Throughout the incredible journey of the telecom OSS/BSS sector over
the last 10 years, VanillaPlus has remained a reliable source of both key
news but also informative, objective and thought-provoking assessments of
the key trends which have shaped our industry. I am looking forward to
VanillaPlus and their more recent Stream journal continuing to play a key
role in providing valuable insights as we enter one of the most exciting
phases of the telecoms OSS/BSS market evolutions.
Kieran Moynihan
Vice President & CTO Telecoms
IBM Tivoli Division
Games & Gaming
BT and Microsoft partner to deliver TV, games and movies through Xbox 360
US-based Microsoft Corporation and the UK’s BT are bringing together the next-gen TV service, BT Vision with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 games and entertainment
system. BT broadband customers will soon be able to receive the best in
high definition gaming, television and movies through an Xbox 360
console, in an “all-in-one entertainment experience”, as the companies
put it.
BT Vision, which is powered by the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet
Protocol TV (IPTV) platform, plans to launch this first-of-its-kind
device and service offering in mid-2008. The partnership will enable any BT Broadband customer to use an Xbox 360 console to access the BT Vision service and its extensive library of
on-demand content, giving instant access to hundreds of movies and
thousands of hours of sporting events, television programming, music videos and other digital content, such as BT Vision Sport’s English FA Premier League football matches. The service will be available to existing and future Xbox 360 console owners.
Xbox LIVE, described as “the largest online social network in the
living room”, will be integrated to provide consumers with a wide range
of community-based features, such as voice chat, sending and receiving
text and voice messages, and accessing Xbox LIVE Marketplace, all while
watching TV. For example, while a TV viewer is enjoying his or her
football game, they can receive a message from a friend inviting them
to join a voice chat, or play a game of their own with FIFA Soccer.
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Sony Ericsson’s sort-of-answer to iPhone really grows on you
OK, so it’s not as cool as the iPhone, and it’s
not hyped as much as Samsung’s F700 with QWERTY keyboard. But at the end of a
few days together the W960i was growing on Jeremy Cowan, who was in no rush to
send it back.
Perhaps we
got off to a bad start, it and me. It’s a little slow to boot up, well slower
than my trusty W850i. It’s bigger too; but then it would be, to accommodate a
39 x 52 mm screen. But it soon started to win back some ground with its 3.2
megapixel camera and high screen resolution. My first digital camera barely
matched the 960’s camera and it never matched the screen size.
The change of GUI was just annoying though. I’ve had a number of Sony Ericsson
phones and – though I’ve liked them all, more or less – the applications menu
alters with every iteration. Sony Ericsson is no more guilty here than other
manufacturers; they all annoy me with needless menu changes that erode the
pleasing familiarity of an easy search for the next function.
Pros
* Touch screen – many will opt for the W960i for this alone. It’s sensitive
without being overly so. Job done.
* Jog dial – Apologies to Jonny, the first person to call me after I received
it and who I accused of mumbling -- I’d brushed the side-mounted Jog Dial which
is both navigation tool and volume control when putting it in a coat pocket
inadvertently cutting the speaker volume (duh! Faulty operative; it didn’t
happen again).
OK, so the Jog Dial’s not strictly necessary when you’ve already got a good
touch screen and a finger or stylus as your OS. But it gives usesr a quicker
option when navigating the menu and works well; rotate the discreet wheel on
the side to highlight various options until you press the wheel, mouse-style.
* Stylus (I
started thinking it was a pain, and ended up using it all the time, even when a
finger might have been quicker).
* Better battery life than previous Sony Ericsson smart phones.
* Walkman is good (though I prefer downloads from Omnifone’s Music Station).
* 8Gb memory.
Cons
* Small-ish
screen means the touch screen is susceptible to (my not very) Fat Finger
Syndrome. Try the Jog Dial or Stylus instead.
*
Inconsistent GUI and applications menu: Memo to all handset makers: Find a menu
format that your customers like and flippin’ stick with it. Unless you’ve come
up with a genuine improvement, that
is. It took me a while to find the Silent mode. Eventually I even had to read
the manual. (I know, it’s a bloke thing!).
Verdict(s)
Day 1: I almost sent the W960i back.
