Operators Losing Out to Web Brands on the Mobile Internet

A survey from CCS Insight reveals that while a significant proportion of young Europeans now access the Internet from their mobile phones on a frequent, often daily, basis, most of them ignore the services offered by mobile phone companies in favour of more-familiar names from the web. While the research suggests ways for network operators and handset-makers to maximise uptake of the mobile Internet, results indicate many of these opportunities are being overlooked.
Key findings of the report, Mobile Internet Usage in Europe, 2009’, include:

• Up to a quarter of young people now access the mobile Internet every day
• Mobile operator portals and services such as Nokia's Ovi are losing out to familiar web brands like Facebook, Amazon and Twitter
• The success of local-language networking sites shows there is life beyond Facebook. Around half of mobile social network users in Germany access StudiVZ on their mobile phone, while 62% in Spain access Tuenti
• About two-thirds of Italian and Spanish women under 36 have never accessed the Internet on their mobile phones, partly because mobile operators are failing to deliver services that appeal to this untapped market
• Increasing use of phones to access social networks, coupled with demand for mobile gaming, creates an opportunity for a new mobile social gaming phenomenon
• As multiple e-book readers descend on Europe, mobile phones still have a role as the preferred way to access e-publications

“Our survey reveals the true picture of mobile Internet usage among young consumers in Europe's top five markets. It shows that as Smartphones become more affordable, people are using them to access the sites they know and love on their PCs,” says Martin Garner, Director of Mobile Internet at CCS Insight and one of the report's authors. “Mobile network operators and handset manufacturers are losing the battle to define the mobile Internet experience, despite the huge sums they're pouring into sites that compete with the familiar web names." On the eve of the industry’s biggest gathering in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, CCS Insight's report highlights some key lessons still to be learned.
While the survey shows that over 60% of mobile Internet users in Europe's five largest markets prefer to ignore operator portals, it also reveals that mobiles have a role to play in other current consumer trends. For example, in Italy, over 40% of young people who expressed an interest in e-newspapers said they would only read them on their phone. This finding, coupled with data from other countries in the survey, suggests that despite excitement around the launch of several e-book readers, the mobile phone is still the device of choice for many consumers accessing multimedia content.
The report also found that although many young people are reluctant to pay for music or video downloads on mobile phones, 39% do pay for mobile games, and a further 19% of respondents would be willing to. Combined with the popularity of social networking sites for mobile Internet users, this suggests a big opportunity to drive mobile Internet traffic through popular social gaming applications, CCS Insight says.
In contrast to the general reluctance to access networks' mobile Internet portals, over half of all mobile Internet users surveyed said they access Facebook on their phone, while 10% access Twitter. The most popular mobile Internet application is email, with 61% of young mobile Internet users in Europe's top five markets accessing email on the move.
“Despite the warnings for the mobile industry, the opportunities are there,” says
Paolo Pescatore, Director of Operator Strategy at CCS Insight and co-author of the report. “Network operators, phone-makers and media companies need to focus less on what they want to sell and more on what consumers want to access on their mobile phones. The alternative will be to sit back and watch the large web brands continue to define the future of the mobile Internet.”
There’s more information about the report here.

Derdack Takes App Store Concept to SMS

Derdack, which provides mobile messaging platforms, has unveiled the latest version of its message master nx solution. Derdack says that message master nx enables mobile operators to transfer the successful application store concept pioneered by Apple to SMS/MMS messaging, allowing mobile users who don’t have a Smartphone to connect to their favourite Internet applications through SMS.
Using message master nx, mobile operators can create and host an SMS/MMS-based app store which provides greater control of the mobile messaging value chain and the potential to secure a larger share of the resulting revenue stream. This is particularly useful in developing markets, says Derdack, where rapid growth in SMS/MMS messaging is driven by non-Smartphone handsets.
“We have taken the established App Store idea pioneered by Apple and transferred it to the world of mobile messaging,” says Managing Director Matthes Derdack. “message master nx provides operators with an entirely new approach to capitalising on the value of SMS/MMS messaging by building an application platform for running and hosting multiple in-house developed or third party applications. Feedback from existing customers, the operator community and analysts has validated the business concept and confirmed that message master nx offers a genuinely innovative strategy for operators to significantly increase revenues generated by the SMS/MMS channel.”
message master nx uses a browser-based graphical design tool to enable operators to rapidly build and test SMS and MMS services. By eliminating reliance on external developer skills, operators gain added flexibility and lower application design costs. Access can also be granted to third party developers to create value added services in a ‘sandbox’ environment (in which code or content changes can be tested without affecting the original system). The operator can review third party applications before transferring them to the app store. 
Subscribers can sign up to the applications that are of interest under a self-service model, or they can be provisioned by the operator. As the platform for the app store is managed by the operator, it enables greater control and visibility over service content and billing.
message master nx is available with a range of proven applications including bulk messaging, SMS community messaging, MMS marketing and Corporate Outlook SMS. Derdack says that building and deploying new applications such as MMS-to-Facebook (or any other social networking site), at an extremely low cost, is also straightforward.

Pursway Gets Social with Network Operators

Influencer Marketing company Pursway (formerly Datanetis), says it is helping a growing number of consumer companies improve the effectiveness of their customer relationship strategies, boosting customer acquisition, retention, and cross-selling outcomes. Companies working with the Pursway solution include Vodafone Group, Orange, and other leading mobile network operators, as well as companies in the retail, financial, and travel and hospitality sectors. Off the back of major customer wins, Pursway is expanding its operations in Europe and N. America with a $6 million (£3.85 million) Series A investment from Battery Ventures. 
Based on a combination of patent-pending algorithms and influencer marketing expertise and success metrics developed in over 100 customer implementations, Pursway claims to offer the first and only solution that enables companies to leverage social influence in a scalable and measurable fashion.  
“It is well-documented that most buying decisions are made as a result of recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues,” says Pursway CEO, Elery Pfeffer. “Our solution enables companies to close the gap between how they market their products and services and the way consumers really make their buying decision. Working with some of the leading global retail, financial, and telecommunication companies worldwide, the results show 5-10 times improvement in marketing ROI in as little as three months.”
The Pursway solution enables companies to identify the influencers and followers for each product or offer within their customer database. They can then create campaigns that utilize this information in a measurable fashion that can be tied to success metrics. 
“Helping the launch of social network analysis initiatives in several European mobile network operators, Pursway has been able to expand the operators’ knowledge of the subscriber base and identify a large number of influencers not considered in previous analyses,” says Saverio Romeo, Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “The effect of the influencers on the campaigns has also been significant. On average, each influencer has caused three to seven followers to respond to the campaign that, in turn, has strongly increased product uptake.”
Rather than searching for opinion leaders in social media conversations on Twitter and Facebook, Pursway’s method enables companies to identify the millions of “everyday influencers”, using only data that already exist in their customer database, and without infringing on the privacy of online conversations. 
“Our findings from over 100 customer projects show that people who talk the most, post the most, or have the most connections are not necessarily the real influencers when it comes to actual buying behavior,” says Pfeffer.

Vodafone Wins Oracle Enterprise Deal

Vodafone Global Enterprise has been appointed by Oracle to manage its mobile service needs in its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region in a four-year deal
Under the agreement, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the dedicated division of Vodafone that manages the communication needs of its largest enterprise customers, will supply mobile services management, mobile voice and data services to over 16,000 Oracle employees in the EMEA region, billed on a fixed-fee, per-user basis.
For Oracle, the deal will offer the potential for significant savings as well as enhanced efficiencies, through Vodafone Global Enterprise’s managed services platform.
Under the agreement, Oracle is set to achieve greater cost efficiencies, benefiting from the enhanced transparency offered from predictable flat rate fee structures for mobility and managed services. The flat rate fee structures have been designed to encourage worry-free mobile voice and data usage among employees to boost productivity, while ensuring that managers are able to accurately predict expenditure. 
Vodafone Global Enterprise will also combine and simplify the management of mobile services within the company to drive standardisation and provide enhanced levels of control.
“Oracle has been impressed by Vodafone Global Enterprise’s straightforward and transparent approach to pricing communications, and we anticipate this will deliver greater cost efficiencies,” says Carol Kelly, Vice President, Global Revenue and Procurement Operations at Oracle. “As well as greater convenience, we expect that this partnership will deliver enhanced services to our employees through Vodafone’s market leading solutions.”
The benefits will be delivered through Vodafone Telecoms Management, a fully hosted service designed to remove the operational complexity of managing the mobile phone environment for multinational businesses.

Report Explains How Operators Can Slash Data Costs

Operators Could Slash Mobile Data Costs by 60% per annum. That’s the key finding of a study released today by Bridgewater Systems into the mobile data surge.
The report, ‘Towards a Profitable Mobile Data Business Model’, highlights the impact of growing 3G penetration, lower cost Smartphones and USB dongles, new tablets like the iPad, and the popularity of mobile applications on the growth in mobile data volumes traversing operators’ networks.
It investigates the causes of mobile network congestion and the best methods to alleviate it, based on exclusive research conducted by independent research firm Chetan Sharma Consulting. It also provides insights into new service models, underpinned by Bridgewater’s deployment experiences with operators, and customer case studies from Ovum and Morgan Stanley.
The report looks at both network congestion management strategies and operator data pricing models. It concludes that policy control could contribute substantial annual cost savings of over 10%, equating to more than $15 billion (£9.6 billion) in annual cost reductions by 2013 in the US market.
The report also says that operators deploying a data traffic offload strategy to wi-fi, femtocells or 4G could expect savings of 20 to 25% per annum by 2013, representing $30 to $40 billion in the US market. And the evolution to HSPA and LTE could save just under 20% in network costs by 2013, saving US operators $25 billion by 2013.
Bridgewater says that flexible, dynamic, and personalised pricing models that reflect subscribers’ preferences and context, bandwidth and application usage, and network conditions, will better align data revenues with network costs for the first time. New models include tiered and usage-based models that take a smarter approach to service personalization and fair usage; application-specific charging, to generate appropriate revenues from high-bandwidth services; time-based models that charge based on time spent on the network; and mobile advertising- and mobile commerce-funded approaches.
“Our new report highlights the importance of implementing a multi-pronged strategy to reduce mobile data costs and network congestion, including policy control, data traffic offload, and migration to 3G and 4G,” says Bridgewater Systems Senior Vice President, David Sharpley. “By coupling this strategy with personalized service models based on subscriber usage, operators can benefit from a more profitable mobile data business model.” 
You can download the report here.

