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Tag: mobile

  • US Mobile Market Ready for Location-Based Advertising

    INTERVIEW: Location-based advertising (LBA) is still in its early stages – and has so far mostly been rolled out in European markets, including France, Romania and Germany.

    Now TechnoCom has brought a mobile advertising and marketing content delivery platform to the US where it believes the opportunities are huge.

    Smartphone.biz-news spoke to Janice Partyka, vice president of external affairs at TechnoCom, about its SpotOn GPS application and plans for combining location-aware advertising with navigation.

    TechnoCom last month announced that it was launching SpotOn GPS, a mobile navigation system that offers turn-by-turn navigation, search and mapping.

    Nothing particularly startling in that. But where this hosted solution differs is that it is a mobile advertising and marketing content delivery platform that combines advertising with navigation.

    What makes this interesting – especially at a time when budgets are being fiercely scrutinised – is the potential it offers carriers and brands to increase the effectiveness and reach of advertising and promotional messaging.

    The argument is that the return on investment from mobile advertising dollars is greatly enhanced by presenting ads, coupons and offers to consumers at select times, in the right places and close to points of sale.

    Recent figures show that the mobile advertising market in the US is expected to reach USD $2.3 billion, roughly 25 per cent of the overall market by 2011.

    Janice Partyka, vice president of external affairs at TechnoCom

    The largest segment is expected to be mobile couponing reaching almost USD $4 billion by 2011 or 42 per cent of the overall market.

    Janice Partyka, vice president of external affairs at TechnoCom, said a key factor in launching the navigation system was their popularity as mobile applications.

    "We see it as a marketing and advertising pipe," she said. "In Europe there are offerings that combine navigation with advertising and marketing. But we are the first to introduce it to the US."

    Appeal of LBS

    Location-based advertising has been shown to yield significantly higher conversion rates with direct response modes, such as click-to-locate and click-to-navigate, compared to non-location-based advertising.

    This makes LBA and navigation an appealing combination.

    Helping drive the adoption of both is that fact that for end-users, ad-funded navigation can represent a balance between exposure to advertising and access to reduced-cost, or potentially free, navigation.

    Partyka told smartphone.biz-news that market research shows that a large percentage of people say "yes" when asked if they would be interested in an offering that deferred subscriber costs.

    "We have to be smart about it and not make the advert very intrusive," she said.

    "It has to be relevant to who they are and what they are doing."

    So while someone might appreciate receiving an offer from a nearby restaurant at lunchtime, they are unlikely to be so well disposed to getting one at midnight.
    "That’s not useful. Relevance is really important," said Partyka.

    She said that as well as carriers – the traditional channel for navigation – there were other options for SpotOn GPS.

    These include affinity groups, such as airline mileage rewards programs, shopping clubs or travel clubs, all of which can offer search listings of their inventory, suppliers, and partners.

    Partyka said that, for instance, a mileage program can list restaurants or hotels that offer their customers extra mileage incentives.

    The mileage program member may decide to view hotels on a map, receive coupons, offers and advertisements; click-tocall; connect to a website to see rates and book nights; and click-to-navigate to the business’s location.

    Partyka said this extends the reach of partners to get bookings.

    She said SpotOn GPS has other applications, such as a large retailer branding the application to always show its locations on maps, provide special offers that are regionally or outlet-specific, highlight certain vendors, and display loyalty messages.

    Other customers, such as wireless operators, may opt for third-party advertisements that SpotOn GPS offers as a bundle.

    Flexible Revenue Model

    But Partyka said that what SpotOn GPS also offers is flexibilty when it comes to the revenue model being used.

    While the traditional method is for navigation to be offered to end users on a monthly subscription, TechnoCom’s app can be be adapted to its customer’s requirements.

    The revenue models include subscriptions, premium content fees and advertising transaction fees.

    So this can range from a client paying the full fee or chosing a mix of reduced subscription with a share of advertising revenues – to the extent that it could is heavily discounted or even free.

