Nokia Siemens Networks has signed an agreement with Ubiquisys, developer of the ZoneGate intelligent 3G femtocell, to provide femtocell solutions that are claimed to offer greatly improved 3G network coverage and quality of mobile services at home. Under the agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks and Ubiquisys will cooperate in the marketing and sales of the joint solution to mobile operators worldwide.

The ZoneGate femtocell supports industry standard interfaces and conforms to Nokia Siemens Networks' Femto Gateway's open architecture. Nokia Siemens Networks Femto Home Access Solution offers reliable indoor connections for voice and data calls, allowing mobile phone users to enjoy high transmission speeds and quality of service for data applications like browsing, email, music or video downloads.

"We are pleased with our new cooperation with Ubiquisys. Together we can offer an excellent indoor solution for operators to serve their 3G customers. The solution benefits from Ubiquisys' maturity in femtocell design and deployment, supports open standards and complements our open Femto ecosystem," said Timo Hyppölä, head of Indoor Radio Solutions Product Line, Nokia Siemens Networks.

"The femtocell market is moving at an astonishing speed and 2008 will undoubtedly prove to be ‘make-up-your-mind' time for many operators. We are currently involved in 10 trials and expect several to expand into larger deployments later this year," said Chris Gilbert, CEO of Ubiquisys. "We decided long ago to concentrate on the device and then partner with leading SI vendors who share our vision on the femtocell industry – in Nokia Siemens Networks we have found a perfect ally."

The Ubiquisys femtocell is a small ‘zero-touch' plug-and-play 3G access point that uses a mobile subscriber's broadband connection to transport voice and data calls to the 3G core network using a range of standards based interfaces.

Launched in July 2007, the Femto Home Access Solution from Nokia Siemens Networks introduces open interfaces, boosting the femtocell ecosystem and enabling operators to further enhance their 3G service offering and coverage.

3ple-Media, the mobile multimedia specialist, has today announced the launch of its Mercury VideoGrab application. As part of the Mercury multimedia platform, VideoGrab allows operators to send 'As Live' video content to thousands of subscribers within seconds of original broadcast.
Clips from the raw video feed are 'grabbed' by the application and converted to push multimedia and distributed over MMS, WAP or streaming by Mercury's core multimedia engine. Operators are able to leverage VideoGrab's functionality to launch new services that make use of feeds from any source including Live TV, CCTV and the Internet.

Mercury VideoGrab extends the ability of the Mercury mobile multimedia platform to provide Operators who wish to catalyze the multimedia process, from service compilation through to delivery and analysis. This 'holistic platform' approach ensures that Operators who are targeting higher Mobile Multimedia revenues are freed to execute service innovation, unhindered by technological gaps or commercial viability. For example, ARPU from video services can be fully maximized to the largest possible addressable market and delivered in seconds with Mercury's incredibly powerful multimedia engine.

The demand and popularity of video continues to increase in the online world, fuelled predominately by video giants such as YouTube and an unceasing consumer appetite for video blogs, social-network sharing and breaking news. By delivering compelling video via 'push' multimedia bearers, Operators fortify their position at the heart of the value chain and reduce the threat of becoming a commoditized connectivity provider.

Through Mercury VideoGrab, mobile Operators are able to quickly deploy new services exploiting the moment of highest value due to the perishable nature of some video content. "Live" mobile multimedia broadcasting of compelling moments from news, entertainment and sports events ensures Operators can capitalize on an enormous range of footage at the point when it is of highest value to the recipient.  This can be followed up with "click to stream" Pay Per View services, for example, following delivery of a "live" clip of an equalizing goal, recipients could opt to watch the last 10 minutes of a football match.

Internet based web cam footage, video blogs and popular clips can easily be captured and sent amongst groups and communities, playing into the social networking phenomena and encouraging subsequent viral revenues. Brands and Advertisers can also make best use of the video format for more sophisticated and synchronized multi-platform campaigns. CCTV footage offers any number of update services including security, scheduled traffic or weather clips all pushed to the handset either 'On Demand' or as a subscribed VAS service.

Costi Manda, Chief Technical Officer and Managing Director for 3ple-Media believes VideoGrab will open up valuable new Mobile Multimedia revenue streams for Operators as the industry evolves from traditional "black-and-white" text and voice, to "color" multimedia.

