Voda and Entel In Chilean Alliance

Vodafone and Entel PCS  have signed a Partner Market agreement; a strategic alliance which will see the introduction of an exclusive range of Vodafone products and services made available for Entel PCS customers in the Republic of Chile.
Under the terms of the agreement, Entel PCS has access to specific Vodafone knowledge and expertise, and will be able to provide its customers with selected Vodafone roaming, and eventually, business and consumer products. These products and services will include a range of push-email devices and Vodafone branded handsets.
In addition to Entel PCS’s current product portfolio, the company will be able to offer a series of Vodafone-branded mobile broadband USB modems, which will enable customers to access the Internet from their laptops at broadband speeds over Entel PCS’s mobile network.
Vodafone's products and services will be marketed in Chile under Vodafone’s global brand, enhancing Entel PCS’s nationally recognised brand. In addition, the two companies will also work closely on information and best-practice sharing in order to enhance future offerings and customer services.
Commenting on the agreement, Hatem Dowidar, CEO, Vodafone Partner Markets, says:
“Through this agreement with Entel PCS, Vodafone will be able to increase its brand recognition and extend its product range to one of the most developed markets in Latin America. Chile is a leading market for mobile communications in the region, and Entel PCS is in a stronger position to improve the provision of enhanced voice and data products, including Entel PCS’s current HSDPA internet access mobile network for customers eager for greater access to international products and services.”

30% Rise in African Connections

The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade body for the mobile industry, has revealed that the number of mobile connections in Africa has risen by 70 million to 282 million in the past 12 months.  Mobile operators have ramped up investment in the region, extending GSM coverage to reach an additional 550,000 sq. km, occupied by 46 million people. The broadening coverage, coupled with the falling cost of mobile communications, is enabling tens of millions of Africans to become connected for the first time in their lives. Africa has only 35 million fixed lines. “Africa’s mobile industry is delivering on its promise to blanket the continent’s inhabitants with coverage, giving tens of thousands of rural communities their first opportunity to realise the substantial social and economic benefits of mobile communications,” said Tom Phillips, GSMA Chief Government & Regulatory Affairs Officer, speaking at the ITU Telecom Africa event in Cairo. “However, over 300 million rural Africans do not yet have mobile coverage. They live in an area the size of China, India and the USA combined. Developing sustainable business models to serve these communities is a great challenge, which requires the mobile industry and African governments to work together.” At the ITU’s Connect Africa summit in Kigali in October, the GSMA announced that mobile operators plan to invest more than $50 billion (£26 billion) in sub-Saharan Africa over the next five years to provide more than 90% of the population with mobile coverage. To realise the full social and economic benefits of this investment, African governments need to ensure that sufficient spectrum is available, particularly for mobile broadband services. Governments also need to tackle mobile-specific taxes, high licence fees, international gateway monopolies and other regulatory bottlenecks that constrain the competitiveness of African business. There’s a great deal of enthusiasm among network operators for extending their coverage in Africa. Marc Rennard, Executive Vice President, Orange - France Telecom Group, says: “Around 75% of the population is covered in most African countries where Orange operates and we intend to reach 90% coverage with the same level of quality by 2010 to serve untapped areas.” It’s a similar story at Zain, where CEO Dr. Saad Al Barrak says: “Zain will build its own fibre capacity backbones, where necessary, to speed up delivery and increase affordability of telecom services. Zain believes that such investments across sub-Saharan Africa will also have a positive economic and social impact.” Finally, Naguib Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of Orascom Telecom, says: “We have created a new subsidiary, Telecel Globe, which will reinvest in Africa's smaller countries. Telecel Globe will be fully staffed on. Orascom Telecom will only support its procurement power and commercial know-how. We call on African governments to reduce the taxation and regulatory burden on mobile users so we can maximise the positive impact of this investment.”

Bango Improves Analytics with Goal Comparison

Bango has added a goal comparison feature to its Bango Analytics mobile analytics tool, enabling marketers to see which mobile ad campaigns and traffic sources deliver the best conversion rates. Advertisers can also compare the value of the traffic from third-party ad services using independent data provided by Bango Analytics. Some companies have already reported discrepancies approaching 20% between the traffic they are getting and what they have paid for, says Bango. 
With the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) reporting the need for “independent testing and scrutiny to build trust and confidence in the mobile advertising”, Bango says it aims to fill this gap with a service that provides hard data, free from any vendor bias. The new goal comparison feature helps marketers measure the return on investment for campaigns across different ad networks to make smarter buying decisions.
Bango says the Bango User ID technology offers a level of precision not found with other mobile analytics products, by providing a reliable and persistent identity for every mobile user. It tracks real people as they enter a mobile website from different sources and reach a defined goal, such as click to call, buying content or downloading an application.
“It’s not the number of hits on your site that ultimately matters, but whether they convert into value for the business,” says Bango CEO, Ray Anderson. “Being able to measure ROI through accurate tracking can make the difference between success and failure. Businesses that aggregate traffic from a wide variety of sources and want an independent way of ensuring the traffic they receive is what they paid for, can use Bango Analytics as their trusted auditing tool.
Bango Analytics operates as a hosted service, allowing mobile website owners anywhere in the world to connect their sites to the Analytics service in minutes and use it free of charge. You can try it for yourself here. And with a video about it here.

Mobile Advertising? Bring it On

Mobile agency Aerodeon has revealed the results of what it claims is the first ever sector-specific research project into consumer attitudes towards mobile phone advertising. The research, commissioned by Aerodeon, was conducted by brand research company, Millward Brown. The study was supported by sponsors across several key market sectors in digital advertising including Peugeot, Diageo, Sky, Nestle, More Th>n, Procter & Gamble and Orange. For all sectors covered, it found that over three in every five mobile Internet users are more inclined to purchase a brand in response to relevant opt-in advertising on their mobiles.
Conducted in January 2008, the research project solicited and measured the opinions of more than 1,000 18-64 year old PC Internet users in the UK, split equally by gender. The study aimed to highlight which product and service sectors would benefit most from investment in mobile advertising and marketing, and which formats, content and communication methods would be most acceptable to consumers and effective for advertisers.

Other findings include:
· 52% of all PC Internet users use the mobile Internet, rising to 77% of 18-24 year olds.

· One in three of all mobile Internet users browse at least once a week.

· Average surfing time per session is six minutes, with one quarter of all 18-34 year olds spending more than 10 minutes per session when browsing the mobile Internet.

· Mobile Internet surfing makes consumers feel they have reduced consumption of magazines and newspapers (net of 17% feel they are reading less). In contrast, it seems mobile surfing may increase PC-based Internet consumption (net of 23% feel they are surfing more).

· Two in three of all mobile Internet users use mobile Internet to search.

· Among heavy users of the mobile Internet, having access to the mobile Internet is more important than TV or newspapers.

· Nearly half of all regular mobile Internet users use the mobile web to research big ticket, high consideration items such as cars and holidays.

· The main barrier to adoption for non-users is cost and a lack of knowledge about how to access mobile Internet services.

Advertisers who sponsored the research are now examining the findings to identify the best category-specific mobile marketing opportunities among their individual target audiences.
“This study contributes to the growing body of compelling evidence that mobile offers advertisers unique advantages, and that investment in it is necessary to achieve a 360 degree digital communication strategy,” says Aerodeon Managing Director, Chris Bourke.
Steve Ricketts, Head of Third Party Services at Orange UK, believes the study provides powerful evidence for UK digital advertisers to take the initiative and include more mobile media in their marketing plans. He says:
“The results show that more and more British consumers are using mobile media and that their behaviour offers advertisers brand new ways to engage potential customers, drive sales and build brand equity. These positive findings reflect the ever increasing adoption and uptake of mobile media.”

Mobile Ad Spend Heads for a Billion

Annual mobile ad spend will pass $1 billion (£512 million) in 2008. That’s the conclusion of a report just released by Juniper Research. 
‘Mobile Advertising, Delivery Channels, Strategies & Forecasts 2008-2013’ contains forecasts of  recipients, response rates, and ad spend across eight key geographical regions until 2013. The 162-page study offers a detailed breakdown of the mobile advertising market, profiling leading companies within all sectors of the mobile advertising environment, including agencies, ad networks, application providers, operators and MVNOs.
The report focuses on seven key advertising delivery channels – SMS, MMS, in-content download, on-portal, mobile Internet, idle screen and Mobile TV - exploring the strategies so far adopted by principle players across the mobile advertising ecosystem and the potential opportunities available.
It looks at the current value of the mobile advertising market; the leading players; response rates; key drivers and hurdles; and mobile advertising regulation. It also considers how the mobile advertising value chain likely to develop; which mobile delivery channels will be the most successful for advertisers; and at the strategies that brands, ad agencies, operators and content providers should implement to facilitate the successful deployment of, and greatest response to, mobile advertising.
The report costs £1,490 for a single-user PDF or hardback copy; £1,990 for a multi-user licence; or £2,990 for an enterprise-wide licence.
You can get more details here. And a free Whitepaper here.

