GSMA Announces Keynote Speakers for 2010 Mobile World Congress

The GSMA today announced that the CEOs of the world's leading communications companies, including Alcatel-Lucent, China Unicom, Ericsson, Google, Huawei, KDDI, Telefónica and Vodafone, will deliver keynote presentations at the 2010 Mobile World Congress, which will be held 15-18 February, 2010 in Barcelona.  The GSMA also introduced App Planet, a new "event within an event" focusing on mobile application developers, which will be held at Mobile World Congress. 
 
"The mobile communications industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, creating new opportunities and introducing new participants across the entire value chain," said Michael O'Hara, chief marketing officer for the GSMA.  "More than ever, the Mobile World Congress truly reflects the broadening communications ecosystem and celebrates the innovation and ingenuity that are the hallmarks of our dynamic market.  The CEOs who will be taking the stage at this year's Congress will offer a unique view of the new mobile landscape, sharing perspectives and insights that serve to strengthen and advance the industry."
 
Keynote speakers confirmed for the Mobile World Congress to date include:
 
·              Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent
·              Chang Xiaobing, Chairman and CEO, China Unicom
·              Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson
·              Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google
·              Guo Ping, Chairman, Huawei Communications
·              Tadashi Onodera, President and Chairman, KDDI Corporation
·              César Alierta, Executive Chairman and CEO, Telefónica
·              Vittorio Colao, Chief Executive, Vodafone
 
Under the theme of "Vision in Action", the upcoming Mobile World Congress will feature a premiere conference programme that will explore a range of complex issues and topics, such as: new business strategies and growth opportunities enabled through mobile; developments in key technology areas such as embedded Mobile Broadband, LTE, femtocells and cloud computing, among others; new mobile applications, services and content, as well as the associated business models and channels to market; and the benefit of mobile on society and the environment. 
 
App Planet: Focus on Mobile Application Developers
The GSMA today launched App Planet, a major new "event within an event" that will be held at the 2010 Mobile World Congress. Solely focused on the rapidly growing application developer community, App Planet will bring together the many critical elements of the broad mobile application ecosystem together in one location. The inaugural App Planet event will feature:
 
·              Application developer conferences focused specifically on the most influential mobile platforms in the market;
·              An interactive exhibition where attendees can preview the newest and most innovative application technologies;
·              The "App Lounge", where networking and business development will help to further define the future of this exciting mobile segment;
·              A dedicated, day-long track of thought-provoking presentations and panel sessions on industry trends in mobile applications; and
·              The "Apps Garage", which will showcase cutting-edge GSMA initiatives in the mobile applications space.
 
Initial App Planet partners include Research In Motion (RIM), Wireless Industry Partnership (WIP) and the International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA), as well as more than 40 exhibiting companies who will be showcasing their technologies and solutions.
 
"Mobile application development is perhaps the most exciting and rapidly changing segment in the mobile communications industry today," continued O'Hara.  "The creation of App Planet, which provides dedicated exhibition and networking facilities, as well as focused content, squarely addresses the demand we see in the market for greater resources, information and business development opportunities for the mobile application developer community." 
 
For additional information on App Planet at the Mobile World Congress, visit http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/exhibition/app_planet.htm [1].
 
For additional information on the 2010 Mobile World Congress, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com [2].  For information on the 2010 Global Mobile Awards, please visit www.globalmobileawards.com [3].
 
-ENDS-
 
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.
 
For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the new online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com [4] or the GSMA corporate website at www.gsmworld.com [5].