CAMBRIDGE, UK: Pioneering developer of picocell and femtocell mobile technology, ip.access, today confirmed it had signed a distribution agreement with GDS Technologies, one of Africa’s leading network engineering consultants.
Under the terms of the agreement, GDS will be able to specify, supply and install ip.access small cell solutions to its operator customers. The agreement covers ip.access’s range of 3G femtocells and enterprise picocells, as well as its 2G picocell which is the world’s most widely deployed small cell solution.
The small cell solutions are used by mobile operators to both improve mobile coverage in hard to reach areas and also increase network capacity in busy locations. The equipment can be deployed in homes, offices, shopping centres, business parks or at street level to improve network performance and increase customer satisfaction.
Announcing the agreement, Jamie Cave VP sales EMEA, ip.access said: “The African market presents many challenges in terms of mobile network coverage and performance and we are delighted to be able to work with a partner with excellent knowledge of the region and a strong track record of success. We believe that the emerging African market will be a hotbed of small cell deployments and we look forward to working with GDS in the vanguard of these developments.”
GDS boasts a range of Tier One and challenger operator clients across the region, and also works with blue chip enterprises and multi-national corporations based on the continent.
Claudette Thorne, Business Development Director, GDS said: “Our aim is to build capability, functionality and sustainability in our customers' networks. Working alongside ip.access and its world-leading range of small cell systems will increase our ability to deliver solutions that help the operator and the end-users get the most from their services.”
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
iPad leads in brand satisfaction among US consumers
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Apple Inc. commands the highest satisfaction rating of all tablet sellers among US consumers—along with the vast majority of sales and a high degree of loyalty among owners—according to the new IHS iSuppli US Tablet Consumer Preference study from information and analysis provider IHS.
To measure consumer satisfaction, US tablet owners surveyed were asked how likely they would be to recommend their tablet to friends or family members. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 0 indicating the owner would not recommend it, 10 indicating the owner is very likely to recommend it, and 5 being neutral, iPad owners gave an average rating of 8.8 to their Apple iPads, the highest rating of all the 11 top-ranked brands mentioned by consumers surveyed, as presented in the table below. More than 80 percent of Apple owners rated their tablet at 8 or higher on the recommendation scale. Fewer than 1 percent gave a rating of less than 5.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
In a surprise, China’s Shenzhen Zenithink Technologies Co. Ltd came in a close second at 8.75, although the overall sample for that model was comparatively small, while Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., with a much larger respondent sample, was third, scoring an average of 8.5.
“Apple’s competitors in the tablet market already are facing major challenges in offering products that can match the iPad’s combination of optimized hardware, software, operating system, applications, content and app store,” said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor and tablet research at IHS.
“Now they are facing the reality that consumers in the key US market really love their iPads, with owners expressing satisfaction with Apple’s products in a variety of key measures. Owners not only said they would be more likely to recommend the iPad than a competing product, they also indicated that they will look to Apple for future tablet purchases. With the iPad dominating tablet sales in the United States and worldwide, this high level of consumer satisfaction commanded by Apple represents a major barrier to entry for new competitors.”
Apple’s advantage
Among US tablet owners surveyed, 79.2 percent indicated they possessed an Apple-branded product that was either an iPad or iPad 2. A full 61 percent of the US owners surveyed said they would stick to the same brand for their next tablet purchase. More than half of owners indicated that they were considering a purchase, planning a purchase or would definitely purchase another tablet during the next 12 months.
These findings indicate that current owners are likely to continue buying iPad and iPad 2 devices in the future, helping Apple to maintain its market share advantage.
Among likely purchasers of tablets, more than 50 percent said they probably would buy an Apple-branded product. In this regard, Apple massively outperformed all the competition, with Dell Inc. coming in a distant second at just 11 percent.
This validates the IHS forecast that Apple will account for the majority of tablet sales through the year 2012, and that it will remain the top-ranked seller of such devices at least through the year 2015.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
To measure consumer satisfaction, US tablet owners surveyed were asked how likely they would be to recommend their tablet to friends or family members. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 0 indicating the owner would not recommend it, 10 indicating the owner is very likely to recommend it, and 5 being neutral, iPad owners gave an average rating of 8.8 to their Apple iPads, the highest rating of all the 11 top-ranked brands mentioned by consumers surveyed, as presented in the table below. More than 80 percent of Apple owners rated their tablet at 8 or higher on the recommendation scale. Fewer than 1 percent gave a rating of less than 5.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.In a surprise, China’s Shenzhen Zenithink Technologies Co. Ltd came in a close second at 8.75, although the overall sample for that model was comparatively small, while Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., with a much larger respondent sample, was third, scoring an average of 8.5.
“Apple’s competitors in the tablet market already are facing major challenges in offering products that can match the iPad’s combination of optimized hardware, software, operating system, applications, content and app store,” said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor and tablet research at IHS.
“Now they are facing the reality that consumers in the key US market really love their iPads, with owners expressing satisfaction with Apple’s products in a variety of key measures. Owners not only said they would be more likely to recommend the iPad than a competing product, they also indicated that they will look to Apple for future tablet purchases. With the iPad dominating tablet sales in the United States and worldwide, this high level of consumer satisfaction commanded by Apple represents a major barrier to entry for new competitors.”
Apple’s advantage
Among US tablet owners surveyed, 79.2 percent indicated they possessed an Apple-branded product that was either an iPad or iPad 2. A full 61 percent of the US owners surveyed said they would stick to the same brand for their next tablet purchase. More than half of owners indicated that they were considering a purchase, planning a purchase or would definitely purchase another tablet during the next 12 months.
These findings indicate that current owners are likely to continue buying iPad and iPad 2 devices in the future, helping Apple to maintain its market share advantage.
Among likely purchasers of tablets, more than 50 percent said they probably would buy an Apple-branded product. In this regard, Apple massively outperformed all the competition, with Dell Inc. coming in a distant second at just 11 percent.
This validates the IHS forecast that Apple will account for the majority of tablet sales through the year 2012, and that it will remain the top-ranked seller of such devices at least through the year 2015.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Airtel empowers customers in MP and Chhattisgarh with next generation 3G services
INDORE, INDIA: Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, announced the availability of its 3G services in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
In the first phase of rollout in these states, Airtel has launched its 3G services in 12 major towns including Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Raipur, Dewas, Rau, Pithampur, Mandideep, Malanpur, Bhilai and Durg. Airtel 3G will be introduced in 35 more towns across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in weeks to come.
With this, Airtel mobile customers across these states will now be able to experience the Airtel 3G advantage and enjoy a host of innovative service capabilities including fast mobile internet access, mobile TV, video calling, video streaming and social networking – at anytime, from anywhere. Airtel also offers high speed USB data cards that provide customers with 3G access on laptops.
In the first phase of rollout in these states, Airtel has launched its 3G services in 12 major towns including Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Raipur, Dewas, Rau, Pithampur, Mandideep, Malanpur, Bhilai and Durg. Airtel 3G will be introduced in 35 more towns across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in weeks to come.
With this, Airtel mobile customers across these states will now be able to experience the Airtel 3G advantage and enjoy a host of innovative service capabilities including fast mobile internet access, mobile TV, video calling, video streaming and social networking – at anytime, from anywhere. Airtel also offers high speed USB data cards that provide customers with 3G access on laptops.
Tablets to power growth of mobile broadband market in 2011
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Booming sales of tablets in 2011 will help drive a sizzling 57.8 percent increase in the shipments of mobile broadband devices that provide high-speed wireless connectivity while on the go, according to a new IHS iSuppli Wireless Communications topical report.
Shipments of mobile broadband devices in 2011 are projected to climb to 157.9 million units, up from 100.1 million units in 2010. Aside from tablets, the mobile broadband segment includes devices such as notebook and netbook computers, as well as e-book readers.
This year’s growth rate for mobile broadband devices parallels the robust 57.4 percent expansion of 2010, and coming on top of a larger base affirms the market’s strong performance for the second year in a row. Shipments will continue to rise during the next few years but at lower rates, declining to 38.1 percent in 2012 and gradually trending downward until 11.0 percent in 2015 to some 350.7 million units, as shown in the figure attached. The five-year compound annual growth rate, computed from the starting year of 2010, stands at 28.5 percent.
Within the segment, tablets will represent the fastest-growing mobile broadband device this year with shipments projected to reach 58.9 million units, up a mighty 239.3 percent from 17.4 million in 2010.
“More than any wireless device, media tablets—exemplified by the best-selling iPad from Apple Inc.—appear to be at the forefront in boosting mobile broadband,” said Francis Sideco, principal analyst for wireless research at IHS. “Affecting everything from supply ecosystems to chipset design, to services, applications and business models, tablets are spurring innovation not just in the wireless sector but also across multiple industries,” Sideco noted.
In particular, media tablets are influencing every node of the value chain, including suppliers, device manufacturers, mobile network operators, third-party applications and service suppliers. In the supply node of the value chain, for instance, tablets impact not only how core chipsets and architectures are designed but also how chipset strategies are implemented and then marketed.
“The excitement surrounding tablets is primarily due to the virtually unlimited range of value-added services and applications that may be delivered through tablets because of their wireless networking capability,” Sideco said. “Whether tablets have built-in Wi-Fi or come with embedded 3G/4G chips, the wireless function of tablets enables them to transcend just merely being another cool gadget into a virtual storefront, with the potential to generate revenue for any number of downstream businesses and industries.”
Full arsenal of tools to provide Internet access for mobile devices
The mobile broadband segment utilizes four primary methods for Internet access: USB dongles, mobile hotspots, embedded modules and embedded chipsets, with pros and cons for each tool.
For instance, USB dongles typically were used in conjunction with notebooks and netbooks, providing flexibility for use on multiple devices. However, the arrival of media tablets and other consumer electronics with embedded Wi-Fi capability saw the emergence of the mobile hotspot, a battery-operated device using a 3G or 4G network as backhaul for data traffic.
In comparison, an embedded module or chipset solution incorporates mobile broadband functionality at the board level, providing the convenience of a solution that does not break, become lost or get stolen—while allowing for optimal performance of the mobile device in which the embedded solution is used.
Of the various ways to enable broadband access for consumer electronics devices, mobile hotspots and embedded chipsets are the fastest-growing methods, growing 25 to 50 percent faster than the overall market, Sideco noted. Key to their growth is the capability of mobile hotspots to combine data access for multiple devices while staying at the forefront of technology, as well as the flexibility of design enabled by chipset solutions in devices.
By 2015, the majority of mobile broadband devices will utilize the 4G wireless standard known as long term evolution (LTE), in line with consumer demand for faster speeds and, perhaps more important, lower latencies or delays from their mobile broadband networks.
“Growth in mobile broadband devices will drive an explosive increase in mobile data traffic, causing carriers to rapidly rethink their strategies for network and service deployments as well as data monetization,” Sideco said. “And as new players target the mobile device market, existing players at every node of the communications value chain will need to continually evolve their business strategies. Failure to do so in this dynamic market, with continually changing paradigms, will cause even well-established players to be relegated quickly to marginal roles.”
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Shipments of mobile broadband devices in 2011 are projected to climb to 157.9 million units, up from 100.1 million units in 2010. Aside from tablets, the mobile broadband segment includes devices such as notebook and netbook computers, as well as e-book readers.
This year’s growth rate for mobile broadband devices parallels the robust 57.4 percent expansion of 2010, and coming on top of a larger base affirms the market’s strong performance for the second year in a row. Shipments will continue to rise during the next few years but at lower rates, declining to 38.1 percent in 2012 and gradually trending downward until 11.0 percent in 2015 to some 350.7 million units, as shown in the figure attached. The five-year compound annual growth rate, computed from the starting year of 2010, stands at 28.5 percent.
Within the segment, tablets will represent the fastest-growing mobile broadband device this year with shipments projected to reach 58.9 million units, up a mighty 239.3 percent from 17.4 million in 2010.
“More than any wireless device, media tablets—exemplified by the best-selling iPad from Apple Inc.—appear to be at the forefront in boosting mobile broadband,” said Francis Sideco, principal analyst for wireless research at IHS. “Affecting everything from supply ecosystems to chipset design, to services, applications and business models, tablets are spurring innovation not just in the wireless sector but also across multiple industries,” Sideco noted.
In particular, media tablets are influencing every node of the value chain, including suppliers, device manufacturers, mobile network operators, third-party applications and service suppliers. In the supply node of the value chain, for instance, tablets impact not only how core chipsets and architectures are designed but also how chipset strategies are implemented and then marketed.
“The excitement surrounding tablets is primarily due to the virtually unlimited range of value-added services and applications that may be delivered through tablets because of their wireless networking capability,” Sideco said. “Whether tablets have built-in Wi-Fi or come with embedded 3G/4G chips, the wireless function of tablets enables them to transcend just merely being another cool gadget into a virtual storefront, with the potential to generate revenue for any number of downstream businesses and industries.”
Full arsenal of tools to provide Internet access for mobile devices
The mobile broadband segment utilizes four primary methods for Internet access: USB dongles, mobile hotspots, embedded modules and embedded chipsets, with pros and cons for each tool.
For instance, USB dongles typically were used in conjunction with notebooks and netbooks, providing flexibility for use on multiple devices. However, the arrival of media tablets and other consumer electronics with embedded Wi-Fi capability saw the emergence of the mobile hotspot, a battery-operated device using a 3G or 4G network as backhaul for data traffic.
In comparison, an embedded module or chipset solution incorporates mobile broadband functionality at the board level, providing the convenience of a solution that does not break, become lost or get stolen—while allowing for optimal performance of the mobile device in which the embedded solution is used.
Of the various ways to enable broadband access for consumer electronics devices, mobile hotspots and embedded chipsets are the fastest-growing methods, growing 25 to 50 percent faster than the overall market, Sideco noted. Key to their growth is the capability of mobile hotspots to combine data access for multiple devices while staying at the forefront of technology, as well as the flexibility of design enabled by chipset solutions in devices.
By 2015, the majority of mobile broadband devices will utilize the 4G wireless standard known as long term evolution (LTE), in line with consumer demand for faster speeds and, perhaps more important, lower latencies or delays from their mobile broadband networks.
“Growth in mobile broadband devices will drive an explosive increase in mobile data traffic, causing carriers to rapidly rethink their strategies for network and service deployments as well as data monetization,” Sideco said. “And as new players target the mobile device market, existing players at every node of the communications value chain will need to continually evolve their business strategies. Failure to do so in this dynamic market, with continually changing paradigms, will cause even well-established players to be relegated quickly to marginal roles.”
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Android - opportunity or threat?
Ian Kilpatrick
WORKING, UK: Smartphones now represent nearly a third of all mobile sales, with Android rapidly closing on the number one spot. One of the things that makes Android smartphones so attractive is the openness of the Android operating system. Users, for example, can benefit from the high number of apps and free apps written for Android phones.
However, because Android is not a closed, structured environment, like that of competitors such as Apple, but an open environment, there have been many security issues. Android apps are not checked by Google before being sold on Android Market and this has created security problems.
The Guardian recently reported that 50 Android apps from Android Market were found to be infected with rootkit malware called DroidDream, which could compromise personal data, taking over the user’s device, although Google acted swiftly to remove the apps from the market once it had been alerted.
More recently, a security flaw was discovered in the operating system, where certain Google account authentication tokens being sent over the air unencrypted were potentially putting users at risk, if they were sending data over public Wi-Fi networks. Again, Google issued a fix, but recurring security episodes give users serious cause for concern.
The good news is that there are products around that will make your Android phone secure, such as Mobile Security 9 from Kaspersky Lab.
This protects smartphones from malware and spam, blocks unwanted calls, hides chosen contacts and files and locates missing devices. If a smartphone is lost or stolen, confidential files can be wiped or blocked remotely by sending a special SMS. Lost phones can be located through a GPS Find tool, and if the SIM card is replaced, phones can be blocked and the real owners notified of the new number.
The author is chairman Wick Hill Group, specialists in secure IP infrastructure solutions and convergence.
WORKING, UK: Smartphones now represent nearly a third of all mobile sales, with Android rapidly closing on the number one spot. One of the things that makes Android smartphones so attractive is the openness of the Android operating system. Users, for example, can benefit from the high number of apps and free apps written for Android phones.
However, because Android is not a closed, structured environment, like that of competitors such as Apple, but an open environment, there have been many security issues. Android apps are not checked by Google before being sold on Android Market and this has created security problems.
The Guardian recently reported that 50 Android apps from Android Market were found to be infected with rootkit malware called DroidDream, which could compromise personal data, taking over the user’s device, although Google acted swiftly to remove the apps from the market once it had been alerted.
More recently, a security flaw was discovered in the operating system, where certain Google account authentication tokens being sent over the air unencrypted were potentially putting users at risk, if they were sending data over public Wi-Fi networks. Again, Google issued a fix, but recurring security episodes give users serious cause for concern.
The good news is that there are products around that will make your Android phone secure, such as Mobile Security 9 from Kaspersky Lab.
This protects smartphones from malware and spam, blocks unwanted calls, hides chosen contacts and files and locates missing devices. If a smartphone is lost or stolen, confidential files can be wiped or blocked remotely by sending a special SMS. Lost phones can be located through a GPS Find tool, and if the SIM card is replaced, phones can be blocked and the real owners notified of the new number.
