INDIA: Statement from Nokia increase in VAT on mobile cellular handsets in Maharashtra.
According to Vipul Sabharwal, Director Sales, Nokia India: "The move by the Maharashtra government to hike the VAT on mobile cellular handsets from 4 percent to 12.5 percent, is not just very distressing for the industry, but is also a very shortsighted move. The mobile industry is a fast growing segment, which contributes significantly to the GDP of the nation as well. This is a self defeating move, bound to reverse the growth of the industry, thereby impacting the socio-economic development of the state as well.
According to industry estimates, the sales of mobile handsets in the state of Maharashtra at present stands at a million units per month today, which translates into a turnover of Rs. 300 crore per month, at an average selling price of $60 (@ Rs. 50 = US$1).
With the proposed hike of 8.5 percent the Govt. Of Maharashtra expects its VAT revenues to increase to Rs. 36 crore per month from the current monthly revenues of Rs. 12 crore per month.
However, the telecom industry believes that an 8.5 percent hike, or a total VAT of 12.5 percent will lead to a massive drop in legal sales, with sales falling to Rs. 30 crore per month from the current Rs. 300 crore. This means that the VAT revenue collections will, in turn, fall to around Rs. 4 crore a month, thus leading to a loss of Rs. 8-10 crore per month or approximately Rs. 100 crore annually to the State Government exchequer.
Additionally, revenue from Octroi, which currently stands at Rs. 9 crore, is expected to be negligent on a monthly sales turnover of Rs. 30 crore.
This is because such a regressive move will lead to a resurgence of the grey market, with handsets coming in from both neighboring states as well as from international markets such as Singapore and Dubai.
This will in turn affect business on the organized trade as well, impacting employment and encouraging unethical practices –- all in all, a completely unfortunate and lose-lose situation for all stakeholders involved starting with consumers.”
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
GSMA launches competition, advances embedded mobile initiative
LONDON, UK: The GSMA announced new developments in its Embedded Mobile Initiative, including work to establish standard design guidelines for embedded mobile applications and the kick-off of a competition to drive development in the embedded mobile market.
The goal of the Embedded Mobile program, which was launched in November 2008, is to foster new business opportunities by bringing the benefits of continuous mobile connectivity to embedded devices in the clean energy, education, healthcare, transport, consumer electronics and smart utilities sectors.
"The benefits of embedded mobile to businesses and consumers are nearly endless, from enabling a travelling family to easily transmit holiday photos to relatives at home, to helping a vending company automatically track stocking levels and operating status of its machines, to allowing power companies to remotely collect data from across meter and power grids," commented Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer for the GSMA.
"As the programmes announced today demonstrate, we are keenly focused on reducing industry fragmentation in the delivery of embedded mobile solutions, facilitating economies of scale in design and production and driving cross-industry awareness of module designs."
To further promote the development of the embedded mobile market, the GSMA has kicked off a competition whose goal is to identify best-in-class embedded modules across a number of categories, as well as mobile service applications and solutions.
The first stage of the competition, which will focus on leading embedded modules, will be held at the Mobile Asia Congress in November 2009. The second stage of the competition will showcase innovative service applications and solutions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2010.
"KT is confident that its active involvement in the GSMA's Embedded Mobile Initiative will create broader opportunities for this market," said Hyunmi Yang, Executive Vice President & CSO, Personal Customer Group, KT Corp.
"We further believe that the launch of a global competition as part of this programme will stimulate the growth of the M2M market and will help us to identify new mobile services that will be of true value to our customers. The GSMA's Embedded Mobile Initiative will allow immediate communication means for everyday devices via a mobile network, and we believe that the mobile network will become the key facilitator for enriching the daily lives of our customers."
"Potential use of embedded 3G modules are diversified and require development of unique software for each application," said Ted Matsumoto, Senior Executive Vice President, SoftBank Mobile Corp. "The cost of modules is a critical factor in helping make these applications accepted by a wide range of users, so we should avoid the fragmentation of module hardware design as much as possible. Working with the device and chipset vendors, the GSMA will help to achieve this goal."
To facilitate the creation of scores of new embedded mobile applications, the GSMA also announced that it has initiated a work stream within the Embedded Mobile programme to develop and publish of a set of design guidelines for key categories of applications, such as health, automotive, smart metering and consumer devices.
This is a joint initiative involving mobile operator and module vendor representatives from across the world. The GSMA expects to make these design guidelines available in November 2009.
The goal of the Embedded Mobile program, which was launched in November 2008, is to foster new business opportunities by bringing the benefits of continuous mobile connectivity to embedded devices in the clean energy, education, healthcare, transport, consumer electronics and smart utilities sectors.
"The benefits of embedded mobile to businesses and consumers are nearly endless, from enabling a travelling family to easily transmit holiday photos to relatives at home, to helping a vending company automatically track stocking levels and operating status of its machines, to allowing power companies to remotely collect data from across meter and power grids," commented Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer for the GSMA.
"As the programmes announced today demonstrate, we are keenly focused on reducing industry fragmentation in the delivery of embedded mobile solutions, facilitating economies of scale in design and production and driving cross-industry awareness of module designs."
To further promote the development of the embedded mobile market, the GSMA has kicked off a competition whose goal is to identify best-in-class embedded modules across a number of categories, as well as mobile service applications and solutions.
The first stage of the competition, which will focus on leading embedded modules, will be held at the Mobile Asia Congress in November 2009. The second stage of the competition will showcase innovative service applications and solutions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2010.
"KT is confident that its active involvement in the GSMA's Embedded Mobile Initiative will create broader opportunities for this market," said Hyunmi Yang, Executive Vice President & CSO, Personal Customer Group, KT Corp.
"We further believe that the launch of a global competition as part of this programme will stimulate the growth of the M2M market and will help us to identify new mobile services that will be of true value to our customers. The GSMA's Embedded Mobile Initiative will allow immediate communication means for everyday devices via a mobile network, and we believe that the mobile network will become the key facilitator for enriching the daily lives of our customers."
"Potential use of embedded 3G modules are diversified and require development of unique software for each application," said Ted Matsumoto, Senior Executive Vice President, SoftBank Mobile Corp. "The cost of modules is a critical factor in helping make these applications accepted by a wide range of users, so we should avoid the fragmentation of module hardware design as much as possible. Working with the device and chipset vendors, the GSMA will help to achieve this goal."
To facilitate the creation of scores of new embedded mobile applications, the GSMA also announced that it has initiated a work stream within the Embedded Mobile programme to develop and publish of a set of design guidelines for key categories of applications, such as health, automotive, smart metering and consumer devices.
This is a joint initiative involving mobile operator and module vendor representatives from across the world. The GSMA expects to make these design guidelines available in November 2009.
Cellular extends boundaries of E-healthcare
LONDON, UK: Wireless technologies has been of immense value to medical practitioners, enabling them to increase productivity and improve the availability of quality healthcare globally.
However, while mobile technology undoubtedly adds value to healthcare, the question is whether advances in technology pose a security threat, as information transmitted across a network should be accessible only to authorized users worldwide.
Healthcare systems today rely on various applications that improve patient recovery and render clinical services more effective. The main applications in this category include Electronic Health Records (EHR), Computerised Physician Order Entry (CPOE), Decision Support System (DSS) and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).
"All these four applications have allowed the healthcare system to effectively adapt to the requirements of a volatile healthcare environment," note Frost & Sullivan (http://www.wireless.frost.com) Research Analysts Jayashree Rajagopal and Luke Thomas in new analysis titled 'Is E-healthcare Secure in the Hands of Cellular Technology?' "However, their success depends on the network through which information is transmitted."
The various technologies used for the transmission of information in healthcare include the Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), cellular, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth. Most organisations choose technologies for different applications based on throughput, quality, cost and security.
Among these, security is perceived and understood to be a major concern for all stakeholders involved in the healthcare sector. With the evolution of GSM to 3G, various security features have been enhanced and implemented to protect the integrity of the user.
"Such security features will enable cellular technology to gain a competitive advantage over various wireless alternatives as cellular technologies operate in the licensed band providing guaranteed quality of service," remarks Thomas. "This is not the case with unlicensed technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) and RFID."
Currently, Wi-Fi is one of the most widely deployed wireless technologies in hospitals. However, this technology has several challenges with regard to range, security and quality of service (QoS) which can be effectively addressed by next generation cellular technologies such as HSPA and 3G LTE.
Applications such as EHR, CPOE, DSS and PACS utilise sensitive and personal information. Hence, the transfer of such information requires a highly robust, secure and reliable environment to be maintained not only within a country but world-wide as well.
"With the convergence of IT and cellular, high throughput and low bandwidth cryptographic algorithms need to be developed to exchange information across various devices, applications and networks," explains Rajagopal. "In order to tap this opportunistic market, the cellular ecosystem would need to implement an efficient network protocol that will ensure the security of applications used and information transmitted within the healthcare sector."
In the current economic climate, hospitals strive to reduce their operating expenditure (OPEX) and consider various wireless alternatives that can accommodate all of their applications and services across various networks.
"Hence, if mobile operators succeed in addressing OPEX savings with cellular technologies (currently embedded in several client devices of different form factors), that alone could entice hospitals to conduct effective trials with operators," concludes Thomas. "However, to be successful, not only do mobile operators need to demonstrate the value-added benefits of enhanced security and QoS over traditional WiFi networks but also create new business models to demonstrate ROI," adds Rajagopal.
However, while mobile technology undoubtedly adds value to healthcare, the question is whether advances in technology pose a security threat, as information transmitted across a network should be accessible only to authorized users worldwide.
Healthcare systems today rely on various applications that improve patient recovery and render clinical services more effective. The main applications in this category include Electronic Health Records (EHR), Computerised Physician Order Entry (CPOE), Decision Support System (DSS) and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).
"All these four applications have allowed the healthcare system to effectively adapt to the requirements of a volatile healthcare environment," note Frost & Sullivan (http://www.wireless.frost.com) Research Analysts Jayashree Rajagopal and Luke Thomas in new analysis titled 'Is E-healthcare Secure in the Hands of Cellular Technology?' "However, their success depends on the network through which information is transmitted."
The various technologies used for the transmission of information in healthcare include the Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), cellular, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth. Most organisations choose technologies for different applications based on throughput, quality, cost and security.
Among these, security is perceived and understood to be a major concern for all stakeholders involved in the healthcare sector. With the evolution of GSM to 3G, various security features have been enhanced and implemented to protect the integrity of the user.
"Such security features will enable cellular technology to gain a competitive advantage over various wireless alternatives as cellular technologies operate in the licensed band providing guaranteed quality of service," remarks Thomas. "This is not the case with unlicensed technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) and RFID."
Currently, Wi-Fi is one of the most widely deployed wireless technologies in hospitals. However, this technology has several challenges with regard to range, security and quality of service (QoS) which can be effectively addressed by next generation cellular technologies such as HSPA and 3G LTE.
Applications such as EHR, CPOE, DSS and PACS utilise sensitive and personal information. Hence, the transfer of such information requires a highly robust, secure and reliable environment to be maintained not only within a country but world-wide as well.
"With the convergence of IT and cellular, high throughput and low bandwidth cryptographic algorithms need to be developed to exchange information across various devices, applications and networks," explains Rajagopal. "In order to tap this opportunistic market, the cellular ecosystem would need to implement an efficient network protocol that will ensure the security of applications used and information transmitted within the healthcare sector."
In the current economic climate, hospitals strive to reduce their operating expenditure (OPEX) and consider various wireless alternatives that can accommodate all of their applications and services across various networks.
"Hence, if mobile operators succeed in addressing OPEX savings with cellular technologies (currently embedded in several client devices of different form factors), that alone could entice hospitals to conduct effective trials with operators," concludes Thomas. "However, to be successful, not only do mobile operators need to demonstrate the value-added benefits of enhanced security and QoS over traditional WiFi networks but also create new business models to demonstrate ROI," adds Rajagopal.
CSR, SiRF to launch new era of connectivity and location
CAMBRIDGE, UK & SAN JOSE, USA: CSR plc and SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. completed the merger between SiRF and a wholly owned subsidiary of CSR, creating a leading pure play provider of connectivity and location platforms and a company with the scale, technology and strategy to enable its customers to address the exciting and emerging opportunities in mobile markets.
The merger yields an enlarged development team, a strong IP portfolio, and a broad base of market leading customers. Customers of the enlarged CSR group will be able to deliver new user experiences of connectivity and location technologies in a diverse range of devices such as mobile phones, personal navigation devices, in-car navigation and telematics systems, laptop and netbook PCs, mobile Internet devices, digital cameras, gaming machines, cellular accessories, and consumer electronic devices.
Joep van Beurden, CEO of CSR said: “In bringing together the combined capabilities and broad range of CSR and SiRF technologies and platforms, we have created a new force in the industry and a world class organisation with the commercial, technical and operational scale to build on CSR and SiRF’s existing customer relationships and deliver the next generation of connectivity and location enabled products.
“Our strategic goal is to address the existing and emerging needs of our combined customer base for connectivity and location technologies. The potential applications and benefits to the end user of connectivity plus location are only just starting to open up, and these exciting new opportunities will be driven by our unique combination of leading location technologies and connectivity solutions.”
“CSR and SiRF have a shared vision of using innovation to bring the benefits of wireless connectivity and location to mainstream consumers and enterprises and to enable new and exciting user experiences”, commented Kanwar Chadha, co-founder of SiRF and newly appointed board member and Chief Marketing Officer of CSR. “We believe that through this merger, our customers and consumers will derive benefits from a much stronger player whose focus is on delivering best in class connectivity and location platforms.”
“Technology innovation represents the foundation for both CSR’s and SiRF’s success in the market place,” said James Collier, co-founder, board member and CTO of CSR. “We look forward to combining the complementary expertise of our teams to take innovation to the next level in our multifunction radio and system platforms to address emerging customer and market needs.”
For CSR’s customers, the merger with SiRF means CSR’s Connectivity Centre products are augmented by GPS technologies that are well respected and enjoy widespread adoption. SiRF brings to CSR a strong IP portfolio in GPS and assisted GPS (A-GPS), dead reckoning and location centric platforms.
SiRF’s customers benefit from enhancements to SiRF’s Location Platforms, with CSR’s Connectivity Centre capabilities and strategy of Smart Integration delivering industry leading performance, low cost and small size.
The enlarged CSR group will have its global headquarters in Cambridge, UK, with SiRF’s headquarters in San Jose, California becoming CSR’s US headquarters.
The combined CSR group enters the prestigious list of the world’s top 10 fabless semiconductor companies, with an enviable combined customer list including six of the top seven handset manufacturers, the top five personal navigation device makers, the top two automotive telematics suppliers, and other leading auto and consumer electronics providers.
The merger yields an enlarged development team, a strong IP portfolio, and a broad base of market leading customers. Customers of the enlarged CSR group will be able to deliver new user experiences of connectivity and location technologies in a diverse range of devices such as mobile phones, personal navigation devices, in-car navigation and telematics systems, laptop and netbook PCs, mobile Internet devices, digital cameras, gaming machines, cellular accessories, and consumer electronic devices.
Joep van Beurden, CEO of CSR said: “In bringing together the combined capabilities and broad range of CSR and SiRF technologies and platforms, we have created a new force in the industry and a world class organisation with the commercial, technical and operational scale to build on CSR and SiRF’s existing customer relationships and deliver the next generation of connectivity and location enabled products.
“Our strategic goal is to address the existing and emerging needs of our combined customer base for connectivity and location technologies. The potential applications and benefits to the end user of connectivity plus location are only just starting to open up, and these exciting new opportunities will be driven by our unique combination of leading location technologies and connectivity solutions.”
“CSR and SiRF have a shared vision of using innovation to bring the benefits of wireless connectivity and location to mainstream consumers and enterprises and to enable new and exciting user experiences”, commented Kanwar Chadha, co-founder of SiRF and newly appointed board member and Chief Marketing Officer of CSR. “We believe that through this merger, our customers and consumers will derive benefits from a much stronger player whose focus is on delivering best in class connectivity and location platforms.”
“Technology innovation represents the foundation for both CSR’s and SiRF’s success in the market place,” said James Collier, co-founder, board member and CTO of CSR. “We look forward to combining the complementary expertise of our teams to take innovation to the next level in our multifunction radio and system platforms to address emerging customer and market needs.”
For CSR’s customers, the merger with SiRF means CSR’s Connectivity Centre products are augmented by GPS technologies that are well respected and enjoy widespread adoption. SiRF brings to CSR a strong IP portfolio in GPS and assisted GPS (A-GPS), dead reckoning and location centric platforms.
SiRF’s customers benefit from enhancements to SiRF’s Location Platforms, with CSR’s Connectivity Centre capabilities and strategy of Smart Integration delivering industry leading performance, low cost and small size.
The enlarged CSR group will have its global headquarters in Cambridge, UK, with SiRF’s headquarters in San Jose, California becoming CSR’s US headquarters.
The combined CSR group enters the prestigious list of the world’s top 10 fabless semiconductor companies, with an enviable combined customer list including six of the top seven handset manufacturers, the top five personal navigation device makers, the top two automotive telematics suppliers, and other leading auto and consumer electronics providers.
Monday, June 29, 2009
4G apps set to evolve in mutiplatform environment
MONTREAL, CANADA, Key growth drivers in the 4G applications market include an increasingly open network environment and snackable data plans applicable across various device types, according to Maravedis’ latest research report, “Broadband Services and Applications in the 4G Era: Beyond Existing 3G Applications.”
