Completion of Core Mobile NFC Standard to Spark New Services

ETSI decision adds a key piece to the Mobile NFC jigsaw puzzle

London, GSMA Press Release 2008: The GSMA is pleased that the European Telecommunications Standards Institute has adopted the technical standards governing Mobile Near Field Communications (NFC) services supported by the Association and its members. The completion of the core of the technical standards removes a potential obstacle, enabling mobile operators to prepare for the rollout of contactless payment services and other applications that make use of this flexible short-range radio technology. Last week, members of ETSI selected the software protocol to control communication between the handset’s NFC chip and the SIM card, completing the standards necessary for handset makers to begin production of NFC-enabled phones in large volumes. As part of the GSMA’s Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative, 13 mobile operators are running, or preparing to run, trials of contactless mobile payment services that make use of NFC technology. These trials are the precursor to commercial services that will enable consumers to use their handsets to quickly, easily and securely pay for goods and services in shops, restaurants and train stations. "ETSI's approval of the specification for a dedicated interface, or 'Host Controller Interface' (HCI), helps end uncertainty, complete the core mobile NFC standards and is an crucial milestone for the plans of the GSMA and its members to deploy contactless mobile payment services,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of the GSMA. “The software protocol solution chosen by ETSI will make these new services easier to use by enabling consumers to access all the secure applications on their handset, no matter where they are stored, through one common interface."

Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Increased 16 Per Cent in 2007

Mobile Phone Industry Expected to Resist Economic Downturn as Majority of Growth Will Come From Emerging Markets
Egham, UK— Worldwide sales of mobile phones to end users surpassed 1.15 billion units in 2007, a 16 per cent increase from 2006 sales of 990.9 million, according to Gartner, Inc. Mobile phone sales at the end of the year were consistent with the yearly trend, as fourth quarter sales reached 330 million units.“Emerging markets, especially China and India, provided much of the growth as many people bought their first phone,” said Carolina Milanesi, research director for mobile devices at Gartner, based in Egham, UK. “In mature markets, such as Japan and Western Europe, consumers’ appetite for feature-laden phones was met with new models packed with TV tuners, global positioning satellite (GPS) functions, touch screens and high-resolution cameras.”“After another strong year, we expect the growth in sales of mobile devices to end users will decelerate in 2008 and fall to about 10 per cent growth as mature markets become more saturated,” added Ms Milanesi. “However, the global mobile devices market will remain relatively immune to a recession in the US and Western European economies as the majority of growth in 2008 will come from emerging markets. The mature Western Europe and North America markets are driven by operator contract terms and replacement cycles and will account for just 30 per cent of the global mobile devices market in 2008.

2007 Sales /Market Share (%)
Nokia
435,453.1 / 37.8
Motorola
164,307.0 / 14.3
Samsung
154,540.7 / 13.4
Sony Ericsson
101,358.4 / 8.8
LG
78,576.3 /6.8
Others
218,604.3 / 18.9
TOTAL
1,152,839.8 / 100.0

Nokia achieved its long-term target of 40 per cent market share in the fourth quarter of 2007 when it sold slightly more than 133 million phones across the world. Despite some component shortages, Nokia increased its market share sequentially in all regions except North America, which remains a challenging market for the vendor. In emerging markets, products such as the 1110, the 1600 and the 2630 were in demand by consumers, while in mature markets such as Western Europe high-end phones like the N95, N82 and N73 were sought-after devices. In 2008, Nokia will need to continue to improve its portfolio, offering not only more applications and functions, but also novel designs and improved user interfaces.
In the fourth quarter of 2007, Samsung maintained second position, and although its market share slipped slightly, the gap widened between it and third-placed Motorola. Its success relied on its Ultra and Ultra II family of products. In 2008, Samsung needs to diversify its portfolio further with more form factors and colours so that single products stand out from the overall line-up.The problems that beset Motorola in the third quarter of 2007 continued through the fourth quarter, and it recorded sales of 39 million phones across the world, taking 11.9 per cent of the market. It retained second place in terms of annual sales to end users in 2007, largely thanks to the inventory it disposed of in the first half of the year. Nevertheless, the extent of Motorola's troubles can be seen in the 9.7 percentage-points market-share drop in its fourth quarter of 2007 result from the same period in 2006.Sony Ericsson ended 2007 with another positive performance, growing its market share on a quarterly basis to 9.0 per cent from 8.7 per cent. Its Cyber-shot and Walkman products, such as the K850i, K610i, W910i, K550i and W300i, remained popular among consumers around the world. As Sony Ericsson widens its reach, adding features such as Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as more low-tier products, it will stay competitive in the coming quarters.LG’s mobile phone sales totalled 23.5 million units in the fourth quarter of 2007, maintaining its 7.1 per cent market share despite the increase of more than three million in sales volumes. The success of the Viewty, the Venus and the Voyager helped LG gain brand awareness across the world as well as improve its margins. Ms Milanesi commented: “In 2008, LG will need to continue strengthening its high-end portfolio for mature markets as well as its mid tier. In the low tier, LG will increasingly be challenged by vendors such as ZTE, which has already been eroding its market share in key markets such as India.”The market saw three new entrants into the top ten in the fourth quarter of 2007. These vendors included Research In Motion (RIM), ZTE and Apple. “On one hand, we have aggressive pricing and a focus on emerging markets (ZTE), and on the other, RIM with targeted functions and Apple with brand and design,” said Ms Milanesi.“Phone manufacturers need to continuously adapt their portfolios to respond to operators' demands for open platforms, lower pricing and more personalisation,” recommended Ms Milanesi. “They should also try to meet consumers' desires for fashionable, easy-to-use phones.”

