UK: A new study from telecoms specialist firm Analysys Mason shows Internet players invest over $30 billion per annum in physical networks, facilities and equipment, and nearly $100 billion between 2011 and 2013. The lion’s share of this ($30 billion over three years) goes to Europe.
It is the first time this investment has been captured in a comprehensive way, and highlights how Internet players are now major contributors to the fabric of the Internet. This includes data centres, submarine cables and the multitude of servers that store, process and serve content to end users.
This is necessary to deliver the content that end users want, and comes in addition to the money these companies spend on content and software. It benefits the Internet as a whole, end users, and the other players who invest in the physical fabric of the Internet.
Companies highlighted in the study include ‘pure’ online companies such as Spotify, Google or Facebook, as well as online businesses of multi-platform players such as the BBC or the New York Times.
Europe is the largest destination for this investment: over a third, amounting to $10 billion annually, goes into European networks and facilities. This recognises Europe’s role as a hub for Internet traffic.
Many international cables meet in Europe. It hosts the world’s largest IXPs, and has a large population of Internet users. As a result, it is attracting investment by US companies, especially in data centre facilities, as well as investment by local Internet players such as Spotify and the BBC.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Mobilicity selects Reverb Networks SON
TORONTO, CANADA & VIRGINIA, USA: Mobilicity, one of Canada’s leading mobile network operators, has selected Reverb Network’s Self-Optimizing Network (SON) system for nationwide installation.
The centralized Reverb Networks SON system will be deployed in five major cities across Canada, helping to improve customer experience and reduce daily operational costs.
Mobilicity offers unlimited mobile service coverage within five major urban areas in Canada, including Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Mobilicity also offers nationwide wireless service, covering 95 percent of the Canadian population.
One of Mobilicity’s philosophies is that Canadians deserve an affordable wireless experience that delivers more freedom and flexibility. The Reverb Self-Optimizing Network technology is expected to help deliver that experience to Canadian consumers.
The centralized Reverb Networks SON system will be deployed in five major cities across Canada, helping to improve customer experience and reduce daily operational costs.
Mobilicity offers unlimited mobile service coverage within five major urban areas in Canada, including Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Mobilicity also offers nationwide wireless service, covering 95 percent of the Canadian population.
One of Mobilicity’s philosophies is that Canadians deserve an affordable wireless experience that delivers more freedom and flexibility. The Reverb Self-Optimizing Network technology is expected to help deliver that experience to Canadian consumers.
SABER calls for "Think Global, Act Local" approach
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: The SABER Project called upon the members of the EU and their regional governments to implement co-ordinated Regional Voucher Schemes to encourage awareness and take-up of satellite broadband solutions to cut the Digital Divide across Europe's most rural regions.
According to June 2014 Digital Agenda Scoreboard up to 6 million EU houses are still without access to fixed broadband services, despite satellite broadband availability in all EU countries. Voucher Schemes are administered by regional authorities and use publicly available funds to underwrite the hardware and/or installation costs of broadband solutions.
The rallying call to action was made at the final conference of the two-year SABER Project, an EU-funded Thematic Network. At the Brussels conference titled "Broadband for European Regions, from availability to penetration: the satellite contribution", SABER brought together representatives from 21 European regional authorities, satellite experts and key influencers to examine how to accelerate broadband adoption in rural areas.
With official patronage from the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, high level speakers attending the event included Mercedes Bresso, MEP and former President of Region Piedmont and former President of the Committee of Regions; Michel Lebrun, current President of the Committee of Regions; Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO and Chairman of the European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA); Eric Béranger, Head of Space Systems Programs / Airbus Defence and Space (formerly Astrium) and Gerson Souto, Chief Development Officer, SES.
"Satellite broadband is a practical and viable solution today. However there are still two major barriers in the EU to the faster adoption of this technology. The first is the inadequacy of the European Union policy to drive awareness, acceptance and adoption of satellite technology, which was successfully achieved in North America and Australia. The second is the fragmented management of public funds to address the issue between the European Commission, the Member-States and the regions," said Michel de Rosen, chairman of ESOA, speaking on behalf of satellite operators.
According to June 2014 Digital Agenda Scoreboard up to 6 million EU houses are still without access to fixed broadband services, despite satellite broadband availability in all EU countries. Voucher Schemes are administered by regional authorities and use publicly available funds to underwrite the hardware and/or installation costs of broadband solutions.
The rallying call to action was made at the final conference of the two-year SABER Project, an EU-funded Thematic Network. At the Brussels conference titled "Broadband for European Regions, from availability to penetration: the satellite contribution", SABER brought together representatives from 21 European regional authorities, satellite experts and key influencers to examine how to accelerate broadband adoption in rural areas.
With official patronage from the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, high level speakers attending the event included Mercedes Bresso, MEP and former President of Region Piedmont and former President of the Committee of Regions; Michel Lebrun, current President of the Committee of Regions; Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO and Chairman of the European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA); Eric Béranger, Head of Space Systems Programs / Airbus Defence and Space (formerly Astrium) and Gerson Souto, Chief Development Officer, SES.
"Satellite broadband is a practical and viable solution today. However there are still two major barriers in the EU to the faster adoption of this technology. The first is the inadequacy of the European Union policy to drive awareness, acceptance and adoption of satellite technology, which was successfully achieved in North America and Australia. The second is the fragmented management of public funds to address the issue between the European Commission, the Member-States and the regions," said Michel de Rosen, chairman of ESOA, speaking on behalf of satellite operators.
Samsung launches Galaxy Grand Prime
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd announced a new entrant to the Grand family in Galaxy smartphone portfolio: Galaxy Grand Prime.
A smartphone optimised for taking a perfect Groupfie, the new member of the Grand family provides power packed performance with vivid display, faster processor and a premium design. Designed with the customer and their lifestyle at the core, the Galaxy Grand Prime is positioned at an attractive price point of INR 15,499 and is available in White and Grey colours.
Galaxy Grand Prime brings innovative features like wide angle 5MP front camera, large qHD screen and a host of rich, powerful and multi-tasking features.
A smartphone optimised for taking a perfect Groupfie, the new member of the Grand family provides power packed performance with vivid display, faster processor and a premium design. Designed with the customer and their lifestyle at the core, the Galaxy Grand Prime is positioned at an attractive price point of INR 15,499 and is available in White and Grey colours.
Galaxy Grand Prime brings innovative features like wide angle 5MP front camera, large qHD screen and a host of rich, powerful and multi-tasking features.
Monday, September 29, 2014
ADESA launches marketplace mobile app
CARMEL, USA: ADESA, a business unit of KAR Auction Services, has announced the launch of its Marketplace mobile app, available for free for iPhone and iPad users.
Registered auto dealers can use this tool to find, research, price and purchase inventory, both online and at the auction.
At auction, the Marketplace mobile app saves dealers time. Using the GPS function, dealers can quickly determine a vehicle's location on the auction lot. Then, using their mobile device's camera, dealers can scan the VIN to link directly to vehicle history reports.
On their iOS devices, dealers can use Marketplace to search across all ADESA inventory offerings, zoom in to see details of photos, link to vehicle history and condition reports, as well as ADESA's Market Guide to research pricing, and create Watch Lists to track vehicles of interest. Once a buying decision has been made, dealers can bid and buy vehicles directly from their devices -- anywhere, anytime.
The Marketplace mobile app works in tandem with the LiveBlock mobile app, released earlier this year, to connect customers with all ADESA auction locations. Both apps are free to download from ADESA.com/mobileapps or text ADESA to 89800.
Registered auto dealers can use this tool to find, research, price and purchase inventory, both online and at the auction.
At auction, the Marketplace mobile app saves dealers time. Using the GPS function, dealers can quickly determine a vehicle's location on the auction lot. Then, using their mobile device's camera, dealers can scan the VIN to link directly to vehicle history reports.
On their iOS devices, dealers can use Marketplace to search across all ADESA inventory offerings, zoom in to see details of photos, link to vehicle history and condition reports, as well as ADESA's Market Guide to research pricing, and create Watch Lists to track vehicles of interest. Once a buying decision has been made, dealers can bid and buy vehicles directly from their devices -- anywhere, anytime.
The Marketplace mobile app works in tandem with the LiveBlock mobile app, released earlier this year, to connect customers with all ADESA auction locations. Both apps are free to download from ADESA.com/mobileapps or text ADESA to 89800.
Kodiak Networks selects Razorsight for advanced PTT data analytics
RESTON, USA: Razorsight, the leading provider of cloud-based analytics for communications and media companies, today announced a major agreement with global PTT provider Kodiak Networks.
Under the agreement, Kodiak Networks will use Razorsight's Executive Insights and Real Time Predictive Analytics products to improve operational performance and deliver a superior end-user experience that helps reduce churn, increase sales, and improve margins.
As the leading provider of carrier-grade cloud-based PTT, Kodiak Networks offers patented sub-second connectivity for one-to-one or one-to-many conversations to major mobile operators including AT&T, Bell Mobility, KPN, Telefonica, Verizon and many others. Kodiak supports the broadest selection of mobile devices, including feature phones, smart phones and tablets, on any mobile network -- 3G, 4G, LTE and Wi-Fi.
These networks can interconnect with traditional Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) networks to extend their reach and functionality.
"By partnering with Razorsight and applying its advanced analytics and big data approach to PTT, we are continuing to enhance PTT's value as an enterprise productivity tool," said Bruce Lawler, chief product officer and SVP of Marketing at Kodiak Networks. "After extensive review of multiple vendors, Razorsight's unique cloud-based approach and vast experience with mobility data science best aligns with our cloud-based strategy and focus on increasing our customers' profitability."
Under the agreement, Kodiak Networks will use Razorsight's Executive Insights and Real Time Predictive Analytics products to improve operational performance and deliver a superior end-user experience that helps reduce churn, increase sales, and improve margins.
As the leading provider of carrier-grade cloud-based PTT, Kodiak Networks offers patented sub-second connectivity for one-to-one or one-to-many conversations to major mobile operators including AT&T, Bell Mobility, KPN, Telefonica, Verizon and many others. Kodiak supports the broadest selection of mobile devices, including feature phones, smart phones and tablets, on any mobile network -- 3G, 4G, LTE and Wi-Fi.
These networks can interconnect with traditional Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) networks to extend their reach and functionality.
"By partnering with Razorsight and applying its advanced analytics and big data approach to PTT, we are continuing to enhance PTT's value as an enterprise productivity tool," said Bruce Lawler, chief product officer and SVP of Marketing at Kodiak Networks. "After extensive review of multiple vendors, Razorsight's unique cloud-based approach and vast experience with mobility data science best aligns with our cloud-based strategy and focus on increasing our customers' profitability."
Elecsys announces M2M communications agreement with AT&T
OLATHE, USA: Elecsys Corp. announced that it entered into a Machine to Machine (M2M) wireless communications agreement with AT&T.
The agreement enables Elecsys to provide industrial M2M communications devices equipped with its new embedded 4G data modem on the digital cellular networks operated by AT&T and its partners around the globe.
The agreement provides Elecsys with direct data access to cellular networks in over 160 countries around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Brazil, and South Africa.
The Elecsys Director Z4 industrial data communications gateway, used in many industries such as oil and gas pipelines, and the Elecsys RFM-100 remote monitoring system, deployed to monitor railroad wayside equipment, have already been certified for use on the AT&T network. Elecsys plans to certify all of its current M2M products for deployment on the AT&T network over the coming months.
The agreement enables Elecsys to provide industrial M2M communications devices equipped with its new embedded 4G data modem on the digital cellular networks operated by AT&T and its partners around the globe.
The agreement provides Elecsys with direct data access to cellular networks in over 160 countries around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Brazil, and South Africa.
The Elecsys Director Z4 industrial data communications gateway, used in many industries such as oil and gas pipelines, and the Elecsys RFM-100 remote monitoring system, deployed to monitor railroad wayside equipment, have already been certified for use on the AT&T network. Elecsys plans to certify all of its current M2M products for deployment on the AT&T network over the coming months.
UST Global unveils telemedicine application for mobile devices
NEW DELHI, INDIA: UST Global, an information technology solutions and services company for Global 1000 enterprises, unveiled an advanced Telemedicine application, conceptualized by Dr. Pavan Kumar, Head of Dept. of Cardiovascular Surgery and Telemedicine centre, Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital, in collaboration with BlackBerry India.
Telemedicine for mobile devices, developed by UST Global, is a BlackBerry10 based mobile application that uses telecommunication in order to enable staff to provide clinical health care at remote locations. The application helps to eliminate distance barriers and to improve access to medical specialists that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities.
In this application, the remote clinic staff enters the visiting patients’ demographics, vital signs, illness details, preliminary diagnosis information, and uploads existing medical reports. The assigned doctor reviews the patient details and performs consultation with the patient remotely using a video session launched through BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). He provides the final opinion and uploads the prescription via the application. The remote clinic staff downloads and hands over a printed copy of the prescription to the patient.
Telemedicine for mobile devices, developed by UST Global, is a BlackBerry10 based mobile application that uses telecommunication in order to enable staff to provide clinical health care at remote locations. The application helps to eliminate distance barriers and to improve access to medical specialists that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities.
In this application, the remote clinic staff enters the visiting patients’ demographics, vital signs, illness details, preliminary diagnosis information, and uploads existing medical reports. The assigned doctor reviews the patient details and performs consultation with the patient remotely using a video session launched through BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). He provides the final opinion and uploads the prescription via the application. The remote clinic staff downloads and hands over a printed copy of the prescription to the patient.
Vodafone M-Pesa facilitates online railway bookings
INDIA: Vodafone India, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers and Bharat BPO, the official Rail Sampark partner of Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corp. (IRCTC) have announced a strategic partnership to facilitate online booking of railway tickets through mobile phone with Vodafone M-Pesa as payment option.
Vodafone M-Pesa, a unique mobile money transfer and payment service has tied up with Bharat BPO (BBPO) to enable this safe, secure and convenient ticketing transaction through the mobile phone.
The introduction of this service application will put an end to the long wait in queues at railway booking counters providing convenience to customers as they can now book e-tickets on the go anytime, from anywhere.
Customers will have to download the extremely user friendly mobile application “139 Railways Reservation” only once, post which it does not require any data connection for registration or booking of tickets. Vodafone customers can download the application by sending an SMS “TICKET” to 111. Once accessed, the app prompts users with interactive and guided menu options towards booking tickets.
Vodafone M-Pesa, a unique mobile money transfer and payment service has tied up with Bharat BPO (BBPO) to enable this safe, secure and convenient ticketing transaction through the mobile phone.
The introduction of this service application will put an end to the long wait in queues at railway booking counters providing convenience to customers as they can now book e-tickets on the go anytime, from anywhere.
Customers will have to download the extremely user friendly mobile application “139 Railways Reservation” only once, post which it does not require any data connection for registration or booking of tickets. Vodafone customers can download the application by sending an SMS “TICKET” to 111. Once accessed, the app prompts users with interactive and guided menu options towards booking tickets.
OnMobile becomes exclusive caller ring back Tone partner for Tata Teleservices
BANGALORE, INDIA: OnMobile Global Ltd has signed an agreement with Tata Teleservices, making it the exclusive Caller Ring Back Tone partner (CRBT) for the company.
OnMobile will centrally manage Tata’s Content Management Systems across the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). This deal will enable Tata Teleservices to improve operational efficiency, reduce turnaround time and provide a superior user experience to all its subscribers.
This deal, which has been signed for an initial term of three years, will allow Tata’s CDMA subscribers to access a slew of CRBT features which were earlier available only for GSM subscribers. Some of the features include enabling song search and activation through SMS and Tata’s website. Subscribers will also be able to copy each other’s songs by using OnMobile’s Press * to copy feature.
OnMobile will centrally manage Tata’s Content Management Systems across the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). This deal will enable Tata Teleservices to improve operational efficiency, reduce turnaround time and provide a superior user experience to all its subscribers.
This deal, which has been signed for an initial term of three years, will allow Tata’s CDMA subscribers to access a slew of CRBT features which were earlier available only for GSM subscribers. Some of the features include enabling song search and activation through SMS and Tata’s website. Subscribers will also be able to copy each other’s songs by using OnMobile’s Press * to copy feature.
State of Android mobile web report by Opera
INDIA: Migration to Android phones continues to soar in India, according to the latest State of the Android Mobile Web report for India by Opera Software.
The number of Android users across the entire country has increased dramatically, and more and more users are now taking advantage of e-commerce and video portals, the report further reveals.
India is home to the the largest population of Opera Mini users in the world. The Opera Mini user base in India increased by 25 percent over the past year, while its smartphone user base surged by 120%. Leading the pack is the Android smartphones user base, which increased by an impressive 160%.
The report, based on statistics gathered from millions of users of the Opera Mini mobile web browser, offers a snapshot of the browsing behavior among Android users in India.
“Opera Mini’s basic phone users are upgrading to Android smartphones at a pace we haven’t experienced before,” says Sunil Kamath, VP for South Asia at Opera Software.
“It is likely that this growth is fueled by aggressively priced smartphones by Indian OEMs. Currently, we have partnerships with 16 Indian OEMs who have preinstalled Opera Mini on over 350 models of Android devices. Opera Mini’s unique data compression technology, which lets users browse faster, make it a great fit for Indian handsets.”
Highlights from the State of the Android Mobile Web report
Android and Java users almost equally split: Opera Mini is now used by more smartphone users than basic Java phone users in India. Of all Opera Mini users, 47 percent are now on smartphones. Android and Java are the two most used mobile operating systems. According to statistics, they are on an almost equal footing, with user bases of 44 percent and 45 percent, respectively among all Opera Mini users in the country.
Micromax overtakes Samsung: Micromax has the biggest share in the category of the top 100 handsets used with Opera Mini, followed by Samsung, last year’s frontrunner. However, Samsung still dominates the top 10 devices used by Opera Mini users. When it comes to spending on handsets, Indian consumers remain price conscious. Of all Android handsets used by Opera Mini users, 77 percent are priced below Rs 10,000.