Sun Ties Up with On2 to Add Video to JavaFX

Sun Microsystems has entered into a multi-year agreement with On2 Technologies to add comprehensive video capabilities, using On2 Technologies’ TrueMotion video codecs, to Sun's JavaFX, a family of products for creating Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) with immersive media and content across “all the screens of your life”.
The companies note that consumers are demanding a rich video experience across multiple screens, and say that this deal compliments the Java platform for RIAs by adding On2 Technologies TrueMotion codecs to deliver the essential technologies and services that are designed to power compelling video applications. With JavaFX rich client technology, the same high resolution video and media applications can run across the billions of devices that use the Java platform, including browsers, desktops, mobile and embedded devices. The first availability of On2 video codec for JavaFX software products is scheduled for autumn 2008.
“The JavaFX runtime environment is designed from the ground up to support high fidelity media, empowering content authors to deliver media-rich content and applications across multiple screens,” says Rich Green, Executive Vice President, Software at Sun. “On2 shares Sun's vision of driving video convergence across desktops and mobile devices and we look forward to working with On2 to deliver this capability as part of the JavaFX family of products.”
The Java platform powers billions of devices, from desktop browsers and computers (91%) to mobile phones (more than 2 billion), Blu-ray Disc players (13 million), TVs (9 million) and other connected consumer products. On2’s TrueMotion video codecs are deployed on more than 2 billion desktops and 200 million mobile devices worldwide.

Greystripe Signs Up Sega

Ad-supported mobile games and applications distributor Greystripe has signed a deal with Sega to deliver free mobile games.
Three classic game titles from the Sega collection will be delivered across mobile phones worldwide through all 50 of Greystripe's Catalog Platform partners in addition to GameJump.com, the world's largest ad-supported mobile game portal. Additionally, Sega will monetize its mobile game content via Greystripe's AdWRAP advertising network, which includes brands like Diet Coke, Yahoo!, New Line Cinema and eBay. The three games available initially are ‘Sonic Jump’, ‘Afterburner II’, and ‘Golden Axe’.
“Sega has selected to be a part of the Greystripe’s distribution network of sites as it opens up the category to a whole new market of consumers,” says Linda Chaplin, VP of Mobile at Sega. “The ‘free games’ proposition allows consumers to try mobile games without risk, and we’re confident that our brands and commitment to quality will convince consumers to stay and continue gaming on their mobile phones.”
Greystripe CEO Michael Chang adds:
“Besides being the biggest name in gaming, Sega has incredible IP and truly understands the move to mobile with their classic game titles. Our partnership with them is a huge win for our end users and demonstrates that Greystripe is able to bring the biggest brands to the mobile gaming audience.”
Greystripe recently celebrated 50 million game downloads, including titles from Sega, Digital Chocolate, Vivendi Games Mobile and Hands-On Mobile, downloaded from GameJump.com, Greystripe’s proprietary mobile game portal.
Greystripe's patent-pending AdWRAP technology automates the process that enables ads to be wrapped directly with mobile games and applications without any complex coding and development for the content owner.

Action Urged on Mobile TV

A significant number of European countries still need to make decisions to be able to exploit the current market potential of Mobile TV.
That’s the conclusion of a study published recently by the Broadcast Mobile Convergence Forum (bmcoforum). The study analyses the status of national licensing frameworks for terrestrial mobile broadcast TV in 23 countries, including 21 from Europe. It concludes that a significant number of countries are still lagging behind the most advanced countries in defining their regulatory framework, including the licensing conditions and processes.
In Italy, where Mobile TV services have been operating for around two years, about one million users own Mobile TV-capable devices. The granting of licences has been completed in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland, and is in process in France and Hungary. Therefore, the majority of central European countries have assigned terrestrial frequencies, established regulatory and licensing frameworks and have started or are about to launch mobile broadcast TV services in 2008.
Other countries such as Belgium, Greece, Portugal and Spain, as well as the majority of Northern and East European countries have not yet decided upon licensing conditions and processes. These processes normally take quite some time and effort requiring public consultations and law changes. bmcoforum therefore sees an urgent need for these countries to speed up the decision process, in order to take advantage of the present market opportunities for terrestrial mobile broadcast TV.
“As, according to the European Commission, mobile broadcast TV can reach a worldwide market worth up to €20 billion (£15.8 billion) by 2011, bmcoforum is urging all national regulators to allow for a fast service kick-off in their countries”, says bmcoforum Executive Director, Prof. Dr. Claus Sattler. "Further analysis of regulation and licensing practice, and of the experiences of countries more advanced in these processes, is under way at bmcoforum, to support implementations of regulatory frameworks in countries which are about to decide on their regulatory frameworks and preferred business models."
You can download a copy of the full report here.

ROK Buys Jalipo

ROK Entertainment Group has acquired IPTV firm Jalipo for total consideration of 600,000 ordinary shares. Jalipo Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jalipo and the only operating function therein, is a UK-registered IPTV company which offers live streaming of TV content over the Internet. According to ROK, Jalipo is the first online marketplace for TV and video, allowing content owners to use the Internet to offer their channels, video-on-demand and live events direct to viewers around the world.
"This acquisition is of great strategic importance to ROK, as it furthers our presence in the Mobile TV market,” says ROK CEO, Laurence Alexander. "There are significant synergies between Jalipo's product offering and our own, which we look forward to incorporating within and, as a result, enhancing, ROK's delivery portfolio."

Have You Got the Nimbuzz?

Nimbuzz has announced the UK launch of its application of the same name, that provides mobile users and online communities with free calls, chat and more. Nimbuzz says it offers an all-in-one solution for free mobile VoIP calling, conference calling, instant messaging, chat and group chat, and photo and file sending across multiple Instant Messaging (IM) communities, including Skype, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo!, AIM, Jabber and ICQ, plus 23 social networks, including Facebook and Myspace.
Once users download the Nimbuzz application for the mobile and register as a new user, contacts from their selected IM communities are aggregated into a single contact list, with icons indicating real-time presence, showing which contacts, from which communities, are online or offline.
“Everyone loves Skype (on the PC). But when it comes to the mobile, we believe we offer a better solution,” says Nimbuzz Chief Marketing Officer, Tariq Dag Steinberg Khan. “Nimbuzz works across all the major communities and on more than 500 handsets worldwide. With this new release, we now also have a genuine free mobile VoIP solution that works on more than 90 handsets including Nokia, Samsung and LG.”
The Nimbuzz mobile VoIP application works worldwide on Nokia Symbian Series 60 devices when connected using a 3G or wi-fi network, with a Windows Mobile offering due for release in June. iPhone is not currently supported,but, the company says, is an important product under development. For GPRS/EDGE connections, or when using Java-enabled phones, Nimbuzz also offers its “hybrid-VoIP” solution, as used by Skype, for making international mobile calls at local dial-in cost, in 50 countries. 
Nimbuzz is free to download and, the company says, easy-to-use, but it adds that data usage is subject to network operator rates when used on the mobile, unless using a flat-rate data plan.
“The good news is that mobile data costs are coming down dramatically,” says Khan. “Flat-rate data plans didn’t exist last year in Europe, now they’re everywhere. This makes using Nimbuzz the closest thing to free communication there is.” 
On the social networking front, Nimbuzz brings voice and mobile chat to social networks. The new six-button ‘Communicator’ widget brings free calling, chat, text and voice messaging, and file sending to social networks, email signatures and personal websites or blogs. There’s also a ‘buzz/ feature which alerts friends offline to join users online for a call or chat.
Funded by Mangrove Capital Partners, the original Skype investor, and staffed by award-winning developers and industry experts, Nimbuzz says it is bringing to the mobile and to social networks what Skype pioneered for the PC. Nimbuzz has already attracted more than 500,000 registered users, with 25% active per month, and is generating more than 1 million logins per week, despite the product still being developed.
“Our users drive our development, so even with what we think is a great product, it always feels like we’re in beta,” says Khan. “The truth is, we wouldn’t be innovating fast enough if we weren’t,” adds Tariq. “With users from 176 countries, it’s easy to see why. There is remarkable consumer appetite out there, worldwide, and the industry tailwinds are picking up pace. We are grateful for our pre-launch momentum and look forward to announcing some exciting new products, features and strategic partnerships with key operators and social networks over the summer.”
To download Nimbuzz Mobile, click here, or visit m.nimbuzz.com on your mobile. To download Nimbuzz widgets, click here.

