Wireless Data News Blog - November 5 to 11

The next year will see mobile carriers begin to experiment with a variety of ad models and delivery platforms as they look to expand their revenue beyond usage. In addition, 24/7 Real Media experts anticipate that video ads will begin to appear on phones as mobile video usage increases to the approximately 6.1 million subscribers, reported by M:Metrics. SMS will be utilized primarily as a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for advertisers to continue dialog with existing customers much in the same way email is currently utilized. Ad standards will also begin to shake out for WAP display ads through the efforts of the major carriers, service providers and mobile industry group, MMA.

Analysys International predicts that the Mobile-payment users will reach 97.5 millions by the end of year 2008 in its recently released Focus report on China's Mobile Payment Market 2005 . Analysis International also points out that the current mobile payment market is still under an introduction phase of user cultivation and gives strategies on business models and value chain development. According to Analysys International's study, mobile-pay will become a safer and faster payment method than online payment. It predicts that the user number will reach 18.7 millions by the end of year 2005, with a dramatic annual growth rate of 1068.75%; and the penetration rate will reach 4.74%.

Yankee Group announced the launch of the Global Wireless/Mobile Premium Forecast , a 5-year projection and analysis tool that examines prospective data across business and consumer wireless segments for key categories such as users by technology, average revenue per user for mobile voice and data services, subscribers by data category and handset sales by technology.  Decisive data in the forecast includes: - Worldwide wireless operator service revenue will surpass US$698 billion by 2009; data services will account for just more than 21%of the total. - Total registered cellular lines will reach 2.8 billion in 2009, representing a unique user base of nearly 2.4 billion individuals. - Text messaging revenue will top US$36 billion in 2009; ringtone revenue to carriers and content providers will reach almost US$28 billion.

Vodafone KK will commence nationwide sales of the Mobile FeliCa smart card equipped Vodafone 703SHf 3G handset by Sharp. In addition, it will launch the 'Vodafone live! FeliCa' service on 11 November so customers can use their handsets for plane ticketing, point programmes and electronic money shopping. The 703SHf is Vodafone KK's first Mobile Wallet ('Osaifu-Keitai') compatible handset with an embedded Mobile FeliCa smartcard.

Cingular Enterprise Paging allows customers to use their existing, compatible paging applications to send pages over the Cingular Wireless network to the wireless handheld devices their mobile workers already carry. The service allows businesses to deliver timely information and alerts to employees, customers or suppliers anywhere a Cingular Wireless device is capable of sending and receiving text messages, both in the U.S. and in more than 170 countries abroad. Cingular Enterprise Paging uses a long message format which allows up to 456 characters, enabling customers to send and receive more complete messages. It features delivery receipts so that users know that their messages have been received. Enterprise paging also supports two-way messaging, so page replies can be routed back to the customer's paging application where it can interact with other enterprise applications such as IT help desk, CRM and automated notification systems. Cingular Wireless' Enterprise Paging service can be added to any eligible Cingular Wireless plan for $9.99 a month per end user for unlimited incoming messages and 10 cents per reply message. Businesses that want to equip large groups with Cingular's Enterprise Paging service can take advantage of Cingular's bulk provisioning process, which can provision up to thousands of corporate users at once.

Sprint announced the availability of Nextel Direct Send Picture, a first-of-its-kind service that allows Nextel subscribers with capable Nextel phones the ability to send and review a picture quickly and easily, all while on a Nextel Walkie-Talkie call. The picture simultaneously appears on both the user's and recipient's phones during the call - so they can both view and discuss it without changing between voice and data services. This capability builds upon the Direct Send service launched last year that utilizes the Nextel Walkie-Talkie button to send contact information and transfer the data into another subscriber's contact list. As part of a special introductory offer, customers will be able to use the Direct Send Picture service free of charge until February 28, 2006. Following the promotional period, users will be charged a per-image fee of $0.25 for images sent and received. Nextel Walkie-Talkie usage may apply to the period of the call before and after the image is transmitted, depending on a customer's rate plan. Direct Send Picture is now available on the recently announced Motorola i870, and will be included on all future Nextel phones. Software upgrades to enable Direct Send Picture will also be rolled out over the coming weeks for select Nextel phone models already in the market including the Motorola i850, i760, i560, i355 and i275.

