An independent study commissioned by Airwide Solutions, a provider of mobile messaging infrastructure and applications, is said to reveal valuable insight into mobile security risks across the EU. The study which was conducted by comScore M:Metrics on behalf of Airwide Solutions looked at the way mobile subscribers use their phones across five European markets – the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Although the study uncovers some risky trends, the results are said to represent a major opportunity for mobile operators to play a proactive and strategic role in protecting their subscribers, both through education and also through the security solutions they deploy across their networks.

Of the most significant findings were the dangers surrounding mobile spam. Despite some mobile operators leading the way in deploying anti-spam solutions, the study found that there is still some way to go with the number of people in the EU receiving unwanted text messages growing 21.3 per cent year on year. With some spam messages containing mobile worms and viruses, this statistic is cause for concern, especially in France where the problem is growing by 61.3 per cent year on year.

The study also revealed worrying findings into the use of gambling and adult services by under 18 year olds. In total, Spain recorded the biggest problem with 4 per cent of 13 to 17 year olds accessing adult or gambling services between June 2007 and June 2008. The UK recorded the lowest problem with only 1.3 per cent of minors accessing inappropriate mobile internet sites. However, the study also notes that the figures may mask a more serious situation with many teenagers embarrassed or frightened to admit the truth.

With many people now owning smartphones, mobile phones are also being used to safeguard sensitive company information and personal data such as social security numbers, PIN codes, passwords, company financial data and other proprietary information. Many people are also now using them to carry out financial transactions. According to the study, 5.6 million people in the EU access financial information from their mobile phones – a 23.6 per cent jump from the same time last year. Italy has been the fastest to embrace mobile banking services with a 30.2 per cent increase in use from June 2007 to June 2008. When we consider that mobile phones are stolen in half of all robberies in just the UK alone, the need to protect this sensitive financial data has never been greater.

What the study has made clear is that mobile phones have now become a vital part of the way we live. Mobile phones are now far more omnipresent than personal computers, inherently more portable than other communications devices and carry far more personal and valuable data than ever before. In fact, on average a mobile phone in the EU is worth €476.07 with a mobile subscriber spending €401 a year on their mobile phone bill, €69 acquiring their handset and €6.07 on mobile content (ringtones, wallpaper, games, music etc). Spain registered the highest spending on mobile phone bills (with phone users spending on average €544 per year), Italy recorded the highest spending on the handsets themselves (with an Italian mobile phone user paying on average €148 for a mobile phone) and the UK topped the poll on the amount spent on mobile content per year. 

The survey also found that while we are using our phones to take more photos and record more videos, we are at risk of losing these precious personal memories as the majority of people surveyed (50.0 per cent across Europe) do not back up their data.

Nokia has today released the new software development kit (SDK) for its Series 40 6th Edition mass-market mobile devices, providing application developers and network operators with new tools to create unique applications and services for the high-volume feature phone market worldwide. 
 
Today's release of the Series 40 6th Edition SDK, available for immediate download, coincides with Nokia's announcement of the new Nokia 6260 slide, the latest device based on the Series 40 6th Edition platform, which is said to achieve significant breakthroughs in advanced capabilities and enhanced functionality for mobile subscribers worldwide. In June, Nokia announced the first mobile device based on Series 40 6th Edition, the Nokia 7510 Supernova, which will ship to markets worldwide in Q4. 
 
Series 40 6th Edition supports the Nokia WebKit Open Source Browser for full web look and feel, Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 for accelerated development and delivery of rich graphical mobile content, and the Java-based location API (JSR-179) for navigation and location-aware services. The Series 40 6th Edition SDK provides the application development, testing and debugging tools to bring these exciting technologies to devices for the mass consumer market worldwide.
 
"Nokia is very pleased to release our Series 40 6th Edition SDK, enabling developers to create a broad range of exciting new software and services focused on the dynamic mobile consumer market worldwide," said Tom Libretto, vice president, Forum Nokia, Nokia's global developer support program. "This latest SDK helps third-party developers to build richer multimedia applications and deliver advanced mobile services to the broad base of mobile subscribers served by Nokia Series 40 high-volume devices around the world."
 
