Samsung Unveils Bada Smartphone Platform
By Jason Ankeny
Samsung Electronics officially took the wraps off its new bada smartphone platform, first announced in early November. Unveiled at a London launch event, bada (translating to "ocean" in Korean) promises an open, feature-rich platform for creating enhanced mobile consumer experiences--based on Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, bada provides developers with flash control, web control, motion sensing, fine-tuned vibration control and face detection tools, complete with support for context-aware applications incorporating accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity and activity sensors.
Samsung adds that bada will support a host of service-centric features like social networking, device synchronization, content management, location-based services, and commerce services, all enabled by back-end servers. In addition, bada-based applications can integrate with device functions to make phone calls, send messages or access the contact list--various service applications also can share information such as personal profiles, social relations, schedules or contents contingent on user confirmation.
Samsung also announced the bada Developer Challenge, encouraging programmers to build apps on the bada platform for their share of prizes valued at $2.7 million. The handset maker is also planning a series of Developer Days spread across the 2010 calendar, with events planned in Seoul, London and San Francisco. [FierceMobileContent]
50% of Mobile Subscribers Interested in Femtocells
Femtocells, the mini-base stations intended to improve poor cellular coverage and capacity indoors, have been getting something of a bad rap lately. Although Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T have femtocell services on offer, none have put their weight behind marketing femtocells aggressively.
However the results of a recent online survey of 1000 consumers in the United States suggest that operators are losing out on a significant portion of the market due to their lack of initiative in marketing femtocells or educating consumers on a mass-market scale.
“Close to 25% of respondents to our survey were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ interested in using a femtocell,” reports principal analyst Aditya Kaul. “Consistent with last year’s survey results, this shows that interest remains high. A further 31% were ‘somewhat’ interested. So even in the absence of real marketing by carriers, more than 50% of respondents seem interested in the idea. This significant finding shows that more aggressive marketing and consumer education campaigns by carriers should be able to produce positive outcomes for the market.”
However some operators are already experimenting with bundled packages that could alleviate consumers’ price concerns.
The survey’s results also suggest that attitudes to femtocells are to some degree related to age, with younger respondents more open to the idea of femtocells than older ones. Says Kaul: “The age bias, with younger consumers more enthusiastic about femtocells, underscores the fact that carriers need to focus on the younger demographic when selling femtocell services.” [ABI Research]
New record: Opera Gets More than 12 Million Downloads in 7 Days
Opera invited you to help reinvent the Web. Within a week's time, 12.5 million people discovered the power of Opera 10.10 with Opera Unite. This download rate shatters previous Opera records and marks an increase of 25 percent when compared to the download rates of Opera 10, launched two months earlier. Opera’s support for open Web standards and commitment to speed, performance and security are the cornerstones to provide the most powerful Opera browser yet.
Opera 10.10 offers a number of innovative features wrapped in an elegant user interface. One of Opera 10.10’s most notable new features is Opera Unite, a personal Web server for easier way to share content, such as photos and files. With Opera Unite, people are discovering ways to listen to music, share their photos, files and more, in a completely new way.
“With such remarkable download numbers, I am confident that we truly appealed to the needs of the Web-using public. Opera 10.10 is visually more compelling, and technologically speaking, it goes where no browser has gone before,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software.
“We believe that, over time, Opera Unite has the power to erase preconceptions of how we access and share information on the Web.” Opera currently counts for about 45 million active desktop users, with millions more using Opera on various types of devices, including mobile phones, game consoles, TVs and portable media players. The browser is developed with the company’s One Web mission in mind, in order to create a universal Web experience on any device, anytime, anywhere. /PR
Nearly Two Billion Bluetooth Chipsets to Ship in 2014
Nearly two billion Bluetooth chipsets are forecast to ship in 2014 alone, according to new market data released by ABI Research. More than half will be found in wireless handsets. In the same year, almost 1.5 billion Wi-Fi chipsets are expected to ship and again, more than one third of that total will be used in handsets.
“Several factors are driving the strong growth in Bluetooth and even more in Wi-Fi chipset markets,” notes practice director Philip Solis. “Average selling prices for both technologies continue to fall. Wi-Fi will get a big boost from Wi-Fi Direct, which allows direct peer-to-peer communication between devices at short range. Finally, the ubiquitous Bluetooth is increasingly found in combination with a variety of other technologies, including FM radio, GPS, and Wi-Fi.
"Combining Bluetooth with other technologies in a single chipset helps reduce costs,” says Solis. “It also saves space in devices such as handsets where that may be a precious commodity. In 2014, Bluetooth will be found in 70% of all handsets and 83% of all netbooks.”
Bluetooth will also increasingly be supplemented by the newer “BLE” or Bluetooth Low-Energy. [ABI Research]
WiMAX Forum: 10M WiMAX Subscribers Worldwide
By Sue Marek
XJ Wang, marketing director for the WiMAX Forum, said there are now 540 WiMAX network deployments in 146 countries around the world--and more than 150 deployments in the Americas alone--an update intended to show the technology's progress to attendees of the WiMAX Forum Americas 2009 conference here.
Although many of the WiMAX networks are greenfield, such as the Clearwire WiMAX network in the U.S., Wang said 95 WiMAX operators also have cellular networks. "There are GSM operators such as Digicel that operate a WiMAX network too," Wang noted. "WiMAX contributes to the bottom line."
On the subscriber front, Wang said there are now about 10 million WiMAX subscribers worldwide, indicating that the technology is moving from niche to mass market. In addition, he said that there are 165 WiMAX Forum certified products available.
Many of those WiMAX products likely are running on chips from Beceem. The WiMAX chipmaker said it is on track to sell 3 million WiMAX chips in 2009. The company also today launched "4G Turbo" technology, which it said improves the uplink performance of its WiMAX chips. [FierceWireless]
Almost Two Million Mobile WiMAX Subscribers Expected by End of 2009
Over the last several years, mobile WiMAX has moved through standardization, productization, and interoperability testing and certification. Larger-scale network deployments are finally becoming a reality. Clearwire in the United States has already declared 173,000 subscribers, Yota in Russia has been growing at a decent rate reaching 100,000 subscribers in August and 200,000 in October, and PacketOne in Malaysia has reached 130,000 subscribers.
UQ Communications once expected to reach 300,000 subscribers by the end of 2009, but is behind schedule in its rollout and will fall short of that initial target. South Korea has seen KT’s and SKT's subscriber numbers remain fairly stagnant, while these service providers prepare for another big push as a third WiMAX service provider comes to South Korea.
This handful of WiMAX service providers alone will account for a significant minority of the nearly two million mobile WiMAX subscribers expected by the end of 2009.
"Mobile WiMAX service providers around the world find themselves in very different situations," comments ABI Research practice director Philip Solis. "Some are mainly focused on fixed services for homes and businesses, while others are jumping feet first into mobile WiMAX, offering a variety of external modems, laptops, netbooks and even handsets tied into HD multimedia services, as with Yota in Russia. Some have little fixed or mobile broadband competition, while others are competing directly against fixed and mobile broadband services.
"Some, such as Japan's UQ Communications, are behind their buildout schedules and subscriber expectations, while others such are Clearwire are increasing the pace of their deployments because of more-than-adequate funding. Still others such as Yota in Russia are exceeding all expectations. Some are remaining local, while others, such as Clearwire and Yota, are building networks in more than one country.”
And just as the mobile WiMAX market is starting to bloom, LTE networks from early movers such as Verizon Wireless and NTT DoCoMo are targeting the same potential customers. The LTE ecosystem will eventually be vastly larger than the mobile WiMAX ecosystem, but just as LTE deployments start picking up in 2011 and 2012, some 802.16e service providers will begin upgrading their networks to 802.16m. [ABIResearch]
OEM and Retail MVNOs Will Have 505 Million Customers by 2014
Mobile phones are being joined by a growing number of other wirelessly connected devices including laptops, netbooks, e-readers, portable navigation devices, mobile media players, mobile gaming devices, digital cameras. These fall outside the usual range of products sold and supported by mobile operators. Forecasts indicate that in 2014 there will be 2.5 billion connected data-centric devices in use worldwide, and of those, almost 1.5 billion will not be handsets.
The result, according to analysts at ABI Research, is that in the next few years, OEMs and large retailers selling these products will emerge as major providers of the cellular connectivity they use.
“Carriers tell us they view the wireless connectivity business model for these emerging devices as murky,” says senior analyst Mark Beccue. “They are quite prepared to sell connectivity wholesale, allowing retailers and OEMs to assume the role of primary service provider to their customers.”
The first signs of this shift are already visible: TomTom and Garmin have both announced partnerships with AT&T, allowing them to sell the connectivity for their navigation devices. In Japan HP offers a netbook for which it is the wireless service provider.
This trend will be common to all developed consumer societies, but, Beccue says, will be especially strong in North America, with its high multiple device ownership, large integrated market, and huge retailers. “These new service providers won’t dominate the market, but in North America in 2014 will provide as much as one third of the 595 million expected mobile data connections.”
Best Buy, for example, with its annual turnover of $40 billion and a growing mobile business, is in a prime position to become a wireless data connectivity MVNO.