Video is the rising star: Android users on Opera Mini love watching video on their mobile devices. Unique user visits to video sites increased by 205 percent since last year. YouTube leads this category, followed by Dailymotion and Metacafe. The number of Opera Mini users visiting these sites grew by 175 percent, 450 percent and 205 percent, respectively in that timeframe.
E-commerce portals thrive: E-commerce sites witnessed a growth of over 240 percent in Opera Mini users over the last year. Within this category, shopping portals experienced a massive 356 percent growth in user visits. The most accessed site is Flipkart, followed by Amazon and Snapdeal. Online classifieds websites are also becoming more popular among users. The category jumped 150 percent, with Quikr in the lead, followed by OLX and Sulekha.
The number of Android users across the entire country has increased dramatically, and more and more users are now taking advantage of e-commerce and video portals, the report further reveals.
India is home to the the largest population of Opera Mini users in the world. The Opera Mini user base in India increased by 25 percent over the past year, while its smartphone user base surged by 120%. Leading the pack is the Android smartphones user base, which increased by an impressive 160%.
The report, based on statistics gathered from millions of users of the Opera Mini mobile web browser, offers a snapshot of the browsing behavior among Android users in India.
“Opera Mini’s basic phone users are upgrading to Android smartphones at a pace we haven’t experienced before,” says Sunil Kamath, VP for South Asia at Opera Software.
“It is likely that this growth is fueled by aggressively priced smartphones by Indian OEMs. Currently, we have partnerships with 16 Indian OEMs who have preinstalled Opera Mini on over 350 models of Android devices. Opera Mini’s unique data compression technology, which lets users browse faster, make it a great fit for Indian handsets.”
Highlights from the State of the Android Mobile Web report
Android and Java users almost equally split: Opera Mini is now used by more smartphone users than basic Java phone users in India. Of all Opera Mini users, 47 percent are now on smartphones. Android and Java are the two most used mobile operating systems. According to statistics, they are on an almost equal footing, with user bases of 44 percent and 45 percent, respectively among all Opera Mini users in the country.
Micromax overtakes Samsung: Micromax has the biggest share in the category of the top 100 handsets used with Opera Mini, followed by Samsung, last year’s frontrunner. However, Samsung still dominates the top 10 devices used by Opera Mini users. When it comes to spending on handsets, Indian consumers remain price conscious. Of all Android handsets used by Opera Mini users, 77 percent are priced below Rs 10,000.
Video is the rising star: Android users on Opera Mini love watching video on their mobile devices. Unique user visits to video sites increased by 205 percent since last year. YouTube leads this category, followed by Dailymotion and Metacafe. The number of Opera Mini users visiting these sites grew by 175 percent, 450 percent and 205 percent, respectively in that timeframe.
E-commerce portals thrive: E-commerce sites witnessed a growth of over 240 percent in Opera Mini users over the last year. Within this category, shopping portals experienced a massive 356 percent growth in user visits. The most accessed site is Flipkart, followed by Amazon and Snapdeal. Online classifieds websites are also becoming more popular among users. The category jumped 150 percent, with Quikr in the lead, followed by OLX and Sulekha.
oneM2M to demo first release of specifications
SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, FRANCE: oneM2M, the global standards initiative for M2M and the Internet of Things (IoT), announced that it will host its first showcase event on Tuesday 9 December 2014, at ETSI, Sophia Antipolis, France.
This will be the first time the industry will be able to see the oneM2M specifications in action and understand their capabilities via live demonstrations from industry leaders. The event will take place immediately prior to the ETSI M2M Workshop.
In August, oneM2M delivered its first Candidate Release specifications - a set of standards for M2M communications enabling large-scale implementation of the Internet of Things.
Visitors to the event will be able to see live demonstrations, each focusing on the real-life capabilities of the oneM2M specifications. They will also hear presentations from companies and industry forums which will help the understanding of the current state of the market and the deployment issues the industry is facing and which oneM2M aims to resolve.
This will be the first time the industry will be able to see the oneM2M specifications in action and understand their capabilities via live demonstrations from industry leaders. The event will take place immediately prior to the ETSI M2M Workshop.
In August, oneM2M delivered its first Candidate Release specifications - a set of standards for M2M communications enabling large-scale implementation of the Internet of Things.
Visitors to the event will be able to see live demonstrations, each focusing on the real-life capabilities of the oneM2M specifications. They will also hear presentations from companies and industry forums which will help the understanding of the current state of the market and the deployment issues the industry is facing and which oneM2M aims to resolve.
SES Broadband expands partnership with ORBITCOM to start marketing Astra Connect for communities
LUXEMBOURG: SES Broadband Services (SBBS) announced an expansion of its partnership with the Internet service provider ORBITCOM to include the delivery of Astra Connect for communities in Germany.
The new deal follows ORBITCOM’s successful delivery of the Astra Connect service, which provides broadband Internet to individual households and businesses via a satellite dish. The partnership, which has been in place since April, has now been extended to include the marketing of Astra Connect for communities.
The solution uses a single antenna to provide an entire community with a satellite broadband connection, which is then distributed via a local network infrastructure, such as WiFi. Users served by the networks will be able to browse the different packages offered online and then place orders through a dedicated website and webshop set up by ORBITCOM. The ISP will also be responsible for the delivery of the equipment and customer support.
The new deal follows ORBITCOM’s successful delivery of the Astra Connect service, which provides broadband Internet to individual households and businesses via a satellite dish. The partnership, which has been in place since April, has now been extended to include the marketing of Astra Connect for communities.
The solution uses a single antenna to provide an entire community with a satellite broadband connection, which is then distributed via a local network infrastructure, such as WiFi. Users served by the networks will be able to browse the different packages offered online and then place orders through a dedicated website and webshop set up by ORBITCOM. The ISP will also be responsible for the delivery of the equipment and customer support.
CCSA and Open Mobile Alliance sign MOU to foster closer co-operation
BEIJING, CHINA: The China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), the national communications standards organization of China and the Open Mobile Alliance Ltd. (OMA) the industry leading standards organisation for mobile service enablers, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their relationship and foster closer co-operation.
“CCSA is pleased to begin building a stronger relationship with OMA”, said Yang Zemin, secretary general at CCSA. “The service layer specifications from the Open Mobile Alliance are widely deployed throughout the mobile industry and we are looking forward to helping CCSA members benefit from OMA’s work through closer cooperation.”
OMA delivers open specifications for creating interoperable services that work across countries, operators, networks and mobile terminals. Driven by users’ needs and the expanding market for data services, the member companies of OMA stimulate the adoption of new and enhanced information, communication and entertainment services. OMA members include contributors from all key elements of the wireless value chain.
“CCSA is pleased to begin building a stronger relationship with OMA”, said Yang Zemin, secretary general at CCSA. “The service layer specifications from the Open Mobile Alliance are widely deployed throughout the mobile industry and we are looking forward to helping CCSA members benefit from OMA’s work through closer cooperation.”
OMA delivers open specifications for creating interoperable services that work across countries, operators, networks and mobile terminals. Driven by users’ needs and the expanding market for data services, the member companies of OMA stimulate the adoption of new and enhanced information, communication and entertainment services. OMA members include contributors from all key elements of the wireless value chain.
Samsung unveils new design approach with Galaxy Alpha
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. unveiled its new design approach with the Galaxy Alpha, the latest addition to Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone line.
The Galaxy Alpha features a sophisticated design in a carefully constructed compact body with a metal frame and a solid finish offering a flagship Galaxy experience. The elegant and sophisticated Galaxy Alpha delivers exceptional performance, making it the optimal convergence of style with cutting-edge technology.
S.K. Kim, MD, Sales, Samsung Electronics India said: “As the market leader, Samsung has significantly contributed to the market growth by setting new benchmarks in offering the best-in-class technology and products. With the launch of Galaxy Alpha, Samsung is announcing a new design approach to satiate customer demands for an irresistibly stunning and stylish product. This revolutionary product will change the dynamics of the premium smartphone segment in India.”
The Galaxy Alpha features a sophisticated design in a carefully constructed compact body with a metal frame and a solid finish offering a flagship Galaxy experience. The elegant and sophisticated Galaxy Alpha delivers exceptional performance, making it the optimal convergence of style with cutting-edge technology.
S.K. Kim, MD, Sales, Samsung Electronics India said: “As the market leader, Samsung has significantly contributed to the market growth by setting new benchmarks in offering the best-in-class technology and products. With the launch of Galaxy Alpha, Samsung is announcing a new design approach to satiate customer demands for an irresistibly stunning and stylish product. This revolutionary product will change the dynamics of the premium smartphone segment in India.”
Accuris receives $15 million investment
CALIFORNIA, USA & DUBLIN, IRELAND: As demand for mobile data continues to accelerate worldwide, the telecom industry is increasingly trying to meet the challenge of connecting disparate networks.
At the center of this movement, Accuris Networks, a global leader in cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, announced today that it has completed a $15 million equity funding round. Key new investors in this privately held company are the Ulster Bank Diageo Venture Fund and the China Ireland Growth Technology Fund.
In addition, Accuris Networks announced the appointment of seasoned US-based wireless executive Jeff Brown as CEO.
Larry Quinn, Accuris' chairman, said: "Our established industry customer base, our significant pipeline and our industry-leading technology were all factors that attracted this investment. We intend to use this funding to invest in future product development in our AccuROAM platform, to maintain our lead in connecting networks and build more solutions such as carrier-grade Wi-Fi offload and roaming as we scale our business globally.
"While we already have customers worldwide and support from existing investors such as Atlantic Bridge Capital, we particularly want to expand in China, Japan and other Asian markets. We also intend to consolidate and amplify our successes in EMEA, particularly in the Middle East and Western Europe."
Under the leadership of its new U.S.-based CEO, Accuris Networks will also broaden its presence in the North American market with the establishment of a new Silicon Valley office. "With marquee customers and partners such as AT&T, Bell Mobility, Telus, GoGo, Cisco, HP and Alcatel-Lucent, Accuris Networks has already established an enviable track record in this market," said Jeff Brown. "But, we've barely scratched the surface of the opportunities here so far."
At the center of this movement, Accuris Networks, a global leader in cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, announced today that it has completed a $15 million equity funding round. Key new investors in this privately held company are the Ulster Bank Diageo Venture Fund and the China Ireland Growth Technology Fund.
In addition, Accuris Networks announced the appointment of seasoned US-based wireless executive Jeff Brown as CEO.
Larry Quinn, Accuris' chairman, said: "Our established industry customer base, our significant pipeline and our industry-leading technology were all factors that attracted this investment. We intend to use this funding to invest in future product development in our AccuROAM platform, to maintain our lead in connecting networks and build more solutions such as carrier-grade Wi-Fi offload and roaming as we scale our business globally.
"While we already have customers worldwide and support from existing investors such as Atlantic Bridge Capital, we particularly want to expand in China, Japan and other Asian markets. We also intend to consolidate and amplify our successes in EMEA, particularly in the Middle East and Western Europe."
Under the leadership of its new U.S.-based CEO, Accuris Networks will also broaden its presence in the North American market with the establishment of a new Silicon Valley office. "With marquee customers and partners such as AT&T, Bell Mobility, Telus, GoGo, Cisco, HP and Alcatel-Lucent, Accuris Networks has already established an enviable track record in this market," said Jeff Brown. "But, we've barely scratched the surface of the opportunities here so far."
Friday, September 26, 2014
Mobile operators using bundling to differentiate offers
UK: By contrast, LTE 4G services are being provided for all customers and are a limited differentiator. Service bundling is the main differentiator being used to attract and retain customers according research in the latest edition of the TCL Tariff Trends SnapShot subscription service.
Tariff Consultancy Ltd (TCL) in the latest version of its TCL Tariff Trends SnapShot subscription service (SnapShot 40 – Pricing for QoS and Bundling) analyses how MNOs are differentiating their premium services. With the first launch of LTE 4G services MNOs offered high-speed service access as only a premium service. But since launch, LTE 4G services have been introduced as a standard product across all mobile data services in most established 4G markets.
There have been some exceptions. TCL SnapShot 40 finds that only a few selected MNOs (including Swisscom (Switzerland), Vodafone (Germany) & Elisa (Finland)) are pricing their LTE 4G Smartphone packages of calls, SMS & Mobile Data according to access speed.
Elisa, in particular, is providing distinct pricing for 2G access, 3G access, 4G access & 4G Super access – with speeds ranging from up to 0.25 Mbps up to 150 Mbps – but with unlimited SMS, calls & Mobile Data services.
But the majority of MNOs in the established markets of Europe and North America are offering LTE 4G services with the same access speed across all customer segments. Instead of pricing according to access speed, most MNOs are increasingly differentiating their pricing with the use of additional bundles, including content, mobile insurance, international calls, international roaming and shared data, voice & SMS (including additional SIM cards).
The number of different bundling options is increasing due in part to MNOs seeking to protect a premium price point and also to provide further differentiation on top of the traditional bundle of calls, messaging and mobile data.
Mobile operators are seeking to add more bundled options to in order to maintain an existing price point – as in the Danish market, with Telia Denmark (including shared data, additional SIMs, insurance & TV content) - or to differentiate their bundles from a competitor at a lower price point – as in the French market, with Orange (including IDD calls and roaming to specific destinations).
Some MNOs (including Vodafone Qatar) are offering extra optional bundles (selected by the user) from a list of services providing the user selects a certain plan. Tele2 (Sweden), provides a free HBO Nordics TV subscription to users who purchase a 3 GB mobile data plan or above.
Tariff Consultancy Ltd (TCL) in the latest version of its TCL Tariff Trends SnapShot subscription service (SnapShot 40 – Pricing for QoS and Bundling) analyses how MNOs are differentiating their premium services. With the first launch of LTE 4G services MNOs offered high-speed service access as only a premium service. But since launch, LTE 4G services have been introduced as a standard product across all mobile data services in most established 4G markets.
There have been some exceptions. TCL SnapShot 40 finds that only a few selected MNOs (including Swisscom (Switzerland), Vodafone (Germany) & Elisa (Finland)) are pricing their LTE 4G Smartphone packages of calls, SMS & Mobile Data according to access speed.
Elisa, in particular, is providing distinct pricing for 2G access, 3G access, 4G access & 4G Super access – with speeds ranging from up to 0.25 Mbps up to 150 Mbps – but with unlimited SMS, calls & Mobile Data services.
But the majority of MNOs in the established markets of Europe and North America are offering LTE 4G services with the same access speed across all customer segments. Instead of pricing according to access speed, most MNOs are increasingly differentiating their pricing with the use of additional bundles, including content, mobile insurance, international calls, international roaming and shared data, voice & SMS (including additional SIM cards).
The number of different bundling options is increasing due in part to MNOs seeking to protect a premium price point and also to provide further differentiation on top of the traditional bundle of calls, messaging and mobile data.
Mobile operators are seeking to add more bundled options to in order to maintain an existing price point – as in the Danish market, with Telia Denmark (including shared data, additional SIMs, insurance & TV content) - or to differentiate their bundles from a competitor at a lower price point – as in the French market, with Orange (including IDD calls and roaming to specific destinations).
Some MNOs (including Vodafone Qatar) are offering extra optional bundles (selected by the user) from a list of services providing the user selects a certain plan. Tele2 (Sweden), provides a free HBO Nordics TV subscription to users who purchase a 3 GB mobile data plan or above.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Telecoms providers using managed services and cloud as key to future growth
UK: TCL (Tariff Consultancy Ltd), the specialist research company in Data Centre pricing, highlighted the importance of Telecoms Providers investing in new Data Centre infrastructure in a recently published report.
The Telecoms Provider is developing its own new flexible Data Centre infrastructure to support 3 business trends including –
• The migration of services to the Cloud - including computing, storage, archiving, security and back up services.
• The rise in partial application outsourcing - including selective application outsourcing based in the cloud.
• The spread of Unified Communications (UC) – including the integration of voice, audio conferencing, web conferencing, VoIP and messaging.
The growth in these trends are identified in TCL’s New Telco Data Centre - Pricing for the New Telecoms Data Centre – 2014 to 2019 report. A key part of the report is a TCL survey of 57 key Telecom Providers around the world who have developed their own Data Centre infrastructure.
The Telecoms Provider is developing its own new flexible Data Centre infrastructure to support 3 business trends including –
• The migration of services to the Cloud - including computing, storage, archiving, security and back up services.
• The rise in partial application outsourcing - including selective application outsourcing based in the cloud.
• The spread of Unified Communications (UC) – including the integration of voice, audio conferencing, web conferencing, VoIP and messaging.
The growth in these trends are identified in TCL’s New Telco Data Centre - Pricing for the New Telecoms Data Centre – 2014 to 2019 report. A key part of the report is a TCL survey of 57 key Telecom Providers around the world who have developed their own Data Centre infrastructure.
New mobile service for merchants is tailor made for customers
UK: An innovative new web and mobile app-based retail platform that enables merchants to deliver highly personalised and attractive shopping experiences to customers in-store, near store, on the move and at home to encourage their loyalty and increase sales, has been launched.
ShopKonnect provides merchants with modular and customisable business applications, including those for campaigns, loyalty, EFM, order booking/management, Point of Sale and ‘showrooming’, through integrated behaviour management and process automation tools. ShopKonnect also makes use of the latest wireless and contactless smartphone technologies, including iBeacons, NFC and QR codes, to enable merchants to engage with customers efficiently and effectively.
Requiring just Internet access and a smartphone or tablet, ShopKonnect can be used by merchants of any size and in any sector, including retailers, eateries, cafes, and health and beauty outlets.
Data provided by ShopKonnect can help merchants gain valuable insights into the behaviour of their customers, allowing merchants to measure and monitor key shopping trends that are vital to the success of their business, such as the number of people redeeming an offer, frequency of visits, purchasing habits and the effectiveness and profitability of programmes such as loyalty and individual promotions.
ShopKonnect provides merchants with modular and customisable business applications, including those for campaigns, loyalty, EFM, order booking/management, Point of Sale and ‘showrooming’, through integrated behaviour management and process automation tools. ShopKonnect also makes use of the latest wireless and contactless smartphone technologies, including iBeacons, NFC and QR codes, to enable merchants to engage with customers efficiently and effectively.
