Biz.News.com reporters navigated to TomTom’s stand at IFA 2009, where Sarah Schweiger, PR Manager for TomTom, gave them a brief introduction to the company: their main markets, competitors and challenges as well as newly released products, including long-expected car kit for iPhone scheduled to ship in the U.S. in October.
Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google, and Lowell McAdam, CEO of Verizon Wireless, held a joint conference call in New York to announce their companies’ new partnership.
They said Verizon will deliver “devices of the future” with leading-edge mobile applications and services using Google’s Android open platform in coming weeks.
During the conference McAdam confirmed Verizon plans to support Google Voice.
This groundbreaking partnership is supposed to leverage the Verizon network and the best of the Android open platform to deliver mobile applications, services and devices.
The CEOs didn’t unveil many details, all we know is that the companies plan to co-develop several Android-based devices that will be pre-loaded with applications from both parties as well as third-party developers. According to press release, the family of Android phones on the Verizon network will come from “leading handset manufacturers.”
Both companies view this agreement as an opportunity to offer consumers the products that combine the speed of Verizon’s 3G network with the flexibility of the Android mobile platform.
They committed to devote substantial resources to “accelerate delivery of leading-edge innovation that will put unique applications in the hands of consumers quickly”.
Google and Verizon will create market and distribute products and services, with Verizon also contributing the breadth of its nationwide distribution channels. The products resulting from the collaboration will be available in Verizon Wireless retail and online stores.
"The Android platform allows Verizon Wireless customers to experience faster and easier access to the web from any location," said Eric Schmidt, chairman and chief executive officer for Google. "Through this partnership, we hope to deliver greater innovation in the mobile space to consumers across the U.S."
The agreement will come to fruition within the next few weeks as Verizon Wireless introduces Android-based handsets.
Biz-News.com reporters interviewed Klaus Düll, the owner of PRETIOSO, the distributor of Datomo mobile solutions for German speaking market.
Datomo provides mobile application development and marketing services and offers web to mobile content integration& adaptation. PRETIOSO localizes all the Datomo’s apps for the German language.
Klaus gave us a live demonstration on the world’s smallest wireless printer and scanner designed for smartphones and offered by PLANon. According to him, the printer is also the world’s first to have built in paper cartridge.
Take a look at these tiny smart devices!
Biz-New’s Smartphone vertical has been running for over a year now and we wanted to celebrate this anniversary by sharing with our regular and occasional readers the story behind the news you read.
Biz-News is the work of a group of entrepreneurs who came together in 2007 with an idea to respond to what they though was missing in the technology media industry, a media outlet that covers start ups and small and medium companies with innovative ideas that are contributing to the development of the sector.
Currently Biz-News founders live in the UK, Switzerland and Spain and we have a great team of collaborators covering the world from the US to South Africa. As you can see, a true global company thanks to today’s 24hour ready available communications technology.
Our readership since our launch on the 23rd of September 2008 has grown fast and steady, increasingly we receive feedback from readers and companies that wish to know more about the subjects we cover.
Our wish is to keep betting on the future, with the aim of becoming your reliable source on the Smartphone Industry news, because of this we have created a short 10 question survey for you to fill in.
We want to hear from you, tell us what you want to read about, what are you not finding on the web, what interests you….We are listening.
Thanks.
Regards,
The Biz-News Team.
AIRCOM International, the network planning and optimisation consultancy, revealed the economic reality of LTE migration facing mobile operators around the world – as much as US$1.78 billion for a tier one US operator in the first year.
As the economic downturn puts pressure on credit markets, and mobile operators attempt to limit significant CAPEX commitments, AIRCOM says they believe that innovative approaches to LTE network roll out, network sharing for example, will be essential in ensuring the profitable delivery of future mobile services.
LTE investments vary by region, the legacy equipment operators have in place and the spectrum they have available. However, AIRCOM estimates the total CAPEX investment facing a tier one mobile operator in the first year of roll out to be as follows:
"With an all IP-based network infrastructure, LTE requires completely new thinking compared to previous mobile technologies. Mobile operators around the world face very different challenges in embracing LTE, which will have serious implications on the levels of finance they need to raise," said Margaret Rice-Jones, CEO at AIRCOM International.