Buongiorno Rolls Out Mobile Loyalty Program for Proximus

Mobile entertainment firm Buongiorno has announced the launch of a loyalty program for Belgacom’s prepaid mobile customers (Proximus) in Belgium, called Play&Gold. The service, which launched on 28 January, uses the same CRM platform that Buongiorno already uses successfully with Telefonica O2 Top-Up Surprises in the UK and Telecom Italia Mobile.
Buongiorno applies its proprietary technology and know-how to improve network operators’ CRM systems. Operators implement Buongiorno’s real-time solution, called Intelligent Mobile Marketer (IMM), to better understand their customers, reward loyalty with prizes redeemed in real-time, and in turn increase retention and customer satisfaction.
Play&Gold offers Proximus customers an instant reward every time they top-up their account with €15 (£13) or more. Once a customer has recharged their mobile account, they receive a text message containing a unique code and directing them to the relevant Proximus website to discover and redeem their prize.
Depending on the amount topped-up, the customer is eligible for different prize pulls: Silver or Gold. Everyone who tops-up more than €15 is eligible to play, and everyone that plays is guaranteed a reward.
Rewards are varied and changing. They include mobile-related prizes such as free texts or voice minutes, as well as physical prizes such as digital cameras, shopping vouchers, cinema tickets, race day tickets and spa experiences. Every recharge of more than €15 grants the Proximus customer a prize and each Euro recharged gives the chance to win the grand prize of a home cinema system, with the draw taking place in February.
IMM, is playing an increasingly important role within operators’ offerings, says Buongiorno. “Due to the heightened competitiveness of the market and challenging economic conditions, operators are increasingly seeking ways to reward and retain valuable customers, putting them first and improving their direct relationship with them.
“Within the European operator market, we recognised a need for our partners to find a new way to differentiate themselves by motivating and rewarding their customers,” says Adhish Kulkarni, Buongiorno’s Global Head of Products and CRM. “Buongiorno invested in developing a unique CRM platform, and this investment has now enabled us to become the specialist CRM partner as we roll it out for more operators, supporting them in developing bespoke reward programs, increasing ARPU and reducing churn of loyal customers.”

Partnership Focuses on M2M Innovation

Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile and Telit Communications have signed a strategic collaboration agreement which will see the three companies working together, worldwide. The companies say they plan to identify relevant target markets in the telematics, fleet management, navigation, smart metering (remote metering), vending machine and security segments.
Telit is a leading provider of technologies for mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. The partners in the venture will be working closely together on sales and marketing in their target markets and plan to jointly develop innovative M2M products and services. They say that customers will benefit from integrated solutions for the networking of vehicles, machines, measurement and control modules and other objects, as well as a comprehensive range of customised services.
“As the operator of an extensive, mature mobile phone network, the M2M market offers us enormous potential for growth,” says Mark Büsgen, Head of Business Development for Corporate Clients at T-Mobile Deutschland. “Partnering with Telit will enable us to exploit this potential even further and lastingly expand our customer base. Telit understands what users need and therefore represents an important partner for us."

Voice SMS a Hit in Uganda

Ugandan mobile operator MTN says it has seen impressive take-up of its recently-launched Voice SMS service, and has ordered an upgrade to triple the capacity of the Voice SMS system.
MTN launched Voice SMS using technology from Kirusa, a developer of mobile Value Added Services. 11% of MTN Uganda subscribers have taken up the Voice SMS service in the three months since launch.
Voice SMS enables subscribers to send messages by voice, eliminating the need to type. It enables subscribers to communicate faster, with greater ease, and convey emotions as compared to limitations of text messages. Use of Voice SMS by mobile subscribers is gaining global relevance for its benefits in surpassing the limitations of text messages.
Users dial * followed by the number to record and send a message. The recipient receives an SMS notification for each new Voice SMS and can listen to the messages by dialing *0* or a ‘DirectListen’ number embedded in the SMS notification. Users can send messages to other MTN users, as well as to subscribers of other mobile carriers in Uganda.
“We are delighted with the success of Voice SMS service with our subscribers,” says  MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer, Isaac Nsereko. “The service has been receiving an overwhelming response from our subscribers since its launch as they have found it an innovative medium to communicate. The richness of the Kirusa solution and the support from the Kirusa team has been instrumental in achieving this success.”

Nimbuzz Strikes Indonesian Deal

Next-generation mobile messaging service Nimbuzz has announced a partnership with Indonesia’s largest mobile operator, Telkomsel, that will sees Nimbuzz delivered to more than 82 million Telkomsel subscribers via a new mobile data subscription plan.
The partnership is Nimbuzz’s first as part of a monetizable program, with Telkomsel using the added value offered by the Nimbuzz application to generate revenue via a Shortcode subscription service. It forms a core part of Telkomsel’s newly-formed Social Networking Portal, which will make Nimbuzz available free to subscribers as part of a flat-rate data package.
With subscribers able to enjoy unlimited use of the Nimbuzz application, the partnership is aimed at a mass market audience, and, says Nimbuzz, can be seen as an example of how Nimbuzz’s always on service supports operators in accelerating the take-up and consumption of mobile data services.
“Nimbuzz is the perfect application for the mobile services that our customers demand, especially our youth customers,” says Jajang Munajat, General Manager, Value Added Services at Telkomsel. “The launch of Nimbuzz services within Telkomsel Social Networking Services allows us to address (the) youth segment better, both for customer loyalty as well as for customer acquisition.”

GSMA Launches Mobile Media Metrics Service

The GSM Association (GSMA) and comScore, in partnership with operators O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and 3UK, have announced the official UK launch of the GSMA Mobile Media Metrics (MMM) product, a census-level solution for mobile media reporting. Taking irreversibly anonymised mobile Internet usage data from all five UK mobile operators, the service aims to provide comprehensive insights into mobile media consumption, empowering brands and agencies to plan effective and focused campaigns for the mobile medium.
“On behalf of our operator partners, comScore and the GSMA, we are excited to be launching Mobile Media Metrics in the UK, our first market, and we anticipate that it will accelerate growth in the mobile advertising market,” says GSMA CEO, Rob Conway. “The underlying principle of Mobile Media Metrics is to deliver valuable and actionable reporting tools to the media industry, while respecting the privacy of individuals. Access to transparent measurement is essential in establishing mobile as a legitimate advertising medium, and Mobile Media Metrics is a critical element in advancing this process.”
The GSMA Mobile Media Metrics service is based on anonymised, census-level data for mobile Internet usage across mobile networks, which is augmented with demographic data that has been collected with the consent of a representative sample of mobile Internet users. The service provides an aggregated view of mobile Internet usage behaviour, enabling market-level analysis of site visitation and engagement metrics, such as page views, time spent on specific sites, and device types and features.
“The initiative undertaken by the GSMA and comScore is a great step forward for mobile media,” says Richard Foan, Managing Director of ABCe and Chair of JICWEBS. “Based on ABCe’s independent validation of Mobile Media Metrics, advertisers, agencies and media owners can rest assured that key metrics are compliant with and endorsed by the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards (JICWEBS).”  Based on pre-production data from three operators, as the operators ramp up to full delivery of anonymised data to comScore, 16 million people in the UK accessed the Internet from their mobile phones in December 2009, viewing a combined total of 6.7 billion pages and spending an aggregate of 4.8 billion minutes online during the month. The top 10 sites accounted for 70% of both total pages viewed and total time spent online on mobiles during the month.
The top 10 sites and number of visitors were:

1. Facebook.com (5 million)
2. Google sites (4.6m)
3. Telefonica Mobile Networks (3.7m)
4. Orange Sites (3.6m)
5. Vodafone Group (3.3m)
6. Yahoo! Sites (2m)
7. BBC Sites (1.9m)
8. Microsoft Sites (1.6m)
9. Apple (1.5m)
10. Nokia (1.1m)

When viewed by the number of minutes spent on the site, the list looks pretty similar, but AOL (including Bebo),makes it in at No.5, and Flirtomatic is in at No.9. Telefonic and Nokia do not feature in the top 10 by minutes spent on the site.
GSMA MMM Core Reports is the foundation of comScore’s GSMA MMM suite of reports on mobile browsing. Full production data for the MMM Core Reports will be released in March 2010 based on February data. The GSMA and comScore say they are planning a full complement of additional MMM products to measure mobile usage of applications, search, reach and frequency, ad tracking, and ad effectiveness, as well as linkage of the MMM database to Kantar Media’s Target Group Index (TGI). The MMM service will also be expanded to include wi-fi traffic through site-centric measurement of publishers’ and ad networks’ sites, using comScore’s Media Metrix 360 solution, for a de-duplicated view of the online and mobile Internet. comScore says that pre-production data for January from four operators will be delivered later in February 2010, and that full production data from all five operators is anticipated early in Q2 2010.
All the operators are, not unnaturally supportive of the initiative. For 3UK, Neil Andrews, Head of Portal Advertising, says: “Network operators have long sought the independent verification which will allow them to monetise mobile Internet usage on their networks. Media buyers have also been excited about mobile for years, but have never had access to the independent statistics to justify large ad spend; hopefully Mobile Media Metrics will change all this. 3 is very excited about the opportunity provided by this initiative and we look forward to helping media buyers generate a higher ROI through the use of mobile advertising.”