Acision Bullish on Messaging Revenues

Messaging company Acision has forecast mobile messaging revenues of $165 billion (£84 billion) globally by 2011, 42% higher than Ovum’s previous prediction of $116 billion by this date.
Acision, which powers half of all the world’s text and multimedia messages, has explained its optimism with a five-step action plan that it says operators are already embarking upon in pursuit of messaging revenues. Acision believes the five steps have the capability to double messaging revenues for operators in the next four years. They are:
· Personalising the messaging experience with added functionality, relevant to specific consumer and enterprise segments
· Using partnerships and multi-play strategies to extend mobile messaging to the fixed environment, using converged messaging
· Subsidising mobile Internet revenues through messaging integration with interactive web applications such as Facebook and eBay          
· Mobilising enterprise applications
· Leveraging the mobile marketing opportunities offered by the reach of messaging platforms

Acision notes that since its inception 15 years ago, mobile messaging has delivered a 6,000% return on investment, but adds that the growth phase is not yet over, with markets such as India, North America and China seeing phenomenal traffic increases. Even within the more mature markets of Western Europe and South East Asia, says Acision, messaging still has huge growth potential.
“SMS has achieved more than anyone imagined it would 15 years ago, but speculation that messaging has reached its peak ignores much of today’s market dynamic,” says Acision CEO, Rory Buckley. “Peer-to-peer communication is showing no sign of stalling or declining, and already in South East Asia, operators’ efforts to differentiate their services by adding features such as out-of-office and blacklisting are proving popular with subscribers. However, it is with application-to-peer and peer-to-application messaging that the wider opportunities lie. We believe that capitalising on the opportunities afforded by web applications as Facebook (essentially an enormous web-based multimedia messaging environment) and effectively harnessing mobile marketing will enable operators to double mobile messaging revenues by 2011.”

Wapple Gets Interactive

Wapple has added the the ability to make traditional print media interactive, by linking it directly to the mobile web, to its Wapple Canvas Zest, mobile Internet site-building and publishing tool. 
Wapple Canvas Zest automatically generates a unique data matrix Code and QR code for each mobile web page created,. These can be printed on advertisements, magazine articles or posters, to provide an immediate call to action. When the code is scanned by a mobile cameraphone equipped with the appropriate reader, it links straight through to the promoted page, which could provide further information, free downloads, or goods to purchase. A few mobile devices already have scanners built in. For those that don't, they can be downloaded here.
Datamatrix and QR codes are barcodes consisting of a totally unique pattern of black and white squares that act as a quick link through to a specific mobile web page. When using Wapple Canvas Zest to design and publish a mobile website, these codes are automatically generated and can then be printed wherever required. Once the codes are scanned into the mobile device, consumers can quickly and easily access promoted content any time and any where they are. Wapple notes that unlike SMS triggers, scanning codes is free.
“The addition of data matrix or QR codes to print media meets a market demand for offering an easy, cost effective way to facilitate instant brand interaction with consumers on the move for a truly interactive marketing campaign,” says Wapple Co-founder and COO, Anne Thomas. “For the consumer, waiting for the bus, a train journey or simply reading a paper or magazine becomes more interesting with the ability to purchase products, respond to articles or enter competitions without having to be back in front of a PC. And for the brand, it not only provides an immediate call to action but a new and effective way to measure the success of print campaigns.”

Holt Joins Mfuse Board

Mobile-enabling technology provider Mfuse has announced the appointment of Bob Holt as Non-executive Chairman. Holt’s appointment follows that of Mark Blandford, the founder of Sportingbet, the online betting company, who joined Mfuse recently as a Non-executive Director.
Holt is Chairman and Chief Executive of Mears Group, in which he acquired a controlling interest prior to its flotation in October 1996. He has a 27-year track record in developing support service businesses, initially in a financial capacity and subsequently in general management.
In addition to his work with Mears Group, Holt spent three years as a non-executive director of Sportingbet. He is currently Chairman of Wyatt Group PLC, the AIM-listed investment company. He is also a director of Unicorn Asset Management and RRF, the investment fund.
Mfuse was incorporated in 2002 to offer clients a reliable and secure way to play, pay and transact using any mobile device. Specifically, its aim is to enable businesses to deploy mobile transactional services across multiple devices and in multiple territories.
“By strengthening the Board and adding Bob’s significant experience, it bodes well for the future and is illustrative of our ambition to become the leading operator in the mobile-enabling sector,” says Mfuse Chief Executive, Marcus Wareham. “Bob has a wealth of corporate knowledge and understanding that will be extremely beneficial to us. We are very pleased that he participated in the recent funding round and the Board looks forward to working with him as Mfuse continues to grow and expand its offering.”

It's Official: Social Networking Goes Mobile

Research just published by Nielsen Mobile reveals that one in four members of UK social networks use their phones to network. 44% of UK mobile phone subscribers belong to an online social network. Of this group, 25% use their mobile phone for social networking-related activities.
Around 812,000 Britons each month, or 1.7% of all UK mobile subscribers, visited a social networking website using their mobile during the first quarter of 2008. Facebook is the most popular site for mobile social networking, being visited by over 557,000 Britons from their mobiles, or 9% of all UK mobile Internet subscribers. In second place is MySpace (211,000), followed by Bebo (162,000), Windows Live Spaces (109,000), and Flixster (90,000).
“Social networking is already a global phenomenon, and mobile could be the next big thing in the space,” says Nielsen Mobile Client Services Manager, Kent Ferguson.
“Large numbers of people are interacting with their social networking profiles while they’re on the move. There could be increased consumer demand for mobile social networking driven by the flat-fee price plans offered by the leading operators that give subscribers unlimited mobile Internet access.”
The most popular mobile social-networking related activities are sending messages and mail (55%); reading messages and mail (47%); viewing photos (33%); uploading photos (29%); and adding friends (21%).
The four most popular social networks on the mobile are also the four most popular on the PC. Travel social network WAYN has the strongest performance on the mobile compared to the PC, ranking 7th on mobile Internet compared to 21st on PC Internet
“The increasingly competitive nature of social networking online is being replicated in the mobile space,” says Alex Burmaster, European Internet Analyst at Nielsen Online. “The leading players remain the same but networks such as WAYN and Faceparty have considerably improved on their PC ranking in the mobile world. In an effort to differentiate their offerings and pull ahead all the networks are looking to what the mobile medium can offer – particularly when it comes to attracting 15-24 year olds, a group highly representative amongst social networking addicts.”

Satellite Solution for Mobile TV?

While the European Mobile TV market is on the verge of significant growth, it still faces problems related to the efficient transmission and distribution of Mobile TV services. This being the case, recent and emerging studies have clearly shown the use of satellite technologies for Mobile TV services to be a sensible and cost-effective solution. Hence, the use of satellite services can be expected to significantly aid the sustainable growth in spread, quality and reliability of Mobile TV service offerings.
This is the conclusion of new analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s Space & Communications Group,   ‘European Mobile Satellite TV Markets’, which finds that that the market earned revenues of $1.92 million (£1 million) in 2007 and estimates this to reach $3.28 billion in 2014.
European Mobile Satellite TV Markets is part of the Space & Communications Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research in Commercial Geostationary Transponder Markets for EMEA, NAM and Asia and Eastern European VSAT Markets. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
“As Mobile TV services continue to grow across Europe, customers and operators require a reliable and pervasive service coverage, which can transmit high-quality, dedicated programs,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Natalie Bentz. “The distribution and transmission by satellite, through the hybrid network or backhaul, will both greatly contribute to the success of Mobile TV, by providing what the industry and the customers ask for.”
The hybrid network solution for Mobile TV offers great potential in terms of distribution, says Frost, answering the operators’ and customers’ needs for reception in urban and rural areas, as well as indoor and outdoor settings. It adds that the utilization of the S-band, which will be allocated European Union-wide, will reduce spectrum difficulties that could be experienced when using other frequencies.
The report also says that using satellite backhaul for the distribution of Mobile TV has fundamental advantages, as backhaul is a known solution for data and video applications. Another advantage is that, in contrast to the direct/hybrid satellite solution in the S-band, this model is not affected by the standardization problem. Further, as this solution does not involve a direct link from the satellite to the end user, no specific devices or chipsets are needed.
The study notes, however, that both hybrid network and satellite backhaul solutions face some problems in the market, including competing alternatives through terrestrial networks.
“By the time of the scheduled availability of the satellite segment for the hybrid solution, terrestrial alternatives will already have established themselves in some markets,” says Bentz. “The solution of satellite backhaul faces problems related to the bandwidth hungriness of Mobile TV applications.”
Overall, the example of the Mobile TV market in Italy shows that there is still significant room for improvement, and that the hybrid network solution can bring just that, as customers require a high level and spread of service coverage and quality.
To request a brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an outline of the European Mobile Satellite TV markets, send an e-mail to joanna.lewandowska@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

hellomagazine.com Goes Mobile

hellomagazine.com, the celebrity news site, is launching two new mobile services, a daily MMS and SMS celebrity news update.
Subscribers to the MMS service will receive one multimedia message per day, Monday to Friday, containing a latest news story from hellomagazine.com, including imagery. SMS subscribers will receive a latest headline to their phones. Each MMS costs £1, each SMS, £0.25. To subscribe to the MMS service, text HELLO1 to 62233. For the SMS service, text HELLO2 to 62233. Or you can sign up online here.
Hellomagazine.com currently attracts over 1.5 million unique users per month, according to the January 2008 ABC Electronic audit, and ranks in the top ten of magazine brands by unique users. The hellomagazine.com mobile service has been developed in collaboration with  Incentivated.
“This is very exciting for us,” says Hellomagazine.com Editor, Verity J. Smart. “A launch of a mobile service has been long overdue, and I feel that it will be an important addition to our digital canon. A natural extension of a web presence is a mobile offering. The hellomagazine.com mobile offer will please all those who can’t bear to be without the latest celebrity news whilst on the go.”