Openwave Systems Inc. announced the launch of the Openwave Mobile Integrated Dynamic Application System (MIDAS), a next-generation scripted application environment designed to enable mobile operators to quickly create, customize and deploy powerful new applications and interfaces to mass market mobile devices. Mobile content developers and internet engineers will have access to a framework that presents a quicker and more cost effective route to deployment than heavyweight development tools such as C++. MIDAS will dramatically reduce time to market for mobile services enabling operators to better reach consumer groups with highly targeted and customized applications. The flexible application framework which MIDAS delivers will give operators a new level of control over innovative new user experiences. The scripted runtime will enable local applications to interact with networked content as well as core embedded device resources such as messaging stacks, storage, multimedia codecs and the phone idle screen. It will also enable seamless integration within end-to-end service solutions such as music, messaging and gaming. New ‘push cast' capabilities included with MIDAS allow news, sports, music, and other content to be delivered directly to the users' phone – even when the handset is idle. The MIDAS software tool is an extension of Openwave Phone Suite Version 7. Currently, seven of the world's top 10 handset manufacturers offer handsets running V7.

Research In Motion (RIM) launched BlackBerry Mobile Data System (MDS) with a new wireless application development framework that supports Web Services. Among the new enhancements is a visual development tool that taps into the XML-based Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), enabling system integrators, independent software vendors and in-house corporate developers to rapidly create wireless applications. BlackBerry MDS with support for Web Services is available as an upgrade for BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0 customers. RIM is also working with leading software infrastructure and application providers that have embraced Web Services.

Verso Technologies, a provider of packet-based solutions, announced a paid trial of Verso's NetSpective M-Class Solution to filter Skype and other peer to peer (P2P) communications with a Tier-One carrier based in China. The trial is for an initial city level deployment and part of a sale for the fourth quarter of 2005, subject to customer acceptance. The trial marks the introduction of the NetSpective M-Class with Skype filtering technology, a first of its kind carrier-grade application filter for mobile operators offering a bandwidth optimization and content management tool specifically for the mobile carrier market.

NEC Corporation announced that its High Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA) is ready to be delivered for use in commercial networks worldwide. The successful field network operation trial for NEC's HSDPA was carried out this summer through the cooperation of Vodafone K.K. in Japan. During the trial, Node-Bs and radio network controllers (RNC) based on NEC's HSDPA achieved a high level of performance and functionality, including high-speed internet access among HSDPA-based 3G mobile terminals, consecutive data transmission and handover in a HSDPA service environment and flexible and variable change in transmission speed. NEC's HSDPA system is jointly developed by NEC and Siemens.

Accton Technology Corporation of Taiwan and Skype announced that the two are teaming to develop a range of Skype-enabled devices to be offered to Accton's global OEM customers. One of the first global vendors to do so, Accton will begin embedding Skype technology into an array of standalone devices to enable consumers and business users to take advantage of the free and low-cost calling options offered by Skype - without a PC. Both orgainziations will continue to work together in the future to deliver Skype embedded products that enhance the user experience in broadband communications.

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced its new iD credit card brand for card issuers, which will enable DoCoMo customers to make credit card payments with the "Osaifu-Keitai" mobile phone equipped with wallet functions. The brand will be launched on December 1, 2005. iD will enhance existing credit card services by giving credit card owners the option of making payments via a DoCoMo wallet phone linked to the card, in addition to conventional payments with their plastic credit card. The payment procedure will be as simple as waving the phones in front of dedicated reader/writers at stores. No signature will be required for purchases under a certain amount, while purchases exceeding this amount will require the user to simply enter a password via a device linked to the reader/writer. Applications for iD will be accepted through credit card issuers.

Glu Mobile, a creator and global publisher of mobile entertainment, announced the launch of the first Glu-branded games service, allowing subscribers on TeliaSonera's mobile network to download games from Glu's extensive portfolio. The service has been launched on TeliaSonera's SurfPort mobile portal, and is currently available to mobile users in Sweden with deployments in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Lithuania to follow by the end of the year. The Glu games channel includes many of Glu's bestselling mobile games, including Who Want's To Be A Millionaire?, Zuma, Ancient Empires and DRIV3R. Users are able to browse the games using clear, easy-to-navigate menus, with only a few clicks required to download the games directly to their handset.