SAN JOSE, USA: Interface Masters Technologies, an industry leader and innovator in networking solutions, announced the first member of a new product family of 10G PacketMaster Systems that supports 24 Ports of 10Gb sophisticated Hardware-based LoadBalancing tightly integrated with 12 built in segments of 10G Passive Fiber TAP.
Niagara 3224PT provides extensive packet management functionality including filtering capabilities, L2-L3-L4 filtering, packet slicing, mirroring options, session based traffic distribution and traffic aggregation. In addition, the 12 passive TAP segments support full duplex, zero packet loss, passive 10G network monitoring of critical network links. The PacketMaster supports 12 segments of 10G passive multi-mode and single-mode TAP. Niagara 3224PT has local and remote management including an intuitive and simple-to-use Web-GUI which enables easy configuration.
“Niagara 3224PT is an intelligently designed, first-of-its-kind 10G super TAP, packet distribution and passive monitoring system built upon leading edge technologies that enables datacenters, service providers, tier 1 security providers, and enterprises to attain full visibility into the network and proactively manage data distribution, security, and network monitoring all in one comprehensive system,” states Ben Askarinam, founder and CEO of Interface Masters Technologies. “The sophisticated 960Gbps system demonstrates Interface Masters’ ingenuity in delivering advanced and innovative systems that address unmet market demands at an unmatched price-performance.”
Monday, October 31, 2011
Alereon announces breakthrough advances in UWB technology
AUSTIN, USA: Alereon Inc. announced major enhancements to their UWB product family and roadmap that exploit the large untapped spectrum in the UWB frequency bands authorized in the US, Europe, China, Korea, Japan, Russia, Canada, and many other major economies. Alereon’s announcement makes major advances in UWB technology versus the original UWB that has been shipping in customer products worldwide such as the Samsung Central Station CA750 and CA650 integrated monitor and docking stations.
“Alereon’s advancements in UWB allow us to now provide customers with the wireless performance and convenience they have envisioned for many applications where Wi-Fi is simply not suitable,” said Eric Broockman, Alereon CEO.
“By driving significant performance enhancements in this untapped spectrum, we avoid the congestion, interference and throughput issues that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth suffer in the 2.4 and 5GHz spectrum which is destined to get even worse as more Wi-Fi devices come to market. Alereon's UWB performance enhancements are especially important to applications such as wireless monitors that require all day glitch free video performance, streaming video applications such as wireless HDMI cable replacement or Android handset to HDTV or specialty applications such as medical, industrial and military applications.”
Alereon is advancing UWB technology along four important axes: Protocols, Performance, Power and Price. Today, Alereon is announcing the availability of TCP/IP protocol over UWB as an alternative to the original wireless USB protocol developed by the USB Industry Forum. TCP/IP is the protocol commonly used over Ethernet and Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet. Alereon’s new TCP/IP protocol support is available for Alereon’s currently shipping chipset families. Alereon will initially support TCP/IP in a Windows environment, but future support for Android and Linux are planned for early next year.
Along the Price and Power axes, Alereon is announcing the AL6301UWB BaseBand/MAC, a new 65nm low power chip for use in future generations of wireless monitors, USB mini-dongles and tablets. The AL6301 BBP/MAC uses a low power, and highly efficient 65nm manufacturing process. The AL6301 also includes sophisticated clock gating for low power operation and very low leakage power. The package size is a diminutive 6mm x 6mm – thus enabling very small adapter boards suitable for mini-dongles and portable applications. Power has been reduced 20 percent from the previous generation 90nm AL5301. The new AL6301 is available now.
Finally, on the Performance axis, Alereon is announcing the development of the next generation AL7350, an advanced UWB BaseBand/MAC that is capable of achieving 1Gbps PHY rates at short range on the desktop and 2X extended range versus earlier WiMedia 1.1 compliant UWB chipsets. The AL7350 implements the more advanced WiMedia 1.5 specification together with maximum ratio combining. The new 1Gbps chip is currently in alpha sampling and will be available for general sampling in mid-2012.
“Alereon’s advancements in UWB allow us to now provide customers with the wireless performance and convenience they have envisioned for many applications where Wi-Fi is simply not suitable,” said Eric Broockman, Alereon CEO.
“By driving significant performance enhancements in this untapped spectrum, we avoid the congestion, interference and throughput issues that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth suffer in the 2.4 and 5GHz spectrum which is destined to get even worse as more Wi-Fi devices come to market. Alereon's UWB performance enhancements are especially important to applications such as wireless monitors that require all day glitch free video performance, streaming video applications such as wireless HDMI cable replacement or Android handset to HDTV or specialty applications such as medical, industrial and military applications.”
Alereon is advancing UWB technology along four important axes: Protocols, Performance, Power and Price. Today, Alereon is announcing the availability of TCP/IP protocol over UWB as an alternative to the original wireless USB protocol developed by the USB Industry Forum. TCP/IP is the protocol commonly used over Ethernet and Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet. Alereon’s new TCP/IP protocol support is available for Alereon’s currently shipping chipset families. Alereon will initially support TCP/IP in a Windows environment, but future support for Android and Linux are planned for early next year.
Along the Price and Power axes, Alereon is announcing the AL6301UWB BaseBand/MAC, a new 65nm low power chip for use in future generations of wireless monitors, USB mini-dongles and tablets. The AL6301 BBP/MAC uses a low power, and highly efficient 65nm manufacturing process. The AL6301 also includes sophisticated clock gating for low power operation and very low leakage power. The package size is a diminutive 6mm x 6mm – thus enabling very small adapter boards suitable for mini-dongles and portable applications. Power has been reduced 20 percent from the previous generation 90nm AL5301. The new AL6301 is available now.
Finally, on the Performance axis, Alereon is announcing the development of the next generation AL7350, an advanced UWB BaseBand/MAC that is capable of achieving 1Gbps PHY rates at short range on the desktop and 2X extended range versus earlier WiMedia 1.1 compliant UWB chipsets. The AL7350 implements the more advanced WiMedia 1.5 specification together with maximum ratio combining. The new 1Gbps chip is currently in alpha sampling and will be available for general sampling in mid-2012.
iOnRoad augmented driving app too smart for iPhone
LAS VEGAS, USA: Picitup, a leading provider of computer vision solutions, announced the public launch of their latest product, iOnRoad, a visual radar app that warns drivers of potential collisions. The iOnRoad app takes advantage of the processing power and multi-tasking capabilities of high- end Android handsets, missing from even the iPhone 4S.
“The iOnRoad app could only have been developed for Android,” said Alon Atsmon, CEO of Picitup, developers of iOnRoad. “Google was quick to embrace our app’s comprehensive use of Android and recently invited iOnRoad to present at the Google Developer’s Day in Tel Aviv.”
iOnRoad improves driving in real-time using the power of advanced smartphones. The app uses the smartphone’s native camera and sensors to detect vehicles in front of the vehicle, alerting drivers when they are in danger. iOnRoad’s VisualRadar, maps objects in front of the driver in realtime, calculating the user’s current speed using native sensors. As the vehicle approaches danger, an audio-visual warning pops up to warn the driver of a possible collision, allowing them to brake in time. The app can be used in “background mode,” allowing users to use the navigation app or take phone calls, while still remaining safe on the road.
“iOnRoad is at the forefront of a movement to leverage the smartphone in the car for safe driving applications”, said Roger C. Lanctot, senior analyst, global automotive practice, Strategy Analytics. “iOnRoad redefines the smartphone-based navigation experience creating an almost magical merger of existing technologies. This launch is just the beginning of an entirely new user experience being enabled with smartphone technology, sensors and accelerometers.”
Reception from the active Android community has been incredibly enthusiastic as evidenced by hockey stick growth of the app while still in Beta without the benefit of any marketing. Mobile carriers have also taken an active interest in iOnRoad. Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile recently selected iOnRoad as one of their "Android Top10-Apps" and featured the app in the current issue of their newsletter.
“The iOnRoad app could only have been developed for Android,” said Alon Atsmon, CEO of Picitup, developers of iOnRoad. “Google was quick to embrace our app’s comprehensive use of Android and recently invited iOnRoad to present at the Google Developer’s Day in Tel Aviv.”
iOnRoad improves driving in real-time using the power of advanced smartphones. The app uses the smartphone’s native camera and sensors to detect vehicles in front of the vehicle, alerting drivers when they are in danger. iOnRoad’s VisualRadar, maps objects in front of the driver in realtime, calculating the user’s current speed using native sensors. As the vehicle approaches danger, an audio-visual warning pops up to warn the driver of a possible collision, allowing them to brake in time. The app can be used in “background mode,” allowing users to use the navigation app or take phone calls, while still remaining safe on the road.
“iOnRoad is at the forefront of a movement to leverage the smartphone in the car for safe driving applications”, said Roger C. Lanctot, senior analyst, global automotive practice, Strategy Analytics. “iOnRoad redefines the smartphone-based navigation experience creating an almost magical merger of existing technologies. This launch is just the beginning of an entirely new user experience being enabled with smartphone technology, sensors and accelerometers.”
Reception from the active Android community has been incredibly enthusiastic as evidenced by hockey stick growth of the app while still in Beta without the benefit of any marketing. Mobile carriers have also taken an active interest in iOnRoad. Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile recently selected iOnRoad as one of their "Android Top10-Apps" and featured the app in the current issue of their newsletter.
LANCOM 1781EW – VPN router with power-saving Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n WLAN
LONDON, ENGLAND: LANCOM Systems introduced the LANCOM 1781EW, its latest addition to LANCOM 1781 series of routers and the first in this range of products to feature wireless LAN.
Like all of the devices from this new generation of routers, it is based on a new high-performance hardware platform with more memory and a faster processor. This ensures that the free LCOS updates from LANCOM can be installed for years to come. The business router is ideal for modern companies that require versatile devices for site connectivity, such as branch or home offices.
The LANCOM 1781EW is equipped with an integrated 300-Mbps wireless LAN module that transmits in the 2.4- or 5-GHz frequency range to allow the networking of 802.11agn wireless LAN clients.
Furthermore, this professional router has a built-in Gigabit Ethernet connector as a WAN port for connecting to any type of VDSL, ADSL, SDSL or cable modem for Internet access. If necessary, the device can also be operated behind a router supplied by the provider. The LANCOM 1781EW consumes very little power thanks to its new green-IT Gigabit Ethernet switch and the fan-less design.
Like all of the devices from this new generation of routers, it is based on a new high-performance hardware platform with more memory and a faster processor. This ensures that the free LCOS updates from LANCOM can be installed for years to come. The business router is ideal for modern companies that require versatile devices for site connectivity, such as branch or home offices.
The LANCOM 1781EW is equipped with an integrated 300-Mbps wireless LAN module that transmits in the 2.4- or 5-GHz frequency range to allow the networking of 802.11agn wireless LAN clients.
Furthermore, this professional router has a built-in Gigabit Ethernet connector as a WAN port for connecting to any type of VDSL, ADSL, SDSL or cable modem for Internet access. If necessary, the device can also be operated behind a router supplied by the provider. The LANCOM 1781EW consumes very little power thanks to its new green-IT Gigabit Ethernet switch and the fan-less design.
RRsat providing playout and uplink services for Nat Geo Music Channel
AIRPORT CITY BUSINESS PARK, ISRAEL: RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd (RRST), a leading provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, announced that it is providing its advanced playout and uplink services for Nat Geo Music Channel, the music channel brought to viewers by FOX International Channels.
Nat Geo Music joins over 130 TV channels making use of the state-of-the-art RRsat Playout Center with its automated, high capacity, 24/7 facility and a full range of end-to-end HD, SD and 3D content management and processing services. Nat Geo Music transfers digital content using an advanced file accelerator directly into RRsat's Media Asset Management system where it is decrypted, backed up, and archived for further use. Other playout services employed for Nat Geo Music include graphic overlay, using the Miranda-ImageStore graphic system, and automated QC and digital scheduling.
The Nat Geo Music Channel is then encrypted, reencoded and uplinked to the RRsat MCPC platform on MEASAT-3a, a satellite reaching over 50 million pay-TV households in the Middle East, North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia/Oceana and parts of Africa.
Lior Rival, VP Sales and Marketing of RRsat said: "We are very excited to add another valuable customer such as Nat Geo Music to our growing list of play-out channels being played out from RRsat Playout Center's state-of-the-art automated, high capacity, 24/7 facility. RRsat offers its customers a full range of advanced end-to-end solutions providing innovation while maintaining robust and reliable quality of service."
"RRsat's advanced media asset solutions result in efficient, robust, high quality performance," said Victor Chan, VP of Broadcast Technical Operations at FOX International Channels Asia. "Their attention to our needs, in both playout and uplink services, combined with a high level of technological know-how, is why we chose RRsat to playout and deliver our channel."
Nat Geo Music joins over 130 TV channels making use of the state-of-the-art RRsat Playout Center with its automated, high capacity, 24/7 facility and a full range of end-to-end HD, SD and 3D content management and processing services. Nat Geo Music transfers digital content using an advanced file accelerator directly into RRsat's Media Asset Management system where it is decrypted, backed up, and archived for further use. Other playout services employed for Nat Geo Music include graphic overlay, using the Miranda-ImageStore graphic system, and automated QC and digital scheduling.
The Nat Geo Music Channel is then encrypted, reencoded and uplinked to the RRsat MCPC platform on MEASAT-3a, a satellite reaching over 50 million pay-TV households in the Middle East, North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia/Oceana and parts of Africa.
Lior Rival, VP Sales and Marketing of RRsat said: "We are very excited to add another valuable customer such as Nat Geo Music to our growing list of play-out channels being played out from RRsat Playout Center's state-of-the-art automated, high capacity, 24/7 facility. RRsat offers its customers a full range of advanced end-to-end solutions providing innovation while maintaining robust and reliable quality of service."
"RRsat's advanced media asset solutions result in efficient, robust, high quality performance," said Victor Chan, VP of Broadcast Technical Operations at FOX International Channels Asia. "Their attention to our needs, in both playout and uplink services, combined with a high level of technological know-how, is why we chose RRsat to playout and deliver our channel."
Saturday, October 29, 2011
ip.access links past, present and future of small cells with nanoConverge offer
CHICAGO, USA: ip.access has unveiled its nanoConverge solution, which provides mobile operators with a single converged 2G and 3G small cell Radio Access Network, and a future upgrade path to small cell LTE deployments.
Launched on ip.access' existing nanoGateway 200 platform, the converged solution will initially allow operators to quickly and easily add 3G capability to their existing ip.access 2G small cell deployments. Next year, ip.access will make further additions to its nanoConverge solution which will not only add LTE capability but will also enable operators to run larger volumes of 2G, 3G and 4G small cells from a single converged nanoGateway.
ip.access founder and CTO, Nick Johnson, said: “Our nanoConverge solution will make small cell network planning, upgrade and roll-out easier and more economical for operators all over the world. What’s more, the nanoConverge solution will enable operators to make the most of existing infrastructure investments by allowing 2G, 3G and LTE small cells to be controlled and managed from a common platform – it represents true convergence of past, present and future small cell network roll-outs.”
Peter Jarich, Current Analysis’ Mobile Ecosystem service director, said: “Even operators and vendors who’d previously questioned the value of small cells now acknowledge their importance, not only for next generation networks but also to provide extra coverage and capacity for existing mobile networks. A common small cell core, addressing multiple radio access technologies plays to this importance by helping keep operational complexity and cost down.”
The initial nanoConverge solution provides an easy migration path allowing ip.access' nanoGSM picocell customers to introduce 3G capabilities to their existing 2G small cell systems. It runs the nano3G Access Controller and IPsec gateway on a blade within the nanoGateway 200 platform (used for the Basestation Controller in existing nanoGSM picocell deployments), and supports up to 500 nano3G Access Points.
Complying with 3GPP's Iuh and TR-069 small cell industry standards, nanoConverge is built using ip.access' award-winning Oyster3G technology that is at the heart of the world’s largest femtocell roll-out – the AT&T 3G MicroCell in the USA, developed jointly by Cisco and ip.access.
Johnson confirmed that the nanoConverge solution would be entering operator trials next month, and said that full scale deployments would begin early next year.
Earlier this month, ip.access announced a new C-class residential femtocell to complement its existing range of office, enterprise and public access small cells – all of which use the Oyster 3G technology. As well as supplying the world’s largest femtocell roll-out, the company works with more than 60 mobile operators worldwide.
Launched on ip.access' existing nanoGateway 200 platform, the converged solution will initially allow operators to quickly and easily add 3G capability to their existing ip.access 2G small cell deployments. Next year, ip.access will make further additions to its nanoConverge solution which will not only add LTE capability but will also enable operators to run larger volumes of 2G, 3G and 4G small cells from a single converged nanoGateway.
ip.access founder and CTO, Nick Johnson, said: “Our nanoConverge solution will make small cell network planning, upgrade and roll-out easier and more economical for operators all over the world. What’s more, the nanoConverge solution will enable operators to make the most of existing infrastructure investments by allowing 2G, 3G and LTE small cells to be controlled and managed from a common platform – it represents true convergence of past, present and future small cell network roll-outs.”