The author is chairman Wick Hill Group, specialists in secure IP infrastructure solutions and convergence.
Rising media tablet and smartphone sales cut demand for single-task consumer products
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Marking a fundamental shift in the history of the consumer electronics industry, the rising sales of multifunction electronics devices like smartphones and media tablets are resulting in a long-term decline in demand for single-task consumer electronics devices, according to the IHS iSuppli Home & Consumer Electronics Service.
Shipments of smartphones and media tablets will rise at CAGRs of 28.5 percent and 72.1 percent, respectively, for the years 2010 to 2015, as presented in the figure attached. In contrast, shipments of portable navigation devices (PNDs), portable media players (PMPs)/MP3 players and digital still cameras (DSCs) will either decline or remain flat during the same period of time.
“The success of multipurpose electronic equipment, often coming at the expense of devices dedicated to a single task, is reshaping the landscape of the consumer electronics industry,” observed Jordan Selburn, principal analyst, consumer platforms, for IHS.
“For example, the once-ultrahot MP3 player market has commenced an irreversible decline, not because consumers are no longer interested in music, but because other systems, primarily smartphones like the iPhone, also include audio functionality as part of a much broader suite of features. Other products, such as PNDs and DSCs, have been affected as well, with declining or flat sales after years of robust growth. In many cases, users can replace a slew of dedicated systems with just one multipurpose device, gaining functionality and portability while simultaneously saving money.”
Adding to the woes of single-task consumer products is the arrival of the media tablet.“Media tablets, predominantly the Apple iPad at present, are truly a jack of all trades—and master of most,” Selburn said. “This will put even more pressure on sales of single-task gear.”Although not directly acting as replacements for pocket-sized equipment, the media tablet increasingly will play an expanding range of roles for consumers, acting as an e-book reader, music and video player, browser, calendar, alarm clock, gaming platform, PND and camera all in one box.
“The story of consumer electronics is an ongoing survival of the fittest, and multitasking systems such as media tablets will have a hand in turning yesterday’s hot consumer electronics gear into tomorrow’s fossils,” Selburn said.
Shipments of media tablets will rise to 262.1 million units in 2015, up from 17.4 million in 2010. Smartphone shipments will increase to more than 1 billion units in 2015, up from 294.3 million in 2010.
In contrast, global PMP/MP3 shipments are set to fall to 126.8 million units in 2015, declining at a CAGR of negative 6.8 percent from 180.1 million in 2010. Showing how dramatically market conditions have changed, PMP/MP3 shipments rose at a CAGR of 38.7 percent during the previous five-year period from 2004 through 2009.
For their part, PND shipments will decline to 37.2 million units in 2015, with a CAGR of negative 2.2 percent from 41.5 million units in 2010. This compares to a booming 88.9 percent CAGR from 2004 to 2009.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Shipments of smartphones and media tablets will rise at CAGRs of 28.5 percent and 72.1 percent, respectively, for the years 2010 to 2015, as presented in the figure attached. In contrast, shipments of portable navigation devices (PNDs), portable media players (PMPs)/MP3 players and digital still cameras (DSCs) will either decline or remain flat during the same period of time.
“The success of multipurpose electronic equipment, often coming at the expense of devices dedicated to a single task, is reshaping the landscape of the consumer electronics industry,” observed Jordan Selburn, principal analyst, consumer platforms, for IHS.
“For example, the once-ultrahot MP3 player market has commenced an irreversible decline, not because consumers are no longer interested in music, but because other systems, primarily smartphones like the iPhone, also include audio functionality as part of a much broader suite of features. Other products, such as PNDs and DSCs, have been affected as well, with declining or flat sales after years of robust growth. In many cases, users can replace a slew of dedicated systems with just one multipurpose device, gaining functionality and portability while simultaneously saving money.”
Adding to the woes of single-task consumer products is the arrival of the media tablet.“Media tablets, predominantly the Apple iPad at present, are truly a jack of all trades—and master of most,” Selburn said. “This will put even more pressure on sales of single-task gear.”Although not directly acting as replacements for pocket-sized equipment, the media tablet increasingly will play an expanding range of roles for consumers, acting as an e-book reader, music and video player, browser, calendar, alarm clock, gaming platform, PND and camera all in one box.
“The story of consumer electronics is an ongoing survival of the fittest, and multitasking systems such as media tablets will have a hand in turning yesterday’s hot consumer electronics gear into tomorrow’s fossils,” Selburn said.
Shipments of media tablets will rise to 262.1 million units in 2015, up from 17.4 million in 2010. Smartphone shipments will increase to more than 1 billion units in 2015, up from 294.3 million in 2010.
In contrast, global PMP/MP3 shipments are set to fall to 126.8 million units in 2015, declining at a CAGR of negative 6.8 percent from 180.1 million in 2010. Showing how dramatically market conditions have changed, PMP/MP3 shipments rose at a CAGR of 38.7 percent during the previous five-year period from 2004 through 2009.
For their part, PND shipments will decline to 37.2 million units in 2015, with a CAGR of negative 2.2 percent from 41.5 million units in 2010. This compares to a booming 88.9 percent CAGR from 2004 to 2009.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Adobe announces collaborations to boost development of India-centric mobile apps
BANGALORE, INDIA: Adobe Systems Inc. announced that it will be working closely with the creative and developer ecosystem in India to help them build rich digital experiences for multiple devices, screens and platforms for the Indian market. It also announced its collaboration with organizations like redBus, Perfios, and Standard Chartered Bank to offer highly-interactive mobile apps for Indian consumers.
The company also showcased the work it is doing with Janaagraha, a leading non-profit organization, in its immensely popular ‘I Paid A Bribe’ initiative. To further support the development of India-centric mobile apps and richer digital experiences, Adobe is also hosting its annual Flash Platform Summit 2011 in Bangalore. The three-day event taking place between 27th and 29th July is the largest Flash developer summit outside of North America.
Ben Forta, director-Evangelism, Adobe Systems, said: “India is a country with over 850 million mobile devices and this is an opportune moment for the industry to leapfrog into the next wave of digital experiences. Consumers today demand a ubiquitous experience across devices and screens, using a host of platforms. With a strong legacy of driving innovation across the web with technologies like Flash and Flex, Adobe looks forward to working with the Indian developer community to equip them with the right tools and skill sets to build the richest possible Internet and mobile experiences for Indian consumers.”
Apps – made in India, for India
At its annual Adobe Flash Platform Summit 2011, Adobe showcased the collaborative work it is doing with various enterprises to create interactive mobile apps as well as rich Internet experiences. This includes the work it has done with the very popular and India’s largest bus ticketing company, redBus to create a mobile app that allows users to book bus tickets for 1000s of routes across India.
The mobile app provides a highly intuitive interface helping consumers not only book bus tickets on the go but also to assign their seats, compare fares, check the route, etc.
The company also showcased the work it is doing with Janaagraha, a leading non-profit organization, in its immensely popular ‘I Paid A Bribe’ initiative. To further support the development of India-centric mobile apps and richer digital experiences, Adobe is also hosting its annual Flash Platform Summit 2011 in Bangalore. The three-day event taking place between 27th and 29th July is the largest Flash developer summit outside of North America.
Ben Forta, director-Evangelism, Adobe Systems, said: “India is a country with over 850 million mobile devices and this is an opportune moment for the industry to leapfrog into the next wave of digital experiences. Consumers today demand a ubiquitous experience across devices and screens, using a host of platforms. With a strong legacy of driving innovation across the web with technologies like Flash and Flex, Adobe looks forward to working with the Indian developer community to equip them with the right tools and skill sets to build the richest possible Internet and mobile experiences for Indian consumers.”
Apps – made in India, for India
At its annual Adobe Flash Platform Summit 2011, Adobe showcased the collaborative work it is doing with various enterprises to create interactive mobile apps as well as rich Internet experiences. This includes the work it has done with the very popular and India’s largest bus ticketing company, redBus to create a mobile app that allows users to book bus tickets for 1000s of routes across India.
The mobile app provides a highly intuitive interface helping consumers not only book bus tickets on the go but also to assign their seats, compare fares, check the route, etc.
Airtel launches 3G services in nammudey Keralam
KOCHI, INDIA: Bharti Airtel, leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, announced the availability of its 3G services in Kerala.
Delivering a world-class 3G experience to customers in Kerala, Airtel 3G services are now available across key cities including Kochi, Trivandrum and Calicut in the first phase of rollout – and will subsequently be rolled out in other major parts of the state. With this, Airtel customers in Kerala will now be able to join the 3-million-strong base of customers in India that are already leveraging the Airtel 3G advantage to experience a host of exciting capabilities. Airtel 3G services will be available for customers in Kerala starting midnight on 27th July 2011.
The launch of Airtel 3G gives customers the power to enjoy multimedia services, high speed mobile broadband, videos on phone, live TV, video calls and much more. With Video Talkies portal on Airtel 3G, customers can enjoy popular Bollywood and regional movies (including Malayalam) on their mobile phones – anytime, anywhere. A wide range of LIVE and on-demand TV channels and shows are also available on Mobile TV powered by Airtel 3G.
Airtel 3G customers can enjoy the benefits of 3G speeds on the device of their choice – be it their mobile handsets, tablets and on laptops connecting using the Airtel high speed USB data cards. Airtel provides its customers with timely updates and alerts on their data usage – helping them control their expenditure on 3G and enjoy a seamless experience. The company has also introduced a first of its kind ‘internet usage calculator’ available online to help customers analyse their current internet data usage and choose an Airtel 3G plan accordingly.
Delivering a world-class 3G experience to customers in Kerala, Airtel 3G services are now available across key cities including Kochi, Trivandrum and Calicut in the first phase of rollout – and will subsequently be rolled out in other major parts of the state. With this, Airtel customers in Kerala will now be able to join the 3-million-strong base of customers in India that are already leveraging the Airtel 3G advantage to experience a host of exciting capabilities. Airtel 3G services will be available for customers in Kerala starting midnight on 27th July 2011.
The launch of Airtel 3G gives customers the power to enjoy multimedia services, high speed mobile broadband, videos on phone, live TV, video calls and much more. With Video Talkies portal on Airtel 3G, customers can enjoy popular Bollywood and regional movies (including Malayalam) on their mobile phones – anytime, anywhere. A wide range of LIVE and on-demand TV channels and shows are also available on Mobile TV powered by Airtel 3G.
Airtel 3G customers can enjoy the benefits of 3G speeds on the device of their choice – be it their mobile handsets, tablets and on laptops connecting using the Airtel high speed USB data cards. Airtel provides its customers with timely updates and alerts on their data usage – helping them control their expenditure on 3G and enjoy a seamless experience. The company has also introduced a first of its kind ‘internet usage calculator’ available online to help customers analyse their current internet data usage and choose an Airtel 3G plan accordingly.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dax Networks launches DX-2824-IRW secure broadband VPN router
CHENNAI, INDIA: Dax Networks, one of India’s top five networking companies, has launched DX-2824-IRW, a secure broadband VPN router. Priced at Rs. 21,700, DX-2824-IRW is ideal for Smart Secure Managed Solutions, a growing demand among enterprises in different verticals.
With a high performance processor, DX-2824-IRW delivers advanced internet access control and network protection against hacker attacks and intrusions. Packet layer and Application layer (layer 7) filtering based on URL and keywords, and schedule-based Access Control List (ACL) ensures high stability and security of the router and network. DX-2824-IRW also supports various VPN functions such as Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and VPN failover.
DX-2824-IRW features two 10/100 BASE-TX WAN and four 10/100 BASE-TX LAN onboard Ethernet ports. The two WAN Ethernet ports enable automatic failover, load balancing and network flow distribution based on bandwidth ratio, to optimize the bandwidth utilization. The router’s enhanced bandwidth management functionality includes protocol based bandwidth control, time based policing and bi-directional rate limiting in steps of 64 Kbps to 40 Mbps.
The enhanced monitoring and management features of DX-2824-IRW include Port Mirroring, Static & Policy Based Routing, Dynamic Routing via Routing Information Protocol (RIP) v1/v2, configuration via easy web interface, CLI, SNMP and Syslog.
DX-2824-IRW comes with a 3-year carry-in warranty and online support for customers. Dax plans to market this product through its network of Authorized Dax Solution Providers (ADSPs) and system integrators.
With a high performance processor, DX-2824-IRW delivers advanced internet access control and network protection against hacker attacks and intrusions. Packet layer and Application layer (layer 7) filtering based on URL and keywords, and schedule-based Access Control List (ACL) ensures high stability and security of the router and network. DX-2824-IRW also supports various VPN functions such as Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and VPN failover.
DX-2824-IRW features two 10/100 BASE-TX WAN and four 10/100 BASE-TX LAN onboard Ethernet ports. The two WAN Ethernet ports enable automatic failover, load balancing and network flow distribution based on bandwidth ratio, to optimize the bandwidth utilization. The router’s enhanced bandwidth management functionality includes protocol based bandwidth control, time based policing and bi-directional rate limiting in steps of 64 Kbps to 40 Mbps.
The enhanced monitoring and management features of DX-2824-IRW include Port Mirroring, Static & Policy Based Routing, Dynamic Routing via Routing Information Protocol (RIP) v1/v2, configuration via easy web interface, CLI, SNMP and Syslog.
DX-2824-IRW comes with a 3-year carry-in warranty and online support for customers. Dax plans to market this product through its network of Authorized Dax Solution Providers (ADSPs) and system integrators.
Monday, July 25, 2011
appMobi’s cloudKey revolutionizes e-commerce security by eliminating credit card databases
LANCASTER, USA: appMobi has unveiled its secure cloudKey authentication technology, and announced cloudKey's immediate integration into appMobi's 1Touch "single touch" payment system. 1Touch with cloudKey is ready for use by Web and mobile app developers who seek to offer their users a highly secure and streamlined e-commerce experience.
The cloudKey technology takes a fresh approach to secure online commerce in which the user’s credit card information is stored only on the user's device, never in an online database. The private data are stored using 256 bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) – the same encryption level approved by the NSA, widely regarded as “unbreakable.” Using a “distributed key” topology, cloudKey stores in the cloud only the decryption keys – information that is valueless without the user’s device and password.
“appMobi’s engineers have long recognized that securing a centralized database is basically impossible – if it’s online, it’s vulnerable to break-in... there’s no way around it,” said Sam Abadir, appMobi’s CTO. “The real breakthrough of cloudKey is the "distributed key" data model - we don’t store anything of value in a centralized database, so there is nothing of value online for thieves to steal. With this advance, cloudKey has eliminated all the tempting targets for the bad guys; even if they could steal appMobi’s entire crypto key database and a user’s device, they'd then have to guess the user's password, and at most they could get only 1 credit card number. It would be a huge expenditure of effort for very little gain. By keeping private data local on the device, cloudKey makes massive security losses like the recent 77 million account Sony PlayStation network breach impossible.”
In addition to eliminating online database security risks, the 1Touch payment system also offers users a streamlined way to transact mobile and online purchases with a single touch. As Amazon has proven with its 1Click patent, eliminating credit card re-entry is the best way to increase online sales conversions. With the rise of mobile shopping, ease and simplicity are even more important because credit card entry is much more tedious on a mobile device. appMobi's 1Touch payment system leverages the cloudKey authentication system to provide a more secure, non-infringing alternative to the Amazon 1Click patent.
Abadir continued: “The Web has been at a severe disadvantage in comparison to native apps when it comes to consumers purchasing and making in-app payments – the buying experience on iPhones is so frictionless that consumers are spending like never before. 1Touch was designed to put the Web, whether mobile or desktop, on a level playing field with Apple’s in-app purchasing system when it comes to e-commerce. With all the talk of whether HTML5 provides developers the ability to create apps as good as native ones – it seems the world forgot that it doesn’t matter how good the app is when developers aren’t making money because consumers can’t spend it easily. 1Touch can be used for transactions involving digital or real goods and services, on any Web browser, and the transactions flow through the same shopping carts and payment gateways that are in daily use on millions of Web sites. With 1Touch, the days of the Web being a second-class e-commerce option are over.”
The 1Touch technology offers simple integration with any payment gateway such as PayPal, Authorize.net, and even direct carrier billing. 1Touch has been tested extensively and is compatible with all popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and later, and Safari. Like most cloud services, 1Touch is billed at a nominal fee per transaction, rather than a percentage of the transaction amount. Developers who wish to try the 1Touch system can visit the company’s website for full documentation, sample code, sample apps and instructional videos.
The cloudKey technology takes a fresh approach to secure online commerce in which the user’s credit card information is stored only on the user's device, never in an online database. The private data are stored using 256 bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) – the same encryption level approved by the NSA, widely regarded as “unbreakable.” Using a “distributed key” topology, cloudKey stores in the cloud only the decryption keys – information that is valueless without the user’s device and password.