Meffies Winners Revealed

The Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) last night unveiled the winners of this year’s Meffys awards at a gala dinner in Cannes. The Meffys, sponsored by Nokia for the second year running, were hosted by TV presenter and Gadget Show guru Suzi Perry.
The winning entries of the fifth annual awards once again provide a snapshot of the range of products and services, from the mainstream to the advanced, that are entertaining consumers on the go. In recognition of the industry’s efforts to offer consumers value for money and easy access to a wide choice of mobile entertainment, two new categories, Quality of Experience and Off-Deck Service, were introduced this year. A further new award, Emerging Markets, highlights the exciting new possibilities for engaging content creators and consumers alike in developing regions.
This year’s winners were selected from more than 200 submissions from 21 countries covering four continents, underlining the universal appeal of mobile entertainment. 
“A focus on discoverability, interactivity, usability and affordability were the common strands shared by this year’s winners,” says MEF Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter. “Above all, the companies selected by the Meffys judges clearly focused on putting the consumer first; attracting and entertaining subscribers though a variety of appealing offerings, including innovative new ad-supported, communities and subscription-based models.”
Here’s the full list of all the winners:

The Games Award: Nokia – Hooked on: Creatures of the Deep 
Shortlisted:
Hands-On Mobile – World Poker Tour: Texas Hold ‘Em 2
Konami Digital Entertainment – Metal Gear Solid Mobile
Konami Digital Entertainment – Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Player X – Hollywood Hospital

The Music Service Award: mBlox & Myxer – Myxer Mobile Music
Shortlisted:
Gracenote – Gracenote Mobile Music Platform
Omnifone – Vodafone MusicStation
Shazam – Shazam iD
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications – TrackID

The Artist Campaign Award: Absolute Marketing & Distribution – Wet Wet Wet SMS Pre-order Campaign
Shortlisted:
Mozes – Rascal Flatts Mobile Campaign
Parlophone & New Visions – Kylie Konnect
RCA Music Group – Cassidy B.A.R.S. Campaign
Telenor –Bigbang Fan Blog

The TV & Video Service Award: Rhythm NewMedia and 3UK – Free Video on 3UK
Shortlisted:
Clippz – Clippz.com
inLive Interactive – Interactive Mass Participation
Rubberduck Media Lab – Studio 1: Mobile TV Platform
Vantrix – Ad-Supported Video Weather Forecasts

The Technology Innovation Award: Zeemote – Zeemote JS1 Controller
Shortlisted:
Bango – Bango Analytics
Kyte – Kyte
MMCast – MMCast
Qualcomm MEMS Technologies – mirasol displays

The Content Award: Fun Little Movies – Fun Little Movies Channel
Shortlisted:
BBH – Cippi’s Trump Selecta!
MTV Networks International – Digital Originals
Orange Israel and Donna Productions – Undercover
Yam112003 – Quasi TG

The Communities & UGC Award: Flirtomatic – Flirtomatic
Shortlisted:
Dada – Dada.net, Powered by Me
Gofresh – itsmy.com
Juice Wireless – JuiceCaster
UTEL – Fotochat

The Search & Discovery Award: Gracenote – Gracenote Mobile Music Platform
Shortlisted:
AquaMobile – Clic2C
JumpTap – SmartComponents
kannuu – kannuu
MCN – Yahoo! Mobile Japan DigiCon Search

The Marketing Campaign Award: Orange – Frank TV
Shortlisted:
BBH – Cippi’s Trump Selecta!
BBH – Lynx Get In There
Orange – Wannabe Wicked
Que Pasa Communications – V Festival Cross Platform Project

The Handset Application Award: fring – fring
Shortlisted:
Handmark – Pocket Express
Juice Wireless – JuiceCaster
MMCast – MMCast
Picsel Technologies – Picsel CUI Browser

Quality of Experience Award: Zeemote – Zeemote JS1 Controller
Shortlisted:
News International – Times Mobile
NXP Software – SportsDJ
Picsel – ePAGE/File Viewer
Surfkitchen – Cincinnati Bell ‘My Phone’

Off Deck Service Award: Thumbplay – Thumbplay
Shortlisted:
Dada – Dada.net for Web & Mobile
Hungama Mobile – FTV
mywaves – mywaves
Refresh Mobile – Mippin

The Emerging Markets Award: Celtel/Zain & Inmobia Mobile Technology – Rock Your World!
Shortlisted:
Geodesic – Mundu Radio: Comprehensive Internet Radio Solution
IMImobile – IMImobile UnIspace
Tata Indicom & Opera Software – Opera Mini for Low Cost Handsets
Telenor Serbia – Telenor WAP Portal Project

The Innovative Business Model Award: MMCast – MMCast
Shortlisted:
Amobee – Amobee Media Systems
Nokia – N-Gage First Access
Reitek & Comdata – Fiat Multi-channel Customer Caring
Yam112003 – Quasi TG

The Handset Award: Nokia – N95 8GB
Shortlisted:
Motorola – MOTO Z10
Samsung Electronics – Soul SGH-U900
Sony Ericsson Italy – Sony Ericsson W910i

The Operator Award: Orange – Orange
Shortlisted:
3 UK – 3 UK
T-Mobile International – T-Mobile’s web’n’walk 3.0

Meffys Special Recognition award: Greg Clayman, Gordon Gould and Alex LeVine.
The three founders of ‘Upoc’ received the award for the creation of Upoc, the first mobile community, in 1999. 

ShoZu Expands

ShoZu has expanded its mobile social media service to Photobucket, Dailymotion, Friendster, Twitter and seven additional Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 communities. With these 11 new integrations, ShoZu now enables mobile users to interact with their choice of 36 social networks from a single screen on their handsets, reducing the time, effort and money required to upload images, update social profiles and check friends’ latest posts from the phone.
Photobucket is one of the most popular photo sites in the US, while according to Comscore, Dailymotion is the second largest  video sharing website worldwide with 36.2 million unique visitors. Friendster is a global social network that ranks as the 35th most highly visited website on the planet, while Twitter is the micro-blogging service 
Other additions to ShoZu’s roster include photo-sharing site Twitpic; photo and video sharing community Cellfish; interactive personal video ‘dashboard’ Seesmic; and online storage site Ipernity. They join ShoZu’s existing integrations, which include Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Google Picasa, Moblog.uk, and the major web blogging platforms such as Blogger and TypePad.
ShoZu notes that its service extends today’s burgeoning social media movement from the web to the mobile world where users spend the majority of their time. Users can send photos or videos to their favourite community with a click, or mass-publish any photo or video to multiple communities and/or email addresses simultaneously, without opening a mobile browser, creating multiple messages, and paying multiple data upload fees from their wireless carrier. 
Other features unique to ShoZu include the ability to have friends’ photostreams, status changes and social network invites sent directly to the handset in the background without mobile navigation or download downtime; send photos at blog quality or full resolution; upload video clips of up to 10 minutes in length; and exchange two-way commenting and messages between the mobile and web.
ShoZu’s free mobile client is currently pre-installed on newer Motorola and Samsung phones and downloadable to nearly 340 additional handset models. A complete list of compatible phones is available here. 
“People today often belong to more than one online social media site, including social networking sites, personal blogs and media storage and sharing sites,” says ShoZu CEO, Mark Bole. “In addition, different social media sites are popular in different parts of the world. Our goal is to provide mobile access to the broadest possible range of communities from the ShoZu service, so that users need only one tool to stay connected on the go. This latest batch of additional sites to our service gives users more choice than ever before. Also, be on the look out for another batch of new destinations added in the upcoming weeks.”