Peter Jarich, Current Analysis’ Mobile Ecosystem service director, said: “Even operators and vendors who’d previously questioned the value of small cells now acknowledge their importance, not only for next generation networks but also to provide extra coverage and capacity for existing mobile networks. A common small cell core, addressing multiple radio access technologies plays to this importance by helping keep operational complexity and cost down.”
The initial nanoConverge solution provides an easy migration path allowing ip.access' nanoGSM picocell customers to introduce 3G capabilities to their existing 2G small cell systems. It runs the nano3G Access Controller and IPsec gateway on a blade within the nanoGateway 200 platform (used for the Basestation Controller in existing nanoGSM picocell deployments), and supports up to 500 nano3G Access Points.
Complying with 3GPP's Iuh and TR-069 small cell industry standards, nanoConverge is built using ip.access' award-winning Oyster3G technology that is at the heart of the world’s largest femtocell roll-out – the AT&T 3G MicroCell in the USA, developed jointly by Cisco and ip.access.
Johnson confirmed that the nanoConverge solution would be entering operator trials next month, and said that full scale deployments would begin early next year.
Earlier this month, ip.access announced a new C-class residential femtocell to complement its existing range of office, enterprise and public access small cells – all of which use the Oyster 3G technology. As well as supplying the world’s largest femtocell roll-out, the company works with more than 60 mobile operators worldwide.
Samsung takes smartphone market lead from Apple in Q3, setting up battle for top spot in Q4
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in the third quarter managed to take the No. 1 position in the global smartphone market for the first time ever, setting the stage for a close battle with Apple Inc. for market leadership in the fourth quarter, according to IHS iSuppli Mobile & Wireless Communications research.
Samsung in the third quarter shipped an estimated 27.30 million smartphones, up 43.7 percent from 19.0 million in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Apple’s shipments declined to 17.1 million iPhones, down 15.9 percent from 20.3 million in the second quarter.
Samsung’s share of the market in the third quarter rose to 23.2 percent, up from 17.5 percent in the second quarter. This helped give Samsung the No. 1 rank, up from No. 2 in the second quarter, as presented in the table.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Meanwhile, Apple’s share declined to 14.6 percent, down from 18.7 percent in the second quarter. This caused the company to fall to second place, relinquishing the No. 1 ranking it attained for the first time in the second quarter.
“Samsung has been coming on strong in the global smartphone market in 2011 because of its broad portfolio of products, especially at the high end with its new Galaxy S II line as well as its offerings in the fast-growing low-end segment of the market,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, wireless communications at IHS. “Meanwhile, Apple suffered a sales decline in the third quarter as buyers delayed purchasing iPhones until the new 4S model became available in the fourth quarter. With the iPhone 4S now shipping in high volume, Apple is enjoying a sales spike in the fourth quarter that is expected to put it in a neck-and-neck battle for smartphone leadership with Samsung.”
Smart growth for Apple
Apple’s third-quarter shipment decline spurred pessimism among some observers about the company’s smartphone sales outlook for the year. However, IHS ibelieves there is no cause for gloom regarding Apple’s iPhone sales expectations in 2011.
“The third-quarter decline in iPhone shipments follows a normal pattern for Apple, wherein its results were depressed during the period immediately preceding the release of a new model,” Lam said. “This weakness is always followed by a major surge, as consumers scoop up the latest the model. Apple’s shipment pattern is strongly evident in the fourth quarter, with the company selling a phenomenal 4 million iPhone 4S smartphones during their first weekend of availability.”
iPhone shipments across all models are expected to swell to about 30 million units in the fourth quarter, up a stunning 75 percent from the third quarter. For the entire year, Apple is on track to ship more than 85 million iPhones, up 80 percent from 47.5 million in 2010, according to a newly revised forecast.
Nokia stops its sales slide—but at a price
In other smartphone developments, former market leader Nokia in the third quarter managed to increase its shipments, marking the company’s first sequential quarterly growth in 2011.
Nokia shipped 16.8 million smartphones in the third quarter, up 0.6 percent from 16.7 million in the second quarter. This allowed the company to hold onto its third-place ranking, despite a strong increase from No. 4 competitor HTC.
“Nokia may have stopped its market-share decline—but this came at the sacrifice of its pricing,” Lam noted. “The average selling price of the company’s smartphones declined 7.8 percent sequentially in the third quarter, taking a toll on profitability.”
Conditions are likely to improve for Nokia in the fourth quarter, as it starts to ship its new line of smartphones based on Microsoft Corp.’s new Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. Nokia has bet heavily on Windows Phone, stating it has shifted development efforts away from its traditional Symbian-based devices and toward phones using the Microsoft operating system.
Android’s steady growth driven by Samsung and HTC
Google’s Android continued its steady smartphone market share advance in the third quarter, with the two leading purveyors of the operating system, Samsung and HTC, posting strongest growth among the world’s Top 5 brands. HTC achieved the biggest rise, with its shipments expanding by 10 percent, while Samsung’s 5 percent advance gave it the second-highest increase.
The recent rollout of the latest version of the operating system, Android 4.0—or Ice Cream Sandwich—is likely to keep the Google software solution competitive in the smartphone market in the fourth quarter and beyond.
On the other hand, Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility may present some new problems for the Android operating system in the smartphone market. Other Android licensees might have concerns about Motorola potentially getting preferential treatment when it comes to Google support as well as obtaining favored access to new operating system revisions and features. In turn, this could cause Android licensees to shift some of their development efforts to other operating systems, potentially impacting Android’s market advance.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Samsung in the third quarter shipped an estimated 27.30 million smartphones, up 43.7 percent from 19.0 million in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Apple’s shipments declined to 17.1 million iPhones, down 15.9 percent from 20.3 million in the second quarter.
Samsung’s share of the market in the third quarter rose to 23.2 percent, up from 17.5 percent in the second quarter. This helped give Samsung the No. 1 rank, up from No. 2 in the second quarter, as presented in the table.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.Meanwhile, Apple’s share declined to 14.6 percent, down from 18.7 percent in the second quarter. This caused the company to fall to second place, relinquishing the No. 1 ranking it attained for the first time in the second quarter.
“Samsung has been coming on strong in the global smartphone market in 2011 because of its broad portfolio of products, especially at the high end with its new Galaxy S II line as well as its offerings in the fast-growing low-end segment of the market,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, wireless communications at IHS. “Meanwhile, Apple suffered a sales decline in the third quarter as buyers delayed purchasing iPhones until the new 4S model became available in the fourth quarter. With the iPhone 4S now shipping in high volume, Apple is enjoying a sales spike in the fourth quarter that is expected to put it in a neck-and-neck battle for smartphone leadership with Samsung.”
Smart growth for Apple
Apple’s third-quarter shipment decline spurred pessimism among some observers about the company’s smartphone sales outlook for the year. However, IHS ibelieves there is no cause for gloom regarding Apple’s iPhone sales expectations in 2011.
“The third-quarter decline in iPhone shipments follows a normal pattern for Apple, wherein its results were depressed during the period immediately preceding the release of a new model,” Lam said. “This weakness is always followed by a major surge, as consumers scoop up the latest the model. Apple’s shipment pattern is strongly evident in the fourth quarter, with the company selling a phenomenal 4 million iPhone 4S smartphones during their first weekend of availability.”
iPhone shipments across all models are expected to swell to about 30 million units in the fourth quarter, up a stunning 75 percent from the third quarter. For the entire year, Apple is on track to ship more than 85 million iPhones, up 80 percent from 47.5 million in 2010, according to a newly revised forecast.
Nokia stops its sales slide—but at a price
In other smartphone developments, former market leader Nokia in the third quarter managed to increase its shipments, marking the company’s first sequential quarterly growth in 2011.
Nokia shipped 16.8 million smartphones in the third quarter, up 0.6 percent from 16.7 million in the second quarter. This allowed the company to hold onto its third-place ranking, despite a strong increase from No. 4 competitor HTC.
“Nokia may have stopped its market-share decline—but this came at the sacrifice of its pricing,” Lam noted. “The average selling price of the company’s smartphones declined 7.8 percent sequentially in the third quarter, taking a toll on profitability.”
Conditions are likely to improve for Nokia in the fourth quarter, as it starts to ship its new line of smartphones based on Microsoft Corp.’s new Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. Nokia has bet heavily on Windows Phone, stating it has shifted development efforts away from its traditional Symbian-based devices and toward phones using the Microsoft operating system.
Android’s steady growth driven by Samsung and HTC
Google’s Android continued its steady smartphone market share advance in the third quarter, with the two leading purveyors of the operating system, Samsung and HTC, posting strongest growth among the world’s Top 5 brands. HTC achieved the biggest rise, with its shipments expanding by 10 percent, while Samsung’s 5 percent advance gave it the second-highest increase.
The recent rollout of the latest version of the operating system, Android 4.0—or Ice Cream Sandwich—is likely to keep the Google software solution competitive in the smartphone market in the fourth quarter and beyond.
On the other hand, Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility may present some new problems for the Android operating system in the smartphone market. Other Android licensees might have concerns about Motorola potentially getting preferential treatment when it comes to Google support as well as obtaining favored access to new operating system revisions and features. In turn, this could cause Android licensees to shift some of their development efforts to other operating systems, potentially impacting Android’s market advance.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Friday, October 28, 2011
4G (LTE and WiMAX) service revenue: Tremendous opportunities as 4G subscribers will cross 150 million by end of 2013
DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of The "4G (Lte and Wimax) Service Revenue/Market Analysis and Its Opportunities for Industries" Report to its Offering.
Industry overview
High-speed 4G wireless networks are the next big opportunity in the mobile industry. 4G networks are able to provide a comprehensive quadruple IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be given to users on an "Anytime, Anywhere" basis featuring the full mobility, and at higher data rates than previous generations.
Worldwide 4G subscribers and its service revenue will be showing tremendous growth path. It is expected that its worldwide service revenue will grow at a CAGR of 299% for the spanning period of 2009 - 2013.
Highlights:
* Asia Pacific 4G service revenue will be over $1 billion in 2013.
* 4G handsets will grow at CAGR of 91.1 percent during the spanning period 2010-2014.
* Worldwide LTE service revenue is expected to cross $150 billion by 2015.
* Telecom operators are investing more than $3 billion in LTE technology in 2011.
* Worldwide WiMAX subscribers will grow at a CAGR of 51.1 percent for the period of 2011-2014.
* Eastern Europe and Russia WiMAX service revenue will cross $2 billion by the end of 2014.
Industry overview
High-speed 4G wireless networks are the next big opportunity in the mobile industry. 4G networks are able to provide a comprehensive quadruple IP solution where voice, data and streamed multimedia can be given to users on an "Anytime, Anywhere" basis featuring the full mobility, and at higher data rates than previous generations.
Worldwide 4G subscribers and its service revenue will be showing tremendous growth path. It is expected that its worldwide service revenue will grow at a CAGR of 299% for the spanning period of 2009 - 2013.
Highlights:
* Asia Pacific 4G service revenue will be over $1 billion in 2013.
* 4G handsets will grow at CAGR of 91.1 percent during the spanning period 2010-2014.
* Worldwide LTE service revenue is expected to cross $150 billion by 2015.
* Telecom operators are investing more than $3 billion in LTE technology in 2011.
* Worldwide WiMAX subscribers will grow at a CAGR of 51.1 percent for the period of 2011-2014.
* Eastern Europe and Russia WiMAX service revenue will cross $2 billion by the end of 2014.
Global handset shipments reach 390 million units in Q3 2011
BOSTON, USA: According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global handset shipments grew 14 percent annually to reach 390 million units in the third quarter of 2011. China’s ZTE surpassed Apple to become the world’s fourth largest handset vendor, while Samsung’s marketshare reached record-high levels.
Alex Spektor, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said: “Despite ongoing economic volatility, global handset shipments grew a relatively healthy 14 percent annually to reach 390 million units in Q3 2011. ZTE was the star performer as it captured 5 percent market share and overtook Apple to become the world’s fourth largest handset vendor. ZTE’s growth is being driven by competitive pricing of entry-level models for feature phones and Android smartphones.”
Neil Mawston, director, Strategy Analytics, added: “Nokia’s global handset shipments edged down 3 percent annually to 107 million units in Q3 2011. Nokia’s strong sales of its entry-level dual-SIM models in emerging markets were counterbalanced by weak demand for its high-end Symbian phones in developed regions. The recent Microsoft Lumia announcements have come at a good time to help Nokia’s stagnant smartphone volumes. Hot on Nokia’s heels, second-ranked Samsung continued to grow and reached an all-time-high marketshare of 23 percent, fuelled by robust shipments of its high-end Galaxy S2 superphone.”
Other findings from the research include:
* LG shipped just 21 million handsets worldwide in Q3 2011, as its Optimus One line of affordable smartphones lost some market momentum;
* Apple slipped to fifth place in our marketshare rankings, as the delayed launch of the refreshed iPhone 4S yielded the vendor’s weakest quarter of the year.
Source: Strategy Analytics, USA.
Alex Spektor, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said: “Despite ongoing economic volatility, global handset shipments grew a relatively healthy 14 percent annually to reach 390 million units in Q3 2011. ZTE was the star performer as it captured 5 percent market share and overtook Apple to become the world’s fourth largest handset vendor. ZTE’s growth is being driven by competitive pricing of entry-level models for feature phones and Android smartphones.”
Neil Mawston, director, Strategy Analytics, added: “Nokia’s global handset shipments edged down 3 percent annually to 107 million units in Q3 2011. Nokia’s strong sales of its entry-level dual-SIM models in emerging markets were counterbalanced by weak demand for its high-end Symbian phones in developed regions. The recent Microsoft Lumia announcements have come at a good time to help Nokia’s stagnant smartphone volumes. Hot on Nokia’s heels, second-ranked Samsung continued to grow and reached an all-time-high marketshare of 23 percent, fuelled by robust shipments of its high-end Galaxy S2 superphone.”
Other findings from the research include:
* LG shipped just 21 million handsets worldwide in Q3 2011, as its Optimus One line of affordable smartphones lost some market momentum;
* Apple slipped to fifth place in our marketshare rankings, as the delayed launch of the refreshed iPhone 4S yielded the vendor’s weakest quarter of the year.
Source: Strategy Analytics, USA.
Jays and Telenor join forces for mobile music
SWEDEN: Swedish headphone manufacturer Jays AB (publ) is teaming up with leading Swedish telecoms operator Telenor this autumn to sell the Jays product range in Telenor stores.
Multi award-winning Jays develops its own products and works with world-leading artists, songwriters and producers both in the studio and on stage to ensure the highest possible performance. Jays has generated huge international acclaim with a-JAYS Four for iPhone and will shortly be releasing its first ‘in-ear’ earphone developed especially for Android. Jays also continues to develop its Mobile Music concept to benefit the modern music-loving individual's mobile lifestyle. The partnership will see Telenor stocking the following products from 27 October: a-JAYS Four for iPhone, T-JAYS Four for iPhone, and a-JAYS One+.
“The opportunity to work with one of the leading telecommunications operators to develop our Mobile Music concept is perfect” comments Rune Torbjörnsen, CEO of Jays AB (publ). “We both strive to create the right conditions for individuals to experience music on their own terms. Telenor allows its users to listen to music anyway, anyhow, anywhere and our products perfect that experience thanks to our passion for music and our award-winning sound and design. We develop unique audio products for people who like us, love music. To do that in partnership with Telenor Sweden is a great opportunity for Jays and helps us towards our goal of providing the ultimate musical sound quality to all people.”
“We are pleased to work with Jays because they create products that we know our customers want, especially now with the launch of new iPhone 4S. Nine out of ten phones that we sell these days are smartphones that always include free internet usage, so listening to music and watching video clips on our phones is completely taken for granted. Now we can also offer high-quality earphones that dramatically improve the browsing experience for our customers” says Jonas Lindström, head of Marketing Consumer, Telenor Sweden.
Multi award-winning Jays develops its own products and works with world-leading artists, songwriters and producers both in the studio and on stage to ensure the highest possible performance. Jays has generated huge international acclaim with a-JAYS Four for iPhone and will shortly be releasing its first ‘in-ear’ earphone developed especially for Android. Jays also continues to develop its Mobile Music concept to benefit the modern music-loving individual's mobile lifestyle. The partnership will see Telenor stocking the following products from 27 October: a-JAYS Four for iPhone, T-JAYS Four for iPhone, and a-JAYS One+.
“The opportunity to work with one of the leading telecommunications operators to develop our Mobile Music concept is perfect” comments Rune Torbjörnsen, CEO of Jays AB (publ). “We both strive to create the right conditions for individuals to experience music on their own terms. Telenor allows its users to listen to music anyway, anyhow, anywhere and our products perfect that experience thanks to our passion for music and our award-winning sound and design. We develop unique audio products for people who like us, love music. To do that in partnership with Telenor Sweden is a great opportunity for Jays and helps us towards our goal of providing the ultimate musical sound quality to all people.”
“We are pleased to work with Jays because they create products that we know our customers want, especially now with the launch of new iPhone 4S. Nine out of ten phones that we sell these days are smartphones that always include free internet usage, so listening to music and watching video clips on our phones is completely taken for granted. Now we can also offer high-quality earphones that dramatically improve the browsing experience for our customers” says Jonas Lindström, head of Marketing Consumer, Telenor Sweden.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
SONY to acquire Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson
SWEDEN: Ericsson and Sony Corp. announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”), making the mobile handset business a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.