Requiring just Internet access and a smartphone or tablet, ShopKonnect can be used by merchants of any size and in any sector, including retailers, eateries, cafes, and health and beauty outlets.
Data provided by ShopKonnect can help merchants gain valuable insights into the behaviour of their customers, allowing merchants to measure and monitor key shopping trends that are vital to the success of their business, such as the number of people redeeming an offer, frequency of visits, purchasing habits and the effectiveness and profitability of programmes such as loyalty and individual promotions.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
C-COM files patent application for in-motion Ka-band antenna technology
OTTAWA, CANADA: C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. has developed a patent pending technology to be used with its next generation in-motion phased array antennae.
This technology has been developed in partnership with the University of Waterloo as part of an engineering graduate research project under the guidance of Dr. Safieddin (Ali) Safavi-Naeini, director of the Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems. The low cost phase shifter is fully compatible with commercial planar technologies currently under consideration for low-profile two-way phased-array systems for land-mobile satellite communication.
"The phased-array under development uses a unique phase shifter technology based on an electrically controlled material that changes the propagation characteristics and phase in a fast and smooth manner," said Dr. Safieddin Safavi-Naeini, a professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo.
"No appreciable loss is observable in a very small foot print over the entire Ka-band range. The new concept is fully compatible with low-cost integrated passive technologies for large arrays. Another unique characteristic of this technology is its almost phase-shift independent insertion loss, which will pave the way for a fully passive phased-array technology - the Holy Grail of the intelligent antenna community."
This technology has been developed in partnership with the University of Waterloo as part of an engineering graduate research project under the guidance of Dr. Safieddin (Ali) Safavi-Naeini, director of the Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems. The low cost phase shifter is fully compatible with commercial planar technologies currently under consideration for low-profile two-way phased-array systems for land-mobile satellite communication.
"The phased-array under development uses a unique phase shifter technology based on an electrically controlled material that changes the propagation characteristics and phase in a fast and smooth manner," said Dr. Safieddin Safavi-Naeini, a professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo.
"No appreciable loss is observable in a very small foot print over the entire Ka-band range. The new concept is fully compatible with low-cost integrated passive technologies for large arrays. Another unique characteristic of this technology is its almost phase-shift independent insertion loss, which will pave the way for a fully passive phased-array technology - the Holy Grail of the intelligent antenna community."
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Gilat chosen by Terabit Wave to provide satcom-on-the-move terminals in Myanmar
PETAH TIKVA, ISRAEL: Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd announced that Terabit Wave Co. Ltd., a telecommunications systems integrator located in Myanmar (formerly Burma), ordered the company's Satcom-On-The-Move terminals – including tactical satcom units, vehicle-mounted satellite antennas and related equipment – for a Myanmar governmental agency.
Terabit Wave placed an order for a SkyEdge II hub and terminals – including SatTrooper Manpacks, Raysat Satcom-On-The-Move antennas, WaveStream BUCs and associated modems – with rollout expected during the third and fourth quarters of 2014. Terabit Wave won the deal through a competitive bidding process involving leading global and local solution providers.
"The name of the game in today's communications is Mobility. Gilat's Satcom-On-The-Move solutions are especially suited for the kind of emergency operations that our client was concerned about," explained U Tay Za Tun, CEO at Terabit Wave. "We chose Gilat for its unique technology and because it is a one-stop-shop with a fully integrated solution."
Terabit Wave placed an order for a SkyEdge II hub and terminals – including SatTrooper Manpacks, Raysat Satcom-On-The-Move antennas, WaveStream BUCs and associated modems – with rollout expected during the third and fourth quarters of 2014. Terabit Wave won the deal through a competitive bidding process involving leading global and local solution providers.
"The name of the game in today's communications is Mobility. Gilat's Satcom-On-The-Move solutions are especially suited for the kind of emergency operations that our client was concerned about," explained U Tay Za Tun, CEO at Terabit Wave. "We chose Gilat for its unique technology and because it is a one-stop-shop with a fully integrated solution."
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance joins ITU’s Development Sector
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance has joined the ITU’s Development Sector (ITU-D), which aims to nurture international cooperation and solidarity in the creation, development and improvement of telecommunication networks in developing countries.
This comes as the Alliance continues to promote regulatory policies which will pave the way for innovative wireless technologies across the world.
As an ITU-D member, the Alliance will participate in the ITU-D Study Groups to promote effective and efficient spectrum management. A special introduction session for new ITU members, including DSA, has already taken place to welcome newcomers and provide a background on the current activities of the ITU-D. Invited by the Director of ITU-D, Brahima Sanou, the Alliance discussed its vision for the adoption of legal and regulatory frameworks that facilitate dynamic access to the radio spectrum.
Prof. H Nwana, executive director of Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, said: “The Alliance’s ITU-D membership is vital as we work towards closing the digital divide, enabling the Internet of Things and alleviating the spectrum crunch. Regulators across the world look to the ITU for state of the art best practices.
"Working within the ITU, we hope to make leaps in setting dynamic and opportunistic spectrum access regulations across the globe, encouraging opportunistic spectrum access pilot project initiatives, and ultimately facilitating new competition, business models and innovations, not only to connect over three billion people in emerging economies, but also the burgeoning the Internet of Things in developed markets.”
The ITU-D Study Groups give members a chance to present ideas, share experiences and exchange views on strategies to achieve ITU-D objectives. Once a consensus on an appropriate strategy has been reached the ITU-D is responsible for producing reports and guidelines based on member contributions.
The first Study Group, entitled ‘Enabling environment for the development of telecommunications/ICTs’ explored the spectrum management needs of developing countries, including the digital switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television and the resulting digital dividend. The Alliance’s first ever ITU participation was in this study group.
This comes as the Alliance continues to promote regulatory policies which will pave the way for innovative wireless technologies across the world.
As an ITU-D member, the Alliance will participate in the ITU-D Study Groups to promote effective and efficient spectrum management. A special introduction session for new ITU members, including DSA, has already taken place to welcome newcomers and provide a background on the current activities of the ITU-D. Invited by the Director of ITU-D, Brahima Sanou, the Alliance discussed its vision for the adoption of legal and regulatory frameworks that facilitate dynamic access to the radio spectrum.
Prof. H Nwana, executive director of Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, said: “The Alliance’s ITU-D membership is vital as we work towards closing the digital divide, enabling the Internet of Things and alleviating the spectrum crunch. Regulators across the world look to the ITU for state of the art best practices.
"Working within the ITU, we hope to make leaps in setting dynamic and opportunistic spectrum access regulations across the globe, encouraging opportunistic spectrum access pilot project initiatives, and ultimately facilitating new competition, business models and innovations, not only to connect over three billion people in emerging economies, but also the burgeoning the Internet of Things in developed markets.”
The ITU-D Study Groups give members a chance to present ideas, share experiences and exchange views on strategies to achieve ITU-D objectives. Once a consensus on an appropriate strategy has been reached the ITU-D is responsible for producing reports and guidelines based on member contributions.
The first Study Group, entitled ‘Enabling environment for the development of telecommunications/ICTs’ explored the spectrum management needs of developing countries, including the digital switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television and the resulting digital dividend. The Alliance’s first ever ITU participation was in this study group.
Isle of Wight WightFibre broadband twice as fast as everyone else
COWES. ISLE OF WIGHT: WightFibre is launching Internet speeds next month which will be twice as fast as any other service available on the Isle of Wight. The island’s only local broadband company is introducing a superfast 152Mbps speed that is far beyond BT, as well as significantly boosting speeds for existing customers.
The Isle of Wight’s fastest broadband is getting even faster with WightFibre delivering speeds at least double what all other providers dependent on BT’s network can claim. Such speeds will be available to all streets on the island served by WightFibre’s superior fibre optic cable network. Existing WightFibre 120Mbps customers will receive the new speed automatically for no increase in their charges.
After tripling speeds to island homes earlier this year, WightFibre completed its’ biggest ever network upgrade over the summer allowing the launch of this new top speed.
The Isle of Wight’s fastest broadband is getting even faster with WightFibre delivering speeds at least double what all other providers dependent on BT’s network can claim. Such speeds will be available to all streets on the island served by WightFibre’s superior fibre optic cable network. Existing WightFibre 120Mbps customers will receive the new speed automatically for no increase in their charges.
After tripling speeds to island homes earlier this year, WightFibre completed its’ biggest ever network upgrade over the summer allowing the launch of this new top speed.
Polatis optical switches selected for UK NDFIS
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Polatis, the performance leader in all-optical matrix switches, has been selected as the provider of optical switching for Aurora2, a new UK National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Service (NDFIS).
Aurora2 is a next-generation dark fibre network that provides direct access at the optical layer to users developing new technologies and services for future applications of the Internet.
The network is funded by UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), through the Joint Academic Network, Janet. Aurora 2 is managed by a consortium led by University College London (UCL) with the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Southampton.
"Future Internet applications will require a scalable and dynamically reconfigurable optical network. Aurora2 provides an advanced software-defined optical network for the UK to pioneer new techniques for ultra-high capacity optical communications," said Nick Parsons, CTO at Polatis. "We are honoured and excited to be selected for this key initiative."
Eleven Polatis DirectLight optical switches will be deployed at nodes across the 800km Aurora2 network to enable researchers to reconfigure the infrastructure on demand via a software defined network (SDN) control plane, enabling unprecedented dynamic control of resources.
Dark fibre gives users direct end to end access at the optical level to the entire multi-terahertz bandwidth of single mode optical fibre with no intermediate optical-electrical conversions that could restrict performance. The ultimate transmission capacity is limited only by the physical properties of the fibre.
Polatis DirectLight all-optical circuit switches are the first to support SDN through an embedded OpenFlow agent, together with plug-in support for the OpenDaylight SDN controller, developed in collaboration with the University of Bristol High Performance Networks Group.
The patented Directlight optical circuit switch technology uniquely enables dark fibre pre-provisioning because it does not require light to establish a connection and can switch optical traffic with typical loss of less than 1dB regardless of colour, protocol, direction or line rate.
Aurora2 is a next-generation dark fibre network that provides direct access at the optical layer to users developing new technologies and services for future applications of the Internet.
The network is funded by UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), through the Joint Academic Network, Janet. Aurora 2 is managed by a consortium led by University College London (UCL) with the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Southampton.
"Future Internet applications will require a scalable and dynamically reconfigurable optical network. Aurora2 provides an advanced software-defined optical network for the UK to pioneer new techniques for ultra-high capacity optical communications," said Nick Parsons, CTO at Polatis. "We are honoured and excited to be selected for this key initiative."
Eleven Polatis DirectLight optical switches will be deployed at nodes across the 800km Aurora2 network to enable researchers to reconfigure the infrastructure on demand via a software defined network (SDN) control plane, enabling unprecedented dynamic control of resources.
Dark fibre gives users direct end to end access at the optical level to the entire multi-terahertz bandwidth of single mode optical fibre with no intermediate optical-electrical conversions that could restrict performance. The ultimate transmission capacity is limited only by the physical properties of the fibre.
Polatis DirectLight all-optical circuit switches are the first to support SDN through an embedded OpenFlow agent, together with plug-in support for the OpenDaylight SDN controller, developed in collaboration with the University of Bristol High Performance Networks Group.
The patented Directlight optical circuit switch technology uniquely enables dark fibre pre-provisioning because it does not require light to establish a connection and can switch optical traffic with typical loss of less than 1dB regardless of colour, protocol, direction or line rate.
Oclaro unveils second generation OFP2
CANNES, FRANCE & SAN JOSE, USA: Oclaro Inc., a leading provider and innovator of optical communications solutions, announced it is increasing investment in 100G manufacturing capacity to support the growing demand of 100G client-side pluggable optics.
This increased investment has been driven by the company's successful introduction of 100G client side interfaces in the CFP/CFP2 form factors, and will enable Oclaro to support the existing 100G form factors along with higher density form factors that will be shipping in 2015 and beyond.
Complementing this announcement, Oclaro also announced today its second-generation CFP2 transceiver, which has been sampling to key customers and is expected to enter volume production in Q4 2014.
"By continuing to make key investments in manufacturing capacity and new product development, Oclaro is well positioned to lead the transition from CFP to CFP2 as more customers demand the higher density, lower cost and lower power consumption enabled by CFP2 designs," said Adam Carter, chief commercial officer at Oclaro.
"Our customers benefit greatly from Oclaro's long history of delivering CFP/CFP2 solutions, which enables us to provide industry-leading quality, continued cost competiveness and product improvements for datacenter 100G and service provider dual-rate applications."
This increased investment has been driven by the company's successful introduction of 100G client side interfaces in the CFP/CFP2 form factors, and will enable Oclaro to support the existing 100G form factors along with higher density form factors that will be shipping in 2015 and beyond.
Complementing this announcement, Oclaro also announced today its second-generation CFP2 transceiver, which has been sampling to key customers and is expected to enter volume production in Q4 2014.
"By continuing to make key investments in manufacturing capacity and new product development, Oclaro is well positioned to lead the transition from CFP to CFP2 as more customers demand the higher density, lower cost and lower power consumption enabled by CFP2 designs," said Adam Carter, chief commercial officer at Oclaro.
"Our customers benefit greatly from Oclaro's long history of delivering CFP/CFP2 solutions, which enables us to provide industry-leading quality, continued cost competiveness and product improvements for datacenter 100G and service provider dual-rate applications."
Thaicom launches Asia-Pacific in-flight connectivity service
NONTHABURI, THAILAND: The first flight to use Thaicom’s new satellite-based In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) service in Asia-Pacific took off from Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport today. The service, which uses Ku-band and is now fully operational, provides broadband on commercial flights for Thailand’s number one premium low cost airline, Nok Air.
Journalists and regular passengers on board Nok Air flight DD7510 from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Phuket, Thailand, had the opportunity to be the first to use the service and access the Internet while airborne.
Suphajee Suthumpun, chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO, Thaicom Public Co. Ltd, said: “Today’s in-flight connectivity service launch is testimony to our continued efforts to provide innovative services that offer real-life benefits to many people and enhance the quality of life of many in Thailand and Asia. We are excited to be working with Nok Air to help increase its customer experience by providing such a milestone service for the satcom industry.”
Thaicom is now enabling Nok Air’s passengers to receive broadband Internet via Wi-Fi and satellite, giving them access for web browsing, sending and receiving emails, using social media and reading the news. The agreement with Nok Air is initially for six aircraft, with a plan to expand the service to the whole fleet of 22 aircraft within three years.
With 48,000 flights per year, six million Nok Air passengers could benefit from the newly launched, value-added service, which is capable of delivering 3G-like speed for a superior broadband experience.
Journalists and regular passengers on board Nok Air flight DD7510 from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Phuket, Thailand, had the opportunity to be the first to use the service and access the Internet while airborne.
Suphajee Suthumpun, chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO, Thaicom Public Co. Ltd, said: “Today’s in-flight connectivity service launch is testimony to our continued efforts to provide innovative services that offer real-life benefits to many people and enhance the quality of life of many in Thailand and Asia. We are excited to be working with Nok Air to help increase its customer experience by providing such a milestone service for the satcom industry.”
Thaicom is now enabling Nok Air’s passengers to receive broadband Internet via Wi-Fi and satellite, giving them access for web browsing, sending and receiving emails, using social media and reading the news. The agreement with Nok Air is initially for six aircraft, with a plan to expand the service to the whole fleet of 22 aircraft within three years.
With 48,000 flights per year, six million Nok Air passengers could benefit from the newly launched, value-added service, which is capable of delivering 3G-like speed for a superior broadband experience.
Barracuda joins Ruckus Wireless technology ecosystem program
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Barracuda Networks Inc. announced that it has joined the Ruckus Wireless Inc. Technology Ecosystem program.
As part of the program, customers can implement policy-based content security – including URL filtering and malware protection – via the award-winning Barracuda Web Filter in Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi network environments.
“BYOD continues to be a major challenge for organizations looking to provide their users a convenient and secure browsing experience while still keeping their networks safe,” said Stephen Pao, GM Security, Barracuda. “The integration of the Barracuda Web Filter with Ruckus Wireless network infrastructure helps alleviate that burden and allows IT administrators to easily set and enforce Internet usage policy across multiple users."
Wireless connectivity on educational campuses is important for students, as well as the faculty and staff. The Barracuda Web Filter and Ruckus Wireless integration gives administrators flexibility in being able to easily manage user-specific policies across the campus.
As part of the program, customers can implement policy-based content security – including URL filtering and malware protection – via the award-winning Barracuda Web Filter in Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi network environments.
“BYOD continues to be a major challenge for organizations looking to provide their users a convenient and secure browsing experience while still keeping their networks safe,” said Stephen Pao, GM Security, Barracuda. “The integration of the Barracuda Web Filter with Ruckus Wireless network infrastructure helps alleviate that burden and allows IT administrators to easily set and enforce Internet usage policy across multiple users."
Wireless connectivity on educational campuses is important for students, as well as the faculty and staff. The Barracuda Web Filter and Ruckus Wireless integration gives administrators flexibility in being able to easily manage user-specific policies across the campus.
Alcatel-Lucent extends mobile backhaul capabilities
PARIS, FRANCE: Alcatel-Lucent is extending its wireless mobile backhaul capabilities to allow operators to more quickly and easily deploy high-capacity ultra-broadband coverage via LTE heterogeneous networks (hetnets) - a mix of macro and small cell base stations.
A new full outdoor microwave packet radio (MPR) networking unit helps to save power and cost as operators deliver LTE access to customers everywhere. Alcatel-Lucent is also enhancing its small cell backhaul radio portfolio to more efficiently deliver wireless backhaul across a range of deployment scenarios.
The growing demand for access to data anywhere is driving the need for operators to deploy high-capacity LTE hetnet networks - macro radio coverage augmented by small cells in coverage black spots. Because of the placement of these smaller radio cells – on lampposts, doorways, and other areas – one of the biggest challenges is to provide backhaul connectivity to the wider network.