“Data plans offered by retailers and OEMs will focus on pay-as-you-go services,” concludes Beccue, “or on models like that of Amazon’s Kindle, where the connectivity cost is built into the price of the content.” [ABIResearch]
Twitter Targeting 2010 as its 'Revenue Year'
By Jason Ankeny
Microblogging juggernaut Twitter will focus on generating revenue in the year ahead, and may explore options including an initial public offering. "2010 is really going to be the revenue year. I don't know if we're going to be profitable, but we have plenty of time," said co-founder and creative director Biz Stone during an Oxford University event Monday. While Stone added Twitter has no plans to go on the selling block, it is exploring other options: "We want to build our own company that will last for a long time. If an IPO's the way to do that, then sure. We don't have it checked off on the calendar yet... But if there is some other way, then that would be great, too. Maybe some other new way will emerge."
Earlier this fall Twitter raised about $100 million in new funding, bringing the firm's total valuation to around $1 billion despite the absence of a discernible revenue model. Stone said Monday that Twitter plans to introduce an advertising effort in the year ahead, declining to divulge specifics but promising an approach unlike traditional web advertising models fueled by display ads and sponsored search. "Everyone's going to love it," Stone promised. "It's going to be amazing,"
There is growing concern the Twitter fad has peaked, however. According to data provided to eMarketer by Nielsen, traffic to Twitter.com was down a staggering 27.8 percent between September and October 2009, falling to 18.9 million unique visitors. However, some pundits contend the decrease in website traffic is a result of users migrating to third-party Twitter applications and mobile services. [FierceMobileContent]
Opera Mini Users Close in on 40 Million
By Jason Ankeny
Close to 40 million subscribers used the Opera Mini mobile browser in October--an 11.3 percent month-over-month increase and a 155 percent year-over-year leap--according to Opera Software's monthly State of the Mobile Web report. Opera Mini users viewed 17.2 billion pages last month, with page views increasing 14.8 percent over September 2009 and 238 percent since October 2008. In all, Opera Mini users generated more than 263 million MB of data for operators across the globe in October, up 16 percent month-over-month. Opera data traffic is up 233 percent since October 2008.
In the U.S., Opera Mini page views are up 271.9 percent since October 2008, with user growth increasing 106.7 percent year-over-year--users now average 242 page views each. Google is the most-visited mobile website in terms of unique Opera Mini users in the U.S., followed by Facebook, Yahoo, MySpace and Wikipedia. [FierceMobileContent]
Google Maps Navigation Extends to Android 1.6
By Jason Ankeny
A few weeks after introducing its Google Maps Navigation application for devices running the Android 2.0 operating system, Google announced it will expand the free turn-by-turn service to devices powered by Android 1.6 and higher, including T-Mobile USA's myTouch 3G and G1.
Google Maps Navigation boasts all the familiar bells and whistles of GPS-based navigation systems, like 3D views, voice guidance and automatic re-routing, but was built to take advantage of smartphones' constant connection to the web, enabling features like real-time traffic views, street and satellite views, updated map and business data, and searching by voice, plain English or route.
According to Google, Android 1.6 users can now download an updated version of the app, although some features available to 2.0 devices are not operational, among them the ability to use the "navigate to" voice command.
In other Google news, the web services giant announced the addition of mobile coupons to its Google Local Search service. "If a business adds a mobile coupon to its Google Local Business Center listing, you'll be able to access it from your mobile device," writes product manager Alex Gawley on the Official Google Mobile Blog. "Just go to google.com on your phone and search for a local business. When you land on its Place Page. you'll see any coupons or discounts that might be available. Then simply show the participating business the coupon, right from your phone, to redeem the offer." [FierceMobileContent]
Rumor Mill: Nokia replacing Symbian with Maemo in N-Series devices
By Phil Goldstein
Nokia plans to stop using the Symbian platform by 2012 in its entire N-Series line of devices in favor of Maemo, according to a report on The Really Mobile Project blog.
The blog, citing comments from Nokia's Maemo marketing team at an event in London, said that the transition will be gradual. Nokia's first Maemo-based smartphone, the N900, has been intended as a "bridge" device aimed at developers and tech enthusiasts, the blog said, but the company will gradually release more mass-market Maemo devices in the coming years.
Nokia declined to comment on the specific claims in the report, but said it remains committed to Symbian. "While it is our policy not to disclose details of our product roadmap, we'd like to explicitly communicate that we remain firmly committed to Symbian as our smartphone platform of choice," the company said in a statement. "Any speculation on what our 2012 roadmap, including operating systems and product branding, are completely premature."
In the statement, Nokia said that it has multiple platforms to serve different purposes and address different markets. "Symbian is more successful than ever in bringing smartphones to the masses," Nokia said. "Maemo is our software of choice for devices based on technology that you'd typically find inside a desktop computer. It delivers a different user experience and enables us to widen the market we can address."
Nokia's N-Series typically denotes high-end smartphones that run the Symbian operating system, though Symbian has been trickling down into Nokia's mid-range line of phones.
The N900 went on sale in the United States today for $649, and will be sold online and in Nokia's flagship stores. Notably, the device did not attract support from any of the major U.S. carriers. Amazon.com is selling the device unlocked for $510. [FierceWireless]
Nokia Seeing Corporate Demand for First Netbook
By Phil Goldstein
Nokia said it has so far seen strong interest from corporations and enterprise users for its first netbook, the Booklet 3G, according to a company executive. The device was first unveiled in August and is set to go on sale in the United States through Best Buy.
"When we launched the Booklet 3G ... we thought it to be primarily a consumer device, but after the launch a big, growing interest is coming from companies," said Heikki Norta, head of Nokia corporate strategy, according to Reuters. "No one knows yet if a booklet kind of device is the next device that will be used by millions, or hundreds of millions, of people, but right now it looks like, if not for mass market, there is clear demand."
In October, AT&T Mobility said it would sell the Booklet 3G for $299.99 to customers who sign up for a two-year AT&T mobile data contract. The device will cost $599 for customers who do not opt to go with the AT&T plan, and will be sold exclusively at Best Buy locations as well as Best Buy Mobile stores. Nokia said the device was supposed to go on sale by mid-November, but a check of Best Buy's website shows the device is on back order.
The netbook sports HSPA and WiFi connectivity and features a 10-inch glass HD-ready screen, up to 12 hours of battery life and support for Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor. [FierceWireless]
Orange Introduces Twitter Photo Sharing via MMS
By Jason Ankeny
European operator Orange announced an agreement with microblogging giant Twitter to enable subscribers to send and receive Twitter updates directly from their phones via text messaging--according to Orange, it is also the first mobile carrier to enable Twitter photo uploads and sharing via MMS.
Orange notes that customers will be able to update their own tweets, send direct messages to other Twitter users and receive alerts on Twitter activity through SMS--all alerts will be available free, with uploads included either in subscribers' bundles or charged at the usual data rate. In addition, users can post their photos to Orange UK's Snapshot photo-sharing site, which automatically posts the link directly to Twitter in a tweet and enables followers to add comments.
Twitter also will join Facebook, MySpace and Bebo as part of Orange's Social Life social media aggregator, accessible via the Orange World portal. Social Life enables subscribers to view and post updates and get in touch with contacts across all four social networks at the same time via single log-in. [FierceMobileContent]
TBG Tawarkan Hemat Energi 54% Bagi Kebutuhan Listrik BTS Operator Telekomunikasi
“Untuk melengkapi layanan sekaligus menjawab kebutuhan energi para operator telekomunikasi, TBG menawarkan solusi layanan energi untuk site off-grid yang dapat disediakan dilokasi manapun, dengan tetap memberikan efisiensi yang diharapkan. Dengan konsep Manajemen Energi dari TBG Operator Telekomunikasi dapat mereduksi biaya energi BTSnya hingga 54%” demikian dijelaskan Herman Setya Budi, CEO dari Tower Bersama Group (TBG) dalam siaran pers-nya hari ini. Tower Bersama Group (TBG), sebagai provider tower BTS terkemuka di Indonesia, sangat menyadari kendala-kendala yang dihadapi oleh para Operator Telekomunikasi akan kebutuhan listrik.
Konsep Manajemen Energi yang diterapkan TBG adalah pemanfaatan energi sesuai dengan yang dibutuhkan (energy management) dengan menerapkan sistem pengaturan daya (controller) dan pendinginan (cooling) secara intensif sehingga meningkatkan efisiensi penggunaan daya listrik yang dibangkitkan sekaligus menjadikannya sebagai sistem pembangkit energi BTS yang ramah lingkungan. Disesuaikan dengan kondisi dan karakteristik masing-masing lokasi off-grid tersebut selain tenaga diesel, pilihan pembangkit listrik yang dapat digunakan adalah tenaga surya, fuel cell atau angin.
Seperti diketahui bersama, mendapatkan pasokan listrik dengan daya dan stabilitas yang memadai menjadi tantangan utama bagi para Operator Telekomunikasi dalam mengembangkan jaringan Base Transceiver System (BTS), terutama di wilayah-wilayah yang memiliki kendala ketersediaan jaringan listrik (off-grid). Disisi lain, Operator Telekomunikasi juga dituntut untuk terus mengatur pembiayaan yang lebih efektif pada setiap titik operasional yang tersebar di seluruh wilayah layanannya.
Ditambahkan Herman, Penggunaan genset konvensional selama 24 jam sehari yang menjadi solusi hingga saat ini tidak memberikan efisiensi yang diharapkan, sementara pada awal beroperasinya BTS dengan genset tersebut belum dapat menghasilkan trafik percakapan atau pendapatan yang cukup. Penggunaan bahan bakar pada genset konvensional sangat intensif dan harus disuplai secara terus menerus selama 24 jam, padahal daya listrik yang dibangkitkan tidak sepenuhnya dibutuhkan secara kontinyu melainkan tergantung kepada beban trafik BTS yang sedang berjalan.