“appMobi’s engineers have long recognized that securing a centralized database is basically impossible – if it’s online, it’s vulnerable to break-in... there’s no way around it,” said Sam Abadir, appMobi’s CTO. “The real breakthrough of cloudKey is the "distributed key" data model - we don’t store anything of value in a centralized database, so there is nothing of value online for thieves to steal. With this advance, cloudKey has eliminated all the tempting targets for the bad guys; even if they could steal appMobi’s entire crypto key database and a user’s device, they'd then have to guess the user's password, and at most they could get only 1 credit card number. It would be a huge expenditure of effort for very little gain. By keeping private data local on the device, cloudKey makes massive security losses like the recent 77 million account Sony PlayStation network breach impossible.”
In addition to eliminating online database security risks, the 1Touch payment system also offers users a streamlined way to transact mobile and online purchases with a single touch. As Amazon has proven with its 1Click patent, eliminating credit card re-entry is the best way to increase online sales conversions. With the rise of mobile shopping, ease and simplicity are even more important because credit card entry is much more tedious on a mobile device. appMobi's 1Touch payment system leverages the cloudKey authentication system to provide a more secure, non-infringing alternative to the Amazon 1Click patent.
Abadir continued: “The Web has been at a severe disadvantage in comparison to native apps when it comes to consumers purchasing and making in-app payments – the buying experience on iPhones is so frictionless that consumers are spending like never before. 1Touch was designed to put the Web, whether mobile or desktop, on a level playing field with Apple’s in-app purchasing system when it comes to e-commerce. With all the talk of whether HTML5 provides developers the ability to create apps as good as native ones – it seems the world forgot that it doesn’t matter how good the app is when developers aren’t making money because consumers can’t spend it easily. 1Touch can be used for transactions involving digital or real goods and services, on any Web browser, and the transactions flow through the same shopping carts and payment gateways that are in daily use on millions of Web sites. With 1Touch, the days of the Web being a second-class e-commerce option are over.”
The 1Touch technology offers simple integration with any payment gateway such as PayPal, Authorize.net, and even direct carrier billing. 1Touch has been tested extensively and is compatible with all popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and later, and Safari. Like most cloud services, 1Touch is billed at a nominal fee per transaction, rather than a percentage of the transaction amount. Developers who wish to try the 1Touch system can visit the company’s website for full documentation, sample code, sample apps and instructional videos.
Ethernet Fibre fuels rising market demands for broadband speed
UK: UK based business communications company Intercity have teamed up with key UK carriers to offer their Ethernet Fibre solution to 50,000 current subscribers and new customers due to growing market demands.
The demand in the market has risen due to businesses utilising Internet connectivity more frequently, therefore relying on a solution that is secure, reliable and offers exceptional upload and download speed. Ethernet Fibre provides a dedicated connection from the business premises straight to the Internet. The service is uncontended so customers will not be sharing with other network users and are guaranteed the bandwidth they purchase – whether 2mb or 200mb.
The benefits of Ethernet Fibre will be apparent to the business instantly with a high speed connection which is suitable for all web based activities such as VoIP, vehicle tracking, hosted email or data transfer. The service is fully managed 2mb to 1gb and is highly reliable with a service level agreement. Failover options are available.
Pre sales expert Dave Reynolds stated: “Our Ethernet Fibre service gives businesses across the UK an opportunity to increase connection speeds, boost reliability and utilise additional hosted products. The service uptake is increasing month on month and is already proving to be a popular choice amongst our customer base.”
Ethernet Fibre is now the standard replacement for Leased Line technology and with the current rate of uptake will soon be a leading high availability connectivity product in the UK.
The demand in the market has risen due to businesses utilising Internet connectivity more frequently, therefore relying on a solution that is secure, reliable and offers exceptional upload and download speed. Ethernet Fibre provides a dedicated connection from the business premises straight to the Internet. The service is uncontended so customers will not be sharing with other network users and are guaranteed the bandwidth they purchase – whether 2mb or 200mb.
The benefits of Ethernet Fibre will be apparent to the business instantly with a high speed connection which is suitable for all web based activities such as VoIP, vehicle tracking, hosted email or data transfer. The service is fully managed 2mb to 1gb and is highly reliable with a service level agreement. Failover options are available.
Pre sales expert Dave Reynolds stated: “Our Ethernet Fibre service gives businesses across the UK an opportunity to increase connection speeds, boost reliability and utilise additional hosted products. The service uptake is increasing month on month and is already proving to be a popular choice amongst our customer base.”
Ethernet Fibre is now the standard replacement for Leased Line technology and with the current rate of uptake will soon be a leading high availability connectivity product in the UK.
Bharti Airtel launches Facebook for every phone
NEW DELHI, INDIA & PALO ALTO, USA: Bharti Airtel and Facebook announced that Airtel is now offering their customers a new Facebook mobile application for Java-based feature phones. Airtel is also sponsoring the launch by enabling their customers to download and use this application for three months without incurring any data charges.
The Facebook for Every Phone application provides a better and faster Facebook experience for feature phones than other similar applications and mobile sites. It brings Facebook’s most popular features and user experience to a wide range of Java handsets, and is optimized for speed and performance on Airtel’s network. This application includes several new and unique features that enable people to stay connected and easily share through Facebook including:
• Faster browsing of News Feed stories and Photos.
• Easy photo uploads from your phone.
• Synchronize local address book contacts with Facebook friends.
• One-time download of application.
Facebook for Every Phone is optimized to use minimal data while providing people with a fast and engaging user experience on feature phones. The application uses less data than other Java applications or mobile sites, enabling it to be much more affordable for people to use when the trial period end.
The Facebook for Every Phone application provides a better and faster Facebook experience for feature phones than other similar applications and mobile sites. It brings Facebook’s most popular features and user experience to a wide range of Java handsets, and is optimized for speed and performance on Airtel’s network. This application includes several new and unique features that enable people to stay connected and easily share through Facebook including:
• Faster browsing of News Feed stories and Photos.
• Easy photo uploads from your phone.
• Synchronize local address book contacts with Facebook friends.
• One-time download of application.
Facebook for Every Phone is optimized to use minimal data while providing people with a fast and engaging user experience on feature phones. The application uses less data than other Java applications or mobile sites, enabling it to be much more affordable for people to use when the trial period end.
Significant operational hurdles for telco cloud services
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Despite being well-placed to take advantage of the burgeoning cloud computing market, telcos face considerable challenges when it comes to supporting and selling cloud services, according to Ovum.
In a new report*, the independent telecoms analyst claims that the operational hurdles telcos face to make a success of cloud services are ‘significant’.
Mark Giles, Ovum analyst and author of the report, commented: “Much has been made of the potential for telcos to leverage existing assets, such as their communications networks, data centres, OSS and BSS systems and existing customer relationships, to offer cloud services to enterprises. However, while telcos’ assets do provide them with some key advantages over other cloud providers, there are a number of significant challenges that they face.
“Aside from a perceived lack of brand identity in the supply of IT services, obstacles such as bringing internal network and IT teams together, enabling sales teams, and ensuring that OSS and BSS systems can deliver on cloud’s on-demand nature must be overcome.
“The pace of innovation required for cloud services is very different from traditional network services and requires telcos to drastically reduce their time to market. While this is a challenge for the back office, it also raises questions as to how telcos price and monitor the profitability of these services.”
According to the report, telcos should follow the lead of players such as SFR and Telstra by seriously considering a joint branding, marketing and even sales partnership with an existing IT services player to maximize their potential impact in the market.
Giles continued: “In addition to helping them overcome their internal operational challenges, a partnership can help telcos to expand their number of sales channels and profit from an association with a premium IT services brand.”
In a new report*, the independent telecoms analyst claims that the operational hurdles telcos face to make a success of cloud services are ‘significant’.
Mark Giles, Ovum analyst and author of the report, commented: “Much has been made of the potential for telcos to leverage existing assets, such as their communications networks, data centres, OSS and BSS systems and existing customer relationships, to offer cloud services to enterprises. However, while telcos’ assets do provide them with some key advantages over other cloud providers, there are a number of significant challenges that they face.
“Aside from a perceived lack of brand identity in the supply of IT services, obstacles such as bringing internal network and IT teams together, enabling sales teams, and ensuring that OSS and BSS systems can deliver on cloud’s on-demand nature must be overcome.
“The pace of innovation required for cloud services is very different from traditional network services and requires telcos to drastically reduce their time to market. While this is a challenge for the back office, it also raises questions as to how telcos price and monitor the profitability of these services.”
According to the report, telcos should follow the lead of players such as SFR and Telstra by seriously considering a joint branding, marketing and even sales partnership with an existing IT services player to maximize their potential impact in the market.
Giles continued: “In addition to helping them overcome their internal operational challenges, a partnership can help telcos to expand their number of sales channels and profit from an association with a premium IT services brand.”
Friday, July 22, 2011
2.1 billion HTML5 browsers on mobile devices by 2016
OYSTER BAY, USA: By 2016, more than 2.1 billion mobile devices will have HTML5 browsers, up from just 109 million in 2010. While the official line from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is that the HTML5 standard will not be complete until 2020, ABI Research believes 25 HTML5 features currently in development will become widely used at varying intervals within the next three to five years.
“We expect HTML5 features in categories such as graphics, multimedia, user interactions, data storage, and others to be widely adopted sooner rather than later. A significant number of HTML5 features will be adopted in the mass market in the next three to five years,” says Mark Beccue, senior analyst. “HTML5 adoption is going to accelerate because it will be a key differentiator in the smartphone OS war. I believe that Apple will be the key driver of HTML5 and consequently a primary benefactor as well.”
Apple’s competitive edge stems from vision and its lack of fragmentation. “The key to HTML5 growth is browser capabilities. Apple will quickly develop HTML5 features capabilities for their browsers and be able to easily push those updates out to their devices,” Beccue says. “Android does not have the capabilities to move so quickly. Blackberry has market share, but their installed base of phones with HTML5 capable browsers are limited.”
One important HTML5 feature, video, is making a play to challenge the popular Adobe Flash Player plugin software. The feature would allow video to stream without the necessity of activating a plugin. While industry discussions of Flash’s disappearance generally conclude that Flash will not be phased out any time soon, Beccue thinks differently.
“I think the disappearance of Flash is closer than people think,” he said.
“We expect HTML5 features in categories such as graphics, multimedia, user interactions, data storage, and others to be widely adopted sooner rather than later. A significant number of HTML5 features will be adopted in the mass market in the next three to five years,” says Mark Beccue, senior analyst. “HTML5 adoption is going to accelerate because it will be a key differentiator in the smartphone OS war. I believe that Apple will be the key driver of HTML5 and consequently a primary benefactor as well.”
Apple’s competitive edge stems from vision and its lack of fragmentation. “The key to HTML5 growth is browser capabilities. Apple will quickly develop HTML5 features capabilities for their browsers and be able to easily push those updates out to their devices,” Beccue says. “Android does not have the capabilities to move so quickly. Blackberry has market share, but their installed base of phones with HTML5 capable browsers are limited.”
One important HTML5 feature, video, is making a play to challenge the popular Adobe Flash Player plugin software. The feature would allow video to stream without the necessity of activating a plugin. While industry discussions of Flash’s disappearance generally conclude that Flash will not be phased out any time soon, Beccue thinks differently.
“I think the disappearance of Flash is closer than people think,” he said.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Greenpacket, P1 and Sequans collaborate on LTE solutions
PARIS, FRANCE & KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: 4G chipmaker Sequans Communications S.A., Southeast Asia’s first and leading 4G operator, Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (P1), and global 4G networking solutions provider, Greenpacket, are working together to develop LTE solutions, including dual-mode 4G WiMAX/LTE solutions for Greenpacket’s global operator customers, including P1, its operator subsidiary in Malaysia. Greenpacket is testing Sequans technology to develop LTE and dual-mode WiMAX/LTE reference designs as part of its strategy to launch a complete ecosystem of 4G networking solutions and devices by the end of 2011.
“We are testing Sequans’ system-on-chip technology to develop LTE reference designs, including a dual-mode WiMAX/LTE reference design for our operator customers primarily in Asia, CALA and Middle East,” said, James Wang, senior VP of Innovation, Strategies and Development (ISD) at Greenpacket. “We intend to offer our solutions to early adopters of LTE such as P1 in support of its LTE/WiMAX coexistence strategy.”
“As Southeast Asia’s leading 4G operator, first for WiMAX and now for dual-mode WiMAX and LTE, P1 has three years of experience operating an end-to-end 4G network,” said Michael Lai, P1 CEO. “The insight we’ve gained regarding live 4G user behavior patterns is extremely valuable in LTE development, be it devices, network or applications. We are collaborating with Sequans because of Sequans’ operator-proven WiMAX and LTE chipset technology and because of the company’s real-world experience in deploying operator-certified 4G technology in high volume around the world.”
P1 launched its WiMAX service in Malaysia in August 2008 and is now preparing to transition to LTE. P1 earlier announced its strategic direction to harness the power of both WiMAX and LTE, due to developing global LTE momentum, expects to begin a transition to a full LTE network in 2013.
The technology Sequans is providing to Greenpacket and P1 for testing is part of Sequans’ recently announced 4Sight program, a collection of advanced coexistence technologies and solutions for operators to help them transition smoothly and cost-effectively from WiMAX to LTE and enable harmonious WiMAX/LTE coexistence.
Sequans develops and supplies WiMAX and LTE chips including a highly integrated WiMAX/LTE dual-mode chip, along with reference designs for user devices, essential multi-radio coexistence and multimode handover technologies, and dual-standby architecture.
“Greenpacket and P1 are taking a leading position in the 4G world by establishing a dual-4G network while they transition to LTE and this will benefit not only P1 and its customers, but also other operators who adopt this strategy,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “P1 now has the flexibility to rollout LTE at the rate they choose and have it coexist peacefully with WiMAX, and P1 customers will have devices that work in any part of the network at any time.”
P1 continues to make progress in building out its 4G network and expects to have 65 percent of the population covered by the end of 2012.
“We are testing Sequans’ system-on-chip technology to develop LTE reference designs, including a dual-mode WiMAX/LTE reference design for our operator customers primarily in Asia, CALA and Middle East,” said, James Wang, senior VP of Innovation, Strategies and Development (ISD) at Greenpacket. “We intend to offer our solutions to early adopters of LTE such as P1 in support of its LTE/WiMAX coexistence strategy.”
“As Southeast Asia’s leading 4G operator, first for WiMAX and now for dual-mode WiMAX and LTE, P1 has three years of experience operating an end-to-end 4G network,” said Michael Lai, P1 CEO. “The insight we’ve gained regarding live 4G user behavior patterns is extremely valuable in LTE development, be it devices, network or applications. We are collaborating with Sequans because of Sequans’ operator-proven WiMAX and LTE chipset technology and because of the company’s real-world experience in deploying operator-certified 4G technology in high volume around the world.”
P1 launched its WiMAX service in Malaysia in August 2008 and is now preparing to transition to LTE. P1 earlier announced its strategic direction to harness the power of both WiMAX and LTE, due to developing global LTE momentum, expects to begin a transition to a full LTE network in 2013.
The technology Sequans is providing to Greenpacket and P1 for testing is part of Sequans’ recently announced 4Sight program, a collection of advanced coexistence technologies and solutions for operators to help them transition smoothly and cost-effectively from WiMAX to LTE and enable harmonious WiMAX/LTE coexistence.
Sequans develops and supplies WiMAX and LTE chips including a highly integrated WiMAX/LTE dual-mode chip, along with reference designs for user devices, essential multi-radio coexistence and multimode handover technologies, and dual-standby architecture.
“Greenpacket and P1 are taking a leading position in the 4G world by establishing a dual-4G network while they transition to LTE and this will benefit not only P1 and its customers, but also other operators who adopt this strategy,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “P1 now has the flexibility to rollout LTE at the rate they choose and have it coexist peacefully with WiMAX, and P1 customers will have devices that work in any part of the network at any time.”
P1 continues to make progress in building out its 4G network and expects to have 65 percent of the population covered by the end of 2012.
Redline expands strategic global manufacturing partnership with SMTC
TORONTO, CANADA: SMTC Corp., a global electronics manufacturing services provider, has been awarded a contract by Redline Communications to manufacture their RDL-3000, a next generation, broadband wireless radio.
Redline Communications is an awarding-winning developer of advanced wireless broadband products and offers a diverse line of products to telecom service providers, governments, the energy sector and military organizations worldwide.
The RDL-3000 provides high capacity, secure, long range point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications links; delivering a seamless wireless experience for complex applications such as high quality video surveillance, VoIP, business access, and data acquisition.
Through the agreement, SMTC will provide full product integration; including a range of complex turnkey services, including box level integration, functional test and global sourcing to reduce costs and design for manufacturing support.
"Redline Communications provides advanced broadband wireless products and services to more than 150,000 installations in over 100 countries," said Robert L. Williams, senior VP of Operations, Redline Communications. "SMTC offers Redline the global resource capabilities, capacity and structured approach critical to our ability to deliver the very high quality products we are known for."
Since 2009, SMTC has manufactured Redline Communications' award-winning AN-80i broadband wireless radio at its Chihuahua, Mexico facility. SMTC's demonstrated expertise in technology and engineering, along with the ability to offer a low-cost manufacturing alternative positioned the company as an ideal candidate for the RDL-3000 project.