To solve this Alcatel-Lucent is extending its already comprehensive mobile backhaul portfolio with a mix of new microwave networking devices. The introduction of the Microwave Services Switch – Outdoor (MSS-O) to the 9500 Microwave Packet Radio (9500 MPR) family simplifies small cell deployment, giving mobile operators more options for placement as they boost backhaul link capacity.
The company is also collaborating with other wireless backhaul product providers, to offer support for a range of small cell backhaul frequency options and address an even greater variety of small cell deployment scenario needs.
A new full outdoor microwave packet radio (MPR) networking unit helps to save power and cost as operators deliver LTE access to customers everywhere. Alcatel-Lucent is also enhancing its small cell backhaul radio portfolio to more efficiently deliver wireless backhaul across a range of deployment scenarios.
The growing demand for access to data anywhere is driving the need for operators to deploy high-capacity LTE hetnet networks - macro radio coverage augmented by small cells in coverage black spots. Because of the placement of these smaller radio cells – on lampposts, doorways, and other areas – one of the biggest challenges is to provide backhaul connectivity to the wider network.
To solve this Alcatel-Lucent is extending its already comprehensive mobile backhaul portfolio with a mix of new microwave networking devices. The introduction of the Microwave Services Switch – Outdoor (MSS-O) to the 9500 Microwave Packet Radio (9500 MPR) family simplifies small cell deployment, giving mobile operators more options for placement as they boost backhaul link capacity.
The company is also collaborating with other wireless backhaul product providers, to offer support for a range of small cell backhaul frequency options and address an even greater variety of small cell deployment scenario needs.
US patent issued for RCS without IMS solution from Interop
FORT MYERS, USA: Interop Technologies, a provider of core wireless solutions for advanced messaging, over-the-air handset management, policy control, and connectivity gateways, announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 8,856,356 covering the deployment of rich communication services without any reliance on underlying IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture.
Interop Technologies was granted intellectual property rights pertaining to RCS without IMS and RCS interworking with the legacy network.
Interop’s patented technology enables operators to affordably and efficiently offer standards-compliant RCS services—including network-based interworking to legacy protocols such as SMS and MMS—without the need for an IMS core network. The Interop RCS solution is compliant with both the RCS-e and Blackbird global standards.
Interop Technologies was granted intellectual property rights pertaining to RCS without IMS and RCS interworking with the legacy network.
Interop’s patented technology enables operators to affordably and efficiently offer standards-compliant RCS services—including network-based interworking to legacy protocols such as SMS and MMS—without the need for an IMS core network. The Interop RCS solution is compliant with both the RCS-e and Blackbird global standards.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Reverb Networks predicts explosive need for self-optimizing networks in APAC
USA: Reverb Networks, the pioneer in self-optimizing network systems, predicts that massively increasing use of new bandwidth intensive devices and services will drive an exceptionally strong need for automated optimization of mobile networks in the Asia Pacific region in the next 5 years.
Reverb research shows that mobile data traffic alone is projected to increase by an order of magnitude in Asia Pacific, increasing from 524,000 terabytes per month in 2013 to an extraordinary 6,717,000 terabytes per month by 2018 (source: Statista).
By 2017 it is projected that APAC mobile data traffic will make up almost 50 percent of all worldwide mobile data traffic (source: GSMA), and over 50 percent of that traffic will be bandwidth intensive services such as video streaming (source: Ericsson).
“Reverb Network has been very active in the Asia Pacific region in recent months, working with local partners such as Tech Mahindra and Guavus on a number of important SON projects,” said Reverb Networks CEO Zoran Kehler.
“What is becoming increasingly clear is that the traditional methods of optimizing network performance are already outdated, and even with the introduction of complex capacity solutions like small cells, the problem is getting very rapidly more challenging as high bandwidth mobile data traffic applications and demands increase.”
Reverb research shows that mobile data traffic alone is projected to increase by an order of magnitude in Asia Pacific, increasing from 524,000 terabytes per month in 2013 to an extraordinary 6,717,000 terabytes per month by 2018 (source: Statista).
By 2017 it is projected that APAC mobile data traffic will make up almost 50 percent of all worldwide mobile data traffic (source: GSMA), and over 50 percent of that traffic will be bandwidth intensive services such as video streaming (source: Ericsson).
“Reverb Network has been very active in the Asia Pacific region in recent months, working with local partners such as Tech Mahindra and Guavus on a number of important SON projects,” said Reverb Networks CEO Zoran Kehler.
“What is becoming increasingly clear is that the traditional methods of optimizing network performance are already outdated, and even with the introduction of complex capacity solutions like small cells, the problem is getting very rapidly more challenging as high bandwidth mobile data traffic applications and demands increase.”
Polatis intros 192 fibre single sided all-optical switch
ECOC 2014, CANNES, FRANCE:Polatis, the performance leader in all-optical matrix switches, announced the general availability of its new 192-fibre reconfigurable single mode optical switch, providing non-blocking SDN-enabled connectivity between any pair of fibre ports with typically just 1dB of path loss.
Conventional all-optical switches are dual-sided, making connections between a group of committed input ports on one side and a group of output ports on the other. This design limits configurability in advanced network applications where new, flexible any-to-any port configurations can enable better network performance and more efficient use of capacity.
The 192-fibre customer-configurable (192xCC) single-sided optical switch uniquely presents fibre ports which are uncommitted to input or output groups, allowing users the flexibility to make non-blocking connections between any of the 192 fibres. Without rigidly-defined input and output ports, the same optical switch module can be used for any combination of symmetric (NxN) and asymmetric (NxM) switch configurations.
Conventional all-optical switches are dual-sided, making connections between a group of committed input ports on one side and a group of output ports on the other. This design limits configurability in advanced network applications where new, flexible any-to-any port configurations can enable better network performance and more efficient use of capacity.
The 192-fibre customer-configurable (192xCC) single-sided optical switch uniquely presents fibre ports which are uncommitted to input or output groups, allowing users the flexibility to make non-blocking connections between any of the 192 fibres. Without rigidly-defined input and output ports, the same optical switch module can be used for any combination of symmetric (NxN) and asymmetric (NxM) switch configurations.
Mobile context aware technology to revolutionise app economy
HAMPSHIRE, UK: A new report from Juniper Research predicts that increasing contextual awareness in apps, as seen in digital assistants such as Google Now, will transform the process of app discovery and the cluttered app tray. In addition, Google recently opened its deep linking API to allow apps to be indexed in a similar way to web pages, further accelerating this movement.
The report, Mobile Context & Location Services: Navigation, Tracking, Social & Local Search 2014-2019, forecasts that the number of smartphone and tablet apps in use, that leverage contextual or location data on devices, will near 7.5 billion by 2019, up from 2.8 billion in 2014.
The research highlighted the availability of comprehensive app-based digital maps, at little or no cost to the consumer, as a key driver. It also noted that context-awareness is now considered to be key amongst app developers in delivering a relevant user experience.
“Context awareness signals a paradigm shift in the definition of what search means on mobile,” added report author Steffen Sorrell. “Combined with deep linking, this shift will transform the manner by which we discover and access apps: the days of flicking through the app tray are numbered.”
The report, Mobile Context & Location Services: Navigation, Tracking, Social & Local Search 2014-2019, forecasts that the number of smartphone and tablet apps in use, that leverage contextual or location data on devices, will near 7.5 billion by 2019, up from 2.8 billion in 2014.
The research highlighted the availability of comprehensive app-based digital maps, at little or no cost to the consumer, as a key driver. It also noted that context-awareness is now considered to be key amongst app developers in delivering a relevant user experience.
“Context awareness signals a paradigm shift in the definition of what search means on mobile,” added report author Steffen Sorrell. “Combined with deep linking, this shift will transform the manner by which we discover and access apps: the days of flicking through the app tray are numbered.”
4 million Android users will switch to iPhone in next three months
MENLO PARK, USA: The latest research by the blog, Eric C. Gould Tech View, shows that about 4 million Android users will be dumping their devices for an iPhone in the next three months.
Numbers don't lie, and unfortunately for Google's Android phone, those numbers indicate that they are possibly losing a chunk of their market share to Apple's iPhone. Not surprisingly, many of those converts are women.
Apple has, for many years now, shown a vested interest in obtaining business from women. Women are much more than a marketing segment – they're over half of the human population. Currently, women make up 50.8 percent of the population in the US alone. Apple has seen that opportunity and answered it by including some great features.
From a smaller size (not too small, but more easily held than perhaps a bulky Nexus 5 Android phone) to apps that actually speak to the female side of things, Apple has often been the phone of choice for women. Even Siri's cute, female voice lends a bit of femininity to the phone.
That doesn't mean that no women at all have been purchasing Android phones. It's almost always been quite an even split, with one survey from 2013 putting Android and Apple usage for women neck to neck at 26 percent. But with the addition of new technologies, such as the far more user friendly iOS7, the impending iPhone 6's lighter and more streamlined construction along with a larger screen size, it's easy to see why there might be a switch in order.
Numbers don't lie, and unfortunately for Google's Android phone, those numbers indicate that they are possibly losing a chunk of their market share to Apple's iPhone. Not surprisingly, many of those converts are women.
Apple has, for many years now, shown a vested interest in obtaining business from women. Women are much more than a marketing segment – they're over half of the human population. Currently, women make up 50.8 percent of the population in the US alone. Apple has seen that opportunity and answered it by including some great features.
From a smaller size (not too small, but more easily held than perhaps a bulky Nexus 5 Android phone) to apps that actually speak to the female side of things, Apple has often been the phone of choice for women. Even Siri's cute, female voice lends a bit of femininity to the phone.
That doesn't mean that no women at all have been purchasing Android phones. It's almost always been quite an even split, with one survey from 2013 putting Android and Apple usage for women neck to neck at 26 percent. But with the addition of new technologies, such as the far more user friendly iOS7, the impending iPhone 6's lighter and more streamlined construction along with a larger screen size, it's easy to see why there might be a switch in order.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Prysmian Group unveils WideCap-OM4 multimode fibre
MILAN, ITALY: Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry, is showcasing its ground-breaking WideCap-OM4 Multimode Fibre at next week’s ECOC Conference which will take place in Cannes, France on 21-25 of September.
Prysmian Group has developed a new OM4 multimode fibre optimised for multi-wavelength systems; WideCap-OM4 multimode fibre delivers OM4 performance in the 850-950nm window while maintaining compatibility with current laser-optimised multimode fibres. Traditional OM4 fibres offer high bandwidth in a narrow band centred at 850nm.
To satisfy the exponentially increasing information demand in Data Centres, the capacity of WideCap-OM4 has been extended to longer wavelengths up to 950nm. WideCap-OM4 and multi-wavelength systems are a viable solution for 40, 100 and 400Gbps transmission. WideCap-OM4 incorporates BendBright technology to deliver enhanced macro-bending performance.
Prysmian Group has developed a new OM4 multimode fibre optimised for multi-wavelength systems; WideCap-OM4 multimode fibre delivers OM4 performance in the 850-950nm window while maintaining compatibility with current laser-optimised multimode fibres. Traditional OM4 fibres offer high bandwidth in a narrow band centred at 850nm.
To satisfy the exponentially increasing information demand in Data Centres, the capacity of WideCap-OM4 has been extended to longer wavelengths up to 950nm. WideCap-OM4 and multi-wavelength systems are a viable solution for 40, 100 and 400Gbps transmission. WideCap-OM4 incorporates BendBright technology to deliver enhanced macro-bending performance.
“Future of the Internet Study” broadens Open Internet debate
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Arthur D. Little has released its latest Policy Series study, in cooperation with Liberty Global plc, entitled, ‘The Future of the Internet - Innovation and Investment in IP interconnection’ at a seminar in Brussels, Belgium.
The Internet has rapidly evolved from a static data platform to become a streaming video platform, and is soon expected to see its next wave of growth in machine-to-machine and any-to-any video communications. By 2030, the ‘Internet of Everything’ potentially adds trillions of euros in value to the public and private sectors.
This latest report in the Liberty Global Policy Series investigates the drivers of this growth and the investment incentives in the ‘upstream’ part of internet IP connectivity where all the autonomous networks of the world interconnect.
According to Andrea Faggiano, head of Strategic Advisory Services for Competition & Regulation with Arthur D.Little and co-author of the study: “By 2020, the majority of applications, content and services will continue to be accessed by end-users over the current ‘best effort’ public internet.
"But the public Internet also needs to evolve further, which not only requires investment in capacity but increasingly requires higher quality, security and privacy assurances to support a next generation of internet applications, for example machine-to-machine applications.By 2030, over 50 billion connected devices will generate over 50 percent of Internet traffic.”
IP interconnection remains vital, dynamic and competitive
The study shows that the Internet remains vital, dynamic and competitive, driven by a sector that is in transition. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Content & Application Providers (CAPs) are constantly innovating the way they interconnect. Existing IP interconnection agreements such as transit and peering are seeing a significant increase in and growing imbalance of IP traffic as the result of streaming video.
Most of the industry is adapting flexibly to new business models. For example, disputes concern less than 1 percent of all interconnection agreements. New interconnection agreements (e.g. paid peering, deep caching) are implemented to support the trend of storing popular content close to the access networks.
Global CAPs invest in proprietary Content Delivery Network (CDN) infrastructures (server parks). Commercial CDN services have become affordable to small CAPs as interconnection costs are strongly falling, up to 30% per year. Combined with the very competitive market for last mile broadband internet services in Europe, this market seems well positioned for growth, investment and innovation.
The Internet has rapidly evolved from a static data platform to become a streaming video platform, and is soon expected to see its next wave of growth in machine-to-machine and any-to-any video communications. By 2030, the ‘Internet of Everything’ potentially adds trillions of euros in value to the public and private sectors.
This latest report in the Liberty Global Policy Series investigates the drivers of this growth and the investment incentives in the ‘upstream’ part of internet IP connectivity where all the autonomous networks of the world interconnect.
According to Andrea Faggiano, head of Strategic Advisory Services for Competition & Regulation with Arthur D.Little and co-author of the study: “By 2020, the majority of applications, content and services will continue to be accessed by end-users over the current ‘best effort’ public internet.
"But the public Internet also needs to evolve further, which not only requires investment in capacity but increasingly requires higher quality, security and privacy assurances to support a next generation of internet applications, for example machine-to-machine applications.By 2030, over 50 billion connected devices will generate over 50 percent of Internet traffic.”
IP interconnection remains vital, dynamic and competitive
The study shows that the Internet remains vital, dynamic and competitive, driven by a sector that is in transition. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Content & Application Providers (CAPs) are constantly innovating the way they interconnect. Existing IP interconnection agreements such as transit and peering are seeing a significant increase in and growing imbalance of IP traffic as the result of streaming video.
Most of the industry is adapting flexibly to new business models. For example, disputes concern less than 1 percent of all interconnection agreements. New interconnection agreements (e.g. paid peering, deep caching) are implemented to support the trend of storing popular content close to the access networks.
Global CAPs invest in proprietary Content Delivery Network (CDN) infrastructures (server parks). Commercial CDN services have become affordable to small CAPs as interconnection costs are strongly falling, up to 30% per year. Combined with the very competitive market for last mile broadband internet services in Europe, this market seems well positioned for growth, investment and innovation.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Qualcomm announces general availability for mobile industry's first LTE broadcast SDK
SAN DIEGO, USA: Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc., announced the general availability of the LTE Broadcast Software Development Kit (SDK) through the Qualcomm Developer Network.
The LTE Broadcast SDK is designed to empower software developers to create applications that harness the unique benefits of LTE Broadcast connectivity and content delivery on LTE Broadcast capable devices featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
Developers will be able to access a common application protocol interface (API) that can be used in all regions around the world that are trialing, testing or deploying LTE Broadcast. The LTE Broadcast SDK is the first development tool for LTE Broadcast in the mobile industry published for general availability and has been tested with multiple operators, OEMs, and application developers worldwide.
"LTE Broadcast will fundamentally transform the way we experience and interact with live content," said Raj Talluri, senior VP, product management, Qualcomm Technologies. "The availability of our LTE Broadcast SDK will provide developers with the tools to innovate and create applications and services that will enable LTE Broadcast technology to reach its full potential. With a common API, the expansion of LTE Broadcast-based features will broaden the ecosystem, stimulate development and enhance user experiences in new and unique ways."
To support LTE Broadcast functionality on smart devices, Qualcomm Technologies offers a comprehensive LTE Broadcast solution for the evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS), which includes a Snapdragon processor, Qualcomm RaptorQ forward error correction technology, broadcast middleware, multimedia services and a proven interface for LTE Broadcast application development.
Qualcomm Technologies' LTE Broadcast solution has been tested among the major infrastructure vendors over the past three years, resulting in a superior level of interoperability and product maturity.
LTE Broadcast is designed to support mobile network operators (MNOs) to more efficiently manage their spectrum and network loads by allowing the multicast of high-demand content such as live TV and sporting events, breaking news, emergency notifications, periodical downloads, and software and OS updates, so that multiple users receive the content simultaneously and efficiently. LTE Broadcast utilizes standard LTE network architecture and modems, helping simplify implementations while lowering costs.
The LTE Broadcast SDK is designed, optimized and integrated for Snapdragon LTE capable processors. The LTE Broadcast SDK provides libraries, tools and documentation for the development and testing of software applications intended for mobile devices capable of delivering LTE Broadcast services.
The open API set included in the LTE Broadcast SDK can be used by application developers for multiple OEMs and operators. The API will also offer a more consistent mobile user experience and a wider selection of applications that utilize the capabilities of LTE Broadcast.
The LTE Broadcast SDK is designed to empower software developers to create applications that harness the unique benefits of LTE Broadcast connectivity and content delivery on LTE Broadcast capable devices featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
Developers will be able to access a common application protocol interface (API) that can be used in all regions around the world that are trialing, testing or deploying LTE Broadcast. The LTE Broadcast SDK is the first development tool for LTE Broadcast in the mobile industry published for general availability and has been tested with multiple operators, OEMs, and application developers worldwide.
