NMS Communications and LogicaCMG have announced their third joint ringback commercial launch, as Swisscom Mobile, a Vodafone Partner Company, introduced its customers to ringback tones.

Swisscom Mobile’s ringback tone service is based on MyCaller, the personalised mobile entertainment platform from NMS Communications. LogicaCMG is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
Heinrich Schneeberger, Project Manager, Swisscom Mobile, said,
“The NMS-LogicaCMG team has provided us with a solution that meets our stringent requirements. We demanded an approach based on call processing excellence, which ensures that our ringback tone offering will perform flawlessly in the network, unlike other offerings in the market which have proven disruptive to network performance. We also had a need for multi-language support – French, German and Italian – as that is tremendously important in our market.”

Symbian has licensed the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol for use in Symbian OS. The announcement follows Nokia’s revelation at 3GSM in February 2005 that it was licensing ActiveSync for its latest phones. Historically, Symbian has been seen as fierce competitor to Microsoft’s own mobile OS, but the need for a variety of synchronisation techniques has led the company to licence its rival’s technology in this area.

Under the terms of the agreement, Symbian will develop an Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol “plug-in” for the Symbian OS messaging architecture to enable Symbian OS licensees to include in their Symbian OS-based phones direct over-the-air (OTA) synchronisation capabilities for email, and other PIM data supported by Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.

Symbian will make the Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol plug-in available to all Symbian OS licensees which, when coupled with a separate standard distribution agreement with Microsoft, enables the licensees, at their discretion, to implement direct synchronisation capabilities with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 in their selected Symbian OS products.
The Microsoft protocol is one of a variety of sychronisation protocols Symbian supports. Other iterations include RIM’s Blackberry Connect as well as the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Data Synchronisation protocols.
“Developing Microsoft’s Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol plug-in for Symbian OS continues Symbian’s drive to offer the broadest possible choice of email and PIM solutions. This will help all Symbian OS licensees meet the needs of the enterprise market,” said Marit Doving, executive vice president, marketing, Symbian. 
“By licensing the ActiveSync protocol and opening up this capability to Symbian OS licensees, Symbian and Microsoft together are significantly expanding the number of customers who can directly access their corporate e-mail and PIM data from wireless devices,” said Dave Thompson, corporate vp of the Exchange Server Product Group at Microsoft. 

Avaya has said it will deliver mobility capabilities powered by its IP-based software to the Nokia-developed Series 60 Platform.

The company said its Communication Manager software, part of the suite of Avaya MultiVantage Communications Applications, will turn Series 60-based mobile devices into fully-functional office phones, extending full business telephony capabilities to mobile users.
With Avaya Communication Manager on the Series 60 Platform, a mobile workforce can office phone features-such as transfer, multi-party conferencing, and abbreviated extension dialing, while remaining accessible to clients and colleagues through a single business phone number.
The Series 60 deal marks the first time Avaya Communication Manager functions will be accessible as a menu option on a cellular mobile device.
“The need to bring enterprise-class telephony applications via highly popular wireless devices to the corporate market sector has been long awaited,” said Lars Vestergaard, senior analyst with IDC. “Avaya’s application on Series 60-based devices is a significant step towards extending some of the benefits of IP telephony, including increased productivity, to businesses worldwide.”
Employees will be able to obtain this capability by downloading the client software for Avaya Communication Manager to both new and existing Series 60 second edition-based mobile device.Â
The target release date of application availability for client software for select models of Series 60-based devices is the third calendar quarter of 2005.

Celltick, a company which specialises in the uses of cell broadcast applications, is providing its LiveScreen technology to VimpelCom, which has launched a  service that broadcasts live content directly to the phone screens of millions of subscribers.

