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IE launches mobile banking platform

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IE, part of the Parseq group providing digital banking software for financial services, today announced the launch of mobinetic, a mobile banking platform that offers financial providers the ability to deliver fully branded mobile banking services and value-add initiatives to their customer base.

mobinetic is said to enable banks to overcome their lack of specialised internal resource and offers a production-ready solution to easily and rapidly launch mobile banking to market. It integrates seamlessly with back office systems so that banks can quickly benefit from the reduced operational costs and improved customer relationships that mobile banking enables.

James Richards, director of mobile for IE, said: “A number of high profile financial providers have already signed up to mobinetic and deployed it to their customer base. Our success in the market to date builds on more than 15 years’ experience of deploying integrated and secure digital solutions within core banking environments.”

Using mobinetic, banks’ customers have a convenient, highly secure method to access account information anytime, anywhere. The IE platform will support smart phone apps for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7, as well as mobile web and text banking experiences for virtually every other handset available.

Beyond the immediate customer service benefits of mobile banking, banks can also capitalise on the marketing potential of the mobile. IE’s mobinetic platform can manage and disseminate personalised location specific offers and marketing, enabling banks to tap into a valuable revenue stream.

Virgin WiFi move could herald small cell rollouts

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The news that Virgin has confirmed that it is considering a nationwide WiFi network has mainly been reported from its impact on the consumer market.

But it has implications for the mobile industry too, as operators consider ways to increase network capacity and coverage most cost-effectively.

For a while now BelAir Networks has been providing its WiFi infrastructure to provide mobile data offload services for mobile operators in the USA. Its WiFi site in Times Square, New York, offloads millions of sessions a day from the mobile network.

Although Belair has mainly been working with US cable operators, Belair’s CTO Stephen Rayment told Mobile Europe last month that the company has also been talking to cable operators in Europe about using the cable infrastructure for mobile backhaul and offload, but also to provide mobile operators with sites, power and backhaul for small cells.

Cable operators already work on a wholesale basis for mobile backhaul, but this takes things a step further. Belair is marketing a dual mode WiFi/picocell product that can sit on overhead cables, or in kerb side boxes or cabinets. At present BelAir is deploying strand (overhead cable) mounted radios with CableVision for 17,000 outdoor WiFi sites, with a 300 metre range.

Rayment said that he could see operators being able to automatically route calls over WiFi or the mobile network – rather than that being a decision the device would make, as currently. That would give operators better control of traffic, moving policy control to the edge and backing up high value data accounts with boosted QoS.

The advantage of the cable network is that it has reach, but also that its existing plant can also supply power to the WiFi/picocell unit, reducing the site cost for cable operators and their mobile operator wholesale customers. Rayment said that using cable plant solves the three main problems for operators as they consider installing thousands of picocells – location, power and backhaul.

So, the question is – are we about to see Virgin Media use its infrastructure not just to provide public WiFi, but to add another site solution for mobile operators looking to use small cells to add capacity and QoS control?

Sandvine announces global partnership with Acision

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Sandvine, a provider of intelligent broadband network solutions for fixed and mobile operators, today announced it has partnered with Acision, a global specialist in mobile data. The Sandvine-Acision partnership is sais to provide operators with detailed traffic insight and capabilities such as traffic flow control, subscriber control, service creation and differentiation, as well as intelligent content optimization for mobile networks.

“Our partnership with Sandvine broadens the reach of the Acision Broadband Mobility Suite,” said Marco Wanders, Executive VP, Mobile Data Control, Acision. “Sandvine’s strengths in network policy control and application awareness combined with Acision’s ground breaking optimization and policy management solution enables operators to maximize network utilization while simultaneously ensuring maximum user Quality of Experience. Our unique approach means we enable operators of any size to achieve a substantially lower total cost of ownership while scaling to meet the demands driven by the explosive growth of mobile data.”

The Sandvine-Acision partnership is said to offer solutions such as: selective Video and Web optimization that manages data traffic peaks and increases quality of experience; traffic optimization that ensures fair usage for all network subscribers using flexible real-time policy control; Policy Management and real-time rating which enables operators to differentiate their offerings, tailored to meet the demands of their specific market segments; and business intelligence that provides detailed insight and visibility into subscriber consumption and application analysis.