Day 5: I may be out when they come to collect it.
Mobile service providers face challenging times in middle of next decade, iSuppli study says
El Segundo, California, USA, July 8, 2008 — The gloomy findings of a mobile social networking study have been released in a White Paper by its authors, iSuppli Corp. In it they predict that the Technology,
Media, and Telecoms (TMT) business will undergo a fundamental
transformation during the next 10 years, courtesy of the coming wireless social
networking revolution. Because of this, iSuppli Corp.
believes, content providers, advertisers, telcos and
electronics suppliers — must transform their business strategies as well if they
want to maintain their relevance in the coming years.
Said Derek Lidow, president and chief executive officer at iSuppli, “The shifts
will impact most value-chain participants, and will be highly
interrelated." With
today’s TMT business representing 5% of global Gross Domestic Product, these industry realignments will have
impacts far
beyond the value chain itself. Major
findings of this study include:
· Within 10 years, Social Networking + Me
(SME), primarily driven by wireless devices, will become ‘must-have’
applications and devices for global consumers.
· Although there have not been any
successful implementations of wireless social networking to date, the widespread
adoption of mobile Internet devices like the iPhone will spur an entirely new
generation of wireless social networking businesses and business models starting
in 2009.
· Many wireless service providers
will face very challenging times in the middle years of next decade as intense
battles break out against alternate providers of wireless access over who
controls the distribution of all the content and services that will be enabled,
and will be highly sought after by wireless subscribers.
· By 2020, there will be close to 7
billion wireless accounts, with many individuals having more than one account,
and with wireless communication devices being the primary communication, service
and content delivery channel for virtually all users.
· Basic wireless social networking
service could be provided for a global average of around $15.30 per month per
user, using constant 2007 U.S. dollars.
iSuppli has summarized the findings from
its wireless social networking study in a new whitepaper, entitled: Social
Networking Wireless Social Networking Revolution Set to Reshape Global Tech
Industry.
www.isuppli.com
IBM software mimics PC features on mobile devices
London, UK. August 8, 2008 -- IBM today announced new software and services for mobile devices that closely mimics desktop features hitherto found only on PCs. The new offerings are reportedly designed to help business users and consumers make better decisions faster, while connecting friends, work colleagues and teams beyond what has been available in the PC era.
According
to a recent report from IBM's Institute for Business Value, the number
of mobile internet users worldwide is projected to reach 1 billion this
year, a 191% increase from 2006 and a compound annual growth rate of
24%. Up to 67% of all workers now use mobile and wireless computing.
To
capture this market, IBM is combining its software, services and
research expertise to develop new mobile products and services. The new
software includes products with business intelligence, collaboration,
social networking and business performance capabilities. In addition,
IBM is providing developers with new tools to make existing software
applications run on mobile devices. Its software is built on open
standards, to be used with most mobile platforms including BlackBerry®,
iPhone®, Windows Mobile®, and Symbian.
The key points to note are:
-
The new software includes products with business intelligence,
collaboration, social networking and business performance capabilities.
-
Mobility@Work can help employers increase productivity by as much as 30
percent and cut real estate costs, the second largest corporate expense
after salaries and benefits.
- Using any type of device like an iPhone, BlackBerry or laptop, users can reach into the cloud for resources as they need them.
- A video of the technology is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgUwvzLc3W8
Wild Jack Mobile Casino incorporates Payforit billing on Vodafone UK
London, UK. August 20, 2008: Wild Jack Mobile Casino (www.wjmc.com), has announced a deal which enables
customers of Vodafone UK to
purchase credits easily and charge them directly to their mobile bill to play the
award-winning and exciting casino mobile games.
Before anyone can deposit and play a
Wild Jack Mobile Casino game, Vodafone UK will verify each user’s age through
its customer records, a move that will help prevent minors from gaining access
to the service.
While playing, gamers can view their
balance and should they want to buy more credits, they can easily navigate to
the banking section within the game.
Wild Jack Mobile Casino, which is one
of the first mobile casinos in the UK using Spin3’s award-winning
platform, works on more than a 1,000 mobile handsets and is promoted for its of
ease-of-use, slick graphics and exciting game play. The casino offers 14 games, ranging from Roulette and BlackJack to the progressive jackpot slot Major
Millions™, which is currently climbing to the GB£1,000,000 mark.