Disney begins mobile service in Japan

TOKYO (AFP) — Disney launched a mobile phone service in Japan on Saturday in cooperation with Softbank Corp, entering the tough Japanese cellular phone market following its withdrawal from the the United States.
Walt Disney Japan, the local unit of Walt Disney Co., released three types of mobiles, made by Sharp, all covered with silhouette patterns of Mickey Mouse.
Disney has become Japan's first so-called mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). A Walt Disney Japan official said the firm was confident of success here as Disney already had a strong following in Japan, where Tokyo Disneyland receives tens of millions of visitors every year.
Disney had already been a major content provider for mobile phones in Japan, the official said, adding that its tie-up with Softbank would also help bolster profitability of the service, named "Disney Mobile".

950 Million Users Will Access Social Networking Sites via Mobile Devices, says Pyramid Research

Pyramid Research - Mobility is set to play an important role in social networking. As social networking goes mobile, social networking sites (SNS) could play an important role in mobile operator strategies for increasing mobile data usage, according to Pyramid Research.
Today's active social networking members represent more than one-third of the total worldwide Internet user base, for a figure of 530 million members worldwide. Looking ahead, Pyramid Research expects social networking sites to gain prominence as sites add increased functionality and more people are introduced to them by friends and acquaintances. By the end of 2012, there will be 950 million users accessing social networking sites via their mobile devices.
As social networking develops as an industry, mobility will play a vital role in shaping the future. There are strong forces bringing SNS and mobility together including the industry-wide trend toward presence and personalization. For social networking sites, the ability of members to access the sites from anywhere will enhance the utility of the sites and thus the advertising revenue that the sites can generate.
For mobile operators, SNS could greatly increase mobile data usage, which has so far been lackluster in most markets, and open the door to new revenue streams from subscription fees or advertising. To that end, a broad range of handset suppliers, network equipment providers, and software developers have been making progress in addressing technical obstacles to mobile social networking -- such as the need for bandwidth, devices and browsers.

O2 sells iPhone in Ireland

O2 Ireland today confirmed that it will be the exclusive Irish carrier for Apple's revolutionary iPhone when it makes its official debut in Ireland on March 14th. iPhone combines three devices into one: a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and the best mobile Internet device ever, all based on Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface and pioneering software that allows users to control iPhone with just a tap, flick or pinch of their fingers. iPhone will be sold in Ireland through O2 retail stores. The device will also be available through Carphone Warehouse retail stores. iPhone will be available in an 8GB model for €399 (inc VAT) and a 16GB model for €499 (inc VAT) and will work with either a PC or Mac. Three new iPhone tariffs will be available from O2, starting at €45, all of which will include anytime minutes, texts and a 1GB data bundle.

Commenting on the announcement, Danuta Gray, O2 Ireland CEO, said, "The iPhone is changing the way people use their mobiles forever, and we're thrilled to offer it to O2 customers in Ireland. Our strategy in Ireland continues to be to bring our customers the very best innovations and experiences in mobile communications." The activation process for customers who sign up to iPhone tariffs is very simple, with the SIM being activated immediately in-store. Once at home, all customers then have to do is sync the device to their PC or Mac, download the latest version of iTunes, follow the easy to use activation steps and the device will be ready to use.
Once activated, users can easily sync all of their phone numbers and other contact information, calendars, email accounts, web browser bookmarks, music, photos, podcasts and TV shows just like they do when they sync their iPods with iTunes.