"There is much speculation about Operators becoming sidelined as 'bitpipe' connectivity providers in the new mobile multimedia revenue chain as new Internet players and Broadcasters weigh into the scene. Mercury's VideoGrab supports Operators' bigger picture requirements and makes video based multimedia services a very immediate and profitable reality."

Wolfson Microelectronics has today announced the latest addition to its AudioPlus Smart Power product line. The WM8400 combines a multimedia CODEC with integrated power management features to deliver the high performance audio and mixing capability, longer battery life and reduced system cost required in the leading multimedia mobile handsets. Wolfson will be demonstrating the WM8400 on its stand at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from 11-14 February 2008.

WM8400 functions include a high performance multimedia CODEC, on-chip FLL, two DC-DC converters and four LDO regulators, all inside a compact 6x6mm BGA package. Flexible hardware control enables the WM8400 to support the generic power management needs of leading multimedia companion processors. Compared to using separate CODEC and power management chips, which typically require two or more discrete components, the WM8400 can help mobile handset designers to save up to 25 percent on the device bill of materials (BOM) and up to 40 percent on the board footprint.

The WM8400 incorporates a low power audio CODEC, which delivers 98dB SNR performance and supports the signal switching, audio conversion and voice mixing requirements of next-generation mobile phones. This enables designers to quickly add new features and enable flexible end-user modes such as the ability to watch mobile TV while receiving a voice call. The digital core consumes less power than similar devices and can be as low as 5mW during a voice call.

In addition, the WM8400's CODEC is able to select, in software, Class AB or Class D speaker driver operation meaning handset designers can deploy filterless Class D technology into a wider range of increasingly diverse, handheld form factors, where restrictions such as noise and interference previously demanded a Class AB driver topology. System designers may select the most appropriate mode of operation for the anticipated usage scenario, allowing battery life for the end user to be maximised.

The WM8400 also includes a powerful 1W mono speaker driver and low leakage, high PSRR and pop/click suppression enable direct battery connection for the speaker supply. Four headphone driver outputs support conventional, fully differential or cap-less drive. Multiple microphone or analogue line inputs (mono or stereo, single-ended or differential) can be supported and a programmable high-pass filter is provided to remove low frequency noise from the input signal.

The digital audio interface supports most commonly-used data formats and clocking schemes while time-division multiplexing and an additional DAC interface provide additional flexibility.

From a power management perspective, the WM8400 includes two programmable 2MHz DC-DC step-down (Buck) converters, four low-dropout (LDO) regulators. The startup sequence and default voltages for the core regulators; DC-DC1, DC-DC2, LDO1 and LDO2 are selectable in hardware via external pins, and all regulators are also software programmable. The core regulators are intended to power the multimedia application processor sub-system while LDO3 and 4 are specifically designed to power the on-chip audio CODEC.

Paul Wilson, Wolfson's Power Management Product Line Manager comments, "Mobile handset designers are under intense pressure to deliver products that incorporate more high performance audio quality, into ever smaller form factors, with longer battery life than ever before. Wolfson is tackling this challenge head-on, with ultra low power consumption and integrated power management solutions like the WM8400 that help enhance the user experience by enabling significant power consumption reductions with no compromise in audio performance."

Neural Technologies is claiming to be the first risk management vendor to successfully implement an FMS solution that accepts near real time roaming data (NRTRDE).   

The project was undertaken at TDC Denmark who have been using Neural Technologies' Minotaur Fraud & Credit Management Solution since 2005 to manage their customer exposure.  TDC is said to have recognised that Minotaur's architecture was capable of supporting the NRTRDE standard and worked closely with Neural Technologies to define and implement a set of rules within Minotaur to utilise the new format of roaming data received from its roaming partners.

Up to now roaming fraud has been a big issue for mobile operators.  The crux of the matter being lengthy delays in the transference of call detail records between roaming partners.  These delays create a window of opportunity for the fraudster and in organised attacks losses can be significant.  To tackle this problem the GSMA has been encouraging its member operators to migrate from the existing High Usage Report (HUR) process to a defined NRTRDE method which reduces the delivery of fraud related roaming information from 36 hours to a maximum of 4 hours.