The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers - for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.
As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.
During the past 10 years, the mobile market has shifted focus from simple mobile phones to rich smartphones that include access to internet services and content. The transaction is a logical strategic step that takes into account the nature of this evolution and its impact on the marketplace.
This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Today, Ericsson’s focus is on the global wireless market as a whole; how wireless connectivity can benefit people, business and society beyond just phones. Consistent with that mission, by setting up a wireless connectivity initiative, Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms.
“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s chairman, CEO and president.
Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”
“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today, we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world,” said Hans Vestberg, president and CEO of Ericsson.
When Sony Ericsson started its operations on October 1, 2001, it combined the unprofitable handset operations from Ericsson and Sony. Following a successful turnaround the company has become a market leader in the development of feature phones by integrating Sony’s strong consumer products knowledge and Ericsson’s telecommunications technology leadership. The Walkman phone and Cyber-shot phone are well known examples.
With the successful introduction of the P1 in 2007, Sony Ericsson early on established itself in the smartphone segment. More recently, the company has successfully made the transition from feature phones to Android-based Xperia smartphones. By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 percent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 percent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately EUR 1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately EUR 1.9 billion to its parent companies.
Prominent models include ”Xperia arc” and “Xperia mini” which received 2011 EISA Awards, while recent notable additions to the lineup include “XperiaTM PLAY” and “Xperia arc S”.
The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Ericsson has accounted for its 50 percent share in Sony Ericsson according to the equity method. Following completion of the transaction, Ericsson will have no outstanding guarantees relating to Sony Ericsson and will no longer account for Sony Ericsson as an investment on balance sheet. The transaction will result in a positive capital gain for Ericsson which will be defined after closing of the transaction.
SEB Enskilda is acting as Ericsson’s sole financial advisor in the transaction.
The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers - for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.
As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.
During the past 10 years, the mobile market has shifted focus from simple mobile phones to rich smartphones that include access to internet services and content. The transaction is a logical strategic step that takes into account the nature of this evolution and its impact on the marketplace.
This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Today, Ericsson’s focus is on the global wireless market as a whole; how wireless connectivity can benefit people, business and society beyond just phones. Consistent with that mission, by setting up a wireless connectivity initiative, Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms.
“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s chairman, CEO and president.
Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”
“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today, we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world,” said Hans Vestberg, president and CEO of Ericsson.
When Sony Ericsson started its operations on October 1, 2001, it combined the unprofitable handset operations from Ericsson and Sony. Following a successful turnaround the company has become a market leader in the development of feature phones by integrating Sony’s strong consumer products knowledge and Ericsson’s telecommunications technology leadership. The Walkman phone and Cyber-shot phone are well known examples.
With the successful introduction of the P1 in 2007, Sony Ericsson early on established itself in the smartphone segment. More recently, the company has successfully made the transition from feature phones to Android-based Xperia smartphones. By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 percent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 percent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately EUR 1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately EUR 1.9 billion to its parent companies.
Prominent models include ”Xperia arc” and “Xperia mini” which received 2011 EISA Awards, while recent notable additions to the lineup include “XperiaTM PLAY” and “Xperia arc S”.
The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
Ericsson has accounted for its 50 percent share in Sony Ericsson according to the equity method. Following completion of the transaction, Ericsson will have no outstanding guarantees relating to Sony Ericsson and will no longer account for Sony Ericsson as an investment on balance sheet. The transaction will result in a positive capital gain for Ericsson which will be defined after closing of the transaction.
SEB Enskilda is acting as Ericsson’s sole financial advisor in the transaction.
Launch of Nokia Windows phones
Nick Dillon, Ovum Telecoms Analyst
AUSTRALIA: Having replaced its own Symbian platform with Microsoft's, this is essentially a restart for the handset manufacturer, which has struggled to adjust to the new dynamics of the smartphone market following the launch of the iPhone in 2007. With Microsoft's new mobile platform yet to take off and Nokia banking on Windows Phone it as its primary smartphone platform, the success of the devices will be critical to the future of both companies. Both companies therefore have much riding on the outcome of this launch.
The challenges which Nokia faces are significant - many potential Windows Phone customers will have already bought an Android or iPhone and will have some form of attachment to those platforms. They will have invested in the platforms from a service, financial (via applications) and a familiarity perspective, and as such Nokia will have a challenge to convince them to switch to what is a largely unknown, and therefore risky, alternative. For consumers, they will need to have a clear and simple answer to the question: ‘why should I buy this instead of an iPhone or Android?
Considering that Nokia had very little, if no, input into the Mango release of Windows Phone, the company has done well to differentiate its devices against those from other Windows Phones licensees. Nokia has included its Nokia Maps, which provides free offline navigation on both devices. Additionally, Nokia has brought its experience in imaging with an f2.2 Carl Zeiss camera which features touch to focus, a function which is unique to Nokia's Windows Phone devices. Nokia has also brought another of its assets, Nokia Music to help differentiate the devices.
In addition to offering access to its music catalogue in 38 countries, Nokia will also provide free access to a Pandora-like radio streaming service which uses the Nokia Music catalogue. While none of these on their own are standout features, they at least provide Nokia with some ammunition for its marketing and sales team to market the devices in an increasingly competitive market.
AUSTRALIA: Having replaced its own Symbian platform with Microsoft's, this is essentially a restart for the handset manufacturer, which has struggled to adjust to the new dynamics of the smartphone market following the launch of the iPhone in 2007. With Microsoft's new mobile platform yet to take off and Nokia banking on Windows Phone it as its primary smartphone platform, the success of the devices will be critical to the future of both companies. Both companies therefore have much riding on the outcome of this launch.
The challenges which Nokia faces are significant - many potential Windows Phone customers will have already bought an Android or iPhone and will have some form of attachment to those platforms. They will have invested in the platforms from a service, financial (via applications) and a familiarity perspective, and as such Nokia will have a challenge to convince them to switch to what is a largely unknown, and therefore risky, alternative. For consumers, they will need to have a clear and simple answer to the question: ‘why should I buy this instead of an iPhone or Android?
Considering that Nokia had very little, if no, input into the Mango release of Windows Phone, the company has done well to differentiate its devices against those from other Windows Phones licensees. Nokia has included its Nokia Maps, which provides free offline navigation on both devices. Additionally, Nokia has brought its experience in imaging with an f2.2 Carl Zeiss camera which features touch to focus, a function which is unique to Nokia's Windows Phone devices. Nokia has also brought another of its assets, Nokia Music to help differentiate the devices.
In addition to offering access to its music catalogue in 38 countries, Nokia will also provide free access to a Pandora-like radio streaming service which uses the Nokia Music catalogue. While none of these on their own are standout features, they at least provide Nokia with some ammunition for its marketing and sales team to market the devices in an increasingly competitive market.
ArcGIS comes to Android platform
REDLANDS, USA: Google Android users can now access data and mapping capabilities on their smartphones with the ArcGIS for Android application. ArcGIS for Android lets users find and share maps as well as deploy GIS data and functionality on Android devices. The free app is now available and can be downloaded directly from the Android market.
ArcGIS for Android is a native application that serves as a mobile gateway into the ArcGIS system. It provides an intuitive user experience for querying map layers and data. People can also use the app to edit features and attribute information on the fly while collecting field data and performing inspections. In addition, ArcGIS for Android includes a legend, a Favorites feature, and a tool for measuring area and distance.
ArcGIS for Android is built on Esri's ArcGIS Runtime Software Development Kit (SDK). This SDK lets developers create custom spatially enabled applications for Android devices and is designed to use web services available from ArcGIS. Apps built using the ArcGIS Runtime SDK can be deployed within the enterprise or to the public via the Android Market. The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android is currently in public beta, with final release expected in November 2011.
ArcGIS for Android is a native application that serves as a mobile gateway into the ArcGIS system. It provides an intuitive user experience for querying map layers and data. People can also use the app to edit features and attribute information on the fly while collecting field data and performing inspections. In addition, ArcGIS for Android includes a legend, a Favorites feature, and a tool for measuring area and distance.
ArcGIS for Android is built on Esri's ArcGIS Runtime Software Development Kit (SDK). This SDK lets developers create custom spatially enabled applications for Android devices and is designed to use web services available from ArcGIS. Apps built using the ArcGIS Runtime SDK can be deployed within the enterprise or to the public via the Android Market. The ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android is currently in public beta, with final release expected in November 2011.
Marvell, Lenovo and China Mobile to drive mass market adoption of China's 3G TD-SCDMA smartphones
BEIJING, CHINA: Marvell announced the launch of Lenovo's LePhone A66t, a 3.5-inch high-definition screen smartphone customized for China Mobile's 3G TD-SCDMA market and priced in the 1,000 RMB range. The LePhone A66t is powered by the Marvell PXA918 platform, the first commercially available single-chip solution that integrates a high-performance, low-power application processor with an advanced multimode modem.
Marvell's advanced low-power TD single-chip solution is designed to enable exceptional user experience for watching mobile TV, navigation, video conferencing, social networking, and other popular mobile applications. It also features the Marvell Avastar 88W8787 wireless solution, which is Bluetooth 3.0 and FM enabled, offering exceptional Wi-Fi range with beamforming technology, robust 802.11n connectivity and crystal clear audio quality.
"China is in a period of epic mobile growth, fueled by consumers' desires to leverage their devices for activities that are integral to their daily lives, from social networking to watching live contents. I believe Marvell's collaboration with Lenovo and China Mobile will help drive the connected lifestyle for hundreds of millions of consumers in China," said Weili Dai, Marvell's co-founder. "We're proud to see the leadership of Lenovo's Mobile Internet Digital Home Group in developing seamlessly connected lifestyle out of consumers' hands and into their homes."
"As the second largest provider of PCs and other consumer electronics worldwide, Lenovo is committed to drive the connected lifestyle for billions of consumers around the world. Our LePhone A66t is an ideal mobile device that enables consumers easy access to social networking, e-commerce, gaming and mobile TV at an affordable price of around 1,000 RMB," said Feng Xing, VP and GM of business operation at Lenovo. "Our partner Marvell is one of the top semiconductor leaders that has delivered the most advanced and competitive China 3G TD-SCDMA solution. I believe the introduction of the Lenovo LePhone A66t is a game-changer for the mass adoption of China Mobile's 3G smartphones."
"We're happy to see the successful collaboration between Marvell and Lenovo for creating a world-class China 3G smartphone," said Xing Hongtao, deputy GM of Marketing, China Mobile Beijing Branch. "China Mobile is very excited on the fast adoption of the advanced 1,000 RMB smartphones and we're confident of the explosive smartphone growth in the years to come."
Lenovo's LePhone A66t smartphone will provide consumers a high quality CMMB digital TV experience, along with best-in-class Wi-Fi connectivity, all delivered in a sleek and sophisticated design form factor. Powered by the Marvell PXA918, Lenovo's LePhone A66t also features Android 2.2 Operating System, Mobile Hotspot capability, a 3.5 inch high-definition screen with multi-touch support, Marvell RF808 RF transceiver and a Marvell PM8607 integrated audio and power management solution.
Marvell's advanced low-power TD single-chip solution is designed to enable exceptional user experience for watching mobile TV, navigation, video conferencing, social networking, and other popular mobile applications. It also features the Marvell Avastar 88W8787 wireless solution, which is Bluetooth 3.0 and FM enabled, offering exceptional Wi-Fi range with beamforming technology, robust 802.11n connectivity and crystal clear audio quality.
"China is in a period of epic mobile growth, fueled by consumers' desires to leverage their devices for activities that are integral to their daily lives, from social networking to watching live contents. I believe Marvell's collaboration with Lenovo and China Mobile will help drive the connected lifestyle for hundreds of millions of consumers in China," said Weili Dai, Marvell's co-founder. "We're proud to see the leadership of Lenovo's Mobile Internet Digital Home Group in developing seamlessly connected lifestyle out of consumers' hands and into their homes."
"As the second largest provider of PCs and other consumer electronics worldwide, Lenovo is committed to drive the connected lifestyle for billions of consumers around the world. Our LePhone A66t is an ideal mobile device that enables consumers easy access to social networking, e-commerce, gaming and mobile TV at an affordable price of around 1,000 RMB," said Feng Xing, VP and GM of business operation at Lenovo. "Our partner Marvell is one of the top semiconductor leaders that has delivered the most advanced and competitive China 3G TD-SCDMA solution. I believe the introduction of the Lenovo LePhone A66t is a game-changer for the mass adoption of China Mobile's 3G smartphones."
"We're happy to see the successful collaboration between Marvell and Lenovo for creating a world-class China 3G smartphone," said Xing Hongtao, deputy GM of Marketing, China Mobile Beijing Branch. "China Mobile is very excited on the fast adoption of the advanced 1,000 RMB smartphones and we're confident of the explosive smartphone growth in the years to come."
Lenovo's LePhone A66t smartphone will provide consumers a high quality CMMB digital TV experience, along with best-in-class Wi-Fi connectivity, all delivered in a sleek and sophisticated design form factor. Powered by the Marvell PXA918, Lenovo's LePhone A66t also features Android 2.2 Operating System, Mobile Hotspot capability, a 3.5 inch high-definition screen with multi-touch support, Marvell RF808 RF transceiver and a Marvell PM8607 integrated audio and power management solution.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Chinese GSM rollouts and global migration to LTE will keep RF power amplifier and device markets buoyant
SCOTTSDALE, USA: Accelerated Chinese wireless infrastructure rollouts and the worldwide demand for wireless data have benefited the base station RF power amplifier and RF power device markets.
The Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, presently accounts for more than 75 percent of the RF power semiconductor devices sold into the mobile wireless infrastructure segment. “Recent Chinese multi-carrier GSM deployments have been massive and have buoyed RF power vendors tremendously,” says Lance Wilson, research director, mobile networks.
The demand is expected to strengthen the market until at least 2012 and Chinese GSM deployment activity will only begin to slow in 2013.
A happy coincidence for equipment vendors, 2012 is the expected time frame for LTE deployments in developed countries to gather a head of steam. “Although LTE has not yet significantly impacted RF power amplifier and device sales, it will bolster RF power sales in the wireless infrastructure space from about 2011 onward,” says Aditya Kaul, practice director, mobile networks.
The growing demand for wireless data is also driving the overall market upwards for both RF power amplifiers and RF power devices.
The Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, presently accounts for more than 75 percent of the RF power semiconductor devices sold into the mobile wireless infrastructure segment. “Recent Chinese multi-carrier GSM deployments have been massive and have buoyed RF power vendors tremendously,” says Lance Wilson, research director, mobile networks.
The demand is expected to strengthen the market until at least 2012 and Chinese GSM deployment activity will only begin to slow in 2013.
A happy coincidence for equipment vendors, 2012 is the expected time frame for LTE deployments in developed countries to gather a head of steam. “Although LTE has not yet significantly impacted RF power amplifier and device sales, it will bolster RF power sales in the wireless infrastructure space from about 2011 onward,” says Aditya Kaul, practice director, mobile networks.
The growing demand for wireless data is also driving the overall market upwards for both RF power amplifiers and RF power devices.
Intel Capital and NTEC lead multi-million dollar capital investment in NeuString
LONDON, UK: NeuString, a leading supplier of predictive data analytics software in the mobile communications sector, has completed its Series B financing round led by the national technology enterprises company, Intel Capital, alongside new and existing private shareholders.
Dubai-based NeuString serves more than 40 mobile communications service providers across Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa with advanced software products that help them improve profitability from mobile calls. It enables operators to segment prices for customers in accordance with their individual usage, behavior and requirements. NeuString is a specialist in advanced predictive data analytics, a rapidly growing area as mobile service providers come under increasing pressure on margins.
NeuString’s product enables operators to make instant predictive analytics on the effects of various changes in the market by having data on hand on demand. At the same time it makes the analytics actionable towards the individual customer by processing the large amounts of data on an individual customer and call level.
“Our focus is on providing rapid and comprehensive predictive analytic products ‘out of the box’ without the cost and delays of customization. This investment will enable us to rapidly expand our product vision and the markets we serve,” said Nikolaj Aertebjerg, CEO and co-founder of NeuString.
"NeuString has delivered constant growth and value to its customers and we see global potential in the predictive analytics market,” said Izzat Abou-Amarah, VP at NTEC Capital. “As a regional company with global potential, we are confident that our investment in NeuString will help accelerate this growth.”
Intel Capital, an early investor in NeuString, has continued its investment in this new round. "NeuString fits very well into our portfolio and is showing exceptionally strong customer growth both as a cloud-based service and as a software product," states Feroz Sanaulla, Investment director of Intel Capital Middle East, Turkey, N. Africa.
NeuString has also strengthened its board with three new directors, all highly experienced in the communications sector. Industry veteran Keith Willetts, who will chair the company, said: “As mobile markets saturate around the globe, operators are continually seeking ways to deliver more for less to their customers. Predictive analytics are the hot subject in the market and NeuString is ahead of the game.”