Research and Markets: In 2008 It Is Predicted That Over 2 Trillion Text Messages Will Be Sent Worldwide and This Number Continues To Grow

Business Wire - Research and Markets has announced the addition of 2008 Global Mobile -- Data and Content Markets to their offering.

Key highlights:

-- In the wake of the popularity of HSDPA, currently over 25 HSUPA networks have been commercially launched in 20 countries around the world.

-- Today more than 40 mobile operators worldwide are developing mobile IM services for personal use and in late 2007 personal mobile IM became available in Asia.

-- In 2008 it is predicted over 2 trillion text messages will be sent worldwide and this number continues to grow.

-- The USA is planning the most significant upgrade to its GPS system since its launch. GPS III satellites are expected to have 500 times the transmitter power of the current system.

-- In 2008 mobile TV/video is commercially available in some markets and there will be further launches and trials taking place in all regions of the world.

-- The introduction of smaller and more flexible chipset modules will reduce the size of the RFID readers and bring overall costs down.

-- Operators around the world are contemplating and deploying IMS; a mobile platform that makes seamless communications possible between fixed and mobile networks. Initially attitudes towards IMS were overly positive, but the hype is now settling with operators taking a more realistic and cautious approach.

-- In 2008 around 70% of GPRS operators have committed to deploying EDGE in their networks worldwide.

-- The US mobile data sector continued to enjoy strong growth (at around 60%) in 2007.

-- Mobile operators in Eastern Europe are slowly focusing on mobile data, particularly in countries where prospects for revenue growth from saturated voice markets are slim and the number of deployed WCDMA/HSDPA networks is on the rise, a tribute to the technology's maturity and its dominance of the 3G technology market.

New Mobile Services from Clear Channel Interact Will Transform Outdoor Advertising

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clear Channel Outdoor UK is launching a suite of ground-breaking mobile services which will enable clients and agencies to interact directly with consumers through the outdoor medium. The new services, branded Clear Channel Interact, will allow consumers to opt-in to find out more information about an advertiser, download mobile vouchers for special offers, access mobile websites or find the nearest store, gym, cinema or other desired location.

The number of adult mobile phone owners in the UK has reached 88%, according to the Mobile Data Association, while Clear Channel Outdoor’s 70,000 outdoor advertising opportunities reach 84% of the population every week*. Advertisers will now be able to book outdoor advertising campaigns that include a call to action for consumers to use their mobiles and text a Clear Channel operated shortcode number which provides access to a world of bespoke mobile information, selected by the advertiser.

These services will include: Find out more, Mobile voucher, Mobile website, Find my nearest, Consumer feedback, Voting service, Text messaging, Voice messaging, Picture messaging and Directory listings.

The Mobile voucher service, for example, will allow an advertiser to send vouchers direct to a mobile handset which can be redeemed directly in-store or by entering a unique code online.

The Find my nearest service can be used to drive footfall and facilitate the call to action of a particular campaign. Clear Channel Interact will be able to triangulate a consumer’s location and search its database for the nearest locations according to keyword. The matching destinations, for example retail outlets, gyms or cinemas, can then be sent to the user’s handset including addresses, telephone numbers and maps.

All of these services will be supported by a back-end system that will provide tracking and data profiling facilities for advertisers, in accordance with the Data Protection Act, further enhancing the accountability of specific campaigns, and the outdoor medium as a whole.

Clear Channel Outdoor UK CEO, Barry Sayer, said: “We see the launch of Clear Channel Interact as the perfect marriage between the world’s oldest and newest media. While outdoor advertising provides clients with penetration at the heart of relevant environments and communities across the country, mobile technology closes the marketing loop by directly linking the consumer to the advertiser, initialising two-way communication.”

Priceline.com Launches New Mobile Services For Travelers

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Priceline.com® (Nasdaq: PCLN) announced today the launch of a suite of mobile services that enable travelers with Web-enabled wireless devices to search hotel inventories, pricing and availability in real-time, book rooms, check the status of their flights, and see recommended restaurants and local attraction reviews from Zagat Survey, LLC.

“We believe these enhancements make priceline.com one of the leading wireless services providers in the online travel space,” said priceline.com’s Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller. “Many priceline.com customers are last-minute travelers who need the ability to check live hotel inventories, book their rooms in real-time and check their flight status while on the road. In addition, Zagat Survey’s restaurant and attractions reviews provide unique, valuable content that can’t be found on any other major online travel service.”

Travelers can access priceline.com’s mobile services in two ways. When accessed through a Web-enabled wireless device, www.priceline.com will automatically route visitors to the special wireless home page. Travelers can also access priceline.com’s mobile services, by wireless device or computer, by visiting www.priceline.mobi.