iPhone App Enables Campaign Management on the Move

Danish company TraceWorks, which specialises in marketing management software, has announced the launch of an iPhone web application that will enable users of the company’s Headlight marketing management solution to keep an eye on the performance of their campaigns on the move.
Headlight is web-hosted software that streamlines media planning, digital asset management, campaign deployment and campaign measurement, online and offline. And, says TraceWorks, it takes only five minutes to learn how to use it.
Marketers access Headlight through a browser, allowing them to work wherever they have an Internet connection. The new application extends this flexibility even further. Headlight users can log in with their iPhone to a mobile site where they can see the real-time performance of their marketing goals and monitor top five active banner, email or SEM campaigns by clicks, conversions, cost and earnings. Users can also access all their media contacts if they need to take make adjustments to any campaigns.The application is based on the iPhone browser and works with the iPod Touch, although without the contacts function.
“The iPhone application extends the basic idea of TraceWorks of making simple and intuitive tools so marketers can manage their campaigns easily,” says TraceWorks Chief Product Designer, Jesper Bram. “We have looked at creating mobile versions before, but only the iPhone has been able to recreate our ideas on a mobile platform. Our software has to be easy to use, but it also has to have that ‘wow’ factor, and the iPhone can offer both."

mobilePeople Drives Truvo Search Solution

Truvo, a local search and advertising publisher operating across six countries, has launched a downloadable Java search service for mobile users in Belgium, based on mobilePeople's ‘liquid’ platform. Truvo, formerly called World Directories, says it is the first international directory publisher to add multiple content sources in a searchable format next to its own yellow and white pages listings.
Truvo’s searchable content includes yellow pages (Pages d’Or); white pages (Pages Blanches); full news content from hln.be; weather from Meteo; a mobile web search; and  ringtones and wallpapers. The integration of different content sources will increase traffic in Truvo’s mobile portal and ensure the stickiness of the service with users, the company says.
The Truvo Mobile platform will undertake a search across all data sources and return results by each content source. Then, using a drop-down menu, the user can also select to search per source. Users can save results to their phonebooks, call a business directly and contact a company, by sending an email directly from the results. The solution is available in both French and Dutch and utilises a single search box approach.
The liquid MAP solution provides the option to display the results of businesses or people on a fully realised map, which also allows zooming and panning. Additionally, users can click on a point of interest to receive additional information in a pop-up menu. The user can then highlight an entire street and view information on it by clicking through. MobilePeople utilises Scaleable Vector Graphics (SVG), considered superior to other map technologies that allow less traffic cost for the user.
“Truvo strives to provide the best and most relevant information to our users and as such we have provided them with the ability to search across a wide range of content, including yellow and white pages, news, weather, ringtones, wallpapers as well as Wikipedia,” says Roeland De Meulemeester, Group Manager Online for Truvo Corporate. “This partnership means our customers will receive an unrivalled mobile search experience.”
Last month, Truvo launched the Java client-based mobile search solution with mobilePeople in Belgium. Further country launches in Portugal and the Republic of Ireland are scheduled for the coming months.

One Housing Group Takes Power User Award

KODIME has revealed that it has awarded its Power User Award 2008 to One Housing Group for its advanced ongoing use of KODIME’s PROPtxt 2.0 software solution.
PROPtxt 2.0 is the current version of KODIME’s software solution for the property market, enabling a complete set of mobile marketing and messaging scenarios. PROPtxt is sold as a web-based software as a service proposition, and KODIME says it is easy to use and backed by a dedicated and experienced support team. Ongoing development with free upgrades ensures that users can tap into the growing range of options available for mobile marketers, including long SMS messages, sales lead generation, mobile site management, image and video support and easy integration with other databases.
One Housing Group uses PROPtxt for push marketing, special offers and events, and is enhancing its web presence with options such as ‘Send to my mobile’. The company says the next step will be to use PROPtxt for One Housing Group property management applications,  to schedule reminders, and to arrange and confirm repairs with tenants.
“We realised very early on that it is very important to create synergies by connecting all available marketing tools, be they digital, online, mobile, or more traditional offline advertising,” says One Housing Group Assistant Director, Sales and Marketing, Simon Scott. “One Housing Group developments are now instantly available via SMS response marketing and mobile sites.”
KODIME’s Annual Power User Awards are presented for the product categories Property, Music & Media, and Direct Marketing. Past winners include the London Symphony Orchestra, St. James Homes and Lifecycle Marketing.
Nico Köpke, CEO of KODIME, adds:
“KODIME’s power user awards are in recognition of pro-active and advanced use by the chosen company’s marketing and sales team. One Housing Group have been very proactive of PROPtxt 2.0 over the past year, in maximizing the opportunities presented by the growth of mobile channel, from instant SMS response to dynamic push campaigns and comprehensive use of the mobile Internet.”
To sign up for KODIME’s free newsletter, click here.

Accenture Survey Finds Consensus

Media and entertainment companies are in broad agreement on the way the digital market is evolving, where the opportunities lie, and what will drive revenues over the next five years, according to the findings of a survey released by Accenture. 
Accenture’s 2008 Global Media Content Survey has revealed that there appears to be strong consensus as to what will drive future growth. 70% of respondents to the survey, the company’s third of more than 100 senior executives in the media and entertainment industry indicated that they derive some revenue today (albeit less than 10%) from new, alternative forms of media, such as downloading or watching TV programs on demand, digital advertising or user-generated content, or can’t determine how much of their revenue comes from these new sources. Based on the participating companies, that small percentage of revenue actually represents tremendous growth , says Accenture, adding that substantial revenue streams are being derived today from these new forms of media.
Four of the main sources of revenue growth cited by respondents in this year’s survey are the same as those identified in last year’s survey, which indicates growing consensus about the potential of new platforms. These four sources of revenue growth  are multi-platform distribution, short-form video, social media/user-generated content, and advertising.

Multi-platform distribution
When asked to identify the largest drivers of revenue growth over the next five years, two-thirds of respondents cited new platforms or new ways of delivering content. This is significantly more than the number who cited new content types (24%) or new geographies (10%).  63% of respondents said they will pursue a multi-screen distribution strategy, which includes television, online and mobile delivery.

Short-form video
When asked which content type will generate the greatest growth, the greatest number of respondents (38%) cited short-form video, with online portal/publishing (23%) second, and video games (18%) third.

Social media and user-generated content
68% of respondents identified social media and user-generated content as a high-growth opportunity, and more than half (56%) said they are already involved in social media in some capacity.

Advertising
When asked to identify what they believe will be the number one business model in five years, (62%) of respondents selected advertising-supported business models, compared with 25% who cited subscription-based services and 11% who cited pay-per-play services.

“It is great news that media organizations are developing a consistent strategic view of the key growth areas, but execution is slow,” says Gavin Mann, Digital Media Lead for Accenture’s Media & Entertainment practice. “There clearly remains a huge effort to put in place the necessary capabilities, and it is apparent that the size of the task is still not fully understood. I am not claiming it is easy to turn around some of the world’s greatest media organisations, but I do believe it is essential if they are to remain great.”
While 50% of the executives interviewed said they know which capabilities they need to take advantage of in this new digital market, Accenture believes that many have a false sense of their current capabilities. 66% of the respondents have less than 40% of required capabilities, a number that is unchanged since last year’s survey, indicating that companies need to implement new digital technologies or be left behind.
For example, almost 80% of executives said that their organisations have a consistent view of intellectual property rights (i.e., have the same understanding of the rights associated with a specific intellectual property across their entire business). In Accenture’s experience, considerably fewer organisations actually have the flexibility necessary to capitalize on fast-developing opportunities. 
“We interviewed executives at the very top of their organizations, and at this level it might appear that they share a consistent and flexible view of intellectual property,” says Mann. “However, in many cases, we believe this will actually require inordinate manual efforts, or work-arounds, throughout the organization, each time a new distribution channel is launched. Such a cost structure is not sustainable over the long run.”

Other key findings include:
Uncertainty as to when the mobile market will take off - When asked when they believe the nascent mobile market will become a mass market, respondents were split, with slightly more than half (55%) saying within three years, while slightly less than 45% said they believe it will take longer.

There are several barriers to the mobile market - Consumer readiness continues to be singled out as a barrier to the mass uptake of the mobile market, cited by 51% of the executives surveyed. Respondents also cited other barriers, including companies’ ability, or lack thereof, to provide a consistent user experience (cited by 42% of respondents), as well as a lack of readiness among both content owners and mobile operators/networks (cited by 37%).

Digital advertising will drive a large portion of future revenues - Almost every media company is trying to adapt to the reality of digital advertising as a major source of revenue. 52% of respondents said they see digital advertising eclipsing traditional advertising within five years, and 62% said they believe that content will be supported by a variety of digital advertising methods, including branded content, search, sponsorships, performance and a mix of all of these within the next five years.