Colibria Links Facebook to Mobile Services

Colibria has launched its Facebook Canvas application. It’s an operator-branded portal that allows users to communicate with their mobile phone contacts directly from Facebook. By integrating key operator services within the social network, the Facebook Canvas provides a link between the operator and the 350 million strong online community.
The app presents a dashboard view of the user’s mobile contacts within Facebook, allowing them to communicate with these contacts instantly, using operator services such as SMS, IM and VoIP. Users can also see their friends’ status and their location on a map, and are able to update their own status. The app also gives access to features that the customer may not have on their mobile device, such as birthday reminders, proximity alerts and the ability to send pokes.
Colibria says that the app, carrying the operator’s brand, will spread virally throughout the social network as users invite their friends to use it. Once added, the app is embedded on the user’s profile, making it visible to their entire network of friends. When the user interacts with the app, automatic updates are posted to their profile, further exposing the service.
Colibria says that the Facebook Canvas app gives mobile operators the chance to capitalise on the popularity of social networks, while also driving mobile usage. According to a recent survey carried out by YouGov, 30% of British 18 to 24 year olds spend five hours or more a week on social networks. Furthermore, 60% of all British social network users use applications, with 21% using them daily. The demand to deliver mobile services through social network applications is high, with 27% of social network users saying they would like to be able to access their mobile phonebook contacts and communicate with them from within social networks.
“There is a lot of innovation in the industry, but our Facebook Canvas Application demonstrates functionality that both excites the user and provides value to operators,” says Colibria CEO, Keith Gibson. “While operators do recognise that social network integration is important to the user, they also need to look at ways to harness the power of these sites for business. Apps are a great way to drive mobile usage, encourage customer loyalty and even win customers from the competition.”

Amdocs Report Highlights Smartphone Support Issues

Amdocs, which provides customer experience systems, has released the results of an independent survey that examined customer care issues associated with Smartphones and the impact these have on user adoption and customer satisfaction.
The survey found that while Smartphones are becoming increasingly complex, the majority of customer support calls pertain to basic issues that can be resolved remotely, requiring little or no technical support. 
The survey polled more than 4,000 wireless device users from the US, Canada and the UK late last year. Those respondents who had contacted a call centre classified the reason for doing so as a “technical support” issue, even though the majority of these issues were basic “how to” enquiries such as device configuration (e.g., how to set up email); or menu navigation (such as how to enable wi-fi access). Amdocs notes that these enquiries could have been resolved quickly via web self-service, by Level One customer care agents, or by training the customer on basic usage at time of sale, saving service providers time and investment in support resources. In addition, a majority of the respondents who had difficulties in using their Smartphone stated that they had strongly considered returning their device because they could not resolve these basic issues.
The survey reveals that the call centre remains the first port of call. More than 50% percent of those surveyed made a call to the contact centre to resolve basic support issues, taking an average of  two calls to close their issue. On average, the report says, support calls lasted 17 minutes, indicating that call centre agents lack the technology and training necessary to resolve these basic customer inquiries at the first instance. As a result, consumers were frequently transferred to more costly technical support agents requiring more time, resources and cost. Notably, just 5% of those polled consulted the service provider’s website for support, indicating that Smartphone web self-service resources are underutilized.
The survey also found that unresolved issues often result in a return trip to the retail outlet, or product abandonment. 30% of consumers surveyed returned for customer support to the retail outlet where they bought their Smartphone, and one in three consumers considered returning or exchanging their device due to the inability to resolve issues. 65% stated that they prefer self-help alternatives and identified “knowlegeable sales representatives”, “faster procedures” and “web-based solutions” as ways to improve their customer service experience. 
One out of six consumers were unaware of their Smartphone’s advanced features or did not know how to use them. More than 70% said that it would have been beneficial for a sales representative to explain all the features at the time of purchase. The data suggest that with in-store tutorials or after-sale activities, service providers can drive additional application and data usage, Amdocs says. 
“The survey underscores that by equipping Level One agents and retail staff with the relevant technology and information, service providers can quickly address basic customer inquiries, reduce call handling time and increase customer satisfaction,” says Amdocs Vice President of Product Marketing and Solutions, Seth Nesbitt. “As devices become more sophisticated, service providers must ensure they have the technology to handle all types of inquiries to quickly and efficiently resolve basic or more technical issues via multiple channels.” 

SCCOPE Launches on Vodafone 360

Mobile Shopping tool SCCOPE has launched in the Vodafone 360 superstore for Vodafone 360 customers in the UK. To compare prices from 100 leading UK retailers, customers simply need to install the SCCOPE application, either by clicking on the ‘Shop’ icon on their 360 phone, and searching for ‘Sccope’, or they can get the app from the web shop at 360.com, which will then synchronise with their phone
SCCOPE provides consumers with immediate detailed information on prices and stock from leading UK retailers. The app focuses on electronics, games, books, DVDs and toys but also includes clothes and other categories. The site carries 280,000 separate product numbers and 4 million different price points.  Shoppers can also review hot deals and register for stock availability and price drop alerts, and receive filtered search results.

Preloads Pay, says Accumulate

Accumulate UK, which provides flexible pricing solutions for mobile retailers, says that it can guarantee an increase in content revenues for mobile operators that choose to use its Flexion service for preloading mobile games. Accumulate says it is making this guarantee based on its experience of successfully running a number of preload programmes for major global operators over the past two years. Accumulate already enables preloaded content on 3UK, O2, and on handsets from Sony-Ericsson.
“We guarantee that any operator or device manufacturer will see a surge in content revenues by enabling preloaded games with Flexion,” says Accumulate Managing Director, Jens Lauritzson. “It is simply not a viable option to preload content without this kind of technology any more and we can show how much more revenue a Flexion preload programme can generate.”
The Flexion preload service allows mobile operators and device manufacturers to preload full versions of Java and Android games and apps onto handsets and to then offer free trials. These preloaded items feature in-application billing and operators also have the ability to offer games on a ‘Try & Buy’ basis, and to offer multiple pricing options.
Accumulate says that the “simple and seamless” user experience increases conversion rates compared with traditional demo versions, while at the same time enhancing user satisfaction and generating extra income without additional effort. Each preloaded item can also be configured to feature Flexion Discovery, an in-wrapper browser to enable on-device up-selling. Flexion Discovery promotes appropriate content at the point of purchase, createing additional revenue opportunities.
 “Our experience shows that if four or five games are preloaded on a device, at least one will be purchased within 12 months,” says Lauritzon. “Not only that, but Flexion will also promote additional content, effectively turning the preloaded game into a fully functioning shop. It is all about on-device retailing and making it easy for the customer to find and buy content."

Vodafone UK Opens Small Business Store

Vodafone UK has become the first mobile operator to open a retail store dedicated to small business customers.
The store, in London’s Cheapside, is the result of local small businesses sharing what they want from their mobile operator and builds on the network of dedicated business advisers Vodafone UK has in its customer call centres, 150 of its 400 retail stores nationwide and its online store.
The business store offers support workshops and seminars to help small businesses manage their fixed and mobile communications needs; in-store technical support;  advisers, dedicated to small businesses; live device demos; and an appointment service to suit business schedules.
The store was officially opened yesterday by the former head of the Confederation of British Industries, Lord Digby Jones, who said: 
“Small businesses are always looking for an edge and always looking to get that little bit more value for money. Vodafone's move to offer a dedicated service to the local business community will help to ensure that businesses get the most out of their communications needs.”

Besen Group Launches MVNO Seminar

The Besen Group, an international mobile data industry management consulting practice, has announced a one day Mobile Data MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) seminar titled ‘Mobile Media - A Cornerstone for Convergence’.
The seminar, which is delivered on the client's premises to an unlimited number of delegates, includes an MVNO Business Guide, MVNO case studies, and a session on Mobile Data Fundamentals, which promises to provide an insight into  mobile networks, convergence and mobile broadband technologies and applications.
Companies featured in the case studies section include Dell, Apple, Nintendo, Nokia, BMW and Google.
There’s also a workshops looking at strategy and business case development, including a brainstorming session that will review a client’s mobile strategy, partner selection, competition, and service offering. 
“With mobile broadband technologies, mobile media is paving the way for digital consumption and offers a new channel to promote, deliver and enhance services by flexible use of spectrum,” says Besen Group Founder, Alex Besen. “Our Mobile Data MVNO seminar is the only seminar of its kind in the world and provides a closer look at the mobile strategy of selected organizations.”
There’s more information about the event here.

Iraqi Operator Turns to RoutoMessaging for Global SMS

Messaging firm RoutoMessaging has revealed that Iraqi fixed wireless voice and data provider, Itisaluna Abr Al Iraq, has begun using its global SMS services to enable subscribers to send and receive texts to and from people anywhere in the world.
Itisaluna began operations in 2008 and offers subscribers a range of products and services, including 3G and broadband, and SMS2TV, which enables users to interact with their favourite television programmes via text.
RoutoMessaging points out, however, that with more than 700 operators in more than 200 countries, the time and effort in establishing a global 2-way text messaging service could be considerable, so instead, Itisaluna has tapped into the company’s termination rates with mobile operators worldwide.
“Itisaluna aims to provide subscribers with the most compelling products and services on its state-of-the-art network,” says Itisalune CEO, Laoy Almalaeika. “Partnering with RoutoMessaging to provide customers with worldwide text coverage at competitive rates positions Itisaluna ahead of its Iraqi rivals, and augments our drive to remain the premier service provider in this country.”

Registration Opens for Voda 360 Developer Conference

Vodafone has announced the next phase of its engagement with the international developer community following the launch of its €1 million (£875,000) ‘Vodafone App Star’ prize fund to reward developers of the best app in Europe.
Registration is now open to the Vodafone 360 Developer Conference, to be held at Mobile World Congress on Monday 15 February. All developers who register now will also receive a free 4-day pass to Mobile World Congress.
Mobile and web developers can audition their app at the show, where the winners will be rewarded with prizes including €1,000, a Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 and other Smartphones. They will also automatically be entered into the Vodafone App Star competition with a further chance to win up to €100,000.
The Vodafone 360 Developer Conference will host interactive discussions on developer topics with a range of industry experts, and provide tips on how to create and publish apps across Vodafone 360 devices. To highlight the cross-platform reach of its apps developer platform, Vodafone will also be the headline sponsor of the App Planet developer zone at Mobile World Congress. 
In the three months since the launch of Vodafone 360, over 7,000 apps have been made available for download from the Vodafone 360 Apps Shop across eight European markets. By March 2010, Vodafone expects to have shipped more than 2 million devices across 50 different handset models that are capable of accessing the Vodafone 360 Apps Shop. 
“The sheer volume of applications that have been submitted and approved to ship in our Vodafone 360 Apps Shop is testament to our continued commitment to open web standards,” says Lee Epting, Director of Content Services at Vodafone Group. “Whether it’s helping to reduce development time or increasing the breadth of handsets on our platform, we are trying to make it as easy and as lucrative as possible for developers to work with us and deliver the most relevant, local applications for customers across our markets.”
You can get more information and register for the Vodafone 360 Developer Conference here.

