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Synchronica signs up third Russian operator

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Synchronica, an international provider of mobile messaging services, has received a purchase order for deployment of its carrier-grade IMPS mobile Instant Messaging infrastructure software with the Russian subsidiary of a pan-European mobile operator group.

With the initial order, the operator purchased professional services and licenses worth USD 246,000. In addition, the operator will pay Synchronica a recurring service fee based on the registered each month. This is the first purchase order that Synchronica has secured in concert with its new global reseller partner, Acision.

The operator is part of a pan-European mobile operator group which owns GSM licenses across 37 Russian regions, and covers an addressable population of approximately 61 million. This purchase order represents Synchronica’s first deal with a subsidiary of the group. The operator will use Synchronica’s IMPS infrastructure to offer their own carrier-branded Instant Messaging service to their 18 million subscribers, in addition to providing access to mainstream IM communities. Synchronica is scheduled to deliver the service in early 2011, with the Operator launching shortly thereafter.

With its messaging infrastructure products already being used by two of the country’s top-3 operators, Synchronica is becoming a strong player the Russian mobile market. Synchronica’s IMPS technology enables operators to provide a complete, scalable and OMA standards-compliant service which subscribers can connect to from IMPS-enabled handsets. This appealing, carrier-branded service acts as a churn inhibitor, because defecting to a rival carrier would mean the loss of a customer’s mobile IM identity.

Portio Research expects that by 2012, there will be 867 million worldwide mobile IM users generating $12.4 billion in revenues. Mobile IM is still in its infancy stage in Russia according to Visiongain, but has been widely accepted, especially amongst the youth segment.

Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica, said, “We are pleased to secure this deal in collaboration with our new partner Acision, demonstrating again the strategic importance of our global reseller network. With Synchronica’s solutions already being used by two of Russia’s top-3 operators, we are now in the pole position of this important market. We’re committed to using our experience to help our new customer launch an innovative, popular and indeed lucrative ‘churn-busting’ IM service.”

Orange makes major contactless push

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Cityzi to go national: “over half” of all new smartphones in 2011 to have NFC SIMs

Orange has said it will extend the CityZi mobile contactless service, currently being piloted in Nice, across the country in 2011, which would make it one of the world’s first mass-market commerical contactless services. The operator will sell the “Player One Cityzi” handset across France from January, with “further handset models” to follow from the spring, the operator said. Orange added that it has a target of “at least” 500,000 French customers with compatible devices by the end of 2011.

The operator is also going to push for NFC-enabled SIMs to be made available in all its markets across Europe by the second half of 2011. The Group is also working with manufacturers to ensure that “over half” of the new smartphone models it buys will be compatible with contactless services when combined with the new, secure SIM card.

The Nice pilot involved Orange as well as France’s other two major operators, SFR and Bouyges, as well as NRJ mobile and other service providers. Orange did not say whether it would have the same infrastructure to call on when it makes the Player One Cityzi handset available nationwide.

 

Android drives smartphone growth in Western Europe, says IDC

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The Western European mobile phone market grew 7.5% year on year to 50.7 million units in 3Q10, according to IDC’s European Mobile Phone Tracker. Shipments of smartphones increased to 19 million units, 109% higher than last year’s third quarter, to represent 37% of total shipments. Feature phone shipments declined 17% to 31.7 million units compared with the previous year.

Strong smartphone demand continues to drive the Western European mobile phone market. Growth in the segment was supported by the surge in Android devices and strong sales of Apple’s iPhone 4. In the quarter vendors shipped over 4.3 million Android devices, with HTC, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung accounting for 84% of total Android shipments. This lifted the platform into third position, with 23% market share. Apple’s iPhone 4 was a major hit in the quarter, with 4.5 million units shipped, 102% higher than last year’s third quarter, giving iOS 24% market share.

Feature phones suffered their biggest decline ever, with shipments down 17% to 31.7 million units from the same period last year, says IDC. Operators are moving their subsidies to smartphones and the segment has suffered from the lack of attractive devices, with price the major sales driver.

“In the third quarter, 24 of the 45 Android devices available in Western Europe were launched,” said Francisco Jeronimo, European mobile devices research manager, IDC. “This shows how actively phone makers are seeding operators with new Android models to meet market demand. The operating system is very popular among consumers due to its intuitive user interface, increasing number of free applications, and very competitive prices compared with other devices on the market. It’s also important to point out that the strong volumes Apple shipped during the quarter took it to third position among the biggest manufacturers in Western Europe, which is an impressive achievement after the antenna problems and the criticism the iPhone received when it was launched.”