MoU TBG dan ACME
Lebih lanjut Herman mengatakan bahwa solusi layanan energy efisien bagi BTS operator tersebut didukung oleh teknologi dari ACME, perusahaan solusi energi dari India, dimana MOU kerjasama antara TBG dengan ACME telah ditandatangani pada tanggal 8 Agustus 2009 di New
Delhi – India. ACME Telepower Ltd sendiri merupakan perusahaan pengembang solusi energi efisien dan inovatif untuk infrastruktur telekomunikasi dari India yang telah berpengalaman selama 6 tahun di industri telekomunikasi menyediakan solusi energi selain di India juga di negara-negara lain seperti Eropa, Amerika dan United Arab Emirates.
Dengan inovasi ini, Tower Bersama Group merasa sangat optimis dengan masa depan industri telekomunikasi selular di Indonesia, karena operator bisa tumbuh secara lebih sehat dan efisien. /pr.
Report: Apple Passes Nokia in Handset Profitability
By Phil Goldstein
Not only can Apple make a compelling smartphone, it also can make a profitable one. According to research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple surpassed Nokia for the first time in the third quarter to become the most profitable handset maker.Apple had $1.6 billion in operating profit in the quarter from its iPhone handset division, while Nokia had $1.1 billion in operating profit from its handset division, according to the firm.
The results are not entirely surprising given the disparate performances of the two companies in the quarter. Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones in the quarter and had its most profitable quarter ever, while Nokia shipped fewer handsets on a year-over-year basis, and saw its global smartphone marketshare decline from 41 percent to 35 percent.
The changing dynamics of the handset market underscore the way smartphones have come to dominate growth in the industry. It was a little more than two years ago that Apple first broke into the handset market with the original iPhone, and yet the company has quickly become a major player.
Alex Spektor, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, said that strong volumes, high wholesale prices and tight cost controls have helped Apple break into the market. Meanwhile, Nokia is still the world's leader in smartphone marketshare, but, according to the research firm, the company must make further inroads in the U.S. market.
"Strategy Analytics believes that the United States, where Nokia now trails Apple in marketshare, is the key to Nokia's recovery in 2010," Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston said in a release. "A successful fight on Apple's high-profit home turf can simultaneously help to revitalize Nokia's margins and to put a check on Apple's surging growth." [FierceWireless]
Mobile Handset Accessories Market to Turn Over Nearly $55 Billion This Year
By the end of 2009 the world’s mobile handset accessories market will have chalked up a value of nearly $55 billion. That represents a small decrease from the 2008 figure, surprising only in that the decline hasn’t been larger. “While improving slightly,” says industry analyst Michael Morgan, “handset accessory market growth will remain somewhat sluggish in 2010, and not until 2011 will the 2008 figure be surpassed. After that, we expect, strong growth will resume.”
Within that overall picture, certain segments – notably the very important memory card market – face particular challenges. The memory card market, says Morgan, has been so oversupplied that selling prices are barely above production costs. Those conditions may be starting to change, however. “While it’s always dangerous trying to call the bottom of a market, very recently it has begun to look as if memory card prices are stabilizing and even starting to rise slightly.”
One positive result of the low prices – positive for the consumer – is the increase in capacity of cards that are offered “in the box” with mobile handsets. Whereas 512 MB or 1 GB cards were formerly the norm, the low prices mean that buyers are pleasantly surprised to find cards up to 8 GB accompanying their phones. That’s seen as a positive selling point by handset vendors, since the multimedia capabilities of many models today chew through storage and processing power as never before.
Faced with the commoditization of their products, some memory vendors are starting to experiment with new ways of increasing the cards’ value to consumers, such as pre-loading them with music, or having a card include both a video game and supporting software, so when it is added to a phone, it will not only provide the game but improve the device’s gaming capabilities. [ABIResearch]
Analyst: Motorola Sold 100,000 Droid Smartphones
By Phil Goldstein
Although anticipation was high, lines outside Verizon Wireless retail stores to purchase the Android-based Droid smartphone were relatively short last Friday when the device went on sale. Nevertheless, one analyst says that Motorola sold around 100,000 Droid units in the first weekend of its release.
According to Mark McKechnie at Broadpoint AmTech, Verizon had around 200,000 units in stock and sold half of them over the weekend. He estimated that Motorola will sell 1 million phones running on Google's Android platform in the fourth quarter and 10 million in 2010, giving new life to the struggling handset maker."
Although the press is stating the Droid launch was not as successful as the iPhone launch, we don't believe investors expected an iPhone-like launch, but rather a first step in a cadence of products that will help bring Motorola's handsets out of the death spiral experienced during the past three years," Citigroup analyst Jim Suva wrote in a research note. Verizon has not released any weekend sales figures, but seemed confident about the level of buzz the Droid was generating.
On Friday, Verizon also launched another Android phone, the HTC Droid Eris. The collaboration between Verizon and Google has benefited from the close relationship that has developed between Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam and Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. [FierceWireless]
Global Netbook Market On-Track for 35 Million Shipped in 2009
According to the latest market data from ABI Research, almost 35 million netbooks will be shipped by manufacturers in 2009; a forecast the firm first made in February. ASUS dominated the netbook category in 2007 when it debuted the Eee PC, and Acer made a big push in Q4’2008 to lead the second year.
“74% of 2008 netbook shipments bore the brands of just three vendors: Acer, ASUS, and Samsung,” says senior analyst Jeff Orr. “However, the rapid growth of netbooks as a second computer in developed markets will be eclipsed in coming years by vendors targeting developing nations and first Internet PCs at home.”
The netbook and nascent MID markets are not locked up. While several of the leading netbook vendors are recognizable brands from the laptop and desktop computing markets, new vendors – including handset maker Nokia – have introduced netbooks and MIDs in an effort to participate in the growth of these segments. ABI Research forecasts UMDs (Ultra-mobile Devices: the combination of Netbooks, MIDs and UMPCs) to top 124 million systems shipped in 2011.
As netbook markets thrive, the mobile consumer electronics category, which is expected to account for only about two million device shipments this year, is forecast to top 50 million in 2014. This market is currently led by connected Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) and eBook readers. Every major navigation company is in the running, offering turn-by-turn navigation, overlays, weather, traffic, and real-time traffic updates. Amazon’s Kindle has lots of competition coming from the Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Daily Edition, iRex, Plastic Logic Que and others.
Finally, Orr believes, laptop vendors may soon “reinvent the UMPC,” bringing down the low-end laptop price to $500 through ultra-low voltage machines. “That could affect some netbook sales in developed markets, especially the business users.” [ABIResearch]
App Store Officially Surpasses 100,000 iPhone Applications
By Jason Ankeny
A week after App Store tracking service App Shopper reported Apple's virtual storefront had topped the 100,000 iPhone and iPod touch application benchmark, Apple officially confirmed the latest milestone. According to Apple, consumers in 77 countries have now downloaded well over two billion applications in 20 categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. With more than 100,000 available apps, Apple also touted its growing arsenal of search and discovery tools, including Genius for Apps, App Store Essentials selections, subcategory listings and more relevant customer reviews.
Of the more than 2 billion-plus applications downloaded since the App Store opened in mid-2008, about 30 percent--approximately 610 million--fall into the premium app category, translating to total developer revenues of $900 million, according to new data issued by iPhone analytics firm Pinch Media. While paid apps constitute about 30 percent of all downloads, Pinch Media notes they make up about 77 percent of the App Store's total available applications--the firm's research indicates that premium apps average 9,300 downloads, while free apps average 71,000 downloads.
Although Pinch Media's findings indicate that premium App Store downloads average $12,100 in revenue ($8,500 net to the developer), the firm is quick to point out that the arithmetic can be misleading because the most popular applications generate a very disproportionate percentage of sales. Pinch notes that a small segment of developers earn substantially more than $8.500 per app, and most do far worse. Pinch data also indicates that the average 99-cent iPhone app is not downloaded significantly more often than the average $4.99 app--in fact, its research suggest that the relatively strong sales performance of apps priced at $4.99 is an indicator of their quality. [FierceMobileContent]
Nokia May Recall 14 Million Chargers
By Phil Goldstein
Nokia said it may replace up to 14 million phone chargers for free. The chargers, which were made by a third-party manufacturer, can come apart and cause electric shock. The company said it is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to the chargers.
The Nokia-branded chargers are made by Chinese manufacturer BYD, which will assume the cost of the recall, according to Nokia. The handset maker said it was too early to estimate how much the recall would cost.The chargers affected are the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15 and Aug. 9, 2009, and the AC-4U model, made between April 13 and Oct. 25, 2009.
Nokia said that the plastic covers on the chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially causing an electric shock if the components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket.
This is not the first time Nokia has had to deal with a large recall of components made by a third party. In 2007, Nokia recalled 46 million defective batteries made by Japanese company Matsushita that overheated because of a short circuit. [FierceWireless]
World’s First iPhone Worm Spreading in the Wild
21 year old author unrepentant as virus changes wallpaper to Rick Astley picture
IT security and data protection company, Sophos, has warned iPhone users of the world's first iPhone virus that is spreading in the wild in Australia.
The virus, dubbed the ikee worm, breaks into iPhones, changing their lock screen wallpaper to an image of 1980s pop star Rick Astley with the message:
"ikee is never going to give you up"
However, the virus can only infect users who have "jailbroken" their iPhones in order to allow them to run applications that have not been approved by Apple.