“We are delighted to make playing
Wild Jack Mobile Casino even easier through this deal with Vodafone UK. Our
focus is on usability and fun, this deal opens up our offering to literally
millions of potential customers,” said Robbie Guy, marketing manager for Wild
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Orange World portal launched in Austria with ChangingWorlds
Sept 24, 2008. Dublin, Ireland & Vienna, Austria. The Orange World portal has today been launched for Orange Austria’s two million subscribers, following work done by ChangingWorlds, a leading provider of intelligent mobile portals and data personalisation solutions for mobile operators.
The latest launch extends the Orange World brand to 28 countries worldwide. This is an important strategic step for Orange as it increases the footprint of one of the world’s strongest telecoms brands.
The new Orange World portal offers a wide range of news, music, entertainment and gaming content to subscribers. Based on ChangingWorlds’ ClixSmart Intelligent Portal Platform, it offers a dynamic, multilingual portal, with content presented in an easily accessible layout that enables users to quickly reach topics of interest.
ClixSmart’s intelligent content discovery capabilities ensure that content is relevant to individual users and is optimally presented on the user’s handset by leveraging the device’s capabilities to maximum effect.
ClixSmart’s intuitive multi-portal management features have enabled Orange to create a compelling and user-friendly Orange World service that optimises the user experience for subscribers. It is said to have been easily integrated with Orange’s infrastructure systems and content providers. ClixSmart’s ‘one-click’ publishing capabilities will help to minimise time-to-market with new mobile internet services while simultaneously reducing portal administration overheads.
Speaking today, Günter Lischka, head of marketing from Orange Austria said: “The Orange ethos is to make mobile communications more simple, human and compelling and ChangingWorlds' portal and personalisation solutions are an integral element of this strategy. We are very impressed with how quickly and smoothly we have been able to switch from the old ONE portal to the new Orange World portal and we are excited about the benefits that it will bring to our customers."
Also speaking today, Oliver Cavanagh, ChangingWorlds’ business development director for Central Europe said “Having worked with Orange Austria since May 2007, we are delighted to have contributed to the launch of their new Orange World portal. Orange is an exciting and innovative mobile operator and is a great addition to the very competitive Austrian market. We look forward to helping them deliver an even more compelling mobile internet experience to their customers in the future by leveraging ClixSmart’s leading edge mobile content delivery and personalisation technology.”
FireSky to improve relationships with gamers
Cincinnati and Phoenix, USA. 6 November, 2008
-- FireSky, a new video game publisher
dedicated to improving how gamers play together online, has signed a
contract for Convergys’ relationship management solutions.
Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) will
provide online gaming consumers of the soon-to-be-released Stargate Worlds
massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with state-of-the-art
inbound customer support services. Convergys’ dedicated contact centre
agents will initially provide customer support to English, French, and
German-speaking customers for general game playing questions as well as
technical, account management, or subscription-related questions.
Stargate Worlds is based on
a popular Stargate television series from MGM. Players who step through the
gate will:
* Feel the Heat – Master the battlefield using
modern tactics and firepower
* Travel Instantly – Dial up the
Stargate to explore dozens of worlds from ancient civilisations to high-tech
planets
* Team Up – Battle devious and powerful enemies
with your friends
* Find the New You – Pick from seven
archetypes with unique skills and styles
* Don’t Fight
It – Simulate translation, repair, and sabotage with minigames as your buddies
battle it out
* Advance With the Story – New
missions, weapons, and loot delivered regularly
“In the online game space, customer service is vital," said
Wendy Dickerman, director of Customer Care, FireSky. "As a new company, FireSky
has found that it makes sense to partner with experienced, proven firms to
provide solutions for distribution and other key business aspects. We intend to
raise the bar in the MMORPG space with a higher calibre of customer service.
Convergys is going to help us get there."