SwissQual Tests Reveal LTE's Speed

SwissQual, the independent Swiss network quality measurement company, has carried out drive testing on the new TeliaSonera LTE network in Stockholm. The measurements were made using the Samsung Kalmia LTE 4G modem mounted in the SwissQual Diversity Optimizer platform. The Diversity Optimizer, in common with all of the probes in the SwissQual Evolution range, has been designed to easily integrate new handsets and modems for emerging technologies such as LTE.
The drive test revealed downlink data throughputs up to 47Mbps and TCP latency as low as 20ms from the new TeliaSonera 4G data service. This is approximately five times better than the performance typically seen in 3G HSPA+ networks.

Orange Top for Mobile Broadband

Orange offers the UK’s most reliable mobile broadband service. That’s the conclusion of a ‘Dongle Tracker’ survey carried out by YouGov, which polled 4,944 adults online, of which 2,037 used mobile broadband by means of a dongle, modem stick, or datacard. Orange’s mobile broadband sample was 187 customers.
Orange was ranked top in nine out of 15 categories, including upload speed, ease of use, getting connected, staying connected and reliability (day and evening).
“Retaining our position as the top mobile broadband provider in the UK is a great accomplishment which we’re really proud of,” says Orange UK Director of Broadband and Home, Asif Aziz. “This win is recognition of our strong focus on network quality and brilliant customer service and it’s our aim to build on these, as well as the products and services we offer, to ensure our customers continue to benefit from a high quality user experience.”

Bridgewater Updates Policy Controller

Mobile personalisation firm Bridgewater Systems has announced enhancements to the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) compliant Bridgewater Policy Controller for HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks. Bridgewater’s Policy Controller is the first to support new requirements defined in Release 9 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
The Bridgewater Policy Controller, which supports 3GPP PCRF Release 7, 8 and 9 standards on the same platform, provides real-time network, application, and subscriber policies that allow operators to manage mobile data growth and deliver personalized services.
The 3GPP Release 9 standard expands the policy enforcement functions of the Gx interface to include subscriber usage information for volume-based service metering. The Policy Controller moves beyond current standards to support real-time, multi-service metering based on application usage and is fully interoperable with leading network equipment providers.
Bridgewater says that these new features will enable operators to deliver innovative usage and application-based services such as policies and pricing based on bandwidth usage, specific types of applications, and casual usage. For example, a heavy mobile video user can be provided with guaranteed quality of service for a monthly fee. Casual users can be offered applications on-demand, notified by SMS when they are near their limit, and receive a service boost offer. Users can choose how much bandwidth to allocate to different applications and monitor application usage in real time to prevent bill shock.
Operators will also be able to manage network congestion by applying ‘Smart Caps’ and metering to adjust usage levels based on real-time factors such as the level of congestion and time of day, or a subscriber’s data consumption or roaming status. 
Finally, says Bridgewater, operatprs will be able to reduce costs significantly by adopting a more efficient way of enforcing policies and metering subscriber usage in a way that does not require expensive online charging systems or upgrades to existing charging systems.
A recent Yankee Group survey of executives from 61 GSM/HSPA operators in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, commissioned by Bridgewater, revealed that the majority preferred a PCRF standards-based policy solution. The ability to charge subscribers based on their volume of usage for individual applications such as video, peer-to-peer, and voice over IP was ranked high in importance. The same survey concluded that allowing subscribers to individually set and modify their own service preferences and plans, including managing usage, and setting limits per application or while roaming, was a strong value proposition.
“When going to market with new services or service models, operators should first look at policy control tools that safeguard the customer experience,” says Yankee Group Vice President, Ari Banerjee. “Chief among these ought to be subscriber-controlled capabilities to view real-time usage data, monitor usage against their bill plan, and have the ability to dynamically alter or enhance subscription plans based on bandwidth and application usage.”

Globo Signs Asian Deal for CitronGO!

IT, Software as a Service (SaaS) and mobile solutions group Globo has entered into a contract for the provision of its mobile CitronGO! suite to one of the largest mobile network operators in Southeast Asia, with approximately 85 million subscribers. Globo says that CitronGO! is expected to be launched later this month.
CitronGO! is an open, cloud-based mobile communications platform solution which enables users to interact with multiple services, including email, contacts, calendar and social networking, at any time, using any connected device.
Globo will provide CitronGO! on a SaaS basis, and will receive a net monthly fee of €1.20 (£1) to €2.10 (depending on subscription plan) per customer that subscribes to CitronGO! The solurtion will be marketed by the network operator through a number of channels, including targeted SMS messaging to its base of users with mobile Internet subscriptions, as well as to its general subscriber base via its IVR (Interactive Voice Response) platform. The contract is for an initial two year period with automatic renewal thereafter.
“This contract sets a major starting point for Globo’s international expansion,”says Globo CEO, Costis Papadimitrakopoulos. “Furthermore, it represents a significant and independent validation of our product offering, at a time when the group is engaged in ongoing negotiations with mobile network operators in several countries worldwide.”

Voda Signs up 450,000 Music Subscribers

Vodafone Group has revealed that almost 450,000 Vodafone customers have signed up to its music subscription services since it signed DRM-free (Digital Rights Management) deals with all four major labels in 2009. Vodafone says this means it has the largest number of paying music subscribers in Europe.
In December 2009, over 100,000 customers signed up to one of a range of music services offered across Vodafone’s eight largest markets in Europe. Growth in customer subscription numbers is being driven both by monthly 10-track MP3 bundles, and from ‘all you can eat’ (AYCE) unlimited access subscription services.
MP3 files bought in bundles can be played on both mobile and PC a wide range of computers and digital music players, including iTunes. Customers typically get 10 tracks per month for around €5 (£4.40).
AYCE services are offered both as a standalone product, and bundled with data tariffs. When bundled with data, customers can access the entire catalogue of over 2 million tracks for as little as €3 a month.
“We are really excited by our customers’ reaction to these great music offers,” says Vodafone Internet Services Director of Content, Lee Epting. “We expect to see continued growth in our music service subscriptions driven by the increase in Smartphone use, with their worry-free data tariffs and great value add-ons such as music bundles. We will carry on working hard with our partners in the music industry to develop new and innovative music services for our customers. Vodafone is starting to prove the significance of its place in the music industry.”

Orange Launches Orange Shots Opt-in Ad Service

Orange UK is opening up part of its subscriber database to advertisers, following last year’s acquisition of ad-funded MVNO, Blyk.
‘Orange Shots’ is a mobile advertising service that enables brands to engage and interact directly with targeted segments of Orange’s customer base. Launching with full-service commercial offers from 1 February, Orange Shots will initially be available to brands who want to interact with an audience of 100,000 customers from part of Orange’s ‘Monkey’ pay-as-you-go customer base. Orange says that new profiles and customer segments will quickly follow.
Orange Shots is designed to enable participating brands, to create rich, creative and engaging mobile advertising campaigns targeted towards customers’ interests and preferences. Orange says the solution will offer brands the ability to engage in real-time conversations with customers who are happy to hear from them; a highly-targeted audience base with no wastage; an opportunity to build an engaging and enduring relationship with customers as they get to know more about their profiles and interests; and high response rates, with great viral potential.
Orange Shots service works across SMS and MMS mobile platforms, encouraging customers to message back and give views and opinions. In addition to offers, customers will also receive a variety of benefits, including exclusive news and gossip, amusing and entertaining content, film and games previews, and up to date sports information, Orange says.
Orange has been testing Orange Shots extensively with its own content and brands including 4Music, Ubisoft, COI and Snickers since September 2009. Orange says that  brands who have already trialled the service have found it to provide a higher conversion rate than any other media, offering response rates of between 21-39%. Orange says its priority is customer and brand satisfaction and as such the audience roll out programme will be considered and measured. Orange customers have the opportunity to opt out at any stage, and Orange customer data will not be shared externally with third parties.
Orange adds that it plans to make Orange Shots, powered by Blyk Media, available to its entire mobile customer base over time, giving brands the opportunity to engage with a variety of specific demographic segments.
“Orange Shots will transform mobile advertising as we know it,” says Marc Overton, VP of Wholesale, Business Development and Partnerships for Orange UK. “It’s a win-win for brands, as well as our customers, with advertisers continually seeking new and innovative ways to engage with consumers, and our customers getting rewarded with access to exclusive, interactive content and offers, knowing that they’re tailored specifically to them and their interests.”
We have asked Orange if there are any limits on the number of advertising messages that anyone opted in to the service will receive in a given timeframe, and we are awaiting a response. We have also asked the network to confirm that the response rates quoted do not include customers responding with a ‘STOP’ message, or other message asking to be opted out of the service.

Bell Mobility Selects Comverse HUB

Canadian operator Bell Mobility has selected the Comverse Mobile Internet HUB, visual voicemail and multimedia messaging (MMS) for its recently launched high-speed wireless network.
The Comverse Mobile Internet HUB helps optimise traffic flow and improve the overall web browsing experience. The new high-speed packet access (HSPA) network also brings Comverse visual voicemail to a range of advanced handsets, enriching voicemail service with visual elements, such as an inbox that displays all messages and empowers users to select any message in any order with one click. The Comverse voice messaging platform also enables Bell Mobility to have their voicemails converted to text messages.
“We want Bell clients to enjoy the very best that mobile technology has to offer,” says Bell Mobility’s Vice President of Wireless Technology, Bruce Rodin. “That’s why we offer the country’s fastest and largest high-speed mobile network and that’s why we chose Comverse - for their global technological leadership and proven track record in delivering advanced voice, messaging, and mobile Internet services.”
Comverse HUB value-added services span voice, messaging, mobile Internet and mobile advertising. Comverse described Comverse HUB as: “a synergistic framework that enables service providers to maximise their business performance and augment their position in the market”.