The worm, which appears so far to be confined to Australia, is capable of breaking into jailbroken iPhones if their owners have not changed the default password ("alpine") after installing SSH. Once in place, the worm attempts to find other iPhones on the mobile phone network that are similarly vulnerable, and installs itself again.
"The first indication that anything is wrong with your iPhone is if you see a picture of Rick Astley," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Fortunately the worm doesn't do anything more malicious than that - it doesn't steal information, access your emails or snoop on your calls. But the source code has been made available on the internet - meaning other hackers could create more dangerous versions of the worm."
Sophos researchers identified that the worm appears to have been created by a 21 year old Ashley Towns, a student from Wollongong, New South Wales, discovering his Twitter page where he admitted writing the worm.
Towns, who claims that he created the worm out of "boredom", wrote in the worm's code that he found it "stupid" that he found 26 out of 27 accessible iPhones he tested were vulnerable, as they had not changed their password from the default.
"The worm's author may be unrepentant about what he has done - but it should be remembered that breaking into someone else's iPhone and changing their data is against the law," explained Cluley. "This is a wake-up call to iPhone users around the world to take greater care about their security - especially if they jailbreak their phones. Businesses also need to ensure that they don't have staff who are endangering corporate data by running insecure smartphones. Other inquisitive hackers may also be tempted to experiment, and could take the code of ikee and adapt it to have a more sinister payload."
A Sophos survey has revealed that 97% of people believe the iPhone will suffer from further virus attacks in the future. /PR
802.15.4 Chipset Market to Approach $155 Million in 2014
Growing interest and investment in and funding for improved building energy management will help fuel demand for products and applications using IEEE 802.15.4 semiconductors.
Over the next five years, 802.15.4 chipset shipments will underpin a host of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) across home, building and industrial building automation, as well as Advanced Meter Infrastructures. This will help fuel the growth of the 802.15.4 chipset WSNs market from just over $10 million in 2008 to nearly $155 million in 2014, a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 87.9% over the period.
To date, the 802.15.4 market has grown steadily, based on proprietary point-to-point solutions and some ZigBee-based AMI infrastructure trials. According to ABI Research principal analyst Jonathan Collins, “With growing interest in the potential for wireless sensor networks in commercial building automation and management systems as well as smaller residential deployments, wireless is set to become a key development in the transition to smart energy management.”
ZigBee – just one of a myriad communication protocols to leverage 802.15.4 silicon – is already the target of a great deal of investment for building management systems in residential and commercial building markets, with a range of projects and specifications leveraging the specification.
“There is increasing emphasis on energy management for a host of reasons such as environmental concerns, cost cutting and assistance from funding grants and awards,” says Collins. ”The availability of standardized 802.15.4 semiconductors to support widespread availability and support for WSNs to support these projects will help strengthen demand further.”
The growth of 802.15.4 will underpin a new generation of WSNs, and adoption for building and energy management will help shift demand for 802.15.4 ICs to WSN deployments. In 2008, point-to-point and proprietary use of 802.15.4 ICs represented 65 percent of the market. By 2014 that will have fallen to 54 percent.
”The 802.15.4 Chipset Market” provides insight into 802.15.4 IC market dynamics and opportunities, and includes forecast data for unit shipments, average selling prices, and revenue to 2014. Additionally, it highlights the leading early adopter vertical markets, and forecasts 802.15.4 adoption among several different wireless sensor network verticals. [ABIResearch]
Chip Vendor Predicts 'Millions' of LTE Handsets by 2012
By Phil Goldstein
LTE chip maker Altair Semiconductor is predicting that the first LTE handsets will be commercial in the second half of next year, but that the devices will not gain mass market appeal until 2012. Once they do reach a mass audience, the company said there will be "millions" of units on the market.
Eran Eshed, Altair's co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development, said the company will debut its first LTE radio modem this November. In an interview with Unstrung, he said phones using Altair chips could get on the market later in 2010. "You'll see real handsets in real trials in the second half of 2010," he said. After that, Eshed said he expects volumes to rise in 2011, and then reach a mass market level by 2012. "That means millions of units," he said.
At least 12 separate operators are launching LTE networks around the world in 2010, according to ABI Research. The network deployments are expected to outpace the availability of LTE phones, and the first devices are expected to be laptop cards.
However, Eshed's prediction may not be that far off. A research report from Forward Concepts in July predicted that there will be 56 million LTE phones on the market by 2013. Other chip makers, including Qualcomm, have started playing in the LTE chipset field. [FierceWireless]
Twitter Now Valued at $1 Billion
By Jason Ankeny
Microblogging juggernaut Twitter is poised to raise about $100 billion in new funding, bringing the firm's total valuation to around $1 billion despite the absence of a discernible revenue model. Citing sources briefed on Twitter's plans, The New York Times reports the new investors include Insight Venture Partners, T. Rowe Price and current backers Spark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners.
The Times notes that for context, Twitter's $1 billion valuation is almost double the market capitalization of the Domino's Pizza chain, which boasts 10,500 employees and $1.4 billion in sales--Twitter has about 60 employees, and while the startup is experimenting with running advertisements on its website, co-founder Biz Stone said this week that it has no plans to launch widespread ad efforts until 2010.
Twitter has not yet commented on the new investment, but analysts note the company does not appear to need the capital--it previously raised $55 million, and said about $25 million remains in the bank. Most speculation suggests Twitter will earmark the new investment to expand its technology infrastructure in advance of future growth, or acquire one or more of the myriad startups developing desktop and mobile software applications based on the Twitter service.
Twitter presently boasts about 54 million users worldwide. Earlier this month, its chief rival Facebook said its worldwide users topped the 300 million mark--in addition, the social networking giant reported it is now cash-flow positive. Facebook vice president Chamath Palihapitiya marked the occasion by telling VentureBeat that Twitter was now "in the rearview mirror." [FierceMobileContent]
Smartphone Social Networking Use Triples Year-over-year
By Jason Ankeny
More than 18.3 million unique U.S. smartphone users turned to their devices for social networking access in July 2009, up from 6.4 million users a year earlier, according to new research issued by Nielsen. Social networking now accounts for 32 percent of all smartphone activity, Nielsen notes, adding that Facebook leads the pack with 14.7 million smartphone users--MySpace follows with 7.1 million, with Twitter at 4.1 million.
"Social networking is probably the most important thing going on with mobile devices because the devices lend themselves to more social networking activities," said Nielsen's research director for technology and search Jon Stewart. "When you're sitting at your PC you're not going to necessarily be Twittering about sitting at your desk, but when you're out and about in the world, you're more likely to have content and experiences that you want to share."
Nielsen reports that 60 percent of smartphone users now engage in text messaging, 31 percent use multimedia messaging, and 25 percent access the mobile web. The study adds that smartphones represent almost one quarter of all mobile devices purchased in the last year. [FierceMobileContent]
RIM Releases BlackBerry Storm2, Touts Improvements
By Phil Goldstein
Research In Motion announced the BlackBerry Storm2, the sequel to its first touchscreen device, in a coordinated media blitz. Two days after Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam touted the device in a New York Times article, RIM is promoting the product as one of its major launches for the holiday season.
Verizon did not make any official announcement about pricing or availability for the device, but Vodafone announced that it will launch the new smartphone in seven European countries as well as South Africa."This is a dramatically different, dramatically enhanced product," RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie told Bloomberg. Indeed, the phone has several advancements from the original, including WiFi and a new user input mechanism. The touchscreen now stays still when tapped, and provides tactile feedback electronically instead of mechanically, according to a review in the Wall Street Journal. The phone is expected to be one of the cornerstones of Verizon's holiday handset strategy, in addition to the Android phones it is expected to launch.
"We believe the Vodafone announcement is largely embedded in expectations (we expect late October launch) and expect Verizon to announce Storm2 for the holiday season," UBS analyst Maynard Um wrote in a research note. "We expect launches for Bold2 by U.S. and Canadian operators in late October."In an interview with Reuters, Balsillie acknowledged that the company is prepared to launch new smartphones to keep pace with the likes of Apple, Palm and Motorola.
"We have a really rich (product) road map ... and we aren't slowing down," he said. [FierceWireless]
Which Smartphones Fill Consumer Content Needs?
iPhone, Android top the list
The iPhone continues to top all other smartphones in measures of consumer satisfaction. In May–June 2009, Crowd Science found it well ahead of the BlackBerry and other smartphones in measures of satisfaction and brand loyalty—and content usage too.
August 2009 data from CFI Group agrees: Users are happier with the functions of their iPhones than with any other smartphone. Android and Palm Pre took second and third place, respectively.
A key finding of the “Smartphone Satisfaction Study 2009” is that the most satisfying smartphones are the ones that offer the best consumer functionality. Users now expect more than just the e-mail and calendar functionality that were critical for early business users.
“The iPhone is the best thing to happen to the smartphone industry because it captured the imagination of a whole new set of consumers that might not have made the smartphone jump,” said Doug Helmreich, program director with CFI Group, in a statement. “The new breed of smartphone consumers expect more from their phones, and the iPhone may represent only the tip of a data-intensive iceberg.”
The Android was closest to the iPhone in several measures of satisfaction, but trailed when it came to hardware issues. CFI Group suggested that as newer devices run the operating system it will pull even with the iPhone. In fact, it surpassed the Apple device when it came to popularity of Web surfing and using maps. And 77% of Android users downloaded apps at least weekly, compared with 71% of iPhone owners.