VimpelCom users now have access to streams of free news headlines, sport reports, weather updates, music stories, gossip and games directly on their idle screens.
Just like a screen saver, the messages appear silently only when the phone is not in use, and let users access a variety of data service with a one-click reaction.
Using Celltick’s Interactive Broadcast technology, the service is able to communicate with millions of users in real time.
The new “Chameleon” service has been launched in a massive media campaign, including promotions in radio, billboards, Web site and shops. In its first stage “Chameleon” will be available to two million users, and the operator plans to expand it to more than 10 million users by the end of the year.
The service will be deployed across all the network’s 88 regions — from Kaliningrad in the west to Khabarovsk in the Far East. VimpelCom has created a country-wide team to run the broadcast operation, effectively working like a TV editorial team.
They will broadcast programmes based on VimpelCom’s current content sources as well as new providers such as MTV Gossip, Sony Music Trivia, Cosmopolitan and Playboy.
The operator expects “Chameleon” to boost its data revenue while increasing subscribers’ loyalty and enhancing its brand perception.
 A trial of the service in the summer of 2004 achieved dramatic results. 2,000 users received broadcasts for a few weeks; 40% of them clicked on to access value added services, each adding an average of 15% to their monthly spending.

3 UK’s has launched “over-the-air” real-time multiplayer games. The service will go live in April and allows up to four gamers to play each other in real-time, over the 3 network.

The first real-time multiplayer games available on 3 will be No Refuge, a tank battle war game supplied by Mobile Interaction, followed by Lock ‘n Load, an electrifying shooting game from Synergenix. In addition, 3 will launch the “turn-based” multiplayer game, Cannons Tournament, a shoot and fire cannon game supplied by Macrospace.
The real-time multiplayer gaming environment is supported on Terramove a gaming solution from TerraPlay, which will allow publishers to develop the best multiplayer games for the 3 network.
3 also announced today advanced games of “near console quality”, bringing the real gaming experience to UK mobile for the first time. The “near console quality” games that will be available to customers through ‘Today on 3’ will include Rally Pro Contest, a fast-moving 3D rally driving game and Lock ‘n Load, these are both 3D games.
These “near console quality” games are being supported on the 3 network by the Mophun gaming engine that is being supplied to 3 by Synergenix.
Graeme Oxby, Marketing Director, 3, “As the success of our music service demonstrates with over 10 million downloads in six months, 3 has learnt how to package and deliver compelling products over 3G. In Gaming, we are doing the same thing — picking the right games for 3G and delivering services that are immediate, fun and accessible at affordable prices.”
Customers pay 25p per play, or 50p for up to three days of play on a game, which 3 says is proving popular with customers who want to sample a game before buying it. With the BUY option customers make a one off payment, of between £3 and £7.50 and then have continuous use of the game on their video mobile. The near console quality games that are initially available on certain models of handset cost £7.50.

The cat may very well be amongst the pigeons in the sometimes divisive world of digital PMR, with the news that leading Tetrapol advocate is going to buy Nokia’s TETRA network equipment and handset business.

The deal means that EADS, which has spent a large amount of time, most recently in its tender for the UK Firlink contract, casting doubts on the techical efficiency and cost base of TETRA network, now owning one of the most active TETRA R&D and manufacturing divisions in the sector.
The combined company would have over 130 digital PMR customers in 56 countries. Nokia’s PMR business, including TETRA infrastructure and terminals, currently comprises of 325 employees who would be transferred to EADS.
“This move enhances EADS’ position in the global homeland security sector. Together, Nokia’s TETRA and our TETRAPOL technologies create an excellent foundation for next generation solutions for mission-critical communications,” said Stefan Zoller, ceo of EADS Defence and Communications Systems (DCS).
Zoller said that bridging the technical divide would give customers a choice.
“We see a global market potential in this field, of over EUR10 billion within the next five years. By having the main technology platforms in our portfolio, we will be able to offer our customers innovative solutions, and serve their evolving needs.”
Matti Peltola, Vice President, Professional Mobile Radio, Networks, Nokia also sought to put a positive spin on the merger.Â
“Our current customers would gain both from future development of TETRA technology, and terminals, as well as the Large System Integrator’s expertise of EADS”, she said “We are convinced of the benefits this move brings to our customers.”
John Cox, ceo of the TETRA promotional and user group TETRA MoU Association, said that he now expected EADS to join the association, and didn’t foresee any problems with the integration of a company previously so closely aligned with the Tetrapol camp.
He pointed out the Association has other members who have had an interest in both TETRA and Tetrapol.
He also welcomed EADS’ commitment to continue to develop and support TETRA technology and products after the acquisition, and pointed out that EADS’ position in markets where TETRA has struggled to compete may now open up opportunities for TETRA as a whole.