Sccope Goes Live on T-Mobile Widget Platform

Cogenta has announced the launch of its Sccope personal shopping assistant mobile application on T-Mobile’s Internet Widget platform.
Sccope checks the prices of products among leading UK leading retailers, providing consumers with unbiased information on the best deals available in real time. When the user enters a search term, Sccope returns a list of results, highlighting the lowest price. Users then have the option to click to buy directly from their phone or add to their wish list. Other features includeprice drop and stock availability alerts, as well as filtered tier one and tier two search results.
Sccope is rolling out on the T-Mobile Internet Widget platform now, while the ability to buy products through Sccope on the mobile phone will go live in February. The service is initially available on the MDA Compact V and Samsung Ultra Tocco S8300, with support for more mobiles to be announced in due course.

Voda Sells 100,000 iPhones in Eight Days

Vodafone UK  says it has sold its 100,000th iPhone today, just over a week after its launch in store.
"The demand from both consumer and business customers has been phenomenal,” says Vodafone UK CEO Guy Laurence. “They want an outstanding phone on an outstanding network and we're delivering that.”
The iPhone is now available through original network partner O2, as well as through Vodafone, Orange and Tesco Mobile. If this sort of demand for the device is sustained, those who scoff at the current obsession among brands with the iPhone and iPhone apps may have to think again.

FRANCE 24 Launches with DoCoMo in Japan

French news channel FRANCE 24 has launched its English programmes live and on-demand to the 55 million subscribers of Japanese mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo. The move is part of France 24’s strategy of focusing on the mobile Internet and targeting leading operators,
The service offers free, unlimited access to all DoCoMo 3G subscribers, and is available via a QR Code that redirects to a URL providing access to FRANCE 24 live streaming, as well as a range of high quality video programmes on demand. The technical solution has been provided by French company Atomiz.
“The launch of FRANCE 24 on DOCOMO’s 3G package confirms the channel’s success in the mobile services market, which is growing strongly worldwide and especially in Asia,” says FRANCE 24 Vice-President Worldwide Distribution, Philippe Rouxel. “FRANCE 24 is a pioneer in mobile applications, particularly for the iPhone and all other Smartphones, and is firmly positioning itself as the only international news channel available free of charge, live and on catch-up to everyone, everywhere, on every screen.”

Vodacom S. Africa Hands Roaming Brief to Syniverse

Vodacom S. Africa has selected Syniverse to enhance its mobile roaming operations with the provision of with data clearing and fraud prevention services.Vodacome is now one of more than 45 African operators that relies on Syniverse for a wide range of mobile solutions, from signalling to messaging to roaming.
Vodacom will leverage Syniverse’s Data Clearing House for GSM (DCH) to efficiently manage its data clearing operations. The Syniverse DCH will enable the operator to minimize the resources required to handle roaming accounting, while ensuring the rapid exchange of data records that drive accurate invoicing and settlement, and increase revenue assurance.
In addition, the Syniverse DataNet solution will provide Vodacom with protection against roaming fraud, and also ensure full compliance with all current industry standards for roaming fraud, including the GSM Association’s Near Real Time Roaming Data Exchange (NRTRDE).
“We selected Syniverse because it clearly understands the challenges we face as a business, and it also demonstrates a successful track record of delivering proven technology and expertise to African operators,” says Minnie Maharaj, Managing Executive of Wholesale Services at Vodacom S. Africa. “We are fortunate to be in one of the most dynamic, fast-growing markets in the world, and Syniverse has helped ensure we have the tools we need to grow our business and keep up with increasing demand.”

O2 Launches Home Phone

O2 is entering the home phone market as part of its strategy of placing itself at the heart of UK households. O2’s home phone service launches in March and will be available exclusively to the operator’s broadband customers.
“This is the most important launch for us in the home space since we entered the broadband market, and is part of our strategy to evolve beyond mobile to a leading connectivity brand,” sys O2’s UK Marketing Director, Sally Cowdry. “We know how many of our customers value the convenience of paying for their home phone and broadband together with no hidden extra costs, and we will be bringing the same commitment to quality of service with our home phone service as we have successfully established with broadband.”
O2 Home Phone is only available with O2’s Home Broadband service and customers will need a working BT landline. Customers can text their home phone number to 61202, call 0800 954 1427 or click here to check if they can get O2 Home Broadband and Home Phone.

Kineto Launches Smart Wi-fi Offload Solution

Kineto Wireless, which supplies solutions that enable the delivery of mobile services over broadband, has announced a ‘Smart Wi-fi Offload’ solution that it says addresses the enormous capacity and coverage challenges mobile operators face today, due to the rapid subscriber adoption of Smartphones. 
Kineto’s Smart Wi-Fi Offload solution turns existing wi-fi access points into seamless extensions of a mobile operator network, enabling Smartphone users to receive all mobile services, including voice, SMS, data, IMS and web-based services, over wi-fi.
Kineto notes that currently, Smartphones only offload Internet-based services to wi-fi.  As a result, web services are catered for, while the operator’s own revenue-based voice, data and video services struggle for coverage. In addition, handsets are faced with additional battery drain, caused by the simultaneous use of both the cellular and wi-fi radios. This results in a disincentive for subscribers to use wi-fi, leaving the operator’s capacity and coverage problems unresolved. 
Kineto’s Smart Wi-Fi Offload solution addresses these issues by delivering all mobile services over wi-fi  .  Because of this, the cellular radio can be turned off whenever a smartphone is connected to wi-fi, thereby eliminating the extra battery drain. Also, using wi-fi for service delivery keeps Smartphones off the cellular network, freeing up valuable spectrum for other users. 
Kineto says the solution offers a number of operator benefits. Since all services are offloaded, mobile operators can use wi-fi to address the indoor 3G coverage problems. With Smart Wi-Fi Offload, wi-fi access points worldwide can provide high-performance, low-cost cellular coverage for mobile operators’ primary revenue-generating services. Kineto adds that the solution can also address the mobile VoIP threat, enabling mobile operators to offer discounted or free wi-fi calling, giving subscribers an incentive to choose the operator’s own mobile services over VoIP alternatives.
“Smartphones are driving tremendous increases in mobile data usage, straining mobile networks in the process,” says Peter Jarich, Service Director with Current Analysis.  “Mobile operators need to dramatically increase network capacity in short order, while meeting the performance requirements of their subscriber base. Wi-fi, installed in millions of homes and offices around the world, as well as in many Smartphones, is a natural technology choice for mobile operators to address these growing problems.”
The solution consists of two products. The first is a Kineto Smart Wi-Fi application for Smartphones, the second, the Kineto Multi-Service Access Gateway, which connects to a mobile operator’s existing voice and data service core and securely extends all mobile services over broadband access network. It supports a wide range of interfaces, including 3GPP GAN (for Smart Wi-Fi Offload), 3GPP Home NodeB (for femtocells) and VoLGA (for voice over LTE). It is a robust, proven gateway that is already deployed in operator networks worldwide. 

Mobile Commerce Launches Voda 360 LBS Apps

Following on from the launch of its applications for Vodafone S60 non-touch devices, Location-based services (LBS) and mobile content integration firm Mobile Commerce has announced the launch of a suite if applications for Vodafone’s ‘360’ touchscreen handsets, the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 and the Vodafone 360 Samsung M1.
The seven applications, integrating handset location, have been made available on Vodafone’s UK app store, enabling customers with the new handsets to download them and use their handset location to discover information about nearby services and amenities.
The applications offer up-to-the-minute and easy-to-navigate local information to the handset, using content from Mobile Commerce’s leading brand partners. The widgets have been developed in partnership with Multimap, toptable, THOMSON Local, OAG, ITIS and the Press Association.
There are seven applications in total:

• Keep Moving Traffic: Provides information about nearby traffic incidents using content from traffic and travel information supplier IT IS.
• What’s On: Using Press Association listings, What’s On brings the latest information on clubbing, gigs, jazz, classical and comedy events.
• Bite to Eat: Offers information on places to eat.
• Flight Tracker: Content from OAG enables the user to access worldwide flight information to see if a flight has landed on time or been delayed.
• Multimap: Using the handset location, postcode or place name in the UK the widget displays a map from mapping website Multimap
• Toptable Special Offers: Displays restaurants with special offers in the local area, using listings from restaurant reservation, review and search service, Toptable.
• THOMSON local: The user can search from over 2 million businesses in the UK by name or category to find local businesses.  .

“We’ve been delighted with the success of the suite of apps so far on Vodafone’s non-touch devices, so we’re even more delighted now to be able to offer them on the first Smartphones to deliver the full Vodafone 360 experience,” says Mobile Commerce CEO, Steve Page. “We’ve combined our expertise in location-based search with our award winning content partners to create these apps for the ever-growing market for mobile applications. We’re incredibly excited to be able to offer them something that keeps us at the forefront of our industry.”

Kirusa Powers Voice SMS in Albania

Albanian operator Eagle Mobile has launched a Voice SMS service across the country, using technology from Kirusa, a leading Voice SMS vendore and developer of mobile value added services. Voice SMS enables subscribers to send messages by voice, eliminating the need to type.
Eagle Mobile subscribers just have to dial ‘*’ followed by the number of the person they wish to send the message to, and speak a short message for upto 30 seconds in any language. The recipient gets a notification message from the sender and can click on a ‘DirectListen’ number to directly listen to and reply to the Voice SMS left for him. Eagle Mobile subscribers can also dial *0* to hear new voice messages, or retrieve previously listened voice messages by dialing *1*. Voice SMS messages can be replied to, forwarded, saved, or deleted. It costs 16.2 lek (approximately $0.17/£0.11) to send a Voice SMS.
“We are thrilled to launch Voice SMS,” says Eagle Mobile Head of Public & Media Relations, Alban Tartari. “We believe that mobile users will find this service a value-add in their day to day conversations. Kirusa was chosen for this product as it is the leading VAS player in this segment and was the only one to have a bouquet of advanced revenue generating features to choose from.”

