Mobiles

The first mobile ticketing solution using UK mobile payment initiative payforIT has been launched today by interactive mobile specialists Dialogue Communications and AEI Mobile. Mobile ticketing will enable party-goers to purchase tickets to a London nightclub via their mobile phone using payforIT, and to receive the tickets via SMS.

PayforIT is the cross-operator payment initiative that allows consumers to purchase goods and services via their mobile phone up to the value of £10. Dialogue and AEI Mobile will be working together to provide a mobile ticketing solution for Drum & Bass Arena event taking place at Scala Club in London on 15th August and tickets are on sale today for £10.

Guiom Peersman, Dialogue’s UK managing director explains: “We believe this is the first time payforIT will be used to purchase event tickets. People wishing to buy a ticket can text “Scala” to short code 81330 and in return will receive a WAP link to Scala Club’s mobile internet site. From there tickets are available for purchase through the payforIT payment system and the ticket will be delivered directly to the buyer via SMS.

Traditionally, security alarm systems used fixed telephone lines to pass information from the security alarm panel to a central monitoring facility. Today, however, that communication is increasingly being delegated to a digital cellular link. ABI Research forecasts that the 2007 number of just fewer than 2.5 million wireless security alarm connections will increase to more than 7.5 million in 2013.

What is driving this transition? According to senior analyst Sam Lucero, a number of factors have combined to create this new market trend: “In North America, formerly analog wireless security alarms are now shifting to digital cellular services as a result of the AMPS ‘sunset’ in February 2008. More importantly, the continuing decline of landline voice services and the increasing utilization of second phone lines for DSL broadband services have made cellular connectivity more attractive, even necessary, for security alarm connectivity.”

Other factors promoting cellular security backhaul include the general trend for cost-optimized alarm systems to rely on wireless connectivity exclusively, particularly in Europe. In addition, wireless operators and broadband service providers are increasingly entering the security alarm service industry and are utilizing wireless either as a primary connection or back-up connection to a primary broadband connection. Also, unlike wired connections, cellular connections cannot be cut, and current cellular module technology includes anti-jamming features.

Lucero does caution that there are challenges to the adoption of wireless technology by the security alarm industry. “Wireless is a relatively new option and many security alarm dealers have to be trained in the installation process,” he says. “In addition, the relatively high cost of modules, particularly CDMA modules, is an inhibitor. Despite these barriers, however, there is an opportunity here for most if not all cellular module vendors, as well as for carriers and specialist M2M providers.”

AT&T appears to have positioned itself as a key player in the North American market, as has M2M mobile operators Aeris, Jasper Wireless, and Numerex. M2M mobile virtual network operator KORE Telematics is also strongly positioned in this market. 

Photo: Nokia 8800 Diamond Covered in 112 Diamonds, Priced at $6000 Photo 2

Finnish-phone giant Nokia today announced its Nokia 8800 Diamond, a limited edition diamond-laced mobile phone created in partnership with Norwegian-jeweler Thomas Heyerdahl.

Diamonds highlight an already simple, clean and sophisticated design, according to Thomas Heyerdahl. Limited to 100 individually-numbered copies, the 8800 Diamond is covered with 112 United Nations-approved diamonds, totaling 0.7 carats.

It features a high-end metal and glass composition and smooth slide mechanism - comprised of state-of-the art ball bearings and a unique spring mechanism. A 2.0-inch QVGA 240 x 320 px, OLED display with up to 16 million colors, 3.2-megapixel auto focus camera with 8x digital zoom, 3G capabilities and 1GB built in memory space are all standard.

The Nokia 8800 Diamond will be sold in Canada, priced at $6000 USD, at selected Nokia distributors and Heyerdahl stores starting this June.

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The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (Kevin Martin) announced yesterday a delay in the voting on his proposal to auction an unused piece of 25 megahertz wireless spectrum. The winning bidder would have to build out a free wireless braodband system to serve half of the U.S. population within four years and 95 percent within 10 years (while filtering out objectionable content). The auction winner would then be allowed to use the rest of the airwaves for commercial services.