"LTE Broadcast will fundamentally transform the way we experience and interact with live content," said Raj Talluri, senior VP, product management, Qualcomm Technologies. "The availability of our LTE Broadcast SDK will provide developers with the tools to innovate and create applications and services that will enable LTE Broadcast technology to reach its full potential. With a common API, the expansion of LTE Broadcast-based features will broaden the ecosystem, stimulate development and enhance user experiences in new and unique ways."
To support LTE Broadcast functionality on smart devices, Qualcomm Technologies offers a comprehensive LTE Broadcast solution for the evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS), which includes a Snapdragon processor, Qualcomm RaptorQ forward error correction technology, broadcast middleware, multimedia services and a proven interface for LTE Broadcast application development.
Qualcomm Technologies' LTE Broadcast solution has been tested among the major infrastructure vendors over the past three years, resulting in a superior level of interoperability and product maturity.
LTE Broadcast is designed to support mobile network operators (MNOs) to more efficiently manage their spectrum and network loads by allowing the multicast of high-demand content such as live TV and sporting events, breaking news, emergency notifications, periodical downloads, and software and OS updates, so that multiple users receive the content simultaneously and efficiently. LTE Broadcast utilizes standard LTE network architecture and modems, helping simplify implementations while lowering costs.
The LTE Broadcast SDK is designed, optimized and integrated for Snapdragon LTE capable processors. The LTE Broadcast SDK provides libraries, tools and documentation for the development and testing of software applications intended for mobile devices capable of delivering LTE Broadcast services.
The open API set included in the LTE Broadcast SDK can be used by application developers for multiple OEMs and operators. The API will also offer a more consistent mobile user experience and a wider selection of applications that utilize the capabilities of LTE Broadcast.
Iskratel to showcase integrated infocom solutions for railways
BERLIN, GERMANY & KRANJ, SLOVENIA: Iskratel, a European leader in InfoCommunications, will showcase its integrated InfoCommunication solutions for railways at InnoTrans 2014.
The solution, which provides business and operational communications on a single unified platform, brings numerous benefits to its customers, including reduced investment and maintenance costs by eliminating the requirement for several different solutions.
Iskratel is currently implementing the solution in Slovenia after winning the tender for the project ‘Introduction of digital radio system (GSM-R) on the Slovenian rail network’. Iskratel is a leading partner in the consortium and is managing the execution of the entire project.
The solution, which provides business and operational communications on a single unified platform, brings numerous benefits to its customers, including reduced investment and maintenance costs by eliminating the requirement for several different solutions.
Iskratel is currently implementing the solution in Slovenia after winning the tender for the project ‘Introduction of digital radio system (GSM-R) on the Slovenian rail network’. Iskratel is a leading partner in the consortium and is managing the execution of the entire project.
LS telcom analyses worldwide licensing and usage of IMT spectrum
LICHTENAU, GERMANY: LS telcom announced the publication of its study about worldwide licensing and usage of IMT (international mobile telecommunications) spectrum.
LS telcom found that in most regions of the world at least 30 percent\ of harmonised spectrum for IMT services is not yet licensed. From within that which is licensed almost a quarter is not yet in service, the situation being worse for TDD spectrum than FDD spectrum.
Amongst other figures, the study finds that most countries should be able to find at least another 150 MHz of additional IMT spectrum from within that which is regionally harmonised. In addition, almost every country should be able to find a further 200 MHz of spectrum that is identified by the ITU for IMT but which may require effort to make it available (e.g. through re-farming).
The analysis also shows that the 700 MHz band still remains to be licensed in most parts of the world and that the 2600 MHz bands, which represent nearly 200 MHz of IMT spectrum, remain to be licensed virtually everywhere with the exception of Europe.
LS telcom found that in most regions of the world at least 30 percent\ of harmonised spectrum for IMT services is not yet licensed. From within that which is licensed almost a quarter is not yet in service, the situation being worse for TDD spectrum than FDD spectrum.
Amongst other figures, the study finds that most countries should be able to find at least another 150 MHz of additional IMT spectrum from within that which is regionally harmonised. In addition, almost every country should be able to find a further 200 MHz of spectrum that is identified by the ITU for IMT but which may require effort to make it available (e.g. through re-farming).
The analysis also shows that the 700 MHz band still remains to be licensed in most parts of the world and that the 2600 MHz bands, which represent nearly 200 MHz of IMT spectrum, remain to be licensed virtually everywhere with the exception of Europe.
Internet access expected to generate more consumer spend across the African continent over the next five years: PwC
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: Increased Internet access will generate more consumer spend than any other media product or service in the next five years in the South African entertainment and media industry, according to a report issued by PwC.
South Africa’s entertainment and media market is expected to grow by 10.2 percent CAGR from 2014-2018 to a value of R190.4 billion. By far, the largest segment will be the Internet. Combined revenues from Internet access and Internet advertising will account for an estimated R71.6 billion in 2018, accounting for 37.6 percent of total revenues, according to PwC’s South African Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2014-2018.
Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industries leader for PwC South Africa, says: “Growth in the South African entertainment and media industry is largely being driven by the Internet and by consumers’ love of new technology, in particular mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as applications powered by data analytics and cloud services. Technology is increasingly being driven by consumers’ needs and expectations.”
South Africa’s entertainment and media market is expected to grow by 10.2 percent CAGR from 2014-2018 to a value of R190.4 billion. By far, the largest segment will be the Internet. Combined revenues from Internet access and Internet advertising will account for an estimated R71.6 billion in 2018, accounting for 37.6 percent of total revenues, according to PwC’s South African Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2014-2018.
Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industries leader for PwC South Africa, says: “Growth in the South African entertainment and media industry is largely being driven by the Internet and by consumers’ love of new technology, in particular mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as applications powered by data analytics and cloud services. Technology is increasingly being driven by consumers’ needs and expectations.”
AirVR - virtual reality for iOS
TORONTO, CANADA: Metatecture announced the launch of AirVR, the first wireless VR headset for iPad Mini, iPad Mini with Retina and iPhone 6+.
AirVR, a revolutionary new virtual reality device from Metatecture, enables users to transform Apple products into portable and immersive VR units. By simply sliding the iPad/iPhone into the AirVR headset, users are instantly transported into an explosive VR world.
AirVR comes readily equipped with three VR applications so users can:
* PhotoVR App: Experience photos from their personal collection and around the world in a whole new dimension.
* MovieVR App: Immerse themselves in 3D/HD movies, either first-person or via a video on a virtual 3D screen.
* PanoVR App: Plunge into luscious 360degrees panoramas to relive places they've been and experience places they'll go. Full spherical panoramas will map perfectly to the virtual space, creating a realistic VR snapshot of a certain place at a certain time.
AirVR, a revolutionary new virtual reality device from Metatecture, enables users to transform Apple products into portable and immersive VR units. By simply sliding the iPad/iPhone into the AirVR headset, users are instantly transported into an explosive VR world.
AirVR comes readily equipped with three VR applications so users can:
* PhotoVR App: Experience photos from their personal collection and around the world in a whole new dimension.
* MovieVR App: Immerse themselves in 3D/HD movies, either first-person or via a video on a virtual 3D screen.
* PanoVR App: Plunge into luscious 360degrees panoramas to relive places they've been and experience places they'll go. Full spherical panoramas will map perfectly to the virtual space, creating a realistic VR snapshot of a certain place at a certain time.
Vendor shakeup in network security market starts in Q2, more to come
CAMPBELL, USA: Telecom market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2nd quarter 2014 (2Q14) Network Security Appliances and Software report, which tracks integrated security appliances, secure routers, SSL VPN gateways, VPN and firewall software, and intrusion detection and prevention products.
"The network security market saw a change in leadership for the first time in a very long time, with Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks each moving up a notch among the top five vendors, now in the third and fourth positions, respectively," notes Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for security at Infonetics Research.
He adds, "Given the current climate in security, we look for more changes or even some consolidation, with Check Point, Cisco, Dell SonicWall, Fortinet, Juniper, McAfee, and Palo Alto battling it out for share."
* Worldwide network security appliance and software revenue came off a seasonal 1st quarter lull to post fairly typical 2nd quarter growth: the market is up 4 percent sequentially in 2Q14, to $1.6 billion.
* Year-over-year growth in the network security market also hit 4 percent in 2Q14.
* Integrated security -- appliances, software, and SSL VPN products -- made up 83 percent of total network security revenue in 2Q14, with the majority coming from appliances.
* Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) and intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), meanwhile, represented 17 percent of the overall revenue.
"The network security market saw a change in leadership for the first time in a very long time, with Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks each moving up a notch among the top five vendors, now in the third and fourth positions, respectively," notes Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for security at Infonetics Research.
He adds, "Given the current climate in security, we look for more changes or even some consolidation, with Check Point, Cisco, Dell SonicWall, Fortinet, Juniper, McAfee, and Palo Alto battling it out for share."
* Worldwide network security appliance and software revenue came off a seasonal 1st quarter lull to post fairly typical 2nd quarter growth: the market is up 4 percent sequentially in 2Q14, to $1.6 billion.
* Year-over-year growth in the network security market also hit 4 percent in 2Q14.
* Integrated security -- appliances, software, and SSL VPN products -- made up 83 percent of total network security revenue in 2Q14, with the majority coming from appliances.
* Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) and intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), meanwhile, represented 17 percent of the overall revenue.
Global LTE subscriptions reach 250 million milestone
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The number of LTE mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide reached the milestone of 250 million in the first quarter of 2014, according to global analyst firm Ovum.
Ovum’s latest update to the World Cellular Data Metrics, which tracks mobile data usage and take-up including subscribers, deployments, revenues, mobile broadband usage, and SMS/MMS/data traffic, shows that the US is the world’s largest LTE market, with the two leading US operators, Verizon Wireless and AT&T, accounting for 35 percent of global LTE subscriptions.
Thecla Mbongue, senior analyst, says: “Verizon ended 1Q14 with 47.9 million LTE subscriptions and AT&T ended with 38.4 million. There are seven operators worldwide with more than 10 million total LTE subscriptions; the majority of these operators are either US or Japanese operators. Korea was the most penetrated LTE market in 1Q14, with a rate of 47 percent of the country's population.”
“The increased availability and affordability of LTE-capable devices is a major growth driver. However, deployments and usage are still at an early stage globally, except for North America, where LTE represented over one-third of mobile broadband usage in 1Q14. In emerging markets, where prepaid is dominant and handset subsidies less frequent, LTE take-up is slow as coverage is limited and operators prioritize the high-end and business segments,” says Mbongue.
LTE is well established in North America, and there have been no significant launches in 2014. However, operators are still expanding their network coverage. As of March 2014, Verizon covered 93 percent of the US population and AT&T covered 87 percent. Sprint and T-Mobile are behind these two leaders with coverage, but both are aggressively building out their LTE networks. As of June 2014, Sprint covered 70 percent of the US population. As of July 2014, T-Mobile covered 71 percent.
Europe has seen 10 LTE launches this year, with the most recent launches being UK Broadband in the UK and Bakcell in Azerbaijan. In total, there are 96 LTE networks in service in Europe, and there are many planned launches on the horizon too, especially in Eastern Europe and CIS countries. The UK leads both Western Europe and all of Europe in LTE subscriptions with over 6 million, while Russia leads Eastern Europe with more than 2 million.
Kristin Paulin, senior research analyst, says: “As at mid-2014, there were 34 LTE deployments in the Asia-Pacific region, split across 16 markets. The region saw its mobile broadband market pass the 1 billion subscriptions mark in early 2014. LTE was the fastest-growing technology, with subscriptions increasing by 102 percent year on year and passed the 100 million mark in mid-2014.
"LTE represented just over 9 percent of total mobile broadband subscriptions. Japan, Korea and Australia are the second, third and fourth largest markets in the world respectively, and the three combined accounted for 32 percent of the global LTE subscriptions in 1Q14.”
The Middle East saw an increase of LTE subscriptions by 174 percent year on year to 3 million in 2Q14. There have been 17 deployments across LTE subscriptions in the Middle East. Vodafone Qatar is the latest operator to launch LTE in the region with a network going live in June 2014.
Infrastructure supplier Huawei led the market in terms of number of contracts – 14 by mid-2014, followed by Ericsson and NSN, with each supplying 7 operators. With a 20 percent population penetration in 1Q14, Kuwait is among the top 10 most penetrated markets globally.
Africa saw 22 live deployments by mid-2014 across 12 countries. There is a high concentration in Southern Africa, which hosts 12 networks. In all cases, coverage is still limited and the strategy is to first target high-end and business segments beyond South Africa. Handsets subsidy is rare and therefore the price of devices is the main entry barrier.
Of the 22 networks, 14 are from operators upgrading from 3G and very few of them offer LTE at a premium price. The eight remaining networks are deployed by ISPs, having upgraded from WiMAX or started from scratch with LTE. There were 1.6 million LTE subscriptions in Africa in 1Q14.
“Ovum forecasts the number of LTE subscriptions globally to exceed 2 billion by 2019, accounting for 25 percent of mobile broadband subscriptions. By that time one in three people will use an LTE device. The future growth will essentially be fuelled by more affordable devices and more network deployments enabled by further spectrum availability," concludes Mbongue.
Ovum’s latest update to the World Cellular Data Metrics, which tracks mobile data usage and take-up including subscribers, deployments, revenues, mobile broadband usage, and SMS/MMS/data traffic, shows that the US is the world’s largest LTE market, with the two leading US operators, Verizon Wireless and AT&T, accounting for 35 percent of global LTE subscriptions.
Thecla Mbongue, senior analyst, says: “Verizon ended 1Q14 with 47.9 million LTE subscriptions and AT&T ended with 38.4 million. There are seven operators worldwide with more than 10 million total LTE subscriptions; the majority of these operators are either US or Japanese operators. Korea was the most penetrated LTE market in 1Q14, with a rate of 47 percent of the country's population.”
“The increased availability and affordability of LTE-capable devices is a major growth driver. However, deployments and usage are still at an early stage globally, except for North America, where LTE represented over one-third of mobile broadband usage in 1Q14. In emerging markets, where prepaid is dominant and handset subsidies less frequent, LTE take-up is slow as coverage is limited and operators prioritize the high-end and business segments,” says Mbongue.
LTE is well established in North America, and there have been no significant launches in 2014. However, operators are still expanding their network coverage. As of March 2014, Verizon covered 93 percent of the US population and AT&T covered 87 percent. Sprint and T-Mobile are behind these two leaders with coverage, but both are aggressively building out their LTE networks. As of June 2014, Sprint covered 70 percent of the US population. As of July 2014, T-Mobile covered 71 percent.
Europe has seen 10 LTE launches this year, with the most recent launches being UK Broadband in the UK and Bakcell in Azerbaijan. In total, there are 96 LTE networks in service in Europe, and there are many planned launches on the horizon too, especially in Eastern Europe and CIS countries. The UK leads both Western Europe and all of Europe in LTE subscriptions with over 6 million, while Russia leads Eastern Europe with more than 2 million.
Kristin Paulin, senior research analyst, says: “As at mid-2014, there were 34 LTE deployments in the Asia-Pacific region, split across 16 markets. The region saw its mobile broadband market pass the 1 billion subscriptions mark in early 2014. LTE was the fastest-growing technology, with subscriptions increasing by 102 percent year on year and passed the 100 million mark in mid-2014.
"LTE represented just over 9 percent of total mobile broadband subscriptions. Japan, Korea and Australia are the second, third and fourth largest markets in the world respectively, and the three combined accounted for 32 percent of the global LTE subscriptions in 1Q14.”
The Middle East saw an increase of LTE subscriptions by 174 percent year on year to 3 million in 2Q14. There have been 17 deployments across LTE subscriptions in the Middle East. Vodafone Qatar is the latest operator to launch LTE in the region with a network going live in June 2014.
Infrastructure supplier Huawei led the market in terms of number of contracts – 14 by mid-2014, followed by Ericsson and NSN, with each supplying 7 operators. With a 20 percent population penetration in 1Q14, Kuwait is among the top 10 most penetrated markets globally.
Africa saw 22 live deployments by mid-2014 across 12 countries. There is a high concentration in Southern Africa, which hosts 12 networks. In all cases, coverage is still limited and the strategy is to first target high-end and business segments beyond South Africa. Handsets subsidy is rare and therefore the price of devices is the main entry barrier.
Of the 22 networks, 14 are from operators upgrading from 3G and very few of them offer LTE at a premium price. The eight remaining networks are deployed by ISPs, having upgraded from WiMAX or started from scratch with LTE. There were 1.6 million LTE subscriptions in Africa in 1Q14.
“Ovum forecasts the number of LTE subscriptions globally to exceed 2 billion by 2019, accounting for 25 percent of mobile broadband subscriptions. By that time one in three people will use an LTE device. The future growth will essentially be fuelled by more affordable devices and more network deployments enabled by further spectrum availability," concludes Mbongue.
Toshiba's UCedge redefines UC across smartphones, tablets and Windows and Mac PCs
IRVINE, USA: Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division released its new UCedge Unified Communications solution.
Redefining Unified Communications, UCedge delivers interoperability between Toshiba phone systems and third-party devices -- including smartphones, tablets and Windows® and Mac® computers.
"UCedge puts your desktop business phone in your pocket by turning your Android or Apple smartphones or tablets into multimedia office productivity tools," said Brian Metherell, VP and GM of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division.
"With the UCedge mobile client, your Android and Apple devices double as extensions of the business phone system, doing the tasks you would expect from your business telephone, including unified communications."
"Toshiba's new UCedge client application enables feature parity across all device types, including smartphones, tablets, mobile and desktop computers. This is an advantage over many communications vendors that offer a full feature set with a Windows desktop client but only a subset of these features with client applications for supported mobile devices," said Sandra Gustavsen, analyst at G Business Systems.
Toshiba's new UCedge client brings unified communications to Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and Windows and Mac computers. UCedge works on Toshiba's VIPedge® and IPedge® business phone solutions as well as Strata® CIX systems with an IPedge Application Server. With client software that is easily downloaded from the Internet, users gain new levels of convenience, productivity and cost savings, no matter how they access their Toshiba phone systems.