Dubai-based NeuString serves more than 40 mobile communications service providers across Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa with advanced software products that help them improve profitability from mobile calls. It enables operators to segment prices for customers in accordance with their individual usage, behavior and requirements. NeuString is a specialist in advanced predictive data analytics, a rapidly growing area as mobile service providers come under increasing pressure on margins.
NeuString’s product enables operators to make instant predictive analytics on the effects of various changes in the market by having data on hand on demand. At the same time it makes the analytics actionable towards the individual customer by processing the large amounts of data on an individual customer and call level.
“Our focus is on providing rapid and comprehensive predictive analytic products ‘out of the box’ without the cost and delays of customization. This investment will enable us to rapidly expand our product vision and the markets we serve,” said Nikolaj Aertebjerg, CEO and co-founder of NeuString.
"NeuString has delivered constant growth and value to its customers and we see global potential in the predictive analytics market,” said Izzat Abou-Amarah, VP at NTEC Capital. “As a regional company with global potential, we are confident that our investment in NeuString will help accelerate this growth.”
Intel Capital, an early investor in NeuString, has continued its investment in this new round. "NeuString fits very well into our portfolio and is showing exceptionally strong customer growth both as a cloud-based service and as a software product," states Feroz Sanaulla, Investment director of Intel Capital Middle East, Turkey, N. Africa.
NeuString has also strengthened its board with three new directors, all highly experienced in the communications sector. Industry veteran Keith Willetts, who will chair the company, said: “As mobile markets saturate around the globe, operators are continually seeking ways to deliver more for less to their customers. Predictive analytics are the hot subject in the market and NeuString is ahead of the game.”
UMTS Forum applauds CEPT report on mobile broadband
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: The UMTS Forum has welcomed a new report from Europe’s telecoms administrations as a significant milestone in the evolution of mobile broadband.
Published by the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) within the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the new report surveys the global mobile broadband landscape while forecasting its future.
Launched in September 2011, CEPT ECC PT1 Internal Report on Mobile Broadband Landscape highlights continuing traffic growth in data-oriented networks, driven by more powerful end-user devices and richer service offerings. The report explicitly considers licenced mobile broadband systems: Wi-Fi in public and private environments is excluded from the study’s terms of reference.
Specifically, the CEPT report states that previous forecasts have greatly underestimated the growth of mobile data traffic. As a consequence of this, argues CEPT, “there is a need to review the spectrum estimates due to the traffic predictions showing faster growth than estimated before”.
As well as stimulating innovative new services and applications, CEPT argues that additional spectrum resources will stimulate competition in mobile broadband landscape to the benefit of consumers.
Among other studies, the CEPT report cites the UMTS Forum’s own predictions [UMTS Forum report 44, “Mobile traffic forecasts 2010-2020”, January 2011] that estimates subscriptions and data consumption trends globally, and in particular for a typical Western European country. In the space of a decade, states the UMTS Forum, total daily mobile traffic in such country will grow almost 70 times, from around 185 Terabytes to more than 12500 Terabytes.
The UMTS Forum is supporting full availability of all spectrum that is already identified for IMT. At the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) – taking place in Geneva from January 2012 – the UMTS Forum is supporting an Agenda Item for the next conference in 2015 (WRC-15) to respond to ever-increasing mobile broadband traffic demand in a harmonised way, through the identification of spectrum for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT).
In parallel with the CEPT study, the UMTS Forum has also welcomed imminent delivery of another major Report recently finalised within ITU-R (currently named ‘IMT.UPDATE’) that maps future mobile broadband trends in the context of recent trends and studies. The report assesses global mobile broadband deployments and forecasts for IMT, and is targeted to be approved by ITU-R Study Group 5 in November 2011. Like the CEPT study, this new ITU-R report cites forecasts by the UMTS Forum that anticipate global mobile traffic of more than 127 Exabytes in 2020 – 33 times more than comparable figures in 2010.
Published by the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) within the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), the new report surveys the global mobile broadband landscape while forecasting its future.
Launched in September 2011, CEPT ECC PT1 Internal Report on Mobile Broadband Landscape highlights continuing traffic growth in data-oriented networks, driven by more powerful end-user devices and richer service offerings. The report explicitly considers licenced mobile broadband systems: Wi-Fi in public and private environments is excluded from the study’s terms of reference.
Specifically, the CEPT report states that previous forecasts have greatly underestimated the growth of mobile data traffic. As a consequence of this, argues CEPT, “there is a need to review the spectrum estimates due to the traffic predictions showing faster growth than estimated before”.
As well as stimulating innovative new services and applications, CEPT argues that additional spectrum resources will stimulate competition in mobile broadband landscape to the benefit of consumers.
Among other studies, the CEPT report cites the UMTS Forum’s own predictions [UMTS Forum report 44, “Mobile traffic forecasts 2010-2020”, January 2011] that estimates subscriptions and data consumption trends globally, and in particular for a typical Western European country. In the space of a decade, states the UMTS Forum, total daily mobile traffic in such country will grow almost 70 times, from around 185 Terabytes to more than 12500 Terabytes.
The UMTS Forum is supporting full availability of all spectrum that is already identified for IMT. At the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) – taking place in Geneva from January 2012 – the UMTS Forum is supporting an Agenda Item for the next conference in 2015 (WRC-15) to respond to ever-increasing mobile broadband traffic demand in a harmonised way, through the identification of spectrum for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT).
In parallel with the CEPT study, the UMTS Forum has also welcomed imminent delivery of another major Report recently finalised within ITU-R (currently named ‘IMT.UPDATE’) that maps future mobile broadband trends in the context of recent trends and studies. The report assesses global mobile broadband deployments and forecasts for IMT, and is targeted to be approved by ITU-R Study Group 5 in November 2011. Like the CEPT study, this new ITU-R report cites forecasts by the UMTS Forum that anticipate global mobile traffic of more than 127 Exabytes in 2020 – 33 times more than comparable figures in 2010.
World’s first WiGig technology Plugfest
SANTA CLARA, NORTHBROOK & BEAVERTON, USA: Today sees the start of the first ever PlugFest to test the interoperability of WiGig devices from members of the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig).
The ground-breaking WiGig PlugFest will run for three days and establish the interoperability of different products from several of the WiGig Alliance’s membership. As such it signals the imminent transition of ultra-fast 60 GHz WiGig networking from a detailed technology specification into commercial products shippable into the marketplace.
The PlugFest is being organized in collaboration with MET Labs and assisted by UL CCS, two of the world’s leading independent compliance, testing and certification houses.
Key test instrumentation for the PlugFest is being provided by Agilent Technologies, the leader in test and measurement and the only commercial provider of signal creation and modulation analysis SW and HW solutions for the WiGig Standard. Agilent representatives have chaired the WGA Interoperability Working Group (IWG) for the last two years. All three companies are members of the WiGig Alliance.
This week’s PlugFest follows the publication in April of the WiGig’s certification-ready multi-Gigabit wireless specification. The latest version 1.1 specification addresses enhancements identified by member companies during the product development process. Now, at the initial PlugFest, WiGig members are testing their WiGig-based products to ensure interoperability within the ecosystem, and provide end users with a guarantee of highly reliable solutions at product launch later next year.
“We are proud to demonstrate our commitment to the industry and our customers through the upcoming test event that sets the stage for an interoperable WiGig ecosystem,” said Dr. Ali Sadri, WiGig Alliance president and chairman. “At the inception of the WiGig Alliance back in 2009 we envisioned the realization of innovative and interoperable multi-Gigabit wireless connectivity among PCs, consumer electronics and hand-held devices. We are now close to making this a commercial reality.”
“We are pleased to provide baseband, RF and mmWave signal generation and analysis capability to support the PlugFest and its participants,” said Ron Nersesian, president, Agilent’s Electronic Measurement Group. “We are delighted that our early investments and continued commitment in this technology and WiGig Alliance along with our leadership in wide bandwidth modulation, analysis and millimeter applications is enabling the 60 GHz industry to design and develop products more rapidly.”
“This Plugfest is instrumental in speeding the widespread commercialization and adoption of super-fast 60 GHz networked devices across many applications. The throughput provisioned by WiGig wireless communication will enable a host of new capabilities and services for consumers, and will deliver new levels of ease of use, convenience and overall performance,” observed Craig Mathias, a principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group.
The ground-breaking WiGig PlugFest will run for three days and establish the interoperability of different products from several of the WiGig Alliance’s membership. As such it signals the imminent transition of ultra-fast 60 GHz WiGig networking from a detailed technology specification into commercial products shippable into the marketplace.
The PlugFest is being organized in collaboration with MET Labs and assisted by UL CCS, two of the world’s leading independent compliance, testing and certification houses.
Key test instrumentation for the PlugFest is being provided by Agilent Technologies, the leader in test and measurement and the only commercial provider of signal creation and modulation analysis SW and HW solutions for the WiGig Standard. Agilent representatives have chaired the WGA Interoperability Working Group (IWG) for the last two years. All three companies are members of the WiGig Alliance.
This week’s PlugFest follows the publication in April of the WiGig’s certification-ready multi-Gigabit wireless specification. The latest version 1.1 specification addresses enhancements identified by member companies during the product development process. Now, at the initial PlugFest, WiGig members are testing their WiGig-based products to ensure interoperability within the ecosystem, and provide end users with a guarantee of highly reliable solutions at product launch later next year.
“We are proud to demonstrate our commitment to the industry and our customers through the upcoming test event that sets the stage for an interoperable WiGig ecosystem,” said Dr. Ali Sadri, WiGig Alliance president and chairman. “At the inception of the WiGig Alliance back in 2009 we envisioned the realization of innovative and interoperable multi-Gigabit wireless connectivity among PCs, consumer electronics and hand-held devices. We are now close to making this a commercial reality.”
“We are pleased to provide baseband, RF and mmWave signal generation and analysis capability to support the PlugFest and its participants,” said Ron Nersesian, president, Agilent’s Electronic Measurement Group. “We are delighted that our early investments and continued commitment in this technology and WiGig Alliance along with our leadership in wide bandwidth modulation, analysis and millimeter applications is enabling the 60 GHz industry to design and develop products more rapidly.”
“This Plugfest is instrumental in speeding the widespread commercialization and adoption of super-fast 60 GHz networked devices across many applications. The throughput provisioned by WiGig wireless communication will enable a host of new capabilities and services for consumers, and will deliver new levels of ease of use, convenience and overall performance,” observed Craig Mathias, a principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Renesas Mobile showcases class-leading Android smartphone platform with advanced multi-core PowerVR GPU
TOKYO, JAPAN: Renesas Mobile Corp. will demonstrate its high performance 3D mobile platform, the MP5225, for Android-based smartphones at 4G World 2011 in Chicago (24-27 October, Renesas Mobile Stand 2025). Incorporating dual ARM Cortex A9's running at 1.2 GHz and an advanced multi-core PowerVR Series5XT MP Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) from Imagination Technologies, the platform represents a significant step towards delivering a games console quality experience on a mobile phone.
The MP5225 platform has been designed to deliver outstanding performance with Android. At its heart is the R-Mobile APE5R state-of-the-art low-power, high-performance application processor, which includes the industry's leading multi-core mobile graphics engine, PowerVR SGX543 MP2 from Imagination Technologies, to deliver stunning class-leading 2D/3D graphics.
“Consumer expectations and appetite for advanced new handset features continues to grow as smartphone users increasingly expect the same experience of speed, performance and multitasking capabilities they enjoy on laptops and gaming systems,“ said Jean-Marie Rolland, chief technical officer and executive VP, Sales and Marketing for Renesas Mobile. “We're delighted to be showing the latest results of our long relationship with Imagination Technologies at 4G World. The advanced graphics performance of the MP5225 will deliver an ultra-fast and exciting gaming experience and rich Android applications that fully exceed the expectations and desires of Android's growing fan-base.”
Blazingly fast, Renesas Mobile's MP5225 platform delivers more than five times the graphics performance of current generation devices, together with multi-core computing and high-end multimedia for advanced smartphones and mobile computing devices. Thanks to the exceptional processing power of the PowerVR SGX543 MP2 GPU, the MP5225 will deliver higher frame rates for leading edge games and visually rich applications, including stereoscopic 3D, Augmented Reality and Navigation.
High GPU performance means the Android user interface (UI), and UIs in all Android apps, will work at higher frame rates, delivering a more responsive and engaging user experience, while opening new opportunities to drive either multiple screens, higher resolution screens (up to HD 1080p via HDMI), or stereoscopic 3D screens, without suffering loss of performance.
“Graphics performance is fundamental to the Android user experiences in both UI and apps—something Imagination understands very well thanks to our close working relationship with Google on every release of Android from v2.1 “Éclair” to the latest v4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”, said Tony King-Smith, VP Marketing, Imagination. “Renesas Mobile is delivering tremendous mobile GPU performance to smartphone and tablet designers and apps developers thanks to our PowerVR multicore GPU solutions. As Android grows in importance as a major consumer software platform, we believe Renesas Mobile is very well placed to power truly class-leading devices for Android.”
The MP5225 platform has been designed to deliver outstanding performance with Android. At its heart is the R-Mobile APE5R state-of-the-art low-power, high-performance application processor, which includes the industry's leading multi-core mobile graphics engine, PowerVR SGX543 MP2 from Imagination Technologies, to deliver stunning class-leading 2D/3D graphics.
“Consumer expectations and appetite for advanced new handset features continues to grow as smartphone users increasingly expect the same experience of speed, performance and multitasking capabilities they enjoy on laptops and gaming systems,“ said Jean-Marie Rolland, chief technical officer and executive VP, Sales and Marketing for Renesas Mobile. “We're delighted to be showing the latest results of our long relationship with Imagination Technologies at 4G World. The advanced graphics performance of the MP5225 will deliver an ultra-fast and exciting gaming experience and rich Android applications that fully exceed the expectations and desires of Android's growing fan-base.”
Blazingly fast, Renesas Mobile's MP5225 platform delivers more than five times the graphics performance of current generation devices, together with multi-core computing and high-end multimedia for advanced smartphones and mobile computing devices. Thanks to the exceptional processing power of the PowerVR SGX543 MP2 GPU, the MP5225 will deliver higher frame rates for leading edge games and visually rich applications, including stereoscopic 3D, Augmented Reality and Navigation.
High GPU performance means the Android user interface (UI), and UIs in all Android apps, will work at higher frame rates, delivering a more responsive and engaging user experience, while opening new opportunities to drive either multiple screens, higher resolution screens (up to HD 1080p via HDMI), or stereoscopic 3D screens, without suffering loss of performance.
“Graphics performance is fundamental to the Android user experiences in both UI and apps—something Imagination understands very well thanks to our close working relationship with Google on every release of Android from v2.1 “Éclair” to the latest v4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”, said Tony King-Smith, VP Marketing, Imagination. “Renesas Mobile is delivering tremendous mobile GPU performance to smartphone and tablet designers and apps developers thanks to our PowerVR multicore GPU solutions. As Android grows in importance as a major consumer software platform, we believe Renesas Mobile is very well placed to power truly class-leading devices for Android.”
Lava Mobiles launches S12 with mesmerizing 3D experience; joins elite Android club
INDIA: Lava Mobiles, one of the fastest growing brands in the Indian market, is set to take on the smartphone segment with the new Lava S12 - its first Android smartphone, which provides users with 3D interface and stunning looks for a superior sensorial experience.
Lava has established its state of the art R&D center based out of Bengaluru as well as in China. With inputs from LAVA R&D, S12 is the first smart phone that aims to provide the user with excellent sensorial experience.
Understanding the needs and usage of an average Indian consumer, the R&D department helped in the development of the S12 to create a smartphone that provides the user with the best of features, preloaded apps and makes it a sure shot style statement giving the end user a richer experience.
According to Arvind Jha, director Lava International Ltd: “At Lava Mobiles, our mission is to bring great experiences to our users. The Android platform has the potential to help users do more with their mobile phone. We are working hard to build an eco-system together with application developers to create relevant innovative solutions.”
“A fruit of Lava’s R&D in cooperation with its key Application development partners, S12 is the first step in knocking Lava Mobile’s entry in the smartphone segment. We aim to create best in class products that are not just technologically superior but are also designed keeping in mind the changing customer needs,” says Sunil Raina, chief marketing officer, Lava International.
The S12 is one of the sleekest smartphones available in the market and is just 13mm thin. A matte leather finish lends a contemporary feel to the phone and is expected to be an instant hit amongst youth. The phone has a smart outlook with rounded top and bottom edges that not only makes the phone comfortable to hold but it gives it a stylish curved look. The metallic silver finish on the hard keys and edges makes the phone stand out from the rest.
The UI transforms the home screen into a virtual 3D space and offers 16 customizable home screens, which can be modified by the user as per his requirements and interests. Fast switching between screens with a single gesture, unique smart folders and a rich set of animated 3D widgets, make the navigation simple and effective. Such an interface has not been seen on any phone in this price segment. The work put in by Lava’s R&D department on effective hardware and software collaboration ensures that the 3D UI provides a seamless experience.
Sporting a large 3.2-inch display with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution, the S12 is great to watch videos, browse the Internet or play games. The phone will offer best in class user experience as the capacitive touchscreen provides quick response and better accuracy. Lava S12 is powered by a 600MHz processor by Qualcomm.
