

For that, though, you need a credit / debit card with a chip/pin function. HSBC is currently rushing him one so at the moment, Vojtech’s sitting on his hands.

But he couldn’t have an iPhone 3GS if he wanted one. They were out of stock when he enquired. The nice lady at Carphone Warehouse said she’d call when they were in stock.

She did call back — this afternoon — to say that there were a whopping 800 in stock all over London.

Nice.

Vojtech called back an hour later.

They were out of stock. Already.

Bad luck Vojtech. I think you’re right though — definitely get a 3GS instead of the 3G version.

You can follow Vojtech’s London travails at www.nextstoplondon.net and follow him on @vojtech. If you meet him, tell him hi from me.

It looks like there’s a continual quiet revolution going on with iPhone 3G –> 3GS upgrades.

I’m still stuck on my 3G version, I haven’t had time to pop into a Carphone or an o2 store. How about you?Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/carphone_london_sells_800_iphone_3gs_devices_in_60_minutes.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/carphone_london_sells_800_iphone_3gs_devices_in_60_minutes.html “No mom, you can’t have a free phone.” The perils of working for a mobile manufacturer. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/lQb_jKmTK2o/no_mom_you_cant_have_a_free_phone_the_perils_of_working_for_a_mobile_manufacturer.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/no_mom_you_cant_have_a_free_phone_the_perils_of_working_for_a_mobile_manufacturer.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:28:25 +0000 suryasnair http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16239 I’d like to introduce you to the first of the new MIR 3.0 columnists, Surya Nair.

Surya is in her mid-twenties and always has a particularly interesting take on the mobile industry. If you’re not following her on Twitter, I recommend you do (username: @suryasnair). Surya was born in South India’s Kerala region and got her first handset (a Nokia 6110) when she completed her degree in Engineering. Yup, no ‘politics’ or ‘media studies’ here. *Engineering*. Surya is a veritable java, mainframe, SQL and mobile handset genius. In her time she’s enjoyed the Nokia 9300i (me too), the E90 (nice), the N82 (lovely camera) and currently, she’s sporting the Nokia N97. So whilst you might paint her as a mobile geek-head, hold there a moment. For some reason, she stopped everything and took an MBA in Human Resources — before joining a large European mobile player. That means she not only avoids the ‘marriage question’ (foremost on the minds of most mothers, even worse, I gather, with Indian mothers) but she is also assured of a ready supply of new gizmos to play with. In terms of applications she’s a regular user of the N97 integrated Facebook app, the Sports Tracker app, SP Brain Evaluation, and, “Of course, Gravity for Twitter”.

This all makes for a rather interesting columnist. Time then for part 1 of Surya’s contributions here at Mobile Industry Review.

Over to you, Surya.

Ewan

- - - - - -

Mobile phones.

I could write a book about them.

More specifically, I could write a book about how mobile phones lead to some of the most interesting stories I have told to my friends. Like the time when I was recruited by a mobile company to do HR work for them in 2006.

Getting a job, with an MNC, while you are still technically studying in campus, is kind of a big deal in India. So naturally, many people grilled me about getting the job. However, the only query by some of the extended family members was “So! When am I getting my *insert the costliest/jazziest mobile phone in India circa 2006 here* ?”

No “Congratulations! We are glad you got the job!”

No “You must be very excited. All the best! ”

Or any of their variations.

At first, I shrugged the questions off. After all, these are the same people who told my parents to get me married off when I was eighteen. They surely must be joking, right?

Apparently, not so. A few days after I went home to spend the two months before I start working, the visitors to my home were getting more and more insistent on their demands for a new phone, and in true bargaining fashion, were willing to bring their demands for a high end phone to a mid range one. The conversation usually went like this:

They: “Dont you remember me?”

Me: “Honestly? No.”

They: “Haha! You big humorist! Haha!!!”

Me: “Eh…”

They: “So, when am I getting my new phone?”

Me: “…..????”

They: “I want the one which SRK was using in this movie! Or Hritik Roshan in another!”

Me: “Erm.. I do not work for all of these companies together…”

They: “Oh.. never mind… just get us whatever phone you are getting your mom!”

If this being played over and over during your vacation days is not mind numbing enough, consider this:

My mother, like any proud Indian mother, decided that me getting this job means I get an unlimited, free supply of mobile phones. Apparently I can simply pluck them from the air. So she spends her time with me trying to force me to get married (”But you have a job! And we know of many nice boys!!”) or trying to get me to provide free mobile phones to at least fifty of her relatives who I either do not know or do not like.

One day in exasperation, I asked my mother, “But mom! You don’t even like those people.. why do you want me to give them mobile phones?”

