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  • In-Stat: 4G LTE Gated by 3G Success, not WiMAX

    LTE, the next-generation mobile broadband standard, is the clear choice for the next leap in wireless technology, reports In-Stat. The analysts claim that while WiMax appeared to be a competitor for 4G early on, that battle is now largely resolved.

    In-Stat predicts that LTE’s deployment will primarily be impeded by the success of 3G networks and HSPA and HSPA+ networks as mobile operators seek to leverage their installed infrastructure.

    LTE still has several glaring issues. These include lack of spectrum, signal-to-noise ratio, and non-established patent and royalty pool. “It’s clear that the shift toward 4G LTE will be gradual and protracted,” says In-Stat.

    While LTE will ultimately become the 4G standard of choice, Mobile Wi-Max is much more mature in deployment and has a distinct niche. According to the research group, even by 2013, Mobile Wi-Max will have more than 5 times as many global subscribers as LTE.

    LTE deployments will effectively begin in 2010. North America and Asia/Pacific will be the first regions to deploy.

    In-Stat also believes that external clients, such as dongles, network cards, and USB dongles will be the first LTE subscriber devices sold. LTE mobile handsets will not start shipping in major volumes until 2H12.

    “WiMAX deployments have given chipset manufacturers, device manufacturers, and infrastructure suppliers real-world experience,” state the analysts.

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  • 8×8 Announces Voice over 3G Update to its iPhone App

    8×8 announced that an update to its Virtual Office Mobile application which supports business voice services over 3G is now available in the Apple iTunes app store for iPhone and iPod Touch models.

    The update to the 8×8 software application follows Apple’s recent removal of restrictions preventing VoIP applications from running on 3G networks.

    Originally released as a service which required access to a Wi Fi network connection, the new 8×8’s release enables the subscribers to utilize their business phone number or extension and service remotely from within any 3G coverage area or Wi Fi zone.

    8×8 Virtual Office Mobile extends the functionality of any Virtual Office extension to the iPhone or iPod Touch platforms to enable mobile access to the features, functionality of the 8×8 Virtual Office hosted PBX phone service, including unlimited inbound and outbound domestic calling as well as overseas calling.

    "We are pleased to be one of the first VoIP service providers to offer iPhone users an opportunity to experience the capabilities and cost savings of our hosted PBX platform from any 3G footprint, which is transforming the way businesses of all sizes are managing their day to day communications," said 8×8 Chairman & CEO Bryan Martin.

    8×8 Virtual Office Mobile is available as a free download in the App Store and can be added to existing 8×8 Virtual Office service plans for $4.99 per extension per month.

    The application is also available as a bundled service in 8×8’s recently announced 8×8 Virtual Office Pro Unified Communications solution which is available to existing Virtual Office unlimited, metered or global extension subscribers for an additional $20 per extension per month.

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  • VoIP Penetration Forecast to Reach 79% of US Businesses by 2013

    VoIP penetration among US businesses will increase rapidly over the next few years, reaching 79% by 2013, compared to 42% at the end of 2009, reports In-Stat. This penetration reflects companies having a VoIP solution deployed in at least one location.

    “VoIP adopters have a good understanding of the cost savings associated with VoIP, and have oriented their limited budgets to optimizing efficiency and savings by replacing legacy TDM voice solutions,” says David Lemelin, In-Stat analyst.

    “With businesses opening up fewer new locations than we have seen in recent years, much of this current investment is occurring at headquarters locations where efficiencies and savings can be maximized.”

    The research shows that hosted IP Centrex has now surpassed Broadband IP Telephony as the leading revenue-generating, carrier-based business VoIP solution.

    33% of businesses that have already deployed VoIP solutions report that recent economic conditions have caused them to slow additional deployment plans, compared to 30% reporting no change in plans.

    According to the report, broadband IP Telephony revenues continue to grow and will more than double by 2013, compared to 2008. This growth will be fueled by single-user applications among increasingly distributed and mobile workforces.

    In-Stat states that growth in the business IP market has tremendous potential to disrupt the traditional telephone industry on multiple levels.

