Recently in Wireless Category

The Web: The Best is Yet to Come

April 23, 2009 10:51 AM

If you think the Internet's a crowded place today, guess what? One of the Internets founders (insert Al Gore jokes here) Tim Berners-Lee, keynoting at the 18^th Annual World Wide Web conference in Madrid this week, believes that the best of the Internet is yet to come.

"The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet. The future is still so much bigger than the past," he said.

The ITU report, Measuring the Information Society, The ICT Development Index, finds that only 23% of the global population currently uses the Internet, as compared to over 60% of the world's population that is currently subscribing to mobile cellular phone services.

An article on Breitbart quotes Internet co-founder Vinton Cerf who says, "We will have more Internet, larger numbers of users, more mobile access, more speed, more things online and more appliances we can control over the Internet."

I for one, think we all can agree that the future of the Web is mobile. As smartphones proliferate and becomes less expensive; as next-generation wireless networks bring Internet access into every far-flung corner of the globe; as more people are able to get access to more information, we will see the truly transformational power of the Internet facilitate a freer exchange of ideas, resulting in new advances in technology, society, etc...

Now if only we can do away with e-Mail spam...

Stock Blog Compares AT&T, Verizon

April 22, 2009 7:28 AM

This morning, over at Seeking Alpha, there's a nice article from ValueExpectations (a stock blog and investment newsletter that provides institutional quality equity research) on the difference between AT&T and Verizon. ValueExpectations.com is run by the founders of The Applied Finance Group and Toreador Research and Trading.

To start, the article separates AT&T and Verizon from the third place U.S. wireless provider, Sprint.

Then, it compares the relative value proposition of both top wireless operators.

AT&T's market cap is $150 billion to Verizon's $90 billion.

AT&T is considered to have the better 3G network and a partnership with Apple to offer what is considered the hottest smartphone on the market, the iPhone. Verizon however has a "decent" 3G network, according to the article, and through its partnership with and support for several Blackberry models, is riding a positive trend.

Verizon's FiOS is considered the wave of the future, delivering "lightning-fast fiber optics" while AT&T's FTTN (fiber to the node) strategy is somewhat wanting. FiOS is also enjoying a much higher rate of adoption than AT&T's U-Verse product.

Finally the article compares the two operators' plans for fourth-generation wireless, or 4G. Verizon seems to be better positioned here, with a more aggressive rollout schedule, looking to deploy 4G services by 2010 as opposed to AT&T looking to roll out service two years later.

Finally, using a proprietary valuation model, the article by Value Expectations views Verizon as an attractive play, while AT&T looks overpriced.

To learn more about 4G and to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends in the space, visit the 4G-Wireless Evolution homepage.

WSJ: Obama to Ease Cuba Restrictions

April 13, 2009 4:46 PM

The Obama Administration announced it will ease restrictions on telecom companies to bid on licenses in Cuba, to set up mobile phone and television services, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Maybe I have these old-fashioned romatic ideas about doing the right thing, but I find it hard to stomach the decision by the administration to allow U.S. companies to do business with a Castro regime that still incarcerates hundreds of prisoners of conscience, and that continues to engage in human rights violations there.

Attending HIMSS - Healthcare Meets IT

April 7, 2009 10:54 AM

Just a quick note to say I'm in Chicago at the McCormick Center, attending the HIMSS conference, which covers IT in the Healthcare space.

I prearranged a bunch of meetings and I'll be jetting from booth to booth starting in about 15 minutes.

For those paying attention to all the nasty windy weather we've been experiencing (and flying in) I have to say today was a smoooooooth flight from the NY area out to O'Hare.

Let's hope tonight's flight back is the same.

Looking forward to my meetings, and I'll keep you updated as time allows.

In the meantime don't forget to stay up to speed on the latest healthcare and related news at our TMCnet Healthcare vertical site. If the intersection of healthcare and technology is your market - bookmark this site today!

Nuance Mobile Care Enhances User Experience

April 2, 2009 1:00 PM

I'm at CTIA in Las Vegas today, where I just had a meeting with Nuance senior product manager David Winarsky, who shared his insights into Nuance's latest offering Nuance Mobile Care.