The phone supports up to 32GB expandable memory and runs on Android Froyo (2.2) Operating System. To keep the user connected on the move, the S12 comes with 3G (up to 7.2Mbps), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth connectivity.
With a strong focus on providing a richer, out of the box, smartphone experience, Lava S12 is preloaded with a host of useful applications. Other than the standard Google Application suite that offers Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Chat, Facebook, Twitter and Nimbuzz apps also present. Users who like to stay updated on current affairs and news can spend hours browsing through content from the Times of India and Moneycontrol.
app. Hungama MyPlay, Saavn, TuneWiki and YouTube apps take care of entertainment. Lava is committed to delivering a top notch entertainment experience in collaboration with companies like SRS, Dolby Digital. To top it all, Lava also lets the user watch live TV channels on the move. With S12 users get one year subscription
of Zenga Mobile TV absolutely free.
SlideIT keyboard option in LAVA S12 is an innovative keyboard solution that enables users to type by sliding fingers. This makes typing much easier and faster over a touch device. As per Nissim Benbenisty from Dasur, the company behind this app – “Lava is the first Indian smart-phone to collaborate with Slide IT. This will provide S12 users an innovative and fun-filled way to input text into their phones.”
The S12 features a 5MP fixed focus camera on the back with digital zoom to give you the perfect picture you want. The 1300mAh battery provides long battery life thanks to smart battery management.
The S12 will be priced at an MRP of Rs.9,999 and will come with a free 2GB microSD card in the box. It will be available at all leading stores and e-commerce portals.
Lava has established its state of the art R&D center based out of Bengaluru as well as in China. With inputs from LAVA R&D, S12 is the first smart phone that aims to provide the user with excellent sensorial experience.
Understanding the needs and usage of an average Indian consumer, the R&D department helped in the development of the S12 to create a smartphone that provides the user with the best of features, preloaded apps and makes it a sure shot style statement giving the end user a richer experience.According to Arvind Jha, director Lava International Ltd: “At Lava Mobiles, our mission is to bring great experiences to our users. The Android platform has the potential to help users do more with their mobile phone. We are working hard to build an eco-system together with application developers to create relevant innovative solutions.”
“A fruit of Lava’s R&D in cooperation with its key Application development partners, S12 is the first step in knocking Lava Mobile’s entry in the smartphone segment. We aim to create best in class products that are not just technologically superior but are also designed keeping in mind the changing customer needs,” says Sunil Raina, chief marketing officer, Lava International.
The S12 is one of the sleekest smartphones available in the market and is just 13mm thin. A matte leather finish lends a contemporary feel to the phone and is expected to be an instant hit amongst youth. The phone has a smart outlook with rounded top and bottom edges that not only makes the phone comfortable to hold but it gives it a stylish curved look. The metallic silver finish on the hard keys and edges makes the phone stand out from the rest.
The UI transforms the home screen into a virtual 3D space and offers 16 customizable home screens, which can be modified by the user as per his requirements and interests. Fast switching between screens with a single gesture, unique smart folders and a rich set of animated 3D widgets, make the navigation simple and effective. Such an interface has not been seen on any phone in this price segment. The work put in by Lava’s R&D department on effective hardware and software collaboration ensures that the 3D UI provides a seamless experience.
Sporting a large 3.2-inch display with a 480 x 320 pixel resolution, the S12 is great to watch videos, browse the Internet or play games. The phone will offer best in class user experience as the capacitive touchscreen provides quick response and better accuracy. Lava S12 is powered by a 600MHz processor by Qualcomm.
The phone supports up to 32GB expandable memory and runs on Android Froyo (2.2) Operating System. To keep the user connected on the move, the S12 comes with 3G (up to 7.2Mbps), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth connectivity.
With a strong focus on providing a richer, out of the box, smartphone experience, Lava S12 is preloaded with a host of useful applications. Other than the standard Google Application suite that offers Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Chat, Facebook, Twitter and Nimbuzz apps also present. Users who like to stay updated on current affairs and news can spend hours browsing through content from the Times of India and Moneycontrol.
app. Hungama MyPlay, Saavn, TuneWiki and YouTube apps take care of entertainment. Lava is committed to delivering a top notch entertainment experience in collaboration with companies like SRS, Dolby Digital. To top it all, Lava also lets the user watch live TV channels on the move. With S12 users get one year subscription
of Zenga Mobile TV absolutely free.
SlideIT keyboard option in LAVA S12 is an innovative keyboard solution that enables users to type by sliding fingers. This makes typing much easier and faster over a touch device. As per Nissim Benbenisty from Dasur, the company behind this app – “Lava is the first Indian smart-phone to collaborate with Slide IT. This will provide S12 users an innovative and fun-filled way to input text into their phones.”
The S12 features a 5MP fixed focus camera on the back with digital zoom to give you the perfect picture you want. The 1300mAh battery provides long battery life thanks to smart battery management.
The S12 will be priced at an MRP of Rs.9,999 and will come with a free 2GB microSD card in the box. It will be available at all leading stores and e-commerce portals.
ip.access links the past, present and future of small cells with new nanoConverge offer
CHICAGO, USA: ip.access unveiled its nanoConverge solution, which provides mobile operators with a single converged 2G and 3G small cell Radio Access Network, and a future upgrade path to small cell LTE deployments.
Launched today on ip.access' existing nanoGateway 200 platform, the converged solution will initially allow operators to quickly and easily add 3G capability to their existing ip.access 2G small cell deployments. Next year, ip.access will make further additions to its nanoConverge solution which will not only add LTE capability but will also enable operators to run larger volumes of 2G, 3G and 4G small cells from a single converged nanoGateway.
Speaking in Chicago at the 4G World conference, ip.access founder and CTO Nick Johnson said: “Our nanoConverge solution will make small cell network planning, upgrade and roll-out easier and more economical for operators all over the world.
“What’s more, the nanoConverge solution will enable operators to make the most of existing infrastructure investments by allowing 2G, 3G and LTE small cells to be controlled and managed from a common platform – it represents true convergence of past, present and future small cell network roll-outs.”
Peter Jarich, Current Analysis’ Mobile Ecosystem service director, said: “Even operators and vendors who’d previously questioned the value of small cells now acknowledge their importance, not only for next generation networks but also to provide extra coverage and capacity for existing mobile networks. A common small cell core, addressing multiple radio access technologies plays to this importance by helping keep operational complexity and cost down.”
The initial nanoConverge solution provides an easy migration path allowing ip.access' nanoGSM picocell customers to introduce 3G capabilities to their existing 2G small cell systems. It runs the nano3G Access Controller and IPsec gateway on a blade within the nanoGateway 200 platform (used for the Basestation Controller in existing nanoGSM picocell deployments), and supports up to 500 nano3G Access Points.
Complying with 3GPP's Iuh and TR-069 small cell industry standards, nanoConverge is built using ip.access' award-winning Oyster3G technology that is at the heart of the world’s largest femtocell roll-out – the AT&T 3G MicroCell in the USA, developed jointly by Cisco and ip.access.
Johnson confirmed that the nanoConverge solution would be entering operator trials next month, and said that full scale deployments would begin early next year.
Earlier this month, ip.access announced a new C-class residential femtocell to complement its existing range of office, enterprise and public access small cells – all of which use the Oyster 3G technology. As well as supplying the world’s largest femtocell roll-out, the company works with more than 60 mobile operators worldwide.
Launched today on ip.access' existing nanoGateway 200 platform, the converged solution will initially allow operators to quickly and easily add 3G capability to their existing ip.access 2G small cell deployments. Next year, ip.access will make further additions to its nanoConverge solution which will not only add LTE capability but will also enable operators to run larger volumes of 2G, 3G and 4G small cells from a single converged nanoGateway.
Speaking in Chicago at the 4G World conference, ip.access founder and CTO Nick Johnson said: “Our nanoConverge solution will make small cell network planning, upgrade and roll-out easier and more economical for operators all over the world.
“What’s more, the nanoConverge solution will enable operators to make the most of existing infrastructure investments by allowing 2G, 3G and LTE small cells to be controlled and managed from a common platform – it represents true convergence of past, present and future small cell network roll-outs.”
Peter Jarich, Current Analysis’ Mobile Ecosystem service director, said: “Even operators and vendors who’d previously questioned the value of small cells now acknowledge their importance, not only for next generation networks but also to provide extra coverage and capacity for existing mobile networks. A common small cell core, addressing multiple radio access technologies plays to this importance by helping keep operational complexity and cost down.”
The initial nanoConverge solution provides an easy migration path allowing ip.access' nanoGSM picocell customers to introduce 3G capabilities to their existing 2G small cell systems. It runs the nano3G Access Controller and IPsec gateway on a blade within the nanoGateway 200 platform (used for the Basestation Controller in existing nanoGSM picocell deployments), and supports up to 500 nano3G Access Points.
Complying with 3GPP's Iuh and TR-069 small cell industry standards, nanoConverge is built using ip.access' award-winning Oyster3G technology that is at the heart of the world’s largest femtocell roll-out – the AT&T 3G MicroCell in the USA, developed jointly by Cisco and ip.access.
Johnson confirmed that the nanoConverge solution would be entering operator trials next month, and said that full scale deployments would begin early next year.
Earlier this month, ip.access announced a new C-class residential femtocell to complement its existing range of office, enterprise and public access small cells – all of which use the Oyster 3G technology. As well as supplying the world’s largest femtocell roll-out, the company works with more than 60 mobile operators worldwide.
Sonata Software strengthens its focus on moility
BANGALORE, INDIA: Sonata Software, a global IT consulting and software services provider, has established a dedicated Centre of Excellence (CoE) for mobility, with a dual focus on supporting Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and enterprises. The new CoE will develop new frameworks and solutions accelerators to enable faster mobile application development across platforms such as Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, iOS, J2ME and MEAP (such as Sybase Unwired Platform).
Recently IDC, the premier global market intelligence firm, in its report “Strategies and Opportunities Driving Mobile Enterprise Application Development Life-Cycle Services”, has highlighted Sonata’s key strengths in providing mobile design and development services across various industry verticals. Among these are the availability of an established usability team, investment in vertical solution accelerators and ability to adapt to highly dynamic mobile technology environment, which have enabled Sonata to differentiate among the peers in the industry.
According to the report, Sonata’s combined investments in a mobile solutions factory, along with the company's planned Travel, Transportation, and Logistics (TTL) solution accelerators, will strengthen existing offerings and help accelerate the pace at which highly agile mobile application development projects can be delivered.
Gyana Pattnaik, Head - Open Source, Testing and New Technologies, Sonata Software, said: “We are delighted that our best practices, offerings and capabilities are being acknowledged by an industry analyst like IDC. The report is a testimony to our ability to provide comprehensive set of mobility solutions and services to both ISVs and enterprises.
“The mobility services market has rapidly evolved over the last few years and we anticipate it to be a $9 billion to $10 billion services opportunity in the next few years. There is an upsurge in mobile adoption across both the segments (ISVs and Enterprises), which is of strategic importance to Sonata.”
For ISVs, Sonata’s CoE will support the mobile software development life cycle - development through testing and product sustenance. For enterprises, Sonata offers mobility strategy definition, mobilizing existing enterprise applications or implementing mobile enterprise application platform solutions. Sonata will leverage its alliances with Microsoft and Sybase (SAP) to address this opportunity.
Recently IDC, the premier global market intelligence firm, in its report “Strategies and Opportunities Driving Mobile Enterprise Application Development Life-Cycle Services”, has highlighted Sonata’s key strengths in providing mobile design and development services across various industry verticals. Among these are the availability of an established usability team, investment in vertical solution accelerators and ability to adapt to highly dynamic mobile technology environment, which have enabled Sonata to differentiate among the peers in the industry.
According to the report, Sonata’s combined investments in a mobile solutions factory, along with the company's planned Travel, Transportation, and Logistics (TTL) solution accelerators, will strengthen existing offerings and help accelerate the pace at which highly agile mobile application development projects can be delivered.
Gyana Pattnaik, Head - Open Source, Testing and New Technologies, Sonata Software, said: “We are delighted that our best practices, offerings and capabilities are being acknowledged by an industry analyst like IDC. The report is a testimony to our ability to provide comprehensive set of mobility solutions and services to both ISVs and enterprises.
“The mobility services market has rapidly evolved over the last few years and we anticipate it to be a $9 billion to $10 billion services opportunity in the next few years. There is an upsurge in mobile adoption across both the segments (ISVs and Enterprises), which is of strategic importance to Sonata.”
For ISVs, Sonata’s CoE will support the mobile software development life cycle - development through testing and product sustenance. For enterprises, Sonata offers mobility strategy definition, mobilizing existing enterprise applications or implementing mobile enterprise application platform solutions. Sonata will leverage its alliances with Microsoft and Sybase (SAP) to address this opportunity.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Redpine Signals and Grid2Home to offer SEP 2.0 profile over 802.11n Wi-Fi
SAN JOSE, USA: Redpine Signals Inc. and Grid2Home Inc. announced the offering of Smart Energy Profile 2.0 (SEP 2.0) over 802.11n Wi-Fi solutions from Redpine. The development platform showcasing the implementation of SEP 2.0 includes the Connect-io-n Wi-Fi module from Redpine. The Wi-Fi module – the RS9110-N-11-21 – includes embedded WLAN software and provides a self-contained, ultra low power 802.11n WLAN solution for Smart Energy applications.
The SEP 2.0-compliant G2H-SE2 software from Grid2Home provides proven interoperability across the Smart Grid ecosystem. The platform includes the application layer and reference applications to enable Smart Energy systems developers to quickly integrate a Wi-Fi interface into their appliance, meter, or control units.
The availability of SEP 2.0 over 802.11n Wi-Fi paves the way for a near-universal integration of Smart Energy devices into the home or enterprise networks. “The large scale deployment of Wi-Fi infrastructure underscores the choice of Wi-Fi as the key connectivity method for the Smart Grid,” said Venkat Mattela, CEO of Redpine Signals. “Redpine has pioneered the adoption of future-proof 802.11n Wi-Fi into embedded applications and our partnership with Grid2Home in offering a complete SEP 2.0 solution over Wi-Fi is an important step in our efforts to enable system developers to integrate their products into the Smart Energy ecosystem,” he added.
"The availability of solutions with SEP 2.0 over 802.11n Wi-Fi would accelerate the adoption of Wi-Fi into the smart grid,” said Rick Kornfeld, CEO of Grid2Home. "Grid2Home is pleased to be partnering with Redpine Signals in offering the G2H-SE2 Software with Redpine’s Connect-io-n modules for devices and appliances in the smart energy ecosystem.”
Redpine Signals is participating in the Smart Energy Electronics Forum in Milpitas, CA on 24th and 25th of October, 2011, where it will be providing a keynote on ‘How Wi-Fi embedded chipsets can be used in the Smart Grid’, and will be demonstrating its solutions.
The SEP 2.0-compliant G2H-SE2 software from Grid2Home provides proven interoperability across the Smart Grid ecosystem. The platform includes the application layer and reference applications to enable Smart Energy systems developers to quickly integrate a Wi-Fi interface into their appliance, meter, or control units.
The availability of SEP 2.0 over 802.11n Wi-Fi paves the way for a near-universal integration of Smart Energy devices into the home or enterprise networks. “The large scale deployment of Wi-Fi infrastructure underscores the choice of Wi-Fi as the key connectivity method for the Smart Grid,” said Venkat Mattela, CEO of Redpine Signals. “Redpine has pioneered the adoption of future-proof 802.11n Wi-Fi into embedded applications and our partnership with Grid2Home in offering a complete SEP 2.0 solution over Wi-Fi is an important step in our efforts to enable system developers to integrate their products into the Smart Energy ecosystem,” he added.
"The availability of solutions with SEP 2.0 over 802.11n Wi-Fi would accelerate the adoption of Wi-Fi into the smart grid,” said Rick Kornfeld, CEO of Grid2Home. "Grid2Home is pleased to be partnering with Redpine Signals in offering the G2H-SE2 Software with Redpine’s Connect-io-n modules for devices and appliances in the smart energy ecosystem.”
Redpine Signals is participating in the Smart Energy Electronics Forum in Milpitas, CA on 24th and 25th of October, 2011, where it will be providing a keynote on ‘How Wi-Fi embedded chipsets can be used in the Smart Grid’, and will be demonstrating its solutions.
Barcoding Inc. demos supply chain mobility solution for food distribution
BALTIMORE, USA: Barcoding Inc., a leader in enterprise-wide mobility solutions, announced that it will be presenting a live demonstration of its supply chain mobility solution for food distribution at booth 131 at the International Foodservice Distributors Association’s (IFDA) 2011 Distribution Solutions Conference (DSC), held Oct. 24-26, 2011, at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
This annual conference showcases the latest trends, products and innovations in foodservice distribution, and provides industry leaders with insight on applying these solutions to their business.
Barcoding’s live demonstration, “Accelerating the Supply Chain,” will illustrate how mobile hardware and software solutions promote efficiency, accuracy and visibility for food distributors. Comprised of solutions from the integrator’s extensive network of partners, including the latest rugged hardware from Intermec Inc., the demonstration emphasizes the benefits of automation and mobility throughout the supply chain.