The evolution from 3G to 4G will be stimulated by services offering enhanced quality, requiring increased bandwidth, elevated sophistication of large-scale information provision, and improved customization capabilities to support user demands.
Further, many 4G applications are set to evolve in a multiplatform environment: “4G applications will be available seamlessly across various wireless technologies (LTE, Wi-Fi, UWB, WiMAX, etc.) and device types (cell phones, laptops, e-readers, PNDs, digital cameras, printers, tablet PCs, etc.) with the same QoS anytime, anywhere,” noted Adlane Fellah, Senior Analyst.
“While it is still unclear which types of mobile applications and services, pricing and business models will be used by carriers on their upcoming 4G networks, we are unlikely to see a revolution in the 4G space. Applications are likely to be extended and improved versions of existing 3G services,” noted Julien Blin, report co-author and Senior Analyst.
“Next generation applications such as wireless VoIP, e-readers apps, mobile IPTV, telematics, M2M apps (e.g. smart grids), and location-aware mobile apps/services embedded with social networking and user-generated content capabilities are likely to become key applications in the upcoming 4G apps space,” added Fellah.
According to the report, the 4G industry is likely to see new killer devices in the line of the iPhone 3G S, Palm Pre, G1/G2 phones, and the Storm, in the 4G space, which will help drive adoption of 4G applications and services.
Mobile app stores are set to become a key distribution channel for upcoming 4G applications. Ultimately, they could end up being a godsend for many carriers at a time when disruptive applications like Skype are threatening carriers’ voice ARPUs. That said, solving cross-mobile app store interoperability issues and content discovery issues will be critical. Adding peer-to-peer recommendations, location awareness, and enhanced mobile search engines to existing mobile app stores should play a key role here.
Several issues will need to be overcome before the future 4G apps market reaches its full potential. These include handset limitation, the poor user experience on many feature phones, the need for sustainable and profitable 4G business and pricing models, mobile discovery issues, privacy and security issues, increased fragmentation, and the lack of standards. Other issues include the low penetration and high cost of data plans and services, and the lack of awareness when it comes to certain mobile data services.
The report analyzes the key operators, future drivers, and key issues/inhibitors in the upcoming 4G apps space. It also assesses the future leading 4G players’ strategies toward 4G applications and services.
The evolution from 3G to 4G will be stimulated by services offering enhanced quality, requiring increased bandwidth, elevated sophistication of large-scale information provision, and improved customization capabilities to support user demands.
Further, many 4G applications are set to evolve in a multiplatform environment: “4G applications will be available seamlessly across various wireless technologies (LTE, Wi-Fi, UWB, WiMAX, etc.) and device types (cell phones, laptops, e-readers, PNDs, digital cameras, printers, tablet PCs, etc.) with the same QoS anytime, anywhere,” noted Adlane Fellah, Senior Analyst.
“While it is still unclear which types of mobile applications and services, pricing and business models will be used by carriers on their upcoming 4G networks, we are unlikely to see a revolution in the 4G space. Applications are likely to be extended and improved versions of existing 3G services,” noted Julien Blin, report co-author and Senior Analyst.
“Next generation applications such as wireless VoIP, e-readers apps, mobile IPTV, telematics, M2M apps (e.g. smart grids), and location-aware mobile apps/services embedded with social networking and user-generated content capabilities are likely to become key applications in the upcoming 4G apps space,” added Fellah.
According to the report, the 4G industry is likely to see new killer devices in the line of the iPhone 3G S, Palm Pre, G1/G2 phones, and the Storm, in the 4G space, which will help drive adoption of 4G applications and services.
Mobile app stores are set to become a key distribution channel for upcoming 4G applications. Ultimately, they could end up being a godsend for many carriers at a time when disruptive applications like Skype are threatening carriers’ voice ARPUs. That said, solving cross-mobile app store interoperability issues and content discovery issues will be critical. Adding peer-to-peer recommendations, location awareness, and enhanced mobile search engines to existing mobile app stores should play a key role here.
Several issues will need to be overcome before the future 4G apps market reaches its full potential. These include handset limitation, the poor user experience on many feature phones, the need for sustainable and profitable 4G business and pricing models, mobile discovery issues, privacy and security issues, increased fragmentation, and the lack of standards. Other issues include the low penetration and high cost of data plans and services, and the lack of awareness when it comes to certain mobile data services.
The report analyzes the key operators, future drivers, and key issues/inhibitors in the upcoming 4G apps space. It also assesses the future leading 4G players’ strategies toward 4G applications and services.
Nokia Siemens Network rolls out Vodafone network in seven new regions across India
BANGALORE, INDIA: Vodafone Essar has completed a rapid service expansion into seven new regions across India. People living in or traveling to Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, North East and Orissa will now be able to use services provided by India’s second largest GSM operator. Nokia Siemens Networks, Vodafone Essar’s existing infrastructure partner in 12 regions, undertook the new network roll out in just ten months.
The planning and building of the seven networks was undertaken as in the first phase of a three year expansion contract awarded to Nokia Siemens Networks in 2008. Further expansion will carry on through 2010.
Nokia Siemens Networks has a strong track record in speedy network roll out, and in India alone it sets up 5,000 base stations a month. With this contract, the company has emerged as the largest network implementation partner for Vodafone in India, with more than 80% of Vodafone’s subscriber traffic in the country flowing through infrastructure set up by Nokia Siemens Networks.
“We are proud to partner with Vodafone Essar as it charts an aggressive growth strategy and are committed to helping it realize its goals,” said C.B. Velayuthan, Head, Vodafone Customer Team, Nokia Siemens Networks. “India’s vast geography and varied topology, in addition to the acute power shortage in remote areas, make network expansion a challenging task. Our Flexi Base Station and services capabilities are the ideal solution for service providers who want to achieve more, with less.”
The planning and building of the seven networks was undertaken as in the first phase of a three year expansion contract awarded to Nokia Siemens Networks in 2008. Further expansion will carry on through 2010.
Nokia Siemens Networks has a strong track record in speedy network roll out, and in India alone it sets up 5,000 base stations a month. With this contract, the company has emerged as the largest network implementation partner for Vodafone in India, with more than 80% of Vodafone’s subscriber traffic in the country flowing through infrastructure set up by Nokia Siemens Networks.
“We are proud to partner with Vodafone Essar as it charts an aggressive growth strategy and are committed to helping it realize its goals,” said C.B. Velayuthan, Head, Vodafone Customer Team, Nokia Siemens Networks. “India’s vast geography and varied topology, in addition to the acute power shortage in remote areas, make network expansion a challenging task. Our Flexi Base Station and services capabilities are the ideal solution for service providers who want to achieve more, with less.”
Saturday, June 27, 2009
CDMA data network performance has a distinct edge over GSM
MUMBAI, INDIA: The Nielsen Consumer Experience Mobile Test program, which measures wireless network performance of all national and select regional carriers, has successfully completed testing 39 markets for the Phase I of its program (2008-2009).
The Nielsen survey studied differences in Data Network performance between CDMA and GSM technologies. It was observed that CDMA technology has a distinct edge over GSM across all of the top six Data Network performance metrics. CDMA Operator network ranks #1 in HTTP Download Data Rate performance in seven out of the eight metros tested.
The second phase of Nielsen Consumer Experience Mobile Test program is scheduled to commence soon and will include an expanded scope of markets and features.
“The first phase of the survey found stark variation in Data network performance between Market Leader and Market Average, creating opportunities for differentiation particularly in Tier I markets.” said Shankari Panchapakesan, Executive Director, Telecom Practice Group, The Nielsen Company.
Nielsen has also completed the test of the data networks in the top eight metros in India, which reveals an even starker picture of Data network performance in the country. The variation in performance of Data network performance between the market leader and the market average in the Tier I markets creates a bigger and better opportunity for differentiation, especially given the upcoming roll out of 3G networks and the big effort from operators to increase revenues from VAS.
When the top eight metros were assessed for average performance against the six most important data network performance metrics, it was observed that Ahmedabad had some of the best average performance rates.
Consumer’s voice
According to the Nielsen Consumer Insight survey, conducted in the Top 41 Indian cities, which measures customer attitudes and behaviors towards mobile operators, three out of four mobile users (76 percent) in India cite ‘network’ or ‘price’ as the primary reason for choosing their service provider. The same is true for recent acquirers as well -– who have entered the category in the last six months.
“Nielsen’s Consumer Insights data showed that overall satisfaction is a function of, but not limited to network coverage. Markets show both positive and negative overhang of perception versus actual performance.” continued Panchapakesan.
Though CDMA technology has an edge over GSM in both Voice and Data network performance in India, only about 62 percent of new acquisitions (acquired in the last six months) among CDMA players are likely to consider their existing service provider as their next choice. More importantly, a third of them (33 percent) are likely to consider a GSM brand as their first choice as according to the respondents it delivers better on both network and price.
“This trend in perception between GSM and CDMA operators will have an implication on driving customer acquisition, retention and usage initiatives like VAS and 3G which will be used as a means of differentiation. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will further catalyze this impending market sentiment. The CDMA operators should leverage their inherent network advantage to drive consumer perception of their network.” said Panchapakesan.
The Nielsen survey studied differences in Data Network performance between CDMA and GSM technologies. It was observed that CDMA technology has a distinct edge over GSM across all of the top six Data Network performance metrics. CDMA Operator network ranks #1 in HTTP Download Data Rate performance in seven out of the eight metros tested.
The second phase of Nielsen Consumer Experience Mobile Test program is scheduled to commence soon and will include an expanded scope of markets and features.
“The first phase of the survey found stark variation in Data network performance between Market Leader and Market Average, creating opportunities for differentiation particularly in Tier I markets.” said Shankari Panchapakesan, Executive Director, Telecom Practice Group, The Nielsen Company.
Nielsen has also completed the test of the data networks in the top eight metros in India, which reveals an even starker picture of Data network performance in the country. The variation in performance of Data network performance between the market leader and the market average in the Tier I markets creates a bigger and better opportunity for differentiation, especially given the upcoming roll out of 3G networks and the big effort from operators to increase revenues from VAS.
When the top eight metros were assessed for average performance against the six most important data network performance metrics, it was observed that Ahmedabad had some of the best average performance rates.
Consumer’s voice
According to the Nielsen Consumer Insight survey, conducted in the Top 41 Indian cities, which measures customer attitudes and behaviors towards mobile operators, three out of four mobile users (76 percent) in India cite ‘network’ or ‘price’ as the primary reason for choosing their service provider. The same is true for recent acquirers as well -– who have entered the category in the last six months.
“Nielsen’s Consumer Insights data showed that overall satisfaction is a function of, but not limited to network coverage. Markets show both positive and negative overhang of perception versus actual performance.” continued Panchapakesan.
Though CDMA technology has an edge over GSM in both Voice and Data network performance in India, only about 62 percent of new acquisitions (acquired in the last six months) among CDMA players are likely to consider their existing service provider as their next choice. More importantly, a third of them (33 percent) are likely to consider a GSM brand as their first choice as according to the respondents it delivers better on both network and price.
“This trend in perception between GSM and CDMA operators will have an implication on driving customer acquisition, retention and usage initiatives like VAS and 3G which will be used as a means of differentiation. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will further catalyze this impending market sentiment. The CDMA operators should leverage their inherent network advantage to drive consumer perception of their network.” said Panchapakesan.
Significant cost and coverage benefits for Optus with UMTS900
UK: The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) recently announced the availability of a new UMTS900 operator case study on Optus in Australia, which shows significant cost and coverage benefits of deploying 3G mobile broadband services with UMTS900.
The case study examines the business drivers and practical experiences of Optus, who launched UMTS900 in May 2008. It confirms the findings from GSA’s earlier UMTS900 case study on Elisa Corporation in Finland, and also provides additional insights.
UMTS900 has given Optus the extra range and penetration to address the challenging Australian landscape. According to Andrew Smith, Director, Mobile Core Engineering for Optus, “UMTS900 is ideally suited for Australia. The extended reach of this frequency means we can deliver better quality and wider coverage across sparsely populated areas, as well as enhanced depth of coverage.”
While the majority of today’s 3G/HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) mobile broadband networks worldwide operate in the 2100MHz band, the use of lower frequencies, such as 900MHz, provides a much larger geographical coverage area when compared to what is possible when using 2100MHz.
Widely used by GSM systems throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, HSPA deployments in the 900 MHz band significantly reduces the number of cell sites needed to cover rural and suburban areas, which translates to major CAPEX and OPEX savings for 3G deployments. These cost and coverage benefits also apply to the deployment of UMTS in other lower frequency bands such as 850MHz.
The Optus network is the largest UMTS900 network in the world. In addition to cost savings, the ability to use existing infrastructure dramatically reduced the time needed for deployment.
According to Andrew Smith, “We had previously completed significant changes to our antennas, so with UMTS900, we could walk into a site knowing limited external work was needed, which allowed a much faster deployment.”
Optus saw the rollout of UMTS900 in suburban and rural areas as a natural extension of its initial 3G deployment in the more heavily populated areas where 2100 MHz was used. UMTS900 has brought 3G and mobile broadband services more cost-effectively to outside the cities.
More than just the need for fewer installations, UMTS900 facilitates the addition of a much larger data market because it provides better indoor coverage than 2100 MHz.
Optus believes that today’s broad array of UMTS900 data products, combined with the increasing availability of UMTS900-capable smartphone devices, will enhance its competitive position.
“In an economic climate where buyers’ purchasing timeframes may move from an 18-24 month cycle to a 36-month cycle, we see the increases in ARPU enabled by better data performance as critical to continued success,” explains Henry Calvert, Director, Product Portfolio Planning, Optus.
According to GSA’s latest research, ten UMTS900-HSPA systems are now in commercial service in Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region. The availability and choice of UMTS900 user devices is rapidly increasing, with 130 HSPA/mobile broadband devices capable of operating at 900MHz (as well as 2100MHz) announced by 23 manufacturers, with more products being released every month.
The 900/2100MHz HSPA devices frequency combination is becoming commonplace for products destined for European and APAC markets.
“The availability of our second operator-based case study provides further evidence of the benefits of UMTS900 in allowing operators to bring mobile broadband service to underserved areas in a more cost effective and efficient manner,” concluded Alan Hadden, President, GSA.
“The increasing efficiencies and performance improvements using evolved HSPA (HSPA+) systems, including increased peak data throughput rates, are equally available with 900 MHz deployments as on other HSPA mobile broadband bands, to ensure a seamless user experience of mobile broadband services."
The case study examines the business drivers and practical experiences of Optus, who launched UMTS900 in May 2008. It confirms the findings from GSA’s earlier UMTS900 case study on Elisa Corporation in Finland, and also provides additional insights.
UMTS900 has given Optus the extra range and penetration to address the challenging Australian landscape. According to Andrew Smith, Director, Mobile Core Engineering for Optus, “UMTS900 is ideally suited for Australia. The extended reach of this frequency means we can deliver better quality and wider coverage across sparsely populated areas, as well as enhanced depth of coverage.”
While the majority of today’s 3G/HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) mobile broadband networks worldwide operate in the 2100MHz band, the use of lower frequencies, such as 900MHz, provides a much larger geographical coverage area when compared to what is possible when using 2100MHz.
Widely used by GSM systems throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, HSPA deployments in the 900 MHz band significantly reduces the number of cell sites needed to cover rural and suburban areas, which translates to major CAPEX and OPEX savings for 3G deployments. These cost and coverage benefits also apply to the deployment of UMTS in other lower frequency bands such as 850MHz.
The Optus network is the largest UMTS900 network in the world. In addition to cost savings, the ability to use existing infrastructure dramatically reduced the time needed for deployment.
According to Andrew Smith, “We had previously completed significant changes to our antennas, so with UMTS900, we could walk into a site knowing limited external work was needed, which allowed a much faster deployment.”
Optus saw the rollout of UMTS900 in suburban and rural areas as a natural extension of its initial 3G deployment in the more heavily populated areas where 2100 MHz was used. UMTS900 has brought 3G and mobile broadband services more cost-effectively to outside the cities.
More than just the need for fewer installations, UMTS900 facilitates the addition of a much larger data market because it provides better indoor coverage than 2100 MHz.
Optus believes that today’s broad array of UMTS900 data products, combined with the increasing availability of UMTS900-capable smartphone devices, will enhance its competitive position.
“In an economic climate where buyers’ purchasing timeframes may move from an 18-24 month cycle to a 36-month cycle, we see the increases in ARPU enabled by better data performance as critical to continued success,” explains Henry Calvert, Director, Product Portfolio Planning, Optus.
According to GSA’s latest research, ten UMTS900-HSPA systems are now in commercial service in Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region. The availability and choice of UMTS900 user devices is rapidly increasing, with 130 HSPA/mobile broadband devices capable of operating at 900MHz (as well as 2100MHz) announced by 23 manufacturers, with more products being released every month.
The 900/2100MHz HSPA devices frequency combination is becoming commonplace for products destined for European and APAC markets.
“The availability of our second operator-based case study provides further evidence of the benefits of UMTS900 in allowing operators to bring mobile broadband service to underserved areas in a more cost effective and efficient manner,” concluded Alan Hadden, President, GSA.