TrueMove Deploys i-nigma Barcode Solution

3GVision, which specialises in barcode-scanning technology for mobile phones, has revealed that its i-nigma 1D/2D barcode reading solution is being used by Thai operator TrueMove to promote its 3G trial services in Thailand.
TrueMove recently launched 2D barcode services. As part of its ‘Fun Living Lifestyle’ concept, mobile subscribers can easily access content such as TV shopping, marketing campaigns and electronic tickets, using their cameraphones and the i-nigma barcode reader, which is available for download on a dedicatedmobile site at: http://m.truelife.com 
The service was launched in collaboration with Mediaseek, distributor of the i-nigma solution.
i-nigma incorporates a mobile barcode reader application that converts a cameraphone into a barcode reader, enabling mobile users to access a predefined URL on the mobile Internet, or to trigger web services simply by scanning QR (Quick Response) and Data Matrix barcodes. Once scanned, the barcodes fast-track to multimedia digital content such as music, electronic tickets, videos, localized maps, latest news and special offers.  Barcodes can be placed virtually anywhere, including newspapers, business cards, shop fronts, billboards, product packaging and PC screens.
In addition to code-scanning software for the phone itself, i-nigma also incorporates an  intuitive code creation, campaign management and metrics reporting platform to track the performance of campaigns, interpret the results in real-time, and immediately apply the knowledge to existing campaigns. The technology has been deployed and supported by marketers and advertisers around the globe for interactive mobile advertizing and marketing campaigns integrating digital content. 
“TrueMove’s decision to choose i-nigma is endorsement by a leading mobile operator of 3GVision’s leading technology and solutions,” says 3GVision CEO, Mendy Mendelsohn.  “Based on our years of experience in Japan, where QR codes have become a natural extension of the mobile phone, we now look forward to helping TrueMove make the most of 2D codes, reinforcing their positioning as Thailand’s most innovative service provider.”

Rackspace Powers Kenyan Mobile Money Solution

Vodafone is at the centre of a financial services revolution in Africa. It’s one that relies on a simple ‘Pay-as-you-go’ model that allows registered users to send and receive cash via their existing mobile phones.
Vodafone Money Transfer has been launched under the brand name M-PESA in Kenya and has revolutionised the business of money transfer in a country where a traditional banking infrastructure does not exist in remote areas, and the only lines of communication are mobile phone networks and the local stores that exist to buy credit for them.
Vodafone saw a huge opportunity to provide a much-needed service to individuals scattered throughout the country. Many of the men work in the cities where jobs are available, but always have the problem of getting cash back to their loved ones in remote villages. The key to success was the mobile phone and an existing network operated by Safaricom. The problem was how to achieve simplicity for the end user, with the addition of the necessary security for any service involving money.
The M-PESA business was developed in conjunction with the DFID (Department for International Development) to make finance more accessible in developing countries. It’s a business based on very high volumes of low-value transactions, which enables money transfer via SMS and does not require a traditional bank account. The system is based on a Pay-as-you-go model that involves no joining fee, no monthly charges or minimum balance and is available to anyone.
According to Vodafone, M-PESA has proved a fantastic success in Kenya from day one. Users are able to transfer money, pay for items in stores, pay bills and pay-in and withdraw cash at registered agent outlets. These main agents are Safaricom airtime dealers, petrol stations, supermarkets, local shops and postal services – all offering basic cash handling services to M-PESA users.
The M-PESA application is hosted by Rackspace and interacts with the Safaricom system in Kenya. Vodafone operates a vast record management system, which maintains real-time records of every transaction and the whereabouts of every item of money. This is critical to the success of the system, as each user has to trust that their transaction will be handled securely and efficiently. In addition Vodafone had to ensure compliance with money launderinglaws, while at the same time taking , but also take into account the inability of some customers to provide ID other than the recognition of their status by a village elder.
One of the key reasons behind the success of M-PESA is that the users have come to trust that it’s always available. As a result, the need to send envelopes of cash via the local bus driver, (which is apparently, surprisingly secure) is no longer the most popular money transfer choice.
Kenya’s Largest Financial Service, M-PESA is now the most popular mobile money transfer and payment service in Kenya, moving billions of shillings annually, and is growing rapidly. Plans are underway to introduce the system to other countries where the traditional banking infrastructure is low and mobile phone penetration is high.
Rackspace is a key factor in the success of the project. It is essential to have guaranteed network uptime, 24/7/365 support and total security, as well as massive flexibility to react to unbelievable growth in a very new and exciting business.
Some of the challenges faced by the Vodafone team were considerable. At Christmas and Easter periods, individual transfers headed towards 2.6 million per day. And these were all small transactions, but vital to the individuals sending and receiving the money, so nothing could go wrong and the whereabouts of the cash had to be known at any given second of the day.
“Rackspace provides a team of dedicated account managers and support technicians whose expertise and dedication has been invaluable in bringing Vodafone Money Transfer to market,” says Vodafone Service Delivery Manager, Neil Dwyer.

Orange and Barclaycard Launch Contactless Credit Card

Orange and Barclaycard have launched a joint contactless credit card which offers customers the option to set their own spending levels and a choice in how they are kept up-to-date with their account. Orange says the Orange Credit Card is the first card to give customers this level of control over their account. It also provides customers with a range of rewards, as well as the ability to make easier and faster purchases of £10 and under using contactless technology.
The launch of the Orange Credit Card with contactless technology, budget manager and spend controls is the latest step in Orange and Barclaycard’s long-term strategic partnership aimed at introducing a broad range of mobile, financial and payment services to evolve the way consumers make payment transactions in the UK.
The new card offers automated SMS alerts, with weekly alerts on the balance, limit and credit remaining, and monthly alerts relating to payments due and received. Customers can also set alerts and blocks on card spend online, abroad or for high value transactions.
Customers will earn one Orange Credit Card reward point for every £1 spent, which can be redeemed online or by phone. These can be exchanged for vouchers that customers can spend at high street shops including Marks & Spencer and HMV, or used as discounts on Orange products and services bought through Orange shops – from discounts on new phones to mobile accessories. The points can also be used towards tickets for trips and special events, such as mountain biking, the Glastonbury festival, or  dry slope skiing lesson. Or users can donate their points to charity.
“We are seeing demand from both retailers and customers for ever more convenient ways to pay and accept payment, and believe that mobile and contactless technologies are key to meeting those needs,” says Barclaycard Managing Director, Chris Wood. “This announcement shows how, in partnership with Orange, Barclaycard is starting to make mobile contactless payments a step closer for UK consumers.”

iPhone Users Most Likely to Pay for Mobile Games

Headline data released from the Mobile section of the UK National Gamers Survey Report has revealed that 8 million people in the UK play games on their mobile, and a significant share of them pay for their games. The survey also looked into the market share of the individual handset brands and operators. Large differences are revealed when looking at conversion to paying gamers on mobile. 
Key findings from the report include:

• 8 million people of 8 years and over in the UK play games on their mobile phone.
• 25% of people playing videogames in the UK (31.2million) play games on their phone. 53% of mobile gamers are male and 47% are female.
• 39% of all UK mobile gamers are in the 20 - 34 age group.

The report also analyses the number of mobile gamers by handset maker and network operator. On the handset front, Sony Ericsson leads the way, with 2.3 million mobile gamers, followed by Nokia (1.8 million) and Samsung (1.5 million). When it comes to the percentage of handset owners who pay for games, however, Apple blazes a trail, with 85% of its 700,000 mobile gamers saying they have paid for a mobile game, followed by Samsung (51% of 1.5 million) and LG (41% of 550,000).
From the operator perspective, O2 leads the way with 2.4 million mobile gamers, followed by Vodafone (1.4 million) and Orange (1.3 million). Looking at the percentage of these mobile gamers who have paid for a mobile game, O2 heads the chart with 67%, followed by 3 and Orange, both on 50%.
Conducted by TNS and Gamesindustry.com, the UK National Gamers Survey Report is part of the 2009 Today’s Gamers International Survey, and the latest in a series of identical nation-wide surveys conducted across European key areas and the US.
“For years, mobile phones have been praised as the new gaming platform, but typical for the telecoms industry, clear data has been lacking,” says Gamesindustry.com’s Peter Warman. “This report reveals these facts for the first time. One of the most interesting insights is on the ability to monetize mobile game content. The iPhone does, by far, not have the number of users but is extremely good at monetizing the popularity of games on mobile phones. This has also clearly had its effect on the conversion to paying gamers of the large operators closely related to iPhone.”
The full UK National Gamers Survey Report and full datasets are available for €4,950, (£4,456) and an international comparative high-level report across all countries surveyed (US, UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium) comprising 80 pages and 120 graphs is also available for €4,950. There’s more information here.

Voda Launches Mobile Bookstore

Vodafone UK, in partnership with digital book service provider GoSpoken.com, has become the first operator to commit to books as a significant part of its content offering with the launch of a Vodafone-branded mobile bookstore.
Vodafone and GoSpoken have sold books to Vodafone customers for more than a year, but are now offering an enhanced end-to-end user experience to buy and read bestselling titles on mobile handsets. GoSpoken also recently created a bespoke book application for Vodafone 360’s social platform which is currently available across seven countries.
“Mobile books constitute a new growth opportunity and are an exciting addition to the range of content already on Vodafone Live!” says Tom McLennan, Head of Music at Vodafone UK.
GoSpoken will be launching similar projects with T-Mobile and Orange by the end of the month. The launch follows GoSpoken’s recent investment from Japanese mobile book giant, For-Side.com Co. GoSpoken will be expanding across European and American markets in 2010.
With the convenience of on-bill payment, the service will offer thousands of titles to download directly onto mobile handsets. These include bestsellers like the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer, thrillers from James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell and classics like Sherlock Holmes. Audio books will be available from the superstore shortly, beginning with the award-winning Pimsleur language learning books. By the end of January, over 10,000 eBooks will be available to the majority of handsets connected with Vodafone UK, and eventually the whole Vodafone user base.