    Partyka said that how customers end up working the charge with the end user depends on them.

    "In some cases they would not charge the end user for the service," she said.

    So, for example, it could be part of the American Express offering for Platinum Card holders, with the cost fully absorbed by membership charges or promotion budgets.

    "Someone else might make a minimum charge but much less than what would have found before," she said.

    Speedy Launch

    Designed as a turn-key solution, SpotOn GPS can be ready for service launch within sixty days of contract signing.

    Partyka said the app does what any other navigation, search and mapping service does.

    Worldwide rich mapping options include street maps, 3-D map views and satellite images. Location-specific traffic and weather are also offered.

    She said it is initially being supported on Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Java handsets but will be coming out on Android in Q3 and the iPhone Q4 2009.

    Based on LocatioNet’s amAze GPS service, it has has been white-labeled by leading international carriers and service providers, including Bouygues France, Orange Israel, Vodafone Romania and Telegate Germany.

    Partyka said SpoOn GPS is aimed at a wide range of end-users with access to international local search databases, and text and voice prompted instructions in thirteen languages with more being added.

    Other features being developed include user generated content, such as enabling users to identify where speed traps are located.

    TechnoCom expects to have its first customers for SpotOn GPS shortly, according to Partyka: "This is the beginning of the market. We have clients that are ready for it."

  • Opt-In Subscriber Database "Crucial" To Mobile Operator Ad Revenues

    INTERVIEW: Mobile operators are searching for new and innovative ways to generate revenues beyond service plans.

    Julien Oudart, sales and marketing director for French mobile advertising company Sofialys, tells smartphone.biz-news about the opportunities open to carriers from opt-in subscriber databases.

    There is no doubt that mobile operators are facing plenty of challenges in today’s rapidly evolving telecommunications ecosystem.

    But Julien Oudart, sales and marketing director for French mobile advertising company Sofialys, believes there are plenty of opportunities for operators to monetize their offerings beyond service plans.

    He said carriers in Europe are still a big part of the value chain and have made steady progress in taking "a piece of the advertising action" through offering services such as mobile video and mobile games.

    "All these things work technically. Now it’s a matter of attracting brands," he said.

    Volumes on games and video are still low for mobile, but Oudart said he was confident this would change.

    "We will get there as more people connect to these services," he said. "Mobile has it all in one device. You get video, games, a phone – different options."

    This opens up opportunities for creating cross-media content, but Oudart said the key element is access to subscribers.

    "I think an opt-in database is crucial," he said.

    Especially so since legislators in the US are saying it is illegal to push campaigns to people without their consent – effectively making it spam.

    By tapping their user base to sell to pan-European advertisers, Oudart said operators were in a good position to generate additional revenues.

    Consumer Attitudes

    He said consumers are willing to opt-in and be exposed to advertising if – and this is the important bit – they get something attractive in return.

    "We always try and be transparent. So when we sign someone up there is no pre-ticked box which will then see them receive spam," he said.

    "We explain to people that they will receive promotions. It is then up to them to say yes or no."

    The lure for consumers, according to Oudart is the promotions and coupons they receive for different brands and goods.

    To be effective these have to be correctly targeted based on people’s user profiles.

    "I don’t think people are against being exposed to brands," he said. "What matters is that relevant brands reach people and to communicate to the right segment."

    Another element to specific targeting is geo-tagging, something the French mobile operator SFR has been trialling with a few thousand subscriber volunteers from its user database.

    Four companies were signed up for the trial, including a restaurant chain and jewellery chain.

    Oudart said everytime a user passes one of the participating businesses, a 20 per cent discount coupon might be pushed to their handset, or they are served an ad for the relevant outlet.

    "Geo-location services will be important," he said.

    However, he stressed that it’s vital not to annoy users by bombarding them with messages – Sofialys always asks how many messages someone wants to receive in a week, according to Oudart.

    Headquartered in Paris, the supplier of mobile marketing and advertising solutions was formed six years ago as a technology provider to help operators and publishers monetize mobile portals across Europe, Asia, Middle East and the US.