The Web 2.0 phenomenon is here to stay - 66% of respondents said there is no likelihood of the Web 2.0 bubble bursting during the next 24 months, and 71% said they do not see any risk in allowing their brands to be associated with social media.

There’s more information on the Global Media Content Survey here.

Take Broadband Anywhere with BT

BT has announced the launch of BT Total Broadband Anywhere, an all-inclusive package which offers a free, internet-capable Smartphone, the BT ToGo, worth around £150, and BT’s Total Broadband service in the home.
BT Total Broadband Anywhere is available on four different tariffs, each offering unlimited wi-fi downloads and 10MB GRPS data downloads, with additional usage charged at £1.50 per MB. Up until 31 July 2008, all BT Total Broadband Anywhere customers will receive unlimited GPRS usage for no additional cost. After that date, customers will be able to choose whether they wish to continue with unlimited GPRS (at an additional charge, which we are still trying to get BT to confirm,) or retain the 10MB inclusive allowance.
Each tariff is offered on a minimum 18-month contract, and each is available at a reduced rate for the first three months. The entry-level option is Broadband Anywhere 50, offering 50 minutes of talk time and 50 texts for £29.99 per month (£23.99 for the first three months). Broadband Anywhere 150, offers 150 minutes of talk time and 100 texts for £39.99 per month (£33.99). Broadband Anywhere 250 offers 250 minutes of talk time and 150 texts for £44.99 per month (£38.99). Finally, Broadband Anywhere 600 offers 600 minutes of talk time and 700 texts for £59.99 per month (£53.99).
“Communications services are converging, and it is clear that customers want consistent access to the things that matter not only at home, but in the palm of their hands wherever they are,” says BT Managing Director, Consumer, John Petter. “When shopping, waiting for a train or having a coffee, Broadband Anywhere enables you to read e-mails, check the football score or compare prices.”
Broadband Anywhere customers get a choice of two BT ToGo Windows Mobile 6 Smartphones, the HTC S620 or S710. The HTC S620 handset is free, while the HTC S710 is free with Broadband Anywhere 250 or 600, and £29.99 on Broadband Anywhere 50 or 150.
When in range of a wi-fi hotspot, the BT ToGo connects to the Internet at broadband speeds and provides cheaper calls through BT Broadband Talk.
The BT ToGo integrates seamlessly with many other BT Total Broadband services, and is preconfigured with a BT e-mail address, although customers are able to set up other popular email accounts easily. In addition, the BT ToGo comes with mobile security software for virus protection.
It also has a built-in camera for taking photos and video clips, and comes complete with a media player. The inclusion of BT Snap & Send means that photos taken with the BT ToGo can be quickly transferred to a personal online BT Digital Vault so they can be safely stored or instantly shared with family and friends.
At home, Broadband Anywhere customers get BT’s premium Option 3 Total Broadband service, including a free, future-proof black wireless Home Hub with Hub Phone, download speeds of up to 8Mb/second with unlimited downloads, advanced online security, free 5GB Digital Vault secure online storage, and free 24/7 customer support. 
All Broadband Anywhere customers automatically join the BT FON wi-fi community. Using any wireless device, including the BT ToGo, customers get unlimited wi-fi access at more than 82,000 BT FON Hotspots in the UK, a further 190,000 hotspots around the world and over 2,500 BT Openzone hotspots in the UK and Ireland. 

Mobile Banking Set For Growth

Driven by the excellent opportunity provided by mobile banking to enhance existing customer services, nearly a third of the world’s largest financial organizations are planning to launch mobile banking services in the next 12 to 24 months. That’s one of the key findings of a recent survey commissioned by Sybase 365, a subsidiary of mobile messaging company Sybase.         
The survey, ‘Mobile Banking: The Second Wave. Global Mobile Banking Survey 2008’, was conducted by independent research company Loudhouse in February, among 92 of the world’s top financial institutions, including 32 European banks, 30 banks in the US, and 30 banks from the Asia-Pacific region.
Results revealed that 66% of banks consider mobile banking an excellent opportunity to enhance existing customer service. While provision of such services is considerably advanced in European and Asia-Pacific regions compared to the US, growth is projected to be strongest in the US with 53% of US banks surveyed expecting to launch mobile banking services within the next 24 months.
“Key factors for financial institutions offering mobile banking are not solely commercial, such as reducing costs or generating revenue,” says Matthew Talbot, Vice President, mCommerce for Sybase 365. “Mobile banking provides unique opportunities for customer interaction and retention.”       
Sybase 365 says this broadening momentum should be encouraging for the consumer respondents to its 2007 mobile banking survey, 33% of whom expressed a desire to manage  their finances on the move. A key element in increasing adoption, which is mirrored in the 2007 consumer study, is the level of awareness that customers have of mobile banking services. It appears that banks are responding to the lack of awareness felt by consumers, with 65% of the banks who currently offer mobile services stating that marketing budgets and activities to raise awareness are part of their strategic plan for 2008.
The most common mobile banking services currently available to customers include balance on demand (offered by 87% of banks with mobile banking services); transaction alerts (77%); money transfers (74%): and balance alerts (71%). Of those banks that offer such services, the top reasons for doing so are to improve the customer experience (87%); to extend Internet banking (81%), and to achieve competitive advantage (71%).

GoldSpot in Denuo Tie-up

GoldSpot Media, which specializes in dynamic ad-insertion for Mobile TV and video, has entered into a partnership with Denuo, the media futures practice of marketing services holding company Publicis Groupe, S.A., to expand its insight into the behaviour and motivation of the mobile consumer, and to collaborate on the enhancement and development of the company’s current and future Mobile TV and video advertising offerings.
GoldSpot Media’s dynamic ad-insertion solution adapts the proven inventory and revenue-sharing business models used successfully in traditional TV and optimises them for the mobile medium.The end-to-end solution enables personalised, interactive ad insertion and replacement in rebroadcast TV content, as well as short clips over 3G. By leveraging Denuo’s knowledge of the mobile consumer thought and buying process, in addition to the evolving needs of the advertising buying community, GoldSpot says it can continue to advance its offerings to meet the Mobile TV and video ARPU projections of mobile service providers around the world.
“As our Mobile TV and video advertising model is being evaluated by mobile service providers around the world, we’re constantly receiving feedback on a wide range of issues that will ultimately determine the viability of this new advertising media,” says William Ganon, Senior Vice President of Advertising Strategy at GoldSpot Media. “By partnering with Denuo, we’ve added the insight of some of the most knowledgeable, experienced and innovative thinkers in the global mobile advertising industry. The Denuo partnership bolsters our strategic capabilities and creates a collaborative development environment that ensures our products are meeting the needs and best practices of the mobile advertising industry.”
Denuo will provide GoldSpot Media with insight into current advertising market demands, including planning and buying requirements for online, mobile and TV advertising, and guidance on advertising model priorities to generate value for all key players in the Mobile TV and video value chain.
“We believe that there is a significant untapped market for Mobile TV and video advertising,” says Denuo Senior Vice President of Ventures, Timothy Hanlon. “Strategic, collaborative partnerships within the Mobile TV and video value-chain are the key to establishing sustainable business models and maximizing the advertising potential of the medium. GoldSpot’s unique mobile video advertising solution offers the potential to significantly enhance the business case for Mobile TV and video advertising.”

MVNO Seminar Launched

The Besen Group, an international mobile data industry management consulting practice, is launching an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) seminar titled ‘New Faces of Mobile Communications’. The on-site seminar is designed for organisations looking to launch a successful MVNO, or improve competitive advantage.
The seminar takes an inside look at 50 MVNO case studies from 28 different categories. Companies featured in the case studies include Apple, Blyk, Disney Mobile USA, ESPN Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, Voce and Vonage.
It aims to show participants how to position their company’s brand for the mobile market; how to differentiate their service offering from their competitors; how to develop a unique MVNO strategy on how to enter the mobile market; and how to build a compelling voice- and data-centric MVNO business case.
“Our MVNO seminar is the most comprehensive seminar of its kind in the world,” says The Besen Group Founder, Alex Besen. “It will help you stay ahead of your competition and become one of the most successful MVNOs in the mobile market. Whether you want to brush up on MVNO fundamentals or get a thorough business overview, we cover both and more.”
For more information, email: seminar@thebesengroup.com
To download the MVNO Seminar brochure, click here.