Nokia’s total shipments increased 4% year on year to 17.2 million units, but market share slipped to 34% due to slower growth in its smartphones compared with the overall market.

Samsung’s shipments dropped 3% year on year to 13.9 million units and smartphones only represented 8% of total shipments. The Samsung Galaxy S, running Android, was a top seller with most operators but had a limited impact on the results due to its late launch in the quarter. 63% of total Samsung smartphone shipments run Android and 29% are based on Samsung’s bada. This platform will continue to play a major role in Samsung’s portfolio and more devices will be launched at lower price points.

Apple had an excellent quarter, says IDC. The iPhone 4’s antenna problems didn’t affect its sales, and it shipped 4.5 million units, 102% higher than in the previous year — making it the third-biggest manufacturer in the region. Apple retained second position in the smartphone segment and closed the gap with Nokia.

Sony Ericsson’s successful Android strategy and products kept it in the top 5 smartphone vendors, placing it in fourth spot with 10.6% market share, one place ahead of HTC, though fierce competition from HTC, Samsung, and LG is expected to negatively impact Sony Ericsson’s market share.

LG’s performance in the quarter was poor, with shipments declining 48% to 2.7 million units from 3Q09. Unlike Samsung, LG has not been able to bundle its feature phones with smartphones to push its sales due to the lack of a strong smartphone portfolio. LG feature phones dropped 54% in 3Q10 to 2.4 million units, from 5.1 million units a year ago, says IDC.

Nokia files patent infringement complaints against Apple in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands

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Nokia has announced it has filed claims in the UK High Court, Dusseldorf and Mannheim District Courts in Germany and the District Court of the Hague, Netherlands, alleging that Apple infringes Nokia patents in many of its products sold in these countries, including iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

“These actions add 13 further Nokia patents to the 24 already asserted against Apple in the US International Trade Commission and the Delaware and Wisconsin Federal courts,” said Paul Melin, vice president, Intellectual Property at Nokia. “The Nokia inventions protected by these patents include several which enable compelling user experiences. For example, using a wiping gesture on a touch screen to navigate content, or enabling access to constantly changing services with an on-device app store, both filed more than ten years before the launch of the iPhone.”

Nokia’s filing in the UK covers 4 Nokia patents related to touch user interface, on-device app stores, signal noise suppression and modulator structures.

Nokia’s filing in Dusseldorf, Germany covers 7 Nokia patents related to touch user interface, antenna structures, messaging functionality and chipsets.

Nokia’s filing in Mannheim, Germany covers 5 Nokia patents related to on-device app stores, caller ID, display illumination and the integration of multiple radios.

Nokia’s filing in the Hague, Netherlands covers 2 Nokia patents related to signal noise suppression and data card functionality.

None of the asserted patents have been declared essential to any wireless communication standard.

Anvil forges MVNO relationship with aql to deliver landline services for mobile phones

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New MVNO Anvil Mobile has made it possible to have one or more local or national numbers on a single mobile phone – said to be the first in a series of converged business communications services made possible by Anvil’s new generation SIM card and through its collaboration with aql, a mobile network enabler and fixed line carrier.  aql provides access to one of the UK’s largest broadband infrastructures, as well as the 3 mobile network in the UK.

Anvil’s new SIM card can be used with any 3G compatible unlocked mobile phone to support multiple landline numbers covering different geographic areas to the same mobile. For small businesses that operate over a wide area, this greatly improves customer perception and image by enabling local numbers to be promoted on business cards, websites and vehicles or in advertising and directories.

Incoming callers are only charged at the standard rate for landline numbers rather than for calling a mobile phone. Multiple device ringing means that users can answer either at a desk phone or mobile, while Anvil will also be offering other features such as the ability to record mobile conversations to meet existing and planned regulatory requirements.

With a new machine-to-machine SIM being introduced, Anvil will also be able to offer features such as remote video monitoring plus remote diagnostics and control. And when used in conjunction with a 3G router, the Anvil SIM makes it possible to set up instant local voice and data networks via 3’s 3G network.