“The increasing efficiencies and performance improvements using evolved HSPA (HSPA+) systems, including increased peak data throughput rates, are equally available with 900 MHz deployments as on other HSPA mobile broadband bands, to ensure a seamless user experience of mobile broadband services."
366,000 picocells to be deployed by 2013
LONDON, UK: Picocells -– the “big brothers” of the increasingly familiar femtocells -– have not enjoyed rapid or massive adoption so far.
However, ABI Research estimates that in 2013, there will have been cumulative deployments of about 366,000 picocell devices worldwide. While not a huge number in itself, that represents a 38 percent compound annual growth rate over the years from 2008.
“The key to greater market acceptance for picocells lies in their increasing similarity to femtocells in terms of their setup and cost” says senior analyst Aditya Kaul.
“However, unlike femtocells which are largely consumer-focused, next-generation picocells will continue to be targeted at the enterprise market, offering rugged, carrier-grade feature sets. There is also an understanding that many of these new picocells will still require a truck roll for deployment, although offering a lower cost device than the traditional picocell.”
The most suitable market is comprised of establishments with between 20 and 100 employees. “Large buildings and corporate campuses tend to deploy distributed antenna systems (DAS),” says Kaul.
“Operators haven’t really succeeded yet in delivering a cost-efficient system for small-medium offices. Within the 20-100 employee market our research identified, the 20-49 employee group will see competition between picocells and domestic femtocells deployed in grids. The sweet spot for picocells is in the 50-100 employee segment. One good example is satellite offices of larger corporations that have a corporate account covering multiple branches: they could use next-generation picocells in a cost-effective way.”
However, ABI Research estimates that in 2013, there will have been cumulative deployments of about 366,000 picocell devices worldwide. While not a huge number in itself, that represents a 38 percent compound annual growth rate over the years from 2008.
“The key to greater market acceptance for picocells lies in their increasing similarity to femtocells in terms of their setup and cost” says senior analyst Aditya Kaul.
“However, unlike femtocells which are largely consumer-focused, next-generation picocells will continue to be targeted at the enterprise market, offering rugged, carrier-grade feature sets. There is also an understanding that many of these new picocells will still require a truck roll for deployment, although offering a lower cost device than the traditional picocell.”
The most suitable market is comprised of establishments with between 20 and 100 employees. “Large buildings and corporate campuses tend to deploy distributed antenna systems (DAS),” says Kaul.
“Operators haven’t really succeeded yet in delivering a cost-efficient system for small-medium offices. Within the 20-100 employee market our research identified, the 20-49 employee group will see competition between picocells and domestic femtocells deployed in grids. The sweet spot for picocells is in the 50-100 employee segment. One good example is satellite offices of larger corporations that have a corporate account covering multiple branches: they could use next-generation picocells in a cost-effective way.”
Friday, June 26, 2009
SPIRIT adds support for scalable video coding technology
USA: SPIRIT DSP, the world's leading provider of carrier-grade voice and video software engines, has debuted its TeamSpirit 4.0 Conferencing Engine solution with scalable architecture based on H.264 SVC video technology.
TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine is based on the Transcoder Free Operations (TrFO) principle that allows transmitting compressed voice and video without unnecessary signal coding and decoding at the server (MCU) side. That prevents additional server load, significantly lowers the delay and entirely dispose quality degradation typically associated with it.
By transmitting only compressed data, TrFO dramatically lowers overall infrastructure costs: channel capacity can be amplified by up to six times. SPIRIT’s technology allows achieving all those benefits without any increase in traffic volume.
Automatic Rate Selection (ARS) technology used in TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine allows end-users to enjoy the maximum quality allowed by their channel capacity and terminal equipment design.
Thanks to the proprietary solution with limited usage of the interframe correlation, TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine boosts high packet loss robustness and error resiliency even in unmanaged or congested IP-networks, independent of limited client capabilities and provides the best available voice and video quality.
“Scalable approach, used in our new solution, solves most of the existing issues with transmission of real-time, multi-point video and significantly improves user experience with popular video applications, such as conferencing, streaming, broadcasting, surveillance, and others,” said Slava Borilin, VP Products at SPIRIT.
“SPIRIT has developed the world’s first commercial, wideband, scalable voice codec IP-MR™ and now we are leveraging our expertise to keep pace with the most cutting-edge market trends in video, making video quality of PC-based desktop conferencing better than provided by expensive MCUs.
Furthermore, adding H.264 SVC scalable video codec to TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine allows for multi-layer capability which assures the best possible resolution, frame rate and quality of the picture regardless of the type of a terminal, whether it is a mobile phone, a PC or a wide-screen TV.”
TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine is based on the Transcoder Free Operations (TrFO) principle that allows transmitting compressed voice and video without unnecessary signal coding and decoding at the server (MCU) side. That prevents additional server load, significantly lowers the delay and entirely dispose quality degradation typically associated with it.
By transmitting only compressed data, TrFO dramatically lowers overall infrastructure costs: channel capacity can be amplified by up to six times. SPIRIT’s technology allows achieving all those benefits without any increase in traffic volume.
Automatic Rate Selection (ARS) technology used in TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine allows end-users to enjoy the maximum quality allowed by their channel capacity and terminal equipment design.
Thanks to the proprietary solution with limited usage of the interframe correlation, TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine boosts high packet loss robustness and error resiliency even in unmanaged or congested IP-networks, independent of limited client capabilities and provides the best available voice and video quality.
“Scalable approach, used in our new solution, solves most of the existing issues with transmission of real-time, multi-point video and significantly improves user experience with popular video applications, such as conferencing, streaming, broadcasting, surveillance, and others,” said Slava Borilin, VP Products at SPIRIT.
“SPIRIT has developed the world’s first commercial, wideband, scalable voice codec IP-MR™ and now we are leveraging our expertise to keep pace with the most cutting-edge market trends in video, making video quality of PC-based desktop conferencing better than provided by expensive MCUs.
Furthermore, adding H.264 SVC scalable video codec to TeamSpirit 4.0 Scalable Conferencing Engine allows for multi-layer capability which assures the best possible resolution, frame rate and quality of the picture regardless of the type of a terminal, whether it is a mobile phone, a PC or a wide-screen TV.”
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Hans Vestberg appointed President and CEO of Ericsson
SWEDEN: Ericsson’s Board of Directors has appointed Hans Vestberg President and CEO of Ericsson as of January 1, 2010. Hans Vestberg is currently CFO and Executive Vice President. He is succeeding Carl-Henric Svanberg who has accepted to take on the position as Chairman of BP, the world’s fourth largest company.
Hans Vestberg is 44 years old and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1991. He joined Ericsson the same year and was within a short time period appointed to various international managerial positions in China, Sweden, Chile, Brazil and the US.
Between 1998 and 2000 he was CFO of Ericsson in Brazil. In the years 2000 to 2002, Vestberg was Chief Financial Officer for Ericsson in North America and Ericsson’s controller for the Americas. From 2002 to 2003 Vestberg served as President of Ericsson in Mexico. He became Senior Vice President and head of business unit Global Services in 2003 and was appointed Executive Vice President in 2005. Vestberg was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2007.
Michael Treschow, chairman of the Ericsson Board of Directors, says: “Hans Vestberg was early in his career at Ericsson identified as a person with outstanding leadership skills. He has a proven excellent understanding of Ericsson’s business with experience from all different Ericsson business activities.
"He has been instrumental in developing Ericsson’s industry leading services operation which grew threefold with good profitability during his five years of management. Vestberg has a broad international experience through assignments for more than ten years in three continents.”
“Hans Vestberg will lead Ericsson in a phase where the transformation of telecom operators’ networks and implementation of IP-based services are crucial in order to continue the company’s successful creation of shareholder value.”
Ericsson’s present President and CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg will remain in his position until year-end when he takes on his new assignment as chairman of BP. Svanberg will remain as member of the Ericsson Board of Directors and the main owners, Investor and Industrivärden, have expressed their wish to see Carl-Henric Svanberg as member of the Ericsson Board of Directors long-term.
Michael Treschow continues: “With Carl-Henric Svanberg’s leadership, Ericsson has become the industry’s most profitable company and its market position has been tremendously strengthened. With Svanberg, the industry’s most successful strategy has been developed and implemented.”
“Over the past six years, mobile telephony has grown from 1 billion to 4 billion subscribers in the world, an unparalleled development. Ericsson has been one of the main drivers in this development with a steadily increased market share. The strong position in GSM and continued industry leading R&D investments have paved the way for leadership in mobile broadband and 4G/LTE now being deployed worldwide.“
“Strategic acquisitions have been made in the area of fixed and optical fiber as well as IP and TV which makes Ericsson the only player in the industry with a complete portfolio for mobile and fixed converging IP based networks. Products are today software based and Ericsson has become the world’s fifth largest software company. At the same time, services have grown quickly, and now represents one third of total sales.”
During 2003-2008 Ericsson’s compounded annual growth was 12 percent. Over the past five years, the company has generated a total profit of SEK 103 b. and a cash flow of SEK 101 b. Total dividends over the past five years amount to SEK 27 b.
Svanberg joined Ericsson on April 8, 2003 at a troublesome time when the company struggled with losses and restructuring. One of his first actions was to introduce his leadership philosophies and focus on operational excellence. Culture and ways of working changed in the company and is a major reason for today’s good profitability.
Michael Treschow says: “Technology and services leadership in combination with tight customer relationships and operational excellence are Ericsson’s key success factors. Hans Vestberg will continue to drive and implement Ericsson’s successful strategy.”
Hans Vestberg is 44 years old and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1991. He joined Ericsson the same year and was within a short time period appointed to various international managerial positions in China, Sweden, Chile, Brazil and the US.
Between 1998 and 2000 he was CFO of Ericsson in Brazil. In the years 2000 to 2002, Vestberg was Chief Financial Officer for Ericsson in North America and Ericsson’s controller for the Americas. From 2002 to 2003 Vestberg served as President of Ericsson in Mexico. He became Senior Vice President and head of business unit Global Services in 2003 and was appointed Executive Vice President in 2005. Vestberg was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2007.
Michael Treschow, chairman of the Ericsson Board of Directors, says: “Hans Vestberg was early in his career at Ericsson identified as a person with outstanding leadership skills. He has a proven excellent understanding of Ericsson’s business with experience from all different Ericsson business activities.
"He has been instrumental in developing Ericsson’s industry leading services operation which grew threefold with good profitability during his five years of management. Vestberg has a broad international experience through assignments for more than ten years in three continents.”
“Hans Vestberg will lead Ericsson in a phase where the transformation of telecom operators’ networks and implementation of IP-based services are crucial in order to continue the company’s successful creation of shareholder value.”
Ericsson’s present President and CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg will remain in his position until year-end when he takes on his new assignment as chairman of BP. Svanberg will remain as member of the Ericsson Board of Directors and the main owners, Investor and Industrivärden, have expressed their wish to see Carl-Henric Svanberg as member of the Ericsson Board of Directors long-term.
Michael Treschow continues: “With Carl-Henric Svanberg’s leadership, Ericsson has become the industry’s most profitable company and its market position has been tremendously strengthened. With Svanberg, the industry’s most successful strategy has been developed and implemented.”
“Over the past six years, mobile telephony has grown from 1 billion to 4 billion subscribers in the world, an unparalleled development. Ericsson has been one of the main drivers in this development with a steadily increased market share. The strong position in GSM and continued industry leading R&D investments have paved the way for leadership in mobile broadband and 4G/LTE now being deployed worldwide.“
“Strategic acquisitions have been made in the area of fixed and optical fiber as well as IP and TV which makes Ericsson the only player in the industry with a complete portfolio for mobile and fixed converging IP based networks. Products are today software based and Ericsson has become the world’s fifth largest software company. At the same time, services have grown quickly, and now represents one third of total sales.”
During 2003-2008 Ericsson’s compounded annual growth was 12 percent. Over the past five years, the company has generated a total profit of SEK 103 b. and a cash flow of SEK 101 b. Total dividends over the past five years amount to SEK 27 b.
Svanberg joined Ericsson on April 8, 2003 at a troublesome time when the company struggled with losses and restructuring. One of his first actions was to introduce his leadership philosophies and focus on operational excellence. Culture and ways of working changed in the company and is a major reason for today’s good profitability.
Michael Treschow says: “Technology and services leadership in combination with tight customer relationships and operational excellence are Ericsson’s key success factors. Hans Vestberg will continue to drive and implement Ericsson’s successful strategy.”
China’s mobile handset market expands by 9 percent in Q1
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Driven by government stimulus programs and purchases for the Lunar New Year holiday, China’s domestic mobile-handset shipments in the first quarter of 2009, up 9 percent from 53 million units in the fourth quarter of 2008, paving the way for growth for the entire year, according to iSuppli Corp.
Sales of brand-name GSM-based mobile handsets amounted to 44 million units in the first quarter of 2009, compared to 42 million in the first quarter of 2008. Branded CDMA-based wireless phone sales reached 5.8 million units in the first quarter, up 200 percent from the same period in 2008. Domestic white-box handset sales amounted to about 8 million units during the same period, compared to 10 million in the first quarter of 2008.
iSuppli forecasts that China’s domestic handset market will amount to 238.9 million units in 2009, up 7.8 percent from 2008.
The figure presents iSuppli’s forecast of China’s domestic mobile handset market, based on unit shipments.
iSuppli: Forecast of China’s Domestic Handset Market Unit Shipments, 2009-2013 (Millions of Units)
Source: iSuppli, June 2009
“The first quarter is typically strong for China’s mobile-phone market due to purchases made for the Lunar New Year Holiday in January,” said Kevin Wang, director, China research, for iSuppli.
“At the same time, shipments were further boosted by demand generated from China’s stimulus programs that encourage the purchasing of electronic products. Ongoing reductions in voice-service fees and declines in average handset selling prices will assure stable growth in China’s mobile subscribers during the next five years.”
The net addition of mobile subscribers for the nation’s three wireless operators—China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom—amounted to 20 million, 5 million and 4 million, respectively, during the first quarter.
Tianyu takes third rank in Q1
Local brand Tianyu in the first quarter surpassed Motorola to become the third largest mobile handset supplier in domestic sales. Nokia and Samsung remain the leaders in the domestic market, with market shares of 34 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Motorola and Sony Ericsson have continued to lose market share during the past four quarters, while
local-brand OEMs such as Goinee and OPPO have continuously gained market share.
In terms of total handset shipments, ZTE in the first quarter became the largest Chinese handset OEM, with 7.2 million units shipped. Rival Huawei shipped 6.6 million handset units, putting it in the No.-2 position in the market.
Huawei, however, is the largest data card supplier in the world, and its data card shipments reached 5.1 million units in the first quarter this year. iSuppli believes that ZTE and Huawei will continue to grab market share from the international top five, especially in the developing countries.
Mobile phones get smart
With the introduction of 3G services in the country by China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, 3G service brands dubbed G3, e-surfing and WO are being promoted by the Chinese telecom operators. At present, data cards and netbooks are the main products offered by operators for 3G service users, but iSuppli expects growth in the domestic 3G handset market to accelerate in 2010.
With smart phones lining up to become the hottest mobile handset products during the next two years, operators also hope to leverage smart phones to promote 3G services in China.
For its part, China Mobile has cooperated with local handset makers to develop an Android-based TD-SCDMA smart phone named OPhone. In a parallel move, China Unicom has joined the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), while most leading Chinese handset makers are developing smart phones based on the Windows Mobile or Android operating systems.
Digital mobile TV is one of the most popular features for mobile handsets. China Mobile and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) will jointly promote TD-SCDMA terminals using the China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (CMMB) function in China. Beyond CMMB, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC will become new popular features in China.
Sales of brand-name GSM-based mobile handsets amounted to 44 million units in the first quarter of 2009, compared to 42 million in the first quarter of 2008. Branded CDMA-based wireless phone sales reached 5.8 million units in the first quarter, up 200 percent from the same period in 2008. Domestic white-box handset sales amounted to about 8 million units during the same period, compared to 10 million in the first quarter of 2008.
iSuppli forecasts that China’s domestic handset market will amount to 238.9 million units in 2009, up 7.8 percent from 2008.
The figure presents iSuppli’s forecast of China’s domestic mobile handset market, based on unit shipments.
iSuppli: Forecast of China’s Domestic Handset Market Unit Shipments, 2009-2013 (Millions of Units)
Source: iSuppli, June 2009“The first quarter is typically strong for China’s mobile-phone market due to purchases made for the Lunar New Year Holiday in January,” said Kevin Wang, director, China research, for iSuppli.
“At the same time, shipments were further boosted by demand generated from China’s stimulus programs that encourage the purchasing of electronic products. Ongoing reductions in voice-service fees and declines in average handset selling prices will assure stable growth in China’s mobile subscribers during the next five years.”
The net addition of mobile subscribers for the nation’s three wireless operators—China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom—amounted to 20 million, 5 million and 4 million, respectively, during the first quarter.
Tianyu takes third rank in Q1
Local brand Tianyu in the first quarter surpassed Motorola to become the third largest mobile handset supplier in domestic sales. Nokia and Samsung remain the leaders in the domestic market, with market shares of 34 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Motorola and Sony Ericsson have continued to lose market share during the past four quarters, while
local-brand OEMs such as Goinee and OPPO have continuously gained market share.