Digital Dividend Study Published

The European economy would receive a financial boost of at least €95 billion (£75 billion) over the next 20 years, if one quarter of the UHF band were instead allocated for mobile broadband services, according to independent study published by Spectrum Value Partners.
The report, ‘Getting the most out of the digital dividend’, was commissioned by Ericsson, Nokia, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone, and claims to be the first comprehensive economic analysis of the costs and benefits of allocating different quantities of UHF spectrum for mobile broadband and broadcast use throughout Europe.
Although the size of the benefits differ between individual Member States, the potential €95 billion windfall to the European economy represents additional value specifically associated with the use of the UHF spectrum. It is in addition to the €2.5 trillion generated by the European mobile industry using other spectrum in the same period between 2008 and 2027.
The study also shows that, with the remainder of the band, broadcasters are expected to generate more than €750 billion for the European economy during the same period, reflecting the large individual and social benefits from terrestrial broadcasting. It assumes that all existing free-to-air analogue broadcast TV channels will continue to be provided in either high definition or standard definition formats, and finds that the majority of the value which could be created by broadcasters is already provided by existing analogue channels, rather than by the launch of new digital-only channels.
The study also finds that much of the value associated with the use of UHF spectrum for mobile services is attributed to providing wider and lower-cost broadband coverage. Together with a 12MHz ‘guard band’ to prevent interference between mobile broadband and TV services, the mobile industry would need between 40MHz and 140MHz under a wide range of plausible demand scenarios. This could help generate a range from at least €63 billion to as much as €165 billion of additional value for the European economy.
It also concludes that allocating at least 92MHz (including the ‘guard band’) of UHF spectrum, to mobile operators - a quarter of the total UHF band currently used for the provision of broadcast services - would be most likely to maximise additional value for the European economy as a whole.
Finally, the report says, delaying the release of UHF spectrum by three years would cost Europe €20 billion.
“The efficient use of the UHF spectrum is vital if Europe is to remain a global leader in both broadcasting and mobile communications in the coming decades,” says Richard Feasey, Public Policy Director at Vodafone. “We join the European Parliament and the European Commission in urging Member States to act now. The study, for the first time, bridges the gap between the two sectors and provides policymakers with the tools to work out how best to use the digital dividend in each Member State. It shows all of us the enormous economic consequences of those decisions. We intend this study to be a major input into the Regulatory Impact Assessment which the European Commission has said it intends to undertake this summer, but which we believe should also be undertaken by each and every Member State over the next 12 months. If we delay further, Europe will pay a heavy price. “
Catherine Trautmann, MEP and rapporteur in the current review of EU telecommunications legislation, has also suggested that every Member State should be required to establish a National Digital Dividend Plan. The US completed an auction of UHF TV radio spectrum in March, this year. To date, only three European Member States have developed firm proposals for the digital dividend in Europe. 

NSN and Pirelli in Femtocell Tie-up

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Pirelli Broadband Solutions have signed an agreement for co-operation on a 3G Femto Home Access solution.
Pirelli’s femto-enabled customer premise equipment (CPE), coupled with the NSN’s 3G Femto Home Access network solution, will enable operators to introduce femtocell-based services to home and small office environments, through a wide choice of CPE models developed by Pirelli, in compliance with NSN’s open architecture.
Femtocells are a new way of improving 3G coverage in homes. In this concept, the CPE is installed at the subscriber’s home in the same way as xDSL/wi-fi modem. The combined solution of the two leading companies means an opportunity for operators to extend their 3G coverage and introduce attractive new services for subscribers, who benefit from excellent voice and broadband user experience on any 3G device in the home.
The Pirelli Multiplay CPE portfolio will offer 3G femtocell functionality, integrated with diverse broadband access technologies, including ADSL2+, VDSL2 and FTTH, and with Pirelli’s Epicentro CPE middleware and applications platform. Epicentro enables co-operative use cases between 3G phones and Pirelli’s access gateway, IPTV Set Top Box and 3G femtocell, and enhances the usage of mobile handset-based applications and services in the connected home in new ways.
“Our 3G Femto Home Access Solution enables telecommunications service providers to offer an advanced user experience to their customers,” says Timo Hyppölä from NSN’s Indoor Radio Solutions Product Line. “The innovative Femto CPE of Pirelli Broadband Solutions makes an excellent addition to the leading 3G Femto Home Access ecosystem enabled by the open architecture of NSN, and so expands the options our customers have.”
Launched in July 2007, Nokia Siemens Networks’ Femto Home Access Solution introduces open interfaces that allow selected partners to make their Femto CPE compliant with NSN network solution, boosting the femtocell ecosystem and enabling operators to further enhance their 3G service offering and coverage.

Project Capuchin Bridges Flash Lite/Java ME Gap

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication has announced plans to release a new technology that bridges the Abobe Flash Lite and Java ME development platforms. The new technology and tools, which Sony Ericsson has dubbed ‘Project Capuchin’, make it possible to combine the richness of Flash Lite and Java ME technologies, allowing developers to utilize the best attributes of both software stacks to create content-rich mobile applications. Sony Ericsson plans to make the technology available during the second half of 2008 and is demonstrating Project Capuchin-enabled applications on booth 718 in the Pavilion at the JavaOne Developer Event in San Francisco, which started yesterday and runs until Friday. 
Sony Ericsson says that Project Capuchin will provide developers with an intuitive tool to create applications with a cleaner user interface (UI) without sacrificing the strong, feature-rich and widely-deployed Java ME infrastructure, including secure, well-developed content distribution. It adds that Project Capuchin’s bridging software will empower two distinct developer communities to leverage their respective expertises to create the next generation of highly engaging and immersive mobile content.
Project Capuchin  will allow pure Flash Lite content to be encapsulated in Java ME applications with the help of Sony Ericsson Developer World tools, making content created by Adobe Flash technology appear as Java ME applications. More advanced capabilities will allow Flash Lite technology to handle an entire presentation layer, and make it possible to create Java ME applications, where some or all UI components are defined in Flash.
“Sony Ericsson is excited to introduce our new bridging technology to the global developer community as it further strengthens our relationship with this community and underscores our ongoing commitment to support an open, healthy and thriving mobile ecosystem,” says Rikko Sakaguchi, SVP and Head of Portfolio and Proposition at Sony Ericsson. “We are dedicated to exploring opportunities that enable us to provide innovative and energized user experiences. To achieve this, we work with world class partners and technologies, on both platform and product development.”

Iron Man Comes to Mobile

Hands-On Mobile, which develops connected games and applications, and Marvel Entertainment, have announced the availability of the mobile game and personalisation content around the big-screen adaptation of Marvel’s legendary superhero, Iron Man. The game and content is currently available on select carriers around the world, and will continue to roll out to additional carriers in the coming weeks.
In the vertically scrolling shoot-em-up Iron Man mobile game, players take control of the invincible Iron Man while fighting through four levels of non-stop action, based on the movie starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. 
“We are thrilled to add Iron Man to our extensive Marvel Mobile catalogue,” says Hands-On Mobile President, Niccolo de Masi. “This summer promises to be a blockbuster for mobile content, and we look forward to continuing to provide mobile gamers with stylish and exciting content based on the much-loved Marvel characters.”
Hands-On Mobile is also developing a mobile game and content around Marvel Studios’ upcoming film ‘The Incredible Hulk’, distributed by Universal Pictures, which will hit the big screen on June 13. The mobile properties will launch in conjunction with the film’s release.

Study Looks at Strategies for Low-ARPU Markets

Portio Research has released its report, ‘The Next Billion: Strategies for driving growth and making profits in low-ARPU mobile markets’.
Portio notes that since the first mobile phones reached the hands of consumers at the end of the 1980s, it took approximately 15 years for the first 25% of the human race to subscribe to mobile services, and that the next 25% look set to sign up by mid-2008, when the 50% global penetration mark is expected to be reached.
The report looks at where the growth is set to come from after that, at who will be “the next billion”, where they live, and how much money will they have to spend on mobile services. The report also offers detailed demographic analysis of the top growth markets, and the strategies network operators are using to penetrate these markets.
The report concludes that the next billion are actually 1.5 billion in number; that they will take the world from 50% penetration to 75% penetration in just four years; that 65% of them live in Asia; and that almost 70% of them live in rural communities
Portio says it has studied the top 10 growth markets of the next four years, and has identified that nine out of 10 of those markets have one key defining factor in common: they are all low income per-capita markets compared to the wealthy nations that have made up the bulk of the first 3 billion mobile subscribers.
The report looks at these country markets in detail and identifies the extent of the urban and rural communities in these countries. It looks in detail at the United States and explains how the wealthiest nation in the world is forecast to be the third biggest growth market of the next four years, and what that is worth in financial terms. The report forecasts subscriber growth, ARPU to 2011 and service revenues from 2006 to 2011, as the US marches towards a $200 billion market.
The report also analyzes what strategies are being used to penetrate low-ARPU rural markets, and as rural subscribers in India and Bangladesh head towards monthly ARPU of $3 or $4, asks whether network operators can maintain margins. The report concludes that five of the top 10 growth markets are in South Asia. It further forecasts that these five big Asian growth markets will add over 815 million new mobile subscribers over the next four years, equivalent to the entire population of the European Union, the US, Australia and New Zealand combined.
The report costs £1,495 for a 1 – 5 user PDF team licence; £1,995 for a small or medium- size PDF company licence; or £2,995 for a large corporate PDF unlimited licence. For more information and details of how to order, click here.

