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Vodafone launches 360 services and devices

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Operator to offer app shop connected address book and dedicated devices 

Vodafone is launching Vodafone360 its updated portal, plus app shop and other services today. We will be at the launch in London later this morning but for now, here is the press release so you can seehow Vodafone wants this to go over. You can also see more about V360 at http://info.vodafone360.com.

One thing of note is that the dedicated launch handsets are based on the LiMo Foundation's mobile Linux platform, made by Samsung with Vodafone's own proprietary UI. We're speaking to the LiMo Foundation later as well so we can get more news on how that platform is developing.

Also interesting is the connected address bok feature, Vodafone People,  "that  will automatically sync all contacts from a customer's  phone, Facebook, Windows  Live Messenger and Google Talk, and will soon also include Twitter, Hyves and studiVZ." 

Until later, then, here is the press release from Vodafone:

Vodafone announces Vodafone 360
a suite of INNOVATIVE, new Internet services for mobile and pc

·         Vodafone 360 is a brand new set of internet services for the mobile and PC which gathers all of a customer's friends, communities, entertainment and personal favourites (like music, games, photos and video) in one place

·          At its heart Vodafone 360 has the most personal address book available, bringing together all of the contacts from the mobile phone, social networks and other internet accounts.  It works across a range of mobile phones, including the new, exclusive Vodafone 360 phones, and synchs automatically with the PC

·         Connected address book – Vodafone People, open to everyone on any network  across over 100 popular mobile phones, automatically synchs all contacts from a customer's  phone, Facebook, Windows  Live Messenger and Google Talk, and will soon also include Twitter, Hyves and studiVZ

·         New suite of internet services accessible on multiple handsets as well as PC or Mac, including a wide range of apps, games, music and mapping services

·         Two tailor-made Vodafone 360 mobile handsets, manufactured by Samsung, give the best customer experience of the services including the unique 3D contacts display, driven by Vodafone's 'proximity algorithm', bringing the most frequently contacted people closer to the front

·         Proprietary User Interface on Vodafone 360 mobiles, designed and developed by Vodafone using the LiMo operating system

·         Launching first in eight European countries by Christmas

24 September, 2009. London. Vodafone today announces the launch of Vodafone 360 – a new suite of innovative internet services for the mobile and PC.

All of a customer's contacts, status updates and messaging services are brought together in one place enhancing the customer's experience and use of social media.  Customers will have integrated contacts, music, photos and mapping services and can share their favourite music choices and even their physical location, how and when they choose, with their chosen groups of friends.

The service is automatically backed up and synchronised, regularly and wirelessly, between the mobile and PC or Mac.  All contacts updates, emails, photos and conversation history or settings changes made either at home or when on the move are saved, keeping all the content up-to-date.

"Vodafone 360 is the first service of its kind to offer customers the benefits of a truly integrated mobile internet experience that gathers all their contacts and content, all around them, in one place," said Pieter Knook, Director of Internet Services at Vodafone Group.

"The beauty of Vodafone 360 is that all the services work together and they are easy to use.  Vodafone 360 enables customers' digital lives.  Customers can stay in touch and share experiences through social networks, instant messaging, email, apps, maps, music and buying digital content on their mobile bill, with the personalised address book at its heart."

Vodafone 360 is a substantiator of Vodafone's new brand expression – 'power to you' – which is focused on putting the customer in control and enabling simple and easy to manage communications, both mobile and fixed.

Benefits:

  • bringing together all contacts and content in one place and allowing customers immediate access to their various contacts across different networking sites – all the latest information updates including Facebook status updates and the ability to chat through Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk
  • the ability to create different contact groups across social media networks, allowing customers to organise their contacts the way they want and manage how they share different information with different groups
  • the ability for customers and friends to share locations, tag and share pictures and favourite places
  • confidence that your connected address book is synchronised between your phone and the web and you can easily recover your phone contacts if you change or lose your mobile
  • access to the service through a variety of handsets and operating systems from multiple manufacturers the ultimate experience being through a custom-built device
  • a catalogue of over one thousand Apps at launch available to different handsets, downloadable through the  Vodafone Shop
  • the ability for non-Vodafone customers to access some of the range of services, linking them to their social networks via mobile.