"Redline Communications is a significant customer for SMTC," commented Catherine Copplestone, VP and GM of SMTC Mexico. "Our expanded state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing capabilities make us a highly capable choice to produce the high-performance box build assemblies Redline requires for this demanding application. We are proud that we have been able to meet the exceptionally exacting requirements of Redline and look forward to our continued strategic partnership."
Redline Communications is an awarding-winning developer of advanced wireless broadband products and offers a diverse line of products to telecom service providers, governments, the energy sector and military organizations worldwide.
The RDL-3000 provides high capacity, secure, long range point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications links; delivering a seamless wireless experience for complex applications such as high quality video surveillance, VoIP, business access, and data acquisition.
Through the agreement, SMTC will provide full product integration; including a range of complex turnkey services, including box level integration, functional test and global sourcing to reduce costs and design for manufacturing support.
"Redline Communications provides advanced broadband wireless products and services to more than 150,000 installations in over 100 countries," said Robert L. Williams, senior VP of Operations, Redline Communications. "SMTC offers Redline the global resource capabilities, capacity and structured approach critical to our ability to deliver the very high quality products we are known for."
Since 2009, SMTC has manufactured Redline Communications' award-winning AN-80i broadband wireless radio at its Chihuahua, Mexico facility. SMTC's demonstrated expertise in technology and engineering, along with the ability to offer a low-cost manufacturing alternative positioned the company as an ideal candidate for the RDL-3000 project.
"Redline Communications is a significant customer for SMTC," commented Catherine Copplestone, VP and GM of SMTC Mexico. "Our expanded state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing capabilities make us a highly capable choice to produce the high-performance box build assemblies Redline requires for this demanding application. We are proud that we have been able to meet the exceptionally exacting requirements of Redline and look forward to our continued strategic partnership."
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Asia’s LTE launches rise to five, with leading cellcos moving away from flat-rates
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: To date, LTE services have been commercially deployed by five operators in Asia-Pacific, including in Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea, according to Ovum telco strategy analyst, Nicole McCormick.
South Korean operators SK Telecom and LG U+, the largest and smallest of three operators in the market, are the latest operators to debut LTE services on July 1, 2011. Like Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, which launched its LTE platform in December 24, 2010, both Korean operators have moved from all-you-can-eat ‘unlimited’ pricing to capped data plans for LTE.
McCormick welcomes moves by operators to abolish unlimited pricing models in the expected video-intensive LTE world.
In an upcoming report, McCormick warns that operators should be careful not to repeat the mistakes of some 3G operators who overburdened their networks due to unlimited pricing.
“While LTE delivers video more efficiently than 3G, operators offering flat rates for LTE could quickly overstretch their LTE networks and find themselves having to invest more than expected to alleviate this congestion,” said McCormick.
Hong Kong operator CSL is offering unlimited data for LTE, but excessive data usage is throttled. In Singapore, M1 is offering free LTE modems to enterprise customers on an existing plan that also has no limit on data usage.
“Big bucket and unlimited pricing dominate LTE offerings across the globe,” added McCormick, whose research analyzed LTE tariffs in nine markets: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Japan and, the US.
“LTE – as a “new” service for consumers - offers operators an opportunity to offer new premium pricing schemes,” McCormick commented. “But in general we were disappointed to find a lack of innovation from these LTE first-mover operators in packaging and pricing LTE tariffs for blue-chip customers.”
South Korean operators SK Telecom and LG U+, the largest and smallest of three operators in the market, are the latest operators to debut LTE services on July 1, 2011. Like Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, which launched its LTE platform in December 24, 2010, both Korean operators have moved from all-you-can-eat ‘unlimited’ pricing to capped data plans for LTE.
McCormick welcomes moves by operators to abolish unlimited pricing models in the expected video-intensive LTE world.
In an upcoming report, McCormick warns that operators should be careful not to repeat the mistakes of some 3G operators who overburdened their networks due to unlimited pricing.
“While LTE delivers video more efficiently than 3G, operators offering flat rates for LTE could quickly overstretch their LTE networks and find themselves having to invest more than expected to alleviate this congestion,” said McCormick.
Hong Kong operator CSL is offering unlimited data for LTE, but excessive data usage is throttled. In Singapore, M1 is offering free LTE modems to enterprise customers on an existing plan that also has no limit on data usage.
“Big bucket and unlimited pricing dominate LTE offerings across the globe,” added McCormick, whose research analyzed LTE tariffs in nine markets: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Japan and, the US.
“LTE – as a “new” service for consumers - offers operators an opportunity to offer new premium pricing schemes,” McCormick commented. “But in general we were disappointed to find a lack of innovation from these LTE first-mover operators in packaging and pricing LTE tariffs for blue-chip customers.”
Mobile web disappoints global consumers
DETROIT, USA: Compuware Corp. published the findings of a new survey that shows global consumers' expectations for mobile and application performance are not being met.
Today's mobile users demand exceptional web experiences and highly satisfying, convenient, on-the-go mobile site speeds regardless of their mode of access. The independent survey of more than 4,000 global users worldwide was conducted to understand consumers' mobile web and application expectations and experiences.
The new survey titled "What Users Want from Mobile," reveals that global mobile users' expectations are not being met, with a majority of users experiencing slow or unreliable mobile and application performance. As the survey findings illustrate, although mobile users expect quick, anytime transactions that work flawlessly every time, that's not what they're getting.
Key survey findings include:
* Mobile users' expectations for mobile website speed continue to increase. 71 percent of global mobile web users expect websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone compared to the computer they use at home – up from 58 percent in 2009. However, almost half (46 percent) said websites load more slowly on their phone.
* Nearly 60 percent of web users say they expect a website to load on their mobile phone in three seconds or less, and 74 percent are only willing to wait five seconds or less for a single web page to load before leaving the site. 50 percent are only willing to wait five seconds or less for an application to load before exiting.
* 57 percent of global mobile web users had a problem accessing a website in the past year, and 47 percent had a problem accessing an app on their phone. More than 80 percent of mobile web users would access websites more often from their phone if the experience was as fast and reliable.
* Mobile users do not have much patience for retrying a website or application that is not functioning initially -- a third will go to a competitor's site instead. The majority of mobile web users are only willing to retry a website (78 percent) or application (80 percent) two times or less if it does not work initially.
* A bad experience on a mobile website leaves mobile web users much less likely to return to, or recommend, a particular website. Nearly half of mobile web users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone, and 57 percent are unlikely to recommend the site.
"We conducted this study as a follow on to our 2009 study that showed mobile users had high expectations, but the majority experienced poor mobile performance. Almost two years later, user expectations for mobile continue to increase, but companies are still not meeting mobile users' needs for fast and reliable experiences," said Steve Tack, CTO of Compuware APM.
"Today, 77 percent of top companies across multiple verticals have mobile page load times of five seconds or more, while mobile users are only willing to wait five seconds or less for a web page to load before leaving the site. Poor performance is preventing many companies from taking advantage of the opportunities being provided by increased mobile access."
Today's mobile users demand exceptional web experiences and highly satisfying, convenient, on-the-go mobile site speeds regardless of their mode of access. The independent survey of more than 4,000 global users worldwide was conducted to understand consumers' mobile web and application expectations and experiences.
The new survey titled "What Users Want from Mobile," reveals that global mobile users' expectations are not being met, with a majority of users experiencing slow or unreliable mobile and application performance. As the survey findings illustrate, although mobile users expect quick, anytime transactions that work flawlessly every time, that's not what they're getting.
Key survey findings include:
* Mobile users' expectations for mobile website speed continue to increase. 71 percent of global mobile web users expect websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone compared to the computer they use at home – up from 58 percent in 2009. However, almost half (46 percent) said websites load more slowly on their phone.
* Nearly 60 percent of web users say they expect a website to load on their mobile phone in three seconds or less, and 74 percent are only willing to wait five seconds or less for a single web page to load before leaving the site. 50 percent are only willing to wait five seconds or less for an application to load before exiting.
* 57 percent of global mobile web users had a problem accessing a website in the past year, and 47 percent had a problem accessing an app on their phone. More than 80 percent of mobile web users would access websites more often from their phone if the experience was as fast and reliable.
* Mobile users do not have much patience for retrying a website or application that is not functioning initially -- a third will go to a competitor's site instead. The majority of mobile web users are only willing to retry a website (78 percent) or application (80 percent) two times or less if it does not work initially.
* A bad experience on a mobile website leaves mobile web users much less likely to return to, or recommend, a particular website. Nearly half of mobile web users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone, and 57 percent are unlikely to recommend the site.
"We conducted this study as a follow on to our 2009 study that showed mobile users had high expectations, but the majority experienced poor mobile performance. Almost two years later, user expectations for mobile continue to increase, but companies are still not meeting mobile users' needs for fast and reliable experiences," said Steve Tack, CTO of Compuware APM.
"Today, 77 percent of top companies across multiple verticals have mobile page load times of five seconds or more, while mobile users are only willing to wait five seconds or less for a web page to load before leaving the site. Poor performance is preventing many companies from taking advantage of the opportunities being provided by increased mobile access."
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
SapientNitro acquires CLANMO, a leading mobile agency in Europe
GURGAON/NOIDA/BANGALORE, INDIA: SapientNitro, part of Sapient, has signed an agreement to purchase mobile agency CLANMO, based in Germany.
The acquisition strengthens SapientNitro’s existing capabilities to provide clients with outstanding end-to-end mobile expertise and further enhances its unique offering for multi-channel marketing and multi-channel commerce in the European and, particularly, the German market. Together, they will help SapientNitro’s global clients gain competitive advantage amidst the communication and transaction disruption caused by mobile, and to mobilize their businesses by redefining how they engage with customers.
“We’ve seen great demand for immersive mobile-based experiences in Europe,” said Dr. Christian Oversohl, managing director, SapientNitro Europe. “Mobile is quickly becoming the communication and shopping vehicle of choice for consumers; along with advances in smart phones, tablet computing and touch-screen vending, it is bridging the gap between marketing and sales.”
He continued: “With the addition of CLANMO, we strengthen our mobile bench in Europe which, alongside our deep capabilities the US, will accelerate our ability to help clients meet the changing customer behaviors and expectations triggered by mobile. CLANMO is renowned for the high quality and breadth and depth of its mobile services, and we’re excited to have them aboard.”
CLANMO is a full-service mobile agency that focuses on strategy, communications, design, and technological implementation. Its solutions range from mobile marketing and mobile brand experience, to m-commerce and mobile social media. In the dynamic mobile market segment, CLANMO is a leading mobile agency in Germany, with 50 employees located in Cologne. Through work with clients such as Audi and Lufthansa, CLANMO has a demonstrated ability to partner with clients on both mobile marketing and mobile transaction solutions.
SapientNitro purchased CLANMO from MindMatics AG, which previously operated three divisions: mobile payment (mopay), mobile content (melonmobile), and CLANMO, an end-to-end mobile marketing services agency. As MindMatics decided to strategically focus on mobile payment solutions, it has sold 100 percent of its equity stake in CLANMO to SapientNitro, effective July 1, 2011.
The acquisition strengthens SapientNitro’s existing capabilities to provide clients with outstanding end-to-end mobile expertise and further enhances its unique offering for multi-channel marketing and multi-channel commerce in the European and, particularly, the German market. Together, they will help SapientNitro’s global clients gain competitive advantage amidst the communication and transaction disruption caused by mobile, and to mobilize their businesses by redefining how they engage with customers.
“We’ve seen great demand for immersive mobile-based experiences in Europe,” said Dr. Christian Oversohl, managing director, SapientNitro Europe. “Mobile is quickly becoming the communication and shopping vehicle of choice for consumers; along with advances in smart phones, tablet computing and touch-screen vending, it is bridging the gap between marketing and sales.”
He continued: “With the addition of CLANMO, we strengthen our mobile bench in Europe which, alongside our deep capabilities the US, will accelerate our ability to help clients meet the changing customer behaviors and expectations triggered by mobile. CLANMO is renowned for the high quality and breadth and depth of its mobile services, and we’re excited to have them aboard.”
CLANMO is a full-service mobile agency that focuses on strategy, communications, design, and technological implementation. Its solutions range from mobile marketing and mobile brand experience, to m-commerce and mobile social media. In the dynamic mobile market segment, CLANMO is a leading mobile agency in Germany, with 50 employees located in Cologne. Through work with clients such as Audi and Lufthansa, CLANMO has a demonstrated ability to partner with clients on both mobile marketing and mobile transaction solutions.
SapientNitro purchased CLANMO from MindMatics AG, which previously operated three divisions: mobile payment (mopay), mobile content (melonmobile), and CLANMO, an end-to-end mobile marketing services agency. As MindMatics decided to strategically focus on mobile payment solutions, it has sold 100 percent of its equity stake in CLANMO to SapientNitro, effective July 1, 2011.
Holidaymakers in EMEA cannot leave Internet at home
DUBAI, UAE: New research from Brocade shows that, along with sun cream and swimsuits, 95 percent of EMEA holidaymakers take at least one Internet-enabled device with them and are simply not prepared to “switch off” from e-mail (work or personal), online entertainment or social media sites.
Half of those surveyed plan to access the Internet at least once a day while more than 40 percent actively seek destinations that offer always-on connectivity, from anywhere at anytime, placing a huge burden on service providers and leisure facilities to ensure adequate coverage in even the most remote of locations. For example, a quarter of these sun-seekers reported that they have accessed content from the beach, and, amazingly, four percent have found time to log on in the jungle.
“The findings just go to show that in 2011, we are hugely connected, no matter what we are doing, and we fully expect to be able to get online from anywhere in the world,” said Alberto Soto, VP EMEA at Brocade. “With nearly half of the people we spoke to relying on connectivity to stream audio or video files while on holiday to enhance their relaxation time, businesses need to consider what the modern traveler wants. Whether it’s a hotel or beach bar, failure to deliver online services could not only damage brand equity but also jeopardize the bottom line.”
Internet penetration in Europe far exceeds the global average – 67 percent versus 27 percent – and the number of users has grown almost 260 percent since 2000. Internet penetration in the Middle East stands at 31.7 percent. Allthough not quite high as Europe, the user growth since 2000 is a staggering 1,987 percent.
Users today demand ubiquitous access to content, from wherever they might be, which has seen use of mobile devices soar in recent years; IDC, for example, states that smartphone sales more than doubled year-over-year in the first three months of 2011, seeing almost 100 million devices sold2. Add to this the fact that video and TV streaming will soon surpass Web and Internet traffic, and it is easy to see how modern consumer habits are changing, even in terms of planning vacations around Internet connectivity.
According to the research, typical holidaymakers take at least one mobile device with them, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone. The majority of respondents rely on these devices to stay in touch with friends and family at home, with 40 percent freely admitting that they cannot be separated from their social media tools.
Surprisingly, nearly a third of respondents use their devices on holiday for work reasons – such as checking e-mails, downloading documents or just being available to customers and co-workers – despite almost 60 percent admitting that it occasionally causes friction with their fellow relaxation seekers.
Other key findings included:
* 64 percent of respondents were aged between 25 and 44, indicating that the professional age group is driving the need for always-on connectivity.
* Of the respondents, 84 percent relied on smartphones while on holiday, favoring ultra-portable devices over bulkier devices, such as laptops.
* Half of those surveyed continued to use their devices (personal or work) abroad just as if they were at home, with more than three quarters regularly downloading personal e-mail and 48 percent accessing work e-mail/documents.
* Only 7 percent never accessed the Internet while on holiday.
Soto added: "Whether it’s from a tablet on the beach or from a smartphone on a boat, our research has highlighted the consumers’ thirst for content. How to quench that thirst is a challenge, but the ability to deliver always-on connectivity comes down to a high-performance and ultra-reliable network that has the attributes of the networks deployed inside of data centers."
Half of those surveyed plan to access the Internet at least once a day while more than 40 percent actively seek destinations that offer always-on connectivity, from anywhere at anytime, placing a huge burden on service providers and leisure facilities to ensure adequate coverage in even the most remote of locations. For example, a quarter of these sun-seekers reported that they have accessed content from the beach, and, amazingly, four percent have found time to log on in the jungle.
“The findings just go to show that in 2011, we are hugely connected, no matter what we are doing, and we fully expect to be able to get online from anywhere in the world,” said Alberto Soto, VP EMEA at Brocade. “With nearly half of the people we spoke to relying on connectivity to stream audio or video files while on holiday to enhance their relaxation time, businesses need to consider what the modern traveler wants. Whether it’s a hotel or beach bar, failure to deliver online services could not only damage brand equity but also jeopardize the bottom line.”
Internet penetration in Europe far exceeds the global average – 67 percent versus 27 percent – and the number of users has grown almost 260 percent since 2000. Internet penetration in the Middle East stands at 31.7 percent. Allthough not quite high as Europe, the user growth since 2000 is a staggering 1,987 percent.
Users today demand ubiquitous access to content, from wherever they might be, which has seen use of mobile devices soar in recent years; IDC, for example, states that smartphone sales more than doubled year-over-year in the first three months of 2011, seeing almost 100 million devices sold2. Add to this the fact that video and TV streaming will soon surpass Web and Internet traffic, and it is easy to see how modern consumer habits are changing, even in terms of planning vacations around Internet connectivity.