“So that I can gloat over them.”

No, she did not reply in such succinct manner, but the hemming and hawing laced with dialogues which would have fitted right into your average cable TV soap operas convinced me of that much.

Her logic was simple. You have to give them something, because their kids, who work for Cadburys, gifted us with a chocolate box when they got their jobs. The quid pro quo logic made sense to mom, but for me… it just rendered me speechless.

Then inspiration struck.

“They want me to buy them the same phone I will be getting you, right mom?”

“Yes. So?”

“So I am not getting you a handset. Problem solved.”

Needless to say, they next few days would have made for good reality TV. Mother was not impressed. But at the end of summer, I went off to work.

When I went home for holidays, I was cornered again by a few of those leeching relatives.

They: “So, what did you get us? Which phone? ”

Me: “Remember you told me to get the same phone I am getting my mom?”

They: “Yes. Aaaand..?”

Me: “I am never going to get her any. So don’t think like your are going to get one from me too. Sorry.”

They: “…….”

It was extremely satisfying to see them at a loss for words for once.

To set the record clear that I do not incur the wrath of the older generation who believes in filial obedience, I did by my parents a lot of non mobile related stuff over the years. But I will not be even gifting them a second hand one, as long as my parents, and the extended family, remain convinced that I can carry sack loads of mobile phones home.

- - - - -

I do feel for your mother, Surya — although, a mobile handset is quite a few leagues above a few chocolate bars! Well done for standing your ground. Here’s a question: Would your parents/friends/family be content at being gifted a £14 Motorola RAZR? Or do they demand top-of-the-range?

[If you'd like to become a MIR 3.0 columnist, drop me a note, I'm ewan@mobileindustryreview.com.]Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/no_mom_you_cant_have_a_free_phone_the_perils_of_working_for_a_mobile_manufacturer.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/no_mom_you_cant_have_a_free_phone_the_perils_of_working_for_a_mobile_manufacturer.html Quick note regarding the ‘Scr000007′ posts http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/ux98nbFiDtY/quick_note_regarding_the_scr000007_posts.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/quick_note_regarding_the_scr000007_posts.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:17:02 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16301 You might have seen an avalanche of post notifications for MIR recently, each titled something like ‘Scr000007′.

There’s no bug, the fault is mine. User error on my part.

Scr000007 is the file name of a screenshot — I sent quite a few of them via ShoZu to Flickr for the upcoming rant that I’m working on.

Smart chap that I am, I pressed the wrong option and ShoZu routed the images, via Flickr, straight on to the blog.

Standby… that post is coming.

And for those of you reading MIR updates by email, I apologise for the inbox ’spam’. Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/quick_note_regarding_the_scr000007_posts.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/quick_note_regarding_the_scr000007_posts.html Have you received your Mobile Industry Review mousepad yet? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/VQ7eMg_A4f0/have_you_received_your_mobile_industry_review_mousepad_yet.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/have_you_received_your_mobile_industry_review_mousepad_yet.html#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:54:49 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16291 Simon Maddox has just received his one. He tweeted a picture:

Nice one Simon and congratulations upon being inducted into the MIRB (”the MIR Brotherhood”) as a result.

You can get hold of your very own MIR mousepad right here for £8.95 plus delivery.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/have_you_received_your_mobile_industry_review_mousepad_yet.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/have_you_received_your_mobile_industry_review_mousepad_yet.html Nokia’s Ovi let’s the market decide. The market says, ‘no’ (and how to fix it) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/Kl75FhnDD80/nokias_ovi_lets_the_market_decide_the_market_says_no_and_how_to_fix_it.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/nokias_ovi_lets_the_market_decide_the_market_says_no_and_how_to_fix_it.html#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:24:21 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16289 Last month I published this post:

Nokia Ovi Store launch blows the doors off the mobile industry.

Quite a lot of people contacted me to ask if I was feeling ok.

Normally I’m a bit of a Nokia-kicker, as apposed to a Nokia cheerleader.

I kick because I care.

I’ve had a trial Nokia N97 for the past week now and I’ve been using it as my primary device. I am pretty much delighted with it. (Read my thoughts here).

For a serious Nokia fan, or a serious mobile genius, the N97 works — and it works very well.

The first mobile device to have the Ovi Store pre-loaded is, of course, the Nokia N97.

The device itself also comes preloaded with QIK, RealPlayer, JoikuSpot, Bloomberg, Amazon, Facebook, Hi5, Youtube, AP News and Boingo. Pretty good.