Orange to Launch Hi-def Voice

Orange is to launch HD (High Definition) Voice nationwide for customers on its UK mobile network later this year.
The company says that with its crystal clear, superior sound quality, HD Voice will herald a new era for mobile communications and a new standard for the telecoms industry. HD Voice delivers excellent audio quality to mobile calls and will be available to Orange customers with a HD Voice-enabled handset. Orange says it is working with leading handset manufacturers on the development of devices to be rolled out later this year.
HD Voice uses the WB-AMR (Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate) speech codec. This provides excellent audio quality due to a wider speech bandwidth of 50 - 7000Hz compared to the current narrowband speech codec of 300 - 3400Hz. As a result, the WB-AMR codec delivers significantly enhanced sound quality, while utilising the same network resources.
The launch follows two years of investment in the Orange mobile network with expansion and technology upgrades across large areas of the UK. Orange currently provides high speed 3G coverage to more than 93% of the UK's population, which it notes is more than any other UK operator.
 “Orange is proud to be leading the industry into the next decade by announcing a new standard in voice innovation that will transform the mobile experience for customers in the UK,” says Orange UK CEO, Tom Alexander. “HD Voice really does inject a level of innovation into mobile phone calls, making it sound as if callers are actually in the same room. Once people have tried it, they won’t want to go back.”

Ad-funded Fun

David Murphy catches up with Warwick Hill, CEO of ad-funded video provider 3rd Space

DM: So what’s the big idea Warwick?

WH: We provide free mobile video services to mobile subscribers. The clips are sponsored, which means the operator can offer them for free, and there are no integration or deployment costs to the operator. The 3rd Space platform automatically tailors video delivery for all types of mobile phones, and drives revenue for mobile operators, brand advertisers and content owners, on the basis of cost per mobile view.

DM: How long has the service been running?

WH: Our first deployment, with Reliance in India, launched on 15 October. In the first month, we sent out 1.1 million texts to drive people to the portal. That generated 285,000 unique visitors, and they averaged seven page views per visit, which equated to 1.8 million page impressions and 2.5 video views per visit. There were 465,000 downloads in that first month and 654 different handsets used the platform.

DM: So how many videos are there to look at?

WH: We launched with 90, and we are in the process of adding another 250, mainly Bollywood content. We have taken existing content and clipped it down for mobile. So we have fashion catwalks, Bollywood songs from shows and cartoons, and we will soon be launching mobisodes of the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ presented by Shahrukh Khan, who is a huge Bollywood star. 

DM: And how is the inventory sold to advertisers?

WH: It’s sold on a cost per mobile view basis. The revenue goes to the operator and we take a share of it.

DM: So if the advertiser is paying per download, can they put a limit on the number of downloads to cap their spending?

WH: Yes. It can be done campaign by campaign. You upload a video and put the data and download parameters in the system, and it will predict when the budget will run out and send the advertiser an alert to warn them that the budget is almost used up, and ask them if they want to allocate more funds to it if the campaign is going well.
Then the system takes the video, renders it around 30 different ways to cover off different formats and extensions, GSM or CDMA, different operating systems and quality parameters, so that whatever handset it is viewed on, the video is rendered to the highest value it can take.

DM: And what about targeting?

WH: Yes, we can target by content genre, time of day, day of week, there are lots of different parameters we can use.
 
DM: So what form do the ads take? Are we talking pre-roll videos?

WH: Yes, pre-roll advertising of 15-20 seconds duration, with a post-roll call to action to encourgae the user to interact with the advert and enter into the promotions.
 
DM: And what sort of advertisers are you talking to?

WH: There’s a variety, including a drinks brand, fast food chain, and financial services companies. 

DM: So you’re up and running with Reliance in India. Are there any more deployments in the offing?

WH: Yes, we will soon be launching with Warid and WorldCall in Pakistan. That’s a large cable TV company with its own mobile operator.

DM: Anything in the UK?

WH: We will also be launching mobile video services with a new UK Hutchison 3 MVNO client in January 2010 called Simfinity with their ‘Live Life in 3G’ launch campaign.

DM: Why is there not more of this type of activity in the UK, do you think?

WH: It’s very hard work trying to deal with the UK operators. Their typical attitude is, ‘We’ll do it when we are ready and give the subscribers what they want when we want to give it’. There has to be a culture change and until that happens, we are happy working with operators in emerging markets, where there is much less resistance to rationalise costs and share technology assets. 
If you take an operator like Warid, they are a smaller operator with around 14 million subscribers, so to compete with bigger operators like Reliance with 95 million subscribers, they need to be more dynamic and fleet of foot to roll out services that the bigger guys would take longer to deploy. So for them, someone like us who sits in the middle and operates an outsourced, cloud-based portal providing entertainment services, delivering millions of assets in a cost effective manner with 100% up-time is very appealing.

DM: So how big an integration task is it at the network end?

WH: The integration with the operator’s network is minimal, about 30 minutes work. They have to configure the WAP gateways to pass the MSISDN (the mobile number) through to us to track and profile what the user does on the portal then provide us the WAP gateway IPs and we then block anyone who’s not from within that IP address range so only our client’s customers can access it, and that’s just about it.

Voice SMS Gets Bayan's Vote

Phillipine network Bayan Telecommunications has launched a Voice SMS service in the country, using a platform supplied by Voice SMS specialist, Kirusa. Voice SMS enables subscribers to send messages by voice, eliminating the need to type. 
Bayan Telecommunications is offering its subscribers a Voice SMS-based application called ‘Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo’ which means ‘Take Care of Your Vote.’ The service will enable both Bayan subscribers, and subscribers to other networks in the Philippines, to voice their opinions on various subjects in time for the elections, due to be held in May. Selected Voice SMS messages sent by subscribers will also be showcased on national television.
Bayan subscribers pay a price of PHP 1.50 (approximately $0.03/£0.02) to send a Voice SMS to on-net and off-net subscribers within the Philippines. To compose a Voice SMS, a bayanWIRELESS landline subscriber dials * followed by the area code and the number of the person they wish to send the message to, the speaks a short message for up to 30 seconds in any language and sends. If the recipient is a bayanWIRELESS landline subscriber, the recipient will receive a text SMS notification and can dial *0* to hear the new Voice SMS. Old Voice SMSs can be retrieved by dialing *1*. A bayanPHONE or bayan fixed line subscriber will get an outbound call for delivery of Voice SMS. They also have the option of replying, forwarding, saving or deleting the Voice SMS messages. Replies and forwards are charged at PHP 1.50 per message.
Subscribers of other carriers in Philippines can also use the Bayan Voice SMS service, by dialing 02-412-9621, and following the prompts to send a Voice SMS to any other subscriber in Philippines. Standard call charges will apply.
“The response to the ‘Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo’ campaign has been phenomenal, and we see several other Voice SMS based applications being introduced in the market,” says Joevel E. Rivera, Vice President - Product Development & Management at Bayan Telecommunications. “We chose Kirusa for this launch as it has a large number of deployments across the world with a good reach in the market. Their Voice SMS is very robust, can support applications, and will be useful in increasing our ARPU.”

Orange Predicts Xmas Messaging Boom

This Christmas and New Year will see a bumper crop of text and picture messages as friends and family share their season’s greetings via mobile, according to mobile network Orange.
Millions of text and MMS get sent across the Orange network everyday but at Christmas and New Year the numbers rise dramatically. The last festive season was a record one for Orange, with more than 100 million text messages and more than 1 million picture messages being sent by customers on Christmas Day. This year, it expects the numbers to be even higher, anticipating that around 1.1. million picture messages will be sent on  Christmas Day.
New Year’s Eve is also expected to break all records, with more than 120 million text messages likely to be sent. Last year saw 106 million texts and almost 1 million picture messages celebrating the start of 2009. 

ROK Powers Mobile TV Service in Uruguay

ROK Entertainment Group and Claro, Uruguay, the America Movil-owned mobile network operator in Uruguay, have announced the launch of a streamed Mobile TV subscription service, PPV TV.
Powered by ROK’s award-winning over-the-air video-streaming technologies, PPV will offer an initial package of eight international channels, including ESPN, Disney Channel, ESPN-X, MTV, A&E, Discovery Movil, National Geographic, The History Channel, and Wappo TV (from Warner Music Group).
The deployment of PPV TV in Uruguay follows the successful launch of ROK-powered Ideas TV with fellow America Movil operators, Claro in Dominican Republic in October 2009, and Telcel, in Mexico, in September 2008.

Beyond Bandwidth

Owen Cole, Technical Director UK and Ireland, at F5 Networks, argues for an intelligent approach among operators to rapidly-increasing data traffic

With mobile data traffic set to grow by as much as 10 - 15% a month within the next year, mobile network operators (MNOs) are facing the significant headache of how to handle this increase in traffic. As rich media develops, and the popularity of mobile devices such as iPhones and Blackberrys rises, more and more strain is being put on operators and their networks.

Revenue opportunities
While worldwide demand for mobile data services is creating unparalleled revenue opportunities for MNOs, it is also creating network capacity and performance challenges. To continue to provide rich content to subscribers, without taxing network resources, MNOs need to invest in reliable and scalable solutions to deliver content as users’ needs continue to grow.
The real challenge facing MNOs trying to cope with this increase in data traffic is this: do they simply pay for more bandwidth, or do they invest in their networks to make them more intelligent? Adding more bandwidth may be a short-term fix, but ultimately, an inability to drive intelligence into these networks could mean them becoming quickly exposed in under-performing networks.

Bleak outlook
As tariffs become cheaper and more widely available, and operators roll out new technologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), the outlook for MNOs in terms of network capacity is even bleaker.
Operators have historically perceived application traffic optimisation as complicated and expensive, requiring multi-tiered deployments of Application Delivery Controllers (ADC), but in fact, this is not the case.
Tapping into cost efficient technologies to supply, optimise and consolidate applications on the network is one way to meet this growing demand. Infrastructure challenges can be overcome by adopting a more intelligent view of data, both on the network and the device that connects to it. To keep up with the demands of 3G and the offerings of future 4G networks, performance and scalability must sit at the core of MNOs’ business models as they look to progress in service delivery.