The solution gives end users the ability to self-solve simple problems including customer care and billing directly and instantly on their handset thus eliminating wait times for customer service agents, and allowing customers to help themselves.

Winarsky told me that this creates a large opportunity for service providers to reduce costs and provide a superior customer experience.

Deploying the Nuance Mobile Care solution has reportedly been shown to reduce calls being directed to live agents by over sixty percent. Winarsky cited a statistic that a miniscule shift of just 1% to automation can save large carriers $1 million per month.

He showed me a demo of the solution on a Nokia N-series phone, and walked me through the different options for account management, visual IVR, ease of navigation and the ability to display complex details on the handset.

Subscribers can choose which channel (speech, text...) is best for self service and they can always zero out to an operator

The application also does some diagnostics, helping users determine if there are problems with the device.

One interesting opportunity is that service providers can use this application to send consumers targeted advertisements, and fulfillment takes place right on the device, which is another incredible revenue opportunity for the operators.

The solution is currently deployed with T-Mobile in the U.S. (postpaid) and Metro PCS (prepaid); and with Vodafone in the UK (with a contract to expand to 18 other operators in Europe).

Looking ahead, Nuance plans to add personalization and by continue to enhance the user experience. And while they are addressing wireless carriers today, Winarsky tells me that there are plans in the works to target the enterprise market down the road.

Motorola, Vocera Team for Healthcare Solution

March 31, 2009 10:59 AM

Motorola, Inc. and Vocera Inc., expanded their relationship with an agreement to jointly deliver solutions combining Vocera's experience in providing targeted communications solutions and Motorola's expertise in enterprise handheld devices. The joint solution addresses the healthcare market, and is designed to deliver improved healthcare at a patient's bedside.

Healthcare staff will be able to utilize the Vocera communications system on Motorola's Enterprise Digital Assistants (EDA) and voice-over-wireless LAN (VoWLAN) smartphones to improve collaboration, increase patient safety, and provide more attentive care.

The first Vocera-enabled solutions will be a range of Motorola EDAs, including the MC70, MC75, and MC55. Vocera has also developed a software client that will be sold as a software upgrade to run on the Windows Mobile handheld computers delivering instant VoWLAN communication capabilities.

Also announced was the Vocera smartphone, which in addition to traditional full phone functionality will offer Vocera's signature voice-enabled calling and messaging capabilities within the enterprise. The solution will be based on Motorola's TEAM VoWLAN solution, The new semi-rugged phone will run the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, giving users access to a wide variety of applications, such as electronic medical records.

Skype on Nokia N-Series

February 17, 2009 7:45 AM

Skype and Nokia today announced today that Skype will be integrated into Nokia devices, with Nokia's N97 flagship device the first to incorporate the Skype experience by Q3 2009.

Skype will be part of the address book of the Nokia N97, enabling presence - seeing when Skype contacts are online - as well as instant messaging.

Nokia N97 owners will reportedly also be able to use 3G and WLAN to easily make and receive free Skype-to-Skype voice calls, in addition to low-cost Skype calls to landlines and mobile devices.

Paving the Way for Voice over LTE

February 12, 2009 8:27 AM

Great. Another acronym.

I guess in the world of tech that we inhabit, that's to be expected.

This one's not so bad provided it's pronounced volt and not volt-EE.

What am I talking about? I'll tell you.

Nokia Siemens Networks has reportedly come up with an approach for providing voice service over LTE networks that:

...operators can implement with simple and cost-effective software and hardware upgrades* to their existing 3GPP circuit-switch core network. The "Fast Track VoLTE" approach provides a cost-efficient way to offer voice over LTE (VoLTE) in any mobile network architecture.

Note the asterisk. Here's what the press release had to say about that:

*Fast Track VoLTE is based on new functionality that can be added to existing MSC Server mobile softswitching equipment (MSS) that has been upgraded to support VoIP with Nokia Siemens Networks' Mobile VoIP Server (NVS) functionality. The solution requires only a simple software upgrade to an MSS/NVS system, plus the integration of an additional hardware unit. It provides all the functions and features required for carrier-grade voice service and interoperates to support seamless subscriber mobility between LTE and current 2G and 3G networks.

