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  • Vodafone to launch "world first" converged solution of services and equipment in Australia


    A three-way initiative between Vodafone Australia, Cisco and Research In Motion (RIM) is to launch an integrated business communications services in Australia known as Vodafone Business One.
    Starting later this year, it will combine all telecommunication services – fixed and mobile, voice and data, services and equipment – into one managed service with single-point accountability on installation, technical support and fleet management and one monthly invoice.
    The service will be focusing primarily on small-medium sized businesses of between 10 to 100 employees.
    By using Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry smartphones along with Cisco Wi-Fi and IP-PBX in the office, Vodafone Business One customers will be able to make calls within the office zone at fixed-line rates, while making calls outside the office via the Vodafone mobile network.
    Both fixed and mobile calls will be covered by a single account-level service fee.
    BlackBerry smartphones can automatically select Wi-Fi as the preferred transmission method to send and receive calls and emails, as well as access other data applications, when in the office.
    Customers can choose to use IP phones or their BlackBerry dual-mode smartphones while in the office.
    Russell Hewitt, CEO at Vodafone Australia described the service as its most significant strategic play since the launch of 3G services three years ago.
    “With the announcement of Vodafone Business One, Vodafone has evolved from being a ‘mobile-only’ provider, to the world of full-service telecommunications services, enabling Vodafone to bring the principles of innovation and competition it has delivered in the mobile space to the fixed-line arena,” he said.
    Hewitt said the service offered a genuine alternative to spending money on traditional, fixed-lines with costly line rentals.
    Vodafone says that it will begin a progressive rollout of Vodafone Business One over the coming months to small and medium-sized enterprises in New South Wales before extending the service to customers in all major business centres by the end of the year.

  • iPhone 3G costs US$ 173 to make – 23 per cent less than predecessor


    The new iPhone is expected to carry an initial hardware Bill Of Materials (BOM) and manufacturing cost of US$ 173, according to a preliminary “virtual teardown” analysis conducted by iSuppli Corp.
    If correct, the second-generation iPhone could be even more profitable for Apple than either the original iPone or the iPod.
    Dr Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for iSuppli, said that at a hardware BOM and manufacturing cost of US$ 173, the new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce than the first-generation product.
    He said this was despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications.
    “The original 8Gbyte iPhone carried a cost of US $226 after component price reductions, giving the new product a 23 per cent hardware cost reduction due to component price declines,” he said.
    Last week, a survey revealed that nearly a quarter of US consumers questioned in a survey highlighted price as the main reason why they were not considering buying an Apple iPhone 3G.
    Dr Rebello said Apple was making a significant departure in its pricing strategy from the original 2G phone, which was sold at an unsubsidised price of US$ 499.
    Unlike the first version of the iPhone, Apple will not receive a portion of the wireless carriers’ revenue from service subscriptions – making it more imperative that the company makes a profit on the actual hardware through the carrier subsidies.
    He said the estimated subsidy to be paid by the wireless carriers to Apple would be about US$ 300 per iPhone.
    “This means that with subsidies from carriers, Apple will be selling the 8Mbyte version of the second-generation iPhone to carriers at an effective price of about US$ 499 per unit, the same as the original product,” he said.
    This represents a higher BOM/manufacturing margin than that on Apple’s iPod and original iPhone, which typically are priced about 50 per cent more than their BOM and manufacturing costs.
    The analysts project that with BOM costs likely to decrease over time as component prices decline, the BOM/manufacturing cost of the second-generation iPhone will decrease to US$ 148 in 2009, down 37 per cent from US$ 173 in 2008.
    If the design remains unchanged, this cost will decline to $126 in 2012.
    iSuppli’s preliminary virtual teardown estimate of the 8Gbyte 3G iPhone’s costs doesn’t include other costs, including software development, shipping and distribution, packaging, and miscellaneous accessories included with each phone.
    Once the 3G iPhone becomes available, iSuppli will perform an actual, detailed teardown of the new iPhone’s components and cost structure.