Warehouse Logistics: During the first stage, Barcoding showcases how the integration of automated identification and data capture (AIDC) technology with a proven warehouse management solution or custom inventory tracking application, and mobile computers gives distributors real-time inventory visibility and accurate order-filling capabilities.
Transportation: As inventory is loaded onto trucks for delivery at stage two, Barcoding offers a fleet management solution that not only reduces operational costs and enforces safety compliance with an electronic onboard recording device, but also enables distributors to monitor the locations of assets, resources and inventory, at all times, ensuring that deliveries are made on schedule.
Delivery Management: When a product reaches its destination at stage three, Barcoding’s delivery management solutions incorporate mobile proof-of-delivery (POD) software on rugged handheld computers to ensure check-in accuracy and product freshness for compliance with traceability initiatives. With advanced bar code scanning and mobile printers, delivery drivers can instantaneously print “clean” electronic invoices, process payments upon delivery, and automate data entry to increase efficiencies while reducing inaccuracies.
This annual conference showcases the latest trends, products and innovations in foodservice distribution, and provides industry leaders with insight on applying these solutions to their business.
Barcoding’s live demonstration, “Accelerating the Supply Chain,” will illustrate how mobile hardware and software solutions promote efficiency, accuracy and visibility for food distributors. Comprised of solutions from the integrator’s extensive network of partners, including the latest rugged hardware from Intermec Inc., the demonstration emphasizes the benefits of automation and mobility throughout the supply chain.
Warehouse Logistics: During the first stage, Barcoding showcases how the integration of automated identification and data capture (AIDC) technology with a proven warehouse management solution or custom inventory tracking application, and mobile computers gives distributors real-time inventory visibility and accurate order-filling capabilities.
Transportation: As inventory is loaded onto trucks for delivery at stage two, Barcoding offers a fleet management solution that not only reduces operational costs and enforces safety compliance with an electronic onboard recording device, but also enables distributors to monitor the locations of assets, resources and inventory, at all times, ensuring that deliveries are made on schedule.
Delivery Management: When a product reaches its destination at stage three, Barcoding’s delivery management solutions incorporate mobile proof-of-delivery (POD) software on rugged handheld computers to ensure check-in accuracy and product freshness for compliance with traceability initiatives. With advanced bar code scanning and mobile printers, delivery drivers can instantaneously print “clean” electronic invoices, process payments upon delivery, and automate data entry to increase efficiencies while reducing inaccuracies.
Can Apple stay on top without Jobs?
EL SEGUNDO, USA: In life, Steve Jobs’ vision gave Apple Inc. a commanding lead over the competition. But after his death, it will be Jobs’ skills as a manager—specifically whether he built an organization that can carry on his legacy without him—that will determine whether Apple can maintain its advantage. However, no matter how successfully Jobs seeded Apple with his genius, his spark may prove irreplaceable over the long term.
Nothing exemplifies Jobs’ combination of inspiration and business acumen as dramatically as the industry-leading margins generated by Apple’s products. The company’s highest-volume product—the iPhone—generates a hardware margin in excess of 70 percent, according to new IHS iSuppli Mobile & Wireless Communications Service from information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Apple’s products yield a collective average hardware margin in the 60 percent range, as presented in the figure.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
These prodigious margins yield the kind of profitability that has made Apple the No. 1 or No. 2 company in the world in terms of market capitalization—and have given the company more cash reserves than the US Treasury.
These stunning accomplishments have entirely been due to Jobs and his laser-like focus, along with his willingness to buck convention and his knack for reinventing existing products and business models. But perhaps most of all, it was Jobs’ uncanny ability to look beyond the nuts and bolts of products, services and technologies—and see the revolutionary impact they could have on people’s behavior and on society as a whole.
The visionary thing
For Jobs and Apple, success started with picking their battles. Focus has been key to Apple’s success, with the company’s strength relying on having a clear vision of what Jobs wanted to do—and avoiding what he didn’t want to do.
Once Jobs decided on a course of action, he wouldn’t allow distractions to keep him from completing his goal.
“Jobs didn’t care about quarterly reports, and he didn’t care what critics and the media said,” observed Lee Ratliff, principal analyst, broadband and digital home for IHS. “He wasn’t paying attention to them, but he cared about implementing his vision. The force of his personality in this regard was enormous.”
Often his vision involved taking existing ideas and reshaping them in Jobs’ transformative image.
“Apple didn’t invent the personal computer, the icon/point-and-click interface, the personal music player or the cellphone—but it did take all these products to a new level by reinventing how people interact with them,” observed Bob Braverman, senior director, communications and consumer electronics at IHS. “This is entirely because of the visionary way in which Steve Jobs saw these markets and their usage models.”
What Jobs left to Apple
Apple’s biggest inheritance from Jobs may be the successful corporate culture he left behind.
“Jobs has been compared to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford,” noted Dale Ford, senior vice president, electronics market intelligence for IHS. “These men were able to carry on their vision and legacy because of the institutions they established that lasted after their deaths. The question now is whether Apple has learned enough from Jobs that it can continue on with its success—like Ford Motor Co. did after the death of Henry Ford.”
Based on Jobs’ track record, Apple may continue in its success, at least in the near term.
“Jobs replicated his success across multiple companies—such as Pixar,” Ford added. “One of Jobs’ major precepts was not to be a slave to the idea that a product had to come out on a certain date. He always made sure the product was ready for primetime before he rolled it out. Even though Jobs wasn’t running Pixar anymore, the people there continued to follow the principle of releasing no movie before its time.”
The long view
However, it’s debatable whether Jobs’ vision can fuel Apple’s success for many years in the future—as Henry Ford did with his car company.
“I would be hard pressed to believe that the products impacting the world in 20 years will be based on Apple’s products of today,” said Jagdish Rebello, principal analyst, communications and consumer electronics at IHS. “The company must come up with new revolutionary products to maintain its lead.”
Lacking Jobs’ vision, that may not be possible.
“While there are clearly very smart people at Apple, I question whether anyone can envision and realize social and behavioral change the way that Jobs did,” Braverman said. “Without Jobs at the helm, Apple’s massive margins have got to wane at some point.”
That moment potentially could arrive in just a few years.
“Apple has a two-and-a-half-year lead, and I don’t see how it could be overtaken,” said Steve Mather, principal analyst, wireless communications for IHS. “However, within three to five years, that lead could start to be whittled down if the company can’t continue to come up with new revolutionary products.”
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Nothing exemplifies Jobs’ combination of inspiration and business acumen as dramatically as the industry-leading margins generated by Apple’s products. The company’s highest-volume product—the iPhone—generates a hardware margin in excess of 70 percent, according to new IHS iSuppli Mobile & Wireless Communications Service from information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Apple’s products yield a collective average hardware margin in the 60 percent range, as presented in the figure.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.These prodigious margins yield the kind of profitability that has made Apple the No. 1 or No. 2 company in the world in terms of market capitalization—and have given the company more cash reserves than the US Treasury.
These stunning accomplishments have entirely been due to Jobs and his laser-like focus, along with his willingness to buck convention and his knack for reinventing existing products and business models. But perhaps most of all, it was Jobs’ uncanny ability to look beyond the nuts and bolts of products, services and technologies—and see the revolutionary impact they could have on people’s behavior and on society as a whole.
The visionary thing
For Jobs and Apple, success started with picking their battles. Focus has been key to Apple’s success, with the company’s strength relying on having a clear vision of what Jobs wanted to do—and avoiding what he didn’t want to do.
Once Jobs decided on a course of action, he wouldn’t allow distractions to keep him from completing his goal.
“Jobs didn’t care about quarterly reports, and he didn’t care what critics and the media said,” observed Lee Ratliff, principal analyst, broadband and digital home for IHS. “He wasn’t paying attention to them, but he cared about implementing his vision. The force of his personality in this regard was enormous.”
Often his vision involved taking existing ideas and reshaping them in Jobs’ transformative image.
“Apple didn’t invent the personal computer, the icon/point-and-click interface, the personal music player or the cellphone—but it did take all these products to a new level by reinventing how people interact with them,” observed Bob Braverman, senior director, communications and consumer electronics at IHS. “This is entirely because of the visionary way in which Steve Jobs saw these markets and their usage models.”
What Jobs left to Apple
Apple’s biggest inheritance from Jobs may be the successful corporate culture he left behind.
“Jobs has been compared to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford,” noted Dale Ford, senior vice president, electronics market intelligence for IHS. “These men were able to carry on their vision and legacy because of the institutions they established that lasted after their deaths. The question now is whether Apple has learned enough from Jobs that it can continue on with its success—like Ford Motor Co. did after the death of Henry Ford.”
Based on Jobs’ track record, Apple may continue in its success, at least in the near term.
“Jobs replicated his success across multiple companies—such as Pixar,” Ford added. “One of Jobs’ major precepts was not to be a slave to the idea that a product had to come out on a certain date. He always made sure the product was ready for primetime before he rolled it out. Even though Jobs wasn’t running Pixar anymore, the people there continued to follow the principle of releasing no movie before its time.”
The long view
However, it’s debatable whether Jobs’ vision can fuel Apple’s success for many years in the future—as Henry Ford did with his car company.
“I would be hard pressed to believe that the products impacting the world in 20 years will be based on Apple’s products of today,” said Jagdish Rebello, principal analyst, communications and consumer electronics at IHS. “The company must come up with new revolutionary products to maintain its lead.”
Lacking Jobs’ vision, that may not be possible.
“While there are clearly very smart people at Apple, I question whether anyone can envision and realize social and behavioral change the way that Jobs did,” Braverman said. “Without Jobs at the helm, Apple’s massive margins have got to wane at some point.”
That moment potentially could arrive in just a few years.
“Apple has a two-and-a-half-year lead, and I don’t see how it could be overtaken,” said Steve Mather, principal analyst, wireless communications for IHS. “However, within three to five years, that lead could start to be whittled down if the company can’t continue to come up with new revolutionary products.”
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
CEVA and Mindspeed to demo real-world LTE small cell base station technology at 4G World
4G World 2011, NEWPORT BEACH, USA: Mindspeed Technologies Inc., a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions for network infrastructure applications, and CEVA Inc., the leading licensor of silicon intellectual property (SIP) platform solutions and digital signal processors (DSP) cores, will showcase LTE base station advances based on Mindspeed’s Transcede SoC using Trillium LTE Protocol Stacks at 4G World from Oct. 25-27, 2011 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
The companies will demonstrate the only commercially-available eNodeB picocell reference design based on a single SoC. The design utilizes Mindspeed’s carrier-class L1 PHY software and production-grade Transcede SoC enabled by CEVA’s DSP technology.
Attendees visiting CEVA’s booth (#1424) at the show can see a real-world small cell LTE base station transmitting high-definition (HD) video to a commercially available LTE smartphone. The demonstration is built around Mindspeed’s LTE small cell reference unit and award-winning Transcede SoC that includes 26 programmable processors, including 10 CEVA DSPs and 10 DSP accelerators and two ARM Cortex A9 multi-core symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processors.
“Small cell base station designs require unparalleled processing capabilities to cope with the huge performance demands of LTE networks, and our communication DSPs play a critical role in achieving this,” said Eran Briman, VP of marketing at CEVA. “This real world LTE base station demonstration using commercially available LTE smartphones clearly illustrates the outstanding performance capabilities of the Transcede family of processors, powered by our industry-leading DSP cores.”
Mindspeed’s Transcede processor is the first fully-integrated SoC eNodeB solution offering 3GPP LTE Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3 processing with picocell performance. It enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to leverage the same software architecture and programming model across the entire family of Transcede processors, and to scale designs from enterprise femtocells and picocells to microcells and other evolutionary form factors.
CEVA DSPs form the basis for a broad range of solutions for wireless base station applications, spanning from femtocells to macrocells. Bringing the highest flexibility and performance to base station architectures, CEVA DSPs are backed up by associated reference architectures, a complete development environment and a comprehensive suite of optimized library functions, including LTE, LTE-A, WiMAX and HSPA+.
The companies will demonstrate the only commercially-available eNodeB picocell reference design based on a single SoC. The design utilizes Mindspeed’s carrier-class L1 PHY software and production-grade Transcede SoC enabled by CEVA’s DSP technology.
Attendees visiting CEVA’s booth (#1424) at the show can see a real-world small cell LTE base station transmitting high-definition (HD) video to a commercially available LTE smartphone. The demonstration is built around Mindspeed’s LTE small cell reference unit and award-winning Transcede SoC that includes 26 programmable processors, including 10 CEVA DSPs and 10 DSP accelerators and two ARM Cortex A9 multi-core symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processors.
“Small cell base station designs require unparalleled processing capabilities to cope with the huge performance demands of LTE networks, and our communication DSPs play a critical role in achieving this,” said Eran Briman, VP of marketing at CEVA. “This real world LTE base station demonstration using commercially available LTE smartphones clearly illustrates the outstanding performance capabilities of the Transcede family of processors, powered by our industry-leading DSP cores.”
Mindspeed’s Transcede processor is the first fully-integrated SoC eNodeB solution offering 3GPP LTE Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3 processing with picocell performance. It enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to leverage the same software architecture and programming model across the entire family of Transcede processors, and to scale designs from enterprise femtocells and picocells to microcells and other evolutionary form factors.
CEVA DSPs form the basis for a broad range of solutions for wireless base station applications, spanning from femtocells to macrocells. Bringing the highest flexibility and performance to base station architectures, CEVA DSPs are backed up by associated reference architectures, a complete development environment and a comprehensive suite of optimized library functions, including LTE, LTE-A, WiMAX and HSPA+.
appMobi and Mashery connect HTML5 mobile developers with APIs
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: HTML5 development powerhouse appMobi announced that its integrated HTML5 mobile app development tool, the appMobi XDK, has been selected by Mashery as the company’s initial featured “Developer Power Tool.”
Mashery is the world’s leading API management and strategy services company, helping more than 100 top brands connect with customers and partners across devices through application programming interfaces (APIs). This relationship allows mobile app developers programming in HTML5 to quickly and easily extend the reach and depth of their apps by connecting them to any of Mashery’s hundreds of managed APIs, including WeatherBug, Quova, Klout, Rotten Tomatoes, and Qwerly .
“The best mobile apps deliver information and content to the user when and where they need it, and Mashery makes it easy to add the power of hundreds of data and content suppliers to your app,” said Dave Kennedy, appMobi’s CEO. “By combining appMobi’s tools and cloud services with Mashery’s managed APIs, we’ve created a very compelling environment for HTML5 mobile app developers. The combination of the appMobi XDK and Mashery’s library of APIs gives developers all the tools needed to build, test, and monetize incredible mobile apps, along with the integrated content and services that drive the ultimate user engagement.”
appMobi provides cloud-based services including push messaging, in-app payments, user authentication and analytics, filling in features that are missing in HTML5, allowing it to truly compete as a valid mobile platform on par with iOS and Android. The XDK runs on Mac, PC and Linux platforms. There is no charge for the appMobi XDK.
Mashery is the world’s leading API management and strategy services company, helping more than 100 top brands connect with customers and partners across devices through application programming interfaces (APIs). This relationship allows mobile app developers programming in HTML5 to quickly and easily extend the reach and depth of their apps by connecting them to any of Mashery’s hundreds of managed APIs, including WeatherBug, Quova, Klout, Rotten Tomatoes, and Qwerly .
“The best mobile apps deliver information and content to the user when and where they need it, and Mashery makes it easy to add the power of hundreds of data and content suppliers to your app,” said Dave Kennedy, appMobi’s CEO. “By combining appMobi’s tools and cloud services with Mashery’s managed APIs, we’ve created a very compelling environment for HTML5 mobile app developers. The combination of the appMobi XDK and Mashery’s library of APIs gives developers all the tools needed to build, test, and monetize incredible mobile apps, along with the integrated content and services that drive the ultimate user engagement.”
appMobi provides cloud-based services including push messaging, in-app payments, user authentication and analytics, filling in features that are missing in HTML5, allowing it to truly compete as a valid mobile platform on par with iOS and Android. The XDK runs on Mac, PC and Linux platforms. There is no charge for the appMobi XDK.
Akamai state of the Internet report reveals continued growth in European broadband adoption and high-speed Internet connectivity
CAMBRIDGE, USA: Akamai Technologies Inc., a leading cloud platform for helping enterprises provide secure, high-performing user experiences on any device, anywhere, released its Q2, 2011 State of the Internet report.
Based on data gathered from the Akamai Intelligent Platform, which serves as much as 30 percent of the world’s Web traffic at any one time, the report provides insight into key global statistics such as Internet penetration, mobile traffic and data consumption, origins of attack traffic and SSL usage, and global and regional connection speeds.
New to the Second Quarter 2011 edition of the report are sections breaking out data for Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States, making it easier to put global statistics into regional context.
European highlights from Akamai's 2011 Q2 report:
Global Internet Penetration
In the second quarter of 2011, more than 604 million unique IP addresses from 238 countries/regions connected to the Akamai Intelligent Platform. This represents 3.4 percent more IP addresses than connected in the first quarter of 2011, and an increase of 21 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago.