The Vodafone 360 suite of services has been designed and developed by Vodafone.  At launch the full Vodafone 360 experience will be available on two exclusive handsets built to Vodafone's specification by Samsung.  The Vodafone 360 H1 by Samsung boasts a 3.5" multitouch, high definition OLED screen, 16GB memory, WiFi, a maximum talk time of over 400 minutes (3G) and a 5 megapixel camera.  It will be followed shortly by a second Samsung handset, offering customers a range of colours and price points.

At launch four Nokia Symbian smartphones will come pre-loaded with Vodafone 360 and part or all of the service will be downloadable to over one hundred popular phones.  In the coming months Vodafone will be making the service available through as wide a selection of handsets and operating systems from multiple manufacturers as possible.

The 2009 launch in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK will be followed by launches in a number of other countries in 2010, including India, Turkey, South Africa, New Zealand and Romania and in France through SFR. through MTS in Russia, and through Vodafone Hutchison Australia.

  

Vodafone targets 2010 for location based advertising

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Will announce maps service at app service launch on Thursday

Vodafone will announce a mapping and navigation service later this week, based on technology from Wayfinder, the location services company it acquired late in 2008. By next year, the operator hopes to be selling a host of advertising and marketing formats, based on location, to brands and agencies.

The launch will be part of the company’s next step into data services, and part of a range of applications available through the company’s new services and applications approach – said to be called Vodafone 360.

The operator hopes to use the mapping service to commercialise location based services such as find- nearest, coupons, sponsored local search, sponsored content and other location-aware advertising and marketing opportunities.

Speaking at the ad:tech conference in London, Erin Ericson, Location Based Advertising Manager, Vodafone, said that the service, now in Beta at http://maps.vodafone.com would “enable adverts next year” and that the operator was “still exploring formats.”

The launch of mapping, navigation and location based services will put Vodafone up against Google Maps on mobile, as well as Nokia maps. So how will the operator position itself against these services? If a user buys a Nokia phone, he has a choice of the embedded Nokia Maps, installing an app from Google through the browser, and now the Vodafone app itself. The operator has also just announced, for example, the launch of the Android-base HTC Tatoo, which comes with a clutch of Google apps, including maps.

Ericson said that Vodafone sees its advantage in having its application pre-installed and embedded in the phone. “We have all the advantages of our network, marketing through stores and sales people, giving us a reach way beyond what Nokia can offer. Also, most people do not go to the effort of finding an application through the browser and installing it.”

One possible interpretation is that Vodafone is viewing the application as something it can pre-install on handsets that don’t come with their own location or mapping application – perhaps away from the high-end smartphone market into the mid tier. 

If it doesn’t view the service in that way, then it is launching a direct rival to the existing services on handsets already on its network, showing that it is determined not to cede control of the apps market, and the associated revenues that come with it. 

YOC AG acquires Spanish mobile advertising provider Mobile Interactive Advertising Media

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YOC AG has acquired Mobile Interactive Advertising Media, S.L., a spin-off company of Nokia located in Madrid. According to YOC, the strategic acquisition will allow it to become the leading provider of mobile advertising in the Spanish market. Also, Mobile Interactive Advertising Media, S.L. will gain access to the YOC Group's complete product range, claimed to make it the only full-service provider of mobile marketing in Spain.

The acquisition will also enable YOC to expand its marketing network, given the high market coverage of Mobile Interactive Advertising Media, S.L. in Spain where the company already counts ELPAÌS.COM, SPORT.es, TELVA, elmundo.es, AFP and ANTENA 3 as exclusive partners.

Dirk Kraus, CEO of YOC AG said of the acquistion: "With the purchase of Mobile Interactive Advertising Media, S.L., we are creating another promising pillar in Europe, with which we will be able to optimally meet the increasing needs of our customers for campaigns across Europe. The good market positioning and high degree of expertise of the Spanish management were the critical factors influencing our decision to take over the company." 