But what of “other” smartphones?
“Smartphones running the Symbian or Windows Mobile operating systems aren’t even a part of the conversation, even though they run on the majority of smartphones,” according to the report. “These platforms do not adequately support the consumer-oriented functionality that new adopters of smartphones desire.”
In spite of that, iSuppli Corp. expects the installed base of Windows Mobile smartphones to reach 67.9 million worldwide by 2013, putting the Microsoft OS in second position—with Symbian in the lead. Together, the two systems will account for 62.9% of the worldwide smartphone market that year. [eMarketer]
Dell Confirms Android Phone for Next Year
By Phil Goldstein
The long, slow saga of Dell's march into the smartphone arena has come to an end. Or has it?
Dell CEO Michael Dell confirmed that the company would be releasing smartphones next year in the United States based on Google's Android platform.
"You'll probably see some products next year in the United States that are family members with some of the things we started in China," he said at the FiReGlobal conference in Seattle. When pressed about what platform the phones would run on, he said, "They'd be Android."
However, Dell also said that the company, which has been dancing around confirmation of its entry into the mobile phone space for months, might look to other platforms. "There are some other open platforms that are emerging that are similar to other businesses we participate in," he said.
Dell did not specify what, if any, carrier the company would partner with. Last week, citing unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal reported that AT&T Mobility might launch a Dell Android phone next year.
In August, the computer maker was part of an event in China to support China Mobile's application platform efforts. A Dell phone, called the Mini 3i, was shown at the event, although Dell said that it was only a "proof of concept" device. [FierceWireless]
Windows Mobile 7 to Emphasize Social Networking?
By Jason Ankeny
A new Microsoft job posting discovered by MobileTechWorld suggests the software giant's forthcoming Windows Mobile 7 operating system will focus squarely on social networking integration. The posting to the microsoft-entertainment-jobs/com website reads in part "'Social Networks' and ‘Mobile Phones' are two rapidly evolving socio-cultural phenomena that deeply impact the way in which people interact with each other.
How would you like to be at the confluence of these phenomena--not as an observer but as someone who is defining the course? The Windows Mobile 7 Communications group is building experiences on the phone that present your content--friends, pictures, messages, events--to you in immersive and engaging ways. Our vision is to bring social networks to life. For example imagine seeing all the newsfeeds from all the networks you care about in a single hub on the phone. Or imagine the phone instantly telling you what your friend is doing and where he is when you get a call from him... Our aim is to build a ‘Mobile Social Platform' that provides rich APIs to both internal and external applications and to not only enable but also inspire them to build compelling social experiences."
The Microsoft posting, which seeks a senior program manager to oversee development of the social networking platform, adds there are "several" Windows Mobile 7 teams developing social experiences. "The vision of WM7 and especially the Communications team is ambitious. We are not building yet another cool phone; but one that is truly personal and relevant. Yes--the competition is stiff; but it's exceeded only by our desire to win." Microsoft is expected to launch WinMo 7 sometime in 2010. [FierceMobileContent]
Microsoft May Launch Two Smartphones Using WinMo 7.0
By Sue Marek
Rumors are circulating once again about Microsoft entering the smartphone market. Although the software giant has denied any intention of making a mobile device (the firm only licenses the software), reports indicate the company is developing two smartphones through its Danger subsidiary. Danger, the firm behind the T-Mobile USA Sidekick line of devices, was acquired by Microsoft last year.
Unlike previous rumors, these reports include some detailed descriptions of the proposed devices. Specifically, reports say that one device, codenamed Turtle, will have a square-ish shape and a sliding keyboard. The second device, codenamed Pure, will be rectangular and have a slider. Both devices will supposedly be manufactured by Sharp, which was an OEM for the Sidekick line. Speculation is high that the operating system for both will be Windows Mobile 7.0, and the phones will be introduced at CES but not released until later in 2010.
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, said that Microsoft was working with Verizon on a device, code-named "Pink," that would have additional software capabilities and feature Microsoft's Windows Marketplace for Mobile. There have also been rumors about a possible Microsoft smartphone based on the software giant's Zune digital music player.[FierceWireless]
Google: Apple Rejected Google Voice App
By Phil Goldstein
Google said that Apple rejected its Google Voice application for the iPhone, contrary to Apple's statements last month to the FCC that it was still reviewing the offering. Google's assertion that Apple rejected the app is contained in the company's own letter to the FCC, also filed last month but made public by Google and the FCC today.
When Apple released its letter on Aug. 21, it said that the application had not been rejected outright. "Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it," Apple said. "The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone's distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone's core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail."
Google said in its letter, also dated Aug. 21, that Apple representatives told Google that the application had been rejected because "Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone. The Apple representatives indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replace such functionality."
In its letter, Google said that it had no contact with AT&T Mobility on the topic. Google did say, however, that it had a series of meetings, phone calls and emails with Apple between July 5 and July 28, 2009, to discuss the application, which was submitted to Apple's App Store for approval on June 2. Google said its primary points of contact between the two companies were Alan Eustace, Google's senior vice president of engineering and research, and Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. In a phone call that took place on July 7, Schiller told Eustace that Apple was rejecting the application, according to Google's letter.
Apple also rejected Google's Latitude application. The company said it did not currently have any other applications pending approval with Apple.
When Google initially filed its letter with the FCC last month, it asked the FCC to redact certain portions that involved "sensitive commercial conversations between two companies," according to Richard Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel. In a post on the company's public policy blog, Whitt said Google decided to release the full contents of the letter.
"Several individuals and organizations submitted Freedom of Information Act requests with the FCC seeking access to this information," wrote Whitt. "While we could have asked the FCC to oppose those requests, in light of Apple's decision to make its own letter fully public and in the interest of transparency, we decided to drop our request for confidentiality. Today the FCC posted the full content of our letter to their website."
Added Whitt: "We continue to work with Apple and others to bring users the best mobile Google experience possible. "
"We do not agree with all of the statements made by Google in their FCC letter," an Apple spokeswoman told FierceWireless. "Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application and we continue to discuss it with Google." [FierceWireless]
APNIC Supports Internet Traffic Diagnostics in Asia Pacific Region
The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) is extending itsefforts to facilitate network investment in the Asia Pacific bydeploying Test Traffic Measurement (TTM) servers at various sitesthroughout the region in collaboration with local hosts.
The TTM project analyzes the Internet connectivity between a test siteand other parts of the Internet. These measurements provide thenecessary data for connectivity providers and decision makers to makelong-term plans for future network development.
There is a strong demand for this information in the rapidly-developingAsia Pacific region, which is currently experiencing the world's fastestrate of Internet development and expansion.
TTM utilizes dedicated measurement devices physically installed at thetest sites to comprehensively and continuously measure key Internetconnectivity parameters. This enables the diagnosis of problemsinvolving external networks and the detection of long-term trends inexternal connectivity.
TTM measurements include one way delays between hosts (latency), packetlosses, path information (traceroute), bandwidth, and delay variation(jitter). Summary data will be available to all interested parties, andwill include customizable stat istical analyses.
The data can be utilized to justify and plan long-term networkinfrastructure projects. This is especially useful for emerging regions that may be experiencing substandard connectivity todevelop the cheapest and most effective plans for improvement.
TTM data can also be used to enhance the efficient and cost-effectiveuse of local Internet resources by reducing the unnecessary flow ofnetwork traffic offshore.
Each TTM test box consists of a PC and a GPS antenna, which receiveshighly accurate time information from the GPS constellation. This timeinformation will be made available to everyone through the Network TimeProtocol (NTP) and is invaluable for a variety of time-sensitiveapplications, such as security and law enforcement, which require highlyaccurate time information for logging and auditing.
This service will significantly increase the number of openly availableNTP servers in the Asia Pacific region.APNIC is providing the funding and equipment to local hosts, such asCybernet in Pakistan, deploying 12 TTM nodes in a variety of locationsacross the Asia Pacific region.
"APNIC's support of the TTM project means that the Asia Pacific isbetter placed to monitor Internet performance. TTM data allows ISPs toidentify faults in their network, ensuring that network development andinvestment builds capacity where it is most needed. The data is global, so ISPs from other regions can also use it to improve connectivity intothe AP region, something I frequently hear is badly needed." –APNICDirector General, Paul Wilson.
"At Cybernet, we are extremely happy to be collaborating with APNIC todeploy the TTM service on our networks. APNIC's valuable support isallowing us to run the service and share the data with other Pakistan ISPs and network researchers. Finding out more about our networkconnectivity within Pakistan and abroad will help us plan the mostuseful upgrades, saving costs to our customers. We hope that other ISPsin this region can benefit similarly from our data." Shahid A. Khan, CEO- Cybernet. /PR
FCC to Propose Net Neutrality Rules for Wireless
By Phil Goldstein
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is going to propose new net neutrality rules for wired and wireless networks in a speech on Monday, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed people familiar with the proposal. If such rules go into effect, it would be a major blow to wireless carriers that have argued that the mobile Web is inherently different from the wired one, and requirements to support data-intensive applications could harm the quality of their networks.
In reaction to the news, wireless trade association CTIA reiterated its longstanding position against net neutrality in wireless. "We are waiting to read the chairman's proposal, but as we've said before, we are concerned about the unintended consequences that net neutrality regulation would have on investments from the very industry that's helping to drive the U.S. economy," said Chris Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulatory affairs for CTIA. "We believe that this kind of regulation is unnecessary in the competitive wireless space as it would prevent carriers from managing their networks--such as curtailing viruses and other harmful content- to the benefit of their consumers."