“The online gaming industry continues to grow at a rapid
pace, and a key goal for the industry is to provide consumers with a superior
online gaming experience. Convergys solutions will help FireSky drive more
value from their online customer interactions, giving FireSky a clear,
competitive differentiation in this growing marketplace,” said Jim Boyce,
Convergys president, North America. “Convergys understood FireSky’s business
model and performance challenges and partnered with them to develop a win-win
technology support program for the Stargate Worlds community.”
Convergys provides
comprehensive, outsourced, business and consumer support functions, as well as
services for in-house contact centre operations. Everyday, we handle millions
of customer service interactions such as account service, billing inquiries,
technical support, and service dispatch, enhancing the customer’s experience and
driving more value from the relationship our clients have with their customers.
Convergys’ global delivery model enables us to provide support - on-shore,
offshore, or near-shore, whether in a contact centre or through our home agent
model. We provide our clients with state-of-the-art infrastructure and
self-care automation technology to not only increase customer satisfaction but
also reduce costs.
Telefónica O2 Czech Republic launches personalised mobile internet
Prague, Czech Republic & Dublin, Ireland. 17 November, 2008: ChangingWorlds, specialists in mobile data personalisation and subscriber intelligence for mobile operators, today announced a new deal that will launch a personalised mobile internet service for Telefónica O2 Czech Republic. ChangingWorlds has worked with O2 UK and O2 Germany for many years but this is their first implementation with O2 Czech Republic.
Consisting of a new O2 internet-like portal and a browser bar that provides intuitive navigation support for users browsing off-portal, this O2 ‘True Internet’ proposition seamlessly integrates mobile internet content services with key services from O2 Active and its partner sites. ChangingWorlds’ ClixSmart system is employed to simplify mobile internet access, engage O2 users and optimise internet usability on the mobile handset.
O2 Czech Republic chose ChangingWorlds’ solution to improve the end user experience and personal value gained from using the mobile internet. ChangingWorld's Personalisation technology achieves this by reducing the information gap and increasing awareness of new relevant services for each O2 user.
The personalisation engine automatically selects new, fresh and relevant content for each user, based on learned user content preferences and behavioural patterns. In addition, the ClixSmart device management system optimises content presentation and screen flows to the specific capabilities of each O2 handset.
ChangingWorlds also provides in-depth reporting of both on- and off-portal activity which enables O2 to recognise, manage and leverage learned browsing trends, both established and emerging. Moreover, intuitive ClixSmart content management applications allow O2 portal managers to assume full control of the service.
Speaking today, Lorcan Jordan, program director for ChangingWorlds said: “O2 Czech Republic sees the delivery of a highly personalised mobile internet experience as an essential step in strengthening its competitive position in the now established mobile internet marketplace. The new personalised mobile internet service powered by ChangingWorlds’ technology improves the internet user experience by delivering relevant content to each individual. ChangingWorlds and O2 will continue to collaborate and extend the mobile internet data service with the ultimate aim of providing a ubiquitous, personalised internet channel for all O2 data users.”
Also speaking today, Jan Karas, marketing director of the residential segment from Telefónica O2 Czech Republic, said: “The launch of a personalised mobile internet service is an integral part of the O2 Czech Republic mobile data strategy to optimise the user experience and to ensure O2 can offer a convincing internet experience to our mobile users. This service will also enable us to monetise off-portal activity and to up-sell key value-add O2 data services. Vitally, it also ensures that we can assume control of the mobile internet browsing experience so that it enhances, rather than detracts from, our O2 Active portal.”
VanillaPlus Recruiting: More Telecoms Writers Needed
Owing to recent expansion, VanillaPlus is looking for additional freelance writers with experience of writing in the fields of telecoms, media and entertainment. If you have the communications skills to match writing by the likes of Alun Lewis, George Malim, and Mark Dye we'd like to hear from you.
VanillaPlus takes complex information on a rapidly evolving communications industry from varied sources including news agencies, PR companies, network operators, independent system vendors, analysts and others. Our goal is then to assess it and communicate it in a clear, vibrant, and stimulating way.
A 'can do' attitude, good English and an enquiring mind are more important than engineering expertise, but you should find new technology stimulating. If this is you or you know someone suitable, please contact VanillaPlus's Editor, Jeremy Cowan on Tel: +44 (0)1420 588638 or Email: editorial@vanillaplus.com