Priceline’s mobile features include:

• Search Hotels. Allows customers to search live, real-time hotel inventories and pricing by city and date. Once the desired hotel is located, customers can click on a link to be connected to Priceline’s telephone booking service for hotels.
• Book Travel. Provides an easy connection to Priceline’s telephone booking services for hotel rooms, air & hotel vacation packages and cruises.
• Flight Status. Automatically connects to the mobile flight status pages for American, Northwest, United and US Airways. Provides links that customers can use to dial flight status phone numbers for most major domestic and international airlines.
• Zagat-Rated Restaurants. Allows visitors to view highlights of Zagat-Rated restaurants by city. Each restaurant is accompanied by address, phone number, average price and Zagat’s signature numerical rating of its Food, Décor and Service.
• Zagat-Rated Attractions. Allows visitors to view highlights of Zagat-Rated attractions by city. Each attraction is accompanied by address, telephone number, cost (if any), and Zagat’s signature numerical rating of its Appeal, Facilities and Service.
• Customer Help. Provides e-mail and telephone links to Priceline customer service for hotels, vacation packages and cruises.
• Download Goodies. Offers downloadable ringtones and wireless device wallpaper from priceline.com’s current Negotiator TV commercials, starring William Shatner.

Internet Service, GPS Driving Chinese Smartphone Market

WEBWIRE – Wednesday, February 28, 2008

The smartphone is evolving to become a mobile Internet device, with cellular voice communication just one function of the converged appliance, and Chinese consumers are responding to its capabilities, reports In-Stat. The Chinese smartphone market grew by 37.7% in 2007, with total shipments of 14.4 million. The introduction of feature-rich mobile Internet service and GPS-based services will fuel the market over the next several years.

A recent report by the high-tech market research firm found the following:

* Revolutionary UI and UE, enabled by touchscreen and 3D sensor technologies, will be widely used in the next generation of smartphones.

* Smartphone shipments in China are expected to hit 33 million in 2012.

* The GPS-enabled Smartphone is in its infancy, but will have an increasing impact on the Smartphone market during the forecast period.

Sprint Launches Revolutionary $99.99 “Simply EverythingSM” Plan

Plan Defines Simplicity, Offers Customers Unlimited Voice and Data

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an industry-defining move, Sprint today announced it will launch a domestic unlimited pricing plan that gives customers unlimited voice, data, text, e-mail, Web-surfing, Sprint TV^SM, Sprint Music, GPS Navigation, Direct Connect^® and Group Connect^® for $99.99 a month. The new pricing plan is available to existing and new customers beginning tomorrow.

“This is a bold, unprecedented move,” said Dan Hesse, president and CEO, Sprint Nextel. “Wireless today is about much more than just voice. It is about data services – texting, email, video, pictures, music, navigation, surfing the Web and more. Customers want these applications, but without complexity and without having to worry about their bill. The $99.99 Simply Everything plan delivers it all right to the palm of their hand now.

“Today’s handsets are powerful data devices. Each day they get better, faster and easier to use with more intuitive user interface designs and full Internet access. Our high-speed networks were built with this in mind and it’s where we believe the battleground lies – offering fast access to the best content and data services. We are removing the barriers for customers to feel free to use all of the features of their phones.”

The $99.99 Simply Everything plan is available to customers on both Sprint’s CDMA and iDEN networks. Existing Sprint customers can switch to the Simply Everything plan without extending their current contract either by contacting Sprint customer service or by stopping by any participating Sprint retail location. New line activations require a two-year agreement.

For families, Simply Everything includes an incremental $5 discount for each incremental line, up to five lines on the same bill. For example, two lines would amount to $194.98 ($99.99 + $94.99); a third line would cost an additional $89.99. This is in sharp contrast to the multi-line unlimited rates offered by some competitors. The Sprint plan offers significant savings the more lines a customer adds.

The move to unlimited pricing that includes data signifies a turning point for the wireless industry. Nationally accepted measures of voice quality now show very little, if any, difference among the top wireless providers.

“All major carriers have good voice networks,” Hesse said. “Our network is about more than voice and more than just being the largest wireless data network. It is about allowing customers to connect with people, information and entertainment. It is about simplicity, usability and real value. The $99.99 Simply Everything plan eliminates overage surprises and provides a worry-free environment.

“Our investments in innovation and speed are becoming the new areas of differentiation. These are the areas where we perform best and where we can deliver a wireless advantage for our customers.”