According to the WSJ report, the FCC's plan will take into account the bandwidth limitations of carriers, although it's unclear exactly how that provision would be implemented.
Net neutrality has been a long-standing issue among wired Internet providers, and it recently migrated into the wireless world. Skype has argued for unfettered access to wireless networks via its mobile VoIP service, for instance, and Sling Media's SlingPlayer Mobile video application for the iPhone can transmit only over WiFi and not AT&T Mobility's cellular network.
An FCC representative was not immediately available to comment on the report. Genachowski is expected to appear at an event Monday in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Brookings Institution think tank. Josh Silverman, the CEO of Skype; David Young, Verizon Communications' vice president of federal regulatory affairs; and Ben Scott, the policy director of consumer advocacy group Free Press, are also expected to appear.[FierceBroadbandWireless]
Google introduces Fast Flip for Android and iPhone
By Jason Ankeny
Google announced the launch of Fast Flip, promising users a more natural and efficient approach to browsing print and online news articles on their iPhone, iPod touch or Android-powered device.
According to Google, Fast Flip's tactile page flipping solution enables users to flip through stories with the swipe of a finger--for more information or to view the entire article, simply tap on the screen. Consumers can browse headlines and popular articles, view trending topics, search for a specific topic and share articles by tapping the "Email" link in the upper right corner of the device screen.
"Fast Flip also personalizes the experience for you, by taking cues from selections you make to show you more content from sources, topics and journalists that you seem to like," writes Google News distinguished researcher Krishna Bharat on the Official Google Blog. "In short, you get fast browsing, natural magazine-style navigation, recommendations from friends and other members of the community and a selection of content that is serendipitous and personalized."
Google partnered with three dozen publishers including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Salon and Newsweek to develop Fast Flip. The publishers will also share in revenue generated via contextually-relevant ads. [FierceMobileContent]
Twitter Adding Geolocation Awareness Features
By Jason Ankeny
Twitter announced its plans to introduce geolocation awareness to users' tweets, launching a new API enabling developers to add latitude and longitude to any post. According to the microblogging giant, location sharing promises to add new context to each tweet--for example, Twitter users could switch from reading the tweets of accounts they already follow to reading tweets from accountholders in their neighborhood or city, expanding the platform's relevance as users look to share information on local events ranging from concerts to natural disasters.
"There will likely be many use cases we haven't even thought of yet which is part of what makes this so exciting," Twitter co-founder Biz Stone writes on the Twitter Blog. Stone notes that the location feature will be disabled by default, and even after users activate the service, location data will be stored for only a limited period of time.
Twitter will initially release the new geolocation API to its developer partners: "Most of the mobile applications people use and love are built by Twitter platform developers," Stone writes. "Developers will have access to this new geolocation feature early which means it will most likely be available on your app of choice before it's available on Twitter's website. Later, we'll add it to our mobile web site and Twitter.com as well."
In an interview with DigitalBeat, Stone said Twitter is presently in the early stages of introducing commercial accounts promising business users premium services like detailed analytics. From there, the company might move into developing business-centric APIs, creating a "commercial layer" over the social network. "Twitter will still be free for everybody and we'll still tell them to go crazy with it," Stone said. "But we've identified a selection of things that businesses say are helping to make them more profit." [FierceMobileContent]
170 Million Mobile Subscribers Will Make Domestic Person To Person Payments in 2011
If you think mobile banking is becoming popular, consider the market for mobile-enabled person-to-person payments. Nearly three times as many consumers globally will use their mobile phones to make domestic person to person payments than those who will use their mobile phones to conduct traditional banking functions by the end of 2011, according to an ABI Research forecast.
“The developing world is embracing mobile domestic person to person payments with enthusiasm wherever they are offered,” says senior analyst Mark Beccue. “ It is becoming the first financial service for previously ‘unbanked’ people, and may make a real contribution towards lifting them out of poverty.”
In addition to gaining an ideal introductory financial service, banks – with the help of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) – are extending their reach. Traditional banks have had a hard time supporting bricks-and-mortar operations in many developing regions. Mobile gives them a chance to extend their banking services without having to build major infrastructure.
There has to be an interface between a number on a screen and the real, cash economy. So in many such regions, MNOs’ retail agents are becoming “stored value operators,” and conduits for local bankers.
However there are some impediments to this market’s development. “Growth of mobile financial services in the developing world is sometimes hindered by regulatory barriers,” says Beccue. “Every country has different banking rules. Some are more sophisticated, some less. Whoever is trying to put such a financial ecosystem together may have a lot of hoops to jump through. But they are increasingly successful despite the obstacles.“
ABI Research’s “Mobile Banking and Funds Transfer” study examines the ways mobile financial services such as mobile banking, mobile domestic person-to-person payments and mobile international remittance will be used, the players within the space, who’s hot and who’s not, and what MNOs and financial services providers can do to take advantage of these opportunities. It includes forecasts for mobile banking, domestic person-to-person money transfers and international remittances. [ABI Research]
Semantics Confuse Ericsson's LTE Plans in South Korea
By Lynnette Luna
Confusion surrounds Ericsson's recently announced investment in Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in South Korea as Ericsson and South Korea appear to be at odds over just how much Ericsson is investing.
Earlier this week, South Korean President Lee Myung-back's office issued a statement indicating Ericsson would invest $1.5 billion in the country during the next five years on LTE research and development. But Ericsson's president in Korea, Bjorn Allden, told the Financial Times it was "premature" to talk about an exact dollar amount.
Still, the presidential office, known as the Blue House, reiterated to Bloomberg that incoming Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg told officials at the Korea Communications Commission July 11 that the gear maker may invest between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in the country.
The confusion was still not cleared up when Ericsson talked to Bloomberg following the FT report. "The investment will start now and exact time and size are dependent on the progress in coming projects," Allden said in an emailed statement, according to Bloomberg. He said the company and the South Korean government were in full agreement on the investment plan.
Ericsson plans to open a research and development center in South Korea and increase its staff in the country to some 1,000 workers, according to a July 12 Blue House statement. According to the FT, even the characterization of the center as a "research and development center" was off; Ericsson said it preferred to call it a "competence center." [FierceBroadbandWireless]
Entry-level Mobile Phone Markets to Enjoy 24% Annual Growth through 2014
The world’s largest underserved markets for mobile communications are in developing nations and regions. Asia, Africa, Latin America all have vast potential, but formidable barriers stand in the way. Among the most immediate: the low disposable income of most of the population. Low cost and ultra-low cost (ULCH) handsets are seen as part of the solution to that problem, and according to a new study from ABI Research the two categories together will see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24% over the next five years.
“The price of a ULCH handset is widely seen as critical to the tipping point for mass adoption in emerging markets,” says industry analyst Michael Morgan. Handsets are rarely subsidized in emerging markets. The GSM Association has pegged the maximum desirable ULCH handset price at $25 through next year and at $20 for 2011-2012. Morgan extends that curve: “I believe in 2013-2014 the top price for a ULCH phone will be no more than $15, which is feasible because some handset models are hitting that price today.”
Other inducements fostering uptake of mobile services in emerging markets include value-added data services using locally relevant content. Also helping: more enlightened attitudes among government regulators towards reducing taxes and tariffs on handsets and services.
However, emerging markets do present significant challenges. For handset vendors, the low prices mean margins so thin that profitability demands major economies of scale. (Fortunately some of these populous countries lend new meaning to the words “mass market.”) Vendors must also control a wide IP portfolio and manufacture locally to control royalty, import and labor costs. The research shows that on all these counts, Nokia is the out-and-out market leader.
Morgan concludes, “Entry level handsets must deliver high value to low-income emerging market consumers who want good quality at low cost.” [ABI REsearch]
Dell Hints at Smartphone Plans, but Mystery Remains
By Phil Goldstein
Dell hinted further at its smartphones plans, but did not officially confirm that it would enter the market--thereby again sparking questions about the company's true intentions.
Ronald Garriques, president of Dell's consumer division and former chief of Motorola's cell phone efforts, said the computer maker would work with the top three to four carriers and see what their needs are. Garriques, speaking at the company's annual financial presentation in Texas, did not specify whether that meant the top three or four operators in the United States or in the world. However, according to a report in the Financial Times, he suggested Dell would work to produce smartphones for sale in Asia, Europe and the United States.
According to a PC Magazine report, Dell executives did not specifically claim that the company would enter the smartphone market. However, when analysts made references to Dell entering the market during a question-and-answer session following the presentation, they were not corrected. In any event, Dell likely would outsource the design of a handset to a third party, the report indicated.
Ashok Kumar, a Collins Stewart analyst, told the FT that he thought Dell would soon release a smartphone in China running on Google's Android platform. That jives with an April Reuters report that said Dell would release a smartphone in China before the end of the year. The report said that Dell partnered on the handset design with Chi Mei Communications, a unit of the Taiwanese electronics company Hon Hai, and that Chinese software company Red Office was developing the phone's software.
In March, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu said in a research note that Dell's initial smartphone prototypes were rejected by the carriers that had seen them. The carriers apparently thought the prototypes, which reportedly were running on Android and Windows Mobile, were too dull and undifferentiated. [FierceWireless]
Location-Based Services Pinpoint Success
Can you find me now?