Technological developments
Solutions are available that recognise the user profile and the type of device being used, and therefore the content they should be served, and how much of the network they can use. Technological developments to consolidate infrastructure and add real Layer 7 intelligence also allow MNOs to have more control over the traffic on their networks.
A tiered system based on speed or data consumption would benefit virtually everyone just as it does in the fixed (landline) broadband market. Those who need to stream movies or large amounts of data can do so with a service that fits their needs and those who just need email or basic web surfing can do that too.
Whatever the handset, one thing is certain - the headache facing operators on how to manage the network, and therefore user’s expectations, is only going to get worse if solutions aren’t put in place now.

 

Voda to Launch iPhone on 14 January

Vodafone will launch the iPhone in the UK on 14 January on a range of tariffs, starting at £30 a month on a 24 month contract. On this tariff, the iPhone 3GS 32GB costs £239; the iPhone 3GS 16GB costs £149; and the iPhone 3G 8GB costs £59.
The lowest-priced free tariff on which the device is free is a £35, 24-month contract for the iPhone 3G 8GB; a £45, 24-month contract for the iPhone 3GS 16GB; and an £80, 18-month contract for the iPhone 3GS 32GB.
“We started preparing our network over a year ago so that iPhone customers will really feel the advantage of being with Vodafone,” says Vodafone UK CEO, Guy Laurence.  “We will offer an outstanding iPhone experience wherever our customers live, work and travel, delivering speed and reliability – something our customers have told us they really value.”
iPhone customers can use up to 1GB of mobile data as part of their price plan, and take advantage of unlimited access to wi-fi in the home and free, publicly available services throughout the country. Also included within the price plans, customers will also be able to use up to 1GB of data on the BT Openzone wi-fi networks.
As a thank you to consumer customers who have already registered interest in iPhone and choose to pre-order, Vodafone will give them free Vodafone-to-Vodafone phone calls for the life of their initial contract.
There’s more information here.

Telstra Launches mHealth Solution for Diabetes Sufferers

Diabetes patients will be able to monitor their blood glucose levels more frequently, keep more accurate records and better manage their condition, following the launch by Australian mobile operator Telstra of the coountry’s first commercially available mobile application for people with diabetes.
The Telstra Diabetes Management Online Service involves transmitting blood glucose readings wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled blood glucose meter to a compatible mobile phone running a specialised application.
The mobile sends the information over the Telstra Next G network into a secure database. These results can then be accessed via a portal on a Next G mobile phone, or online, by the patient and their GP or other care provider.
“Diabetes currently affects an estimated 1.5 million Australians, and around 275 Australians develop diabetes every day,” says Greg Johnson, Acting CEO of Diabetes Australia. “Breakthroughs in technology that help to improve people's diabetes management can also help to reduce the serious complications of diabetes, including heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, blindness and amputation.”
Before launching the service, Telstra and Diabetes Australia conducted an initial field study with 100 patients which indicated that people valued a service that made it simple to record and monitor their blood glucose levels.
“Our field study indicated patients tested themselves more frequently, their records were more accurate and the results gave them new insights into the management of their condition, allowing them to better track and respond to trends,” says Christophe Bur, Executive Director, Telstra Product Management. “More than 80% of participants involved in our study are continuing to use the service.
Telstra customers who buy a MyGlucoHealth Wireless blood glucose meter and subscribe to the service can send their glucose test results to a secure online portal. These results can then be shared with their GP. In addition, glucose averages can be tracked over three or six months, and users can have helpful reminders sent to their mobile phone. When a customer registers a reading that is above the desired threshold agreed with their health professional, SMS notifications are sent to them and their care team. The product can also be used for medication reminders and reminders to perform a blood glucose test.
The service costs AU$30 (£17) per month (plus data charges), and is charged to the customer's Telstra bill. The MyGlucoHealth Wireless blood glucose meter is available from authorised distributors for a recommended retail price of AU$125 plus delivery. There’s more information about the service here.

CEM and CRM Under the Spotlight

IIR Conferences is staging its ‘Telecoms CEM, CRM & Retention’ event from 15 – 18 March 2010 at the Hilton Vienna Plaza in Vienna.
With 11 operator case studies on the two conference days, an interactive workshop and a collaborative learning session, IIR says the conference offers delegates ample opportunity to learn, network and exchange ideas.
The event will examine how operators are developing and adopting novel CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and CEM (Customer Experience Management) approaches in order to enhance customer relationships and maximise customer retention as well as customer lifetime value. Orange France Telecom will explain how to
“industrialise” the customer experience, while du will present on how to measure  the customer experience. A session from PTC will look at how to harvest customer insight from PTC, while Mobitel will explain how to differentiate your loyalty programme for high value customers from Mobiltel
There’s more information about the event here.

Orange Cameroon Selects Comverse Voice HUB

Orange Cameroon has selected the Comverse Voice HUB to replace a competitor’s system to handle projected growth and support the deployment of new voice-related services on its mobile network. Comverse Voice HUB is part of the Comverse HUB Value-Added Services, which includes voice, messaging, mobile Internet and mobile advertising.
Comverse Voice HUB brings to Orange Cameroon a modular  platform that enables a range of voice services designed to generate revenue at each stage of a voice call. The Comverse services being deployed by Orange Cameroon include Visual Voicemail, which notifies users by multimedia message (MMS) or email when a voicemail has been deposited; ‘Who Called’, which monetises previously-lost revenue opportunities by delivering network-based information that the handset alone cannot provide, such as the phone numbers of callers to subscribers whose handsets are busy or unreachable (turned off, out of battery or out of service range), as well as the phone numbers of callers who reach the voicemail system but do not leave a message; and ‘Notify Me’, which alerts callers when unavailable parties become reachable. 
As part of the Visual Voicemail service, subscribers also have access to the Comverse Web Inbox, where all voice and fax messages are directed to a single web-based inbox with at-a-glance details about each message. With a click, Orange subscribers can access and manage all of their messages in any order from anywhere in the world. In addition, Comverse Web Self Care allows Orange subscribers to control major aspects of their voicemail services through the operator’s portal.
 “Comverse’s modular Voice HUB and the new services it enables on a single platform squarely address our key concerns, such as innovation, a superior user experience, flexibility, future-readiness, and cost management,” says Orange Cameroon CEO, Jean Michel Latute.

SMS for Life Saves Lives in Tanazania

A solution jointly developed by IBM, Novartis and Vodafone, together with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, is helping to save lives using everyday technology to improve the availability of anti-malarial drugs in remote areas in Tanzania. 
The ‘SMS for Life’ initiative uses a combination of mobile phones, SMS technologies and intuitive web sites to track and manage the supply of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) drugs and Quinine injectables, both of which are key to reducing the number of deaths from malaria.
The mosquito-borne disease causes almost 1 million deaths in Africa each year, mostly among pregnant women and young children, and many people die, simply because they lack quick access to vital medication.
The concept of using text messaging to improve stock management of lifesaving medicines was developed by pharmaceutical company Novartis and a team of international students taking part in IBM's internship programme, Extreme Blue. The team came up with SMS for Life, as it relies on simple technology and fosters self-sufficiency. IBM was tasked with managing the overall project, and Vodafone was invited to develop and manage a system based on SMS messaging that would help ensure dispensaries did not run out of stock.
After visits to clinics, hospitals and dispensaries across Tanzania, IBM, Novartis and Vodafone initiated a five-month pilot of the SMS for Life solution, covering 135 villages and over a million people in different locations across Tanzania. Vodafone, together with its technology partner MatsSoft, developed a system in which healthcare staff at each facility receive automated SMS messages, which prompt them to check the remaining stock of anti-malarial drugs each week. Using toll-free numbers, staff reply with an SMS to a central database system hosted in the United Kingdom, providing details of stock levels, and deliveries can be made before supplies run out at local health centres.
“This is an example of a truly innovative solution helping solve a humanitarian problem,” says SMS for Life Project Manager, Peter Ward of IBM. “After spending time on the ground, we created a project plan, developed the application with Vodafone and Novartis and established the best way to deliver the pilot, working with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health. We expect other countries will also be able to benefit in the future.”
During the first few weeks of the pilot, the number of health facilities with stock-outs in one district alone was reduced by over 75%. The early success of the SMS for Life pilot project has the Tanzanian authorities interested in implementing the solution across the rest of the country. Tanzania has around 5000 clinics, hospitals and dispensaries, but at any one time, as many as half could potentially be out of stock of anti-malarial drugs.
“The SMS for Life program has already had a positive effect in Tanzania,” says Winfred Mwafongo, Senior Health Officer with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. “I've seen district medical officers ordering urgent stock replacements for various health facilities. During a visit to 19 rural health facilities in one district alone, I saw huge improvements in their inventory management systems. I'm very impressed with the results so."

INQ QWERTY Phone Debuts on 3

INQ has launched its QWERTY keypad phone with built-in Twitter, the INQ Chat 3G, on 3 in the UK. The handset is available for £99.99 on Pay As You Go, offering free Internet, a text bundle, free UK calls to everyone on 3 and free voicemail for 90 days every time the user tops up, as well as free Skype-to-Skype calls and Windows Live Messenger.
A £15 a month contract includes unlimited texts, Internet access and 3-to-3 calls, as well as 75 anytime any-network minutes, and free, unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and Windows Live Messenger while the user is in the UK.
The INQ Chat 3G comes with built-in Windows Live Messenger and Skype, and full-function versions of Facebook and Twitter, together with personalised home screen widgets. The handset also offers free push Gmail access, and integrates with other personal email services like Yahoo! and Hotmail. And it can act as a plug-and-play modem for use with a wireless laptop - add-ons start from £10 for 1GB.
“We’ve looked at what a lot of consumers want and haven’t been getting so far from mobile manufacturers – a well priced device built around the internet that does more than voice-and-text,” says INQ CEO Frank Meehan. “The INQ Chat 3G does it simply and beautifully, with sharp design and packaging.
“The Internet is not an afterthought for us. We started off with the internet in our DNA when we set the company up a year ago. We have developed partnerships with the big internet brands and are delighted with how the INQ Chat 3G delivers the services consumers tell us they care about.”