While raising capital in today’s volatile global financial markets continues to prove difficult, operators and supporting infrastructure vendors are struggling to find the necessary credit to support the necessary enhancements to their radio network, backhaul and core network infrastructures.
Rice-Jones continues: "Very few operators have the available resources or shareholder freedom to meet these costs. This means that innovation within the mobile industry needs to be redefined. It has been traditionally tied to finding the next "killer application". The economic reality of the mobile industry now means that true innovation is finding technology that will enable operators to deliver services more cost effectively."
AIRCOM believes mobile operators can embrace innovation in a variety of different ways. Most significantly, operators must accept that the techniques used to drive efficiencies and revenues with previous technologies will not be applicable to LTE.
Mobile operators must therefore find new business models to monetise LTE, compared to subsidising handsets and offering free voice minutes in return for fixed-term contacts.
The significant investment required for LTE deployment could also see mobile operators globally embracing network sharing as a means of reducing CAPEX and OPEX. Other innovative ways of lowering costs include the automation of key optimisation processes through the roll out of self-organising networks (SON) and the deployment of femtocells within a network to cost-effectively provide macro network offload capabilities as well as indoor coverage solutions.
"Despite the financial commitment required, there can be no doubting the tremendous potential of LTE technology in taking mobile services to the next level," added Rice-Jones.
"LTE represents a major evolution and mobile operators must take an intelligent approach to network migration. With careful planning however, LTE will deliver sufficient network capacity and data speeds to further enhance the delivery of high bandwidth services to consumers globally."
AT&T has announced plans to work with TerreStar to offer an integrated smartphone mobility solution that will combine primary cellular wireless connectivity with the ability to connect to a satellite network as a backup, using one phone number and one smartphone device.
This new solution will provide users with an access to both cellular and satellite networks through a handset that is – as the companies claim – both smaller and more feature-rich than previous satellite devices.
The TerreStar Genus smartphone combines GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA terrestrial wireless capability with satellite voice and data capability. The device runs on the Windows Mobile and includes 2.6” touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth® and GPS.
The device gives users the option to access theTerreStar satellite network when AT&T’s cellular wireless network is unavailable.
AT&T wireless users with a line of sight to the satellite will be able to access voice and data coverage in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and in territorial waters.
When cellular networks are unavailable, TerreStar’s satellite will act as a cell site in the sky to provide coverage to help users stay connected. The solution announced today is well-suited for government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users. AT&T states that it can provide a critical communications back-up capability, important to public safety agencies, first responders, emergency services and disaster recovery groups.
The integrated cellular/satellite solution will combine the satellite network-related charges on the customer’s regular wireless bill. AT&T’s monthly invoice will include the customer’s cellular voice and data service charges, the satellite network access subscription feature charge and the satellite voice and data roaming charges.
It is expected to be available for enterprise, government and small business customers and their corporate liable users in the first quarter of 2010. AT&T informs that the company is working on a similar solution for consumers.
VIDEO INTERVIEW: Biz-News.com interviewed Ann Meng, Marketing & Sales Manager of Menq International. She presented the company’s star product – mini GPS/GSM tracker with GPRS.
This tiny device shows directly map location on any mobile without installing any software and transmits the SMS message of longitude, latitude and location link to cell phone. It supports indoor orientation, single location reporting and continuous tracking. In case of emergency, help message with location is send to all preset phone numbers.
Menq’s products, include GPS/GPRS/GSM Trackers, Portable Navigation Device and GPS Mobile Phones, are sold to importers and ODM / OEM manufacturers in America, Asia, Europe and Middle East. In order to expand their overseas markets, the company have installed sales representatives in Germany and USA and is now actively seeking overseas partners to build up long term relationships.
The number of smartphones sold each year will increase from around 165.2 million in 2009 to 422.96 million in 2013, with the total number of smartphone users approaching 1.6 billion, according to Wireless Expertise, an UK-based wireless market research and consulting firm.
Its latest report “The future of mobile application storefronts” shows how smartphone penetration will reach approximately 28-30% of the total mobile market by 2013.
“We expect smartphone growth to have a positive impact on the number of application downloads in the short- to mid-term,” said Anuj Khanna, CEO of Wireless Expertise and author of the report.