Euro 2008 on Your Mobile

German mobile content company Envi.con KG has partnered with Slovakian firm Resco to create a mobile application containing all the latest news and updates from the Euro 2008 soccer tournament. The program, ‘Euro Cup Mobile 2008’ is available now, and of no interest whatsoever to English soccer fans.
Euro Cup Mobile 2008 will be updated daily with the latest match standings, team line-ups, match summaries and goal details. Detailed match reports will be available shortly after the end of each match. And while the tournament is still just over a month away, the program already contains details of the 16 participating teams and the venues, as well as photographs and a tournament schedule .
Euro Cup Mobile 2008 is available for Smartphones and Pocket PCs, and for Nokia handsets running Symbian OS 3rd Edition. The software costs €14.95 (£12) including online updates. Data charges will apply.
You can find out more about the Windows Mobile Pocket PC version here. And about the Symbian OS S60 3rd edition here.

BluePod Hits the Shops

Bluepod Media has signed exclusive bluetooth marketing agreements with two major shopping centres, the Bullring in Birmingham and the Trafford Centre in Manchester. An average of one million shoppers visit both retail destinations every week. The deals mean that brand owners will now have an opportunity to communicate promotional campaigns with shoppers on a one to one basis in “a completely new and unique way”.
Shoppers in both destinations carrying Bluetooth-enabled phones will be asked via a Bluetooth message for permission to be sent a Trafford Centre- or Bullring-branded menu of content to their phone. From the menu, shoppers will be able to access third party promotional offers and content linked to retail sites, as well as information about the shopping centre itself.
“The deal we have signed with Bluepod Media will inevitably add value to our shoppers’ experience,” says Jon Levenson, Managing Director of Trafford Centre sister company, Peel Advertising. “We are looking forward to exploring the potential of Bluetooth marketing in The Trafford Centre and our airports.”
Bluepod Media offers proximity advertising on a pay-per-download model, with advertisers only paying each time their content is accessed. The box is about the size of a hardback book and only needs a mains socket to function. National Bluetooth marketing campaigns are handled centrally by Bluepod Media and can be remotely operated throughout the portfolio of exclusive venues. Bluepod can provide detailed statistical reports on the effectiveness of a campaign, and says it is currently the only mobile marketing company committed to have usage independently certified by ABC Electronic.
Content that can be distributed by Bluepod Media is limited only by mobile phone technology, the company notes. Successful campaigns have previously included film trailers, promotional music downloads and digital vouchers for discounted products. Shoppers can opt in to receive content free of charge, at a pay-per-download cost of between £0.40 and £0.70 to the advertiser.
The company adds that recent Bluetooth marketing campaigns it has run demonstrate the impact that proximity advertising by Bluetooth can make. Over 400,000 film trailers promoting the Warner Bros. film ‘I am Legend’ film were downloaded in a two week period across Vue cinemas nationwide. At Portsmouth Football Club, 6,245 Premiership fans opted in to download a movie trailer to their phones from a total match attendance of 20,200.
“Bluetooth marketing is no longer limited to poster sites, and can cover destinations, allowing brands to target consumers by profile as well as environment,” says Bluepod Media Managing Director, John Scorah. “The FMCG marketer has always strived for a cost effective and measurable way of achieving a one to one customer relationship. We provide a way for brands to achieve just that whilst they have only one thing on their mind – shopping! Any FMCG promotional campaign should now include Bluetooth as part of an integrated mix.”

SMSOS

Cleveland Police has launched a dynamic text messaging service specifically for deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people. The service has been designed and delivered by mobile messaging company Mediaburst, in conjunction with partner Teleware, and is rolling out after a successful pilot running since January 2008.
According to government statistics, over 9 million people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing and over 250,000 are profoundly deaf. Until the mobile came along, and SMS with it, deaf and speech-impaired people had great difficulty in contacting emergency services by themselves. They had to rely upon family and friends to report life issues or social misbehaviours on their behalf. Today, the deaf community is one of the most prolific users of SMS.
All that the deaf community in Cleveland Police's boroughs need do to report an incident or ask for assistance is to text the word POLICE to the dedicated shortcode 87202 giving their address and an explanation of the problem. The message is automatically converted into email and forwarded to Cleveland's communication centre where incidents are recorded and actioned.
“Mediaburst's text messaging service is a welcome and very dynamic solution for Cleveland's deaf community,” says Mick Little, Acting Chief Inspector of Cleveland Police's Control Room. “For the first time, deaf people can interact with Cleveland Police in near-real time.”
Cleveland Police has issued a leaflet explaining how to use the new text service. The leaflet can be viewed here.

mobileSTATS Puts Stats on the Mobile

UK company mobileSTATS has announced the launched of its mobile analytics solution of the same name, which is designed to monitor traffic to mobile websites. The solution makes all statistics available to view on the client’s mobile phone in real time.
Businesses signing up to the mobileSTATS service can track the number of visitors to their website, where they come from, which pages they are looking at, peak traffic times, cost-per-click activity, and much more.
“In the quest to optimise online marketing, companies need intelligent web usage information to measure what’s working well, and what isn’t,” says mobileSTATS Managing Director, Jon Kelly. “mobileSTATS can deliver that information to your mobile or Blackberry, in real time, around the clock. Imagine having the equivalent of Google analytics on your phone, with instant real-time reporting available.”
Users can choose to access graphs, performance comparisons and information about which ‘natural referrers’, such as Google and MSN, are generating traffic or sales, on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. And if a trend or hotspot changes, or a site goes down, mobileSTATS will immediately send an SMS alert to a designated mobile phone, to enable a rapid response.
“CEOs and marketing directors can now access key website performance data on the golf course or during a business lunch via their mobile phone to ensure they are always completely up to date,” says Kelly.
The mobileSTATS service supports all types of web formats, including Flash, and delivers conventional website performance statistics to users’ mobile phones. The company also has a team of consultants available to provide more in-depth reports for board meetings, to work with in-house teams to design and build mobile websites, and to develop strategies to drive quality traffic.

Voda Gets the iPhone

Vodafone has signed an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone in 10 of its markets around the globe. Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey will be able to get their hands on the iPhone “later this year” according tor Vodafone.
We just called Vodafone to get more details. Three questions, three two-word answers, all beginnning with 'N'. Not much more to say then, but rest assured, we'll bring you more news on the deal as and when we have it.

Ofcom Gives O2 the All-clear

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has confirmed that mobile operator O2 has now met its obligation to roll out its 3G services to at least 80% of the UK population. This follows Ofcom's notice to O2 in February that it would shorten its licence by four months if it did not comply with its rollout obligation by 30 June 2008. O2 acquired its 3G licence in 2000 for £4,030 million. Ofcom estimated that a reduction of the licence term by four months would have been equivalent to a significant financial sanction of at least £40 million.
The rollout obligation requires each of the five holders of a 3G licence to roll out their networks to enable the provision of 3G services to at least 80% of the population from 31 December 2007. The other four licensees, H3G, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone, demonstrated that they were in compliance with this obligation on this date.
Ofcom says that it will conduct a further assessment to ensure that these licensees remain in compliance on 31 December 2008.

Microsoft Abandons Yahoo! Bid

Microsoft has abandoned its bid to buy Yahoo! after the two companies failed to agree on a sale price. Microsoft had increased its original $44.6 billion (£22.5 billion, $29.4 per share) offer to $47.5 billion ($33 per share), but Yahoo! was holding out for $53 billion ($37 per share), and in any case, had been extremely reluctant to enter into any deal with Microsoft. The news comes just a couple of days after rumours suggested that the two sides were close to agreeing a deal somewhere between these two valuations.
Since it launched its bid on 31 January, however, Microsoft had grow increasingly exasperated by Yahoo’s refusal to play ball. On 5 April, Microsoft threatened Yahoo! with a proxy battle to remove the existing Yahoo! board if it didn't agree to a deal by 26 April, just over a week ago. Microsoft was also unhappy with Yahoo’s plan to respond to what it saw as a hostile bid for the company by seeking to outsource key paid Internet search terms offered by Yahoo! to Google. Such a move, Microsoft believed would “fundamentally undermine Yahoo!’s own strategy and long-term viability by encouraging advertisers to use Google as opposed to your Panama paid search system.” The move would also fragment Yahoo’s search advertising and display advertising strategies and the ecosystem surrounding them, said Microsoft. 
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer formally withdrew the offer in a letter to Yahoo chief executive Jerry Yang