Bytemobile, Inc., the global leader in mobile internet solutions for network operators, today announced a new release of its Web FidelityTM Service and Media FidelityTM Service for general availability. These services optimize the delivery of fast, PC-quality web browsing and video with mobile advertising to all wireless handsets, thereby creating new revenue opportunities for operators while increasing network efficiency and capacity.
The new release of Web Fidelity Service and Media Fidelity Service provides:
* Made-for-mobile website transparency
* Optimized web browsing with navigation bar support for smartphones
* Expanded web and multimedia adaptation
* New navigational aids and other features for enhanced usability
According to Bytemobile, the new functionality is a result of customer input as well as mobile consumer research conducted by the company.
"As closely as we work with network operators worldwide on product strategies and roadmaps, we also listen carefully to our customers' customers," said Adrian Hall, Bytemobile chief marketing officer. "The quality of the user experience is a critical factor in mobile data adoption and usage, which in turn drive network traffic and average revenue per user (ARPU)."
Hall continued, "With this release, we reaffirm our support of the mobile website developer and user community by preserving the ‘fidelity' of not only the open Internet, but also content designed specifically for the mobile device. Our goal is to consistently provide the best possible user experience for all content, through all networks, to all devices."
Web Fidelity Service (WFS) is currently deployed in the networks of several tier-one network operators, which are delivering branded mobile internet services to their subscribers. These include a number of Vodafone operating companies, under an existing global supply agreement between Vodafone Group plc and Bytemobile. Launched in February 2007, WFS recently won a Mobile Content Award for Enriching Search and Discovery from Visiongain Global Limited, a leading telecommunications industry market research firm in the United Kingdom.
Mobile Site Transparency
The new release of WFS maintains the integrity of both PC websites and made-for-mobile websites. PC content is transparently adapted and dynamically optimized according to the specific capabilities of each mobile device. Mobile content is served to the device as is, without adaptation, and optimized only to accelerate speed. For off-portal content and optionally for mobile content, WFS provides user-friendly browsing tools - such as dynamic headers and footers, bookmarks and browsing history - and enables the insertion of mobile advertising without compromising the original web page. All adaptation and optimization options can be configured by the network operator and personalized by the user.
Smartphone Support
WFS was designed originally to provide a compelling open internet experience on WAP 2 feature phones. Now, the product also enhances web browsing on smartphones such as the Apple iPhone. A navigation bar enables smartphone users to personalize their internet experience across browsers and operators to serve targeted advertising and drive traffic to their branded portals. Content transcoding and optimization are dynamically and transparently adapted as necessary to the specific capabilities of each device.
Expanded Web and Multimedia Adaptation
The new release of WFS adapts Adobe Flash images and animations according to device capabilities. This enables operators and content providers to effectively deliver Flash advertisements on handsets and mobile users to navigate websites that are rich in Flash content.
The new release of Media Fidelity Service (MFS) provides dynamic adaptation and optimization of multimedia content in multiple video and audio formats, including Adobe Flash Media, Microsoft Windows Media and MP3. MFS now supports streaming media downloads in addition to embedded media in all formats. All content is transparently transcoded into a format that is consistent with device capabilities.
Enhanced Usability
The new WFS release provides a number of navigational tools and web adaptation functions that enhance its usability for mobile consumers. These include:
* Linked interactive overviews of both original and adapted web pages
* Content folding to accelerate site navigation and minimize page scrolling
* Server-side bookmarks for recording, organizing and accessing favorite pages
* RSS feed previews
* ‘Click-to' convenience for calling, email and SMS
* Support for Opera Mini 4, the latest version of one of the world's most popular mobile browsers
About Bytemobile, Inc.
Bytemobile is a tier-one provider of integrated mobile internet solutions which optimize the delivery of data, web, multimedia, advertising, and filtering services to consumers on mass-market handsets, feature phones, smartphones, and laptops. Today, Bytemobile's network installations span 92 operators in 53 countries, serving more than one billion subscribers, and include 12 of the world's 15 largest tier-one carriers. The company's customers include AT&T, China Mobile, China Unicom, KDDI, KPN, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia Mobile, Telefónica O2, Vodafone, and WILLCOM. Bytemobile is a privately held company headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company has regional sales and support offices in Wokingham, U.K.; Dubai, U.A.E.; Tokyo, Japan; Beijing, China; Singapore; and Sydney, Australia; and research and development centers in Patras, Greece and Champaign, Illinois. To learn more about Bytemobile, visit the company's website at www.bytemobile.com.
Bytemobile, the Bytemobile logo, Web Fidelity, and Media Fidelity are trademarks of Bytemobile, Inc. and may be registered in some jurisdictions. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.