YOC says it expects the acquisition to bring high synergy effects as a result of the cross-selling potential of the mobile marketing and mobile Internet product segments, among other factors.

With the acquisition, YOC AG says it anticipates additional sales of at least EUR 1.0 million for the financial year 2010.

Europe slowest to recover from roaming dip

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Data services and interoperability hold the key to recovery

Europe is showing the slowest recovery from the slump in roaming traffic that began in the middle of last year, and continued through the first two quarters of 2009, according to Tony Holcombe, CEO of Syniverse, a messaging and roaming hub provider that interconnects traffic between operators.

“February 2009 was bad, about as bad as it got. We had seen roaming data collapsing from about August 2008. It has recovered since, but some parts better than others; for instance in the emerging markets. But in the mature markets the recovery has been slower, and Europe has been the worst,” Holcombe said.

“It was the first time we had seen eight to nine months of decline in roaming traffic, which was pretty startling given the years of dramatic increase prior to that.”

Holcombe said it was too early to say what impact on Europe’s roaming recovery the EU regulations on data roaming, which came into effect on 1 July 2009, would have.  Added to the decrease in roaming and slow recovery, is the changing nature of the roaming traffic.

“We act as a barometer of pure traffic, and per transaction voice is declining as a percentage of the overall pie,” Holcombe said, “And that’s continuing.”

Data usage is continuing to grow as a result, Holcombe said, of the increasing proliferation of smart devices and of operators’ data bundles.

But although the increase in roaming data use offers European operators an opportunity, they are faced with another roaming deadline (in July 2010), with regulations intended to limit the charges that users can rack up whilst roaming, and eliminate “bill shock”.

Holcombe said that operators have a number of ways of solving that problem, with one approach being to use the business analytics and raw traffic data from Syniverse in a much more “proactive” way than they currently deal with customer data.

At the moment, operators work with batch analysis, which is “after the fact” Holcombe said, meaning that reaction to customer data is necessarily slow. Syniverse has a developed a tool, from its own internal analytical software, to deliver QoS indicators, and customer roaming data, to operators.

“At the moment, when an operator has a subscriber roaming on another network, it knows nothing [at the time] of what that customer’s activity is, but we do.

“The breakthrough will be to differentiate different types of subscribers, to make access easier for customers, and see if you can offer them a better, or more appropriate, deal. It will enable operators to use different schematics within a much shorter cycle – a vacation cycle, perhaps –  rather than making an annual offer,” he said.

Falling prices, but growth is achievable

So what of Syniverse? With its transaction-based business model, it is dependent on the volumes of its operator customers to drive its own revenues. With voice traffic declining, does Holcombe see innovation in data services (IM, VoIP, internet browsing, applications useage, converged fixed/mobile services etc) as merely replacing declining voice revenues, or being additive to his business?

“It’s about growth,” he said. “Our prices always fall on every re-negotiation, because the carriers have all the buying power, but this is about running to achieve growth, not to stand still.”

He added that the company’s pending acquisition of VeriSign's messaging business will give it the opportunity to offer operators a value added services messaging platform for messaging. Although Syniverse has made the move into providing more messaging solutions with the acquisition, but it doesn’t yet see itself as a major messaging solutions provider, Holcombe said.

“Even as a combined business we are still distant to a Sybase, but we certainly have the potential to develop a very strong messaging line. VeriSign has some very good people and research, but has been capital constrained as a result of being an unwanted asset. We can certainly release some of that intellectual capital.”

One area of growth that Holcombe did identify is the growth of presence-enabled handsets and devices. This opens up the opportunity for operators and their competitors to offer converged services that combine messaging with location, social networks and media consumption. But tying this together, across the multiple protocols and communities that are involved is complex.

“We provide the plumbing, the pipes that all fit together, to allow service providers to bring these concepts together, “Holcombe said, referencing a US cable TV provider that is looking at displaying mobile SMS onto that user’s TV screen – in-viewing.