Anders Bækgaard, the Fraud Manager at TDC said, ‘The first fraud alarms were initiated this month and we now have real time visibility of customer behaviour while roaming in test partner networks!  The project has run very smoothly and Neural Technologies have been very supportive with the NRTRDE_IN project.' 

Neural Technologies' is now able to offer this NRTRDE capability to its existing and future customers.

Ericsson says it has demonstrated, for the first time, Long Term Evolution (LTE) in both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode on the same base station platform.  LTE is the only technology that can use the same platform for both paired and unpaired spectrum, thereby enabling large economies of scale for operators.

Ericsson's LTE TDD mode demonstration encompassed a variety of applications and showcased speeds over 90Mbps in the downlink with 2×2 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output). Ericsson has previously demonstrated LTE in FDD mode several times with speeds of up to 160Mbps.
 
Mobile broadband is rapidly growing, and LTE offers a superior user experience, claims Ericsson. It will enhance more demanding applications like mobile video, blogging, advanced games, rich multimedia telephony and professional services. It also interoperates with existing cellular systems.
 
LTE is the next evolution in mobile network standards defined by 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) and supports operations in both the paired spectrum and unpaired spectrum. It enables efficient spectrum utilization for both legacy and future wireless frequency bands. Channel bandwidths of 1.4-20MHz are supported. The wide industry support for LTE ensures economies of scale, providing cost-efficient solutions.
 
Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, says: "We have now demonstrated that LTE can be used in both paired (FDD) and unpaired spectrum (TDD) on the same base station platform. This means that operators with only unpaired spectrum also can plan for LTE and benefit from the optimal global LTE solutions."

Comverse, the supplier of software and systems enabling network-based multimedia enhanced communication and billing services, will be bringing its solution portfolio to Mobile World Congress on 11-14 February 2008 (Hall 8, Booth 8B 83). This will reflect the Comverse vision for a world where people have the freedom to enjoy communication, information, entertainment and commerce at any time with ever-expanding options for social networking, communities, personalisation and self-expression. Included in this portfolio of innovation is the Comverse Visual Voicemail for the iPhone, which is among the finalists for a GSMA Mobile Award for Best Mobile Messaging Service.

"The 2008 Global Mobile Awards have once again attracted a broad range of entries from all over the world, demonstrating the social, business and economic impact that mobile communications are having on society. Being shortlisted by our independent judging panel is no mean feat given the quality and quantity of submissions received. We await the announcement of the winners at the Global Mobile Awards evening during the Mobile World Congress with keen interest," said Rob Conway, GSMA CEO.

Visual Voicemail meets the fast-paced needs of users today with a visual interface that improves and broadens the user experience. Voicemail messages are delivered to the iPhone and other handsets immediately and can be accessed with a click. An information-rich inbox enables users to see all messages and handle any message in any order. Users can view information about their messages including date, time, duration, and caller number and identity, when available. A full range of message management features include one-touch call return, save and delete, and integration with handset- and network-based address books.

At the show, Comverse is also announcing the market introduction of its Mobile Advertising Solution, with approaches to offer non-intrusive advertising on many different channels of access – all on an opt-in basis – such as on ringback tones, messages, mobile avatars or banners while browsing the mobile net. Mobile advertising is gaining in popularity as it creates new revenue models that can add significant value to virtually all aspects of operator network service.

"Comverse provides our service provider customers with an industry leading portfolio of value-added service and billing solutions," said Andre Dahan, president and CEO of Comverse. "Our innovative solutions speak directly to the pressing challenges facing operators today to maximise revenue while personalising the user experience, as exemplified by our new mobile advertising offering. Our visitors at Mobile World Congress will see how we support operators from service launch and beyond, continuously working toward increasing usage and revenue."

