Business News Holding

Tag: market-data

  • Tight Competition for Biz-News.com Product of the Year Awards

    Contenders for the Biz-News.com Product of the Year Award are on a tight struggle to obtain the leading amount of votes for the 2009 Awards.

    The awards are people’s choice; users are being called upon to express their consumer experiences during 2009.

    What VoIP service worked for you best? Which would you recommend to your friends and colleagues?

    Let us know and award them a vote by filling this form.

    Currently the top contenders are:

    • IPsmarx SIP Based Calling Card Platform by IPsmarx Technology
    • Asterisk by Digium
    • IXC Softswitch by IXC
    • Fonolo by Fonolo
    • Phybridge Uniphyer by Phybridge Inc.
    • Truphone by Truphone
    • FreePBX by FreePBX
    • 3CX by 3CX

    You can vote for them or nominate your personal favourite.

    If you have more than one nomination for "Best Product" you can make multiple submissions – but you can only vote once for any product.

    Voting closes on the 15th of February!

    May the best be rewarded.

  • Tight Competition for Biz-News.com Product of the Year Awards

    Contenders for the Biz-News.com Product of the Year Award are on a tight struggle to obtain the leading amount of votes for the 2009 Awards.

    The awards are people’s choice; users are being called upon to express their consumer experiences during 2009.

    What Smartphone device or service worked for you best? Which would you recommend to your friends and colleagues?

    Let us know and award them a vote by filling this form.

    Currently the top contenders are:

    • Mobile Mentor 1:1 mentoring session by Mobile Mentor
    • BlueWatchDog by SECU4
    • Roambi by MeLLmo
    • Nokia N900 by Nokia
    • BOLT Browser by Bitstream

    You can vote for them or nominate your personal favourite.

    If you have more than one nomination for "Best Product" you can make multiple submissions – but you can only vote once for any product.

    Voting closes on the 15th of February!

    May the best be rewarded.

  • Voxbone: Revenue Rises 60 Percent, Network Traffic More Than Doubles in 2009

    Despite one of the worst global economic recessions in decades, Voxbone, a provider of IP network services, "saw another year of substantial growth in revenue, network traffic and new customers in 200", the company informed today.

    According to Voxbone, 2009 revenue was up 60 percent over the prior year, and minutes of use for inbound traffic grew 110 percent to 1.5 billion. In addition, Voxbone attracted more than 150 new customers to its base of service providers, multinational corporations, call center operators, conference call providers and others in the IP industry.

    Voxbone provides these customers with direct-inward-dial (DID) and iNum numbers for local presence in foreign markets while enabling them to deploy new advanced services via backbone dedicated to voice-origination services.

    Demand from conferencing providers, mobile VoIP providers, Web and telephony integrations, and enterprise customers accounted for much of Voxbone’s 2009 growth.

    Businesses’ global expansion, transition from the PSTN to IP, and deployment of high-definition voice and video services helped drive growth for the company.

    Voxbone reported it has assigned 18 million iNum numbers – global phone numbers with the “area code for Earth” – since introducing the service in November 2008.

    The company plans to make SMS services available through iNum and increase interoperability with mobile operators in 2010.

    Rod Ullens, Voxbone CEO, said, “What makes us different, and one of the main reasons for our success, is that Voxbone has been built from the beginning with an unusual mix of software expertise, a passion for open-source, deep understanding of telecom infrastructure and widespread global presence; we’re now in 49 countries.”

  • ABI Research: 4G Mobile Consumer Service Revenue Will Exceed $70 Billion in 2014

    As 4G network deployments gather momentum, a substantial 22% of device subscription revenues will come from suites of operator-branded premium services.

    Total 4G mobile consumer service revenue – including mobile internet services – will grow rapidly to exceed $70 billion worldwide in 2014, says ABI Research.

    According to ABI Research practice director Philip Solis, “Operators of 4G networks will refuse to be marginalized as ‘dumb data pipe’ service providers. Instead, they will offer suites of ‘smart services’ – some internally developed, others via partnerships with third party suppliers – that will be provided over ‘smart networks’ enabled with all-IP technologies, IMS infrastructure and cloud-based storage.”