Wireless Expertise forecasts that the global mobile app market – including games – will be worth $4.66 billion in 2009, rising to $16.60 billion, in 2013.
With mobile phones outnumbering PCs around the world by 4:1, mobile applications represent an even bigger opportunity for the mobile industry than the fixed-line perceived the internet a decade ago.
“With over four billion mobile users around the world compared to approximately one billion PCs, mobile will become the ideal channel for businesses to reach their consumers,” continued Khanna.
“Mobile operators have to adopt a dual app store strategy, using the now widely-accepted app store model in conjunction with a browser-based widget store, to provide the greatest potential for a mass-market proposition.”
The report credits Apple for growing and revolutionalising the applications market. “Apple has not only invigorated what was rapidly becoming a stagnant mobile content and services market, but its App Store has paved the way for professional content developers and publishers to stand side-by-side with the new breed of garage developers introducing innovative and functional apps,” said Khanna.
“However, we expect Apple to face tough competition from mobile operators, independent service providers and competing vendor application portals in the next 18-24 months.”
Wireless Expertise suggests that Nokia will be very active in the smartphone market and Nokia’s biggest advantage over Apple is its ability to offer Ovi on a wide range of handsets, ranging from the high-end to the mainstream. And the fact that Nokia is pushing its app store to a mass market is very encouraging.
“Diverse and competing mobile operating systems from other vendors such as Symbian, Google Android, Microsoft Windows and Research in Motion will also help in growing the market,” concluded Khanna.
“We predict the emergence of independent mobile application stores which specialise in niche content such as games and location-based services.”
Mobile Operators releasing a mobile internet API would address the issue of fragmentation and help create a multichannel app services and content retail environment coupled with integrated billing and payment mechanisms.
However, operators must be involved in the delivery and payment of the service with their own platforms giving improved revenue shares as high as 90% if they want to compete in this market.
We have saved the date for long-expected Motorola’s big event, but instead of rumored two phones – Sholes and Morrison – the company introduced just one handset – CLIQ and the new custom Android UI – the MOTOBLUR.
“Your entire social life now in a single streem!” – announced Motorola at GigaOM’s Mobilize ‘09 conference, unveiling the company’s first Android phone, “the first phone with social skills”. But all that buzz was not much about the new device, it was more about the new innovative interface solution.
Developed by Motorola, MOTOBLUR is a solution that manages and integrates communications: it syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos, etc. – from sources such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Gmail, e-mail – and automatically delivers it to live widgets on the home screen. There is no need to open and close different applications or menus.
According to the company, MOTOBLUR is also easy to set up and secure – all contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations, e-mail and social network messages are backed up on the MOTOBLUR secure server. Lost or stolen phones can be found with integrated A-GPS from the online owner’s portal, and data can even be wiped clean.
“With MOTOBLUR we are differentiating the Android experience for consumers by delivering a unique mobile device experience designed around the way people interact today,” said Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola.
“MOTOBLUR helps us to create phones that are instinctive, social and smart,” he added.
This new solution will be available first on Motorola’s new device, called Motorola CLIQ in the U.S. and Motorola DEXT elsewhere around the globe.
In the U.S., CLIQ will be available exclusively to T-Mobile customers later this fall in two colors — Titanium and Winter White.
DEXT will be available with Orange in the United Kingdom and France, Telefonica in Spain and America Movil in Latin America.
The first Motorolas’s 3G Android-powered device features include a 3.1-inch HVGA touch-screen display, a 5 megapixel auto focus camera with video capture and playback at 24 frames per second, a 3.5mm headset jack, a music player with pre-loaded Amazon MP3 store application, Shazam, iMeem Mobile, and a pre-installed 2GB microSD memory card.
This QWERTY slider comes with thousands of applications and widgets from MOTOBLUR, Android Market or pre-loaded Google mobile services, Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, YouTube and Picasa.
Eric Matthes, Channel Manager for HTC, was interviewed by Biz-News.com reporters at IFA 2009 in Berlin. He explains the innovativeness of the two company’s handsets – Magic and Touch Diamond2 – that have been nominated for Plus X Award.
Our reporters were also one of the first to see the HTC’s Tattoo, short of the release.
Eric also talks about his expectations for the smartphone market before the end of 2008 and unveils how the financial crisis has affected the HTC.