If you’re a mobile genius, finding and adding new apps for your N97 is a reasonably straight forward process. Find the app on the web, bluetooth it to your handset, install it… or navigate to the provider’s website. Or head over to the N97 page on GetJar. There are tons of ways.

But, what about Ovi?

Well the selection is rubbish.

Is this a problem, given the mobile geniuses using the N97?

Well, yes. Not every customer of the N97 is going to be a raving mobile genius. Some of them are going to be actual customers. In fact, let’s be honest — nearly all of the N97 users on the planet are going to be end-consumers with a soft spot for Nokia.

They’re the ones who are, right now, browsing the 3UK website and thinking that a Nokia N97 for free, on an 18/month £35/month contract, sounds pretty good, thank you very much.

And they’ve read all about this mobile applications business. They’ve seen the full screen iPhone application advertisements in the Daily Mail. They’ve seen the iPhone ‘there’s-an-app-for-that’ TV spots. They’ve been one of the onlookers crowding around their friend whilst he shows off some half-useful £0.59 iPhone app.

The expectation is built.

Not once did this prospective N97 customer think that Nokia would deliver a substandard offering. He — like everyone else — assumes Nokia will, obviously, get it right.

Until, that his, he finds the Ovi icon on his phone and presses it.

Then the reality is completely shattered.

He’s presented with the following default recommendations:

That’s it.

That’s what the billion dollar giant, Nokia, was able to deliver to you.

Some news, some bollocks wallpapers/film clips from months ago, and one or two apps. The Scalado one is perhaps worth a look. The news ones, well, yeah. Obviously.

Let’s click away from ‘recommendations’ and check out ‘applications’.

Get ready, it’s bollocks…

Yup… your eyes are not playing tricks. It’s the same ‘recommended’ list. Only it’s got a featured app at the top.

I won’t bore you by listing the ‘recommended’ or ‘top 20′ from the iPhone platform.

So the Ovi Store is working. I’m pleased that it is. But the contents … that needs some significant work.

Why is the range so paltry?

Because it’s down to the market. It’s all about the market. Anyone can submit an app.

But…

Well, the market’s said no, thank you.

The market’s taken a look and thought, ’shit, this is pretty hard’.

The market’s recognised that the products, tools and services available for developing on the Nokia store are simply not good enough to warrant attention. The market’s on iPhone. Palm. Android.

The market isn’t on Ovi.

And that’s a real, real problem.

What should Nokia do about it?

1. Fix the development materials. Make it super, super, SUPER easy to develop for Nokia. I should be able to create a simple application in 10 minutes. Whatever Nokia’s team of talented chaps respond to this point, the answer is quite simply: No. You haven’t got it right, yet.

2. If you’re serious — and I mean properly serious — about the Ovi Store, set aside $30m. Rent one warehouse in London, one in New York, one in San Francisco and one in Paris.

Each warehouse will hold 100 developers. Open to anyone. You just have to prove you’re talented and you’ve got a good idea for developing for Nokia.

Each developer is paid £3,500 per month on contract to cover their basic costs. They invoice the warehouse and take care of their own tax. In order to secure their place, they join on a 30-day trial. During this trial they need to develop one free application and submit it to the Ovi Store. The application must meet a reasonable criteria set by the warehouse council. i.e. it’s got to add value, some how. After submitting the first app, developers then adopt a 2 month rolling contract — with the provision being they have to create a new (paid of unpaid) application every two months.

On application to the warehouse council of mobile geniuses, developers can get permission to band together to work on approved projects. But generally speaking, each developer works on his own.

Everything in the warehouse — internet, desks, chairs, coca cola, pizza, that’s all paid for.

Do that in London, Paris, New York and San Francisco.

So let’s just cost that out on the back of a fag packet.

Developer cost per month: 3,500

Total developer cost: 1.4m
(400 developers x 3,500 each)

Cost per warehouse, per month: 100,000

Total warehouse cost: 400,000
(4 x warehouses @ 100k each)

Total cost per month: 1.8m

Total cost per year: 21.6m

You’d want to commit to it for, say, 3 years.

So total budget: 64m. Pounds, dollars, euros, whatever.

Now at first glance, that looks expensive. Very expensive. Crazy, especially when Apple-get-it-free.

But that’s what we need to make the market. People can’t afford to develop for Nokia. They simply can’t. It’s cheaper, MUCH, MUCH cheaper to develop for other platforms. Indeed, even providing ‘easy’ how-to information for Nokia developers isn’t necessarily going to help things. Nokia’s platform is *complicated*.

So stick with me.

Let’s assume that, over 3 years, Nokia makes … 150m phones capable of using/accessing the Ovi Store, right?