According to the research, typical holidaymakers take at least one mobile device with them, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone. The majority of respondents rely on these devices to stay in touch with friends and family at home, with 40 percent freely admitting that they cannot be separated from their social media tools.
Surprisingly, nearly a third of respondents use their devices on holiday for work reasons – such as checking e-mails, downloading documents or just being available to customers and co-workers – despite almost 60 percent admitting that it occasionally causes friction with their fellow relaxation seekers.
Other key findings included:
* 64 percent of respondents were aged between 25 and 44, indicating that the professional age group is driving the need for always-on connectivity.
* Of the respondents, 84 percent relied on smartphones while on holiday, favoring ultra-portable devices over bulkier devices, such as laptops.
* Half of those surveyed continued to use their devices (personal or work) abroad just as if they were at home, with more than three quarters regularly downloading personal e-mail and 48 percent accessing work e-mail/documents.
* Only 7 percent never accessed the Internet while on holiday.
Soto added: "Whether it’s from a tablet on the beach or from a smartphone on a boat, our research has highlighted the consumers’ thirst for content. How to quench that thirst is a challenge, but the ability to deliver always-on connectivity comes down to a high-performance and ultra-reliable network that has the attributes of the networks deployed inside of data centers."
Monday, July 18, 2011
Technical symposium at ITU Telecom World 2011 to deliver unique insights into future technology trends
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: From e-health and e-government to sustainable solutions, next-generation wireless standardisation and deployment and more, the ITU Telecom World 2011 Technical Symposium will take an in-depth look at the cutting-edge technological developments which are defining and influencing the future of networks and services.
Organised through a Technical Co-sponsorship with the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), the programme focuses on the hot topics and future trends shaping tomorrow’s information and communication (ICT) industry, featuring unique, fresh insights direct from R&D organisations. Designed for engineers and technical specialists, the event prides itself on being free of marketing hype.
Discussions will focus around 12 themes: Security Issues in Future Networks; Green Solutions for Sustainable Growth; Innovations in Broadband; Improving Healthcare through eHealth Services; New Concepts for Future Networks; Efficiency Challenges of eGovernment; LTE Deployment Challenges; Broadband Networks for Rural Service Delivery; Small Cells in Future Wireless Networks; Standardisation in Practice; Cognitive Management of Spectrum; and Dependability of Emerging Economies on ICTs.
To ensure a high-calibre, wholly original programme, presentations will be selected via peer review by a panel of experts drawn from technical committees and study groups from influential organisations such as IEEE and ITU-T (ITU’s Telecommunication Standardisation Sector).
“The Technical Symposium at ITU Telecom World 2011 builds on a long-standing tradition of cutting-edge debate and knowledge sharing,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General. “With the invaluable support of IEEE ComSoc, the Symposium harnesses the shared knowledge of a community of experts, drawn from across the industry, and I look forward to hearing the innovative thinking which will come out of it.”
For more, go to: http://world2011.itu.int/
Organised through a Technical Co-sponsorship with the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), the programme focuses on the hot topics and future trends shaping tomorrow’s information and communication (ICT) industry, featuring unique, fresh insights direct from R&D organisations. Designed for engineers and technical specialists, the event prides itself on being free of marketing hype.
Discussions will focus around 12 themes: Security Issues in Future Networks; Green Solutions for Sustainable Growth; Innovations in Broadband; Improving Healthcare through eHealth Services; New Concepts for Future Networks; Efficiency Challenges of eGovernment; LTE Deployment Challenges; Broadband Networks for Rural Service Delivery; Small Cells in Future Wireless Networks; Standardisation in Practice; Cognitive Management of Spectrum; and Dependability of Emerging Economies on ICTs.
To ensure a high-calibre, wholly original programme, presentations will be selected via peer review by a panel of experts drawn from technical committees and study groups from influential organisations such as IEEE and ITU-T (ITU’s Telecommunication Standardisation Sector).
“The Technical Symposium at ITU Telecom World 2011 builds on a long-standing tradition of cutting-edge debate and knowledge sharing,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General. “With the invaluable support of IEEE ComSoc, the Symposium harnesses the shared knowledge of a community of experts, drawn from across the industry, and I look forward to hearing the innovative thinking which will come out of it.”
For more, go to: http://world2011.itu.int/
World class Airtel 3G services come to Chomu
CHOMU, INDIA: Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, launched its 3G services in Chomu.
Following the successful launch of Airtel 3G services across Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Bhilwara in Rajasthan, now customers in Chomu too can experience Airtel’s world-class 3G network and enjoy a wide array of exciting services on Airtel 3G – including high speed mobile internet, mobile TV entertainment, video calls, live streaming of videos, on-the-go social networking and much more.
Sudipto Chowdhury, CEO - Rajasthan, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said: “After the overwhelming response from our customers in other key parts of Rajasthan, we are delighted to bring the Airtel 3G advantage for our customers in Chomu. Airtel’s world class network capabilities will deliver an unmatched 3G service experience for our customers in Chomu, thereby allowing them to enjoy high speed mobile internet and provide them with access to several innovative services like video calls and Mobile TV – anytime, anywhere.”
A wide range of LIVE and on-demand TV channels as well as shows are now available on Airtel 3G Mobile TV. To subscribe - customers can use their mobile phones to visit the ‘3G Zone’ on Airtel LIVE, select Mobile TV, simply download and install the application, select their favourite TV content – and start viewing.
Apart from Mobile TV, Airtel 3G will allow customers to enjoy various other exciting service offerings including video calls, high speed internet and video capabilities on social networks. Enabling fast internet access on-the-go, Airtel 3G dongles are also now available for laptop users.
All these services can be enjoyed seamlessly as Airtel provides its customers with timely updates and alerts on their data usage – helping them control their expenditure. The company has also introduced a first of its kind ‘internet usage calculator’ available online to help customers analyse their current internet data usage and choose an Airtel 3G plan accordingly.
Following the successful launch of Airtel 3G services across Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Bhilwara in Rajasthan, now customers in Chomu too can experience Airtel’s world-class 3G network and enjoy a wide array of exciting services on Airtel 3G – including high speed mobile internet, mobile TV entertainment, video calls, live streaming of videos, on-the-go social networking and much more.
Sudipto Chowdhury, CEO - Rajasthan, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said: “After the overwhelming response from our customers in other key parts of Rajasthan, we are delighted to bring the Airtel 3G advantage for our customers in Chomu. Airtel’s world class network capabilities will deliver an unmatched 3G service experience for our customers in Chomu, thereby allowing them to enjoy high speed mobile internet and provide them with access to several innovative services like video calls and Mobile TV – anytime, anywhere.”
A wide range of LIVE and on-demand TV channels as well as shows are now available on Airtel 3G Mobile TV. To subscribe - customers can use their mobile phones to visit the ‘3G Zone’ on Airtel LIVE, select Mobile TV, simply download and install the application, select their favourite TV content – and start viewing.
Apart from Mobile TV, Airtel 3G will allow customers to enjoy various other exciting service offerings including video calls, high speed internet and video capabilities on social networks. Enabling fast internet access on-the-go, Airtel 3G dongles are also now available for laptop users.
All these services can be enjoyed seamlessly as Airtel provides its customers with timely updates and alerts on their data usage – helping them control their expenditure. The company has also introduced a first of its kind ‘internet usage calculator’ available online to help customers analyse their current internet data usage and choose an Airtel 3G plan accordingly.
First time look at PON equipment deployment ratios reveals surprising results
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: For the first time, a research firm has analyzed the shipment data for customer premises equipment (ONUs/ONTs) versus central office equipment (OLTs) for FTTx PON networks on a worldwide basis and for selected countries. The analysis showed low ratios when compared to the theoretical split ratios of 32 or 64 ONUs /ONTs to OLT (optical line terminal), finds Ovum. In addition, the ratios have declined significantly since 2007.
In a new report, the independent telecoms analyst states that, while the ratios for Japan, Korea and China are below the theoretical split ratios, these three countries have shown different equipment shipment ratio patterns. The underlying reasons include the stage of FTTx network deployment, the bandwidth per subscriber goals set by service providers and the ratio of FTTH versus FTTB.
Julie Kunstler, Ovum principal analyst and co-author of the report, commented: “It is important to compare shipment ratios with FTTx (fiber-to-the-x) subscriber data to understand network utilization. While a single ONU can support many FTTB (fiber-to-the-building) subscribers, the bandwidth per subscriber may become very low. Therefore, a country may have very low shipment ratios due to a high rate of FTTB subscribers and the service provider’s desire to keep bandwidth per subscriber at a reasonably high level.”
Using historical shipment ratios, Ovum forecasts future shipment ratios along with subscriber growth forecasts. “Japan has room on its FTTx networks as more OLTs have been shipped than are needed to support the existing and forecasted FTTx subscriber base. However, service providers may be choosing to provide more bandwidth per subscriber; consequently, we expect to see additional shipments of both OLTs and ONUs/ONTs, said Kunstler.
In Korea, the ratios of ONUs/ONTs to OLTs have been low and are likely to remain low due to the high ratio of FTTB to FTTH subscribers. FTTB subscribers mask the true number of subscribers supported by an OLT. The current networks do not appear to have excess capacity. Additional subscriber adds will require additional OLTs.
China’s ratios have been very low with a “blitz” focus on central office readiness. OLT shipments are expected to continue to be strong for the next several years. Shipment ratios will increase as more subscribers are brought onto the FTTx networks in the years ahead.
The varying shipment ratios give light to different deployment patterns, such as “wave,” “blitz,” and “controlled”. Japan’s ratios for instance follows a “wave” pattern, with a high ratio of 33 in 3Q2007 followed by a low of 10 in 2Q2009 to a ratio of 23 in 1Q2011. It appears to move in waves with subscriber adds followed by network build and this wave pattern will continue in the next coming years.
In China, ratios have sharply declined in the past 2 years, from a high of 21 in 4Q08 to an average of less than 4 in 1Q2011, and low ratios are likely to continue in the next several years. The “controlled” pattern applies to Verizon, where the ratios have increased significantly as Verizon focuses on subscriber adds to existing service areas.
In a new report, the independent telecoms analyst states that, while the ratios for Japan, Korea and China are below the theoretical split ratios, these three countries have shown different equipment shipment ratio patterns. The underlying reasons include the stage of FTTx network deployment, the bandwidth per subscriber goals set by service providers and the ratio of FTTH versus FTTB.
Julie Kunstler, Ovum principal analyst and co-author of the report, commented: “It is important to compare shipment ratios with FTTx (fiber-to-the-x) subscriber data to understand network utilization. While a single ONU can support many FTTB (fiber-to-the-building) subscribers, the bandwidth per subscriber may become very low. Therefore, a country may have very low shipment ratios due to a high rate of FTTB subscribers and the service provider’s desire to keep bandwidth per subscriber at a reasonably high level.”
Using historical shipment ratios, Ovum forecasts future shipment ratios along with subscriber growth forecasts. “Japan has room on its FTTx networks as more OLTs have been shipped than are needed to support the existing and forecasted FTTx subscriber base. However, service providers may be choosing to provide more bandwidth per subscriber; consequently, we expect to see additional shipments of both OLTs and ONUs/ONTs, said Kunstler.
In Korea, the ratios of ONUs/ONTs to OLTs have been low and are likely to remain low due to the high ratio of FTTB to FTTH subscribers. FTTB subscribers mask the true number of subscribers supported by an OLT. The current networks do not appear to have excess capacity. Additional subscriber adds will require additional OLTs.
China’s ratios have been very low with a “blitz” focus on central office readiness. OLT shipments are expected to continue to be strong for the next several years. Shipment ratios will increase as more subscribers are brought onto the FTTx networks in the years ahead.
The varying shipment ratios give light to different deployment patterns, such as “wave,” “blitz,” and “controlled”. Japan’s ratios for instance follows a “wave” pattern, with a high ratio of 33 in 3Q2007 followed by a low of 10 in 2Q2009 to a ratio of 23 in 1Q2011. It appears to move in waves with subscriber adds followed by network build and this wave pattern will continue in the next coming years.
In China, ratios have sharply declined in the past 2 years, from a high of 21 in 4Q08 to an average of less than 4 in 1Q2011, and low ratios are likely to continue in the next several years. The “controlled” pattern applies to Verizon, where the ratios have increased significantly as Verizon focuses on subscriber adds to existing service areas.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Fiber broadband subscriptions to double by end of 2016
SINGAPORE: The number of fixed broadband subscribers continues to grow in 2011. According to ABI Research practice director Jason Blackwell, “There were more than 539 million fixed broadband subscribers globally at the end of second quarter. That is an 8 percent increase from the same quarter in 2010. Customer net addition is stronger in emerging markets.”
The number of customers using high bandwidth services such as Internet video and online gaming is growing around the world. Exploding IP traffic generated by these services is putting service providers under pressure to handle the bandwidth demand. Broadband operators are expanding fiber broadband coverage which can best serve these bandwidth-hungry services. As an example, China Telecom is deploying fiber optic broadband aiming to serve 100 million households and 30 million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) subscribers by the end of 2015.
At present, North America is the region with the highest fiber optic broadband penetration followed by Asia-Pacific. Extending fiber broadband coverage not only increases speed but also allows the roll out of services including video on demand (VOD) and IPTV. ABI Research estimates that worldwide fiber broadband subscriber numbers will more than double in 2016 to 142 million subscribers, from 69.6 million in 2011.
The Asia Pacific region is seeing strong subscriber growth, due in particular to the increasing number of subscribers in China. About 17 million Chinese subscribers have been added since the second quarter of 2010.
“The Asia-Pacific broadband market is sure to continue growing in the medium-term since low broadband penetration in countries such as China and India leaves plenty of room for broadband growth,” comments research analyst Khin Sandi Lynn.
The number of customers using high bandwidth services such as Internet video and online gaming is growing around the world. Exploding IP traffic generated by these services is putting service providers under pressure to handle the bandwidth demand. Broadband operators are expanding fiber broadband coverage which can best serve these bandwidth-hungry services. As an example, China Telecom is deploying fiber optic broadband aiming to serve 100 million households and 30 million fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) subscribers by the end of 2015.
At present, North America is the region with the highest fiber optic broadband penetration followed by Asia-Pacific. Extending fiber broadband coverage not only increases speed but also allows the roll out of services including video on demand (VOD) and IPTV. ABI Research estimates that worldwide fiber broadband subscriber numbers will more than double in 2016 to 142 million subscribers, from 69.6 million in 2011.
The Asia Pacific region is seeing strong subscriber growth, due in particular to the increasing number of subscribers in China. About 17 million Chinese subscribers have been added since the second quarter of 2010.
“The Asia-Pacific broadband market is sure to continue growing in the medium-term since low broadband penetration in countries such as China and India leaves plenty of room for broadband growth,” comments research analyst Khin Sandi Lynn.
KVH ships 1,500th TracPhone system for global mini-VSAT broadband network
MIDDLETOWN, USA: KVH Industries Inc. announced that 1,500 TracPhone systems for its mini-VSAT BroadbandSM network have been shipped to customers. The milestone comes only three weeks after KVH announced the completion of its original global Ku-band network plan with the addition of South American coverage.
Together, these announcements reinforce the mini-VSAT Broadband service's position as both the world's fastest growing and largest maritime Ku-band network. In addition to the 1,500 systems shipped to customers, many additional systems are currently fielded for trials.
"When we entered the maritime broadband market in 2007, our research showed that satellite communications customers spent most of their time figuring out how to limit their system's use and control its high costs, not actually benefitting from their chosen service," explained Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH's chief executive officer.
"People were frustrated with the high airtime prices charged by Inmarsat for slow data speeds, and they weren't happy about the size, cost, and unreliability of the available maritime VSAT equipment. Our goal was to offer an entirely new approach to the challenge of communications at sea with compact hardware, reliable and affordable airtime, global coverage, and an end-to-end solution that focused on our customers' needs."
Kits van Heyningen continued: "The tremendously positive response from commercial and leisure mariners is driving the rapid, accelerating acceptance of mini-VSAT Broadband. It took approximately two years from the service launch to reach 500 TracPhone systems shipped, then just over a year to reach 1,000 units, and now only nine months to hit the 1,500 unit mark. The result is a clear message from vessel owners and operators worldwide that mini-VSAT Broadband is now the leading maritime VSAT solution in virtually every maritime market sector."
A managed airtime network solution, mini-VSAT Broadband seamlessly links 14 transponders on 10 satellites to provide service around the globe. The resulting worldwide service equips vessels with the highest data rates available today with downloads as fast as 2 Mbps and uploads as fast as 512 Kbps, as well as VoIP phone lines with optimized service and prioritization of applications.
The network uses ViaSat (Nasdaq:VSAT) ArcLight spread spectrum technology, which was designed specifically for mobile use and previously available only for military applications. ArcLight is unique due to its efficient reuse of satellite channels, fast speed, low latency, and its ability to support very small antennas that provide reliable service, even in poor weather conditions.
KVH manufactures two fully integrated onboard systems for the mini-VSAT Broadband network – the award-winning 24" diameter TracPhone V7 and the compact, 14.5" diameter TracPhone V3, which is the world's smallest maritime VSAT antenna. Both systems include a versatile below-deck control unit and ArcLight modem.