"The advanced capabilities of these new Series 40 6th Edition devices will enable service providers to deliver the latest applications and content available to the broadest possible mobile subscriber base," said Aage Snorgaard, vice president, Series 40 Software, Nokia. "Mobile application developers will find operators are increasingly eager to include their cutting-edge software and service offerings on Nokia high-volume Series 40 devices in markets worldwide."
 
Series 40 6th Edition support for the Nokia WebKit Open Source Browser, previously available on the S60 smartphone platform, lets mobile content and service providers target Series 40 feature phones with full web look and feel.  Webkit Browser features include the popular Pointer user interface, Incremental Page Rendering, Page Overview and Visual History browsing, and the user-favorite Minimap browsing that allows for easy screen navigation of full-size web pages.  
 
Series 40 6th Edition supports the interoperable Adobe Flash Lite 3.0 platform, enabling rich graphical mobile content that is further enhanced by an expanded main screen UI resolution that facilitates additional opportunities for development and delivery of industry-leading software and services. The Series 40 6th Edition's new HVGA Portrait 320×480 main screen UI resolution brings devices like the Nokia 6260 slide unprecedented access to streaming video, image rendering, mobile 3D graphics and scalable 2D Vector graphics.
 
The Series 40 6th Edition now includes location API (JSR-179), allowing developers to write exciting location-aware applications that can deliver new navigation and context-based services for the consumer mass market.
 
The Series 40 6th Edition SDK provides Java class libraries, APIs (including the Nokia UI API), relevant documentation and a device emulator for testing Java, Flash Lite and browser content.

The FMCA today announced that six telecom operators are working together to provide interconnection and inter-working for rich presence applications between their services and online communities. The move further is said to emphasise the global significance of using "Internet Presence" as a major component of the digital lifestyle.
 
"Presence" is commonly used in many online communications applications and services, such as Instant Messaging and social networking, to indicate whether other parties are online and ready to participate in communications activities. 
 
Leading telecom operators such as Brasil Telecom, BT Plc, KPN, Korea Telecom, NTT Communications and Telkom South Africa, have initiated trials between each other to potentially reach over 200 million customers with new global Internet services. Entitled "Open Presence", this initiative lays the foundation for the next wave of service interoperability, enabling users on different global operators' networks to inform each other of their real-time availability and delivering enhanced social networking applications and services.
 
The Open Presence trial will operate as a global hub, delivering a multi-protocol bridge between communities. As deeper presence information gets progressively deployed, it will act as a conduit through which IP messaging and presence can be used on different devices (mobile phone, PC, IPTV, PDA, etc). This will provide new ways for customers to actively update and display rich profile information – including such items as their picture, location, online activities, mood, availability status and communication preferences – to their expanded personal or business contacts, regardless of network, telecom operator or online community.
 
"Our customers are increasingly demanding access to new generation converged communications services that provide the convenience and ease of use that can be found in social networks and online environments. This trial is an illustration of how global telecom operators, as members of the FMCA, can collaborate to break new ground in the development of global Internet services for hundreds of millions of customers", says Steve Andrews, FMCA Chairman.
 
During the Open Presence trial, technical, operational and commercial models for presence enabled services in areas such as unified communications, VoIP, mobile IM, IPTV, social networking, content sharing services and networked gaming as well as Wholesale services shall be explored. This will be supported by the joint technical and operational expertise in IP inter-working, multiple protocol conversion (XMPP-SIP), routing, IP clearing and settlement of the participating telecom operators and suppliers.

The Technical University of Graz, Kapsch CarrierCom, Telekom Austria Group's mobile subsidiary mobilkom austria and the ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Company) Online Directorate will undertake a field trial with 150 mobilkom austria customers to start in December 2008.

A project team consisting of research, industry and media provides search for videos on mobile phones.  By using voice recognition technology, it is possible to immediately find all available on-demand ORF programs in which a desired term is mentioned.  As part of a K-net program, a solution called Mamtam was developed under the leadership of the Technical University of Graz.  In December, this solution will be tested by 150 customers of mobilkom austria, Telekom Austria Group's mobile subsidiary. The general contractor Kapsch CarrierCom, together with the ORF Online Directorate and mobilkom austria will implement this trial.