In terms of total handset shipments, ZTE in the first quarter became the largest Chinese handset OEM, with 7.2 million units shipped. Rival Huawei shipped 6.6 million handset units, putting it in the No.-2 position in the market.
Huawei, however, is the largest data card supplier in the world, and its data card shipments reached 5.1 million units in the first quarter this year. iSuppli believes that ZTE and Huawei will continue to grab market share from the international top five, especially in the developing countries.
Mobile phones get smart
With the introduction of 3G services in the country by China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, 3G service brands dubbed G3, e-surfing and WO are being promoted by the Chinese telecom operators. At present, data cards and netbooks are the main products offered by operators for 3G service users, but iSuppli expects growth in the domestic 3G handset market to accelerate in 2010.
With smart phones lining up to become the hottest mobile handset products during the next two years, operators also hope to leverage smart phones to promote 3G services in China.
For its part, China Mobile has cooperated with local handset makers to develop an Android-based TD-SCDMA smart phone named OPhone. In a parallel move, China Unicom has joined the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), while most leading Chinese handset makers are developing smart phones based on the Windows Mobile or Android operating systems.
Digital mobile TV is one of the most popular features for mobile handsets. China Mobile and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) will jointly promote TD-SCDMA terminals using the China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (CMMB) function in China. Beyond CMMB, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC will become new popular features in China.
SMEs in China: Promising in mobile UC
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: With a strong domestic market, SMEs in China are less exposed to the global economic climate than most of their counterparts in other countries. As a result, they expect to continue spending on telecoms during the downturn.
“They are price-sensitive and are more likely to adopt managed and hosted services in order to avoid up-front capital investments, however we recommend caution when looking at these expectations”, said Claudio Castelli, Senior Analyst based in Melbourne.
"Even in China, economic growth is slowing considerably. At some stage it is likely that cash-strapped SMEs will look to cut costs and that budgets may not be converted into actual spend”, advised Castelli.
Mobility is growing fast among SMEs in China -- currently 61 percent of their employees have some degree of mobility; but this high level of mobility is not yet reflected in expenditure on mobile services. As is the case in most Asian countries, SMEs in China don’t supply mobile devices to their employees; mobile users supply and support their own personal mobile devices when at work.
“We believe this practice has a high degree of risk for the business”, added Castelli. However this scenario is likely to change, as SMEs expect their expenditure to grow more on mobile services than on fixed services. “Moreover, recent reforms in the Chinese telecoms market and the release of 3G licences nationwide will promote more services and competition, further accentuating this growth”, he adds.
SMEs in China are also expecting to adopt new mobile applications. Considering the magnitude of the Chinese market, this is a major opportunity for vendors and service providers.
Mobile email has the highest potential to grow, while other promising mobile applications include mobile IM and mobile multimedia, which offer great opportunities for mobile UC providers. Applications that address the specific needs of mobile workforces, such as tracking of goods or vehicles, field service automation and sales force automation, will also be in demand.
In addition, there are a few companies deploying specific solutions for people moving around within the workplace, and we see potential for fixed–mobile convergence (FMC) solutions.
Many SMEs are willing to deploy PBX-like features on their mobile phones -– some expect these to be provided by a mobile service provider while others expect to deploy them at their own premises. However, it will be difficult to deploy integrated solutions based on users’ personal devices. “SMEs will need to take full control of their mobility solutions, including mobile devices”, concludes Castelli.
“They are price-sensitive and are more likely to adopt managed and hosted services in order to avoid up-front capital investments, however we recommend caution when looking at these expectations”, said Claudio Castelli, Senior Analyst based in Melbourne.
"Even in China, economic growth is slowing considerably. At some stage it is likely that cash-strapped SMEs will look to cut costs and that budgets may not be converted into actual spend”, advised Castelli.
Mobility is growing fast among SMEs in China -- currently 61 percent of their employees have some degree of mobility; but this high level of mobility is not yet reflected in expenditure on mobile services. As is the case in most Asian countries, SMEs in China don’t supply mobile devices to their employees; mobile users supply and support their own personal mobile devices when at work.
“We believe this practice has a high degree of risk for the business”, added Castelli. However this scenario is likely to change, as SMEs expect their expenditure to grow more on mobile services than on fixed services. “Moreover, recent reforms in the Chinese telecoms market and the release of 3G licences nationwide will promote more services and competition, further accentuating this growth”, he adds.
SMEs in China are also expecting to adopt new mobile applications. Considering the magnitude of the Chinese market, this is a major opportunity for vendors and service providers.
Mobile email has the highest potential to grow, while other promising mobile applications include mobile IM and mobile multimedia, which offer great opportunities for mobile UC providers. Applications that address the specific needs of mobile workforces, such as tracking of goods or vehicles, field service automation and sales force automation, will also be in demand.
In addition, there are a few companies deploying specific solutions for people moving around within the workplace, and we see potential for fixed–mobile convergence (FMC) solutions.
Many SMEs are willing to deploy PBX-like features on their mobile phones -– some expect these to be provided by a mobile service provider while others expect to deploy them at their own premises. However, it will be difficult to deploy integrated solutions based on users’ personal devices. “SMEs will need to take full control of their mobility solutions, including mobile devices”, concludes Castelli.
Toshiba launches Unified Communications suite
IRVINE, USA: Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division, announced the availability of its Unified Communications Suite, which bundles Toshiba'’s unified communications applications in a single software package.
All applications in the Unified Communications Suite run on one UC server, Toshiba’s Media Application Server. Now available from Authorized Toshiba Dealers nationwide, Toshiba’s Unified Communications Suite makes it easy and affordable for enterprises to adopt unified communications.
“With Toshiba’s new Unified Communications Suite, Strata® CIX™ VoIP system users get a full suite of unified communications applications on a single server that provides an affordable entry to unified communications without sacrificing any features,” said Brian Metherell, vice president and general manager for Toshiba Information Systems, Telecommunication Systems Division.
“With Toshiba’'s Unified Communications Suite, our customers can be assured that they are getting the best possible price and significantly simplifying the process of deployment and management of a single unified communications solution.”
Toshiba’s new Unified Communications Suite includes several unified communications applications including:
Presence and Instant Messaging: View the status of other users with access to both their telephone busy/idle status and calendar status from Outlook® integration. Users can also maximize efficiency with the ability to call or instant-message contacts in one click.
Outbound Dialing From Any Application: Making a call is as easy as highlighting a number and clicking the mouse. Users can also launch electronic documents, applications and web pages directly from the Net Phone® call manager interface for quick access to the most frequently used communications tools, saving valuable time.
Desktop Call Control From Your PC: Combine desktop and telephone capabilities to dial, answer, transfer calls and more, all by the click of a mouse. Drag-and-drop features make call transfer, speed dialing, and other functions faster and easier. Users can manage this Net Phone application at their desks or as stand-alone IP soft phones, providing mobility and remote access as well as the efficiency of combining their telephones and computers into integrated communication tools.
CRM Integration and Screen-pops: Call-answering personnel can provide better service by immediately knowing which customer is calling through automatic database lookup and screen-pop integration to customer relationship management (CRM) applications and databases, saving company time and improving customer service.
One Number Access (“find me, follow me” sequential ringing): Incoming calls ring at the user’s desk telephone and mobile phone simultaneously or follow a predetermined phone sequence until it finds the user. If not answered at any of the programmed destinations, the user’s voice mail takes the message. Intelligent routing to any destination and only having one voice mailbox to check provides efficiency and value.
Off-premise Call Forwarding: Incoming calls are automatically forwarded when the user is out of the office, and the user can change the forwarding destination from any remote location.
Personal Call Handling: Users can define how calls are routed by combining the features of schedule-based and caller-based routing of incoming calls, One Number Access (“find me, follow me” sequential ringing), call screening (announcing the caller name), simultaneous ringing of desk and mobile phones, and the ability to transfer a call back to the office from a cell phone —- the perfect combination of accessibility and mobility.
Fixed Mobile Convergence: Toshiba'’s uMobility solution empowers mobile workers to make and answer their PBX calls from virtually anywhere. The users’ smart cell phones function as their PBX extension phones both while in the office via the wireless LAN and while out of the office via a cellular network. This is an advanced level of mobility that insures the most expeditious handling of incoming calls.
Video Conferencing and Collaboration: The Toshiba Video Communication Solution (VCS®) provides video communication and collaboration, desktop/application sharing, file transfer, and message board text messaging capabilities. Users can easily add video communications to traditional voice conversations and save money on travel by handling collaboration meetings remotely.
Unified Messaging: Users can access voice and fax messages from their email inboxes, providing the convenience of checking all messages from one location. Web-based unified messaging also adds mobility, allowing users access to their email, voice and fax messages by using only an Internet browser, without even needing to first access their email providers. This is especially useful when away from the office, enabling mobile users to access and manage their voice and fax messages from anywhere they have Internet access.
Toshiba'’s Unified Communications Suite is now available through Authorized Toshiba Dealers nationwide.
All applications in the Unified Communications Suite run on one UC server, Toshiba’s Media Application Server. Now available from Authorized Toshiba Dealers nationwide, Toshiba’s Unified Communications Suite makes it easy and affordable for enterprises to adopt unified communications.
“With Toshiba’s new Unified Communications Suite, Strata® CIX™ VoIP system users get a full suite of unified communications applications on a single server that provides an affordable entry to unified communications without sacrificing any features,” said Brian Metherell, vice president and general manager for Toshiba Information Systems, Telecommunication Systems Division.
“With Toshiba’'s Unified Communications Suite, our customers can be assured that they are getting the best possible price and significantly simplifying the process of deployment and management of a single unified communications solution.”
Toshiba’s new Unified Communications Suite includes several unified communications applications including:
Presence and Instant Messaging: View the status of other users with access to both their telephone busy/idle status and calendar status from Outlook® integration. Users can also maximize efficiency with the ability to call or instant-message contacts in one click.
Outbound Dialing From Any Application: Making a call is as easy as highlighting a number and clicking the mouse. Users can also launch electronic documents, applications and web pages directly from the Net Phone® call manager interface for quick access to the most frequently used communications tools, saving valuable time.
Desktop Call Control From Your PC: Combine desktop and telephone capabilities to dial, answer, transfer calls and more, all by the click of a mouse. Drag-and-drop features make call transfer, speed dialing, and other functions faster and easier. Users can manage this Net Phone application at their desks or as stand-alone IP soft phones, providing mobility and remote access as well as the efficiency of combining their telephones and computers into integrated communication tools.
CRM Integration and Screen-pops: Call-answering personnel can provide better service by immediately knowing which customer is calling through automatic database lookup and screen-pop integration to customer relationship management (CRM) applications and databases, saving company time and improving customer service.
One Number Access (“find me, follow me” sequential ringing): Incoming calls ring at the user’s desk telephone and mobile phone simultaneously or follow a predetermined phone sequence until it finds the user. If not answered at any of the programmed destinations, the user’s voice mail takes the message. Intelligent routing to any destination and only having one voice mailbox to check provides efficiency and value.
Off-premise Call Forwarding: Incoming calls are automatically forwarded when the user is out of the office, and the user can change the forwarding destination from any remote location.
Personal Call Handling: Users can define how calls are routed by combining the features of schedule-based and caller-based routing of incoming calls, One Number Access (“find me, follow me” sequential ringing), call screening (announcing the caller name), simultaneous ringing of desk and mobile phones, and the ability to transfer a call back to the office from a cell phone —- the perfect combination of accessibility and mobility.
Fixed Mobile Convergence: Toshiba'’s uMobility solution empowers mobile workers to make and answer their PBX calls from virtually anywhere. The users’ smart cell phones function as their PBX extension phones both while in the office via the wireless LAN and while out of the office via a cellular network. This is an advanced level of mobility that insures the most expeditious handling of incoming calls.
Video Conferencing and Collaboration: The Toshiba Video Communication Solution (VCS®) provides video communication and collaboration, desktop/application sharing, file transfer, and message board text messaging capabilities. Users can easily add video communications to traditional voice conversations and save money on travel by handling collaboration meetings remotely.
Unified Messaging: Users can access voice and fax messages from their email inboxes, providing the convenience of checking all messages from one location. Web-based unified messaging also adds mobility, allowing users access to their email, voice and fax messages by using only an Internet browser, without even needing to first access their email providers. This is especially useful when away from the office, enabling mobile users to access and manage their voice and fax messages from anywhere they have Internet access.
Toshiba'’s Unified Communications Suite is now available through Authorized Toshiba Dealers nationwide.
Adobe, HTC bring flash platform to Android
SAN JOSE, USA & LONDON, UK: Adobe Systems Inc. and HTC, a global designer of mobile phones, announced that the new HTC Hero is the first Android phone to ship with support for Adobe Flash platform technology.
The new phone delivers a more complete Web browsing experience and provides access to a broad variety of Flash technology based content available on the Web today.
“As the first Android device with Flash, the new HTC Hero represents a key milestone for Android and the Flash Platform. With close to 80 percent of all videos online delivered with Adobe Flash technology, consumers want to access rich Web content on-the-go,” said David Wadhwani, vice president and general manager, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. “The collaboration with HTC offers people a more complete Flash based Web browsing experience today and presents an important step towards full Web browsing with Flash Player 10 on mobile phones in the future.”
The new HTC Hero is a key element of the HTC experience and a new generation of HTC mobile phones and devices. Users can browse and discover a broad set of Web content and applications not supported by mobile phones in the past. People can also view YouTube videos using Flash technology, and enable full screen viewing mode by simply double tapping the screen.
“Adobe Flash is an important core technology for people interacting and experiencing the Web, it is only natural to be offering it on the new HTC Hero first,” said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. “We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Adobe and to bringing Flash Player 10 support to our phones in the future.”
The HTC Hero delivers powerful, compatible video playback performance using Flash technology, and interactive content enabled by ActionScript 2.0. Users can enjoy and navigate through Web videos using intuitive video controls.
With progressive streaming of large MP3 audio files from a Web server and the local file storage, the HTC Hero provides a seamless audio experience. Support for Sorenson and On2 VP6 codecs enables higher quality video and playback of existing Web content. A demo of the user experience enabled by the Flash Platform on the HTC Hero and the Android operating system can be viewed at www.adobe.com/go/htchero.
HTC participates in Open Screen project
HTC also announced its participation in the Open Screen Project, a broad industry effort to deliver a consistent runtime across screens and to provide access to all Flash technology based Web content in the future.
As a contributor to the initiative, HTC is collaborating with Adobe and more than 25 other industry leaders to bring Flash Player 10 and full Web browsing to the next generation of Android based smartphones and other mobile computing platforms and devices.
The new phone delivers a more complete Web browsing experience and provides access to a broad variety of Flash technology based content available on the Web today.
“As the first Android device with Flash, the new HTC Hero represents a key milestone for Android and the Flash Platform. With close to 80 percent of all videos online delivered with Adobe Flash technology, consumers want to access rich Web content on-the-go,” said David Wadhwani, vice president and general manager, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. “The collaboration with HTC offers people a more complete Flash based Web browsing experience today and presents an important step towards full Web browsing with Flash Player 10 on mobile phones in the future.”
The new HTC Hero is a key element of the HTC experience and a new generation of HTC mobile phones and devices. Users can browse and discover a broad set of Web content and applications not supported by mobile phones in the past. People can also view YouTube videos using Flash technology, and enable full screen viewing mode by simply double tapping the screen.
“Adobe Flash is an important core technology for people interacting and experiencing the Web, it is only natural to be offering it on the new HTC Hero first,” said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. “We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Adobe and to bringing Flash Player 10 support to our phones in the future.”
The HTC Hero delivers powerful, compatible video playback performance using Flash technology, and interactive content enabled by ActionScript 2.0. Users can enjoy and navigate through Web videos using intuitive video controls.
With progressive streaming of large MP3 audio files from a Web server and the local file storage, the HTC Hero provides a seamless audio experience. Support for Sorenson and On2 VP6 codecs enables higher quality video and playback of existing Web content. A demo of the user experience enabled by the Flash Platform on the HTC Hero and the Android operating system can be viewed at www.adobe.com/go/htchero.
HTC participates in Open Screen project
HTC also announced its participation in the Open Screen Project, a broad industry effort to deliver a consistent runtime across screens and to provide access to all Flash technology based Web content in the future.
As a contributor to the initiative, HTC is collaborating with Adobe and more than 25 other industry leaders to bring Flash Player 10 and full Web browsing to the next generation of Android based smartphones and other mobile computing platforms and devices.
TETCO VOXPILOT videoconferencing solution for PC, 3G mobile phone and videophone
COURBEVOIE, FRANCE: During the CommunicAsia trade show held in Singapore from June 16th to 19th 2009, TETCO-VOXPILOT unveiled its new Tetco-Voxpilot videoconferencing solution.
Tetco-Voxpilot Videoconferencing allows you to hold an audio and video conference by connecting in real time from any part of the world without any installation needed on your workstation. This extremely competitive solution is intended for heavy use from your PC, 3G mobile phone or videophone, on all foreign markets.
Users can either watch the same screen, or customise their screen by selecting the participants they wish to display on their PC, 3G mobile phone or videophone screen.
The video is high definition, of the TV type, H.264, even in low- bandwidth situations. The maximum bandwidth used is 364kbps. Tetco-Voxpilot Videoconferencing can simultaneously manage different codecs for each participant.
User-friendliness is one of the key factors in choosing this solution:
* Easy booking through a dedicated web interface,
* Email or SMS confirmation,
* Availability checking,
* Conference launching in just one click,
* Post-session report.