If you divide 150m phones by the 64m developer warehouse cost, that equates to roughly £2.34 (if we’re working in pounds) per handset.

Expensive when you’re looking at profit margins and so on.

But if you want to compete…

What do you think?

Should Nokia simply try and make it a-bit-easier for developers to understand how to program? Should Nokia wait and hope the market changes?

Or should Nokia adopt a developer warehouse kind of concept and really help stimulate the industry?

I for one would quit everything and help Nokia manage this developer warehouse concept if the opportunity arose. Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/nokias_ovi_lets_the_market_decide_the_market_says_no_and_how_to_fix_it.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/nokias_ovi_lets_the_market_decide_the_market_says_no_and_how_to_fix_it.html o2 gets the Palm Pre exclusively in the UK http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/ByDNakQkGwQ/o2_gets_the_palm_pre_exclusively_in_the_uk.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_gets_the_palm_pre_exclusively_in_the_uk.html#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:22:37 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16287 Rupert over at The Telegraph has the details.

Very, very interesting.

I’ll post some thoughts on this shortly.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_gets_the_palm_pre_exclusively_in_the_uk.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/o2_gets_the_palm_pre_exclusively_in_the_uk.html Vodafone and Carphone are friends again http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/gzpsz6couYE/vodafone_and_carphone_are_friends_again.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/vodafone_and_carphone_are_friends_again.html#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:55:29 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16283 If you remember, back October 2006, Vodafone decided to go-it-alone with the UK’s second largest mobile phone retailer, Phones4U.

The removed the UK’s largest chain, Carphone Warehouse, from the roster and gave Phones4U exclusivity.

So if you walk into a Carphone Warehouse, even today, you can’t get a Vodafone service. They won’t offer you a Vodafone contract.

Rumours abound as to why Vodafone made this decision in the first place — and what that meant for Carphone Warehouse.

Well, this is all changing. Again.

From the 7th of July, you can now walk into Carphone Warehouse and be furnished with a new Vodafone connection.

You can’t talk to them about your existing service offering. Mind you, you can’t even do that in a sodding Vodafone shop. You need to phone Customer Services.

That said, it’s a good move for the consumer looking ‘for a deal’.

You simply walk into Carphone Warehouse or Phones4U and — this is where the mobile operator gets an absolute kicking — you tell them you want a ‘better deal’. Let’s say you’re on Orange, right. Well, you won’t be. Not for much longer. The retailer typically gets a heck of a lot more revenue for obtaining a new customer than it does for ‘retaining’ and upgrading an existing customer. The deals for new customers are usually a lot more appealing.

So you’ll be whisked off Orange before you can say ‘can I get free minutes with that’ and the sales executive will begin pointing you to the operator that offers the highest revenue payout/bonus/vouchers for them.

So, from July 7th, you could now be walking out with a new Vodafone connection from Carphone Warehouse.

Good news for the consumer.

Good news for Carphone.

Bad news for Phones4U (slightly less reason to get your hands covered in snakeoil).

Good news for Vodafone. They can hopefully benefit from the churn that these retailers are generating. Carphone Warehouse, by the way, sold 19 million handsets last year. A majority of which were obviously churned from other networks.

Bad news for the operators in general.

We shall see…Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/vodafone_and_carphone_are_friends_again.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/vodafone_and_carphone_are_friends_again.html Flirtomatic launches Flirtwords — ‘AdSense’ for users http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/hOLrg1kuKJk/flirtomatic_launches_flirtwords_--_adsense_for_users.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/flirtomatic_launches_flirtwords_--_adsense_for_users.html#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:39:55 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16281 Super news in from Flirtomatic Towers. I had a note from CEO, Mark Curtis this morning with the details. Have a read…

Hey Ewan - I think Neil may have told you but today we’ve launched a new premium service - Flirtwords.

It’s quite exciting in a couple of ways…..in essence users can now buy any word they like on the service for 24 hours and whenever anyone searches on that word, they come top of the results list.

So it’s pretty much like Google Adsense, but for people. And mobile (we’ll do the web implementation later).

The other interesting feature is that we have given over 5% of our ad inventory to boosting results for a user. Basically if you sponsor a word, we automatically make an ad for you “Ewan IS mobile” and show it across the site during your 24 hours….

We’ve got no idea whether users will grasp the concept and naturally we’ve done our best to make it super easy to understand and buy. The ad banners should really help explain it.

It’s going to be fun watching what happens now.

Let me know if you have any questions…..