“We are pleased to partner with such a renowned mobile data leader as Acision,” said Tom Donnelly, EVP Marketing and Sales, Sandvine. “Our global partnerships put us in the best position to offer our customers a tailored and seamless end-to-end solution that leverages the strengths of each vendor. We pride ourselves on being an extension of our customer’s team and partnerships like Acision’s help make our team stronger and more valuable to global operators.”

Sandvine delivers integrated products and solutions with technology partners, globally. Aligning with industry partners  is said to allow Sandvine to broaden its solution base to optimize network resources and increase subscriber Quality of Experience.

Sandvine’s solutions detect network conditions that trigger policies within the network to help service providers enhance subscribers’ Internet experience. Sandvine’s platform and solutions provide network policy control solutions for network reporting, capacity planning, congestion management, new personalized service creation, malicious traffic mitigation and enhanced customer service.

Icera and Rohde & Schwarz team up on LTE

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Icera and Rohde & Schwarz today announced that they are working together on Rohde & Schwarz’s LTE protocol conformance test program to enable the wireless industry to certify and deploy LTE technology successfully and more quickly. Both Icera and Rohde & Schwarz are industry specialists in the development of multimode LTE products.

The Global Certification Forum (GCF) is currently working towards introducing LTE certification by the end of 2010. This will coincide with an expected wave of LTE service and device launches. Rohde & Schwarz says it already supports four different frequency bands and offers more than 100 test cases for FDD.

Steve Allpress, CTO and VP Modem Software of Icera Inc., said: “Our soft modem technology is proving a real game changer for LTE.  There is a great deal of talk in the industry about bolstering LTE roadmaps, but in reality there are only a handful of players with a commercially available LTE solution and Icera is one of those companies. Similarly, Rohde & Schwarz was the first supplier on the market with test solutions for LTE. We are delighted to be working with them on the ongoing development of their comprehensive LTE test case package which meets the industry’s need for thorough LTE device testing programs and which clearly demonstrates Icera’s LTE solution meets the industry’s rigorous certification requirements.”

Anton Messmer, Director of the Mobile Radio Testers Subdivision, states: “We are the only manufacturer on the market who supports the four standards, LTE, WCDMA, GSM and CDMA2000, for protocol conformance tests in a single device. With our flexible R&S CMW500 multistandard platform, we provide a compact, stable solution for our customers. We look forward to again demonstrating its value when we team up with Icera, the innovative, multimode chipset manufacturer.”

Icera maintains its roadmap for next generation air interfaces due to its ‘unique’ software-defined baseband technology, currently supporting multimode 4G (LTE), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (GSM) standards with its latest small form factor, multimode LTE platform, Espresso410.

Tough opposition from mobile operators in termination rate battle – report

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Ofcom faces tough opposition from mobile operators in the battle to reduce termination rates due to the negative impact on revenues, according to a new report from Ovum.

In the report,  the independent telecoms analyst states that Ofcom and other regulators will become embroiled in a ‘vigorously contested’ consultation with operators, as they seek to protect their bottom line.

The mobile termination rate (MTR) is the amount charged by one operator to another for terminating a call on their network. The rates for mobile are currently higher than fixed line charges and vary across different operators. However the European Commission wants standardisation across the continent and is putting pressure on regulators such as Ofcom to intervene. According to the report, this would result in MTRs falling by almost 90 per cent over the next five years, from an average of six euro cents to one.

Matthew Howett, an Ovum lead analyst and co-author of the report, said: “There is currently a revolution underway in Europe for how MTRs are calculated and we expect rates to fall considerably as a result. However, Ofcom’s intervention in the matter will be hotly contested by operators who will oppose a reduction in their rates due to the negative impact it will have on their revenues.

“Operators will definitely not accept any reduction in termination rates without a fight and Ofcom should be prepared for a fierce battle with operators, keen to protect their own interests. As a result, consumers may be waiting longer for the cheaper calls that lower termination rates could encourage.