According to Michael Clever, Head of Next Generation Voice and Multimedia, Nokia Siemens Networks, the Fast Track Voice over LTE solution is a critical evolutionary stepping stone en route to IMS.

Said Clever:

Fast Track Voice over LTE supplies the missing link in the evolution of voice. It can provide a transitional step between traditional networks and the all-IP world of LTE. The solution allows our customers to exploit their investment in their existing circuit-switched mobile core network, while providing next-generation service. Later, they can proceed to a full IMS solution to provide converged multimedia services, in addition to VoLTE. This is cost-effective, sensible evolution.

Wireless Association Comments on Stimulus Plan

February 10, 2009 2:55 PM

President Obama's economic stimulus plan passed its first hurdle today, clearing the Senate, en route to the House.

Among the many elements of the bill, there is nearly $7billion in available funding for the delivery of wireless broadband to rural areas.

Fred Campbell, the President of the Wireless Communications Association International issued the following statement:

"WCAI is pleased that the Senate stimulus bill includes $6.65 billion in grants for broadband deployment. As the only broadband platform that is capable of providing access everywhere, all the time, and at affordable prices, wireless broadband is essential to broadband connectivity, especially in rural areas. Many WCAI members serving rural and underserved areas would be in a position to implement their business plans more quickly and broadly with the support of the government funding. This would create new jobs, strengthen our economy and ensure that America remains competitive globally."

In-Stat: WiMAX Market Strong, Yet Some Vendors Shrink from Opportunity

February 10, 2009 10:09 AM

According to industry researcher In-Stat, "Broadband communications have become a crucial communications tool, so demand for mobile WiMAX technology remains strong."

But some vendors, especially those slow to migrate to the latest standards, might not be willing to wait around for that demand to translate into tangible sales.

"While the market for 802.16e will continue to grow, it does not mean happy days are here for every vendor," says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. "In-Stat expects to see more infrastructure vendors pull back or leave the WiMAX market entirely. This is especially true for vendors that have been slow moving from 802.16d to the 802.16e standard."

According to the In-Stat research:

· WiMAX base station revenues grew by 137.9% in 2008.

· Global WiMAX subscriptions will be over 85 million by the end of 2013.

· Deployments of 802.16e are contributing to the decline of sales in the fixed WiMAX standard, 802.16d.

Seems to me that this market opportunity is real and continues to evolve. With some vendors pulling out before the market matures, it appears that there will be more to go around for the remaining players that do hang in there.

1 2 Next

« WiMAX | Main Index | Archives

Telephone Systems: The main dissadvantage of the Samsung OfficeServ 7100 and 7030 read more
Dominick A. Leone: I am a prospective client of Sales Force.com, and an read more
Ron: I just purchased an 7100 system. The one good thing read more
Stephen Joos: Quite a disappointing game, but the mobile donation part was read more
xtravesti.com: Good article..We recently installed this product the first part of read more
investment: thank you so much.My favoriye technology is HD.Lifesize is good. read more
Estetik: rn a product when there is no documentation to explain read more
araba kiralama: Some good comments, to a very interesting post, that goes read more
prefabrik: I was sold on all the fancy brochures promising that read more
iyinet webmaster forumu seo yarismasi: First,I think samsung's products are high quality.But every product is read more

Recently in Wireless Category

The Web: The Best is Yet to Come

Stock Blog Compares AT&T, Verizon

WSJ: Obama to Ease Cuba Restrictions

Attending HIMSS - Healthcare Meets IT

Nuance Mobile Care Enhances User Experience

Motorola, Vocera Team for Healthcare Solution

Skype on Nokia N-Series

Paving the Way for Voice over LTE

Wireless Association Comments on Stimulus Plan

In-Stat: WiMAX Market Strong, Yet Some Vendors Shrink from Opportunity

Search

Recent Entries

Recent Comments

Categories

Blogroll

Recent Entry Images

Category Archives

Around TMCnet Blogs

Latest Whitepapers

TMCnet Videos

Recently in Wireless Category

Search

Recent Entries

Subscribe to Blog

Recent Comments

Categories

Blogroll

Recent Entry Images

Category Archives

Around TMCnet Blogs

Latest Whitepapers

TMCnet Videos