Importance of presence

The idea of the social address book has been pushed by the messaging client vendors, as well as the device vendors with platforms such as Motorola’s Blur and HTC’s Sense, and is also now impinging on the App Store space, with the launch of Robot.to for mobile – an app that will display on screen a contact’s latest information, such as Twitter and other updates.

But although these are all individual, platform and device-specific solutions, some think that mobile needs to keep drawing on its historical role offering cross-network and cross-provider interoperability.

Guy Reiffer, VP Marketing for messaging platform provider Colibria, said, “The problem is that everyone in the value chain, from operators to handset manufacturers and beyond, are looking for ways to deliver this. This will result in a number of unconnected platforms coming to market, and consumers being forced to choose which one they will use, which doesn’t foster interoperability and penetration. Standardisation to interoperate address books will not be in place for a few years, and no doubt we’ll see a number of companies delivering their solutions before then.
 
“To deliver something that will work for everyone, the industry will need to work to architect a solution that works across platform, operator, country and other variables. It also has to be an intelligent solution to proactively find updates from the various places that a contact may make changes, and update them to the user’s address book.
 
“Robo.to may be on the right track, but it will be interesting to see what other concepts come to the fore in the next year, and more importantly, who takes the lead.”

That message would likely resonate with Holcombe, especially as Syniverse and Colibria have combined together on the development of Syniverse’s Next messaging platform.  

Nokia Siemens ready for 2010 LTE investments

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Nokia Siemens Networks' LTE demo call last week on commercial hardware and 3GPP R8 compliant hardware shows that the vendor is well placed to take toll of the second, and major, round of operator investments in LTE, its head of strategic sales has said.

Kai Sahala, speaking to Mobile Europe, said that the vendor was the first to have made an LTE data call over commercial base station equipment NSN's FlexiMode product and over 3GPP Release 8 (March 2009 baseline) LTE standard software.

The significance of this, he said, was that the vendor would be able to provide operators with equipment that will not need major software or hardware upgrades as future versions (R9, R10) are rolled out.

"All announcements or deployments to date will be based on the previous version of the standard, which will require a major upgrade sooner or later- depending on when you go to the next level.

"We wanted to highlight the standards based aspect of this demo because we are the first vendor to comply with this baseline. When an LTE implementation is based on previous versions of the standard, then when an operator wants to move to the next commercial level he is looking at making hundreds of changes in the software and the hardware," Sahala said.

"With earlier versions you will have to throw away all that equipment, or make a lot of changes, but this is a really strong step for us because it is on commercial level hardware."

NSN recently lost out on the sale of Nortel's CDMA and LTE assets to Ericsson, meaning that its US CDMA and LTE presence is still limited. But Sahala said that with most major European operators looking at 2010 as the start point ("You can say 2010 is really the year of LTE") then NSN is in a good position to meet that market's timelines, whilst offering future standards compatibility.

Although this was a test call in a lab in Germany, Sahala said the vendor would be able to have commercial grade software, on the March 2009 baseline, available in time to meet 2010 rollouts.

"We think a lot of operators are looking at commercialization in 2010, and this puts us well in line with what they are expecting us to do, making the deadline for 2010," Sahala claimed.

Adobe Flash Platform Services unveiled

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Adobe Systems has today announced the availability of Adobe Flash Platform Services for Distribution, a new service that is claimed to enable advertisers and content publishers to promote, measure and monetise applications across social networks, desktops and mobile devices.

Adobe Flash Platform Services are said to be online, hosted services that allow developers to add capabilities to Web applications with a 'predictable, cost efficient deployment model'. Developers, advertisers and publishers are now using Adobe Flash Platform Services to make Web applications sharable, social, and collaborative.

With the growth of social media, advertisers and publishers are looking to more predictable and effective methods to reach audiences via social media, says Adobe. There are many benefits to using sharable, social applications to connect with customers; however, it can be difficult to get users to install the applications, it claims. Additionally, advertisers, publishers and game developers use distribution methods that don't support all popular destinations and can be difficult to maintain. Many times, simply posting applications in an app store is the mobile distribution strategy. Rarely is an overall distribution strategy unified across the Web and mobile, making comprehensive analytics difficult to obtain. 