The next meeting will take place on June 12th where the commission will resume the proposal prospect. The delay actually buys the FCC more time to investigate concerns expressed by many of the nation's top wireless service providers that use of the airwaves would interfere with their own portion of the wireless spectrum (that they acquired in another FCC auction in 2006). They recommend that this auction include additional measures to guard against such interference.

In the grander scheme of things, countless Americans eagerly anticipate the results of this auction as free broadband Internet service without pornography would benefit everybody. See full article.

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Starbucks Adds Free Wi-Fi Access, Switches to AT&T - 11 February 2008

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The FCC chairman has backed off a bit on his plan to auction an unused swath of 700MHz spectrum as a free nationwide broadband internet network after a few issues have been raised. The chairman considers this to be only a delay, not a roadblock.
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We are but four days away from Apple’s land mark WWDC event in San Francisco. Being so close, it is only natural that the rumors are running wild over the event. Everything from the 3G iPhone, to a new type of tablet like Mac portable. Sit tight if you would like to hear what we are hearing, and for our take on the rumors that have been flying around.

Continue the report here

Verizon Wireless has entered into an agreement with Alltel Corporation and Atlantis Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, to acquire Alltel Corporation in a cash merger. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).

Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Wireless will acquire the equity of Alltel for approximately $5.9 billion. Based on Alltel’s projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the transaction is $28.1 billion.

The parties are targeting completion of the merger by the end of the year, subject to obtaining regulatory approvals.

“This move will create an enhanced platform of network coverage, spectrum and customer care to better serve the growing needs of both Alltel and Verizon Wireless customers for reliable basic and advanced broadband wireless services,” said Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and chief executive officer.

Alltel serves more than 13 million customers in markets in 34 states. This includes 57 primarily rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve. The transaction puts the Alltel markets and customers on a path to advanced 4th generation services as Verizon Wireless deploys LTE technology throughout its network over the next several years. Alltel’s customers also will reap the benefits of Verizon Wireless’ Open Development initiative, which welcomes third-party devices and services to use the Verizon Wireless network.

With the imminent launch of its 3G iPhone, Apple has a window of opportunity to have a significant impact on the mobile TV market, according to the latest report from Analysys Mason. There is considerable speculation about what next to expect from Apple’s iPhone ahead of CEO Steve Jobs’ keynote at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco on Monday.

“The iPhone could become the mobile video delivery device of choice for many consumers, by providing a compelling mobile TV and video proposition before mobile broadcasting networks, such as DVB-H become widely available”, says Mark Heath, co-author of the new Analysys Mason report iPhone Shows the Way for Mobile TV.

Many operators are offering mobile TV services, using 3G streaming, but these are constrained by lack of coverage, relatively poor quality of service and 3G capacity limitations (as 3G networks may only support relatively low penetrations of mobile TV users).

Market research shows that many iPhone owners have accessed TV and video content, with greater frequency than subscribers using other types of mobile handsets. With added 3G capability, the iPhone will bring the following highly attractive attributes to the mobile TV market.

While iPhone take-up has been relatively modest, with cumulative sales of about 5.4 million units by the end of March 2008, this is due to Apple’s initial strategies of constraining worldwide availability and launching exclusively with a single operator in each market. As Apple moves away from these restrictive distribution strategies, there could be substantial growth in the number of iPhones sold.

“If the iPhone is able to achieve significant worldwide market share, it will be well-positioned to have a significant impact on the way mobile subscribers purchase and watch mobile TV and video content,” adds Dr Alastair Brydon, co-author of the report.

Qik Supports Nokia, Motorola and Samsung Devices
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T-Mobile has launched the limited edition Tony Hawk version of the Sidekick LX. Microsoft's Andy Lees tell Reuters that Windows Mobile is going to focus more on music. A new beta version of iPhone VoIP client iCall can transfer calls from GSM to WiFi.
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