  • Launch of iPhone fails to dent RIM's optimism for Blackberry as profit and revenue doubles in Q1


    Strong sales of Blackberry devices have helped Smartphone-maker Research in Motion Ltd (RIM) to more than double its first quarter profit and revenue.
    The Canadian company earned US$482.5 million for the three months that ended May 31, up from US$223.2 million in the same period last year.
    RIM’s revenue increased to US$2.24 billion from US$1.08 billion for the same period.
    There was a net gain of 2.3 million BlackBerry subscribers in the quarter, six per cent higher than in the fourth quarter, to bring the total number of subscribers to more than 16 million.
    Around 5.4 million new devices were shipped by the company in the first quarter of 2008.
    Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of RIM, said revenue had increased 107 per cent in the quarter, a rise he attributed to the continued popularity of the BlackBerry platform in business, government and consumer segments.
    “Our comprehensive technology and business strategies continue to reap strong results in the market, and RIM is well positioned to build on its momentum throughout the remainder of fiscal 2009,” he said.
    “As we prepare this summer to ship our 40 millionth BlackBerry smartphone, we continue to steadily scale our business and partnerships to support the opportunities ahead in this thriving sector.”
    But despite the buoyant results, financial markets took an unfavourable view of the the company missing analysts’ earnings per share estimates by a penny and giving disappointing guidance for next quarter.
    The news sent shares of RIM tumbling in after-hours trading, down 7.61 per cent, to US$ 10.84.
    RIM expects its revenue in the second quarter, which ends August 31, to be in the range of US$2.55 billion to US$2.65 billion.
    Balsillie said RIM’s strong product portfolio and the continued commitment by carrier partners to promote BlackBerry throughout the summer months, would ensure healthy growth in Q2
    The company’s Kickstart flip phone and the BlackBerry Bold, a touch-screen device, are both due for launch in the second quarter.

  • Report says HDTV will not become the new "normal" television until around 2015


    The uptake of HD technology in Europe is accelerating rapidly but there remains a “significant” content gap caused by the lack of HD programming on free-to-air platforms across the region.
    That’s the conclusion of the latest report from media analysts Screen Digest which says that by the end of 2007, 18 per cent of the 165 million European TV households were equipped with HD displays.
    But less than one per cent of these (approximately one million) were fully “HD enabled” – that is equipped with an HD set-top box and an HD subscription enabling them to watch HD broadcasts.
    The report forecasts that by 2012 the situation will have improved little – only 20 per cent of the 85 per cent of European households with HD displays will actually be watching in HD.
    It says that ultimately HD will become the default choice of TV viewers but in the most part they will have to wait at least until 2015 to enjoy the content for free.
    This will be driven by the availability of HD across all free platforms, channels upgrading to HD making other formats unwatchable and next-generation TV’s coming with MPEG4 capability.
    Vincent Létang , senior analyst with Screen Digest and author of the report, said that in the next five years, HDTV will remain little more than a pay TV product in Europe – primarily on satellite.
    He said analogue switch-off, which will happen between 2010 and 2012 will free-up bandwidth capacity on the digital terrestrial platform and will kick-start the next phase of growth in high definition TV.
    “HDTV will become the mainstream and ultimately the standard form of free television around the middle of the next decade,” he said.
    “In ten years time, nobody will ever refer to “high definition” because HD will be everywhere.”
    The report, entitled “HDTV 2008: Global Uptake, Strategies and Business Models”, identifies three critical success factors that will support the successful expansion of HDTV: penetration of HD displays; supply of HD content and the availability of HD broadcast platforms.
    It identifies the lack of access to free-to-air HD channels as a key reason behind the low take-up of HD.
    “In Europe there are currently approximately 100 HD channels, with the vast majority on satellite and only a handful available on cable,” the report states.
    “As of today, only Sweden has launched HD on free-to-air digital terrestrial TV and only France and the UK are likely to follow suit in the short term.”