The solution is compatible with any kind of system and requires no prior installation on the workstation. To join the conference, participants only need to click on a hypertext link or dial a number.
The Tetco-Voxpilot videoconferencing solution meets current business needs: substantial cost reductions, lower travel expenses, better efficiency and productivity with mobile teams and multi-site companies.
“We have here a solution that combines ‘room-based’ solutions quality and the flexibility of use with the total absence of any specific programme on the client station,” says Tristan Dessain-Gelinet, CEO of TETCO-VOXPILOT. “Videoconferencing has become a crucial solution for businesses, particularly given the current economic climate where it is vital to reduce costs while still gaining in efficiency.”
Tetco-Voxpilot Videoconferencing allows you to hold an audio and video conference by connecting in real time from any part of the world without any installation needed on your workstation. This extremely competitive solution is intended for heavy use from your PC, 3G mobile phone or videophone, on all foreign markets.
Users can either watch the same screen, or customise their screen by selecting the participants they wish to display on their PC, 3G mobile phone or videophone screen.
The video is high definition, of the TV type, H.264, even in low- bandwidth situations. The maximum bandwidth used is 364kbps. Tetco-Voxpilot Videoconferencing can simultaneously manage different codecs for each participant.
User-friendliness is one of the key factors in choosing this solution:
* Easy booking through a dedicated web interface,
* Email or SMS confirmation,
* Availability checking,
* Conference launching in just one click,
* Post-session report.
The solution is compatible with any kind of system and requires no prior installation on the workstation. To join the conference, participants only need to click on a hypertext link or dial a number.
The Tetco-Voxpilot videoconferencing solution meets current business needs: substantial cost reductions, lower travel expenses, better efficiency and productivity with mobile teams and multi-site companies.
“We have here a solution that combines ‘room-based’ solutions quality and the flexibility of use with the total absence of any specific programme on the client station,” says Tristan Dessain-Gelinet, CEO of TETCO-VOXPILOT. “Videoconferencing has become a crucial solution for businesses, particularly given the current economic climate where it is vital to reduce costs while still gaining in efficiency.”
Ixia completes Catapult's acquisition
CALABASAS, USA: Ixia, a leading, global provider of converged IP performance test systems, has completed its acquisition of Catapult Communications Corp. for approximately $105 million, or $63 million net of Catapult’s cash and investments.
The acquisition was conducted by means of a tender offer for all of the outstanding common shares of Catapult, and was completed by a merger that was effected on Tuesday June 23.
With the additional wireless solutions from the Catapult acquisition, Ixia has expanded its suite of test platforms that enable service providers to accelerate deployment of wireless services based on converged networks that support increasingly powerful, engaging, and complex multimedia applications.
Growing deployment of multimedia applications through smartphones and notebooks has already stressed the data capacity requirements of wireless networks. Smartphones are increasingly being used as on-ramps to the multimedia Internet rather than just to make phone calls. Wireless networks need to be provisioned, deployed and tested with next-generation media-rich services in mind from day one.
With this acquisition, Ixia becomes a single source solution for testing converged multiplay IP services over wireless and wireline networks to telecom equipment manufacturers and global service providers.
Catapult’s 3G and 4G wireless networking test solutions provide solutions for testing the next generation network infrastructure and applications. These solutions are an excellent complement to Ixia’s existing line of IP performance test systems and post-deployment service verification platforms.
Catapult’s advanced wireless test systems deliver superior high-performance solutions for hundreds of protocols and variants, including LTE, IMS, UMTS, WiMAX, CDMA, VoIP, GPRS, GSM and SS7. Ixia uses large-scale protocol simulations that accurately model real-world subscriber behavior to test end-to-end networks and sub-systems. This approach accelerates service providers’ time to market with networks that can be deployed with confidence and quality.
“It’s essential that next-generation converged networks be tested from the edge through to the core in order to deliver excellent quality of experience to millions of subscribers,” said Atul Bhatnagar, President and CEO of Ixia. “With the addition of the Catapult line, Ixia will be able to help service providers create long-lasting customer loyalty and revenue acceleration in an unprecedented way.”
The acquisition was conducted by means of a tender offer for all of the outstanding common shares of Catapult, and was completed by a merger that was effected on Tuesday June 23.
With the additional wireless solutions from the Catapult acquisition, Ixia has expanded its suite of test platforms that enable service providers to accelerate deployment of wireless services based on converged networks that support increasingly powerful, engaging, and complex multimedia applications.
Growing deployment of multimedia applications through smartphones and notebooks has already stressed the data capacity requirements of wireless networks. Smartphones are increasingly being used as on-ramps to the multimedia Internet rather than just to make phone calls. Wireless networks need to be provisioned, deployed and tested with next-generation media-rich services in mind from day one.
With this acquisition, Ixia becomes a single source solution for testing converged multiplay IP services over wireless and wireline networks to telecom equipment manufacturers and global service providers.
Catapult’s 3G and 4G wireless networking test solutions provide solutions for testing the next generation network infrastructure and applications. These solutions are an excellent complement to Ixia’s existing line of IP performance test systems and post-deployment service verification platforms.
Catapult’s advanced wireless test systems deliver superior high-performance solutions for hundreds of protocols and variants, including LTE, IMS, UMTS, WiMAX, CDMA, VoIP, GPRS, GSM and SS7. Ixia uses large-scale protocol simulations that accurately model real-world subscriber behavior to test end-to-end networks and sub-systems. This approach accelerates service providers’ time to market with networks that can be deployed with confidence and quality.
“It’s essential that next-generation converged networks be tested from the edge through to the core in order to deliver excellent quality of experience to millions of subscribers,” said Atul Bhatnagar, President and CEO of Ixia. “With the addition of the Catapult line, Ixia will be able to help service providers create long-lasting customer loyalty and revenue acceleration in an unprecedented way.”
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Nokia Siemens Networks, Juniper to integrate IP and optical technologies
BANGALORE, INDIA: Nokia Siemens Networks and Juniper Networks Inc. are combining their respective strengths in Optical and IP networking to create a solution that brings the two complementary technologies closer together.
The integrated IP-Optical solution will provide operators with a highly flexible, reliable and cost efficient way to scale their networks to manage growing volumes of data, voice and multimedia applications. The scope of cooperation includes the development of cost-optimized 10G, 40G and 100G IP over DWDM solutions with management integration and GMPLS control plane interworking.
“Juniper brings world-class IP routing expertise while Nokia Siemens Networks brings forth world-class Wavelength Division Multiplexing transport technology including operational management systems for both technologies. To have both worlds under one network management roof means the highest possible quality in terms of simplicity and efficiency,” said Uwe Fischer, Head of DWDM Business Line at Nokia Siemens Networks.
“As carriers consolidate their IP and DWDM environments to ensure cost efficient growth, our solution will form the bedrock of the vision that breaks the barriers between optical and electrical layers.”
”As trends such as video, virtualization and cloud computing continue to drive the need for core networking capacity, operators will be looking for ways to scale their networks efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Opher Kahane, senior vice president and general manager, High-End Systems Business Unit, Juniper Networks.
“The combination of IP and optical transport technologies increase the efficiency of the network, and we are very excited to be working with Nokia Siemens Networks to bring this innovative solution to market.”
The implementation of long-haul DWDM optics on router line interface cards will increase network efficiency by reducing the need for redundant transponders, but can present network management challenges because IP and optical networks are traditionally managed separately. To address these concerns, Nokia Siemens Networks and Juniper are creating an innovative solution which manages the entire router–to-optical link as a single entity.
Using Juniper’s T Series Core Routers, the router-integrated optical DWDM interfaces will interoperate seamlessly with Nokia Siemens Networks’ hiT7300 WDM platform and be managed by the company’s carrier grade Transport Network Management System (TNMS).
Complemented by Nokia Siemens Networks’ unique network planning software, TransNet, the joint solution will improve overall efficiency in the network. In addition, the operator will be able to enjoy faster service provisioning times as only one DWDM interface will need to be installed and configured, not to mention improved reliability through early link failure detection, enhanced troubleshooting and overall simplicity.
The integrated IP-Optical solution will provide operators with a highly flexible, reliable and cost efficient way to scale their networks to manage growing volumes of data, voice and multimedia applications. The scope of cooperation includes the development of cost-optimized 10G, 40G and 100G IP over DWDM solutions with management integration and GMPLS control plane interworking.
“Juniper brings world-class IP routing expertise while Nokia Siemens Networks brings forth world-class Wavelength Division Multiplexing transport technology including operational management systems for both technologies. To have both worlds under one network management roof means the highest possible quality in terms of simplicity and efficiency,” said Uwe Fischer, Head of DWDM Business Line at Nokia Siemens Networks.
“As carriers consolidate their IP and DWDM environments to ensure cost efficient growth, our solution will form the bedrock of the vision that breaks the barriers between optical and electrical layers.”
”As trends such as video, virtualization and cloud computing continue to drive the need for core networking capacity, operators will be looking for ways to scale their networks efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Opher Kahane, senior vice president and general manager, High-End Systems Business Unit, Juniper Networks.
“The combination of IP and optical transport technologies increase the efficiency of the network, and we are very excited to be working with Nokia Siemens Networks to bring this innovative solution to market.”
The implementation of long-haul DWDM optics on router line interface cards will increase network efficiency by reducing the need for redundant transponders, but can present network management challenges because IP and optical networks are traditionally managed separately. To address these concerns, Nokia Siemens Networks and Juniper are creating an innovative solution which manages the entire router–to-optical link as a single entity.
Using Juniper’s T Series Core Routers, the router-integrated optical DWDM interfaces will interoperate seamlessly with Nokia Siemens Networks’ hiT7300 WDM platform and be managed by the company’s carrier grade Transport Network Management System (TNMS).
Complemented by Nokia Siemens Networks’ unique network planning software, TransNet, the joint solution will improve overall efficiency in the network. In addition, the operator will be able to enjoy faster service provisioning times as only one DWDM interface will need to be installed and configured, not to mention improved reliability through early link failure detection, enhanced troubleshooting and overall simplicity.
MindTree, Bluetooth SIG to develop MCAP test suite for PTS
BANGALORE, INDIA: MindTree Ltd announced the release of a new protocol test suite developed for the Bluetooth Profile Tuning Suite (PTS).
The PTS is a test tool created by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) that automates protocol and profile testing by SIG members —- producing more accurate, higher quality test results and improved interoperability for Bluetooth-enabled products.
The PTS, which is mandatory for Bluetooth product qualification, will be enhanced by the addition of the Multi-Channel Adaptation Protocol (MCAP), developed by MindTree. MCAP is one of the 20 different Bluetooth profile and protocol test suites included in PTS, and contains 62 test cases which test the underlying protocol for the new Medical Device Profile. Manufactures of Bluetooth-enabled medical devices will now be able to test against a reference device, ensuring interoperability with complementary devices.
“The strength of Bluetooth technology is largely due to the interoperability of Bluetooth devices,” said Bluetooth SIG Executive Director, Michael Foley. “The new protocol test suite from MindTree will enhance the PTS, which, in turn helps our members reduce the time and financial investments associated with qualifying products, while decreasing time-to-market.”
“Being chosen as an outsourcing partner of the Bluetooth SIG is an acknowledgement of MindTree’s deep Bluetooth expertise and understanding of the Testing and Test Control Notation (TTCN) scripting language,” said MindTree CEO – R&D Services, Vinod Deshmukh. “MindTree has worked with many of the top providers in the world to develop Bluetooth-enabled products. Our new engagement with the SIG further expands our market reach and influence.”
The Bluetooth SIG, a privately held, not-for-profit trade association comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive and network industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and bringing it to market.
The PTS is a test tool created by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) that automates protocol and profile testing by SIG members —- producing more accurate, higher quality test results and improved interoperability for Bluetooth-enabled products.
The PTS, which is mandatory for Bluetooth product qualification, will be enhanced by the addition of the Multi-Channel Adaptation Protocol (MCAP), developed by MindTree. MCAP is one of the 20 different Bluetooth profile and protocol test suites included in PTS, and contains 62 test cases which test the underlying protocol for the new Medical Device Profile. Manufactures of Bluetooth-enabled medical devices will now be able to test against a reference device, ensuring interoperability with complementary devices.
“The strength of Bluetooth technology is largely due to the interoperability of Bluetooth devices,” said Bluetooth SIG Executive Director, Michael Foley. “The new protocol test suite from MindTree will enhance the PTS, which, in turn helps our members reduce the time and financial investments associated with qualifying products, while decreasing time-to-market.”
“Being chosen as an outsourcing partner of the Bluetooth SIG is an acknowledgement of MindTree’s deep Bluetooth expertise and understanding of the Testing and Test Control Notation (TTCN) scripting language,” said MindTree CEO – R&D Services, Vinod Deshmukh. “MindTree has worked with many of the top providers in the world to develop Bluetooth-enabled products. Our new engagement with the SIG further expands our market reach and influence.”
The Bluetooth SIG, a privately held, not-for-profit trade association comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive and network industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and bringing it to market.
CDMA subscriber base closes in on half a billion!
COSTA MESA, USA: The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced that high-growth markets such as Africa, China and India are raising the number of CDMA subscribers worldwide closer to half a billion.
At the end of the first quarter of 2009, there were 480 million subscribers to the CDMA family of technologies worldwide, including 472 million 3G CDMA2000 and 120 million EV-DO broadband users.
During the quarter, China Telecom began offering EV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) services while expanding its CDMA2000 network in China, resulting in the addition of almost 5 million new customers. India continued its strong growth as the second-largest CDMA market, with operators in the country adding over 9 million new customers during the same period.
CDMA2000 continues to thrive in Africa, with nearly 50 CDMA2000 operators adding 3.5 million new users during the quarter. The growth from these emerging markets supplemented steady gains in North America, which in the same period, added 5.8 million subscribers.
"CDMA2000 is seeing rapid growth in those markets that have embraced 3G mobile broadband, as the migration to 3G CDMA accelerates worldwide," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "Markets such as China and India are creating economies of scale that will further reduce handset prices, increase wireless penetration and contribute to bringing new 3G-enabled devices to market, such as netbooks and smartbooks."
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
CDMA2000 broadband service providers worldwide added over 23.5 million EV-DO users from March 2008 to March 2009, representing a 24 percent increase. CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is a leading mobile broadband technology worldwide, with 134 operators in 63 countries offering always-on CDMA2000 broadband data services to 120 million users.
Sixty-two of these operators have deployed CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A networks to offer advanced mobile broadband services, and another 37 operators are in the process of deploying Rev. A. Europe, the Middle East and Africa saw a notable increase of 4.5 million EV-DO subscribers over the past year, growing from 1.6 million to 6.1 million total subscribers, representing an annual growth rate of 277 percent.
The rapid uptake of EV-DO broadband services in Africa, rising from under 200,000 EV-DO users a year ago to 3.5 million current subscribers, highlights the pent-up demand for broadband wireless access.
Operators in the Americas and Asia also continued impressive gains with EV-DO, driven by a wider availability of mobile broadband-enabled devices and the increased usage of smartphones and feature phones.
North American (US and Canada) operators added 16 million new EV-DO subscribers over the past year at a 31 percent growth rate, while Latin America and Caribbean users increased by 41 percent to surpass 6 million and subscribers in Asia Pacific approached 40 million.
CDMA2000
Overall, 17 million new CDMA2000 subscribers were added during the first quarter of 2009, contributing to the 38 million new users added between March 2008 and March 2009. Europe, Africa and the Middle East continue to be the most rapidly-growing regions for CDMA2000, adding 16 million CDMA2000 subscribers in the past year representing a 96 percent growth rate.
In the first quarter alone, operators in the region added more than 4.6 million customers and Africa, the fastest growing market, now comprises 5 percent of the global CDMA2000 market share. This is a strong testimonial to CDMA2000's ability to excel in emerging markets underserved by wireline telephony and broadband data services.
At quarter's end, Asia Pacific accounted for 52 percent of the global CDMA market, adding 13 million new CDMA2000 subscribers during the period. China Telecom ended the quarter with 33 million CDMA customers and has stated its goal to add 35 million CDMA2000 customers in 2009, supported by strong marketing efforts and a wide selection of handsets and devices for both CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO services.
North America saw an addition of 16 million new CDMA2000 users over the year to reach 154 million subscribers. CDMA accounts for more than 52 percent of the US wireless market and India expects to double its CDMA2000 subscriber base within the next two years.
At the end of the first quarter of 2009, there were 480 million subscribers to the CDMA family of technologies worldwide, including 472 million 3G CDMA2000 and 120 million EV-DO broadband users.
During the quarter, China Telecom began offering EV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) services while expanding its CDMA2000 network in China, resulting in the addition of almost 5 million new customers. India continued its strong growth as the second-largest CDMA market, with operators in the country adding over 9 million new customers during the same period.
CDMA2000 continues to thrive in Africa, with nearly 50 CDMA2000 operators adding 3.5 million new users during the quarter. The growth from these emerging markets supplemented steady gains in North America, which in the same period, added 5.8 million subscribers.
"CDMA2000 is seeing rapid growth in those markets that have embraced 3G mobile broadband, as the migration to 3G CDMA accelerates worldwide," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "Markets such as China and India are creating economies of scale that will further reduce handset prices, increase wireless penetration and contribute to bringing new 3G-enabled devices to market, such as netbooks and smartbooks."