    “Service providers, equipment manufacturers and systems integrators are increasingly offering different types of business VoIP solutions. IT managers and C-level executives recognize the cost savings and flexibility that VoIP solutions can bring to their businesses, but issues remain before comprehensive adoption takes place, such as security, integration and end-user transparency,” says the research group.

    Analysts also say business adoption of IP communications will also be influenced by how companies integrate other communications functionalities, such as wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi and WiMAX, IM, and video applications.

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  • Interview with Xavier Bertschy, Founder of CityOnline.net

    Smartphone.Biz-News.com spoke to Xavier Bertschy, CEO at xb83studio Sàrl and the founder of CityOnline.net, a specialist in web content management. Xavier was one of the speakers at MobileMonday “Android and web-convergence” event that was held last… Monday in Fribourg, Switzerland.

    Smartphone.Biz-news.com: Can you tell us a little about CityOnline.net background and what other projects your team has worked on recently?

    Xavier Bertschy: CityOnline.net is a Swiss SME providing cityguide technology. Our free service provides prompts information about all local activities of the user’s region: cinemas, concerts, restaurants, hotels, museums and shopping.

    Xavier Bertschy

    Behind CityOnline.net is Skeeble‘s technology. Skeeble.com is a mobile internet database / Content Management System for everyone.

    Skeeble imports data from all kinds of sources (XML, databases, static HTML pages, WordPress, Drupal, Typo3, Excel, Access, PDF, and many others) and provides this data in a standard and structured format to all kinds of devices. So as a result, you can manage all your content in one place and Skeeble takes care of creating the data for any interface required.

    By having this available, services, events and even information related to tourism are easily accessible to a variety of devices such as mobile phones, smartphone, PDA, iPhone, PSP, Nintendo DS etc. Skeeble automatically detects the user’s device and adapts images, videos, sounds and texts for the interface the user is using.

    A good example of this is Crans-Montana Tourism. They had recently started to use our technology. As a consequence, a user is able to access their website from the mobile.

    What are your experiences with Android so far?

    Our R&D team has performed numerous test applications for internal use. We have explored the main functionalities of the SDK, like the camera functions, the GPS device and the User Interface framework.

    As yet, we have not developed a real and usable application, however in the near future we expect to release our first application. CityOnline.net has its own Android application, but it’s a WebView of the Web Application (available with a mobile browser).

    How the Android can help with web content management, its usability and accessibility?

    Android has an excellent web browser that supports all the latest technology, i.e. HTML 5. This allows the developers to be really inventive, as they can continue to use the Web 2.0 concepts that they are already familiar with. We admit that a lot of current WebApps are now at the maturity stage, so why not adapt them to be usable on the mobiles phones?

    What distinguishes Android from other platforms?

    The alliance with Google and the mobile manufacturers will make Android available on many phones brands such as: Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC etc. From what I have seen during the last months, almost all the mobile manufacturers have announced mobile phones with Android for the next two years.

    How will Android benefit from the convergence of mobile and web?

    I think that Android will benefit from this convergence as it will universalize the usage of WebApp. In this day, due to the constant increases in mobile internet connection speeds, the need for offline phone applications is quickly becoming redundant.

    Cloud-computing is the next generation of application usage and Google is making preparations for it, at the same time it is also trying to influence the users/developers behavior using Android and Chrome OS.

    Will Android and Chrome converge? Does it make sense? Do you agree that the future is just for the web-based apps?

    It is uncertain whether or not Android and Chrome will converge, but I think that Google is betting on the possibility that the usage of web-based apps will flourish. Most of all their services are available through the mobile browsers and are really handy. One of the biggest advantages of web-based apps is that they are compatible with a great number of different devices and browsers unlike native applications.

    What are the main problems Android has to struggle with?

    The Market is one of the biggest weaknesses for Android, reason being there is no way to search a specific application, and at present the quality and the quantity of applications are really low. However, Android is still young and emerging, and Google is constantly improving it day by day.

    The Android developers struggle with the problem of custom firmware on many phones as well as the hardware differences between different models. Is there any solution in your mind of how the Android could solve this problem?