Also at the show, Comverse is presenting its solution showcase featuring Visual Voicemail, Converged Billing, Instant SMS, Multi-Play service, among many others:

• Visual Voicemail – A GSMA finalist for Best Mobile Messaging Service, this demo shows a full suite of visual voicemail solutions from the world's leader in visual voicemail deployments. Visual voicemail is the most convenient way to receive voicemails – in the order you want, via the device you select. Go directly to the message you want to hear. Access may be offered from virtually any device or terminal by means of handset clients, 3G, MMS, web and email.
• Converged Billing – This interactive demo highlights the benefits to both operator and end-user family subscribed to converged billing, including the advantages of multiple identities, such as corporate, family and personal, the family account hierarchy that enables both prepaid and postpaid plans in one account, and other features that enhance the total communication lifestyle.
• Instant SMS – Enhancing the value of SMS services, Instant SMS is a next-generation mobile messaging service that enhances the existing SMS service with Instant Messaging-like capabilities, such as presence and a conversational-based messaging.
• Multi-Play – See how all operators can provide voice and messaging services across users' PCs, home phones and mobile devices with the PC Communicator, using a unified customer interface and address book.
• Femtocell – Witness a live showcase of a femtocell solution with a GSM phone connected to a SIP-based femtocell that allows for outgoing calls to the regular telephony network with the call going through Comverse's IMS network. This paves the way for true convergence between broadband Internet access and wireless services, while reducing infrastructure costs and ensuring network scalability.

Comverse will be located at Hall 8, Booth 8B 83. Comverse General Manager of the Messaging Group, Dror Bin, will speak about the evolution of messaging on a panel on Wednesday, February 13, from 16:15-17:45.

HSL, an independent mobile network operator and provider of mobile services, has today announced that it has commenced a major project to deliver a GSM/GPRS/EDGE femtocell primarily suited for consumer use in a residential setting.
 
HSL plans to market the HSL 2.75G Femtocell to existing BTS vendors, directly to mobile network operators and additionally licensing hardware and software intellectual property. The femtocell will also be used in HSL's own network in the UK. Software running on the femtocell and the associated Base Station Controller (BSC) is being developed by HSL with the hardware and lower layer software being designed by a 3rd party specialist.

The femtocell is expected to ship Q3 2008 and further details will be announced during the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Google has today launched its new search service for mobile phones, which is said to make searching on a phone faster and more intuitive, while offering more relevant results.

Google says that, with the new search service, mobile phone users will get results that best fit what they're looking for, with search results combined from different bodies of information, so users don't need to sift through both mobile and regular web results, or specify their search type. Instead, Google searches through the whole web, mobile web, news articles, local business listings, and image index to get the information needed and then provides the most relevant results. A search for sunflower, for example, provides links to photos of sunflowers as well as web pages.

Google's new mobile search also improves the local search experience. By remembering a user's recent search locations, the new service is said to provide relevant local results in subsequent searches-no need to retype the location every time. Once a user has entered a location, searches for weather or restaurants, for example, provide information tailored specifically to that user's location.

"We're excited to introduce Google's new mobile search service, which will make it easier and faster for people to find what they're looking for anytime, anywhere," said Google Mobile Search Product Manager Steve Cheng. "With millions of mobile phones in use worldwide, our goal is to make the Google search experience even more useful and relevant for users on the go."

A new report from Juniper Research is said to have found that the rush by banks and mobile operators to deliver financial services to the mobile phone will result in just over 612 million mobile phone users generating over $587 billion worth of financial transactions by 2011

Mobile financial services are being deployed in a manner that is similar to the `gold rush' of the 1990s when internet banking services were rapidly deployed.  The financial services `fourth screen' – the ATM in your pocket – is giving mobile phone users the freedom to bank and to make payments on the move.

According to Juniper, the report found that the mobile phone has enormous potential when used as a tool for financial services, and is only just at the beginning of a journey that is likely to revolutionise the sector in a similar manner that the ATM (Automated Telling Machine) did for the banking and cash business – which in contrast took some twenty years to fully develop.

The report categorises Mobile Financial Services (MFS) into two distinct areas; Mobile Banking and Mobile Payments with Mobile Payments predicted to generate almost $22bn of transactions by 2011 and be adopted by 204m mobile phone users. Whether from a migrant worker sending funds back to his/her family at home from overseas or a commuter paying for travel around the London tube system, there are many examples of the growth of MFS from all regions around the world.

Report author Alan Goode said: "A combination of increased user demand and a desire from all sections of the MFS ecosystem to deliver intelligent applications and services has created an atmosphere that is both creative and pragmatic."

Juniper Research illustrated the current and near-future status of MFS with interviews, case studies and analysis from representatives of some of the leading organisations in the booming mobile financial services industry.