Multiple airtime plans are available, including simple metered plans ($0.99 per MB for data and $0.49 per minute for all calls worldwide to both landlines and mobile phones with packages starting at less than $50 per month) and fixed monthly and seasonal plans with even lower data and voice costs. KVH also provides technical support 24/7/365 through its GlobalCare Center and thousands of trained technicians serving ports around the globe.
Together, these announcements reinforce the mini-VSAT Broadband service's position as both the world's fastest growing and largest maritime Ku-band network. In addition to the 1,500 systems shipped to customers, many additional systems are currently fielded for trials.
"When we entered the maritime broadband market in 2007, our research showed that satellite communications customers spent most of their time figuring out how to limit their system's use and control its high costs, not actually benefitting from their chosen service," explained Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH's chief executive officer.
"People were frustrated with the high airtime prices charged by Inmarsat for slow data speeds, and they weren't happy about the size, cost, and unreliability of the available maritime VSAT equipment. Our goal was to offer an entirely new approach to the challenge of communications at sea with compact hardware, reliable and affordable airtime, global coverage, and an end-to-end solution that focused on our customers' needs."
Kits van Heyningen continued: "The tremendously positive response from commercial and leisure mariners is driving the rapid, accelerating acceptance of mini-VSAT Broadband. It took approximately two years from the service launch to reach 500 TracPhone systems shipped, then just over a year to reach 1,000 units, and now only nine months to hit the 1,500 unit mark. The result is a clear message from vessel owners and operators worldwide that mini-VSAT Broadband is now the leading maritime VSAT solution in virtually every maritime market sector."
A managed airtime network solution, mini-VSAT Broadband seamlessly links 14 transponders on 10 satellites to provide service around the globe. The resulting worldwide service equips vessels with the highest data rates available today with downloads as fast as 2 Mbps and uploads as fast as 512 Kbps, as well as VoIP phone lines with optimized service and prioritization of applications.
The network uses ViaSat (Nasdaq:VSAT) ArcLight spread spectrum technology, which was designed specifically for mobile use and previously available only for military applications. ArcLight is unique due to its efficient reuse of satellite channels, fast speed, low latency, and its ability to support very small antennas that provide reliable service, even in poor weather conditions.
KVH manufactures two fully integrated onboard systems for the mini-VSAT Broadband network – the award-winning 24" diameter TracPhone V7 and the compact, 14.5" diameter TracPhone V3, which is the world's smallest maritime VSAT antenna. Both systems include a versatile below-deck control unit and ArcLight modem.
Multiple airtime plans are available, including simple metered plans ($0.99 per MB for data and $0.49 per minute for all calls worldwide to both landlines and mobile phones with packages starting at less than $50 per month) and fixed monthly and seasonal plans with even lower data and voice costs. KVH also provides technical support 24/7/365 through its GlobalCare Center and thousands of trained technicians serving ports around the globe.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
China smartphone shipments rise
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Shipments of smartphones for sale in China are set to soar by a record 53 percent this year, according to new research from the IHS iSuppli China Electronics Supply Chain service.
Domestic smartphone shipments in China will rise to 54.1 million units in 2011, up from 35.3 million units in 2010. Of the projected domestic total for this year, more than 10 million and 15 million smartphone units will come from the giant Chinese makers ZTE and Huawei, respectively.
By the end of 2015, IHS forecasts that Chinese companies will ship 111.6 million smartphones, rising at a compound annual growth rate of 25.9 percent from 2010, as presented in Fig. 1. In contrast, the global smartphone market will grow at a more modest CAGR of 20.7 percent during the same period.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
The China numbers do not include iPhones from Apple Inc. that have been smuggled into the country, or phones made by HTC that are sold in China—together estimated at somewhere in the range of 7 million units in 2010.
“China’s domestic smartphone market is booming in 2011 as prices for handsets and 3G services fall,” said Kevin Wang, director of China electronics value chain research at IHS. “Consumer demand also is being stimulated by the arrival of compelling mobile Internet applications.”
The average selling price for smartphones in China is set to fall below the $300 threshold in 2011 for the first time, declining to $299, down 4.9 percent from $314 in 2010.
Gray skies ahead for gray-market handsets
Meanwhile in the Chinese white-box and gray-smartphone market, 2011 will see domestic Chinese suppliers focus mainly on EDGE smartphones based on the Android operating system, as well as 3G smartphones from 2012 onward.
Overall shipments of gray-market handsets, considered illegal in the country, are projected to expand to 255 million units in 2011 and then begin to decline to 213 million units in 2012. This will launch a pattern where gray-market handsets continue to decrease in unit shipments for the next four years, as shown in Fig. 2.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
While gray-market suppliers are positive about prospects in the emerging markets, a lack of new and compelling selling features will result in price-based competition. This is true even in 2011, with the gray-handset market anticipated to see lower revenue despite an increase in unit shipments. Existing players also may leave the smartphone space altogether to seek greater opportunities in other consumer electronic sectors, such as tablets.
Several factors account for the decline in the shipment of gray-market smartphones in China, including stronger supervision by the Chinese government of gray-market handsets and a serious crackdown on counterfeit mobile phones. Moreover, players in the emerging markets, supplying product to their own areas, are grabbing market share away from gray-handset suppliers.
Other factors include concern from end customers about the quality and aftersales services of gray handsets; the expansion in market share of dominant local players like ZTE, Huawei, TCL/Alcatel and Sangfei into the developing countries, with cooperation from local operators; the change from some traditional gray-handset suppliers into branded original equipment manufacturers that promote their own trade names in the developing countries; the increasing difficulty among gray handsets in differentiating from similar platforms, such as those operated by big entities MediaTek or Spreadtrum; and the lack of a cost advantage in gray handsets when compared to 2G phones, as well as the absence of a competitive 3G turnkey solution for gray handsets in the near future.
In the second quarter of this year, IHS saw the closure of many small independent design houses for handsets in the Shenzhen area because of continuous losses, following the sharp decline of the export white-box and gray-handset market in April and May. Channel inventory had been too high in the first quarter of 2011, while demand declined in the emerging markets during the second quarter.
Moreover, the Chinese government cracked down hard on gray handsets and the suppliers of counterfeit phones in Shenzhen during that time, adding to the pain of local gray-market manufacturers.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Domestic smartphone shipments in China will rise to 54.1 million units in 2011, up from 35.3 million units in 2010. Of the projected domestic total for this year, more than 10 million and 15 million smartphone units will come from the giant Chinese makers ZTE and Huawei, respectively.
By the end of 2015, IHS forecasts that Chinese companies will ship 111.6 million smartphones, rising at a compound annual growth rate of 25.9 percent from 2010, as presented in Fig. 1. In contrast, the global smartphone market will grow at a more modest CAGR of 20.7 percent during the same period.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.The China numbers do not include iPhones from Apple Inc. that have been smuggled into the country, or phones made by HTC that are sold in China—together estimated at somewhere in the range of 7 million units in 2010.
“China’s domestic smartphone market is booming in 2011 as prices for handsets and 3G services fall,” said Kevin Wang, director of China electronics value chain research at IHS. “Consumer demand also is being stimulated by the arrival of compelling mobile Internet applications.”
The average selling price for smartphones in China is set to fall below the $300 threshold in 2011 for the first time, declining to $299, down 4.9 percent from $314 in 2010.
Gray skies ahead for gray-market handsets
Meanwhile in the Chinese white-box and gray-smartphone market, 2011 will see domestic Chinese suppliers focus mainly on EDGE smartphones based on the Android operating system, as well as 3G smartphones from 2012 onward.
Overall shipments of gray-market handsets, considered illegal in the country, are projected to expand to 255 million units in 2011 and then begin to decline to 213 million units in 2012. This will launch a pattern where gray-market handsets continue to decrease in unit shipments for the next four years, as shown in Fig. 2.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.While gray-market suppliers are positive about prospects in the emerging markets, a lack of new and compelling selling features will result in price-based competition. This is true even in 2011, with the gray-handset market anticipated to see lower revenue despite an increase in unit shipments. Existing players also may leave the smartphone space altogether to seek greater opportunities in other consumer electronic sectors, such as tablets.
Several factors account for the decline in the shipment of gray-market smartphones in China, including stronger supervision by the Chinese government of gray-market handsets and a serious crackdown on counterfeit mobile phones. Moreover, players in the emerging markets, supplying product to their own areas, are grabbing market share away from gray-handset suppliers.
Other factors include concern from end customers about the quality and aftersales services of gray handsets; the expansion in market share of dominant local players like ZTE, Huawei, TCL/Alcatel and Sangfei into the developing countries, with cooperation from local operators; the change from some traditional gray-handset suppliers into branded original equipment manufacturers that promote their own trade names in the developing countries; the increasing difficulty among gray handsets in differentiating from similar platforms, such as those operated by big entities MediaTek or Spreadtrum; and the lack of a cost advantage in gray handsets when compared to 2G phones, as well as the absence of a competitive 3G turnkey solution for gray handsets in the near future.
In the second quarter of this year, IHS saw the closure of many small independent design houses for handsets in the Shenzhen area because of continuous losses, following the sharp decline of the export white-box and gray-handset market in April and May. Channel inventory had been too high in the first quarter of 2011, while demand declined in the emerging markets during the second quarter.
Moreover, the Chinese government cracked down hard on gray handsets and the suppliers of counterfeit phones in Shenzhen during that time, adding to the pain of local gray-market manufacturers.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Ace Commodity Exchange data feed now available on WinQoute
BANGALORE, INDIA: Ace Derivatives and Commodity Exchange announced that the Exchange market data is now available on WinQuote – Desktop Market Data Terminal and TQPhone – Mobile Market Data Application of IQN Data Solutions.
With this tie up, Ace members can use WinQoute / TQPhone that is used by brokerage firms, commodity trading companies, high net worth individuals and professional traders, to access the Exchange’s real time market data.
WinQoute/ TQPhone provides real time market data, technical analysis and charting tools with 60 plus studies and news content related to commodities. All WinQuote subscribers also get an alternative access to TQPhone application which provides market data, charts and news content on the mobile covering most of the smart phones such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android, iPad and iPhone.
With this tie up, Ace members can use WinQoute / TQPhone that is used by brokerage firms, commodity trading companies, high net worth individuals and professional traders, to access the Exchange’s real time market data.
WinQoute/ TQPhone provides real time market data, technical analysis and charting tools with 60 plus studies and news content related to commodities. All WinQuote subscribers also get an alternative access to TQPhone application which provides market data, charts and news content on the mobile covering most of the smart phones such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android, iPad and iPhone.
Telit opens India office
BANGALORE, INDIA: Telit Communications SPA, an international leader in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, announced the start of its India operations by opening an office in New Delhi, India.
This move marks the reinforcement of Telit’s commitment towards the Indian M2M market, which holds great potential for its products and solutions. Acknowledged as the M2M innovation leader worldwide, Telit, which was present in the country through its distributors, is keen to develop the Indian market by offering solutions that will benefits customers and end consumers significantly.
Telit sells its products through a network of value added resellers to more than 3,000 communications solution providers and systems integrators in more than 60 countries around the World and was present in India since 2009 through its distributors Arrow Electronics and Nest Connectivity Solutions.
With the launch of its India operations the company is resolute to bring its advanced and abundant experiences that will significantly benefit customers in sectors like Utilities, Retail, Financial, Transportation, Consumer Electronics amongst many others. Telit’s GSM/GPRS modules are currently used by many leading AMR and Fleet Management product manufacturers in the country.
As per Telit’s strategy in the Indian market, the company plans to increase its penetration by investing in direct and indirect technical expertise that will help nurture the evolution of M2M market in India. The company also plans to increase its distributor and channel network from the present two distributors to five in the next three to five years. There could be a possibility that the company might look at separate distributors for the Northern and Southern region in the country due to vast cultural differences. Government business would play an important role going forward and Telit plans to garner a major chunk of the business (over 40 percent) in the next three to five years.
“India is a strategic market for Telit and is perfectly poised to provide us with rapid and sustainable growth for the coming few years. Introduction of large scale national agendas such as R-APDRP and AADHAAR (UID) are fuelling the growth of M2M market in India and this presents a perfect situation for us to introduce world class solutions to the Indian market. We would like to share our experiences and specialty skills in M2M in the local domestic market so that regional corporations can count on a broader range of choices for their application development efforts,” said Hosang Kim, Asia sales director, Telit Wireless Solutions.
Telit has a robust technical support and sales distribution network in place in the Indian market that is capable of providing consolidated solutions to its customers.
“We see a great potential of M2M wireless technologies in India. There are many current and future initiatives being undertaken/ planned by both public and private sectors that will benefit tremendously from the use of M2M applications both in terms of cost and efficiency accruals. We intend to introduce thought provoking innovations that find large scale applications delivering immense economic and social value,” said Ashish Gulati, country manager, India Operations, Telit Communications SPA.
This move marks the reinforcement of Telit’s commitment towards the Indian M2M market, which holds great potential for its products and solutions. Acknowledged as the M2M innovation leader worldwide, Telit, which was present in the country through its distributors, is keen to develop the Indian market by offering solutions that will benefits customers and end consumers significantly.
Telit sells its products through a network of value added resellers to more than 3,000 communications solution providers and systems integrators in more than 60 countries around the World and was present in India since 2009 through its distributors Arrow Electronics and Nest Connectivity Solutions.
With the launch of its India operations the company is resolute to bring its advanced and abundant experiences that will significantly benefit customers in sectors like Utilities, Retail, Financial, Transportation, Consumer Electronics amongst many others. Telit’s GSM/GPRS modules are currently used by many leading AMR and Fleet Management product manufacturers in the country.
As per Telit’s strategy in the Indian market, the company plans to increase its penetration by investing in direct and indirect technical expertise that will help nurture the evolution of M2M market in India. The company also plans to increase its distributor and channel network from the present two distributors to five in the next three to five years. There could be a possibility that the company might look at separate distributors for the Northern and Southern region in the country due to vast cultural differences. Government business would play an important role going forward and Telit plans to garner a major chunk of the business (over 40 percent) in the next three to five years.
“India is a strategic market for Telit and is perfectly poised to provide us with rapid and sustainable growth for the coming few years. Introduction of large scale national agendas such as R-APDRP and AADHAAR (UID) are fuelling the growth of M2M market in India and this presents a perfect situation for us to introduce world class solutions to the Indian market. We would like to share our experiences and specialty skills in M2M in the local domestic market so that regional corporations can count on a broader range of choices for their application development efforts,” said Hosang Kim, Asia sales director, Telit Wireless Solutions.
Telit has a robust technical support and sales distribution network in place in the Indian market that is capable of providing consolidated solutions to its customers.
“We see a great potential of M2M wireless technologies in India. There are many current and future initiatives being undertaken/ planned by both public and private sectors that will benefit tremendously from the use of M2M applications both in terms of cost and efficiency accruals. We intend to introduce thought provoking innovations that find large scale applications delivering immense economic and social value,” said Ashish Gulati, country manager, India Operations, Telit Communications SPA.
Asia-Pacific leads IPv6 adoption
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Most enterprise customers are continuing to resist pressure from the internet and telecoms industry to migrate to IPv6 by ignoring their efforts to push to the new standard, according to Ovum. But enterprise customers in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region, on the other hand, have felt the most urgency to move to IPv6.
The new Internet protocol IPv6 is being marketed as essential to the future growth of the internet as it opens up a wealth of new address space for web portals, devices and applications.
This urgency in AP has been prompted by the announcement by APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre) that the free pool of IPv4 addresses has been effectively exhausted. There are still some IPv4 addresses in reserve. But this is the first regional announcement and it won’t be the last. Ovum expects it will be followed by other regions soon but there is more to this story than IPv4 address availability.
The Asia-Pacific is the top growth region in the world, manufactures many electronic devices and many companies see this as their key expanding region. Many enterprise customers are doing business with a vendor/customer in this region which will influence by the faster pace of IPv6 adoption globally.
However, in a new report, the independent telecoms analyst claims that pressure from players such as telecoms and internet service providers is falling on deaf ears and enterprises in other regions other than AP see no need to start the transition to IPv6.
“There may be a degree of ‘head in sand’ mentality among most enterprise customers, but our research stands in glaring contrast to the industry’s efforts to promote IPv6 over the past several years. Furthermore our research suggests that many enterprise customers think they are already using IPv6, when they are not.”
Metrics carried out by industry players have revealed that IPv6 traffic counts for less than three per cent of all internet traffic today.
According to the report, one of the major reasons for global enterprises’ lack of urgency is that there are still plenty of IPv4 addresses available, meanwhile issues such as a lack of return on investment and more pressing IT priorities are also playing a part. “Most enterprise customers assume that having plentiful IPv4 addresses alleviates any need to make the move; it is just not that simple,” commented Sapien.
According to the report, there are some triggers that will motivate enterprises to make the move. For instance, the growing number of new consumer devices, such as smartphones, that will be assigned IPv6 addresses, and the new web applications that will be accessed by these devices. Asia-Pacific leads the world in IPv6 adoption, enterprises (and their many suppliers) doing business within this region will be influenced to follow suit.