Adobe is partnering with Gigya, a social media authentication and distribution platform, to provide advertisers, publishers and game makers with a comprehensive distribution solution. The solution includes a unified management tool to effectively promote, measure and monetise Web applications and games. 

  • Viral distribution by making applications sharable – Flash and other Web applications can be distributed to most Web, desktop and mobile platforms. The sharing feature is easily implemented, enabling users to share applications with a single click on social networking sites, on the desktop and mobile platforms.
  • Mobile applications distribution – Web applications built with Flash Platform tools as well as applications created with other technologies can be distributed to multiple mobile platforms. Users wishing to install a sharable application on a mobile device will receive a SMS message on that device with a link to the application. Users then click the link and the Distribution service detects the device and delivers the version of the application that is developed and optimised for that specific device.
  • Assuring installs through paid promotion – Application distribution can be accelerated through paid promotion. Tens of thousands of Web application installs are possible through a unique paid cross promotion model. Adobe is partnering with Gigya to provide the free and paid methods of Web application distribution.
  • Measuring success and optimising applications through tracking – Comprehensive traditional and social media analytics are available through the Distribution Manager. This application, built using Adobe AIR software, is to promote applications, and measure distribution and customer usage.
  • Monetisation through cross-promotion – Publishers and developers can generate revenue through cross-promotion of other Web applications. When users click to download an application, this feature enables publishers and developers to offer another Web application to the user.

"Our customers rely on the Adobe Flash Platform to make rich and compelling applications that work across operating systems and screens," said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president at Adobe. "The new services from Adobe allow Flash Platform developers, advertisers, game makers and other content publishers to connect with an even larger audience more effectively, and grow revenue opportunities." 

Mobile network viability in developing markets threatened by +50% rise in electricity generation costs by 2014, says green report

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Mobile base station electricity costs could rise by nearly 55% over the next five years unless operators address network inefficiencies and reduce reliance on non-renewable energy resources, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

The green base stations report utilised scenario-based models to derive estimates of base station power consumption, CO2 emissions and implied electricity costs. Under the incremental model  – wherein operators and vendors would not be markedly proactive in pursuing green policies – global base station electricity costs would exceed $9bn by 2014, with operators dependent on off-grid electricity hit particularly hard.

However, the green report found that a transformational approach – wherein operators invest substantially in power reduction in the base station, and migrate from diesel to renewable energy to power off-grid generators – total base station electricity costs would peak in 2011 and by 2014 would have fallen to 10% below their current levels.

According to report author Dr Windsor Holden, "Operators in Africa and Asia who continue to rely on diesel for off-grid generators will find margins increasingly squeezed as their networks expand and diesel prices rise.  We believe that unless a transition to generators powered by renewable energy is effected, then many such networks may no longer be financially viable within a few years."

Other findings from the green base stations research include:

  • Base stations are responsible for more than 70% of CO2 emissions in the mobile use phase
  • Operators should increasingly seek to utilise feederless sites and distributed site architecture as means of reducing inefficency
  • Adopting measures suggested under the transformational model will enable operators to reduce base station CO2 emissions by up to 30%

 

Carphone Warehouse signs distribution deal with Novatel

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Novatel, a provider of wireless broadband access solutions and The Carphone Warehouse, UK independent retailer of mobile phones and services, have signed an agreement for the distribution of the Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot 2352 throughout UK on T-Mobile.

Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot 2352 is claimed to be the industry¹s first intelligent mobile hotspot, a new category of mobile broadband device supporting a rich application environment for customers. Unlike previous wireless router solutions that require an external broadband modem and serve only to provide connectivity, the Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot 2352 supports GPS and creates a portable, personal cloud of Internet connectivity that can be shared between multiple users and up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, MIDs, UMPCs, smartphones, cameras, gaming devices or portable media players.