Redefining Unified Communications, UCedge delivers interoperability between Toshiba phone systems and third-party devices -- including smartphones, tablets and Windows® and Mac® computers.
"UCedge puts your desktop business phone in your pocket by turning your Android or Apple smartphones or tablets into multimedia office productivity tools," said Brian Metherell, VP and GM of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division.
"With the UCedge mobile client, your Android and Apple devices double as extensions of the business phone system, doing the tasks you would expect from your business telephone, including unified communications."
"Toshiba's new UCedge client application enables feature parity across all device types, including smartphones, tablets, mobile and desktop computers. This is an advantage over many communications vendors that offer a full feature set with a Windows desktop client but only a subset of these features with client applications for supported mobile devices," said Sandra Gustavsen, analyst at G Business Systems.
Toshiba's new UCedge client brings unified communications to Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and Windows and Mac computers. UCedge works on Toshiba's VIPedge® and IPedge® business phone solutions as well as Strata® CIX systems with an IPedge Application Server. With client software that is easily downloaded from the Internet, users gain new levels of convenience, productivity and cost savings, no matter how they access their Toshiba phone systems.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Alcatel-Lucent and Globe Telecom sign LTE confirmation of award to expand mobile ultra-broadband access in the Philippines
PARIS, FRANCE: Alcatel-Lucent and Globe Telecom have signed a confirmation of award for the transformation of wireless network infrastructure in the Philippine regions of Visayas and Mindanao, upgrading it from WiMax to LTE-TDD and LTE-FDD ultra-broadband access technologies.
The LTE infrastructure is part of Globe Telecom's continuing network expansion to enable advanced technologies for better broadband service experience. This will provide higher network capacity, plus faster transmission speeds, addressing ever-increasing demand for broadband service with higher bandwidth in a country of more than 105 million mobile subscribers.
The signing of the confirmation of award was done during the Philippines official state visit to France. President Benigno Simeon Aquino, III of the Philippines and President Francois Hollande of France witnessed the signing in a ceremonial event at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president.
The LTE infrastructure is part of Globe Telecom's continuing network expansion to enable advanced technologies for better broadband service experience. This will provide higher network capacity, plus faster transmission speeds, addressing ever-increasing demand for broadband service with higher bandwidth in a country of more than 105 million mobile subscribers.
The signing of the confirmation of award was done during the Philippines official state visit to France. President Benigno Simeon Aquino, III of the Philippines and President Francois Hollande of France witnessed the signing in a ceremonial event at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president.
LightPointe intros ultra low latency wireless bridge
SAN DIEGO, USA: LightPointe, the leading manufacturer of Gigabit capacity outdoor point-to-point data bridges, is now shipping the new Aire X-Stream FSO solution optimized for telecom networks, which due to the exponential growth of mobile data, video, and voice applications require extremely fast and reliable wireless backhaul infrastructure.
The Aire X-Stream FSO is part of LightPointe's family of Ultra Low Latency (ULL) wireless bridges including 60 GHz and 70/80 GHz radios, and Free Space Optics laser links used to connect buildings or towers in Carrier and Enterprise networks where speed and synchronization are paramount to reliable communications. This is especially critical during call "hand off" when mobile users travel between cell sites, and to ensure overall voice and data transmission quality.
"Ultra Low Latency performance and synchronization are extremely important in today's wireless backhaul networks," said Dr. Heinz Willebrand, CEO of LightPointe Communications.
"Our new Aire X-Stream FSO system not only transmits data extremely fast, it supports telecom networks utilizing the IEEE 1588 standard, also known as Precision Time Protocol or PTP. The Aire X-Stream FSO solution -- which reliably transmits data over eight laser beams per link -- supports all mobile wireless network synchronization schemes essential for a high degree of quality of service. And best of all, the solution is license free worldwide, immune to RF congestion issues, provides the highest wireless data transmission security possible, and is capable of 2.5 Gbps of aggregated capacity per link."
The Aire X-Stream FSO is part of LightPointe's family of Ultra Low Latency (ULL) wireless bridges including 60 GHz and 70/80 GHz radios, and Free Space Optics laser links used to connect buildings or towers in Carrier and Enterprise networks where speed and synchronization are paramount to reliable communications. This is especially critical during call "hand off" when mobile users travel between cell sites, and to ensure overall voice and data transmission quality.
"Ultra Low Latency performance and synchronization are extremely important in today's wireless backhaul networks," said Dr. Heinz Willebrand, CEO of LightPointe Communications.
"Our new Aire X-Stream FSO system not only transmits data extremely fast, it supports telecom networks utilizing the IEEE 1588 standard, also known as Precision Time Protocol or PTP. The Aire X-Stream FSO solution -- which reliably transmits data over eight laser beams per link -- supports all mobile wireless network synchronization schemes essential for a high degree of quality of service. And best of all, the solution is license free worldwide, immune to RF congestion issues, provides the highest wireless data transmission security possible, and is capable of 2.5 Gbps of aggregated capacity per link."
Orange launches start-up accelerator programme in Ivory Coast and Israel
PARIS, FRANCE: With “Orange Fab Ivory Coast” and “Fab Israel”, Orange’s network of start-up accelerators is now present on four continents.
The programme, which is a pillar of the Group's open innovation approach, reflects the determination of Orange to support the new digital players and help them grow by accelerating innovation.
Four start-ups were selected from 86 submissions:
ICT4Dev.ci: A platform for managing agricultural cooperatives composed of an information web portal (Lôr Bouôr); a distribution system for the agricultural prices via mobile (Djori Djori); a vocal booth (Djassi); and a virtual market.
Samartsell: A management solution for points of sale with the following functions: remote management and automation of inventory, billing with mobile devices and selling of airtime from cash registers in order to solve the problems of currency.
Sycelim: Responds to the needs of the insurance and healthcare programmes for asset management, billing management and pension payments. Sycelim also supports the management of the patient’s follow-up: registration of benefits, conditions, prescriptions and medical dispensations pharmacies.
Sportif 225: A sports web agency whose main activity is the sale of web and mobile services adapted to the sport environment, the production of sport contents and the creation of sport events.
The programme, which is a pillar of the Group's open innovation approach, reflects the determination of Orange to support the new digital players and help them grow by accelerating innovation.
Four start-ups were selected from 86 submissions:
ICT4Dev.ci: A platform for managing agricultural cooperatives composed of an information web portal (Lôr Bouôr); a distribution system for the agricultural prices via mobile (Djori Djori); a vocal booth (Djassi); and a virtual market.
Samartsell: A management solution for points of sale with the following functions: remote management and automation of inventory, billing with mobile devices and selling of airtime from cash registers in order to solve the problems of currency.
Sycelim: Responds to the needs of the insurance and healthcare programmes for asset management, billing management and pension payments. Sycelim also supports the management of the patient’s follow-up: registration of benefits, conditions, prescriptions and medical dispensations pharmacies.
Sportif 225: A sports web agency whose main activity is the sale of web and mobile services adapted to the sport environment, the production of sport contents and the creation of sport events.
Orange and the BANK OF AFRICA Group (BOA) expand partnership to offer new mobile financial services in Africa
PARIS, FRANCE: In the coming months, BANK OF AFRICA and Orange Money customers will be able to transfer money directly from their Orange Money account to their BOA account and vice versa simply with their mobile.
Orange customers will have the opportunity to carry out safe and real-time banking operations, to transfer money, pay for goods and services (water, electricity, education, television bills, etc.) and purchase airtime credit without going to the bank or to the shop.
The large network of licensed Orange Money distributors will supplement the network of 450 BANK OF AFRICA branches, offering a maximum number of cash withdrawal points to the customers of the two companies.
Orange customers will have the opportunity to carry out safe and real-time banking operations, to transfer money, pay for goods and services (water, electricity, education, television bills, etc.) and purchase airtime credit without going to the bank or to the shop.
The large network of licensed Orange Money distributors will supplement the network of 450 BANK OF AFRICA branches, offering a maximum number of cash withdrawal points to the customers of the two companies.
Loewe selects Ingenico Group's fully managed iPhone-based payment solution
PARIS, FRANCE: Ingenico Group announced that Loewe, the Spanish luxury retailer, has turned to Ingenico Group for a fully managed iPhone-based in-store mobile payment solution to be deployed across its pan-European and global retail network, starting in Milan (Italy) and Omotesando (Japan).
Ingenico Group's payment solution will feature a fully secure mobile POS (iCMP) connected via Bluetooth with the sales assistants' iPhone. The terminal will also include an integrated suite of m-commerce management tools to customize receipts, issue refunds, export and analyze transaction data, and more.
This innovative payment solution will allow sales assistants to engage shoppers more closely, while speeding up consumer check out by accepting all payment methods from anywhere in the store.
In addition, Ingenico Group will also manage all the European transactions through its central gateway. This fully PCI DSS compliant solution will help Loewe control costs, providing end-to-end security in compliance with international payment regulations and standards.
Ingenico Group's payment solution will feature a fully secure mobile POS (iCMP) connected via Bluetooth with the sales assistants' iPhone. The terminal will also include an integrated suite of m-commerce management tools to customize receipts, issue refunds, export and analyze transaction data, and more.
This innovative payment solution will allow sales assistants to engage shoppers more closely, while speeding up consumer check out by accepting all payment methods from anywhere in the store.
In addition, Ingenico Group will also manage all the European transactions through its central gateway. This fully PCI DSS compliant solution will help Loewe control costs, providing end-to-end security in compliance with international payment regulations and standards.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Micromax announces strategic partnership with BSNL to drive data growth in India
PUNE, INDIA: Micromax Informatics Ltd announced a strategic partnership with an endeavor to drive data growth in the country.
Under this partnership, Micromax and BSNL will extend unique reverse bundling handset offers of free data usage of up to 2GB per quarter to the Indian consumers. BSNL’s focus on data innovation and its expertise in mobile network, along-with Micromax’s expertise in device marketing will redefine the user experience and take data penetration to the next level.
Vineet Taneja, CEO, Micromax said: “At Micromax, it has been our constant endeavor to understand the Indian consumers and come up with products and services which act as a solution for their needs. We are delighted to partner with BSNL, as this collaboration will be an excellent unification of BSNL’s offerings and Micromax’s design capability thus enabling millions of Indian consumers to enjoy seamless connectivity through data usage, affordable call rates and other VAS services.”
Under this partnership, Micromax and BSNL will extend unique reverse bundling handset offers of free data usage of up to 2GB per quarter to the Indian consumers. BSNL’s focus on data innovation and its expertise in mobile network, along-with Micromax’s expertise in device marketing will redefine the user experience and take data penetration to the next level.
Vineet Taneja, CEO, Micromax said: “At Micromax, it has been our constant endeavor to understand the Indian consumers and come up with products and services which act as a solution for their needs. We are delighted to partner with BSNL, as this collaboration will be an excellent unification of BSNL’s offerings and Micromax’s design capability thus enabling millions of Indian consumers to enjoy seamless connectivity through data usage, affordable call rates and other VAS services.”
Huawei launches IP video solution 2.0
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Huawei launched its innovative IP VIDEO Solution 2.0 at International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2014 in Amsterdam.
The new solution uniquely integrates diverse features and new user experience to improve video business platform facilitation from IPTV to Video Everywhere and that innovative platform is part of Huawei video everywhere strategy which enables video@home, video@move and video@enterprise as well. Huawei envisions a video ecosystem, where videos become integral to our lives and work.
The new solution is empowered by cloud technology and provides disruptive new user experience named video magazine with supporting 4K and eMBMS over LTE on one convergent platform.
The new solution uniquely integrates diverse features and new user experience to improve video business platform facilitation from IPTV to Video Everywhere and that innovative platform is part of Huawei video everywhere strategy which enables video@home, video@move and video@enterprise as well. Huawei envisions a video ecosystem, where videos become integral to our lives and work.
The new solution is empowered by cloud technology and provides disruptive new user experience named video magazine with supporting 4K and eMBMS over LTE on one convergent platform.
Global smartphone shipments to reach 1.2 billion this year
HAMPSHIRE, UK: Leading mobile analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments will approach 1.2 billion this year, an increase of 19 percent from 985 million in 2013.
The market is expected to be driven by growth in emerging markets, due to a continued surge in sales and adoption of low-cost Economy ($75-$150) and Ultra-Economy (sub-$75) smartphones.
The report - Smartphone Markets: Trends, Shares & Forecasts 2014-2019 - notes that the emerging markets are now vital to success in this sector, with the gap between the growing emerging markets and the stagnating mature markets closing.
While Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the Ultra-Premium end of the market, these vendors are facing significant pressure from local players in the emerging markets.
For example, Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone vendor, is witnessing tremendous success in China and India as a result of its aggressive price-point offerings. These new players are beginning to build market share and achieve larger economies of scale, which eventually will enable them to expand their offering and challenge other Smartphone sectors in the future.
Additionally, Google is partnering with local vendors for its Google-One initiative to provide a unified feature set tailor-made for the low-cost smartphone market.
In addition to the recently launched 4.7-inch iPhone 6, Apple launched a larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Although the 5.5-inch smartphone does not strictly classify it as a Phablet, we believe it has the potential to change the dynamics of the phablet market.
This will also have a significant impact on other vendors such as Samsung who previously had the additional advantage of having large screen devices.
Other key findings include:
* Apple and Samsung will account for nearly 45 percent of the global smartphones shipped this year.
* The Average Selling Price of a smartphone will decline globally to reach $274 by 2019.
The market is expected to be driven by growth in emerging markets, due to a continued surge in sales and adoption of low-cost Economy ($75-$150) and Ultra-Economy (sub-$75) smartphones.
The report - Smartphone Markets: Trends, Shares & Forecasts 2014-2019 - notes that the emerging markets are now vital to success in this sector, with the gap between the growing emerging markets and the stagnating mature markets closing.
While Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the Ultra-Premium end of the market, these vendors are facing significant pressure from local players in the emerging markets.
For example, Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone vendor, is witnessing tremendous success in China and India as a result of its aggressive price-point offerings. These new players are beginning to build market share and achieve larger economies of scale, which eventually will enable them to expand their offering and challenge other Smartphone sectors in the future.
Additionally, Google is partnering with local vendors for its Google-One initiative to provide a unified feature set tailor-made for the low-cost smartphone market.
In addition to the recently launched 4.7-inch iPhone 6, Apple launched a larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Although the 5.5-inch smartphone does not strictly classify it as a Phablet, we believe it has the potential to change the dynamics of the phablet market.
This will also have a significant impact on other vendors such as Samsung who previously had the additional advantage of having large screen devices.
Other key findings include:
* Apple and Samsung will account for nearly 45 percent of the global smartphones shipped this year.
* The Average Selling Price of a smartphone will decline globally to reach $274 by 2019.
Korea Telecom launches Broadcom-enabled Ultra HD IPTV service
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Broadcom Corp. announced that its Ultra high-definition (HD) system-on-chip (SoC) technology has enabled Korea Telecom, South Korea's largest telecommunications provider, to launch one of the nation's first 4K in-home IPTV media service.
Leveraging Broadcom's advanced compression and decoding technology, Korea Telecom's Olleh GiGA UHD(4K) set-top box (STB) delivers fluid 60 frame-per-second (fps) video with vivid 10-bit color at 4X the resolution conventional HD displays.
Korea Telecom's innovative Olleh GiGA UHD(4K) service allows subscribers to search for programs via voice commands and watch four different channels simultaneously. Consumers can also check for live statistics during sporting event broadcasts and view content in multiple languages. Korea Telecom plans to launch a variety of programming options, offering more than 500 Ultra HD program choices by the end of this year.
With Broadcom's complete portfolio of HEVC-enabled devices, operators can substantially reduce the bandwidth required for Ultra HD or HD content transmission over IP, cable or satellite networks, and deliver these services to more locations throughout the home.
Leveraging Broadcom's advanced compression and decoding technology, Korea Telecom's Olleh GiGA UHD(4K) set-top box (STB) delivers fluid 60 frame-per-second (fps) video with vivid 10-bit color at 4X the resolution conventional HD displays.
Korea Telecom's innovative Olleh GiGA UHD(4K) service allows subscribers to search for programs via voice commands and watch four different channels simultaneously. Consumers can also check for live statistics during sporting event broadcasts and view content in multiple languages. Korea Telecom plans to launch a variety of programming options, offering more than 500 Ultra HD program choices by the end of this year.
With Broadcom's complete portfolio of HEVC-enabled devices, operators can substantially reduce the bandwidth required for Ultra HD or HD content transmission over IP, cable or satellite networks, and deliver these services to more locations throughout the home.
Motorola Solutions debut Bluetooth compatible MU350R consumer radios
SCHAUMBURG, USA: Just in time for the fall hunting season, Motorola Solutions Inc. offers its TALKABOUT consumer two-way radios and separate push-to-talk button (PTT) allowing hunters to communicate wirelessly by pairing with a Bluetooth headset.
The Motorola Talkabout MU350R two-way radios also feature enhanced audio clarity and battery life capabilities, making it a powerful communication device for serious hunting and outdoor enthusiasts.
Hunters can communicate wirelessly without having to worry about getting tangled up with bulky cords by simply coupling the Bluetooth-enabled Motorola MU350R radio with a Bluetooth headset. They can easily monitor their radio channel and press the built-in PTT button when they need to share important information.
For situations where greater flexibility and unrestricted communication is needed, the Motorola 1693 Bluetooth PTT button is also available. The oversized button can be rotated to face any direction and easily clipped on a vest or discreetly tucked into a pocket. It connects wirelessly to the MU350R radio and headset, allowing hunters to easily communicate, while staying focused on their game for maximum convenience. The Bluetooth headset and 1693 Bluetooth PTT button are sold separately.
The MU350R also features "Talkabout Clear," which enhances sound quality for clearer transmissions at a higher volume by reducing distortion with a Class D amplifier. Hunters will also enjoy greater audio clarity, making it easier to communicate with others in the field or at camp.