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
CDMA2000 broadband service providers worldwide added over 23.5 million EV-DO users from March 2008 to March 2009, representing a 24 percent increase. CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is a leading mobile broadband technology worldwide, with 134 operators in 63 countries offering always-on CDMA2000 broadband data services to 120 million users.
Sixty-two of these operators have deployed CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A networks to offer advanced mobile broadband services, and another 37 operators are in the process of deploying Rev. A. Europe, the Middle East and Africa saw a notable increase of 4.5 million EV-DO subscribers over the past year, growing from 1.6 million to 6.1 million total subscribers, representing an annual growth rate of 277 percent.
The rapid uptake of EV-DO broadband services in Africa, rising from under 200,000 EV-DO users a year ago to 3.5 million current subscribers, highlights the pent-up demand for broadband wireless access.
Operators in the Americas and Asia also continued impressive gains with EV-DO, driven by a wider availability of mobile broadband-enabled devices and the increased usage of smartphones and feature phones.
North American (US and Canada) operators added 16 million new EV-DO subscribers over the past year at a 31 percent growth rate, while Latin America and Caribbean users increased by 41 percent to surpass 6 million and subscribers in Asia Pacific approached 40 million.
CDMA2000
Overall, 17 million new CDMA2000 subscribers were added during the first quarter of 2009, contributing to the 38 million new users added between March 2008 and March 2009. Europe, Africa and the Middle East continue to be the most rapidly-growing regions for CDMA2000, adding 16 million CDMA2000 subscribers in the past year representing a 96 percent growth rate.
In the first quarter alone, operators in the region added more than 4.6 million customers and Africa, the fastest growing market, now comprises 5 percent of the global CDMA2000 market share. This is a strong testimonial to CDMA2000's ability to excel in emerging markets underserved by wireline telephony and broadband data services.
At quarter's end, Asia Pacific accounted for 52 percent of the global CDMA market, adding 13 million new CDMA2000 subscribers during the period. China Telecom ended the quarter with 33 million CDMA customers and has stated its goal to add 35 million CDMA2000 customers in 2009, supported by strong marketing efforts and a wide selection of handsets and devices for both CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO services.
North America saw an addition of 16 million new CDMA2000 users over the year to reach 154 million subscribers. CDMA accounts for more than 52 percent of the US wireless market and India expects to double its CDMA2000 subscriber base within the next two years.
IEEE ratifies 802.1Qay (PBB-TE)
PISCATAWAY, USA: The IEEE announced that it has ratified IEEE 802.1Qay™, the industry’'s first packet-based connection-oriented Ethernet technology for next-generation service provider transport networks.
By adapting Ethernet technology to the role of providing carrier-class packet transport networks, IEEE 802.1Qay incorporates determinism and resiliency, helping to improve the ability of service providers to deliver the cost-effective, high-bandwidth multimedia services that today’s enterprise and residential customers are demanding.
The IEEE 802.1Qay standard, "IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks--Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks--Amendment: Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering," is based on the existing IEEE 802.1ah standard for Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB).
IEEE 802.1Qay defines Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE), a technology that helps enable service providers to explicitly set up traffic engineered paths across a Carrier Ethernet Network. Unlike prior packet-based Ethernet, PBB-TE uses an external management plane for determining and deploying the traffic engineered paths.
This approach simplifies the operational requirements of each network element and is consistent with current transport crafts and practices, enabling a smooth migration to next-generation transport networks.
“The ratification of IEEE 802.1Qay is an important milestone for the telecom industry, as service providers now have an approved standard for packet-based Connection-Oriented Ethernet technology and they can confidently proceed today with their IP network transformation programs,” said Tony Jeffree, Chair of the IEEE 802.1 Working Group.
“On behalf of the IEEE, I’d like to thank the 802.1 Interworking Task Group for its hard work and dedication and congratulate each member on this impressive achievement.”
“By completing the standardization of 802.1Qay, the IEEE is presenting service providers with a key capability that compliments the existing PBB standard and supports the organic growth of Ethernet in access and aggregation metro networks,” said Sterling Perrin, senior analyst at Heavy Reading. “A lack of standardization is always an inhibitor to mass deployment of a technology by service providers. The standardization of both PBB and PBB-TE now remove this barrier and I expect we’ll see increased and renewed interest in PBB-TE as a transport technology.”
By adapting Ethernet technology to the role of providing carrier-class packet transport networks, IEEE 802.1Qay incorporates determinism and resiliency, helping to improve the ability of service providers to deliver the cost-effective, high-bandwidth multimedia services that today’s enterprise and residential customers are demanding.
The IEEE 802.1Qay standard, "IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks--Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks--Amendment: Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering," is based on the existing IEEE 802.1ah standard for Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB).
IEEE 802.1Qay defines Provider Backbone Bridge Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE), a technology that helps enable service providers to explicitly set up traffic engineered paths across a Carrier Ethernet Network. Unlike prior packet-based Ethernet, PBB-TE uses an external management plane for determining and deploying the traffic engineered paths.
This approach simplifies the operational requirements of each network element and is consistent with current transport crafts and practices, enabling a smooth migration to next-generation transport networks.
“The ratification of IEEE 802.1Qay is an important milestone for the telecom industry, as service providers now have an approved standard for packet-based Connection-Oriented Ethernet technology and they can confidently proceed today with their IP network transformation programs,” said Tony Jeffree, Chair of the IEEE 802.1 Working Group.
“On behalf of the IEEE, I’d like to thank the 802.1 Interworking Task Group for its hard work and dedication and congratulate each member on this impressive achievement.”
“By completing the standardization of 802.1Qay, the IEEE is presenting service providers with a key capability that compliments the existing PBB standard and supports the organic growth of Ethernet in access and aggregation metro networks,” said Sterling Perrin, senior analyst at Heavy Reading. “A lack of standardization is always an inhibitor to mass deployment of a technology by service providers. The standardization of both PBB and PBB-TE now remove this barrier and I expect we’ll see increased and renewed interest in PBB-TE as a transport technology.”
Boingo Wireless awarded first patent
LOS ANGELES, USA: Boingo Wireless, the world'’s largest Wi-Fi network, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued the company patent No. 7,483,984, covering the method and apparatus for accessing networks by a mobile device. The patent advances the company’s client technology for detection, association and logging into wireless networks, on any device.
The methods covered by the patent include accessing wireless carrier networks by mobile computing devices, where a client software application hosted by the device accesses carrier networks using wireless access points.
For example, when a computer –- or netbook, smartphone or any other Wi-Fi-enabled device –- is in a location where there are multiple signals, the patented technology looks at each signal and alerts the user which signal will work, showing the signal as an understandable name and ID for the user.
The patent covers all wireless technologies and spectrums, as well as any mobile device that access wireless hotspots.
“This patent represents a huge addition to Boingo’s intellectual property,” said David Hagan, CEO and President, Boingo Wireless, Inc. “As the leader in Wi-Fi networks, Boingo is absolutely committed to making it easy for our customers to get online with one simple click. This patent highlights our commitment.”
“The technology covered by the patent is used in the Boingo client software for both laptop and a wide array of mobile platforms, including Android, iPhone, Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile,” said Niels Jonker, chief technology officer, Boingo Wireless, and a co-author of the patent.
“With this patent, Boingo cements its position as a leader in authentication and verification of various wireless technologies, making it easier for a user to find the right network and connect with it, in a seamless presentation and user experience.”
Currently, Boingo Wireless has other patents pending that also involve automatic network selection and authentication, as well as client technology for the detection, association and logging on to networks.
The methods covered by the patent include accessing wireless carrier networks by mobile computing devices, where a client software application hosted by the device accesses carrier networks using wireless access points.
For example, when a computer –- or netbook, smartphone or any other Wi-Fi-enabled device –- is in a location where there are multiple signals, the patented technology looks at each signal and alerts the user which signal will work, showing the signal as an understandable name and ID for the user.
The patent covers all wireless technologies and spectrums, as well as any mobile device that access wireless hotspots.
“This patent represents a huge addition to Boingo’s intellectual property,” said David Hagan, CEO and President, Boingo Wireless, Inc. “As the leader in Wi-Fi networks, Boingo is absolutely committed to making it easy for our customers to get online with one simple click. This patent highlights our commitment.”
“The technology covered by the patent is used in the Boingo client software for both laptop and a wide array of mobile platforms, including Android, iPhone, Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile,” said Niels Jonker, chief technology officer, Boingo Wireless, and a co-author of the patent.
“With this patent, Boingo cements its position as a leader in authentication and verification of various wireless technologies, making it easier for a user to find the right network and connect with it, in a seamless presentation and user experience.”
Currently, Boingo Wireless has other patents pending that also involve automatic network selection and authentication, as well as client technology for the detection, association and logging on to networks.
MRV debuts LambdaDriver WDM optical channel monitor card
CHATSWORTH, USA: MRV Communications Inc. announced a new optical channel monitor (OCM) module for its LambdaDriver optical transport system to provide continuous optical spectrum analysis services for wave division multiplexed (WDM) backbone networks.
MRV is a leading networking company with a full line of packet-optical transport (POTS), carrier Ethernet, 40G networking and out-of-band networking products.
The OCM is an in-service monitoring module that is installed at strategic points in the network to monitor and measure DWDM wavelengths. The module can identify the discrete DWDM wavelengths and provide detailed information about optical power and optical signal noise ratio (OSNR) levels. The acquired information is stored in the module and provided to the management card for user examination and analysis.
This is an important addition for network operators who currently use optical spectrum analyzers (OSA) to check the network status. Manually connected OSAs require specialized personnel to travel to remote network locations to connect to the fiber point to analyze the quality of the optical signals.
Using the OCM from MRV, network operators can install the module in the LambdaDriver system and manage the network remotely. The OCM helps operators with troubleshooting and provides a very rapid response because the analysis solution is already in place when needed. With this new module, the LambdaDriver series now provides much more visibility on the network itself to help operators manage their services.
“The OSNR is the most important input in determining signal quality and resolving network issues, but manual testing processes make this information difficult and costly to obtain,” said Noam Lotan, president and CEO of MRV Communications. “For many LambdaDriver customers, the new OCM is a much lower cost solution than spectrum analyzers and will save them operating costs on an ongoing basis thanks to the ability to manage the network remotely.”
The OCM module is hot swappable and provides 50GHz channel spacing monitoring. OCM modules are available immediately from MRV’s sales force or its worldwide distribution channel.
MRV is a leading networking company with a full line of packet-optical transport (POTS), carrier Ethernet, 40G networking and out-of-band networking products.
The OCM is an in-service monitoring module that is installed at strategic points in the network to monitor and measure DWDM wavelengths. The module can identify the discrete DWDM wavelengths and provide detailed information about optical power and optical signal noise ratio (OSNR) levels. The acquired information is stored in the module and provided to the management card for user examination and analysis.
This is an important addition for network operators who currently use optical spectrum analyzers (OSA) to check the network status. Manually connected OSAs require specialized personnel to travel to remote network locations to connect to the fiber point to analyze the quality of the optical signals.
Using the OCM from MRV, network operators can install the module in the LambdaDriver system and manage the network remotely. The OCM helps operators with troubleshooting and provides a very rapid response because the analysis solution is already in place when needed. With this new module, the LambdaDriver series now provides much more visibility on the network itself to help operators manage their services.
“The OSNR is the most important input in determining signal quality and resolving network issues, but manual testing processes make this information difficult and costly to obtain,” said Noam Lotan, president and CEO of MRV Communications. “For many LambdaDriver customers, the new OCM is a much lower cost solution than spectrum analyzers and will save them operating costs on an ongoing basis thanks to the ability to manage the network remotely.”
The OCM module is hot swappable and provides 50GHz channel spacing monitoring. OCM modules are available immediately from MRV’s sales force or its worldwide distribution channel.
BOLT mobile browser hits one million installs
CAMBRIDGE, USA: Bitstream Inc. announced that the BOLT mobile browser, the company’s web browser for mobile phones of all types, has passed a major milestone, achieving its one millionth install just 18 weeks -– just over four months –- after its public debut.
The BOLT mobile browser, built to be used on a wide range of mobile phones from simple “feature” phones to more advanced devices such as BlackBerry smartphones, has averaged greater than 50 percent growth in usage each month since the application made its public debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this past February. Since its introduction, BOLT users have consumed more than 22 terabytes (22,000 gigabytes) of data from 61 million web pages.
“It’s been fascinating to see the similarities in how BOLT is being used by people all over the world, despite different geographies, languages and cultures,” said Anna Chagnon, president and CEO of Bitstream. “For example, social networking is extremely popular all around the world. In some countries Facebook is the number one website visited by BOLT users, while in other countries Orkut leads. Even though the web destinations may be different, the usage patterns are strikingly similar all over the globe.”
BOLT users worldwide are discovering that BOLT’s enhanced browsing experience leads them to spend more and more time surfing the Web from their mobile phones. More than 20 percent of BOLT users spend 30 minutes surfing the Internet per session, with more than half of those –- a figure that continues to grow -– spending more than an hour per session. In addition to social networking, search, web-based email and video websites are top ten destinations all around the world.
Built with proprietary compression, navigation and rendering technologies, BOLT enables users to find and read information quickly and easily. Once users have navigated to the specific section of the large web page they are viewing, they can then zoom in to display clear text and images that look crisp on even small mobile phone screens.
People are particularly enjoying the video streaming feature of the BOLT browser –- the only mobile browser that lets people enjoy streaming videos on average mobile phones from such popular video services as YouTube, vids.myspace.com, video.yahoo.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, metacafe.com and more. Of the total bandwidth used by all BOLT users surfing the Internet, a substantial portion was consumed by streaming video.
BOLT’s feature set includes:
* Fast, secure, desktop-style web browsing on both high-end and low-end handsets.
* Streaming video capabilities.
* Split screen and full screen modes for easy navigation and viewing.
* Ability to easily add and select favorites and view browsing history.
* Intuitive keystroke shortcuts for easier navigation and content selection.
* Protection against spyware and malicious or faulty add-ons.
* 23:1 compression, which uses less data than competing browsers.
BOLT is available for free to anyone as part of its public beta test. Visit http://boltbrowser.com to download BOLT.
The BOLT mobile browser, built to be used on a wide range of mobile phones from simple “feature” phones to more advanced devices such as BlackBerry smartphones, has averaged greater than 50 percent growth in usage each month since the application made its public debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this past February. Since its introduction, BOLT users have consumed more than 22 terabytes (22,000 gigabytes) of data from 61 million web pages.
“It’s been fascinating to see the similarities in how BOLT is being used by people all over the world, despite different geographies, languages and cultures,” said Anna Chagnon, president and CEO of Bitstream. “For example, social networking is extremely popular all around the world. In some countries Facebook is the number one website visited by BOLT users, while in other countries Orkut leads. Even though the web destinations may be different, the usage patterns are strikingly similar all over the globe.”
BOLT users worldwide are discovering that BOLT’s enhanced browsing experience leads them to spend more and more time surfing the Web from their mobile phones. More than 20 percent of BOLT users spend 30 minutes surfing the Internet per session, with more than half of those –- a figure that continues to grow -– spending more than an hour per session. In addition to social networking, search, web-based email and video websites are top ten destinations all around the world.
Built with proprietary compression, navigation and rendering technologies, BOLT enables users to find and read information quickly and easily. Once users have navigated to the specific section of the large web page they are viewing, they can then zoom in to display clear text and images that look crisp on even small mobile phone screens.
People are particularly enjoying the video streaming feature of the BOLT browser –- the only mobile browser that lets people enjoy streaming videos on average mobile phones from such popular video services as YouTube, vids.myspace.com, video.yahoo.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, metacafe.com and more. Of the total bandwidth used by all BOLT users surfing the Internet, a substantial portion was consumed by streaming video.
BOLT’s feature set includes:
* Fast, secure, desktop-style web browsing on both high-end and low-end handsets.
* Streaming video capabilities.
* Split screen and full screen modes for easy navigation and viewing.
* Ability to easily add and select favorites and view browsing history.
* Intuitive keystroke shortcuts for easier navigation and content selection.
* Protection against spyware and malicious or faulty add-ons.
* 23:1 compression, which uses less data than competing browsers.
BOLT is available for free to anyone as part of its public beta test. Visit http://boltbrowser.com to download BOLT.
Airvana, ip.access, Ubiquisys align for femtocell applications efforts
CHELMSFORD, CAMBRIDGE, & SWINDON, UK: Airvana Inc., ip.access, and Ubiquisys announced that the three companies have pledged to support the Services Special Interest Group (SIG) recently formed by the Femto Forum by working together towards a common service framework and application program interfaces (APIs).
The Services SIG’s mission is to develop a framework to simplify the development and deployment of femtocell applications, which includes efforts to establish a set of standard APIs. As widely recognised supporters of a femtozone applications development environment based on open standards, Airvana, ip.access and Ubiquisys have already begun working together to advance the goals of the Services SIG.
Femtocells sit at the intersection of multiple networks including mobile, Internet, home and office -- all of which are fundamental to people’s lives.
The intelligence within the femtocell, for example presence and digital content visibility, can be used by application logic residing in any of these networks. The SIG’s work will help the industry establish a framework that encompasses all of these options and establish a common approach.