    Its biggest customer is SFR, which owns a 20 per cent stake in the company, but it also works with a pool of mobile publishers and agencies.

    Expanding Horizons

    However, Oudart said Sofialys is beginning to expand its operations with other operators and clients around Europe.

    He said there are several possibilities in the UK and they have just signed a partnership contract with Adfrap, a UK-based full service mobile agency.

    "For us it’s an interesting step into the UK market," he said. "It generates between 80-100 million pages views every month.
    "When you reach significant volumes like this it starts to be interesting."

    Oudart said they have also signed up a pool of dot.com publishers and are working with a couple of sales houses in the UK.

    In general terms mobile advertising has not been that badly affected by the economic situation, according to Oudart, and continues to grow at a healthy rate.

    Its buoyancy has been boosted by the iPhone, which he said has "shaken up everything".

    The Apple handset has done a lot to drive up mobile broadband use – something that Oudart believes is both an opportunity and a challenge.

    He said it creates more volumes – but because it is easier for the likes of Google and Yahoo to put ads on the iPhone, the entry barrier has been lowered.

    "We know how mobile works and we can bring value to this," he said. "But more people can now do what we do – that’s why we are trying to differentiate ourselves."

  • Sony Ericsson Drops Proprietary Memory Cards For Standard MicroSD


    Sony Ericsson is to stop using its proprietary memory card format in favor of the standard and more popular MicroSD.

    The change will will make moving content between the mobile handsets and PCs easier.

    Among the first Sony Ericsson products to make the shift from Sony’s own Memory Stick Micro cards will be the Satio, Aino and Yari announced last week.

    Sony’s memory cards are a bit narrower and longer than the standard ones made by SanDisk and other companies – making it impossible to insert it into a computer’s built-in memory card reader.

    A user was required to connect their phone to the computer using a cable to transfer music, photos and other content between the two devices.

    While that’s standard practice for many phones, including the iPhone, having standard components makes it easier if not also cheaper.

  • Roccat Launches Lightweight VoIP Headset For PC & Mobile


    Roccat has launched the first headset to provide a microphone and earphones that can be used with PCs as well as mobile phones.

    The Vire Mobile Communication Gaming Headset is designed for use with VoIP solutions and more general communications.

    The lightweight device offers an in-line microphone and earphones, which can be used for online gaming, mobile communication or as an attachment on MP3 players.

    With a microphone that filters out background noise and enhances the clarity of speech, the headset is well-suited to VoIP solutions.

    The rubberised earplugs have also been designed in an open style – rather than encasing the whole ear, making them comfortable to wear for long periods.

    Roccat, based in Hamburg, Germany, says the headset was designed to unite gaming, communications and music in one headset.

    Roccat’s Erik J. Dale said the microphone shields out unnecessary background noises and ensures a user’s voice is transmitted clearly when chatting over VoIP or on the move while making calls.

    "The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said," he said.

    The headset has an RRP of EURO €39.99 (USD $55) and is due for official release in July.

  • Imeem App Helps iPhone Users Overcome Storage Limits


    Imeem has launched its Mobile social music application for the iPhone and iPod touch.

    The main thrust of the online streaming service is the ability to search and play millions of user-posted songs through a free downloadable app.
    But it also offers users cloud storage for music libraries and data files.

    By creating an imeem account on its Web site, you can upload up to 100 songs for free.

    It offers a VIP Subscription service for USD $29.99 per year, which allows 1,000 uploads, while USD $99.99 a year gives 20,000.

    The app is likely to prove popular with iPhone owners, particularly those with 8GB handset who find it isn’t sufficient to hold large playlists and music collections.

    The iPhone app follows one launched for Android last year.

    Dalton Caldwell, founder and CEO of imeem, said MyMusic enables music lovers to browse and stream their personal imeem music library.

    "People can upload up to 20,000 songs of the music they own directly to imeem.com, and then enjoy the songs on the go whenever they want without taking up additional storage on their mobile device," he said.

    imeem Mobile is now available from Apple’s App Store.