    The analysts think these 4G services will be optimized to enable a proliferation of mobile devices, such as smartphones, netbooks and PNDs, and many operators will be offering pooled device subscriptions: one user subscription, many activated devices.

    Internet access service will be the “killer 4G service” – no surprise considering 4G networks are data-only.

    However, a suite of premium services will collectively drive significant consumer adoption, revenues and profits, including location services (such as turn-by-turn directions and POIs), multimedia services (as VoD and P2P video sharing), media broadcast services (pay-per-view TV and digital radio) and gaming services (such as multi-player and augmented reality games).

    ABI Research predicts that these “Web 3.0” services will be integrated with popular Web 2.0 features, such as personalization, community, interactivity, presence, and localization, and will be delivered simultaneously, seamlessly and transparently to ‘three screens’ – PCs, TVs and mobile devices – over the internet, over cable networks, and over wireless networks.

    “Operators will take advantage of this market opportunity by breaking down their walls and building open ecosystems,” says Solis.

    “They will partner with third-party service providers from whom they can license and re-brand services; they’ll work with network and handset OEMs to influence infrastructure and device specs; and they’ll join ecosystem development organizations, such as Alcatel-Lucent’s ng Connect program.”

  • More than Half of Consumers Utilize Mobile Phones for In-Store Holiday Shopping Activities

    A recent Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions annual research study of holiday shoppers identified that more than half (51 percent) of consumers across 11 countries used their mobile phones for in-store activities such as comparison shopping and getting peer feedback, product information and coupons.

    Motorola’s analysts think it signals the increasing importance for retailers to adopt mobile shopper technology strategies to remain competitive.

    According to the study, the usage and impact of mobile shopping technologies exploded during the 2009 holiday shopping season. The survey identified that 64 percent of Gen Y (age 18 to 34) shoppers used their mobile phones for in-store shopping-related activities during the holiday season.

    “Retailers, financial service institutions, advertisers and technology vendors are taking advantage of mobile platforms to attract this increasingly technologically savvy generation of shoppers,” says Motorola.

    The company also says all surveyed age-segments cited interest in next-generation retail technologies, 2demonstrating the growing consumer demand for real-time information to make better informed shopping decisions.”

    The research shows that when in-store associates were equipped with mobile technologies, such as two-way radios and handheld mobile computers, surveyed shoppers reported a better experience due to the use of the devices (59 percent and 56 percent respectively).

    Frank Riso, senior director of retail solutions, Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions, said, “By utilizing mobile technologies, consumers have become empowered, better informed and more critical shoppers. Retailers need to establish near-term strategies to provide product information, stock availability, discounts and coupons directly to shoppers to help them to remain competitive.”

  • iSuppli: Nexus One Serves as Research Tool for Google

    Google’s new Nexus One smart phone serves as a showcase for the latest version of the Android operating system and will allow the company to gather critical user data for developing new software, according to iSuppli.

    "With a plethora of smart phones based on the Android operating system already on the market, questions have arisen as to why Google would begin selling its own phone equipped with the operating system," said Tina Teng, iSuppli senior analyst for wireless communications.

    "iSuppli believes the Nexus One allows Google to demonstrate all the capabilities of its operating system more effectively than other phones that employ customized versions of Android. The Nexus One also gives Google direct access to end customers, yielding key information on how users interact with applications and utilize data."

    Such information will be pivotal as Android-based phones strive to gain market share in the burgeoning smart phone market. iSuppli predicts global smart phone shipments are set to rise considerably, more than doubling from 181 million in 2009 to 439 million in 2013.

    According to iSuppli, with Google having directed the entire design of the Nexus One, including the hardware, applications and operating system, the phone exemplifies all the capabilities of version 2.1 of Android.

    In contrast, other Android-based phones, such as Motorola’s Droid, have personalized the operating system to suit their own hardware designs and services.

    "The Nexus One will help Google popularize Android by showing what the operating system can really do," Teng said.

    Beyond serving as a technology demonstrator for Android, the Nexus One gives Google direct access to consumers’ use patterns.