    I don’t think there is an easy way to manage these problems. For instance, let’s think about the web: with the multitude of different OS and browsers, it gives the developers a hard time but they have learned to deal with that problem. The mobile development will have the same difficulties in the future.

    For example, if one wants his/her application to be available on all the different models of devices, he/she would have to be well-informed on the differences and adapt or redevelop the application for each interface. Having said that, it’s not just a simple technical adaptation; you will have to consider the navigation system, the screen size, the kind of available interactions and many other parameters. Perhaps WebApp is the solution but it’s too soon to make this prediction.

    Apple’s App Store recently reached three billion downloads. What are the perspectives for Android Market in terms of the competition with the App Store?

    I believe that Android Market will one day catch up the App Store. Apple has the monopoly with the App Store because he was the first one in the business. So why do I think that the Android Market will catch up the App Store.

    There are three different iPhones on the market, but Android is different: manufacturer-free and carrier-free. There is more and more devices with the Android OS, so if you do simple math: more phones = more customers = more money.

    Do you agree with the opinion that the Google’s main goal of releasing Nexus One was to gather critical user data for developing new software and improving Android?

    It’s really difficult to say what is the main goal of Google. I imagine that Google wants to have a functional phone to show the others manufacturers the possibilities of Android OS.

    Is it possible to imagine Android without Google behind it? How would the Android operating system look like without Google’s web-based services?

    There aren’t many companies which can afford the costs to develop a free mobile operating system, Microsoft and Apple already have their own system. But sometimes the open source community on the web can be surprisingly innovative and maybe one day we will see a new open source mobile operating system.

    And Android, without all Google’s services, would only be a mobile operating system like the others without any advantages. It’s understandable that Google integrates its services in Android, it’s a good way to get more users and develop their loyalty.

    What is your best Android feature or application?

    Actually, I have two preferences: the customizable home screen with widgets and the integration of Google’s services such as Gmail, the contacts and the calendar.

    ***
    Mobile Monday is a global community of mobile industry visionaries, developers and influentials fostering cooperation and cross-border business development through virtual and live networking events to share ideas, best practices and trends from global markets.

  • iSuppli: iPad Will Be a Sales Success for Apple

    The research group iSuppli says while the iPad has met its lofty expectations and is likely to be a sales success for Apple, the jury is still out as to whether the tablet will define or redefine the technology market to the same degree the other products like Apple II, the Macintosh, the iPod and the iPhone have.

    “In terms of features, product design, software and content, the iPad delivered on all its promises,” said Dale Ford, senior vice president at iSuppli.

    “And at a starting price of $499, the product even exceeded expectations. However, with the iPad straddling multiple product categories and with the usage model for the product still unproven, it likely will be a number of quarters after shipments begin before whether we know the product will have a revolutionary impact on the technology world.”

    The iPad seems to occupy a position somewhere between the smart phone, the e-reader and the netbook PC. “The question for Apple is what is the usage case for such a product?” said Dr. Jagdish Rebello, senior director and principal analyst iSuppli.

    “What does it do that other products don’t do—and what does it have that will make a large number of consumers want to buy the product?”

    According to the analysts, the killer app for the iPad appears to be delivery and presentation of content. “The iPad’s portability, built-in iPod, display, touch interface, wireless connectivity and powerful processor make it ideal for convenient viewing of all types of content, from photos, to videos, to music, to games, to e-books, to online newspapers,” they say.

    Rebello claims that what Apple is trying to do with the iPad is to try and create a new market by stimulating new user behavior and new use cases. “So while the iPad might appear to compete with many existing products in specialized markets like eBooks, tablet PCs and PMP/MP3 players, the success of the produce is intrinsically linked to its capability to change consumer behavior,” he says.

    “The iPad will be a game changer if it becomes the Trojan horse that changes the slowly dying print information business to an electronic information market,” said Egil Juliussen, principal analyst and fellow at iSuppli.

    Analysts ensure that it’s not hardware that makes an electronic product different and unique. “The ingredients of Apple’s iPhone are similar to the other 1.1 Billion phones sold in 2009. What makes the iPhone so different, prompting sales of 8.7 million last quarter, is its unique usability, convenience and content,” they say.