“Currently the termination rate represents a price floor in terms of the retail price paid by consumers. Regulators will also be vigilant of operators increasing call prices for some consumers as a way to make up for lost revenues.”

Termination rates were reduced by 52 per cent on average between 2005 and 2010, with France leading the way with a cut of 76 per cent. In stark contrast, Ireland saw the smallest cut with a reduction of just 24 per cent.

Howett added: “According to the existing EU telecoms rules, Ofcom must take ‘utmost account’ of the EC’s recommendation and will have to bring termination rates down and ensure standardisation by 31 December 2012. However, given the opposition that mobile operators will put forward, this could be a tall order.”

Mobile adult paysite subscribers forecast to reach 35 million by 2015, says research

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The surge in consumer smartphone adoption, allied to low cost data bundles, has led to a sharp rise in the number of consumers surfing mobile adult sites, a new report from Juniper Research has found. This has translated into a marked increase in subscriptions to mobile adult paysites, with the number subscribing to such sites expected to exceed 35 million worldwide by 2015, says Juniper.

The Mobile Adult report observed that the consumer smartphone boom had indirectly resulted in the adult industry generating substantial revenues in the US for the first time. The market had previously been constrained by carrier reluctance to offer adult content on-portal, but that direct to consumer (D2C) adult sites were profiting as consumers were surfing the Internet via the mobile in ever increasing numbers.

Furthermore, the availability of a strong mobile revenue stream has come at a critical point for the adult industry. According to report author Dr Windsor Holden, “The opportunity offered by mobile couldn’t be more timely, given that sales from DVDs have collapsed while online paysites have also lost customers and revenues as a result of the proliferation of tube sites.”

Conversely, the imposition of stringent regulations prohibiting access to remote adult content in a number of Asian markets will adversely impact revenue growth within that region, while many European markets have also experienced a fall in sales as traffic to on-portal adult content has diminished, says Juniper.

The report also cautioned that the widespread availability of free content on thumbnail gallery posts (TGPs) would mean that revenue generation from casual users would in future be extremely limited and that providers should focus on catering for customers seeking high-value niche content. It also stressed the importance of customer retention, highlighting the fact that many mobile providers have focused almost exclusively on traffic generation.

Handheld spectrum analyzers facilitate installation and servicing of both CDMA and LTE networks

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The R&S FSH4 and R&S FSH8 handheld spectrum analyzers from Rohde & Schwarz are said to offer many useful new functions for installing and servicing CDMA and LTE mobile radio networks. In their basic configuration, the analyzers can now perform measurements in the spectral range. They can, for example, detect spurious emissions and display the associated limit values. With their 20 MHz bandwidth, they are suitable for analyzing LTE signals and, using two new options, R&S FSH-K46 and -K46E, the analyzers are also capable of analyzing CDMA2000 signals.

The new R&S FSH-K46 and R&S FSH-K46E software options provide all the functions that service and installation technicians need to check the operationally relevant parameters of CDMA2000 base station signals. The R&S FSH-K46 option measures the power, determines the ratio of peak power to average power, and displays characteristic parameters such as the power in both the pilot channel (F-PICH) and the synchronization channel (F-SYNC), the carrier frequency offset, composite EVM (error vector) and Rho. The R&S FSH-K46E option has been designed for more in-depth analysis and can also perform code domain power measurements. These measurements provide the information needed for graphically displaying the power in all occupied and unoccupied channels, for example.

Additional new measurement functions have been incorporated into the base unit, including the ability to measure spurious emissions that might interfere with the adjacent transmit signal. Predefined masks for CDMA2000, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, WiMAX and LTE allow the user to measure the spectrum emission mask quickly, with minimum operating effort. The gated sweep function makes it possible to display pulsed signals in the spectrum.

With their expanded demodulation bandwidth of 20 MHz, the R&S FSH4 and the R&S FSH8 analyzers are said to be safe investments for the installation and maintenance of LTE networks. Applications for LTE will soon become available, in addition to the applications for 1xEV-DO, 3GPP WCDMA and CDMA2000.