    Teng said Google can embed an applet into the Nexus One that can send reports on user behaviors back to a company database for analysis.

    iSuppli believes the Nexus One is a compelling device in terms of functions and capabilities. However, the product will still face significant competitive challenges.

    "Google will have to bundle innovative software with the Nexus One to combat its strongest competitor: Apple’s iPhone," Teng said.

  • 3G and Wireless Data Boom in China

    The release of 3G licenses in China is spurring a wireless data boom, with national revenue from such services rising by 18.9 percent in 2009 and nearly doubling from 2008 to 2013, says iSuppli.

    According to the research group, as the one-year anniversary of the issuance of 3G licenses in China approaches, wireless data revenue, including both messaging and non-messaging service, is set to rise to $19.3 billion in 2009, up from $16.3 billion in 2008.

    By 2013, data revenue will surge to $31.5 billion, increasing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.1 percent from $16.3 billion in 2008.

    iSuppli predicts that non-messaging revenue soon will exceed messaging revenue as carriers expand mainstream adoption of 3G services. Non messaging service revenue will reach $20 billion in 2013, up by a factor of three from $6.8 billion in 2008.

    “The rapid growth of China’s data services is being enabled by the monumental spending of the nation’s wireless carriers on mobile infrastructure equipment,” said Will Kong, an analyst covering China research at iSuppli.

    “The carriers this year will spend about $6.3 billion on mobile infrastructure equipment, up 28 percent from 2008. This will represent a near-term peak, with spending in 2010 declining by 2.4 percent to $6.1 billion. During the next five years, carrier spending will continue to decline but will remain at a high level of more than $5.5 billion annually.”

    Kong claims that, although China Mobile achieved strong financial performance this year, its subscriber growth rate will decline. This is because China Telecom and China Unicom will place greater competitive pressure on China Mobile, especially in non-messaging services, by leveraging their network and handset advantages.

    In fact, China Mobile already has lost substantial market share in terms of new subscribers. The company’s share of wireless subscribers dropped to 58.2 percent in September, down from 78 percent in January.

    iSuppli forecasts mobile subscribers at China Telecom and China Unicom will exceed 100 million and 200 million, respectively, in 2013. By leveraging their advantages in networks and handset products, China Telecom and China Unicom will place even more pressure on China Mobile.

    iSuppli expects that China Mobile’s incremental market share will be stable at around 60 percent for the next few years.

    China Telecom and China Unicom will continue to subsidize mobile phones in order to provide attractive consumer prices.

    And both carriers will be supported by their parent companies, keeping them solvent. iSuppli also believes China Telecom and China Unicom will focus on long-term returns to gain more market share rather than on short-term profits.

  • VoIP Options for Small Businesses

    VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method of holding voice conversations over a broadband connection without the need to incur any kind of call charges.

    It has been around for several years in various forms, but is now extremely popular amongst both business and home users as broadband speeds have increased and VoIP has become widely used. VoIP services still require an analogue audio signal, but this is translated into a digital signal by a computer and then sent via a broadband internet connection rather than a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

    In many cases people use simple headsets with microphones attached in order to communicate using VoIP. However, there are several devices which look and behave exactly like traditional telephone units but are in fact designed for use with VoIP to ensure that the experience is as familiar and easy to pick up as possible.

    It is not just larger businesses that can benefit from VoIP services, as there are many companies and operators who cater specifically to the requirements of small and medium enterprises. If you want to switch your entire telephone system over to VoIP you can choose a full package from a variety of sources.

    A standard package will usually include a VoIP phone unit, supplied by one of the major electronics manufacturers and you should be able to specify the number of these that are needed. You will also be supplied with a telephone number via which you can be contacted.

    One of the best things about VoIP is that calls can be made between VoIP and traditional analogue telephone services without any hassle, though any non-VoIP to VoIP calls will be charged in a similar way to most landline telephone calls. Some VoIP services for small businesses will come complete with inclusive calling credit to cover the cost of such calls.

    In essence, if you choose a VoIP package provided by a third party for your business you should expect it to allow all of the same capabilities as a normal business telephone system, but with all of the benefits and conveniences of VoIP.