“We recognised that many self-employed and SME businesses rely on mobile communications but want to present a more local image in the areas they do business,” said Ian Philip, founder and CEO at Anvil Mobile. “Through our collaboration with aql, we are now able to deliver an exciting range of flexible services that meet these requirements and also provide substantial cost savings. aql’s proven and robust broadband network provides nationwide coverage and access to some 12 million UK landline numbers, while 3’s 3G network reaches 97.4% of the population.”

mBlox research reveals ‘gap’ in mobile services currently on offer by UK banks and credit card providers

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mBlox has conducted a study into the types of mobile services offered by UK banks and credit card providers and is said to have found a gap in the range of mobile services currently available to consumers. A sizeable 84% of UK banks and credit card providers do not offer SMS transactions or balance alerts as part of their customer service offering, says mBlox. A further 34% do not have a mobile website and surprisingly 76% do not yet have a mobile application, with only 16% offering an iOS mobile app, 8% an Android app and 2% a BlackBerry app.

Andrew Bud, Chief Strategy Officer and Founder, comments: “Our research shows that many banks and credit card providers are missing a significant opportunity to serve and engage with consumers. SMS is still the most dependable, effective way for banks and credit card providers to reach practically all their customers. Earlier this year, Juniper Research predicted that mobile banking services will use this medium 50% more in 2015 than in 2010, engaging consumers worldwide at a rate equivalent to about one message per month for every man, woman and child on the planet.”

Andrew continues: “Consumer demand for access to mobile banking services is growing fast, so financial institutions must ensure that they offer a full range of secure and reliable mobile services, including mobile websites, mobile applications and SMS.  Engaging consumers effectively via the mobile medium will rapidly become a key competitive advantage.”

MegaFon selects Xtract’s analytical solutions

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Xtract, a provider of social intelligence powered analytics solutions, today announced that a Russian operator, the Metropolitan Branch of OJSC MegaFon, has signed an agreement to use Xtract’s Social Links solution. The solution will help MegaFon to analyze the behaviour and interaction of mobile subscribers on its network, allowing them to identify key segments for effective marketing campaigns for improved customer retention.

Social Links provides mobile operators, such as MegaFon, with an opportunity to define segments, allowing them to maximize the effectiveness of campaigns for the retention of subscribers. The platform also allows operators to view and manage the activity on their desktop, giving them a deeper understanding of subscriber behavior. This helps operators to make more informed decisions when choosing and creating marketing campaigns, says Xtract.

“We hope that the implementation of Xtract’s Social Links solution will open up new opportunities for us – helping us to better engage with our customers and ensure our marketing campaigns are both focused and effective” commented Natalia Spitsyna, Commercial Director of the Metropolitan Branch of OJSC “MegaFon”.

Mika Lindholm, CEO of Xtract added: “We are pleased to work with MegaFon to offer them the advanced analytics capabilities powered by Social Links. We are confident that the combination of our technologies and expertise along with our innovative service offerings will help MegaFon to obtain a competitive advantage.”

O2 announces £7m additional support for partners in 2011

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O2 today announced it would be investing an additional £7m into its partner channel in a move to consolidate its position in the SME market. The move follows a similar initiative at the end of 2009, which is said to have helped drive success throughout the year with its partners.

The announcement, at the recent O2 Partner Conference, follows a ‘hugely successful’ year for O2’s partners, which has seen them consistently perform above and beyond the market. The investment will be offered across systems and aimed at providing the Partner Channel with the ability to offer ‘a world class level of service to customers, with the remainder on incremental investment for delivering an even better customer experience’.

Maggie Kennedy, Head of Partners at O2, said: “Our Channel Partners have had a fantastic year and are critical to the success of O2. This additional investment we are announcing will enable them to continue to bring high value, low churn business to O2. We have always invested a lot in supporting the partner channel and have seen such great results in 2010.”

Cyber criminals target Smartphones as malware increases by a third in 2010, reports security specialist

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AdaptiveMobile, a specialist in mobile security, today announced that 2010 has seen the highest ever number of mobile malware infections aimed at smartphone users, with the number of reports up 33 per cent on 2009 figures.

Taking a year-on-year view, malware engineered for the Google Android mobile platform rose most significantly, with a four-fold increase in the number of exploits identified throughout 2010 – although the total number of Android exploits is still at a low level relative to older platforms. The sharp rise comes as cyber criminals shift their focus towards those technologies and platforms that are likely to see the most widespread adoption in coming years. Such viruses put mobile subscribers at risk of monetary, privacy or data loss, often before the user even realises there is a problem. The company says that smartphones running Java-based applications saw the second highest increase in malware reports, up 45 per cent on 2009. Reported exploits aimed at the iPhone declined, whilst new Symbian malware also fell by 11 per cent. WinCE-based viruses rose by seven per cent.