Best

Mark

The results of this, on the top of the innovations Flirtomatic have added recently, is going to be fantastic to examine. They’ve become brilliantly adept at meeting their user requirements retailing all sorts of virtual goods — from virtual rings, hugs, kisses to actually allowing members to send each other physical products (most notably, a rose that includes some knickers - imagine my shock at discovering the contents of the rose I was sent as a trial from Flirtomatic included some knickers - read the post here).

I’d like to draw your attention to one of Mark’s videos on Mobile Developer TV. Episode 5 is the one to watch in particular. You’ll see Mark describe how they developed their virtual (and physical) retail offerings — mostly underpinned by the Flirtomatic audience’s insatiable desire for profile raising.

Yet another reminder not to write off the mobile web. Flirtomatic, remember, have absolutely no mobile applications to speak off. It’s all mobile web browser based.

I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that Flirtwords are going to be a success. Provided the users get their head around the concept — and I’m sure they will — I reckon they’ll run away with it.

If I was hunting for some female attention on Flirtomatic, what are the words I should be using? What are the females on Flirto searching for? Hunk? Bentley? N97?

I’m looking forward to seeing some good examples of ingenuity from the Flirtomatic users.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/flirtomatic_launches_flirtwords_--_adsense_for_users.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/flirtomatic_launches_flirtwords_--_adsense_for_users.html New MVNA launches; student MVNO is first customer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/GefMVuGlThc/new_mvna_launches_student_mvno_is_first_customer.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/new_mvna_launches_student_mvno_is_first_customer.html#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:34 +0000 Alex http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16278 London-based x-Mobility have just announced the launch of their new Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator (MVNA) service, and at the same time tipped everyone off about a new student Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

So here’s the deal. x-Mobility have an agreement with 3, all the backend (BSS/OSS) systems, a customer care service, plus SIM and handset fulfilment. In theory you don’t have to do anything - apart from give them some cash and a copy of your brands logo. 120 days later and voila - have your very own MVNO. No months of negotiations with the mobile operator over radio access contracts, and no large outlay on equipment.

That’s what Uni-Tel Mobile did, and they’re now about to launch a new UK student-targetted service. Details on exactly what their offer is - when it’ll be available, etc - is a little sketchy, but their Operations Director, Mike Hall, is quoted as saying ‘We think that we have a very compelling offering to the student market and we’re extremely excited about the possibilities.’

Anyway, back to x-Mobility. The company claims they’re working with a number of brands to launch some more MVNO’s soon. But is there room in the market? Many MVNO’s have come, failed and gone. Differentiation against the traditional operators is the key - it’s not just a case of slapping on your brands logo and hoping for the best; a fact that was a little lost on Marks & Spencer a while back.

I’m currently arranging some time with both Uni-Tel and x-Mobility for a chat - if you’ve got any questions you want putting to them please drop a comment on this post.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/new_mvna_launches_student_mvno_is_first_customer.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/new_mvna_launches_student_mvno_is_first_customer.html Vodafone’s Access Gateway (femtocell) now available http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/u2Un8J5rL9U/vodafones_access_gateway_femtocell_now_available.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/vodafones_access_gateway_femtocell_now_available.html#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:15:05 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16275

Are you going to be picking yourself up one of these signal-boosting Vodafone Access Gateways?

£160 to buy outright or free on a contract (or, more likely, free if you phone up and complain about genuinely patchy signal.)

You just have to plug it into your existing broadband connection. No setup. No arsing around.

I’d certainly like to try one out.

Although that said, I’ve got reasonable Vodafone signal. 3.5G data all round and about 4/6 bars.

It’d be nice to have 6/6 bars though…

Congratulations to picoChip, the suppliers of the product — their CTO Doug Pulley was, apparently, the first in the line to buy his from the Bath Vodafone shop. That’s him above!Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/vodafones_access_gateway_femtocell_now_available.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/07/vodafones_access_gateway_femtocell_now_available.html Marketplace: Development assistance required at HulloMail http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmsTextNews/~3/n5SCucOTocM/marketplace_development_assistance_required_at_hullomail.html http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/06/marketplace_development_assistance_required_at_hullomail.html#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:54:24 +0000 Ewan http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/?p=16272 On the back of the post I published earlier about HulloMail, I was talking with one of the founders, Andy. He mentioned that they’re in the market for some development assistance, particularly in the area of billing.

If that’s your bag — or if you know someone who’s looking for a new project, go ahead and talk to Andy.

His email is Andy at Hullomail.com. Tell him I sent you. Or drop me an email and I’ll do you an introduction.Random Posts

]]> http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/06/marketplace_development_assistance_required_at_hullomail.html/feed http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/06/marketplace_development_assistance_required_at_hullomail.html