The idea is simple: enter a keyword using the Mamtam page on your mobile phone and all ORF programs which contain these keywords will be displayed. The programs can immediately be viewed on the mobile phone using HD quality UMTS streaming.  However, what seems so simple for 150 mobilkom austria customers taking part in the field trial in December 2008 is based on intensive research and development.  An important component is the voice recognition technology from SAIL LABS Technology in Vienna.  If, for example, you enter the keyword "Obama", you will receive the list of the latest ORF programs where the name was mentioned.

Boris Nemsic, CEO Telekom Austria Group and mobilkom austria said: "This Mamtam project contains much local technical expertise. The project team delivered a convincing simple-to-use solution for a complex requirement."

Thomas Prantner, Director of ORF Online and New Media said, "Innovative research projects and trials such as this one deliver important experience for our multimedia strategy.  As a modern media company, we want to provide high quality ORF content on all relevant platforms and with the highest usability possible."

Wolfgang Slany, Professor at the Technical University of Graz said: "Mobile video-on-demand is at the beginning of its development internationally.  Together with ORF and mobilkom austria, we want to influence this development with Mamtam by creating a new fascinating application for mobile phones."

Streamezzo, creator of the Universal Software Platform, today announced that its Rich Media Client is available for the BlackBerry wireless platform. The Streamezzo Rich Media Client will allow developers to build services for many BlackBerry smartphones, including the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.

Streamezzo's Universal Software Platform is a software framework for developing and deploying ubiquitous rich media mobile services that run on any operating system. Streamezzo's Rich Media Client is said to be compatible with many mobile devices and all major operating systems, as well as proprietary real-time operating systems.

Streamezzo says that, as a result of today's announcement, service providers and mobile operators can extend the deployment of their Rich Media Application portfolios to the BlackBerry platform, expanding subscriber reach and accelerating data services revenue growth.

"If you're a PC developer, you build your application for the Windows environment for maximum reach and you port it or rewrite it for the Mac OS if you want virtually one hundred percent market coverage," said Oliver Avaro, Streamezzo's Executive Vice President and CTO.  "In the highly fragmented mobile industry you need to port your application to a dozen platforms to get that kind of penetration.  Today's announcement expands our Universal Software Platform to include support for BlackBerry, and will offer developers a bridge across the entire mobile ecosystem so that truly compelling mobile applications can now be developed once and Streamezzo ensures interoperability on virtually any handset and operating system."

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan estimates that the mobile social and content advertising market revenues should reach 2.18 billion euro in 2012 in Europe. Mobile content advertising, ad-based music, video, TV and games will represent the major source of revenues.

"To achieve high revenues, the mobile advertising industry will need to successfully confront three main challenges. What should be concentrated on is: continuously enhance the mobile user experience through high-speed connectivity and high-quality user interfaces; use ads as a transparent value to consumers' mobile experience without being intrusive; and educate the advertising industry on how to exploit the advertising power of mobile devices," notes Saverio Romeo, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst. "If these challenges are not adequately faced, the advertising market will not grow strongly as the mobile industry expects."

From the mobile industry point of view, advertising is a potential revenue stream that can counterbalance the continuous decrease of revenues from voice and SMS services. However, advertisers and agencies, the sources of the advertising revenue stream, are, only now, gradually learning the use of the mobile device as an advertising medium.

"Agencies' budgets rarely include a specific allocation for mobile communications," states Romeo. "An intense synergy between the mobile and the advertising industries is crucial to transform today's enthusiasm into strong revenues in the future."

The report – Ad-based Content and Communications: A Lucrative Avenue for the Mobile Industry – is part of the Mobile & Wireless Growth Partnership Services Programme, which also includes research in the following markets:European Mobile Premium Content Markets, Mobile Messaging Markets in Europe and Exploring the European Market for Mobile Smart Devices.