The failure to sort out effective Digital Rights Management almost lost the mobile industry the co-operation of the music industry for good. Now, with more and more music and other content services being launched, a row about licensing costs for “standard” DRM technology has threatened to leave content providers once more scratching their heads as to what is going on in the mobile industry.

At its simplest, the story runs like this. The companies whose patents lie behind the Open Mobile Alliance-promoted DRM solution allied for joint representation by a company called MPEG LA, which exists to provide a “one-stop licensing shop” for groups of patent holders. The companies represented in this instance by MPEG LA are ContentGuard Holdings, Intertrust Technologies, Matsushita, Koninklijke Philips Electronics and Sony Corporation.
MPEG LA put the backs up of just about everyone in the industry by saying, in March, that it intended to charge one Dollar per device with  OMA DRM 1.0 functionality (or OMA DRM 1.0 and OMA DRM 2.0). On top of this would sit a 1% levy on any transaction in which OMA DRM 1.0 were invoked, payable by the service provider.
Unsurprisingly, the various industry associations reacted badly. The Mobile Entertainment Forum called the proposals “Onerous, Impractical and Unclear”. (Their capitals!)
“The terms being considered by MPEG LA could have a devastating affect on any business involved in mobile and wireless entertainment,” an MEF statement said.
The MEF said that both the fee amount per device and the fee structure levied for each download would “place an unnecessary burden on the business models of all players in the mobile entertainment value chain”. It also said was impractical as “fees would need to be levied retroactively for devices already on the market with OMA V1 capabilities”. The mere cost of implementing and administrating the suggested transaction fee could easily outweigh the fees levied, it claimed. It also criticised the lack of clarity on OMA V2 and the likelihood that the number of essential patent holders would increase in the MPEG LA pool. 
Also on the warpath was the GSM Association (GSMA). GSMA ceo Rob Conway said that there was significant member discontent about the terms of the licensing scheme, along very similar terms to the MEF’s objections.
The GSMA added to the debate with the observation that the terms would potentially lead to the fragmentation of services, additional cost, delay and a reduction in future innovation and growth. In other words, operators would simply abandon the OMA solution altogether in pursuit of their own solutions.
“Based on frank responses from operators throughout the world, our Board understands that members are being ‘forced away’ from the OMA DRM standards by this unworkable licensing scheme,” said Craig Ehrlich, Chairman of the GSM Association. “In order to provide the services and content which their customers desire, operators will have no option but to take their own routes toward implementing proprietary DRM solutions. These solutions may have lower licensing costs, but will ultimately introduce problems for customers when roaming, changing networks or exchanging content with other users.”  
The GSMA then called for all rival DRM providers to come up with alternative solutions by 11 April.
Perhaps not that surprisingly, MPEG LA then came back with an offer on the 13 April on behalf of its patent holders. Under its revised terms cost of integration of OMA 1.0 and combined 1.0 and 2.0 into devices had come down a third to 65cents (US). Its royalty fee had also been altered from the 1% charge per transaction down to a 25 cent fee per user per year.
At time of going to print, the GSMA and MEF both said they were “considering” the revised terms. Mobile Europe spoke to several executives within operators’ content divisions who also said they would assess the impact of the new proposals before making comment. You can be sure the story will not end here however. Meanwhile other DRM solutions suppliers are flooding into operators with rival propositions. OMA proponents have the advantage of relative ubiquity and standardisation so the most likely outcome seems to be that a deal will be worked out. But one senior executive at a major record label told us that although the operators can’t be blamed, he was surprised to learn that DRM licensing issues were still up for grabs. “There is certainly no fee set aside for future DRM license fees in my model,” he said, “and I would expect most content providers would expect the operator to wear that cost himself.”