Consumers are using GPS-enabled mobile devices to navigate their worlds with applications to find local businesses, one another and even family pets.
Gartner is predicting huge gains for mobile location-based services (LBS) in 2009. The firm estimates that total LBS subscribers will more than double worldwide this year, to 95.7 million.
“The LBS industry has matured rapidly in recent months through a mixture of consolidation, improved price/performance of the enabling technologies and compelling location applications,” said Annette Zimmermann, Gartner analyst.
Worldwide revenues from consumer location-based services were under $1 billion in 2008, but Gartner projects they will top $2.2 billion this year. North America’s share will be the largest, at $713.7 million.
“Subscriber growth will hinge on ‘free,’” said Ms. Zimmermann. “The competitive landscape will change and most mobile carriers need to alter their approach toward offering LBS and dealing with developers.”
Currently, about 10% to 15% of users in North America and Western Europe take advantage of free services. The researcher expects that share to climb to between 40% and 50% by 2013.
The rise of mobile applications and availability of a wider variety of location-based services will continue to fuel popularity—and new mobile marketing opportunities. Locally tailored digital coupons, for example, will go hand in hand with local search.
For now, good old-fashioned navigation applications are still popular in Europe and North America.
“We’ll continue to see good growth in a lot of the navigation services,” said Alex Bloom, CEO of mobile app creator Handango. “Now instead of having to have two devices, a navigation device and a phone, navigation apps on these GPS-enabled devices might be the catalyst to attract a whole group of people that had stayed away before.” [eMarketer]
Google Debuts Another OS, This Time for Netbooks
By Mike Dano
Just when you thought the mobile computing market couldn't get any more complicated, Internet search giant Google announced it will build an open-source operating system--Chrome OS--initially targeted at the burgeoning netbook space. The news comes less than two years after Google unveiled its Android operating system for cell phones.
"Netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010," wrote Sundar Pichai, a Google VP and engineering director, in a post on the company's site announcing the news. "Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve."
Although Google's move is clearly a direct stab at Windows vendor Microsoft, it also could have significant ramifications for the wireless industry. That Google is initially targeting netbooks means the OS could sit inside wireless carrier stores and run on chips from the likes of Qualcomm. Already Sprint Nextel has subsidized the full price of a Compaq netbook, Verizon Wireless has begun selling an HP netbook in its own retail stores, and Qualcomm is working to expand into the mobile computing arena with its Snapdragon chipset. If Google's play gains steam (the company will announce its Chrome OS manufacturing partners tomorrow, according to IDG News Service) wireless players from across the board could be forced to deal with another Google platform.
Which raises the question: What about Android? Google's OS for smartphones has been embraced by the likes of Samsung, LG, Motorola and others, and companies such as Acer have already promised Android-based netbooks. So how will Chrome OS and Android play together? Google's Pichai attempts an explanation: "Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google."
The introduction of another operating system is certainly nothing new for wireless; there are dozens of platforms, both closed and open, littering the global wireless industry. The fractured situation has even goaded operators like Vodafone and AT&T to call for consolidation in the space.
Indeed, some industry pundits take umbrage at Google's latest effort. As Twitter user "saschasegan" points out, "With Chrome OS, is Google conceding that Android can't/won't provide a desktop-quality browser experience anytime soon?" And, likely summarizing the feelings of many in the wireless industry--including those who have devoted significant resources to Android--saschasegan deadpans: "Chrome OS. Because what Android needed to succeed was more market confusion." [FierceWireless]
Pedestrian Navigation Continues March Towards Mainstream Adoption
NAVTEQ Discover Cities™ Data Powers Leading Applications and Devices
NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data, today confirmed its industry-leading pedestrian navigation product, NAVTEQ Discover Cities, now powers several on-foot commercially available devices and applications throughout the world.
Offering up to 53 pedestrian-specific attributes, NAVTEQ Discover Cities enables an advanced pedestrian navigation experience while leading the industry in quality and coverage. NAVTEQ Discover Cities has extensive data that helps navigation devices and applications provide a variety of routing options to users – including those entirely on foot, or with portions on public transit systems. For instance, when a pedestrian consumer wants the option to use public transit, NAVTEQ Discover Cities enables routes that take into consideration the location of bus and rail stations/ stops and their entrances/exits in relation to the pedestrian route as well as the train/bus network information, including transfer locations.
Some of the world’s best-known companies have deployed applications or devices utilizing NAVTEQ Discover Cities data for pedestrian navigation, including Garmin, Networks In Motion, Nokia and Samsung. This growing trend confirms NAVTEQ’s own research: Consumers ranked the use of a device for ‘on-foot’ navigation as one of the most important reasons for considering the purchase of a mobile phone1. Commercially available devices and applications using NAVTEQ Discover Cities data include:
Garmin’s CityXplorer™ Maps
Garmin’s CityXplorer™ maps are available for select tourist destinations in both North America and Europe and can easily be downloaded to the company’s nüvi line of portable navigation devices. With CityXplorer, users can make the most of their journey by planning and using routes that include public transit options such as bus and metro rail stations.
Networks In Motion (NIM) Gokivo™ Navigator
Gokivo provides customers with NIM’s renowned on-phone navigation and local search platform, turning BlackBerry® smartphones into indispensable mobile tools, with an array of connectivity options at their fingertips.
Gokivo is already available from BlackBerry App World, and incorporates NAVTEQ® maps and NAVTEQ Discover Cities content in North America and Europe, delivering an enhanced pedestrian navigation experience.
Ovi Maps by Nokia
Nokia, the first to integrate NAVTEQ Discover Cities mapping and pedestrian navigation attributes, has continued to expand its offering with over 80 cities including shortcuts through squares, parks and buildings, 3D landmarks, building footprints and public transport entrance points in their upcoming version of Ovi Maps. These combined with compass and real-time pedestrian navigation “Walk” redefine pedestrian orientation and navigation in urban environments.
The upcoming version of Ovi Maps for mobile will soon start shipping on millions of Nokia devices and will be available for upgrade to existing compatible Nokia devices at www.nokia.com/maps. The NAVTEQ Discover Cities components are also integrated within the map data and Walk routing on Ovi Maps for web at www.maps.ovi.com.
Samsung I8910 (OmniaHD)
Samsung launched the I8910 HD with NAVTEQ maps and content in Europe in May. With the help of content from NAVTEQ Discover Cities, the GPS-enabled Samsung I8910 HD will allow urban travelers to take full advantage of their surroundings and help them get from place to place with a variety of routing options.
Since its launch, NAVTEQ Discover Cities coverage has expanded in all major regions of the world. Each city added to the product has data that is collected and verified with NAVTEQ’s “feet-on-the-street” expertise, offering customers up to 53 pedestrian-specific map attributes, such as paved pathways, walkways through parks and plazas, bridges, tunnels, sidewalks and crosswalks.
NAVTEQ Discover Cities also serves as an ideal platform for additional content from NAVTEQ, such as visual content or travel/leisure guides. When combined, consumers can experience much richer travel experiences. For example, 3D landmarks provides visual confirmation that a person is walking in the right direction, while an in-depth restaurant review from a travel guide can provide valuable insight for the evening’s activities.
“The growing number of commercially available devices and applications reinforces the trend that pedestrian navigation is becoming mainstream.” said Jeff Mize, executive vice president, global sales, NAVTEQ. “We are pleased that the high-quality data from NAVTEQ Discover Cities will enable our customers to provide consumers with accurate orientation and guidance to further enhance the pedestrian experience.” /PR
HTC Sense Debuts on New HTC Hero
HTC Hero is the world's first Android-based phone with a customized user interface HTC Sense to be integrated across a portfolio of phones beginning with HTC Hero
HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today debuted HTC Sense, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.
HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly listening and observing how people live and communicate.
"HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to the people and accessing your important information, not by following the status quo of todays phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life," said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. "HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, it just makes sense."
HTC Hero
HTC Hero continues HTCs leadership in cutting-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality. Boasting bevelled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while youre on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last beginning with an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge resistance and a longer lasting, clearer display. The white HTC Hero includes an industry-first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.
With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including a GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory.
HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.
HTC Sense
Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance peoples lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.
Make It Mine
Make It Mine, is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance view widgets that push content like twitter feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused information like email, calendar and world-times. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called scenes that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific functions or times in your life.
Stay Close
Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integrating these communication channels and applications into one single view enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends Facebook status updates and photos along with their Flickr photos are included along side their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.
Discover the Unexpected
Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innovative experiences on your HTC phone that will sometimes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes perspectives, a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twitter, music and more in different ways.
Availability
The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009. /PR
iPhone Now 69 percent of U.S. Smartphone Traffic
By Jason Ankeny
Apple's iPhone represented 69 percent of U.S. smartphone traffic across mobile advertising marketplace AdMob's network in May 2009, up from 59 percent the previous month. According to AdMob, smartphones now account for 37.3 percent of total U.S. traffic--Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices generated 13 percent of AdMob smartphone traffic last month, followed by devices from HTC (10 percent) and Palm (3 percent).
In all, AdMob reached 15.1 million unique users on iPhone and iPod touch devices on 2,309 applications in its network in May, with the average iPhone user in AdMob's network accessing four applications during that time. AdMob adds that five days after the launch of the iPhone OS 3.0, devices running the update represented 44 percent of iPhone ad requests, while only 1 percent of requests came from iPod touch devices running the revamped OS.