  • DVD still dominates the movie market but Blu-ray set to overtake by 2012


    The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) expects sales of Blu-ray disks in the US to exceed those of standard DVDs by 2012.
    In its latest Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry, the EMA reports that home video continues to dominate the movie market.
    This segment of the market had sales of approximately US$24 billion, making it the largest segment of consumer movie spending by far, accounting for 49% of total consumer movie spending in 2007.
    In the video game market, game software sales increased 34% in 2007, to a total of US$8.6 billion.
    EMA is the not-for-profit international trade association that represent s the interests of the home entertainment industry.
    The report said that nearly 9 million high-definition discs were sold in 2007, for which consumers spent more than US$260 million.
    But it projected that in 2012, sales of Blu-ray Discs will have outstripped those of standard DVDs and will generate sales of US$9.5 billion.
    Bo Andersen, president and CEO of EMA, said the report provided comprehensive data on and analysis of sales and rentals of DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, video on demand, computer and console video games, and competing technologies.
    He said DVD still dominated the movie market but consumers were swiftly adopting new technologies.
    “Consumers remain enamored with DVD and video games even as they incorporate new forms of entertainment media into their consumption patterns,” he said.
    “New generations of hardware and software, and alternative delivery channels, will ensure that home video and video games remain phenomenally popular entertainment options for the American public for years to come.”
    Other statistics in the report included:
     Home video generated US US$15.9 billion in sales and US$8.2 billion in rentals in 2007.
     There were 12,177 DVDs released in 2007, down from a peak of 13,950 in 2005.
     Home video spending is projected to increase to US$25.6 billion in 2012.
     Traditional rental stores, dominated by Blockbuster, accounted for 73% of the rental business in 2007.
     Online subscription rental (such as Netflix and Blockbuster’s Total Access) were 25% of the market. Kiosk rental doubled its market share to 2%.

  • Could Angelina Jolie do for Blu-ray what Keanu Reeves did for DVD?


    The idea that one movie could transform a technology from niche to mainstream may seem extreme.
    Yet that is what Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios home entertainment, is suggesting will be the effect of the yet-to-be released new thriller starring Angelina Jolie.
    The studio executive believes the film’s highly visual nature could be the trigger to mass sales of Blu-ray devices.
    James McAvoy plays an average guy who’s recruited by Jolie to become a contract assassin.
    Kornblau told Variety Magazine he thought Wanted, which is released in US cinemas on Friday, could do for HD disks what The Matrix did for the standard-def DVD.
    The Matrix, a sci-fi action hit starring Reeves, was an immediate success on DVD, particularly in the sell-through category.
    Previously, most DVD owners were satisfied with renting movies.
    “What The Matrix did for DVD, this could do for Blu-ray,” said Kornblau.
    Variety reported that an audience at an LA Film Festival screening of Wanted applauded the action scenes half-a-dozen times, a reaction unseen since the premiere of The Matrix.
    Kornblau, who was attending the festival, did not say when the movie would be available on Blu-ray.
    But the studio could be preparing to coincide the release with the much speculated introduction of Blu-ray players priced at under US $200.

  • HDTV sets will need new features for sales to continue improving

    Manufacturers will have to install features currently only available as paid-for add-ons in top-of-the-range HDTV models if sales growth is to be sustained.
    That is the conclusion of a report by research firm DisplaySearch which suggests that sales of HDTVs will peak in the next two or three years.
    It goes on to say that sales will then fall unless manufacturers can add compelling features that consumers are willing to pay for.
    Calvin Hsieh, the director of research at DisplaySearch, said internet connectivity, full 1080p resolution, PVR capabilities and upgraded HDMI port specifications need to become standard fare by next year.
    “Our research shows that the growth of the market will peak between 2009 and 2011,” he said.
    “Thereafter, growth will be limited without the development of new, enhanced features for TVs.”
    Less than half the digital TVs sold in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East with screen sizes larger than 40 inches have 1080p resolution – Japan has the highest penetration, at 90 per cent.
    Mr Hsieh said that while internet access is beginning to show up in sets from Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony, among others, once network connections are integrated right into a chip instead of requiring an ungainly add-on box, more applications will emerge that take advantage of the connectivity.