  • HP and RIM Announce Strategic Alliance to Mobilize Business on BlackBerry


    RIM and HP are partnering together to offer Blackberry business users some features which they say will allow mobile workers to increase their productivity levels.

    Among the first applications and services for the smartphones is printing service that enables users to easily print to the nearest printer.

    Called CloudPrint for BlackBerry, it will allow users to store and print documents, photos and web pages while traveling using the smartphone.

    The service is printer-agnostic and driverless and requires simple Internet access.

    Another offering will allow the management of companies’ BlackBerry smartphone deployments to be outsourced.

    HP and RIM plan to design and launch other offerings targeted at the growing number of global mobile employees.

  • DiBcom And Solaris DVB-SH Partnership Signals "New Era" For Mobile TV


    DiBcom has signed a partnership agreement with Solaris Mobile to use its receiver technology to enable mobile devices to receive content such as mobile TV transmitted by satellite.

    The link-up centres around Solaris’ recently launched Eutelsat W2A satellite, which carries Europe’s first S-Band payload.

    It will offer Mobile Satellite Services (MSS), including the broadcasting of video, radio and data to mobile devices and vehicle receivers.
    The DVB-SH hybrid satellite will also supply a range of interactive mobile services.

    DiBcom supplies DVB-SH broadcast receiver solutions that give mobile devices access to the multimedia content transmitted by satellite and terrestrial repeater.

    The receivers are a multi-band and multi-mode solution featuring dual RF tuners supports DVB-SH, DVB-H and DVB-T in S-Band and UHF frequencies.

    In February, DiBcom announced it was launching a new platform that offers device manufacturers a solution to the problem of multiple standards worldwide for fixed and mobile TV.

    Yannick Levy, CEO of DiBcom, said its involvement in this "ground-breaking" mobile satellite launch was both a logical and strategic choice.

    He said the agreement between Solaris Mobile and DiBcom will be an enabling force in Europe’s mobile television markets by providing distribution technology for mass market consumption in the most economic way. Live trials using DVB-SH are currently underway in France, Spain and Italy.

    California-based MobiTV is also looking to broaden its reach and is in the process of developing its services for the European market.

    "We are witnessing the dawn of a whole new era for Mobile TV services with truely universal continental coverage," said Levy.

    "There is no doubt that Solaris Mobile will leverage the industry-leading knowledge and experience of its founding companies towards a new set of mobile applications of real value to end users throughout Europe."

    Steve Maine, president and CEO of Solaris Mobile, said it is one of four operators that submitted an application to the European Commission last October for the rollout of mobile satellite services over dedicated S-Band spectrum.

    He said this took place under a single European selection procedure and on behalf of the 27 Member States of the EU.

    "We are convinced that this is the most innovative opportunity in Europe’s telecommunications and media marketplaces and are extremely pleased that DiBcom is a leading participant in one of our major strategic mobile satellite service initiatives," he said.

  • eBay Bets on Skype's Entry Into SIP-based PBX To Boost Revenue


    Skype has launched Skype for SIP, a beta program that allows companies to make domestic and international VoIP calls from an office PBX rather than PC.

    The move comes the week after eBay announced that it expects Skype to more than double its revenue to over USD $1 billion by 2011 – with hopes high that the new business service will be a compelling proposition.

    Skype For SIP allows SIP PBX owners to make Skype calls to fixed phones and mobiles around the world, and to receive calls from Skype users directly into their PBX system.

    The service will also allow businesses to be contacted by Skype’s 405 million registered users through click-to-call from their Web sites.

    The calls will be received through their existing office system at no cost to the customer.

    At the same time, businesses can purchase online Skype numbers available in over 20 countries to receive calls from business contacts and customers who are using traditional fixed lines or mobile phones.

    Stefan Oberg, VP and general manager of Skype for Business, described the introduction of Skype for SIP as a significant move for Skype and for any communication intensive business around the world.