“With the increasing pervasiveness of Smartphone devices, 2010 has undoubtedly been the year that fraudsters have truly turned their attention to mobile platforms,” says Gareth Maclachlan, Chief Operating Officer, AdaptiveMobile. “The vast majority of consumers are acutely aware of the threats that PC-based viruses, spam messages and phishing emails pose, but many are still unaware of the risks associated with their mobile devices.

“With Smartphone penetration reported to reach 37 per cent in Europe and 44 per cent in the US by 2012, we predict that the number of threats targeted at unsuspecting mobile users will continue to increase at an exponential rate throughout the course of 2011. Even more significantly, the nature of the threats we are seeing will increase in sophistication. Whereas the majority of existing threats target either SMS, voice, email or web, the next year will see the emergence of the ‘compound threat’ – intelligent scams designed to exploit multiple phone capabilities in order to reap maximum reward for the criminals, before the user even realises they have become a victim.”

Mclachlan concludes; “This trend towards more sophisticated attacks is set to shake up the telecoms and security markets as traditional approaches to protecting subscribers can simply no longer provide adequate protection. As these compound threats continue to emerge, so does the need for an intelligent approach to mobile security – keeping the industry one step ahead of the criminals to ensure that such threats do not reach mobile users in the first place.”

LTE connections to reach 300 million by 2015 – LTE to account for four percent of world’s mobile connections within five years, says research

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LTE networks will account for four percent of the world’s mobile connections within five years, according to a new report by Wireless Intelligence. The new study, Global LTE network forecasts and assumptions 2010-2015, predicts that global LTE connections will surpass the one million mark in the first half of 2011 and will reach 300 million by 2015 as the world’s mobile operators ramp-up rollout of the next-generation network technology.

The study forecasts that Asia Pacific will be the world’s largest LTE region by 2015, contributing almost half (43 percent) of global LTE connections by this point. China – the world’s largest mobile market – is expected to account for around half of the Asia Pacific total. However, LTE network migration will initially be driven by operators in Western Europe and North America, which account for a combined 70 percent of global LTE connections in 2010. This is due to early LTE network rollouts by operators such as TeliaSonera (Europe) and Verizon Wireless (USA). Asia Pacific is expected to become the largest LTE market as migration gathers pace in major markets such as China, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea. The Americas and Africa are expected to be the two regions slowest to migrate to LTE, collectively accounting for just 5 percent of global LTE connections by 2015.

“The introduction of LTE networks reflects the move the telecoms industry is making towards delivering cloud-based and converged services, and an improved user experience,” said Joss Gillet, Senior Analyst at Wireless Intelligence and author of the report. “Our latest forecasts show that LTE is being adopted by operators across the globe, but the pace of migration will be faster in countries where mobile broadband is on the political agenda and favourable regulatory developments are taking place – especially with regards to spectrum. However, creating a profitable ecosystem around the new networks will take time and it may take a few years for LTE services to live up to the hype.”

The study is based on all known LTE deployments scheduled to take place over the next five years (excluding India). It predicts that 19 live LTE networks will be up-and-running across the globe by year-end 2010. These include major commercial LTE launches due later this month from market-leading operators such as NTT Docomo (Japan), Deutsche Telekom (Germany) and Etisalat (UAE). The world’s first commercial LTE networks were launched a year ago by TeliaSonera in Sweden (Stockholm) and Norway (Oslo); TeliaSonera has since rolled-out LTE across its Nordic footprint, including in Finland and Denmark. Wireless Intelligence forecasts that global LTE connections will reach 350,000 by year-end 2010.

“Subscriber uptake of LTE is initially being driven by demand for data-centric mobile broadband services, typically accessed via USB dongles and embedded devices for which operators will charge a premium,” said Gillet. “We predict that the introduction of voice over LTE (VoLTE) by around 2012 will mark the ‘tipping point’ for mass-market LTE handset volume shipments, which will accelerate LTE connections growth. However, premium price points and limited availability means that we will see low LTE handset penetration in the short term.”

LTE migration will also be dependent on regulators allocating suitable frequency bands, the study says. It highlights three main spectrum scenarios for the deployment of LTE services; the release of IMT extension spectrum in the 2500-2600MHz bands, the release of ‘digital dividend’ spectrum in the 700-800MHz bands, and the re-farming of existing spectrum.

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