In all, AdMob's worldwide requests increased 6 percent month over month to 8.0 billion in May. 3.8 billion requests originated from the U.S., accounting for 47.6 of total global mobile ad requests--a 0.6 increase over April 2009. After the iPhone and iPod touch, the top U.S. handset in terms of percentage of requests was the Samsung R450, followed by the Motorola Razr V3 and the HTC Dream/Android G1. [FierceMobileContent]
Apple Sells Over One Million iPhone 3GS Models
Apple today announced that it has sold over one million iPhone 3GS models through Sunday, June 21, the third day after its launch. In addition, six million customers have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software in the first five days since its release.
"Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With over 50,000 applications available from Apple's revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever."
The new iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including improved speed and performance-up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G-with longer battery life, a high-quality 3 megapixel autofocus camera, easy to use video recording and hands free voice control. iPhone 3GS includes the new iPhone OS 3.0, the world's most advanced mobile operating system with over 100 new features such as Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search, landscape keyboard and more.
iPhone 3GS customers get access to more than 50,000 applications from Apple's revolutionary App Store, the largest application store in the world where customers have already downloaded over one billion apps. iPhone 3GS offers twice the capacity for the same price with a 16GB model for just $199 and a new 32GB model for just $299.** And iPhone 3G is available at the breakthrough price of just $99 for the 8GB model-a huge milestone for the high end smartphone market. Insa/PR
Nortel sells off CDMA, LTE Businesses to Nokia Siemens Networks
By Lynnette Luna
Nortel Networks may not be emerging from bankruptcy. The company announced it is selling off virtually all of its CDMA and Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolution assets through a "stalking horse" asset sale agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks. Nokia is getting its hands on the valuable businesses for a steal: $650 million.
This appears to be the first of many fire sales as Nortel announced it is in discussions with external parties to sell its other businesses. Nortel said it will assess other restructuring alternatives for these businesses in the event it is unable to maximize value through sales. In addition, Nortel will apply to delist its common shares and the NNL preferred shares from trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and expects that the creditor protection proceedings will ultimately result in the cancellation of these equity interests.
NSN is getting its hands on a CDMA business that is the second largest in the world and an LTE business that has strong potential. Nortel said Verizon Wireless was happy with its gear but was concerned about Nortel's bankruptcy. NSN has no CDMA networks business.
The agreement with NSN specifies that at least 2,500 employees would have the opportunity to continue with NSN. This represents a significant portion of the employees associated with the assets being sold. [FierceWireless]
D-Link Kuasai 32% Pangsa Pasar Distribusi Port Switch Untuk UKM
Berdasarkan data Gartner, D-Link International, salah satu penyedia produk jaringan terbesar di dunia, memimpin pengiriman port switch kecil Ethernet untuk perusahaan di seluruh dunia tahun 2008. Dalam laporan yang berjudul Enterprise Ethernet Switches, Worldwide, 2008a, D-Link berhasil memepertahankan posisi no 2 pada penjualan total untuk port switch - jauh melebihi para pesaingnya.
D-Link meraih peringkat teratas untuk penjualan port switch Ethernet di pasar perusahaan kecil dengan market share sebesar 32%. Pada tahun 2008, D-Link berhasil menjual lebih dari 13 juta unit switch port untuk pasar perusahaan kecil di seluruh dunia.
Riset tahunan yang dilakukan Gartner juga menunjukan bahwa D-Link menempati posisi kedua dalam penjualan port switch di seluruh dunia, dengan market share 16,3 persen untuk gabungan seluruh perusahaan UKM. Pada tahun 2008, penjualan total D-Link tumbuh dari 15,3% pada tahun 2007 menjadi 16,3%.
Sama halnya laporan ‘4Q08 Ethernet Switch Market Analysis’ yang dilakukan In-Stat pada bulan Maret, menunjukan bahwa D-Link menempati posisi teratas dalam penjualan Ethernet unmanaged port switch ke seluruh dunia dengan market share 35,1 persen, ini 15,8 persen melebihi Netgear yang berada di posisi kedua, (menguasai 17 persen market share).
“D-Link bukan hanya memperkokoh posisi kepemimpinannya dalam penjualan port unmanaged namun secara terus-menerus menunjukan pertumbuhan yang kuat pada port shipments dari tahun ke tahun; hal ini menunjukan bahwa pasar percaya akan teknologi yang ditawarkan D-Link,‘ jelas Norm Bogen, Direktur Jejaring In-Stat.
“Dengan mempertahankan kepemimpinan di penjualan port Ethernet di seluruh dunia, D-Link menyediakan jutaan sambungan yang memungkinkan para konsumen dan dunia usaha memaksimalkan produktivitasnya.’ ujar Desmond Toh, Direktur marketing, D-Link International Pte Ltd. “Seiring dengan peningkatan volume penjualan, target kami tetap untuk memberikan proposisi nilai terbaik bagi konsumen, dan ini berarti kinerja paling tinggi dalam harga yang paling bersaing pada semua produk solusi jejaring kami”.
D-Link telah menjadi penerobos bisnis jejaring lebih dari 2 dekade. Switch D-Link memiliki peran penting dalam memberikan infrastruktur utama untuk komunikasi kabel atau nirkabel dalam dunia usaha ataupun organisasi. Switch tersebut tersedia hingga versi 48 port dengan berbagai konfigurasi yang sesuai kebutuhan-Lapis 2 atau 3, Manage atau unmanaged, Web canggih, Ethernet gigabit, PoE dan Nirkabel yang terpadu – guna memenuhi kebutuhan aplikasi bisnis.
Solusi switch xStack dari D-Link untuk lingkungan perusahaan menengah ke atas memungkinkan dunia usaha menerapkan dan mengatur dengan mudah sebuah arsitektur LAN yang memberikan sambungan jejaring yang tangguh, terukur, aman, interoperabilitas berbasis standar dan garansi seumur hidup.
Sebagai perusahaan pertama yang memperkenalkan solusi jejaring ramah lingkungan, D-Link menawarkan satu set lengkap teknologi switch ramah lingkungan, yang dapat dengan otomatis mendeteksi status hubungan sebuah perangkat dan mengurangi penggunaan tenaga port yang tidak terpakai. Ketika mendeteksi sambungan yang tidak terpakai, switch ramah lingkungan menyimpan pengunaan tenaga tanpa mempengaruhi kinerja jaringan. /Insa/PR
Huawei Unveils World’s First Packet-Based MSTP Evolution Solution
Operators can now have seamless, cost-effective network upgrades
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Huawei"), a leader in providing next-generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, today launched the world‟s first packet-based MSTP (Multi-Service Transport Platform) evolution solution which enables operators for the first-time to move seamlessly from TDM (Time-Division Multiplexing) services to fully packet-based services without the usual cost burden that is associated with such a network upgrade.
MSTP evolution, which can be easily upgraded from existing MSTP network, will be able to meet the operators‟ increasing demands of high-efficiency mobile transport networks. The new solution is backward compatible and future-oriented to support enhanced 3G and LTE technologies.
"The long-awaited packet-based MSTP evolution solution has arrived and we are thrilled that Huawei‟s customers will be the first to take advantage of it," said Mr. Christian Chua, President of Huawei Transport Network Product Line. "The new and future-proofed packet-based MSTP evolution solution presents significant opportunities for operators who are currently using TDM-based mobile transport networks and are now looking to upgrade to the exciting next-generation packet services of the future."
This latest packet-based MSTP platform enables mutual conversion and seamless operation among „pure TDM transport‟, „hybrid TDM and packet transport‟ and „pure packet transport‟ networks. The solution also supports unified end-to-end management, protects existing operator assets and investments, and substantially minimizes the costs for upgrading an MSTP network. /Insa/PR
RIM Adds 3.8M New BlackBerry Accounts
By Phil Goldstein
Research In Motion posted strong results in its fiscal first quarter, which ended May 30, reporting net income of $643 million, above the $518.3 million it recorded in the previous quarter and 33 percent higher than its $482.5 million in the year-ago quarter.
The BlackBerry maker said it had revenue of $3.42 billion in the quarter, down slightly from $3.46 billion in the previous quarter but 53 percent above its revenue of $2.24 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were looking for revenue of $3.43 billion. Devices made up 81 percent of RIM's revenue and the company said it shipped 7.8 million devices in the quarter.
RIM also said it added around 3.8 million BlackBerry subscriber accounts in the quarter and that its BlackBerry subscriber account base stood at around 28.5 million at the end of the quarter. The subscriber additions were down slightly from the 3.9 million new account activations RIM had in the previous quarter. RIM also boosted its gross margin sequentially to 43.6 percent, up from 40 percent in the last quarter, but down from 50.7 percent in the year-ago quarter.
Though the company continues to score gains--indeed, RIM increased its worldwide smartphone market share to 19.9 percent in the first quarter, up from 13.3 percent in the year-ago quarter, according to Gartner--analysts remain worried about increased competition from the likes of Google, Apple and Palm.
RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in a conference call after the earnings were released that the company wasn't too worried about the crowded smartphone market. "We don't really, sort of, fret those kinds of things," he said. And it seems the BlackBerry maker will soon lose the benefit of a major promotion: A Verizon spokeswoman confirmed this week to FierceWireless that the carrier's buy-one-get-one promotion, which has been running since February, would be ending shortly. NPD Group said the promotion helped RIM's BlackBerry Curve unseat Apple's iPhone as the best-selling consumer smartphone in the first quarter. [FierceWireless]
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