Several unique attributes of femtocell technology make the devices highly suited for supporting an interesting array of applications. First, they change the economics of mobile data by providing massive bandwidth indoors to mobile devices at very low cost.
Second, femtocells make sophisticated presence-based applications simple for not only users of cutting edge smart phones but also everyday legacy feature phones. And finally they make it easy for people to share their digital content across various previously isolated networks.
"Femtocells open the door for exciting applications that can deliver a new, and highly valuable dimension to how customers use their mobile devices," said Simon Saunders, the Femto Forum’s Chair. "To see femtocell vendors come together in this way is a powerful validation of the potential femtozone services have to change the way both mobile operators and their subscribers view mobile devices."
An open development environment based on freely accessible, standard APIs is critical to drive developer interest and create greater opportunities for the widespread adoption of femtozone applications.
Airvana, ip.access, and Ubiquisys are dedicated to ensuring that application developers have access to this type of open framework and invite developers and other industry vendors to support this effort.
"Femtozone applications greatly expand the value femtocells can deliver to both mobile operators and their subscribers beyond the already recognised improvements in indoor voice coverage and packet data user experience," explained Dr. Vedat Eyuboglu, CTO of Airvana. "Femtozone applications allow the femtocell to become the center of the connected digital home by bridging consumers’ mobile and home environments. This is why we are joining forces with ip.access and Ubiquisys in the advancement of femtozone applications through our involvement in the Femto Forum’s Services SIG."
"We believe collaboration on femto services is the right approach," said Dr. Nick Johnson, CTO of ip.access. "The power of the femtocell as a platform for new services can only be fully realised if femtocell vendors cooperate to create an open, standards based development environment. The Femto Forum provides an ideal place for us to work alongside other vendors who share the same commitment."
"Femtocells are intelligent devices that blur traditional boundaries between internet, mobile and devices on the home and office LAN," said Will Franks, Founder and CTO of Ubiquisys. "As a result, femtocell intelligence can be harnessed by applications running almost anywhere. That’s why we support the work of the Femto Forum to establish a common approach to femtocell APIs, which will make it easier for developers to femto-enable their apps."
The Services SIG’s mission is to develop a framework to simplify the development and deployment of femtocell applications, which includes efforts to establish a set of standard APIs. As widely recognised supporters of a femtozone applications development environment based on open standards, Airvana, ip.access and Ubiquisys have already begun working together to advance the goals of the Services SIG.
Femtocells sit at the intersection of multiple networks including mobile, Internet, home and office -- all of which are fundamental to people’s lives.
The intelligence within the femtocell, for example presence and digital content visibility, can be used by application logic residing in any of these networks. The SIG’s work will help the industry establish a framework that encompasses all of these options and establish a common approach.
Several unique attributes of femtocell technology make the devices highly suited for supporting an interesting array of applications. First, they change the economics of mobile data by providing massive bandwidth indoors to mobile devices at very low cost.
Second, femtocells make sophisticated presence-based applications simple for not only users of cutting edge smart phones but also everyday legacy feature phones. And finally they make it easy for people to share their digital content across various previously isolated networks.
"Femtocells open the door for exciting applications that can deliver a new, and highly valuable dimension to how customers use their mobile devices," said Simon Saunders, the Femto Forum’s Chair. "To see femtocell vendors come together in this way is a powerful validation of the potential femtozone services have to change the way both mobile operators and their subscribers view mobile devices."
An open development environment based on freely accessible, standard APIs is critical to drive developer interest and create greater opportunities for the widespread adoption of femtozone applications.
Airvana, ip.access, and Ubiquisys are dedicated to ensuring that application developers have access to this type of open framework and invite developers and other industry vendors to support this effort.
"Femtozone applications greatly expand the value femtocells can deliver to both mobile operators and their subscribers beyond the already recognised improvements in indoor voice coverage and packet data user experience," explained Dr. Vedat Eyuboglu, CTO of Airvana. "Femtozone applications allow the femtocell to become the center of the connected digital home by bridging consumers’ mobile and home environments. This is why we are joining forces with ip.access and Ubiquisys in the advancement of femtozone applications through our involvement in the Femto Forum’s Services SIG."
"We believe collaboration on femto services is the right approach," said Dr. Nick Johnson, CTO of ip.access. "The power of the femtocell as a platform for new services can only be fully realised if femtocell vendors cooperate to create an open, standards based development environment. The Femto Forum provides an ideal place for us to work alongside other vendors who share the same commitment."
"Femtocells are intelligent devices that blur traditional boundaries between internet, mobile and devices on the home and office LAN," said Will Franks, Founder and CTO of Ubiquisys. "As a result, femtocell intelligence can be harnessed by applications running almost anywhere. That’s why we support the work of the Femto Forum to establish a common approach to femtocell APIs, which will make it easier for developers to femto-enable their apps."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
MapmyIndia Light -- new GPS navigator for gen next!
NEW DELHI, INDIA: MapmyIndia, India's leading map and GPS navigation services provider, has announced the launch of MapmyIndia LX130 – nicknamed MapmyIndia Light -– a sleek new GPS navigation gadget for Generation Next.
Priced at Rs. 11,990 (MRP), MapmyIndia Light boasts a high grade glossy white body. It weighs just 122 grams and has a bright 3.5” display screen that allows clear visibility even in sunlight. Just 12.5mm thick, the funky gizmo fits neatly in any pocket and is the perfect traveling companion -– in a car or while using public transport.
MapmyIndia Light is powered with maps of 401 cities, over 8.3 lakh km of roads connecting 4 lakh towns and villages, and takes you to around 10 lakh points of interest like cinema halls, restaurants, petrol pumps etc. A cool neat look, an unmatched sense of security and an assurance that one can never get lost anywhere in India makes this a must-have for young professionals, business travelers and women.
Go where you want to
MapmyIndia Light offers complete freedom…the freedom to travel where one wants to. After encouraging feedback from MapmyIndia users – both frequent travelers and professionals – from all over India, MapmyIndia decided to launch a new version of the popular MapmyIndia Navigator for the youth.
The focus was on a sleek and light device that offered the youth the freedom to go where they want to. Now it becomes easier to travel to new places without having to stop frequently to ask for directions or getting lost.
In addition to standard navigation, the MapmyIndia Light also allows users to search for points of interest like hotels, banks, ATMs, tourist places, etc. The MapmyIndia light comes loaded with phone numbers for points of interest as well, so that users can not only navigate to them, but also call ahead and make bookings.
Always in the know: Perfect for business travelers
Loaded with India’s most comprehensive map coverage, yet slim enough to fit into the pocket, the MapmyIndia Light is a perfect companion to today’s young business traveler.
With interesting features like demo display of the proposed route and distance between destinations and the ability to add multiple destinations through the ‘via’ points features, the MapmyIndia Light helps plan travel and meetings in any of 401 cities in India. Business travelers can also take advantage of the Distance-to-go and Estimated Time of Arrival feature while on the road to dynamically plan their day when on the road.
Travel securely: Ideal for women
The ability to know where you are while traveling at any time of the day or night gives the users of MapmyIndia Light a sense of comfort and security. This makes the device a must-have tech gadget in every woman’s handbag. Even while driving a car, MapmyIndia Light can be easily attached to the windscreen and the user can follow the voice-guided instructions to travel to your destination.
While using public transport -– a cab or an auto -– if the driver takes a detour, MapmyIndia Light tells the user where she is and whether she is moving towards her destination. MapmyIndia Light can be used by women anywhere in India, in a big city or in a small town. The seamless coverage also ensures that the GPS Navigator can be used if you travel to a new place anywhere in India.
Rakesh Verma, Managing Director, MapmyIndia, says: “MapmyIndia is known for our premium range of products offering great quality in GPS navigation. Our research showed that there was a strong demand in the market for a device that would be easy to carry and light on the budget, while maintaining MapmyIndia’s superior quality navigation features and maps. The MapmyIndia Light offers customers India’s best navigation maps and software solution in a form that easily fits in the pocket and in their budget.”
Light on the pocket
At Rs. 11,990, MapmyIndia Light has ventured into a brand new market for GPS navigators. Loaded with the most comprehensive and accurate maps of India, MapmyIndia Light is now accessible to those looking for an affordable GPS Navigator. The device is also ideal for students and young professionals, those who travel frequently, officially or for personal reasons.
Priced at Rs. 11,990 (MRP), MapmyIndia Light boasts a high grade glossy white body. It weighs just 122 grams and has a bright 3.5” display screen that allows clear visibility even in sunlight. Just 12.5mm thick, the funky gizmo fits neatly in any pocket and is the perfect traveling companion -– in a car or while using public transport. MapmyIndia Light is powered with maps of 401 cities, over 8.3 lakh km of roads connecting 4 lakh towns and villages, and takes you to around 10 lakh points of interest like cinema halls, restaurants, petrol pumps etc. A cool neat look, an unmatched sense of security and an assurance that one can never get lost anywhere in India makes this a must-have for young professionals, business travelers and women.
Go where you want to
MapmyIndia Light offers complete freedom…the freedom to travel where one wants to. After encouraging feedback from MapmyIndia users – both frequent travelers and professionals – from all over India, MapmyIndia decided to launch a new version of the popular MapmyIndia Navigator for the youth.
The focus was on a sleek and light device that offered the youth the freedom to go where they want to. Now it becomes easier to travel to new places without having to stop frequently to ask for directions or getting lost.
In addition to standard navigation, the MapmyIndia Light also allows users to search for points of interest like hotels, banks, ATMs, tourist places, etc. The MapmyIndia light comes loaded with phone numbers for points of interest as well, so that users can not only navigate to them, but also call ahead and make bookings.
Always in the know: Perfect for business travelers
Loaded with India’s most comprehensive map coverage, yet slim enough to fit into the pocket, the MapmyIndia Light is a perfect companion to today’s young business traveler.
With interesting features like demo display of the proposed route and distance between destinations and the ability to add multiple destinations through the ‘via’ points features, the MapmyIndia Light helps plan travel and meetings in any of 401 cities in India. Business travelers can also take advantage of the Distance-to-go and Estimated Time of Arrival feature while on the road to dynamically plan their day when on the road.
Travel securely: Ideal for women
The ability to know where you are while traveling at any time of the day or night gives the users of MapmyIndia Light a sense of comfort and security. This makes the device a must-have tech gadget in every woman’s handbag. Even while driving a car, MapmyIndia Light can be easily attached to the windscreen and the user can follow the voice-guided instructions to travel to your destination.
While using public transport -– a cab or an auto -– if the driver takes a detour, MapmyIndia Light tells the user where she is and whether she is moving towards her destination. MapmyIndia Light can be used by women anywhere in India, in a big city or in a small town. The seamless coverage also ensures that the GPS Navigator can be used if you travel to a new place anywhere in India.
Rakesh Verma, Managing Director, MapmyIndia, says: “MapmyIndia is known for our premium range of products offering great quality in GPS navigation. Our research showed that there was a strong demand in the market for a device that would be easy to carry and light on the budget, while maintaining MapmyIndia’s superior quality navigation features and maps. The MapmyIndia Light offers customers India’s best navigation maps and software solution in a form that easily fits in the pocket and in their budget.”
Light on the pocket
At Rs. 11,990, MapmyIndia Light has ventured into a brand new market for GPS navigators. Loaded with the most comprehensive and accurate maps of India, MapmyIndia Light is now accessible to those looking for an affordable GPS Navigator. The device is also ideal for students and young professionals, those who travel frequently, officially or for personal reasons.
Indian mobile services market to reach $30 billion by 2013
MUMBAI, INDIA: Total mobile services revenue in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.5 percent from 2009-2013 to exceed US$30 billion, according to Gartner Inc.
The India mobile subscriber base is set to exceed 771 million connections by 2013, growing at a CAGR of 14.3 percent in the same period from 452 million in 2009. This growth is poised to continue through the forecast period, and India is expected to remain the world’s second largest wireless market after China in terms of mobile connections.
“The Indian mobile industry has now moved out of its hyper growth mode, but it will continue to grow at double-digit rates for next three years as operators focus on rural parts of the country,” said Madhusudan Gupta, senior research analyst at Gartner. “Growth will also be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets.”
Mobile market penetration is projected to increase from 38.7 percent in 2009 to 63. 5 percent in 2013. Gartner said this growth is primarily attributed to the operators increasing their focus on the rural market, local consumer durable and electronic companies entering the domestic mobile handset segment, and lower handset prices.
The Indian mobile connection market continues to be dominated by prepaid subscribers. Prepaid connections accounted for more than 93 percent of all mobile connections in 2008 and it is expected to grow to more than 96 percent of the connection base by 2013, surpassing 741 million versus 312 million in 2008. The postpaid subscriber base will exceed 29 million subscribers by 2013, grow at 2.5 percent from 23 million in 2008.
The churn rate in India is 53.2 percent in 2009, and despite a maturing market, the ratio is expected to increase to 59.6 percent in 2013.
Data revenues driving growth: Revenue from data services will significantly contribute to the overall growth of mobile services in India, with a CAGR of 16.8 percent from 2009 to 2013. Prepaid subscribers are expected to adopt data services faster than the post-paid segment.
The bulk of revenue will continue to come from voice services. However, with the increased growth in data services, the percentage of revenue coming from voice will reduce from 89 percent in 2008 to 86 percent in 2013.
Expected changes in the Indian telecom landscape: Gartner predicts a significant drop in ARPU as the bulk of new subscribers will come from rural areas that are dominated by prepaid subscribers. Also, voice tariffs will decline substantially in 2009 as new operators join the market.
Growth will be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets. However, the bulk of new connections will come from data cards and multi-SIM use. Voice usage will increase steadily, but data usage will grow more strongly with the increased consumption of value-added services.
The India mobile subscriber base is set to exceed 771 million connections by 2013, growing at a CAGR of 14.3 percent in the same period from 452 million in 2009. This growth is poised to continue through the forecast period, and India is expected to remain the world’s second largest wireless market after China in terms of mobile connections.
“The Indian mobile industry has now moved out of its hyper growth mode, but it will continue to grow at double-digit rates for next three years as operators focus on rural parts of the country,” said Madhusudan Gupta, senior research analyst at Gartner. “Growth will also be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets.”
Mobile market penetration is projected to increase from 38.7 percent in 2009 to 63. 5 percent in 2013. Gartner said this growth is primarily attributed to the operators increasing their focus on the rural market, local consumer durable and electronic companies entering the domestic mobile handset segment, and lower handset prices.
The Indian mobile connection market continues to be dominated by prepaid subscribers. Prepaid connections accounted for more than 93 percent of all mobile connections in 2008 and it is expected to grow to more than 96 percent of the connection base by 2013, surpassing 741 million versus 312 million in 2008. The postpaid subscriber base will exceed 29 million subscribers by 2013, grow at 2.5 percent from 23 million in 2008.
The churn rate in India is 53.2 percent in 2009, and despite a maturing market, the ratio is expected to increase to 59.6 percent in 2013.
Data revenues driving growth: Revenue from data services will significantly contribute to the overall growth of mobile services in India, with a CAGR of 16.8 percent from 2009 to 2013. Prepaid subscribers are expected to adopt data services faster than the post-paid segment.
The bulk of revenue will continue to come from voice services. However, with the increased growth in data services, the percentage of revenue coming from voice will reduce from 89 percent in 2008 to 86 percent in 2013.
Expected changes in the Indian telecom landscape: Gartner predicts a significant drop in ARPU as the bulk of new subscribers will come from rural areas that are dominated by prepaid subscribers. Also, voice tariffs will decline substantially in 2009 as new operators join the market.
Growth will be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets. However, the bulk of new connections will come from data cards and multi-SIM use. Voice usage will increase steadily, but data usage will grow more strongly with the increased consumption of value-added services.
Despite decline fixed voice still worth $309 bn in 2014
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Ovum’s latest fixed voice forecast predicts that fixed voice lines will decline at a CAGR of -3 percent between 2008 to 2014, falling from 1.1 billion to 0.9 billion globally.
We anticipate that global fixed voice revenues will decline at a faster rate, with a CAGR of -4.9 percent over the same period, from $418 billion during 2008 to $309 billion by 2014. Asia-Pacific will perform similarly with a CAGR of -2.8 percent in terms of lines and -5.8 percent in terms of revenues over the same time frame.
“Despite pressure to de-prioritize legacy services, fixed voice should not be ignored,” said Nathan Burley, Ovum analyst. In 2008, revenues from fixed voice equated to 63 percent of that derived from mobile voice. By 2014, fixed voice revenues will still amount to 40 percent of mobile voice revenues, which will also be declining by that time.
Burley said: "Fixed voice lines and revenue declines will vary by market, driven by various factors including differing levels of Fixed Mobile Substitution (FMS), VoIP substitution, operators’ strategies, cultural behaviour, economic conditions and existing telecoms infrastructure."
"Generally, in the short-term we expect broadband-led and mobile access substitution to cause further declines in fixed voice channels," advised Nathan Burley.
Substitution from VoIP and naked DSL will also continue, although this effect will vary substantially from country to country, depending firstly on the degree to which large market players actively market and support VoIP services, and secondly on whether or not Naked DSL has been mandated by national regulatory authorities.
Operators have been left to manage the decline in fixed voice, and as a result, initiatives such as subscription-based pricing and bundling have been widely implemented. However, despite continued development of more sophisticated packages, these initiatives look to have reached peak effectiveness.