    “The iPad has similar traits to the iPhone—being the right enabler at the right time” said Steve Mather, principal analyst for iSuppli.

    “For investors and corporate leaders, it’s all about identifying trends early, positioning for success. To this end, we believe an area centered on usability, convenience, and emerging content on the Internet, will prove increasingly relevant in the coming years. Furthermore, we believe Apple’s iPad will prove a unique enabling device, connecting new apps and content with emerging behavior trends.”

    While many early reviews concluded the iPad is simply a bigger, faster iPhone, iSuppli believes it more closely resembles Apple’s iPod touch. The research group thinks this is because the iPad is available in a version that includes Wi-Fi as its exclusive wireless connection, the same as the iPod touch.

    Because of this similarity, the initial total available market for the iPad may be similar to that of the iPod touch. During the first four quarters after its introduction, Apple sold a total of 8.3 million iPod touch units, according to iSuppli.

    Over the longer term, the iPad will benefit from Apple’s large and loyal customer base, as the analysts claim.

    “The iPad’s success is expected to be substantial because a significant portion of the 200 million plus users of iPhones, iPods and Macintoshes will want one,” Juliussen added.

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  • iPhone and Nexus One Get a Software Update

    Two smartphone giants – iPhone and Nexus One – got a software update yesterday.

    Apple released iPhone OS 3.1.3 for iPhone and iPod touch that improves accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS, resolves issue where third-party apps would not launch in some instantes and fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard.

    The update relates to security issues with:

    • Recovery Mode: a person with physical access to a locked device might be able to access the user’s data. The update improves handling of the USB control message;
    • WebKit: accessing a maliciously crafted FTP server could result in an unexpected application termination, information disclosure, or arbitrary code execution. The update addresses the issues through improved parsing of FTP directory listings;
    • CoreAudio: playing a maliciously crafted mp4 audio file might lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This issue is addressed through improved bounds checking;
    • ImageIO: viewing a maliciously crafted TIFF image might lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Apple fixes it also through improved bounds checking.

    The update is compatible with all iPhone and iPod touch models and is available for download from iTunes.

    Also Nexus One users began to receive an over-the-air software update on their phones yesterday. This update fixes a few problems and provides some new features, including:

    • Multitouch: Nexus One will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications;
    • Google Goggles: this application will now be available directly on the device by launching it from All Apps menu;
    • Google Maps: the Maps will be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include starred items synchronized with maps.google.com, search suggestions from the personal maps.google.com history as well as night mode in Google Maps Navigation that automatically changes the screen at night for easier viewing and driving.

    Google said they will also provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones.

    The company also informed that this update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users might not receive the notification until the end of the week.

  • More and More iPhone Apps Support VoIP over 3G

    It came out of nothing. Releasing a new version of iPhone SDK last week (along with the reveal of the iPad) Apple lifted 3G VoIP restrictions on the iPhone. Since then VoIP calls are not only available over Wi-Fi but also over cellular networks. 

    VoIP on the iPhone has been the source of many debates with companies such as Google being denied access to the platform and the FCC inquiring as to the restrictions in the Apple App Store. Apple didn’t want to allow the applications offering VoIP over 3G networks to operate on the iPhone platform.

    Everything changed last Wednesday. iCall was the first to announce that its iPhone and iPod touch app now supports VoIP over 3G and the app was available to download immediately. Confirmations of the great functionality of the iCall application came from various sources.

    "I applaud Apple’s decision! This heralds a new era for VoIP applications on mobile platforms,” said iCall CEO Arlo Gilbert.

    The next day both Fring and Acrobits added the ability to make calls over 3G to their iPhone applications. Fring quickly announced first free video calls over 3G, while Acrobits proudly announced that since its Push Notification service allows to receive calls when the softphone is closed, users can receive calls anywhere they have a 3G connection.

    On Monday, Agito, the company delivering solutions in enterprise mobility, announced enterprise VoIP over 3G. Its Global Enterprise solution enables enterprise business calls and UC applications – such as IM and presence – to use a smartphone’s low-cost 3G internet data connection and WiFi, in addition to the cellular network, to reduce international cellular charges

    Agito’s product is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and some Blackberry and Nokia devices as well.