The R&S FSH-K46 and R&S FSH-K46E software options as well as new firmware are now available for the R&S FSH4 and R&S FSH8 spectrum analyzers from Rohde & Schwarz. The analyzers are now being delivered with a 20 MHz demodulation bandwidth at no extra charge.

GSMA considers Mobile World Congress date switch

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The GSMA is considering a date switch for Mobile World Congress, as part of ambitious plans to annoint the city that wins the contract to host MWC from 2013-2017 as Mobile World Capital.

In a FAQ page on its site dedicated to the launch of the Mobile World Capital the GSMA replies to the question, “Will Mobile World Congress still be held in February?” with the answer, “The Congress dates will vary depending on the cities, and we will be reviewing suggestions we receive as part of their responses. We will be looking at date availabilities in the best interest of our customers.”

The potential date switch is just one part of the GSMA’s re-think of the Congress and surrounding activities. The winning bidder for the Congress contract that runs from 2013 to 2017 will also be appointed as Mobile World Capital – and act as host to an expanded range of activities.

The GSMA wants the Capital to act as a centre for mobile innovation and services, with a more consumer-facing identity than the Congress. Congress would become just one part of a permanent (well, for four years, at any rate) mobile exposition/festival/showcase/etc

The GSMA said, “Working closely with a City partner, we will undertake a range of mobile initiatives, and create a cultural and economic centre which benefits not only the mobile industry, but most importantly, citizens of the city and people around the world.”

The GSMA’s vision of the Mobile World Capital includes:
The Mobile World Centre, which will be located in the heart of the city and will be the permanent flagship element of the Mobile World Capital. The Mobile World Centre will include technology exhibits, museum features, a retail area, a mobile café, office space and more.
The Mobile World Festival, a range of festivities that will be targeted to the general public and will take place separate from the Mobile World Congress.  Dispersed around the Mobile World Capital city, the Mobile World Festival will incorporate mobile-driven festivities including concerts, music and movie festivals, competitions and awards, and dialogues and debates, among others.
The Mobile World Congress, which is widely considered the industry’s “must-attend” event and is expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors at the 2011 Mobile World Congress. The four-day conference and exhibition attracts executives from the world’s largest and most influential companies across the mobile industry and adjacent sectors, as well as government delegations.

By the way, we at Mobile Europe are still backing Cologne for this, and now with the chance to bear witness to Cologne as Mobile World Capital, we’re even more convinced.

 

 

 

NSN introduces IP connectivity to high capacity Flexi BSC

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Nokia Siemens Networks has beefed up its base station controller (BSC) portfolio with a high capacity product that introduces IP networking capabilities between the base station and BSC, and the BSC and mobile switching centre (MSC).

Its new Flexi BSC (base station controller) introduces Packet Abis to give IP capability on the connection between the base station (BTS) and the BSC. IP networking between the BSC and the MSC is supported by the introduction of A over IP. (The A link is the link between the BSC and the MSC.)

The introduction of both technologies is intended to support operators as they move to all-IP radio networks, and to IP over Ethernet transport for backhaul.

The product has the capacity to support 4,200 transceivers and over 25,000 Erlangs in a compact and single cabinet. NSN said that could mean operators would be able replace up to 32 existing base station controllers in the field giving up to 80% reduction in energy consumption along with a 40% increase in capacity over existing base station controllers.

With the benefits of an optical interface, fewer connections are required, meaning reduced installation effort, faster rollout, and lower maintenance costs. The new Transcoder TCSM3i configuration also offers 40% more capacity while maintaining the compact size.

“Higher voice capacity with fewer base station controllers reduces energy consumption, a major cost for operators, along with simplifying operations and maintenance resulting in lower OPEX,” said Prashant Agnihotri, head of GSM/EDGE product management, Nokia Siemens Networks.

NSN added that Flexi BSC also provides an evolution path to its Multicontroller BSC, to extend the capacity of Flexi BSC. The latest software for Flexi BSC and Transcoder TCSM3i is based on 3GPP Release 8 and commercial deliveries are in progress, NSN said.

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