"As mobile broadband connectivity increasingly becomes a priority for both business and entertainment purposes, our customers will embrace the flexibility of the Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot 2352," said Andrew Harrison, UK CEO, The Carphone Warehouse.  "With freedom from hotspots, users can leverage the device to access email, check their social networks and download files from anywhere there is a mobile connection, including moving trains or vehicles."

The combination of internal (ROM) storage, up to 16GB of expandable memory via MicroSD and on-board GPS capabilities creates a flexible and robust platform capable of supporting a variety of location-based applications and enables the storage of personal content such as music, video and pictures.

Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot 2352 doesn't require any type of installation or previously installed software.  Users simply need to turn on the unit to connect to Wi-Fi enabled handsets or devices.

"Partnering with The Carphone Warehouse will enable us to provide our customers with unmatched connectivity solutions," said Rob Hadley, CMO of Novatel Wireless.  "The combination of The Carphone Warehouse¹s nimble marketing and broad customer base with Novatel's technology innovation will enable us to deliver stronger service levels and enhanced customer value."

AIRCOM launches ENTERPRISE 6.2

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AIRCOM International, an independent network planning and optimisation consultancy, today launched its latest management and engineering tool suite, ENTERPRISE 6.2.

The new features are said to include an upgraded OPTIMA module that is capable of monitoring both fixed and IP networks – essential for operators investing in converged networks. The RANOPT module now includes functionality to incorporate indoor coverage level measurement, which is said to be ideal for operators who want to roll out 3G femtocell home base stations across their network. Meanwhile, for those operators taking the evolutionary path towards LTE, the ASSET module now supports HSPA+.

ENTERPRISE 6.2 delivers a breakdown of network performance by aggregating the outputs of radio planning, drive test analysis, performance and management tools. Any necessary remedial action can then be taken through the suite's configuration management capability. Using this single platform, operators can maximise staff productivity through eradicating the need to input data repeatedly across multiple tools.

Users can purchase ENTERPRISE as standalone products or as part of the total network planning and optimisation suite, allowing them to select the combination of modules to complement their network optimisation requirements.

Commenting on the launch of ENTERPRISE 6.2, Margaret Rice-Jones, CEO of AIRCOM International, said, "The thinking behind ENTERPRISE 6.2 is very simple – better visibility of the network, whether in the planning or application stage, promotes improved situation awareness, so that problems can be identified and solved earlier and more efficiently. We have designed this suite to support operators in every facet of their network planning, now and in the future."

Huawei to commercially launch 56Mb/s HSPA+ solution in 2010

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Huawei has announced plans to launch a 56Mb/s HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access Plus) commercial solution in 2010. Huawei says the solution will enable operators to offer download speeds that are double what is available today.

The 56Mb/s HSPA+ solution, featuring multi-carrier and MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) technologies, was demonstrated in Beijing at P&T/Wireless & Networks Comm China 2009.

"Advances in mobile broadband, particularly record breaking data speeds and capacity of HSPA networks, have had a profound impact on the telecom industry and demonstrate the enormous potential of UMTS/HSPA," said Wan Biao, President of Wireless, Huawei. "This 56Mb/s HSPA+ solution will enable operators to maintain their industry leading positions and provide consumers with an evermore attractive mobile broadband experience."

The solution is said to allow operators currently using Huawei's fourth generation and 38xx series base stations to smoothly evolve their legacy networks to 56Mb/s HSPA+ networks via software upgrades alone, and deploy leading edge networks at significant cost savings that ultimately protect their long term investment.

As a provider of end-to-end mobile broadband solutions, Huawei has deployed over 10 commercial HSPA+ network contracts, as of August 2009. In Asia Pacific, Huawei has deployed a commercial 28Mb/s HSPA+ network, and, along with leading operators including Japan EMOBILE, Singapore StarHub, Vodafone Turkey and Hong Kong PCCW, Huawei has launched five commercial HSPA+ networks which support downlink speeds of up to 21Mb/s.

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