    However, if you wish you go it alone it is possible to set up VoIP for your business extremely cheaply, which is especially desirable if you are a home worker or have one or two employees. Services like Skype, which allow for VoIP users to sign up and create accounts for free, are simple to use and also allow instant messaging and video conferencing.

    The final VoIP consideration that small business owners should make is in relation to mobile VoIP. Several mobile network providers now offer VoIP services via their high speed mobile networks. This allows for extremely cheap calling whilst you are out and about using the same VoIP technology as you would be able to access in the office.

    Obviously choosing the right VoIP service or provider can be difficult, but like mobile broadband comparison it pays to shop around and consult with experts in the field before you commit. Serious savings can be made by small businesses which pick up VoIP packages.

  • $220 Million Fine For Participating in LCD Price-Fixing Conspiracy

    The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a LCD producer and seller has agreed to plead guilty and pay $220 million in criminal fines for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the sale of LCD panels.

    According to a one-count felony charge filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Chi Mei Optoelectronics participated in a conspiracy to fix the prices of LCD panels sold worldwide from Sept. 14, 2001, to Dec. 1, 2006.

    Companies directly affected by the LCD price-fixing conspiracy are some of the largest computer and television manufacturers in the world, including Apple, Dell and HP.

    According to the charge, Chi Mei carried out the conspiracy by agreeing during meetings, conversations and communications to charge prices of LCD panels at certain pre-determined levels and issuing price quotations in accordance with the agreements reached.

    As a part of the conspiracy, Chi Mei exchanged information on sales of LCD panels for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing adherence to the agreed-upon prices.

    Chi Mei, which is based in Tainan, Taiwan, is charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act. Each violation carries a maximum fine of $100 million for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

    Including the charges, as a result of this investigation, six companies have pleaded guilty or have agreed to plead guilty and have been sentenced to pay or have agreed to pay criminal fines totaling more than $860 million.

    Additionally, nine executives have been charged to date in the department’s ongoing investigation.

    Department of Justice informed that the charge is the result of a joint investigation by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Field Office and the FBI in San Francisco.

  • IDC: 450 Million Mobile Internet Users Worldwide in 2009, One Billion by 2013

    There were more than 450 million mobile Internet users worldwide in 2009, a number that is expected to more than double by the end of 2013, according to IDC.

    IDC’s Worldwide Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast finds that most popular online activities of mobile Internet users are similar to those of other Internet users: using search engines, reading news and sports information, downloading music and videos, and sending/receiving email and instant messages.

    Over the next four years, IDC expects some of the fastest growing applications for mobile Internet users will be making online purchases, participating in online communities, and creating blogs.

    Accessing online business applications and corporate email systems will also grow rapidly as businesses move to empower their mobile workforce.

    Highlights from IDC research include the following:

    • More than 1.6 billion devices worldwide were used to access the Internet in 2009, including PCs, mobile phones, and online videogame consoles.

    • China continues to have more Internet users than any other country, with 359 million in 2009. This number is expected to grow to 566 million by 2013. The United States had 261 million Internet users in 2009, a figure that will reach 280 million in 2013. India will have one of the fastest growing Internet populations, growing almost two-fold between 2009 and 2013.

    • Presently, the United States has far more total devices connected to the Internet than any other country. China, however, is the leader in in the number of mobile online devices with almost 85 million mobile devices connected to the Internet in 2009.

    • Worldwide, more than 624 million Internet users will make online purchases in 2009, totaling nearly $8 trillion (both business to business and business to consumer). By 2013, worldwide eCommerce transactions will be worth more than $16 trillion.

    • Worldwide spending on Internet advertising will total nearly $61 billion in 2009, which is slightly more than 10% of all ad spending across all media. This share is expected to reach almost 15%% by 2013 as Internet ad spending grows surpasses $100 billion worldwide.

    "With a wealth of information and services available from almost anywhere, Internet-connected mobile devices are reshaping the way we go about our personal and professional lives. With an explosion in applications for mobile devices underway, the next several years will witness another sea change in the way users interact with the Internet and further blur the lines between personal and professional," said John Gantz, chief research officer at IDC.