The new Internet protocol IPv6 is being marketed as essential to the future growth of the internet as it opens up a wealth of new address space for web portals, devices and applications.
This urgency in AP has been prompted by the announcement by APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre) that the free pool of IPv4 addresses has been effectively exhausted. There are still some IPv4 addresses in reserve. But this is the first regional announcement and it won’t be the last. Ovum expects it will be followed by other regions soon but there is more to this story than IPv4 address availability.
The Asia-Pacific is the top growth region in the world, manufactures many electronic devices and many companies see this as their key expanding region. Many enterprise customers are doing business with a vendor/customer in this region which will influence by the faster pace of IPv6 adoption globally.
However, in a new report, the independent telecoms analyst claims that pressure from players such as telecoms and internet service providers is falling on deaf ears and enterprises in other regions other than AP see no need to start the transition to IPv6.
“There may be a degree of ‘head in sand’ mentality among most enterprise customers, but our research stands in glaring contrast to the industry’s efforts to promote IPv6 over the past several years. Furthermore our research suggests that many enterprise customers think they are already using IPv6, when they are not.”
Metrics carried out by industry players have revealed that IPv6 traffic counts for less than three per cent of all internet traffic today.
According to the report, one of the major reasons for global enterprises’ lack of urgency is that there are still plenty of IPv4 addresses available, meanwhile issues such as a lack of return on investment and more pressing IT priorities are also playing a part. “Most enterprise customers assume that having plentiful IPv4 addresses alleviates any need to make the move; it is just not that simple,” commented Sapien.
According to the report, there are some triggers that will motivate enterprises to make the move. For instance, the growing number of new consumer devices, such as smartphones, that will be assigned IPv6 addresses, and the new web applications that will be accessed by these devices. Asia-Pacific leads the world in IPv6 adoption, enterprises (and their many suppliers) doing business within this region will be influenced to follow suit.
Gilat selected by Synterra to extend broadband throughout Russian far east
PETAH TIKVA, ISRAEL: Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd announced that it has been selected by Synterra, Russia's national communications carrier, to provide satellite communications equipment for the extension of a broadband network throughout Siberia and the Russian Far East. The network is set to support the operator's USO goals in the region, providing residents of remote communities with essential connectivity to broadband internet and telephony services.
As part of the agreement, Synterra, a long-time Gilat partner in Russia, has committed to implement Gilat's technology in 1500 remote sites.
"We are proud to continue our ongoing partnership with Synterra, and view this project as a clear vote of confidence in our technology and service support. We look forward to supporting Synterra's efforts in extending broadband connectivity throughout the rugged geography of the Siberian and Russian Far East districts," said Arie Rozichner, Gilat's RVP, Eurasia.
As part of the agreement, Synterra, a long-time Gilat partner in Russia, has committed to implement Gilat's technology in 1500 remote sites.
"We are proud to continue our ongoing partnership with Synterra, and view this project as a clear vote of confidence in our technology and service support. We look forward to supporting Synterra's efforts in extending broadband connectivity throughout the rugged geography of the Siberian and Russian Far East districts," said Arie Rozichner, Gilat's RVP, Eurasia.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
CUI to provide multi-source digital POL platform
TUALATIN, USA: CUI Inc, a subsidiary of CUI Global Inc., has reached a statement of cooperation with Ericsson, the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators, under which it will develop and market multi-source, digital Point-of-Load (POL) power solutions that are based on the Ericsson footprints and designs.
The agreement concerns Ericsson’s current BMR46X platform and plans for its expansion. CUI will initially develop and bring to market a solution that is pin and function compatible with the BMR46X platform under CUI’s Novum Advanced Power product line. Novum digital non-isolated POL modules allow power design engineers to realize better energy efficiencies, more compact designs, and improved time-to-market compared to traditional analog technology.
The initial efforts by CUI will be followed by CUI and Ericsson cooperating to provide solutions outside of the 12A to 40A range.
“Given the diversity and complementary strengths of our respective experience and know-how in digital power, we look forward to cooperating with Ericsson to further the advancement of our Novum power products,” stated Mark Adams, VP of Advanced Power Marketing for CUI Inc. “Together, we expect to bring the digital power revolution to a whole new level.”
The agreement concerns Ericsson’s current BMR46X platform and plans for its expansion. CUI will initially develop and bring to market a solution that is pin and function compatible with the BMR46X platform under CUI’s Novum Advanced Power product line. Novum digital non-isolated POL modules allow power design engineers to realize better energy efficiencies, more compact designs, and improved time-to-market compared to traditional analog technology.
The initial efforts by CUI will be followed by CUI and Ericsson cooperating to provide solutions outside of the 12A to 40A range.
“Given the diversity and complementary strengths of our respective experience and know-how in digital power, we look forward to cooperating with Ericsson to further the advancement of our Novum power products,” stated Mark Adams, VP of Advanced Power Marketing for CUI Inc. “Together, we expect to bring the digital power revolution to a whole new level.”
Better understanding of IPv6 benefits will help Middle East organizations embrace new protocol
DUBAI, UAE: IPv6, the next-generation Internet Protocol version designated as the successor to IPv4, is here to stay, spurred by an estimated 22 billion networked devices in use by 2020, government mandates and rapid cloud adoption driving Internet transformation. It is important for IT managers and CIOs in the Middle East to embrace IPv6 and the associated technologies and gain a better understanding of how this can revolutionize and transform enterprise networks and help them embrace the cloud.
While it is widely known that IPv6 expands the pool of addresses available to satisfy an exponentially growing number of Internet connected devices, IPv6 offers other inherent benefits that enable organizations to simplify network management, increase innovation through enhanced collaboration, improve interoperability and mobility, and strengthen security capabilities. These improvements, along with trillions of new IP addresses now available, will help organizations evolve their network infrastructures to more agile models including cloud computing.
IPv6 offers more customer benefits than addresses alone
Ali Ahmar, regional sales manager at Brocade Communications explains that IPv6 offers organizations more than an expanded pool of IP addresses. Future applications and services within the cloud will require broader use and support of Internet-enabled resources. Whether it is automatically spooling additional servers or improved network security and simplified mobility – IPv6 is designed to meet that demand. Ultimately, IPv6 will help organizations improve current business operations as well as allow organizations to venture into new business practices to help create the foundation for the cloud, including:
Improved Security for the Cloud: Security is cited as one of the critical concerns organizations have for fully embracing cloud computing. With IPv4, security was optional to the user and not mandated. However, support for IPsec security framework is an IPv6 mandatory requirement. This requirement provides a standards-based solution for network security needs and promotes interoperability between different IPv6 implementations. The end result is a more threat resilient network that is relieved of inherent security holes in IPv4.
Integrated Interoperability and Mobility: IMS Research1 estimated that 5 billion devices were already connected to the Internet. By 2020 they believe this figure will be 22 billion. This massive increase in Internet enabled devices is primarily due to mobility devices, such as Smartphones, mobile tablets and laptops. Knowing that mobility will be not a nice-to-have but a requirement going forward, IPv6 provides interoperability and mobility capabilities which are already widely embedded in network devices.
Platform for Innovation and Collaboration – Often times, innovation is stifled by the constraints people are subject to, whether it is technology, political or financial. With IPv6, given its number of addresses, scalability and flexibility, potential for triggering innovation and assisting collaboration is unrestrained. In this new arena, creativity will be the larger limitation rather than IPv4 technology hurdles.
Federal government mandates loom
Strict federal mandates in the United States are driving the adoption of IPv6-ready networking technologies. Such mandates will also be adopted in the near future across other parts of the world including the Middle East. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) and other worldwide governmental agencies have made public statements not only endorsing IPv6, but mandating that equipment be IPv6 ready.
More recently, the White House directive requiring all US government agencies to upgrade their public-facing websites and services to support IPv6 by September 2012 has forced IPv6 to be top of mind for organizations inside and outside the Federal Government.
In conclusion, IPv6 should be the single most important thing on network operators' minds today if they are relying on the global Internet. It is mandatory for organizations in this region to future-proof their networking technology as IPv6, which co-exists with IPv4 today in a dual protocol world, eventually becomes the sole standard tomorrow.
While it is widely known that IPv6 expands the pool of addresses available to satisfy an exponentially growing number of Internet connected devices, IPv6 offers other inherent benefits that enable organizations to simplify network management, increase innovation through enhanced collaboration, improve interoperability and mobility, and strengthen security capabilities. These improvements, along with trillions of new IP addresses now available, will help organizations evolve their network infrastructures to more agile models including cloud computing.
IPv6 offers more customer benefits than addresses alone
Ali Ahmar, regional sales manager at Brocade Communications explains that IPv6 offers organizations more than an expanded pool of IP addresses. Future applications and services within the cloud will require broader use and support of Internet-enabled resources. Whether it is automatically spooling additional servers or improved network security and simplified mobility – IPv6 is designed to meet that demand. Ultimately, IPv6 will help organizations improve current business operations as well as allow organizations to venture into new business practices to help create the foundation for the cloud, including:
Improved Security for the Cloud: Security is cited as one of the critical concerns organizations have for fully embracing cloud computing. With IPv4, security was optional to the user and not mandated. However, support for IPsec security framework is an IPv6 mandatory requirement. This requirement provides a standards-based solution for network security needs and promotes interoperability between different IPv6 implementations. The end result is a more threat resilient network that is relieved of inherent security holes in IPv4.
Integrated Interoperability and Mobility: IMS Research1 estimated that 5 billion devices were already connected to the Internet. By 2020 they believe this figure will be 22 billion. This massive increase in Internet enabled devices is primarily due to mobility devices, such as Smartphones, mobile tablets and laptops. Knowing that mobility will be not a nice-to-have but a requirement going forward, IPv6 provides interoperability and mobility capabilities which are already widely embedded in network devices.
Platform for Innovation and Collaboration – Often times, innovation is stifled by the constraints people are subject to, whether it is technology, political or financial. With IPv6, given its number of addresses, scalability and flexibility, potential for triggering innovation and assisting collaboration is unrestrained. In this new arena, creativity will be the larger limitation rather than IPv4 technology hurdles.
Federal government mandates loom
Strict federal mandates in the United States are driving the adoption of IPv6-ready networking technologies. Such mandates will also be adopted in the near future across other parts of the world including the Middle East. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) and other worldwide governmental agencies have made public statements not only endorsing IPv6, but mandating that equipment be IPv6 ready.
More recently, the White House directive requiring all US government agencies to upgrade their public-facing websites and services to support IPv6 by September 2012 has forced IPv6 to be top of mind for organizations inside and outside the Federal Government.
In conclusion, IPv6 should be the single most important thing on network operators' minds today if they are relying on the global Internet. It is mandatory for organizations in this region to future-proof their networking technology as IPv6, which co-exists with IPv4 today in a dual protocol world, eventually becomes the sole standard tomorrow.
Oracle announces Oracle CRM on demand rel 19
Carter Lusher, Chief Analyst, Ovum
AUSTRALIA: Adding mobility to Oracle CRM On Demand Release 19 is a smart move as extending CRM to mobile workers, partners, and customers is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for early adopters, but a ‘must have’.
Enabling the use of tablets, as well smartphones, which Ovum forecasts will have 653 million shipments by 2016, is a critical capability that enterprise and public IT executives must do to satisfy the BYOD (bring your own device) crowd. Oracle has taken some of the burden off IT by building this capability into CRM On Demand.
Integration with Outlook is a good productivity enhancer for the enterprise as it is nearly ubiquitous and people hate having to switch from one program to another. Not only will this please the end user, but it will help IT reduce its support calls as most calls to the help desk is not over break-fix issues, but ‘How do I…’ questions about applications.
The ‘consumerisation of IT’ means that enterprise and public IT teams and their strategic vendors have to take into account their constituents’ - inside and outside the organisation -desire to access key organisational data and functions no matter where they are located. By building in mobile support into CRM On Demand, Oracle is making it easier to support mobile workers, customers, and partners in an efficient manner.
AUSTRALIA: Adding mobility to Oracle CRM On Demand Release 19 is a smart move as extending CRM to mobile workers, partners, and customers is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for early adopters, but a ‘must have’.
Enabling the use of tablets, as well smartphones, which Ovum forecasts will have 653 million shipments by 2016, is a critical capability that enterprise and public IT executives must do to satisfy the BYOD (bring your own device) crowd. Oracle has taken some of the burden off IT by building this capability into CRM On Demand.
Integration with Outlook is a good productivity enhancer for the enterprise as it is nearly ubiquitous and people hate having to switch from one program to another. Not only will this please the end user, but it will help IT reduce its support calls as most calls to the help desk is not over break-fix issues, but ‘How do I…’ questions about applications.
The ‘consumerisation of IT’ means that enterprise and public IT teams and their strategic vendors have to take into account their constituents’ - inside and outside the organisation -desire to access key organisational data and functions no matter where they are located. By building in mobile support into CRM On Demand, Oracle is making it easier to support mobile workers, customers, and partners in an efficient manner.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Orange confirms leadership in sustainable telecoms market
FRANCE: Orange, through Orange Business Services –- its division for enterprise customers, confirms its leadership in the sustainable telecoms market, according to the 2011 report published by Verdantix, an independent analyst firm that provides commercial analysis of climate change, sustainability and energy issues.
Orange is in the leader position in the Green Quadrant on Sustainable Telecoms in Europe for the third consecutive year. This position confirms its strong commitment to sustainable development both as solutions for customers and as corporate responsibility at the Group level.
“Orange stands out as one of a few telecoms operators that have been most successful in creating, marketing and delivering telecoms solutions which offer sustainability benefits to business customers,” said David Metcalfe, Verdantix director who led the research. “The telecoms providers in the leader’s quadrant boast the broadest portfolio of services that target sustainability growth markets like electricity and gas smart metering. Orange scores among the top two telecoms providers for sustainable consulting, cloud computing and solutions enabling telecommuting. Orange is one of the top three providers for smart meters and M2M solutions.”
The Verdantix report, Green Quadrant Sustainable Telecoms Europe 2011, compares 18 telecoms operators on 50 criteria and includes insights from interviews with a panel of 15 senior IT and telecoms buyers with combined revenues of over €175 billion.
Orange was recognized for integrating sustainable business strategies and for leading the European sustainable telecoms market on fleet telematics. Verdantix also found that, alongside a few other providers, Orange stands out as a telecoms operator that has made meaningful and material investments in sustainability proposition development.
“We are very proud to be a Leader in the Verdantix Green Quadrant for the third consecutive year,” said Marc Fossier, executive VP, chief corporate social responsibility officer, Orange Group. “Our CSR policy plays a vital role in our conquests 2015 strategic plan, launched one year ago. We have a strong momentum within Orange to reduce our carbon footprint and to implement an aggressive sustainability policy. For our business customers, we provide a wide array of solutions that support sustainability including: global videoconferencing services, telepresence, flexible workplace solutions, and M2M offers like smart metering and fleet management. On top of that, our broad portfolio of cloud computing solutions offers customers many sustainable telecoms options."
Orange was also featured in Verdantix’s report titled Carbon Strategy Benchmark: IT Services Sector June 2011. Verdantix reported that Orange has a long history of carbon disclosures and targets reductions in absolute emissions across the entire group. Orange has a clear target for renewable electricity generation and its energy use target is one of the most aggressive in the sector.
Orange is in the leader position in the Green Quadrant on Sustainable Telecoms in Europe for the third consecutive year. This position confirms its strong commitment to sustainable development both as solutions for customers and as corporate responsibility at the Group level.
“Orange stands out as one of a few telecoms operators that have been most successful in creating, marketing and delivering telecoms solutions which offer sustainability benefits to business customers,” said David Metcalfe, Verdantix director who led the research. “The telecoms providers in the leader’s quadrant boast the broadest portfolio of services that target sustainability growth markets like electricity and gas smart metering. Orange scores among the top two telecoms providers for sustainable consulting, cloud computing and solutions enabling telecommuting. Orange is one of the top three providers for smart meters and M2M solutions.”
The Verdantix report, Green Quadrant Sustainable Telecoms Europe 2011, compares 18 telecoms operators on 50 criteria and includes insights from interviews with a panel of 15 senior IT and telecoms buyers with combined revenues of over €175 billion.
Orange was recognized for integrating sustainable business strategies and for leading the European sustainable telecoms market on fleet telematics. Verdantix also found that, alongside a few other providers, Orange stands out as a telecoms operator that has made meaningful and material investments in sustainability proposition development.
“We are very proud to be a Leader in the Verdantix Green Quadrant for the third consecutive year,” said Marc Fossier, executive VP, chief corporate social responsibility officer, Orange Group. “Our CSR policy plays a vital role in our conquests 2015 strategic plan, launched one year ago. We have a strong momentum within Orange to reduce our carbon footprint and to implement an aggressive sustainability policy. For our business customers, we provide a wide array of solutions that support sustainability including: global videoconferencing services, telepresence, flexible workplace solutions, and M2M offers like smart metering and fleet management. On top of that, our broad portfolio of cloud computing solutions offers customers many sustainable telecoms options."
Orange was also featured in Verdantix’s report titled Carbon Strategy Benchmark: IT Services Sector June 2011. Verdantix reported that Orange has a long history of carbon disclosures and targets reductions in absolute emissions across the entire group. Orange has a clear target for renewable electricity generation and its energy use target is one of the most aggressive in the sector.