Of the European countries in the Top 10 listing, Italy (ranked #9) boasted the greatest quarterly gain at 5.4 percent, followed by a 1.7 percent gain by Spain (#10). The UK (#7) and France (#5) achieved 1.4 percent and 1.3 percent gains respectively, while Germany (#4) achieved just 0.4 percent quarterly growth.
100 fastest cities
In the second quarter of 2011, analysis of the Top 100 fastest cities around the world, based on average connection speeds, revealed the following:
• Cities in Asia continue to dominate the list, including 59 cities in Japan, 10 cities in South Korea, as well as Hong Kong.
• Brno, Czech Republic is the fastest city in Europe (#55 out of 100).
• In total, nine European cities made the Top 100 list.
Top 10 fastest European cities
Reviewing Q2 2011 analysis of the Top 10 European cities, based on average connection speeds, reveals:
• Brno, Czech Republic tops the list at 8.3 Mbps, followed closely by Geneva (#2) at 8.2 Mbps and Riga in Latvia (#3) at 8.1 Mbps.
• Average connection speeds in all Top 10 European cities are well above the 5Mbps ‘high broadband’ threshold.
• Timosoara, Romania is ranked #10, with an average connection speed of 6.9 Mbps.
Moving to high broadband connectivity
The move to ‘high broadband’ (5 Mbps and above) connectivity continues to go from strength to strength in Europe. Taking the top spot in high broadband adoption is the Netherlands, which now boasts 68 percent of its country’s connections to Akamai above 5Mbps with an impressive 22 percent quarterly increase.
In the second quarter of 2011 six European countries had more than half their connections to Akamai at speeds of 5 Mbps or above. Quarterly increases ranged from a mere 1.2 percent in Romania to an impressive 65 percent in Spain, and year-on-year six European countries achieved high broadband adoption growth rates in excess of 100 percent (Switzerland, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Italy and Turkey).
The strength of broadband adoption across Europe is further illustrated by the fact that in Q2 2011 more than half the connections of all European countries listed were at speeds of 2Mbps or over.
Mobile connection speeds and data consumption
The average measured connection speed for known mobile providers worldwide ranged from a high of slightly more than 5 Mbps to a low of 209 kbps. Approximately three-quarters of the surveyed providers had average connection speeds above 1 Mbps.
Reviewing the data, the highest average peak connection speed for the quarter was observed on a mobile provider in Austria (23.4 Mbps), while a mobile provider in Spain saw average peak connection speeds increase by more than 100 percent quarter-over-quarter.
During the second quarter of 2011, users at 10 of the surveyed mobile providers consumed an average of 1 GB or more per month from the Akamai platform, while users at 74 of the surveyed providers consumed more than 100 MB of content from Akamai. According to data collected by Ericsson, the volume of mobile data traffic doubled year-over-year and grew 8 percent quarter-over-quarter.
Attack traffic and SSL trends
Europe generated 30 percent of all attack traffic observed by Akamai in Q2 2011. Examining attack traffic from just mobile network providers, the percentage of observed traffic originating from Italy fell by half compared to Q1 (down to 14 percent), pushing it down the Top 10 Country/Region listing to second place (after the United States).
New to this quarter’s report is an examination of trends in SSL ciphers presented by Web clients to the Akamai Secure Content Delivery Network. Since the beginning of 2009, Akamai notes the use of the SSL cipher AES 128-SHA-1 has nearly tripled while the use of SSL cipher RC4-MD5-128 has declined by almost two-thirds.
UK country highlights
• 30 percent of UK broadband connections are above 5Mbps. A 70 percent year on year increase, and 18 percent quarter on quarter. This places the UK 25th in the “High Broadband Connectivity, Fastest European Countries” table.
• The UK comes 11th with 91 percent of connections above 2Mbps in the “Broadband Connectivity, Fast European Countries” table. This is a quarter on quarter increase of 2.9 percent and 10 percent year on year.
• The UK was ranked 6th for “Global Internet Penetration” with a quarter on quarter growth of 3.5 percent and year on year growth of 15 percent.
• No UK city features in the “Average Connection Speed, Top 100 Global Cities” table, but the UK comes 28th in the “Average Peak Connection Speed by European Country” table with a speed of 18.9Mbps.
Enhanced data visualization tool
The companion data visualization tool launched in conjunction with the first quarter 2011 State of the Internet report, has been enhanced and includes an expanded data window, which now ranges from Q3 2007 to Q2 2011. The tool allows users to generate and download graphs highlighting and comparing average connection speed, average peak connection speed, and high broadband/broadband/narrowband adoption rates.
Based on data gathered from the Akamai Intelligent Platform, which serves as much as 30 percent of the world’s Web traffic at any one time, the report provides insight into key global statistics such as Internet penetration, mobile traffic and data consumption, origins of attack traffic and SSL usage, and global and regional connection speeds.
New to the Second Quarter 2011 edition of the report are sections breaking out data for Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States, making it easier to put global statistics into regional context.
European highlights from Akamai's 2011 Q2 report:
Global Internet Penetration
In the second quarter of 2011, more than 604 million unique IP addresses from 238 countries/regions connected to the Akamai Intelligent Platform. This represents 3.4 percent more IP addresses than connected in the first quarter of 2011, and an increase of 21 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago.
Of the European countries in the Top 10 listing, Italy (ranked #9) boasted the greatest quarterly gain at 5.4 percent, followed by a 1.7 percent gain by Spain (#10). The UK (#7) and France (#5) achieved 1.4 percent and 1.3 percent gains respectively, while Germany (#4) achieved just 0.4 percent quarterly growth.
100 fastest cities
In the second quarter of 2011, analysis of the Top 100 fastest cities around the world, based on average connection speeds, revealed the following:
• Cities in Asia continue to dominate the list, including 59 cities in Japan, 10 cities in South Korea, as well as Hong Kong.
• Brno, Czech Republic is the fastest city in Europe (#55 out of 100).
• In total, nine European cities made the Top 100 list.
Top 10 fastest European cities
Reviewing Q2 2011 analysis of the Top 10 European cities, based on average connection speeds, reveals:
• Brno, Czech Republic tops the list at 8.3 Mbps, followed closely by Geneva (#2) at 8.2 Mbps and Riga in Latvia (#3) at 8.1 Mbps.
• Average connection speeds in all Top 10 European cities are well above the 5Mbps ‘high broadband’ threshold.
• Timosoara, Romania is ranked #10, with an average connection speed of 6.9 Mbps.
Moving to high broadband connectivity
The move to ‘high broadband’ (5 Mbps and above) connectivity continues to go from strength to strength in Europe. Taking the top spot in high broadband adoption is the Netherlands, which now boasts 68 percent of its country’s connections to Akamai above 5Mbps with an impressive 22 percent quarterly increase.
In the second quarter of 2011 six European countries had more than half their connections to Akamai at speeds of 5 Mbps or above. Quarterly increases ranged from a mere 1.2 percent in Romania to an impressive 65 percent in Spain, and year-on-year six European countries achieved high broadband adoption growth rates in excess of 100 percent (Switzerland, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Italy and Turkey).
The strength of broadband adoption across Europe is further illustrated by the fact that in Q2 2011 more than half the connections of all European countries listed were at speeds of 2Mbps or over.
Mobile connection speeds and data consumption
The average measured connection speed for known mobile providers worldwide ranged from a high of slightly more than 5 Mbps to a low of 209 kbps. Approximately three-quarters of the surveyed providers had average connection speeds above 1 Mbps.
Reviewing the data, the highest average peak connection speed for the quarter was observed on a mobile provider in Austria (23.4 Mbps), while a mobile provider in Spain saw average peak connection speeds increase by more than 100 percent quarter-over-quarter.
During the second quarter of 2011, users at 10 of the surveyed mobile providers consumed an average of 1 GB or more per month from the Akamai platform, while users at 74 of the surveyed providers consumed more than 100 MB of content from Akamai. According to data collected by Ericsson, the volume of mobile data traffic doubled year-over-year and grew 8 percent quarter-over-quarter.
Attack traffic and SSL trends
Europe generated 30 percent of all attack traffic observed by Akamai in Q2 2011. Examining attack traffic from just mobile network providers, the percentage of observed traffic originating from Italy fell by half compared to Q1 (down to 14 percent), pushing it down the Top 10 Country/Region listing to second place (after the United States).
New to this quarter’s report is an examination of trends in SSL ciphers presented by Web clients to the Akamai Secure Content Delivery Network. Since the beginning of 2009, Akamai notes the use of the SSL cipher AES 128-SHA-1 has nearly tripled while the use of SSL cipher RC4-MD5-128 has declined by almost two-thirds.
UK country highlights
• 30 percent of UK broadband connections are above 5Mbps. A 70 percent year on year increase, and 18 percent quarter on quarter. This places the UK 25th in the “High Broadband Connectivity, Fastest European Countries” table.
• The UK comes 11th with 91 percent of connections above 2Mbps in the “Broadband Connectivity, Fast European Countries” table. This is a quarter on quarter increase of 2.9 percent and 10 percent year on year.
• The UK was ranked 6th for “Global Internet Penetration” with a quarter on quarter growth of 3.5 percent and year on year growth of 15 percent.
• No UK city features in the “Average Connection Speed, Top 100 Global Cities” table, but the UK comes 28th in the “Average Peak Connection Speed by European Country” table with a speed of 18.9Mbps.
Enhanced data visualization tool
The companion data visualization tool launched in conjunction with the first quarter 2011 State of the Internet report, has been enhanced and includes an expanded data window, which now ranges from Q3 2007 to Q2 2011. The tool allows users to generate and download graphs highlighting and comparing average connection speed, average peak connection speed, and high broadband/broadband/narrowband adoption rates.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Android market reaches half a million successful submissions
GERMANY: The actual total number of applications published on the Android Market leapt to over 500,000 in September 2011. In the meantime, the Apple App Store stands at just over 600,000 successful submissions: just 20 percent more. But over 37 percent of the applications published were later removed from the Android Market for various reasons, whereas the Apple App Store has removed just 24 percent of published apps in comparison, as of the end of September.
Although Apple regularly cleans up its store from inappropriate or outdated content, its active application share still exceeds that of Android. It is likely that the more rigid application submission requirements prevent developers from publishing multiple trial or low quality applications whereas publishers in the Android Market place a lot of market testing, trials, demo and malware content. Over 78 percent of the apps removed from the Android Market were free, which could mean that publishers put more effort into the applications they place with the pay-per-download business model, thus ensuring that it is kept longer in store.
The share of deactivated apps in the WP7 Marketplace today stands at just 13 percent. However WP7 Marketplace is a comparably young store and many publishers are still exploring its potential. Fifteen months after its launch (comparable to the WP7 store now), the Android Market similarly had 86 percent of its apps active and a significant application store clean-up didn’t get started until the end of 2010.
Android developers are significantly more productive than Apple’s. The average publisher on Android has placed more than 6 applications in the Market since launch, compared to just over four apps on average that have been published by iOS developers.
Over the past few months, the Android Market has been maintaining an exponential growth, but is still lagging behind the app store market leader, Apple. In Q3 of 2011, the number of active mobile applications in the Android Market stood at 319,161 compared to 459,589 in Apple App store.
Although Apple regularly cleans up its store from inappropriate or outdated content, its active application share still exceeds that of Android. It is likely that the more rigid application submission requirements prevent developers from publishing multiple trial or low quality applications whereas publishers in the Android Market place a lot of market testing, trials, demo and malware content. Over 78 percent of the apps removed from the Android Market were free, which could mean that publishers put more effort into the applications they place with the pay-per-download business model, thus ensuring that it is kept longer in store.
The share of deactivated apps in the WP7 Marketplace today stands at just 13 percent. However WP7 Marketplace is a comparably young store and many publishers are still exploring its potential. Fifteen months after its launch (comparable to the WP7 store now), the Android Market similarly had 86 percent of its apps active and a significant application store clean-up didn’t get started until the end of 2010.
Android developers are significantly more productive than Apple’s. The average publisher on Android has placed more than 6 applications in the Market since launch, compared to just over four apps on average that have been published by iOS developers.
Over the past few months, the Android Market has been maintaining an exponential growth, but is still lagging behind the app store market leader, Apple. In Q3 of 2011, the number of active mobile applications in the Android Market stood at 319,161 compared to 459,589 in Apple App store.
Is it nothing but Android for you?
INDIA: With the widespread popularity of smartphones in the Indian market, the main question on everyone’s mind while selecting their next handset is which OS (operating system) does it have?
Step in the Android OS! The Android OS is popularly considered the best OS in the market today and Lava Mobiles wants you to get your hands on their most coveted Android phone even before its launched!
But as they say, you have to earn the best things in life and for this very reason Lava Mobiles has come up with a cool ‘Nothing But Android’ Contest to help you get your hands on the much desired Android handset! The contest will encourage each user to connect from his or her Facebook or Twitter profiles and submit wacky entries stating why it’s ‘Nothing but Android’ for them. Three best entries will win an Android handset. The Lava ‘Nothing But Android’ contest will run from October 19th to the midnight of October 31st.
The best part is there is absolutely no limit to the number of entries a participant can send! Here’s a tip – the more entries you send, the better your chances of winning and if you’re an Android-lover you’ll have a thousand reasons why it’s Nothing But Android for you!
To start playing the Lava Mobiles ‘Nothing But Android’ Contest visit :-http://www.nothingbutandroid.lavamobilesmarketing.com
Step in the Android OS! The Android OS is popularly considered the best OS in the market today and Lava Mobiles wants you to get your hands on their most coveted Android phone even before its launched!
But as they say, you have to earn the best things in life and for this very reason Lava Mobiles has come up with a cool ‘Nothing But Android’ Contest to help you get your hands on the much desired Android handset! The contest will encourage each user to connect from his or her Facebook or Twitter profiles and submit wacky entries stating why it’s ‘Nothing but Android’ for them. Three best entries will win an Android handset. The Lava ‘Nothing But Android’ contest will run from October 19th to the midnight of October 31st.
The best part is there is absolutely no limit to the number of entries a participant can send! Here’s a tip – the more entries you send, the better your chances of winning and if you’re an Android-lover you’ll have a thousand reasons why it’s Nothing But Android for you!
To start playing the Lava Mobiles ‘Nothing But Android’ Contest visit :-http://www.nothingbutandroid.lavamobilesmarketing.com
Thursday, October 20, 2011
iPhone 4S carries BOM of $188
EL SEGUNDO, USA: On the outside, the iPhone 4S may have disappointed some with its perceived lack of new features. But on the inside, the latest member of the iPhone line includes a wealth of innovation, including a new wireless module with a unique custom module from Avago Technologies Ltd.—and the first use of a Hynix Semiconductor Inc. NAND flash memory in an Apple Inc. iPhone product, according to a new IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis from information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).
The baseline iPhone 4S model with 16 gigabytes (GB) of NAND flash memory carries a bill of materials (BOM) of $188. When the additional $8 manufacturing cost is added in, the total increases to $196, as presented in the table below. The other iPhone 4S models are identical to the baseline version, with the exception of the addition of more NAND flash. This gives the mid range, 32GB model a BOM of $207, and the high-end 64GB version a BOM of $245.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Please note that these teardown assessments are preliminary in nature, and account only for hardware costs and do not include other expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditures.
“While the iPhone 4S shares many common design elements with the two iPhone 4 models already on the market, the new device’s status as a world phone has resulted in fascinating design and component changes,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director, teardown services, for IHS. “Key among these changes is a custom part from Avago that helps give the iPhone 4S its unique capability to be used in multiple wireless systems globally, while still keeping costs down. In another surprise development, the 4S employs a Hynix NAND flash memory device. While IHS has already confirmed multiple suppliers for this part, it does mark the first time that IHS has identified a Hynix NAND flash in an iPhone, as opposed to devices from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. or Toshiba Corp. seen in all previous iPhone and iPad teardowns.”
Change is in the air
The wireless section of the iPhone 4S brings a significant upgrade in capabilities compared to previous members of the iPhone line, employing a dual-mode design that supports air standards for all wireless service partners supported by Apple worldwide. This represents a unique design approach compared to that used by most cell phone makers, which use different models with unique wireless subsystems to support various wireless carriers’ standards. It also represents a major upgrade from the iPhone 4, which used two separate versions to support the high-speed packet access (HSPA) and code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless networks.
Enter the Avago
A critical component enabling the worldwide capability of iPhone 4S is the ACPM-7181 converged power amplifier module (PAM) from the previously unheralded supplier Avago.
A PAM is a device that amplifies a radio signal prior to transmission. What makes the converged Avago part unique is its capability to support both 2G and 3G cellular technologies across multiple bands thus reducing the number of components and PC board footprint required. While Avago is by no means the only company supplying these types of devices, it is the first to be implemented by Apple.
“Avago’s ACPM-7181 is a unique and valuable part in the iPhone 4S wireless subsystem, representing a truly converged power amplifier that can be used across global wireless systems,” Rassweiler said. “This custom device merges the functionality previously implemented in three separate components in the HSPA iPhone 4 model: the two Skyworks Solutions Inc. PAMs and one TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. PAM. This is a very special converged approach that gives Apple a real technology lead over most other manufacturers, further reducing the complexity of the radio frequency/power amplifier (RF/PA) section of the iPhone line beyond Apple’s already highly-integrated design.”