    Finally, yestarday, Media5 announced that its Media5-fone application for the iPhone/iPod touch is VoIP over 3G ready. The company has applied to Apple to activate the VoIP over 3G feature for the Media5-fone Lite Edition. The application is expected to be approved within 1-2 weeks.

    Other main VoIP developers still haven’t upgraded their iPhone apps.

  • Developing 3D Mobile Solutions: Interview with Eric Bernard, CEO of Visioglobe

    Since we observe a rapid growth of 3D interactive mobile applications market, Smartphone.Biz-news.com wanted to know more about the technology behind it.

    We spoke to Eric Bernard, CEO & Co-Founder of Visoglobe, the company that won the French National Contest for Innovative Companies for bringing innovative real-time solutions to 3D technology for mobile devices.

    Recently, they released Visio Ski, an iPhone app that enables to navigate in 3D on the ski trails of 3 Vallées French ski resort.

    Smartphone.Biz-News.com: Try to convince me I should not go skiing to Courchevel without Visio Ski installed on my iPhone.

    Eric Bernard: Our app grants you access to a 3D and completely interactive map of ski trails. Geolocate yourself, wherever you are! Identify immediately the trail, the lift or simply the mountains near you.

    Eric Bernard

    Visio Ski also makes your first rides in the resort easier by enabling you to bookmark trails or lifts, or even to share your GPS position with your friends.

    Once installed, the application contains all the data necessary so you don’t need to use the network on site and thus avoid data roaming charges (except if you send your position by email) and get better battery life. Given that the data is embedded in the application, we recommend to install the application from a WiFi connection.

    How the developing process of this app looked like?

    We have made a partnership with the US company Intermap. They provide us the data, then we optimize it we combine them with the ski trail, lift, POI information, and we integrate those data with our application for having the full area in 3D with all the information.

    The application is running on iPhone, and soon we will start the development for Android. Those two environments are from our side the most interesting for this kind of application.

    Tell as a little about your real-time 3D engine, a core of your technology.

    The Visioglobe Technology is a first life experience, which enhances the real world experience by providing the world in 3D on embedded devices with high detailed buildings and landmarks.

    The world is enhanced with real time information of the surrounding environment, for example to find friends, events, restaurants, and other useful places of interest.

    The background came from the aircraft simulation, and we have decided to port it on mobile phone for addressing the mass market

    What is today’s biggest challenge for 3D real-time visualization for smartphones?

    Have the better 3D chips, to be sure that the rendering is good and fast enough. It’s the reason why we have built strong partnership with hardware provider, like Imagination Technologies for the mobile, and NVIDIA Tegra for the automotive.

    In the near future, in what kind of mobile devices and applications you think you could use this technology?

    All the mobiles which have a Power VR from Imagination Technologies, and actually Imagination have been shipped in over 100 million consumer products. So all the smartphones from Samsung, Nokia, Sony, LG, HTC and Motorolas can receive our technology.

    How will Google’s and Nokia’s navigations change the navigation, and 3D navigation, market? Have you already noticed any impact?

    A lot! But it’s very good for us, because our market is in B to B and we provide 3D to the navigation and LBA application which didn’t have it. So for the moment all the mobile phone manufacturers, operators, and even Google could be interested by our application for having a very good 3D engine on mobile phone.

    Having well equipped smartphones, do we still need PNDs?

    No, because until recently the PND didn’t have a 3D chips embedded. And for the future, the PND market doesn’t seem as promising as the mobile phone market.

    What are you presenting at this year’s World Mobile Congress?

    We will present our application on the Imagination Technologies booth the Monday 15th of February, and Wednesday 17th of February. And full time with Navteq for presenting their last enhanced 3D city model at the Pueblo Español just above the Fira de Barcelona.

  • Mobile Phone Shipments Rebound To Double-Digit Growth in Q4 2009

    The worldwide mobile phone market grew 11.3% in the fourth quarter of 2009, ending five consecutive quarters of retrenchment. According to IDC‘s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 325.3 million units in 4Q09 compared to 292.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2008.