The stickiness of broadband and cheapness of bundles relative to stand-alone products is helping operators to slow the decline in fixed voice subscriptions to a degree, particularly in those countries where Naked DSL has not been implemented. However, ADSL’s reduced competitiveness as a broadband technology in advanced markets means that it will be increasingly difficult to bundle broadband with PSTN access.
"Additionally, some broadband FMS, especially at the low-end has begun, as wireless broadband alternatives gain more traction. Future upgrades to mobile networks could allow mobile operators to attract more fixed broadband users to their mobile broadband offerings, which is why it is imperative that fixed operators embrace next generation broadband in order to maintain their advantage in this market," said Burley.
In terms of call volumes, FMS will continue at a steady rate, with the ever increasing buckets of minutes available with mobile packages contributing to this trend. Furthermore, the convenience of mobile relative to fixed, and the converging trend in the price of the mobile and fixed voice minutes will result in users continuing to use mobile telephony even when they are within reach of a fixed line.
"As a result, we expect call substitution to continue to grow at a greater rate than access substitution," concluded Burley.
We anticipate that global fixed voice revenues will decline at a faster rate, with a CAGR of -4.9 percent over the same period, from $418 billion during 2008 to $309 billion by 2014. Asia-Pacific will perform similarly with a CAGR of -2.8 percent in terms of lines and -5.8 percent in terms of revenues over the same time frame.
“Despite pressure to de-prioritize legacy services, fixed voice should not be ignored,” said Nathan Burley, Ovum analyst. In 2008, revenues from fixed voice equated to 63 percent of that derived from mobile voice. By 2014, fixed voice revenues will still amount to 40 percent of mobile voice revenues, which will also be declining by that time.
Burley said: "Fixed voice lines and revenue declines will vary by market, driven by various factors including differing levels of Fixed Mobile Substitution (FMS), VoIP substitution, operators’ strategies, cultural behaviour, economic conditions and existing telecoms infrastructure."
"Generally, in the short-term we expect broadband-led and mobile access substitution to cause further declines in fixed voice channels," advised Nathan Burley.
Substitution from VoIP and naked DSL will also continue, although this effect will vary substantially from country to country, depending firstly on the degree to which large market players actively market and support VoIP services, and secondly on whether or not Naked DSL has been mandated by national regulatory authorities.
Operators have been left to manage the decline in fixed voice, and as a result, initiatives such as subscription-based pricing and bundling have been widely implemented. However, despite continued development of more sophisticated packages, these initiatives look to have reached peak effectiveness.
The stickiness of broadband and cheapness of bundles relative to stand-alone products is helping operators to slow the decline in fixed voice subscriptions to a degree, particularly in those countries where Naked DSL has not been implemented. However, ADSL’s reduced competitiveness as a broadband technology in advanced markets means that it will be increasingly difficult to bundle broadband with PSTN access.
"Additionally, some broadband FMS, especially at the low-end has begun, as wireless broadband alternatives gain more traction. Future upgrades to mobile networks could allow mobile operators to attract more fixed broadband users to their mobile broadband offerings, which is why it is imperative that fixed operators embrace next generation broadband in order to maintain their advantage in this market," said Burley.
In terms of call volumes, FMS will continue at a steady rate, with the ever increasing buckets of minutes available with mobile packages contributing to this trend. Furthermore, the convenience of mobile relative to fixed, and the converging trend in the price of the mobile and fixed voice minutes will result in users continuing to use mobile telephony even when they are within reach of a fixed line.
"As a result, we expect call substitution to continue to grow at a greater rate than access substitution," concluded Burley.
Dependent APs weather stormy WLAN equipment market in 1Q09
BOSTON, USA: Communications market research firm Infonetics Research released the first quarter (1Q09) edition of its Wireless LAN and WiFi Mesh Equipment and Phones.
Matthias Machowinski, Directing Analyst, Enterprise Voice and Data, Infonetics Research, said: "Dependent wireless LAN access points were relatively immune to the wireless LAN equipment market plunge in the first quarter of 2009, driven by the move to centralized wireless LAN architectures.
"Another development is the growing proportion of 802.11n-based access points, which have a much higher average selling price and are keeping overall revenue per unit from eroding. Continued uptake of this next-generation technology should have a positive impact on the market during what is likely to be a difficult year in the wireless LAN space."
WLAN and WIFI mesh market highlights
* The worldwide wireless LAN equipment market, including access points, mesh network nodes, WLAN switches and controllers, and WiFi phones, continues to be impacted by the economic climate, sequentially dropping 18 percent to $438 million in 1Q09.
* On the wireless LAN equipment leaderboard (excluding WiFi phones), Cisco is unassailable with nearly half the worldwide market share, and Aruba and Motorola locked in a battle for second position (Aruba leads in 1Q09).
* Alcatel-Lucent and Trapeze were the only vendors with positive revenue growth in 1Q09.
Matthias Machowinski, Directing Analyst, Enterprise Voice and Data, Infonetics Research, said: "Dependent wireless LAN access points were relatively immune to the wireless LAN equipment market plunge in the first quarter of 2009, driven by the move to centralized wireless LAN architectures.
"Another development is the growing proportion of 802.11n-based access points, which have a much higher average selling price and are keeping overall revenue per unit from eroding. Continued uptake of this next-generation technology should have a positive impact on the market during what is likely to be a difficult year in the wireless LAN space."
WLAN and WIFI mesh market highlights
* The worldwide wireless LAN equipment market, including access points, mesh network nodes, WLAN switches and controllers, and WiFi phones, continues to be impacted by the economic climate, sequentially dropping 18 percent to $438 million in 1Q09.
* On the wireless LAN equipment leaderboard (excluding WiFi phones), Cisco is unassailable with nearly half the worldwide market share, and Aruba and Motorola locked in a battle for second position (Aruba leads in 1Q09).
* Alcatel-Lucent and Trapeze were the only vendors with positive revenue growth in 1Q09.
Global mobile services revenue to grow at least 1.2pc annually through 2014
NEW YORK, USA: Unemployment has risen dramatically from just one year ago. The result is a recalibration of consumer purchasing and usage behaviors, which will affect all industries, including the normally recession-proof mobile services industry.
Yet despite current market uncertainties, a new ABI Research study shows that even under the worst recovery scenarios, mobile services revenues will continue to grow at nearly 1.2 percent through 2014, a 0.5 percent loss over pre-crisis conditions.
Dan Shey, Practice director, ABI Research, said: “A long economic recovery places pressures on mobile operators to compete on price, particularly with undifferentiated voice services. Mobile data services allow operators to counter that pressure. However each region is different. Operators should create strategies that lead customers to maintain ‘nice-to-have’ data services or encourage addition of more utilitarian ones.”
Economically, North America has been hit hardest. But mobile data services growth will exceed 8 percent through 2014 even in the worst recovery scenario and will shield mobile services revenues against growing voice pricing pressures.
While stimulus packages are helping power the Asia Pacific region through the financial crisis and limiting unemployment loss, regional operators derive a large portion of their data revenues from content downloads. These products would be the first casualties of an extended recession, particularly with APAC’s substantial prepay base. But operators can mitigate the impacts of the depressed conditions through appropriate messaging and offer management.
Shey added: “Mobile operators need to stress the utility of mobile services and pursue appropriate services personalization initiatives that allow customers to buy and use services in ways that best suit their needs. Business customers should also be a target segment as businesses consider mobile a way to lower costs and increase competitiveness.”
Combining survey data with regional economic and mobile demographic factors, ABI Research’s ”World Financial Crisis and the Mobile Services Market” provides a quantitative view of potential changes in the mobile services market based on three possible economic recovery scenarios. Forecast analysis is provided for changes in postpaid and prepaid subscriber adoption, voice usage and pricing, SMS usage and pricing, and mobile data revenues. Analysis is provided across seven different world regions.
Yet despite current market uncertainties, a new ABI Research study shows that even under the worst recovery scenarios, mobile services revenues will continue to grow at nearly 1.2 percent through 2014, a 0.5 percent loss over pre-crisis conditions.
Dan Shey, Practice director, ABI Research, said: “A long economic recovery places pressures on mobile operators to compete on price, particularly with undifferentiated voice services. Mobile data services allow operators to counter that pressure. However each region is different. Operators should create strategies that lead customers to maintain ‘nice-to-have’ data services or encourage addition of more utilitarian ones.”
Economically, North America has been hit hardest. But mobile data services growth will exceed 8 percent through 2014 even in the worst recovery scenario and will shield mobile services revenues against growing voice pricing pressures.
While stimulus packages are helping power the Asia Pacific region through the financial crisis and limiting unemployment loss, regional operators derive a large portion of their data revenues from content downloads. These products would be the first casualties of an extended recession, particularly with APAC’s substantial prepay base. But operators can mitigate the impacts of the depressed conditions through appropriate messaging and offer management.
Shey added: “Mobile operators need to stress the utility of mobile services and pursue appropriate services personalization initiatives that allow customers to buy and use services in ways that best suit their needs. Business customers should also be a target segment as businesses consider mobile a way to lower costs and increase competitiveness.”
Combining survey data with regional economic and mobile demographic factors, ABI Research’s ”World Financial Crisis and the Mobile Services Market” provides a quantitative view of potential changes in the mobile services market based on three possible economic recovery scenarios. Forecast analysis is provided for changes in postpaid and prepaid subscriber adoption, voice usage and pricing, SMS usage and pricing, and mobile data revenues. Analysis is provided across seven different world regions.
WAN optimization market down, but faring better than other networking segments
BOSTON, USA: Market research firm Infonetics Research released the first quarter (1Q09) edition of its Enterprise Routers and WAN Optimization Appliances.
Matthias Machowinski, Directing Analyst, Enterprise Voice and Data, Infonetics Research, said: "Sales of both enterprise routers and WAN optimization appliances were down in the first quarter, not surprising given the current economic turmoil.
"Similar to the Ethernet switch market, there was a shift to lower-priced routers, including low-end and branch office devices. The WAN optimization segment was down also, but fared better than many other segments, as organizations are able to build convincing ROI cases around their deployments, which should help this segment weather the downturn better than other infrastructure types."
Enterprise router market highlights
* Worldwide total enterprise router revenue came in at $787 million in 1Q09, down 20 percent from the previous quarter, and continuing the downward trend seen since 3Q08.
* All vendors had double digit declines sequentially.
* Router sales were down in all regions, although Asia Pacific declined only 9 percent sequentially, and North America is down the least year-over-year.
WAN optimization appliance market highlights
* After hitting a major milestone by surpassing the $1 billion mark worldwide in 2008, WAN optimization appliance sales dropped 14 percent quarter-over-quarter in 1Q09, to $226 million.
* While tough economic conditions will hamper growth in the WAN optimization market, growing demands on wide area networks will drive some investment, keeping 2009 worldwide revenue essentially even with 2008.
* Vendor market share positions shuffled once again in 1Q09 in the WAN optimization appliance market, with Blue Coat back on top.
Matthias Machowinski, Directing Analyst, Enterprise Voice and Data, Infonetics Research, said: "Sales of both enterprise routers and WAN optimization appliances were down in the first quarter, not surprising given the current economic turmoil.
"Similar to the Ethernet switch market, there was a shift to lower-priced routers, including low-end and branch office devices. The WAN optimization segment was down also, but fared better than many other segments, as organizations are able to build convincing ROI cases around their deployments, which should help this segment weather the downturn better than other infrastructure types."
Enterprise router market highlights
* Worldwide total enterprise router revenue came in at $787 million in 1Q09, down 20 percent from the previous quarter, and continuing the downward trend seen since 3Q08.
* All vendors had double digit declines sequentially.
* Router sales were down in all regions, although Asia Pacific declined only 9 percent sequentially, and North America is down the least year-over-year.
WAN optimization appliance market highlights
* After hitting a major milestone by surpassing the $1 billion mark worldwide in 2008, WAN optimization appliance sales dropped 14 percent quarter-over-quarter in 1Q09, to $226 million.
* While tough economic conditions will hamper growth in the WAN optimization market, growing demands on wide area networks will drive some investment, keeping 2009 worldwide revenue essentially even with 2008.
* Vendor market share positions shuffled once again in 1Q09 in the WAN optimization appliance market, with Blue Coat back on top.
Ubiquisys, Percello unveil next-gen femtocell platform
LONDON, UK: Ubiquisys, the leading developer of 3G femtocells, announced that it will publicly demonstrate its G3 next generation of femtocells for the first time at the Femtocell World Summit in London, today, on 23 June.
The G3 femtocell platform features a range of proven technical capabilities pioneered by Ubiquisys which are essential for robust consumer and enterprise deployments. These include Real-time Cognitive Radio to eliminate interference problems in mass deployments, and FemtoMesh technology to enable WiFi-style enterprise grid deployments.
The Percello Aquilo chip family combines the performance of 8-16 users as well as 21.6Mbps downlink and 5.7 Mbps uplink HSPA+ with low power and low cost. The consumer, business and module variants of the G3 range will commence shipments from Q4 2009.
Deployment ready: "Real World" technology
Only Ubiquisys femtocells feature Real-time Cognitive Radio which automatically adapts to changes in the radio environment.
This eliminates real-world interference problems caused by for example neighbours installing femtos, or people moving their femtocell to different parts of the house, or by the operator performing a macro re-plan. This unique capability is also fundamental to realising femto grids for enterprise.
The Ubiquisys femtocell range features FemtoMesh technology, the ability for individual femtocells to form a self-organising grid, enabling companies to self-install femtocells in a similar fashion to enterprise WiFi.
Power and economy
The G3 model demonstrated at the event will be running with a Percello Aquilo PRC6000 chip, which supports up to 8 simultaneous users and 21.6/5.7 Mbps data throughput. The Aquilo chipset combines this power with low energy consumption and low cost. G3 models will also support up to 16 users using Percello's Aquilo PRC6500.
Device flexibility
The Ubiquisys G3 also builds on the success of the current ZoneGate modular femtocell, which has been successfully integrated by many home gateway device manufacturers including NETGEAR and SerComm.
The G3 platform takes this flexibility to a new level, providing device manufacturers with more design authority to create segment-specific products. By providing a deployment system that enables device manufacturers to focus on hardware design rather than software and radio considerations, the time to market for new designs is dramatically reduced.
"Ubiquisys has continued to pioneer technical developments in the femtocell industry in key areas such as cognitive radio, mesh networks and applications," said Chris Gilbert, CEO of Ubiquisys. "Our G3 platform incorporates our proven technology together with the low power, high performance Percello chipset to deliver a highly flexible femtocell solution at a mass market price point."
"We have been working closely with Ubiquisys on the development of our Aquilo chip and their technical experience and market understanding have been invaluable in helping us to develop a chipset tailored to the needs of the femtocell industry," said Shlomo Gadot, CEO of Percello. "The G3 product boasts the performance, flexibility and price point for a range of products and use cases and we are delighted to be working with Ubiquisys to deliver the platform to customers."
The G3 femtocell platform features a range of proven technical capabilities pioneered by Ubiquisys which are essential for robust consumer and enterprise deployments. These include Real-time Cognitive Radio to eliminate interference problems in mass deployments, and FemtoMesh technology to enable WiFi-style enterprise grid deployments.
The Percello Aquilo chip family combines the performance of 8-16 users as well as 21.6Mbps downlink and 5.7 Mbps uplink HSPA+ with low power and low cost. The consumer, business and module variants of the G3 range will commence shipments from Q4 2009.
Deployment ready: "Real World" technology
Only Ubiquisys femtocells feature Real-time Cognitive Radio which automatically adapts to changes in the radio environment.
This eliminates real-world interference problems caused by for example neighbours installing femtos, or people moving their femtocell to different parts of the house, or by the operator performing a macro re-plan. This unique capability is also fundamental to realising femto grids for enterprise.
The Ubiquisys femtocell range features FemtoMesh technology, the ability for individual femtocells to form a self-organising grid, enabling companies to self-install femtocells in a similar fashion to enterprise WiFi.
Power and economy
The G3 model demonstrated at the event will be running with a Percello Aquilo PRC6000 chip, which supports up to 8 simultaneous users and 21.6/5.7 Mbps data throughput. The Aquilo chipset combines this power with low energy consumption and low cost. G3 models will also support up to 16 users using Percello's Aquilo PRC6500.
Device flexibility
The Ubiquisys G3 also builds on the success of the current ZoneGate modular femtocell, which has been successfully integrated by many home gateway device manufacturers including NETGEAR and SerComm.
The G3 platform takes this flexibility to a new level, providing device manufacturers with more design authority to create segment-specific products. By providing a deployment system that enables device manufacturers to focus on hardware design rather than software and radio considerations, the time to market for new designs is dramatically reduced.
"Ubiquisys has continued to pioneer technical developments in the femtocell industry in key areas such as cognitive radio, mesh networks and applications," said Chris Gilbert, CEO of Ubiquisys. "Our G3 platform incorporates our proven technology together with the low power, high performance Percello chipset to deliver a highly flexible femtocell solution at a mass market price point."
"We have been working closely with Ubiquisys on the development of our Aquilo chip and their technical experience and market understanding have been invaluable in helping us to develop a chipset tailored to the needs of the femtocell industry," said Shlomo Gadot, CEO of Percello. "The G3 product boasts the performance, flexibility and price point for a range of products and use cases and we are delighted to be working with Ubiquisys to deliver the platform to customers."
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