For those moments when silence is especially important, hunters will appreciate the "VibraCall" function, which silently alerts them to incoming transmissions by vibrating without disturbing game.
The Motorola Talkabout MU350R two-way radios also feature enhanced audio clarity and battery life capabilities, making it a powerful communication device for serious hunting and outdoor enthusiasts.
Hunters can communicate wirelessly without having to worry about getting tangled up with bulky cords by simply coupling the Bluetooth-enabled Motorola MU350R radio with a Bluetooth headset. They can easily monitor their radio channel and press the built-in PTT button when they need to share important information.
For situations where greater flexibility and unrestricted communication is needed, the Motorola 1693 Bluetooth PTT button is also available. The oversized button can be rotated to face any direction and easily clipped on a vest or discreetly tucked into a pocket. It connects wirelessly to the MU350R radio and headset, allowing hunters to easily communicate, while staying focused on their game for maximum convenience. The Bluetooth headset and 1693 Bluetooth PTT button are sold separately.
The MU350R also features "Talkabout Clear," which enhances sound quality for clearer transmissions at a higher volume by reducing distortion with a Class D amplifier. Hunters will also enjoy greater audio clarity, making it easier to communicate with others in the field or at camp.
For those moments when silence is especially important, hunters will appreciate the "VibraCall" function, which silently alerts them to incoming transmissions by vibrating without disturbing game.
ECOC market focus to address key challenges facing optical industry
LONDON, ENGLAND: Mass Market Broadband, Photonics integration, Data Centre Networks, Packet-optical, Optical Network Agility and Service Providers are the key topics for this year’s Market Focus sessions.
The sessions sponsored by Inphi are a key part of the ECOC exhibition, with over 27 sessions confirmed from some of the industry’s global leaders, the sessions will address some of the key issues currently facing the optical industry. The Market Focus sessions will be held at the ECOC exhibition in Cannes on the 22-24th of September 2014.
“This year we wanted the Market Focus to be bigger and better by attracting a variety of global speakers to reflect the growing spectrum of the optical communications industry,” said Beverley Lucas, Group Event manager for Nexus Business Media Ltd, organisers of the ECOC exhibition.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the return of a whole host of world class industry speakers and are excited to show our visitors a quality line up of presentations.”
The sessions sponsored by Inphi are a key part of the ECOC exhibition, with over 27 sessions confirmed from some of the industry’s global leaders, the sessions will address some of the key issues currently facing the optical industry. The Market Focus sessions will be held at the ECOC exhibition in Cannes on the 22-24th of September 2014.
“This year we wanted the Market Focus to be bigger and better by attracting a variety of global speakers to reflect the growing spectrum of the optical communications industry,” said Beverley Lucas, Group Event manager for Nexus Business Media Ltd, organisers of the ECOC exhibition.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the return of a whole host of world class industry speakers and are excited to show our visitors a quality line up of presentations.”
Monday, September 15, 2014
Broadband Forum and NFV ISG (ETSI) up ante for NFV
DUBLIN, IRELAND: The Broadband Forum continues to collaborate with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s (ETSI) Industry Specification Group for Network Functions Virtualization (NFV ISG) after agreeing a formal liaison relationship last year.
The collaboration aims to achieve a consistent approach and common architecture for the infrastructure needed to support virtualized network functions, and will help the industry channel its efforts towards achieving a rapid roll-out of NFV solutions.
NFV grew out of carriers’ need to embrace adoption of cloud technologies, open platforms and interfaces for enhanced service delivery in their networks, which would reduce complexity, enhance scalability and speed time to market. These new innovative software based technologies will co-exist with current multi-vendor environments, making interoperability a key requirement as well the need for cooperation amongst the various organizations developing standards and specifications.
After meeting with ETSI’s NFV ISG in July of this year, the Broadband Forum will help bring NFV solutions and related technologies into operation and help make them the mainstay of the networking industry.
The collaboration aims to achieve a consistent approach and common architecture for the infrastructure needed to support virtualized network functions, and will help the industry channel its efforts towards achieving a rapid roll-out of NFV solutions.
NFV grew out of carriers’ need to embrace adoption of cloud technologies, open platforms and interfaces for enhanced service delivery in their networks, which would reduce complexity, enhance scalability and speed time to market. These new innovative software based technologies will co-exist with current multi-vendor environments, making interoperability a key requirement as well the need for cooperation amongst the various organizations developing standards and specifications.
After meeting with ETSI’s NFV ISG in July of this year, the Broadband Forum will help bring NFV solutions and related technologies into operation and help make them the mainstay of the networking industry.
University of Westminster embraces smartphone revolution with Advanced’s CMISGo
UK: The University of Westminster (UoW) is embracing the smartphone revolution by allowing students and staff access to the academic timetable for 2014/15 via their mobile devices.
Using CMISGo from Advanced Learning (Advanced), the timetable was be made available to 27,000 students and more than 4,000 staff via their smartphones in August.
This is the earliest ever publication of the UoW’s academic timetable. It is also the first time UoW has published this information via mobile devices.
Access to timetables in this way will significantly improve students’ lives by enabling them to organise themselves long ahead of their academic commitments and deadlines. Students and academic staff will also be able to share diaries and course information via their smartphones, enhancing their ability to collaborate.
In addition, a self-service room booking facility which allows students and staff to reserve teaching and study space across the university’s estate via their smartphones (using CMISGo) will be introduced in September 2014, further enhancing students’ learning experiences.
This follows a successful pilot by UoW’s corporate services department, which began June 2014. The pilot resulted in 2,367 individual room bookings being made by 211 different users (an average of 70 per day).
Using CMISGo from Advanced Learning (Advanced), the timetable was be made available to 27,000 students and more than 4,000 staff via their smartphones in August.
This is the earliest ever publication of the UoW’s academic timetable. It is also the first time UoW has published this information via mobile devices.
Access to timetables in this way will significantly improve students’ lives by enabling them to organise themselves long ahead of their academic commitments and deadlines. Students and academic staff will also be able to share diaries and course information via their smartphones, enhancing their ability to collaborate.
In addition, a self-service room booking facility which allows students and staff to reserve teaching and study space across the university’s estate via their smartphones (using CMISGo) will be introduced in September 2014, further enhancing students’ learning experiences.
This follows a successful pilot by UoW’s corporate services department, which began June 2014. The pilot resulted in 2,367 individual room bookings being made by 211 different users (an average of 70 per day).
North America's largest carriers gather to drive LTE forward
DALLAS, USA: Later this year, LTE North America, the regions only LTE focused event, will take place once again with all the major service providers from the continent in attendance.
This unique networking event, which takes place 18-20 November, will see industry giants like AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Verizon, Sprint and US Cellular all in one place, allowing easy accessibility for delegates looking to create new relationships and partnerships. The carriers will educate and inform the entire LTE ecosystem, to further develop the quality and reach of LTE services in the region.
A recent study carried out by Ovum[1], found that North American LTE subscriptions now make up 45% of the world’s total subscriptions, proving the amount of dedication and experience the operators have in the region with deploying and rolling out LTE connections.
LTE North America, through its operator speaker line up, will provide further stepping stones for the regions carriers and vendors looking for further development and create vital business leads for companies across the industry.
This unique networking event, which takes place 18-20 November, will see industry giants like AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Verizon, Sprint and US Cellular all in one place, allowing easy accessibility for delegates looking to create new relationships and partnerships. The carriers will educate and inform the entire LTE ecosystem, to further develop the quality and reach of LTE services in the region.
A recent study carried out by Ovum[1], found that North American LTE subscriptions now make up 45% of the world’s total subscriptions, proving the amount of dedication and experience the operators have in the region with deploying and rolling out LTE connections.
LTE North America, through its operator speaker line up, will provide further stepping stones for the regions carriers and vendors looking for further development and create vital business leads for companies across the industry.
Celeno announces availability of 802.11ac 4x4 solution
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Celeno Communications, a leading provider of high-performance Wi-Fi chips and software for home networking applications, unveiled the latest in its 802.11ac portfolio of offerings ─ the CL2340.
The PCIe-integrated chip completes the Celeno wireless portfolio to provide solutions across the entire range, covering the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and both 802.11n and 802.11ac - including 2x2, 3x3 chips as well as the new 4x4 dual band 11ac chips. With design-to-cost in mind, Celeno’s portfolio supports a diverse range of solution topologies and connectivity, including standalone, full-offload RGMII, PCIe and USB.
The new 4x4 chipset will provide increased performance and enhanced home coverage for MSOs and Service Providers using Celeno’s chips in their home gateways, access points, and set-top-boxes.
The CL2340 is a single chip PCIe Wi-Fi solution, supports 80MHz bandwidth for higher throughput and supports both implicit and explicit beamforming for extended range. The CL2340 is also powered by Celeno’s breakthrough Airtime Management technology – OptimizAIR 2.0.
Unique in the field, OptimizAIR 2.0 enables the provisioning and dynamic allocation of Wi-Fi capacity to different virtual networks (SSID), services, and even different client devices all served by the same Wi-Fi Access Point. The result is an optimized home Wi-Fi network that can ensure the highest quality of service no matter how many W-Fi enabled devices are competing for bandwidth.
The new chipset also supports Celeno’s Upload Manager for OptimizAIR 2.0, which allows for the management and coordination of uploading as well as downloading data streams. This new technology directly addresses the strain on Wi-Fi bandwidth caused by the increase in the use of cloud storage, and represents a major enhancement to access point and gateway capabilities.
The PCIe-integrated chip completes the Celeno wireless portfolio to provide solutions across the entire range, covering the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and both 802.11n and 802.11ac - including 2x2, 3x3 chips as well as the new 4x4 dual band 11ac chips. With design-to-cost in mind, Celeno’s portfolio supports a diverse range of solution topologies and connectivity, including standalone, full-offload RGMII, PCIe and USB.
The new 4x4 chipset will provide increased performance and enhanced home coverage for MSOs and Service Providers using Celeno’s chips in their home gateways, access points, and set-top-boxes.
The CL2340 is a single chip PCIe Wi-Fi solution, supports 80MHz bandwidth for higher throughput and supports both implicit and explicit beamforming for extended range. The CL2340 is also powered by Celeno’s breakthrough Airtime Management technology – OptimizAIR 2.0.
Unique in the field, OptimizAIR 2.0 enables the provisioning and dynamic allocation of Wi-Fi capacity to different virtual networks (SSID), services, and even different client devices all served by the same Wi-Fi Access Point. The result is an optimized home Wi-Fi network that can ensure the highest quality of service no matter how many W-Fi enabled devices are competing for bandwidth.
The new chipset also supports Celeno’s Upload Manager for OptimizAIR 2.0, which allows for the management and coordination of uploading as well as downloading data streams. This new technology directly addresses the strain on Wi-Fi bandwidth caused by the increase in the use of cloud storage, and represents a major enhancement to access point and gateway capabilities.
OMA throws spotlight on standards debate for NGN and M2M
LONDON, ENGLAND: The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) has announced that it will have two presentations at the 10th anniversary Service Delivery Innovation (SDI) Summit in London.
Senior OMA representatives, Eshwar Pittampalli, Francesco Vadalà and Joaquin Prado will address delegates in two separate talks, the first will be on how standards will play a part in expediting the roll out of services within next generation networks and second on transforming the M2M market. The SDI Summit will take place September 16th-17th 2014 at the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch, London.
Network of the future - Market need and its influence on services standards' is the topic for Eshwar Pittampalli and Francesco Vadalà who will be speaking on Wednesday 17th September. This must see presentation will address the need for a functional service layer within next generation networks to enable operators to be able to generate the increased efficiencies and revenues promised by these technologies and how standards will play a part in this.
Also on Wednesday, 17th September, The Role of Standardization in M2M/IOT' will be addressed by Joaquin Prado. This presentation will address the challenges and opportunities of M2M and the Internet of Things (IOT), including innovation trends, standards and commercialization.
Senior OMA representatives, Eshwar Pittampalli, Francesco Vadalà and Joaquin Prado will address delegates in two separate talks, the first will be on how standards will play a part in expediting the roll out of services within next generation networks and second on transforming the M2M market. The SDI Summit will take place September 16th-17th 2014 at the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch, London.
Network of the future - Market need and its influence on services standards' is the topic for Eshwar Pittampalli and Francesco Vadalà who will be speaking on Wednesday 17th September. This must see presentation will address the need for a functional service layer within next generation networks to enable operators to be able to generate the increased efficiencies and revenues promised by these technologies and how standards will play a part in this.
Also on Wednesday, 17th September, The Role of Standardization in M2M/IOT' will be addressed by Joaquin Prado. This presentation will address the challenges and opportunities of M2M and the Internet of Things (IOT), including innovation trends, standards and commercialization.
MediaTek teams with Google on Android One
INDIA: Aiming to reach the next billion people, MediaTek and Google are working together on Android One, an initiative to provide a family of high-quality and affordably priced Android devices for consumers in emerging markets.
With Android One, which launched today, Google is working closely with partners to make it easier and faster to manufacture Android smartphones for the rising super-midmarket — a new market segment comprising an unprecedented volume of premium mid-range smart devices.
“MediaTek has long been an advocate of providing high-quality devices at reasonable prices, and our all-inclusive product road map stands as a strong proof point of that commitment,” said Mohit Bhushan, VP of US Business Development at MediaTek.
“By collaborating extensively with Google on Android One, we are enabling a total solution that encompasses hardware, software and testing, for manufacturers and brands globally. This initiative is directly in line with MediaTek’s vision to democratize high-quality technology — to allow anyone to achieve their limitless potential and become, what we like to call, an Everyday Genius.”
The first set of Android One devices features MediaTek’s MT6582 Mobile System-on-Chip (Mobile SoC) based on quad ARM Cortex A7 processors. The processors are managed by MediaTek’s CorePilotTM technology, an advanced scheduler algorithm with adaptive thermal and interactive power management that delivers superior multi-tasking performance and excellent sustained performance-per-watt for a premium mobile experience.
Also inherent in the MT6582 is integrated multimedia hardware (audio, video, graphics and camera) as well as UMTS Release 8 modem capabilities.
The first set of Android One smartphones based on MediaTek’s MT6582 is being introduced today in India by leading brand partners Karbonn, Micromax and Spice.
With Android One, which launched today, Google is working closely with partners to make it easier and faster to manufacture Android smartphones for the rising super-midmarket — a new market segment comprising an unprecedented volume of premium mid-range smart devices.
“MediaTek has long been an advocate of providing high-quality devices at reasonable prices, and our all-inclusive product road map stands as a strong proof point of that commitment,” said Mohit Bhushan, VP of US Business Development at MediaTek.
“By collaborating extensively with Google on Android One, we are enabling a total solution that encompasses hardware, software and testing, for manufacturers and brands globally. This initiative is directly in line with MediaTek’s vision to democratize high-quality technology — to allow anyone to achieve their limitless potential and become, what we like to call, an Everyday Genius.”
The first set of Android One devices features MediaTek’s MT6582 Mobile System-on-Chip (Mobile SoC) based on quad ARM Cortex A7 processors. The processors are managed by MediaTek’s CorePilotTM technology, an advanced scheduler algorithm with adaptive thermal and interactive power management that delivers superior multi-tasking performance and excellent sustained performance-per-watt for a premium mobile experience.
Also inherent in the MT6582 is integrated multimedia hardware (audio, video, graphics and camera) as well as UMTS Release 8 modem capabilities.
The first set of Android One smartphones based on MediaTek’s MT6582 is being introduced today in India by leading brand partners Karbonn, Micromax and Spice.
2K unveils WWE SuperCard for mobile devices
NEW YORK, USA: 2K has announced the larger-than-life, action-packed entertainment of WWE has arrived on mobile devices with WWE SuperCard, a brand new collectible card game.
WWE SuperCard is available now for download on the App Store for iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as the Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore for Android devices.
WWE SuperCard challenges players to build teams of WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, train them to their full potential, battle in various match types and test their luck in high stakes tournament action.
Featuring more than 400 cards in active play, with each card representing one of seven different rarity levels, WWE SuperCard delivers an extensive array of collectible content with high replay value. In addition, WWE SuperCard enables players to enhance their experience through the purchase of individual card packs.
WWE SuperCard is available now for download on the App Store for iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as the Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore for Android devices.
WWE SuperCard challenges players to build teams of WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, train them to their full potential, battle in various match types and test their luck in high stakes tournament action.
Featuring more than 400 cards in active play, with each card representing one of seven different rarity levels, WWE SuperCard delivers an extensive array of collectible content with high replay value. In addition, WWE SuperCard enables players to enhance their experience through the purchase of individual card packs.
Ovum forecasts global OC market to grow 8 percent in 2014
LONDON, ENGLAND: The global optical components (OC) market posted revenues of $6.8 billion in 2013, up 3 percent from the 2012 level.
The gain was due to strong datacom sales driven by hyperscale data centers, 100G coherent demand, and unexpected growth in sales of transceivers for fiber-to-the-antenna applications for 4G build-outs, according to global market research firm Ovum.
Ovum’s new optical components forecast* projects the following market developments:
* OC sales will grow in 2014 following a respectable 1Q14. The market posted a 1 percent decline sequentially, but grew 7 percent compared to the year-ago period. The lower 1Q14 result is due to new lower telecom prices being implemented. Demand for 100G components for coherent transmission in WAN, datacom transceivers at 10 and 40G, and fiber-to-the-antenna transceivers is expected to continue. Traffic continues to increase, and high-speed optics being used in new applications are helping to drive the market forward.
* 1Q14 marks the fourth consecutive quarter with revenue growth compared to the year-ago period. The market is moving along at a nice pace when compared to the year-ago period.
* The WAN OC segment, which includes components in telecom carriers’ core and metro networks, continues to be the largest segment and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 11 percent to $7 billion in 2019. Demand for 100G components and modules is a big driver for growth in WAN. We expect strong demand for pluggable coherent transceivers in 2015.