    Vendors shipped a total of 1.13 billion units on a cumulative worldwide basis in 2009, down 5.2% from the 1.19 billion units shipped in 2008.

    "The mobile phone market has rebounded in dramatic fashion," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker.

    "The Asia/Pacific region and the United States were primarily responsible for pushing the market back into growth territory. Overall, vendors offered a wide array of converged mobile devices and messaging devices in the seasonally strong fourth quarter, to take advantage of increased user demand."

    According to Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team, consumer tastes for mobile phones have increasingly shifted from simple voice telephony to greater data usage, and both handset vendors and carriers have been eager to meet demand despite ongoing economic challenges.

    IDC anticipates that the worldwide mobile phone market will rebound in 2010. "Economic recovery mixed with pent-up demand will create positive conditions for handset vendors in both developed and emerging markets in 2010,” said Llamas.

    The research shows that in Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan), 2009 as a whole was relatively flat year on year, marked by a stronger preference for low-cost handsets in China and India as users substituted away from more expensive options under recessionary pressure.

    However, the Asia/Pacific market saw strong gains in 4Q09, reflecting a strong start to recovery.

    Touchscreen-enabled devices remained a hot segment of the market, helping to drive the demand for converged mobile devices across the region.

    The Western European handset market grew on both a year-over-year and sequential basis in 4Q09.

    LG Electronics and Samsung performed particularly well thanks to their collective strength in the traditional mobile phones segment while Apple, Nokia, and Research In Motion helped sustain growth in the converged mobile device market.

    On a full-year basis, however, shipments into the region still declined as the improved second-half performance was not enough to offset the declines in the first half.

    In CEMA vendors found pockets of improvement during 4Q09, but overall sales in the region were focused on entry-level handsets targeted at first-time users.

    According to IDC, the North American market finished 2009 relatively strong posting the second-highest regional growth after the Asia/Pacific region. Converged mobile devices remained in high demand in the fourth quarter due to a combination of lower priced devices and rate plans as well as greater user and carrier interest.

    However, feature phones accounted for the majority of shipments last year despite an overall volume decrease on a year-over-year basis. In Canada, mobile phone shipment volumes were buoyed by the introduction of a new wireless network, which increased the demand for smartphones, particularly the Apple iPhone.

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  • Firefox Goes Mobile

    Mozilla announced that Firefox is now available for Nokia’s Maemo platform. The browser is intended and optimized for use on the Nokia N900. It can also be run on the Nokia N810 and N800 Internet Tablets, but Mozilla don’t recommend using its product on these devices because they are "significantly less powerful.”

    Firefox for Maemo is built on the same engine as Firefox 3.6 for desktop (Gecko 1.9.2) with some extensive under the hood work to optimize for mobile. It includes the new “TraceMonkey” JavaScript engine, an advanced JIT (“just in time”) compiler using tracing technology.

    New Mozilla’s mobile browser comes with Weave Sync that enables to sync tabs, history, bookmarks and passwords with desktop Firefox, Location-Aware Browsing, which gives you maps and information relevant to your location, offline browsing and one-touch bookmarking.

    It’s the first mobile browser with add-ons support. There are currently more than 40 Firefox add-ons available for mobile, like popular AdBlock Plus, URL Fixer, TwitterBar, language translators, and geo guides, to name a few.

    Initially, Firefox for N900 does not support browser plug-ins. “Due to performance problems using Adobe Flash within Firefox on many websites, especially those with multiple plug-ins on them, we have disabled plugins for Firefox for Maemo 1.0.,” states Mozilla.

    “We plan to provide a browser add-on that will enable you to selectively enable plugins on certain sites, because some sites, like YouTube, work well.”

    Mozilla is also working on a mobile version of its browser for other platforms. Firefox for the Windows Mobile is in Alpha (yet optimized for Samsung Omnia II, AT&T Touch Fuze, HTC Touch Pro), the company is currently investigating development for Android.

    They do not have plans to build Firefox for iPhone – due to “constraints with the OS environment and distribution”, Blackberry – due to “its Java-based operating system and the inability to build native components”, and Symbian.

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