    "It effectively combines the obvious cost savings and reach of Skype with its large user base, with the call handling functionality, statistics and integration capabilities of traditional office PBX systems, providing great economical savings and increased productivity for the modern business," he said.

    The initial beta is available to a limited number of participants: SIP users, phone system administrators, developers and service partners are invited to apply.

    Applicants need to be businesses, have an installed SIP based IP-PBX system, as well as a level of technical competency to configure their own SIP-enabled PBX.

    The Skype for SIP beta program is open today to a limited number of participants; SIP users, phone system administrators, service partners, and developers can get in on the beta. Beta users will need to be businesses, have a SIP-based IP-PBX phone system, and in-house expertise to configure their SIP-enabled PBX.

    The SIP software will be available for free, but Skype plans to charge about 2.1 cents per minute for calls to landlines and cell phones. Calls from computers to phone systems using Skype will be free.

    Key Features of the Skype for SIP Beta include:

    • Receive and manage inbound calls from Skype users worldwide on SIP-enabled PBX systems; connecting the company Web site to the PBX system via click-to-call
    • Place calls with Skype to landlines and mobile phones worldwide from any connected SIP-enabled PBX; reducing costs with Skype’s low-cost global rates
    • Purchase Skype’s online numbers, to receive calls to the corporate PBX from landlines or mobile phones
    • Manage Skype calls using their existing hardware and system applications such as call routing, conferencing, phone menus and voicemail; no additional downloads or training are required

  • Truphone Unveils First Multi-country Mobile Service


    Truphone has unveiled its plans for a single-SIM, multi-country mobile service that will enable users to make calls in supported countries at local rates.

    The mobile communications company says a key aim of the Local Anywhere service is to eliminate the hassle of switching SIM cards or the expense of often-exorbitant roaming charges when callers use their handsets on foreign trips, according to voip.biz-news.

    Truphone claims that the new service, which will launch in September, will offer up to 80 per cent savings on roaming charges when visiting other countries.

    Making the announcement at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Geraldine Wilson, Truphone’s CEO, said the service was intended to get rid of the need for people to juggle multiple devices and phone numbers to avoid paying roaming charges.

  • Advertising Will Subsidise Cost of Location-based Smartphone Services


    The smartphone market is likely to see big changes in 2009 – not least in how revenue is raised for services and content.

    Kris Kolodziej, CTO and vice president of business development with Spime, told smartphone-biz.news that navigation services were currently the top revenue earner in the cell phone market.

    These were followed by traffic and buddy finder services.

    Location advertising had, however, become a major talking point in the industry.

    He said he was sure that in 2009 and 2010, it would begin to subsidise the cost of services to consumers.

    Kris Kolodziej, CTO Spime

    This would be moving towards the Google business model of offering users content and services without a charge.

    “We shall see what happens with that – the consumer expects everything for free,” he said.

    Kolodziej said Google was a competitor of Spime in this respect. Google offered its mobile maps download for free, with features such as turn-by-turn and voice search.

    “Right now the user pays USD $10 per month for navigation, so that cost would need to be subsidised with advertising.

    “We will see what happens when Google comes out with this. Only Google with so many advertisers could pull this off.”

    Spime, a Fremont, California based company is a provider of wide range of location-based technologies and applications.

    Kolodziej said that 2009 was likely to be a year of consolidation in the industry. He said fewer players usually brought benefits to the consumer, citing the acquisition of Navteq by Nokia and Wayfinder by Vodafone as examples.

    Kolodziej suggested that Spime might itself be a worthwhile acquisition target.

    “Maybe Google would acquire someone like us because features like turn-by-turn are very complicated,” he said.

    “If this goes well we might be acquired by a big company.”

    What makes companies like Spime attractive, according to Kolodziej, is the growing realisation that the services provided by navigation companies had the potential to generate a lot of money, making them a juicy acquisition proposition.

    “It’s a proven market, it just needs to expand to capture more consumers,” he said.

    With smartphones now coming equipped with GPS as standard, there is no doubt that growth will come.