* ROADMs and amplifiers posted a weak 2013, and we expect this weakness to continue in 2014. However, we do believe that the market will start to ship the colourless, directionless and contentionless ROADMs with flexible grid in 2015 and grow from there. We also expect growth from sales of Raman amplifiers, particularly at the end of the forecast period, to support longer-distance transmission for data rates beyond 100G.
* Datacom will be the fastest-growing segment, expanding at a 16 percent CAGR to reach $4.2 billion in 2019. The market is led by demand for 10 and 40G components in the early years and then 100G in the later years driven by the availability of server ports supporting data rates greater than 10G.
* Access is forecasted to decline at a 2 percent CAGR to $1.1 billion in 2019. Access includes CATV, FTTx and transceivers for the fiber-to-the-antenna application. The decline will be driven by the FTTx application, where volumes are nearly constant through the forecast period but price declines are projected to pull down revenues.
The gain was due to strong datacom sales driven by hyperscale data centers, 100G coherent demand, and unexpected growth in sales of transceivers for fiber-to-the-antenna applications for 4G build-outs, according to global market research firm Ovum.
Ovum’s new optical components forecast* projects the following market developments:
* OC sales will grow in 2014 following a respectable 1Q14. The market posted a 1 percent decline sequentially, but grew 7 percent compared to the year-ago period. The lower 1Q14 result is due to new lower telecom prices being implemented. Demand for 100G components for coherent transmission in WAN, datacom transceivers at 10 and 40G, and fiber-to-the-antenna transceivers is expected to continue. Traffic continues to increase, and high-speed optics being used in new applications are helping to drive the market forward.
* 1Q14 marks the fourth consecutive quarter with revenue growth compared to the year-ago period. The market is moving along at a nice pace when compared to the year-ago period.
* The WAN OC segment, which includes components in telecom carriers’ core and metro networks, continues to be the largest segment and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 11 percent to $7 billion in 2019. Demand for 100G components and modules is a big driver for growth in WAN. We expect strong demand for pluggable coherent transceivers in 2015.
* ROADMs and amplifiers posted a weak 2013, and we expect this weakness to continue in 2014. However, we do believe that the market will start to ship the colourless, directionless and contentionless ROADMs with flexible grid in 2015 and grow from there. We also expect growth from sales of Raman amplifiers, particularly at the end of the forecast period, to support longer-distance transmission for data rates beyond 100G.
* Datacom will be the fastest-growing segment, expanding at a 16 percent CAGR to reach $4.2 billion in 2019. The market is led by demand for 10 and 40G components in the early years and then 100G in the later years driven by the availability of server ports supporting data rates greater than 10G.
* Access is forecasted to decline at a 2 percent CAGR to $1.1 billion in 2019. Access includes CATV, FTTx and transceivers for the fiber-to-the-antenna application. The decline will be driven by the FTTx application, where volumes are nearly constant through the forecast period but price declines are projected to pull down revenues.
Small Cell Forum announces new chair
UK: Small Cell Forum is delighted to announce that Alan Law will officially take over from outgoing chair, Gordon Mansfield on 1 October 2014.
Previously vice chair, Europe, Alan has played an active role in shaping the direction of the Small Cell Forum through roles in the LTE Special Interest Group, the Operator Group and as Vodafone’s representative on the Executive Board.
Sue Monahan, CEO, Small Cell Forum, said, “The importance of having the insights of a leading global operator as Chair can't be underestimated, with Alan’s experience and knowledge making him the perfect candidate to take over the mantle and continue the great work started by Gordon and his predecessors.”
Previously vice chair, Europe, Alan has played an active role in shaping the direction of the Small Cell Forum through roles in the LTE Special Interest Group, the Operator Group and as Vodafone’s representative on the Executive Board.
Sue Monahan, CEO, Small Cell Forum, said, “The importance of having the insights of a leading global operator as Chair can't be underestimated, with Alan’s experience and knowledge making him the perfect candidate to take over the mantle and continue the great work started by Gordon and his predecessors.”
Smartphones growing in size – is this end for small phone stands?
UK: Apple is rumored to follow trends for larger smartphones, and reports from sites such as market research firm Jana suggest people prefer sizes of at least 5 inches, substantially bigger than most current popular models.
With smartphones now regularly being used for streaming TV and movies, using apps and chatting via video apps – all of which work far better hands-free – does that mean that gadgets for standing up those devices will inevitably have to follow suit with increasing dimensions to accommodate the larger sizes?
Meet the new Standeazy, the polymer credit card sized phone stand designed to hold not just iPhones, but also heavier or larger devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note or the Acer S520 / S2 and e-readers like the Kindle.
Manufactured in England, it still has the same format, but has been redesigned and is now made from stronger materials. It fits into the wallet and converts smartphones into hands-free devices in a few seconds.
For those who want to use a stand for their mini tablets as well, the new Standeazy Ultra holds devices such as the iPad Mini in portrait and landscape whilst shining with a slick metal finish… all in the nifty size of a credit card.
As such, the new Standeazy remains the ideal travel stand, allowing smartphone users to watch TV or movies whilst out and about. Families find it great for entertaining the kids in those crucial moments when a bit of quiet is required.
At home, this gadget is a great companion to ease household chores by allowing you to watch TV or videos wherever you find a flat surface. Standeazy will transform your phone into a bedside clock, lets you chat hands-free with FaceTime or Skype, or use your phone for viewing tutorials, recipes and any of the many other hands-free apps.
With smartphones now regularly being used for streaming TV and movies, using apps and chatting via video apps – all of which work far better hands-free – does that mean that gadgets for standing up those devices will inevitably have to follow suit with increasing dimensions to accommodate the larger sizes?
Meet the new Standeazy, the polymer credit card sized phone stand designed to hold not just iPhones, but also heavier or larger devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note or the Acer S520 / S2 and e-readers like the Kindle.
Manufactured in England, it still has the same format, but has been redesigned and is now made from stronger materials. It fits into the wallet and converts smartphones into hands-free devices in a few seconds.
For those who want to use a stand for their mini tablets as well, the new Standeazy Ultra holds devices such as the iPad Mini in portrait and landscape whilst shining with a slick metal finish… all in the nifty size of a credit card.
As such, the new Standeazy remains the ideal travel stand, allowing smartphone users to watch TV or movies whilst out and about. Families find it great for entertaining the kids in those crucial moments when a bit of quiet is required.
At home, this gadget is a great companion to ease household chores by allowing you to watch TV or videos wherever you find a flat surface. Standeazy will transform your phone into a bedside clock, lets you chat hands-free with FaceTime or Skype, or use your phone for viewing tutorials, recipes and any of the many other hands-free apps.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Aria Networks announces SD-WAN optimizer
ENGLAND, UK: Aria Networks announced its SD-WAN optimizer for capacity planning and orchestration of Software Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN).
Aria Networks’ SD-WAN software automates the management and control of WAN functionality for network operators and service providers.
Aria Networks’ SD-WAN optimizer models complex networks every five minutes to provide service providers with a current view of the network and traffic for each of the following purposes:
• Network assets and infrastructure planning: enabling service providers to model the impact of new services on the network to design and built out the most efficient infrastructure and to determine the cost of service delivery.
• High watermark of traffic: enabling service providers to model the impact of network builds and revisions for special events and to manage the traffic for an optimal customer experience.
• Network Operations: enabling service providers to view current traffic and service utilization on the network in real time for operational purposes to minimize the impact of failures and to react fast to unusual traffic patterns.
Uniquely to Aria Networks, these models are achieved across all network layers and technologies including multi-vendor networks.
Aria Networks’ SD-WAN software automates the management and control of WAN functionality for network operators and service providers.
Aria Networks’ SD-WAN optimizer models complex networks every five minutes to provide service providers with a current view of the network and traffic for each of the following purposes:
• Network assets and infrastructure planning: enabling service providers to model the impact of new services on the network to design and built out the most efficient infrastructure and to determine the cost of service delivery.
• High watermark of traffic: enabling service providers to model the impact of network builds and revisions for special events and to manage the traffic for an optimal customer experience.
• Network Operations: enabling service providers to view current traffic and service utilization on the network in real time for operational purposes to minimize the impact of failures and to react fast to unusual traffic patterns.
Uniquely to Aria Networks, these models are achieved across all network layers and technologies including multi-vendor networks.
Huawei showcases innovative video business solutions
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Huawei showcased its innovative video business solutions and shared its vision for a dynamic video ecosystem at IBC 2014 in Amsterdam.
Huawei believes that the growing demand for video traffic will be a key driver of telecom business growth, and that operators should embrace an innovative video business ecosystem to capitalize on the video traffic growth, in particular the mobile traffic growth.
The growth of video beyond television is a rising trend in the ICT industry, which motivates global operators to strategize their video business to realize digital transformation and traffic monetization. Huawei envisions a video ecosystem, where videos become integral to our lives and work and are created everywhere.
Under the trend of video and device proliferation, Huawei has developed a Video Everywhere framework, in which Huawei sees three categories of video traffic, including entertainment videos, communication videos and video creation. Under the framework, Huawei has designed innovative business models for telecom operators to provide enhanced user experience for end users.
Huawei believes that the growing demand for video traffic will be a key driver of telecom business growth, and that operators should embrace an innovative video business ecosystem to capitalize on the video traffic growth, in particular the mobile traffic growth.
The growth of video beyond television is a rising trend in the ICT industry, which motivates global operators to strategize their video business to realize digital transformation and traffic monetization. Huawei envisions a video ecosystem, where videos become integral to our lives and work and are created everywhere.
Under the trend of video and device proliferation, Huawei has developed a Video Everywhere framework, in which Huawei sees three categories of video traffic, including entertainment videos, communication videos and video creation. Under the framework, Huawei has designed innovative business models for telecom operators to provide enhanced user experience for end users.
Bounce back in Ethernet switch market in Q2 belies hostile challenges faced by vendors
BOSTON, USA: Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2nd quarter (2Q14) Ethernet Switches report, which tracks unmanaged, web-managed, and fully-managed fixed and chassis switches by port speed (100M, 1G, 10G, 40G, 100G).
"The Ethernet switching market recovered in the second quarter of 2014 after a slow first quarter, but revenue growth remains challenged as vendors compete aggressively against each other, white-label solutions gain greater traction, and large data center operators negotiate more favorable terms," notes Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise networks and video at Infonetics Research.
"So while overall switching demand remains healthy, revenue is growing at only half the rate of port shipments."
Ethernet switch market highlights
* The global Ethernet switch market grew 11 percent to $5.4 billion in 2Q14, a result of better than anticipated results at #1 Cisco and strong results by a number of smaller players including Arista, Brocade, HP, Huawei, Juniper, and ZTE
* Year-over-year growth accelerated from 2 percent in 1Q14 to 6 percent in 2Q14.
* Switching growth was well balanced across small- and medium-sized business (SMB) and enterprise accounts, and the public sector is showing signs of stabilization.
* Web-managed and fully-managed fixed switches posted strong growth from 2Q13 to 2Q14, while unmanaged and chassis switches declined.
* 100G ports grew over 50 percent sequentially in 2Q14, and over 3,000 ports were sold; 100G on fixed switches will start shipping in 3Q14, which is expected to sustain current market growth rates.
* Asia Pacific is the key growth region for Ethernet switches right now, but not all countries are faring equally: China is delivering very strong growth and the rest of APAC is accelerating, while Japan is trending flat to slightly down.
"The Ethernet switching market recovered in the second quarter of 2014 after a slow first quarter, but revenue growth remains challenged as vendors compete aggressively against each other, white-label solutions gain greater traction, and large data center operators negotiate more favorable terms," notes Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise networks and video at Infonetics Research.
"So while overall switching demand remains healthy, revenue is growing at only half the rate of port shipments."
Ethernet switch market highlights
* The global Ethernet switch market grew 11 percent to $5.4 billion in 2Q14, a result of better than anticipated results at #1 Cisco and strong results by a number of smaller players including Arista, Brocade, HP, Huawei, Juniper, and ZTE
* Year-over-year growth accelerated from 2 percent in 1Q14 to 6 percent in 2Q14.
* Switching growth was well balanced across small- and medium-sized business (SMB) and enterprise accounts, and the public sector is showing signs of stabilization.
* Web-managed and fully-managed fixed switches posted strong growth from 2Q13 to 2Q14, while unmanaged and chassis switches declined.
* 100G ports grew over 50 percent sequentially in 2Q14, and over 3,000 ports were sold; 100G on fixed switches will start shipping in 3Q14, which is expected to sustain current market growth rates.
* Asia Pacific is the key growth region for Ethernet switches right now, but not all countries are faring equally: China is delivering very strong growth and the rest of APAC is accelerating, while Japan is trending flat to slightly down.
Billion devices on LTE networks by 2017 face BYOD security threat
CTIA SUPER MOBILITY WEEK, LAS VEGAS, USA: The rapid growth of the BYOD market, coupled with an explosion in 4G networks fed by small cell deployment, is creating an IT security threat that the global market needs to urgently address.
This was the message given at 4G World by Dr. Martin Nuss, CTO of Vitesse Semiconductor, a leading provider of advanced IC solutions for Carrier, Enterprise and Internet of Things (IoT) networks worldwide.
Dr Nuss has over 20 years of technical and management experience and is a recognized industry expert in Ethernet technology. He serves on the board of directors for the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry (ATIS) and is a fellow of the Optical Society of America. He told a packed audience at 4G World that while small cells are an integral part of 4G LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) deployments and Carrier Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) strategies, their very accessibility makes them easy targets for hackers.
Dr. Nuss observed that while mobile networks are inherently more secure than WiFi hotspots, the emergence of small cell base stations required for LTE and LTE-A capacity improvements poses a new security risk. Being located at street-level, small cells are more susceptible to tampering and hacking than traditional macro base stations.
He noted that small cell backhaul often will also occur over third-party access provider networks that may not have the same security standards as the wireless operator. Consequently, the small cells themselves need to be authenticated on the service provider network and traffic encrypted back to the service provider, including over the third-party access provider network. While encryption technologies such as IPSec can be used to accomplish this, newer Ethernet-based technologies, such as flow-based extensions to MACSec (IEEE 802.1AE), may be more cost-effective and better suited to small cell deployments.
Citing the highly accurate timing requirements of LTE and LTE-A networks, Dr. Nuss also noted the importance of timing security, since GPS timing becomes untenable in cases where reception is poor or non-existent. This is the case with small cells in dense urban corridors with no line of sight to satellites or indoors where GPS signals cannot penetrate walls. Small cell susceptibility to GPS jamming and spoofing poses another concern.
He continued that packet-based network timing using IEEE 1588 (1588) is the right GPS alternative for small cells, as long as 1588 can be secured. Encryption and timing accuracy are usually incompatible, but modern flow-based MACsec implementations do not suffer this flaw, now combining line-rate AES encryption with nanosecond accurate network timing.
These developments are critical as small cell deployment remains vital to the continued growth and success of mobile technology. With much of the traffic on these cells coming from an array of mobile devices, Dr. Nuss’ comments came as IDC reported that 1.25 billion smartphones were shipped in 2014 more than 23 percent over the previous year. These shipments are expected to rise to 1.8 billion annually by 2018 – when small cells will be everywhere and with careful network planning and awareness, the security threat will have been overcome.
“BYOD is revolutionizing Enterprise connectivity, with the real potential to enable a better-connected and more productive workforce,” said Martin Nuss, CTO at Vitesse. “As an industry, however, we need to focus on overcoming this potential security threat so that 4G LTE networks can continue to flourish and businesses can reap the benefits of BYOD, while keeping their networks secure.”
This was the message given at 4G World by Dr. Martin Nuss, CTO of Vitesse Semiconductor, a leading provider of advanced IC solutions for Carrier, Enterprise and Internet of Things (IoT) networks worldwide.
Dr Nuss has over 20 years of technical and management experience and is a recognized industry expert in Ethernet technology. He serves on the board of directors for the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry (ATIS) and is a fellow of the Optical Society of America. He told a packed audience at 4G World that while small cells are an integral part of 4G LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) deployments and Carrier Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) strategies, their very accessibility makes them easy targets for hackers.
Dr. Nuss observed that while mobile networks are inherently more secure than WiFi hotspots, the emergence of small cell base stations required for LTE and LTE-A capacity improvements poses a new security risk. Being located at street-level, small cells are more susceptible to tampering and hacking than traditional macro base stations.
He noted that small cell backhaul often will also occur over third-party access provider networks that may not have the same security standards as the wireless operator. Consequently, the small cells themselves need to be authenticated on the service provider network and traffic encrypted back to the service provider, including over the third-party access provider network. While encryption technologies such as IPSec can be used to accomplish this, newer Ethernet-based technologies, such as flow-based extensions to MACSec (IEEE 802.1AE), may be more cost-effective and better suited to small cell deployments.
Citing the highly accurate timing requirements of LTE and LTE-A networks, Dr. Nuss also noted the importance of timing security, since GPS timing becomes untenable in cases where reception is poor or non-existent. This is the case with small cells in dense urban corridors with no line of sight to satellites or indoors where GPS signals cannot penetrate walls. Small cell susceptibility to GPS jamming and spoofing poses another concern.
He continued that packet-based network timing using IEEE 1588 (1588) is the right GPS alternative for small cells, as long as 1588 can be secured. Encryption and timing accuracy are usually incompatible, but modern flow-based MACsec implementations do not suffer this flaw, now combining line-rate AES encryption with nanosecond accurate network timing.
These developments are critical as small cell deployment remains vital to the continued growth and success of mobile technology. With much of the traffic on these cells coming from an array of mobile devices, Dr. Nuss’ comments came as IDC reported that 1.25 billion smartphones were shipped in 2014 more than 23 percent over the previous year. These shipments are expected to rise to 1.8 billion annually by 2018 – when small cells will be everywhere and with careful network planning and awareness, the security threat will have been overcome.
“BYOD is revolutionizing Enterprise connectivity, with the real potential to enable a better-connected and more productive workforce,” said Martin Nuss, CTO at Vitesse. “As an industry, however, we need to focus on overcoming this potential security threat so that 4G LTE networks can continue to flourish and businesses can reap the benefits of BYOD, while keeping their networks secure.”
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