NFC Forum establishes partnerships with three industry associations: APSCA, ARTS, and the Open Mobile Alliance
WAKEFIELD, USA: The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, announced today that it has signed agreements to work collaboratively with organizations representing three different industries: the Asia Pacific Smart Card Association (APSCA), the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF), and the Open Mobile Alliance.
"It is gratifying to formalize partnerships with organizations representing these important global sectors," said NFC Forum chairman Koichi Tagawa. "The interest in collaboration from this range of industries -- retailing, smart cards, and mobile services -- demonstrates how widely the value of NFC technology is recognized, and it points to the far-reaching benefits consumers can expect from broad adoption of NFC. We look forward to working together with our new partners and to the synergies our joint efforts will deliver." (Statements from the three organizations are available upon request.)
Each agreement executed by the NFC Forum is tailored to the interests of the participating organizations and their members:
* APSCA is a non-profit, independent association that provides information, consultancy, guidance, and networking to organizations in the smart card industry in the Asia Pacific region. The NFC Forum's Memorandum of Understanding with APSCA will allow the two entities to capitalize on mutual interests by sharing information and coordinating non-technical activities such as training courses, case studies, white papers, research, webcasts, and events.
* ARTS is a retailer-driven international membership organization dedicated to developing best practices, technology standards and educational programs through collaboration and partnerships exclusively for retail. Collaboration under the NFC Forum-ARTS Memorandum of Understanding will focus on information exchange and education, including publishing joint papers that would highlight specific case examples and implementation issues for retailing, sharing statistics and research, and educating and communicating with retailers through the well-respected NRF communication channels.
* The Open Mobile Alliance is the leading industry forum for developing market driven, interoperable standards for mobile service enablers. The Co-Operation Agreement with the NFC Forum asserts the two groups' common objectives to establish and promote global standards in the wireless telecommunications and Internet domain. It further institutes a context for joint work on NFC-enabled devices and related applications, including, but not limited to, diagnosing problems and monitoring device performance over the air.
"It is gratifying to formalize partnerships with organizations representing these important global sectors," said NFC Forum chairman Koichi Tagawa. "The interest in collaboration from this range of industries -- retailing, smart cards, and mobile services -- demonstrates how widely the value of NFC technology is recognized, and it points to the far-reaching benefits consumers can expect from broad adoption of NFC. We look forward to working together with our new partners and to the synergies our joint efforts will deliver." (Statements from the three organizations are available upon request.)
Each agreement executed by the NFC Forum is tailored to the interests of the participating organizations and their members:
* APSCA is a non-profit, independent association that provides information, consultancy, guidance, and networking to organizations in the smart card industry in the Asia Pacific region. The NFC Forum's Memorandum of Understanding with APSCA will allow the two entities to capitalize on mutual interests by sharing information and coordinating non-technical activities such as training courses, case studies, white papers, research, webcasts, and events.
* ARTS is a retailer-driven international membership organization dedicated to developing best practices, technology standards and educational programs through collaboration and partnerships exclusively for retail. Collaboration under the NFC Forum-ARTS Memorandum of Understanding will focus on information exchange and education, including publishing joint papers that would highlight specific case examples and implementation issues for retailing, sharing statistics and research, and educating and communicating with retailers through the well-respected NRF communication channels.
* The Open Mobile Alliance is the leading industry forum for developing market driven, interoperable standards for mobile service enablers. The Co-Operation Agreement with the NFC Forum asserts the two groups' common objectives to establish and promote global standards in the wireless telecommunications and Internet domain. It further institutes a context for joint work on NFC-enabled devices and related applications, including, but not limited to, diagnosing problems and monitoring device performance over the air.
Bichara Tecnologia to provide Interop Technologies messaging solutions to MVNOS in Brazil
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL & FORT MYERS, USA: Bichara Tecnologia, a technology provider supporting the Brazilian telecommunications market, and Interop Technologies, a provider of core wireless solutions for messaging, device management, and connectivity gateways, announced a partnership to provide Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) solutions to mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in Brazil.
The agreement enables Bichara to deliver wireless services to MVNOs with the capacity to manage high traffic volumes anticipated in the growing Brazilian wireless market. Legislation approved in 2010 by Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) has created conditions that are more favorable to the success of MVNOs in Brazil. Bichara is currently in advanced talks with a number of MVNOs planning to enter the Brazilian telecom business.
At 100,000 message delivery attempts per second throughput, Interop’s Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 4 Series is the world’s fastest. Its modular, distributed architecture provides unlimited scalability, effectively serving MVNOs’ high volume and availability requirements in Brazil.
Likewise, Interop’s massively scalable Multimedia Message Service Center (MMSC), which supports delivery of messages combining text, audio, images, video, and animation, enables MVNOs to capture revenue from this popular and growing service. Interop’s WAP Gateway enables MVNOs to create a feature-rich WAP deck with branding tailored to their subscribers and based on customers’ browsing habits.
Interop’s solutions are available in a variety of deployment models, including hosted, turnkey, and turnkey with managed services. This gives Bichara the flexibility to provide MVNOs with the option that best suits their specific business model.
"We chose to partner with Interop Technologies because of the high reliability demonstrated by its solutions. The company’s SMS, MMS, and WAP products will provide new MNVOs with the robust, scalable architecture necessary to support new markets effectively," said Daniel Bichara, executive director at Bichara.
“The market in Brazil is one of the most promising among countries with MVNOs due to its advanced telecommunications infrastructure and strong economy,” said Tony Mijares, senior VP, Global Sales, Global Distribution at Interop Technologies. “Our partnership with Bichara presents great opportunities for small and medium-sized telecom operators and other companies hoping to create MVNOs in Brazil.”
The agreement enables Bichara to deliver wireless services to MVNOs with the capacity to manage high traffic volumes anticipated in the growing Brazilian wireless market. Legislation approved in 2010 by Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) has created conditions that are more favorable to the success of MVNOs in Brazil. Bichara is currently in advanced talks with a number of MVNOs planning to enter the Brazilian telecom business.
At 100,000 message delivery attempts per second throughput, Interop’s Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 4 Series is the world’s fastest. Its modular, distributed architecture provides unlimited scalability, effectively serving MVNOs’ high volume and availability requirements in Brazil.
Likewise, Interop’s massively scalable Multimedia Message Service Center (MMSC), which supports delivery of messages combining text, audio, images, video, and animation, enables MVNOs to capture revenue from this popular and growing service. Interop’s WAP Gateway enables MVNOs to create a feature-rich WAP deck with branding tailored to their subscribers and based on customers’ browsing habits.
Interop’s solutions are available in a variety of deployment models, including hosted, turnkey, and turnkey with managed services. This gives Bichara the flexibility to provide MVNOs with the option that best suits their specific business model.
"We chose to partner with Interop Technologies because of the high reliability demonstrated by its solutions. The company’s SMS, MMS, and WAP products will provide new MNVOs with the robust, scalable architecture necessary to support new markets effectively," said Daniel Bichara, executive director at Bichara.
“The market in Brazil is one of the most promising among countries with MVNOs due to its advanced telecommunications infrastructure and strong economy,” said Tony Mijares, senior VP, Global Sales, Global Distribution at Interop Technologies. “Our partnership with Bichara presents great opportunities for small and medium-sized telecom operators and other companies hoping to create MVNOs in Brazil.”
Regulation is key hurdle to offering converged services in China
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Despite industry players' eagerness to offer converged services in China such as IPTV and mobile TV, the development of converged services between telecoms and media was a long time coming, primarily because of the significant regulatory barriers in China according to Ovum.
In a new report, the independent telecoms analyst reveals that the biggest barrier is from diverse regulation and the long-standing conflict between the two regulators governing the sectors (telecoms and media) as a result of the lack of a Telecommunications Act, and also the lack of a new regulatory framework designed by the State Council.
The two key regulators – the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) – have hindered the uptake of these converged services. In addition, all the key players in the telecoms and media markets, hundreds of regional broadcasters (cable operators), and three telcos (China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom) are state-owned companies. Due to insufficient liberalization and privatization, this is another barrier to achieving fair competition between broadcasters and telcos in the convergence market.
“The State Council should impose further regulation such as interconnection and anti-monopoly regulation, and remove regulatory barriers between telecoms and media such as the current complex license grant and management mechanism on converged services”, advices Charice Wang, Analyst based in London. “Moreover, it should do so soon, in order to avoid missing its target. The first Telecommunications Act also needs to become effective immediately, as this is an essential move to promote convergence in China.”
Based on current trials, we expect forthcoming convergence to have significant impacts on next-generation network investment by both telecoms operators and broadcasters, promoting market competition. First, telcos and broadcasters will enhance their investment in next-generation core and access networks. Part of this investment will come from public funds.
The Chinese government focuses on developing telecoms infrastructure, with total investments reaching CNY2,000bn ($308.7 billion), in which broadband development would account for 80 percent according to the twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011–15).
China’s Five-Year Plans are a series of economic development initiatives which set growth targets for economic development for each period of five years. The broadcasters are expanding their next-generation broadcasting (NGB) networks, over which a wide range of converged services such as fixed telephony, broadband, and media will be provided.
Second, competition will be intense, particularly in the broadband and VAS markets. The NGB networks will help broadcasters to enter the fixed and mobile broadband markets and compete head-on with the three major telecoms operators. Telcos are developing their own strategies and responses to the converged environment.
In some Asian countries, the converged regulators such as the National Communications Commission in Taiwan (which came into operation in early 2006) and the Korea Communications Commission (established in February 2008) were set up to concentrate their efforts on regulatory convergence. The move of setting up the converged regulators helped to promote converged telecoms and media services.
“A new regulator integrating the current MIIT and SARFT should be launched in the near future, possibly in 2013 when next China’s government restructuring happens,” concludes Wang.
In a new report, the independent telecoms analyst reveals that the biggest barrier is from diverse regulation and the long-standing conflict between the two regulators governing the sectors (telecoms and media) as a result of the lack of a Telecommunications Act, and also the lack of a new regulatory framework designed by the State Council.
The two key regulators – the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) – have hindered the uptake of these converged services. In addition, all the key players in the telecoms and media markets, hundreds of regional broadcasters (cable operators), and three telcos (China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom) are state-owned companies. Due to insufficient liberalization and privatization, this is another barrier to achieving fair competition between broadcasters and telcos in the convergence market.
“The State Council should impose further regulation such as interconnection and anti-monopoly regulation, and remove regulatory barriers between telecoms and media such as the current complex license grant and management mechanism on converged services”, advices Charice Wang, Analyst based in London. “Moreover, it should do so soon, in order to avoid missing its target. The first Telecommunications Act also needs to become effective immediately, as this is an essential move to promote convergence in China.”
Based on current trials, we expect forthcoming convergence to have significant impacts on next-generation network investment by both telecoms operators and broadcasters, promoting market competition. First, telcos and broadcasters will enhance their investment in next-generation core and access networks. Part of this investment will come from public funds.
The Chinese government focuses on developing telecoms infrastructure, with total investments reaching CNY2,000bn ($308.7 billion), in which broadband development would account for 80 percent according to the twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011–15).
China’s Five-Year Plans are a series of economic development initiatives which set growth targets for economic development for each period of five years. The broadcasters are expanding their next-generation broadcasting (NGB) networks, over which a wide range of converged services such as fixed telephony, broadband, and media will be provided.
Second, competition will be intense, particularly in the broadband and VAS markets. The NGB networks will help broadcasters to enter the fixed and mobile broadband markets and compete head-on with the three major telecoms operators. Telcos are developing their own strategies and responses to the converged environment.
In some Asian countries, the converged regulators such as the National Communications Commission in Taiwan (which came into operation in early 2006) and the Korea Communications Commission (established in February 2008) were set up to concentrate their efforts on regulatory convergence. The move of setting up the converged regulators helped to promote converged telecoms and media services.
“A new regulator integrating the current MIIT and SARFT should be launched in the near future, possibly in 2013 when next China’s government restructuring happens,” concludes Wang.
Gigamon extends technology leadership with expanded portfolio
SILICON VALLEY, USA: Gigamon, the leading global provider of data access solutions, responds to customer demand by expanding its product offerings with the addition of the GigaSECURE line, and the expansion of its award winning GigaSMART line. These additions further extend Gigamon's market leadership by delivering Intelligent Visibility and Control to the most sensitive and demanding communication environments.
The GigaBPS intelligent bypass switch represents the first product in the GigaSECURE family. This first to market module provides intelligent visibility for both Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). In doing so the module enables a broader reach of information security, extends monitoring, and allows organizations to further centralize their network management, saving time and expense.
"With the GigaBPS intelligent bypass switch, Gigamon is the first to introduce a completely centralized monitoring access layer," said Doug Hurd, director, Technical Alliances for Sourcefire, a world leader in intelligent cybersecurity solutions. "A single appliance can now be populated to handle inline security devices and receive port only devices, eliminating the need to have multiple TAPs and bypass units from different vendors. This simplifies network management and reduces the time to get network protection implemented."
The GigaBPS intelligent bypass enables Managed Hosting Providers to implement more advanced and scalable security practices when delivering 'Cloud' services, where IPS connections feed virtual environments in both traditional and high-density data centers. The GigaBPS also enables improved cyber-security protection for Telco, Enterprise, Financial and Government environments where IPS is used to combat a broad range of information 'attacks' that are common today including malware, denial of service (DoS), and advanced persistent threats (APT), all of which can cost organizations millions of dollars in fraud, lost business, and tarnished brand reputation.
In addition to the launch of the new GigaSECURE line, Gigamon has expanded its award winning GigaSMART product, providing organizations with new tools to control, manage and secure their data. The GigaSMART Advanced Packet Modification Technology helps organizations improve data visibility, while both reducing network costs and improving productivity – a CIO's top priorities.
The expanded functionality in the GigaSMART product includes IP Tunneling, which allows centralized secure monitoring of remote locations, De-Duplication, which eliminates duplicate data traffic in complex asymmetrical network environments, and Header Stripping, which provides improved network monitoring of VLAN and MPLS traffic. When combined with the existing GigaSMART features of Time Stamping, Data Masking, Port Labeling and Packet Slicing, the new GigaSMART module is the most powerful and versatile packet modification tool in the Data Access industry.
"Gigamon can play an important role in deployment strategies for performance monitoring solutions in the data center," according to Todd Kaloudis, senior VP at OPNET Technologies, a leader in application and network performance management.
"Our AppResponseXpert uniquely delivers multiple capabilities in a single appliance, including end-user experience monitoring, network performance monitoring, web transaction analysis, VoIP troubleshooting and more. Deploying with Gigamon is effective in complex environments with high capacities or many traffic feeds because they perform intelligent traffic conditioning, including grooming, splitting, and filtering."
The GigaBPS intelligent bypass switch represents the first product in the GigaSECURE family. This first to market module provides intelligent visibility for both Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). In doing so the module enables a broader reach of information security, extends monitoring, and allows organizations to further centralize their network management, saving time and expense.
"With the GigaBPS intelligent bypass switch, Gigamon is the first to introduce a completely centralized monitoring access layer," said Doug Hurd, director, Technical Alliances for Sourcefire, a world leader in intelligent cybersecurity solutions. "A single appliance can now be populated to handle inline security devices and receive port only devices, eliminating the need to have multiple TAPs and bypass units from different vendors. This simplifies network management and reduces the time to get network protection implemented."
The GigaBPS intelligent bypass enables Managed Hosting Providers to implement more advanced and scalable security practices when delivering 'Cloud' services, where IPS connections feed virtual environments in both traditional and high-density data centers. The GigaBPS also enables improved cyber-security protection for Telco, Enterprise, Financial and Government environments where IPS is used to combat a broad range of information 'attacks' that are common today including malware, denial of service (DoS), and advanced persistent threats (APT), all of which can cost organizations millions of dollars in fraud, lost business, and tarnished brand reputation.
In addition to the launch of the new GigaSECURE line, Gigamon has expanded its award winning GigaSMART product, providing organizations with new tools to control, manage and secure their data. The GigaSMART Advanced Packet Modification Technology helps organizations improve data visibility, while both reducing network costs and improving productivity – a CIO's top priorities.
The expanded functionality in the GigaSMART product includes IP Tunneling, which allows centralized secure monitoring of remote locations, De-Duplication, which eliminates duplicate data traffic in complex asymmetrical network environments, and Header Stripping, which provides improved network monitoring of VLAN and MPLS traffic. When combined with the existing GigaSMART features of Time Stamping, Data Masking, Port Labeling and Packet Slicing, the new GigaSMART module is the most powerful and versatile packet modification tool in the Data Access industry.
"Gigamon can play an important role in deployment strategies for performance monitoring solutions in the data center," according to Todd Kaloudis, senior VP at OPNET Technologies, a leader in application and network performance management.
"Our AppResponseXpert uniquely delivers multiple capabilities in a single appliance, including end-user experience monitoring, network performance monitoring, web transaction analysis, VoIP troubleshooting and more. Deploying with Gigamon is effective in complex environments with high capacities or many traffic feeds because they perform intelligent traffic conditioning, including grooming, splitting, and filtering."
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