Mobile messaging operator TynTec has been selected by new mobile newspaper distribution platform, GoMobi!, to provide international SMS sending capabilities. Under the deal, GoMobi! will use TynTec's SMS to send ‘WAP push' links to its new subscribers.

GoMobi! is a new international mobile newspaper platform based in Poland.  The company has a handset application that enables its newspaper publisher partners to distribute a mobile version of their title to consumers. 

In order to receive the GoMobi! newspaper reader application users simply submit their mobile phone number to receive an link to download the product.  These SMS WAP push links will be sent via TynTec's SMS infrastructure.

GoMobi! selected TynTec for its SMS infrastructure.  Through its own SMS-C and deep level (SS7) connectivity partnerships with operators worldwide, TynTec says it can provide a 'unique level of quality' in SMS, with guaranteed, high speed delivery.  In addition, TynTec says it can offer connectivity into more than 160 countries, enabling GoMobi! to offer its product to mobile users around the world.

Tomasz Gruszka, CEO of GoMobi!, said: "SMS is central to our distribution mechanism – we need to be sure that when a customer gives us their mobile number they receive their download link quickly and reliably, wherever they are in the world. 

"In a business like ours you only have one chance with a customer – if you let them down somewhere in the distribution process then you've probably lost them for ever.  This means that reliable international SMS is a hugely important part of our business and its something only TynTec can provide."

Michael Kowalzik, CEO, TynTec, said: "GoMobi! is a fantastic mobile Internet proposition and this project shows how SMS can be a central part of this type of business.  Whilst content and services can be consumed through a web browser, SMS is still a vital part of the value chain for most mobile web propositions. 

"Whether its for alerting, marketing or, as in this case, for product distribution, SMS can be a hugely powerful tool for facilitating interaction between businesses and consumers."

A new study from Juniper Research has found that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) will need to fundamentally change their mobile content business models by emphasizing ‘shared value creation' in order to avoid becoming ‘dumb pipes' in the future. Only if they can transform their businesses into ‘smart pipe' service providers, can they significantly increase their income from mobile content – estimated at $23bn in 2008, rising to $52bn by 2013 according to Juniper.

The global mobile content market will be worth $167bn by 2013, shared among players such as MNOs, Content Providers and third parties such as content aggregators and billing companies.

Currently MNOs take a significant percentage of the revenues generated by Content Providers when they use their networks. This has resulted in high prices for end-users and consumers being deterred from accessing mobile content on a wider scale. This unattractive situation has become a disincentive for MNOs and Content Providers alike, with some Content Providers attempting to bypass the MNOs or exit the sector altogether. Clearly, the situation needs to change. But it will be down to the MNOs to make the first moves, says the report.

The new report examines the three main scenarios facing the operators and the sector as a whole – the ‘Dumb Pipe', ‘Smart Pipe', and ‘On-Portal' routes. Modelling the market in such a way is said to have enabled Juniper to create a detailed forecasting and modeling tool to examine how a future market may develop under different conditions.

According to report author Andrew Kitson, "One single scenario will not win out since different business and revenue models have to co-exist in the mobile content market. Players will adopt multiple approaches that best fit their markets. Crucially, if MNOs are to benefit financially, they need to move away from their Dumb Pipe roots to the Smart Pipe model, though they will clash with the content providers which already dominate the Smart Pipe. A compromise needs to be found."

If MNOs can change their ARPU-driven mindsets to focus on value creation and support for their partners, they can swiftly make the change.

Other findings include

• Under the Smart Pipe model, MNOs will not see their share of the overall mobile content market rise appreciably, but revenue will rise in value by 125% over the 2008-2013 period.
• Under the On-Portal scenario, content providers will see their share of the market rise from 54% in 2008 to 68% by 2013, providing they can secure more attractive terms from MNOs.
• Third parties – especially aggregators and billing service providers – will come under pressure from larger players (such as MNOs) seeking to achieve horizontal integration and economies of scale.

The report provides coverage and forecasts from a global perspective as well as from a regional viewpoint by looking at how the market will grow or wane under the On-Portal, Dumb Pipe, and Smart Pipe scenarios around the world.