Beyond benefitting Apple, the iPhone design win also may turn out to be a major boon for Avago.
“Avago presently is ranked as a second-tier supplier well behind leading power amplifier suppliers such as Skyworks, RFMD and TriQuint,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst, wireless communications for IHS. “However, with the inclusion of its custom PAM in the highly popular iPhone line, Avago now is going to be in contention to become a first-tier supplier.”
Qualcomm scores a win
Another key device enabling the global wireless capability of the iPhone 4S is the MDM6610 baseband processor from Qualcomm Inc.
“Qualcomm obviously is a big winner in the 4S, with company now taking sole ownership of the baseband processor position with its MDM6610 device,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, wireless communications for IHS. “While the Qualcomm MDM6600 was in the CDMA version of the iPhone 4, the Intel (formerly Infineon Technologies AG) PMB9801 was used in the HSPA model. In the iPhone 4S, Qualcomm no longer has to share the iPhone 4 baseband design win with Intel. It will be interesting to see how Intel responds in terms of winning back this socket in the next design cycle.”
Hynix makes a surprise appearance
In the individual iPhone 4S torn down by IHS, the NAND flash was supplied by South Korean memory manufacturer Hynix. This represents a major design win for the company, with the NAND device accounting for a major portion of the value of the iPhone 4S. Toshiba has also been positively identified as a second source for the NAND in other iPhone 4S samples.
In the 16GB version of the 4S, the memory subsystem costs $19.20, making it the second most expensive single component after the display. However, the cost of the NAND rises to $38.40 in the 32GB version and to $76.80 in the 64GB model, making it the most expensive set of components in the system.
Other innovations
Other new components in the iPhone 4S include the use of a dual core A5 apps processor. Just as with the A4 used in iPhone 4, the part appears to be manufactured by Samsung, based on die markings on the product.
In another change, the camera module in the iPhone 4S features an 8 megapixel camera, compared to a 5 megapixel device used in the iPhone 4. The camera uses a backside illumination (BSI) image sensor that improves photo quality, especially in low light, but also adds cost to the system. Sony was the supplier of the image sensor in the individual model torn down by IHS, but Apple likely is using a secondary source for this device: OmniVision.
Design leftovers
While there are changes, the iPhone 4S maintains many of the same design elements and components as the iPhone 4 models.
One major area that has remained the same is the display and touch screen section, which together represent the single most expensive subsystem in the iPhone 4S.
Other components that were more or less unchanged include the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Frequency Modulation (FM) module from Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Broadcom Corp. and the audio codec from Cirrus Logic Inc.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
The baseline iPhone 4S model with 16 gigabytes (GB) of NAND flash memory carries a bill of materials (BOM) of $188. When the additional $8 manufacturing cost is added in, the total increases to $196, as presented in the table below. The other iPhone 4S models are identical to the baseline version, with the exception of the addition of more NAND flash. This gives the mid range, 32GB model a BOM of $207, and the high-end 64GB version a BOM of $245.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.Please note that these teardown assessments are preliminary in nature, and account only for hardware costs and do not include other expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditures.
“While the iPhone 4S shares many common design elements with the two iPhone 4 models already on the market, the new device’s status as a world phone has resulted in fascinating design and component changes,” said Andrew Rassweiler, senior director, teardown services, for IHS. “Key among these changes is a custom part from Avago that helps give the iPhone 4S its unique capability to be used in multiple wireless systems globally, while still keeping costs down. In another surprise development, the 4S employs a Hynix NAND flash memory device. While IHS has already confirmed multiple suppliers for this part, it does mark the first time that IHS has identified a Hynix NAND flash in an iPhone, as opposed to devices from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. or Toshiba Corp. seen in all previous iPhone and iPad teardowns.”
Change is in the air
The wireless section of the iPhone 4S brings a significant upgrade in capabilities compared to previous members of the iPhone line, employing a dual-mode design that supports air standards for all wireless service partners supported by Apple worldwide. This represents a unique design approach compared to that used by most cell phone makers, which use different models with unique wireless subsystems to support various wireless carriers’ standards. It also represents a major upgrade from the iPhone 4, which used two separate versions to support the high-speed packet access (HSPA) and code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless networks.
Enter the Avago
A critical component enabling the worldwide capability of iPhone 4S is the ACPM-7181 converged power amplifier module (PAM) from the previously unheralded supplier Avago.
A PAM is a device that amplifies a radio signal prior to transmission. What makes the converged Avago part unique is its capability to support both 2G and 3G cellular technologies across multiple bands thus reducing the number of components and PC board footprint required. While Avago is by no means the only company supplying these types of devices, it is the first to be implemented by Apple.
“Avago’s ACPM-7181 is a unique and valuable part in the iPhone 4S wireless subsystem, representing a truly converged power amplifier that can be used across global wireless systems,” Rassweiler said. “This custom device merges the functionality previously implemented in three separate components in the HSPA iPhone 4 model: the two Skyworks Solutions Inc. PAMs and one TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. PAM. This is a very special converged approach that gives Apple a real technology lead over most other manufacturers, further reducing the complexity of the radio frequency/power amplifier (RF/PA) section of the iPhone line beyond Apple’s already highly-integrated design.”
Beyond benefitting Apple, the iPhone design win also may turn out to be a major boon for Avago.
“Avago presently is ranked as a second-tier supplier well behind leading power amplifier suppliers such as Skyworks, RFMD and TriQuint,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst, wireless communications for IHS. “However, with the inclusion of its custom PAM in the highly popular iPhone line, Avago now is going to be in contention to become a first-tier supplier.”
Qualcomm scores a win
Another key device enabling the global wireless capability of the iPhone 4S is the MDM6610 baseband processor from Qualcomm Inc.
“Qualcomm obviously is a big winner in the 4S, with company now taking sole ownership of the baseband processor position with its MDM6610 device,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, wireless communications for IHS. “While the Qualcomm MDM6600 was in the CDMA version of the iPhone 4, the Intel (formerly Infineon Technologies AG) PMB9801 was used in the HSPA model. In the iPhone 4S, Qualcomm no longer has to share the iPhone 4 baseband design win with Intel. It will be interesting to see how Intel responds in terms of winning back this socket in the next design cycle.”
Hynix makes a surprise appearance
In the individual iPhone 4S torn down by IHS, the NAND flash was supplied by South Korean memory manufacturer Hynix. This represents a major design win for the company, with the NAND device accounting for a major portion of the value of the iPhone 4S. Toshiba has also been positively identified as a second source for the NAND in other iPhone 4S samples.
In the 16GB version of the 4S, the memory subsystem costs $19.20, making it the second most expensive single component after the display. However, the cost of the NAND rises to $38.40 in the 32GB version and to $76.80 in the 64GB model, making it the most expensive set of components in the system.
Other innovations
Other new components in the iPhone 4S include the use of a dual core A5 apps processor. Just as with the A4 used in iPhone 4, the part appears to be manufactured by Samsung, based on die markings on the product.
In another change, the camera module in the iPhone 4S features an 8 megapixel camera, compared to a 5 megapixel device used in the iPhone 4. The camera uses a backside illumination (BSI) image sensor that improves photo quality, especially in low light, but also adds cost to the system. Sony was the supplier of the image sensor in the individual model torn down by IHS, but Apple likely is using a secondary source for this device: OmniVision.
Design leftovers
While there are changes, the iPhone 4S maintains many of the same design elements and components as the iPhone 4 models.
One major area that has remained the same is the display and touch screen section, which together represent the single most expensive subsystem in the iPhone 4S.
Other components that were more or less unchanged include the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Frequency Modulation (FM) module from Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and Broadcom Corp. and the audio codec from Cirrus Logic Inc.
Source: IHS iSuppli, USA.
Quantenna partners with Sagemcom to deliver high performance Wi-Fi whole-home networking solutions
FREMONT, USA & PARIS, FRANCE: Quantenna Communications Inc., a leader in ultra-reliable Wi-Fi networking for whole-home entertainment, and Sagemcom, a leader in broadband terminals, convergence, and energy solutions, announced a collaborative agreement to integrate Quantenna’s Wi-Fi technology in Sagemcom video bridges and other Wi-Fi products, accelerating time-to-market for advanced wireless video and TV services.
Quantenna’s high performance 802.11n 4x4 MIMO solutions will enable Sagemcom to deliver value-added services to their subscribers that include the ability to stream and distribute HDTV along with other video content to multiple wireless devices in the home, such as Wi-Fi tablets and smartphones – with rock-solid whole home wireless coverage. This simplifies installation and enables a better home entertainment experience anywhere in the home.
As a result of this collaboration, Sagemcom will be able to more quickly deploy wireless services across almost any size home, even through multiple concrete walls and floors, to multiple devices simultaneously and reliably.
“The combined Quantenna and Sagemcom solution will deliver a whole new experience to consumers and enable us to rapidly deploy advanced video services,” said Ahmed Selmani, deputy CEO of Sagemcom Broadband. “We are very pleased to partner with Quantenna’s best-in-class Wi-Fi solution and look forward to our continued involvement together.”
“With our proven leadership and technology expertise in high performance Wi-Fi 802.11n solutions, the partnership with Sagemcom brings services that accelerate the deployment of the next generation TV entertainment experience,” said Lionel Bonnot, VP, sales and business development with Quantenna. “With these new solutions, manufacturers and service providers worldwide will benefit from higher levels of performance and industry leading home networking coverage.”
Quantenna’s family of Full-11n chipsets uses the company’s cost-optimized, third-generation 4x4 MIMO technology to deliver up to 600 Mbps of bandwidth. The chipsets enable manufacturers to build products for delivering IPTV and other video streaming and data distribution services throughout the home over an ultra-reliable, high-performance Wi-Fi connection.
Quantenna’s high performance 802.11n 4x4 MIMO solutions will enable Sagemcom to deliver value-added services to their subscribers that include the ability to stream and distribute HDTV along with other video content to multiple wireless devices in the home, such as Wi-Fi tablets and smartphones – with rock-solid whole home wireless coverage. This simplifies installation and enables a better home entertainment experience anywhere in the home.
As a result of this collaboration, Sagemcom will be able to more quickly deploy wireless services across almost any size home, even through multiple concrete walls and floors, to multiple devices simultaneously and reliably.
“The combined Quantenna and Sagemcom solution will deliver a whole new experience to consumers and enable us to rapidly deploy advanced video services,” said Ahmed Selmani, deputy CEO of Sagemcom Broadband. “We are very pleased to partner with Quantenna’s best-in-class Wi-Fi solution and look forward to our continued involvement together.”
“With our proven leadership and technology expertise in high performance Wi-Fi 802.11n solutions, the partnership with Sagemcom brings services that accelerate the deployment of the next generation TV entertainment experience,” said Lionel Bonnot, VP, sales and business development with Quantenna. “With these new solutions, manufacturers and service providers worldwide will benefit from higher levels of performance and industry leading home networking coverage.”
Quantenna’s family of Full-11n chipsets uses the company’s cost-optimized, third-generation 4x4 MIMO technology to deliver up to 600 Mbps of bandwidth. The chipsets enable manufacturers to build products for delivering IPTV and other video streaming and data distribution services throughout the home over an ultra-reliable, high-performance Wi-Fi connection.
Sequans unveils next-generation FDD and TDD LTE chips and global LTE platforms
4G World 2011, PARIS, FRANCE: 4G chipmaker Sequans Communications S.A. has introduced three new FDD and TDD LTE baseband chips, a companion RF chip, and two new LTE platforms, supporting all global FDD and TDD LTE networks.
The chips represent the state of the art in LTE semiconductor technology. They are designed in 40 nm CMOS process technology and deliver industry-leading low power consumption and high performance in a very small form factor. The new baseband chips, along with RF chips, reference designs and comprehensive software, comprise one of two platforms Sequans has designed to support two distinct market segments. The first platform, Andromeda, is customized for the design of handsets and tablets, and the second, Mont Blanc, is customized for the design of mobile hotspots, USB dongles and CPE modems.
“We are pleased and proud to offer these powerful, yet highly energy and cost efficient LTE platforms to our global customers,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “These platforms are based on our second generation LTE technology, incorporating the latest advances in LTE semiconductor science and reflecting our many years of experience in 4G, working with operators and manufacturers all over the world. Our new LTE platforms are uniquely comprehensive, supporting all global TDD and FDD networks from 700 MHz to above 3.5 GHz, and designed to meet the needs of device manufacturers for all types of devices in the most efficient way possible.”
The chips represent the state of the art in LTE semiconductor technology. They are designed in 40 nm CMOS process technology and deliver industry-leading low power consumption and high performance in a very small form factor. The new baseband chips, along with RF chips, reference designs and comprehensive software, comprise one of two platforms Sequans has designed to support two distinct market segments. The first platform, Andromeda, is customized for the design of handsets and tablets, and the second, Mont Blanc, is customized for the design of mobile hotspots, USB dongles and CPE modems.
“We are pleased and proud to offer these powerful, yet highly energy and cost efficient LTE platforms to our global customers,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “These platforms are based on our second generation LTE technology, incorporating the latest advances in LTE semiconductor science and reflecting our many years of experience in 4G, working with operators and manufacturers all over the world. Our new LTE platforms are uniquely comprehensive, supporting all global TDD and FDD networks from 700 MHz to above 3.5 GHz, and designed to meet the needs of device manufacturers for all types of devices in the most efficient way possible.”
Wi2Wi’s industrial-temperature products result in major customer design wins
SAN JOSE, USA: Wi2Wi Inc., a leader in Wireless System-in-Package (SIP), module, and subsystems for embedded applications, has now successfully completed major customers design wins with the industrial temperature product family.
These include fortune-500 global leaders in surveying equipment, infrared cameras, auto-diagnostics handhelds, energy-infrastructure monitoring equipment, & smart-metering. Some of these industry leaders have designed multiple products with Wi2Wi industrial-temperature products in them, in pre-production or production now. Wi2Wi has been shipping its industrial-temperature products in volume.
Wi2Wi has completed FCC, CE and Industry Canada certification for its Industrial-Temperature WiFi-Bluetooth Modules, dual-antenna W2CBW009Di, and single-antenna W2CBW009S, as part of its Industrial-Temperature product portfolio.
These modules provide WiFi-802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, with a very small footprint, and over a wide range of industrial temperature, of -40C to +85C. Measuring only 16mm x 16mm and 15 x 15mm respectively, the W2CBW009Di and W2CBW009S, address the need for cost-effective and high-performance WiFi-BT module in particular for major vertical markets.
The industrial-temp product family is targeted for key market segments including industrial, smart-metering, government/defense, home infrastructure, medical, test equipment and premium consumer applications. W2CBW009Di and W2CBW009S significantly simplify integration of WiFi and Bluetooth into the customers’ products for such applications. They minimize the RF-know-how requirements, supports all main processors (including Intel, Marvell, TI, Freescale, RMI, Samsung), and come with complete FCC/CE/IC certifications.
“Our industrial-temperature product family addresses broad applications for the major vertical market segments.” Wi2Wi’s CEO Dr. Reza Ahy notes, “Our first i-Temp WiFi products W2CBW009Di & W2CBW009S are adopted by major industry leaders and have been shipping in volume in our target markets. Wi2Wi is now uniquely positioned with a complete portfolio of industrial-temperature products including WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS and major fortune-500 customers.”
Wi2Wi has just completed another record performance quarter ending in September 2011, with a large number of design wins in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia markets.
These include fortune-500 global leaders in surveying equipment, infrared cameras, auto-diagnostics handhelds, energy-infrastructure monitoring equipment, & smart-metering. Some of these industry leaders have designed multiple products with Wi2Wi industrial-temperature products in them, in pre-production or production now. Wi2Wi has been shipping its industrial-temperature products in volume.
Wi2Wi has completed FCC, CE and Industry Canada certification for its Industrial-Temperature WiFi-Bluetooth Modules, dual-antenna W2CBW009Di, and single-antenna W2CBW009S, as part of its Industrial-Temperature product portfolio.
These modules provide WiFi-802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, with a very small footprint, and over a wide range of industrial temperature, of -40C to +85C. Measuring only 16mm x 16mm and 15 x 15mm respectively, the W2CBW009Di and W2CBW009S, address the need for cost-effective and high-performance WiFi-BT module in particular for major vertical markets.
The industrial-temp product family is targeted for key market segments including industrial, smart-metering, government/defense, home infrastructure, medical, test equipment and premium consumer applications. W2CBW009Di and W2CBW009S significantly simplify integration of WiFi and Bluetooth into the customers’ products for such applications. They minimize the RF-know-how requirements, supports all main processors (including Intel, Marvell, TI, Freescale, RMI, Samsung), and come with complete FCC/CE/IC certifications.
“Our industrial-temperature product family addresses broad applications for the major vertical market segments.” Wi2Wi’s CEO Dr. Reza Ahy notes, “Our first i-Temp WiFi products W2CBW009Di & W2CBW009S are adopted by major industry leaders and have been shipping in volume in our target markets. Wi2Wi is now uniquely positioned with a complete portfolio of industrial-temperature products including WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS and major fortune-500 customers.”
Wi2Wi has just completed another record performance quarter ending in September 2011, with a large number of design wins in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia markets.
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