  • Number of LCD TVs being returned rises as viewers demand better quality for HDTV


    The refund rate on LCD TVs has increased to 25-30 per cent in North America despite a drop in prices by branded TV retailers.
    Many vendors reduced prices for 32-inch and 40-inch LCD TVs in May in an attempt to boost sales.
    However, the move has led to a rise in the number of products being returned as viewer expectations about the quality of high-definition images rises.
    The introduction of HD TV broadcasts in North America has made it much easier to compare the resolution of LCD TVs, according to a report in DigiTimes.
    It quotes industry sources who attribute the high refund rate for LCD to consumer dissatisfaction with low-priced products that did not meet their original expectations in terms of picture quality.

  • Savor the carnival atmosphere of Cirque Du Sole as Blu-ray brings the excitement of the big top into your living room

    Sony Pictures has announced it is bringing one of the world famous Cirque Du Soleil’s performances to Blu-ray later this year.
    “Cirque Du Soleil: Corteo”, by the celebrated troupe that has thrilled audiences on five continents, is due to be released on September 2nd.
    Sony said disk would capture all the magic of the performance in stunning high definition. No specs or special features have been announced at this time.
    The move is the latest digital venture by the circus, which has been seen by close to 80 million spectators in over 200 cities.
    Last month, the award winning Cirque announced it was extending its reach through mobile in partnership with YuuZoo, the fast growing new global mobile content, media and advertising company.
    Cirque du Soleil fans around the world are able to download show video excerpts, graphics and wallpapers directly onto their mobile devices through a new service offered through YuuZoo.
    Ron Creevey, president of YuuZoo, said the link-up was intended to expand beyond traditional mobile offerings by providing our customers with a broad selection of popular, unique subjects.
    “That’s one reason we’re very proud to be associated with such an innovative, creative world brand as Cirque du Soleil,” he said.

  • Free high definition content is the future as viewers grow accustomed to the new "normal" television


    The head of the UK’s Freesat digital service believes viewers will begin to resent paying for HDTV as increasing numbers regard it as the new “standard”.
    Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat, which launched in May, said there were already over 10m HD ready TV sets in UK homes.
    But at the time of Freesat’s launch only around 5 per cent of those HD ready homes were actually watching television programmes in high definition – and by subscription.
    Addressing the Broadcast Digital Channels Conference 2008 earlier this month, she said consumers and retailers wanted HD content– but it was the broadcasters that had taken a while to catch up.
    “Free HD is a long term opportunity for broadcasters and for Freesat,” she said. “HD is not a gimmick, it’s a new standard for television and one which every broadcaster I’ve met would love to deliver its content in.
    “I do not believe that HD will remain a long term income driver for pay platform operators – consumers will resent paying for something they see as the ‘new normal’ television if it isn’t premium sport and movies, which they already ‘expect’ to pay for.”
    Freesat offers subscription-free high definition channels and services once viewers have made a one-off payment for equipment.
    It expects to have up to 200 channels by the end of this year, including two high definition services – BBC HD and ITV HD – both available for free.
    Scott said that only with the launch of Freesat, a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, was HDTV really free for anyone who wanted it.
    She pointed to the rise in popularity of HD in the US, saying that the 35 per cent of homes now watching in HD were increasingly loyal to the networks they watched – and sought out HD programming, even if they wouldn’t normally watch the genre.
    “And with 1m Sony Playstation3s and an increasing number of Blu-ray players sold – both of which allow you to watch HD content via an HD ready TV – there are an increasing number of homes who will never want to switch back to just normal, ‘standard’ definition content.”
    Citing other popular examples where consumers get free access to products and services – such as Gmail, YouTube and Skype – she said Freesat hoped to be as successful in broadcasting.
    “So, in a world where there is widespread availability of digital technology, consumers increasingly expect their media for free,” she said.
    “But just being free isn’t enough for Freesat. Freesat will be the best of free, and is only going to get bigger and better.”