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This week's sponsor is Autodesk.
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| Visit Us at The BREW Conference, Booth One. |
Today's Top Stories
1. Live from BREW: Jacobs weighs in on ITC
2. Nuance to acquire Tegic for $265M
3. Telus and BCE discuss M&A options
4. AT&T shutting down TDMA network
5. Live from BREW: The AmberWatch Mobile launched
Also Noted:
Spotlight On... Google CEO endorses iPhone; Rumor: Vodafone might sell VZW stake; iPhone developer specs leaked; and much more...
Feature: The iPhone isn't touchy-feely enough
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WiMAX is about making the Internet mobile. That was the key takeaway from FierceMarkets' WiMAX Strategies 2007 conference, held yesterday in conjunction with NXTComm in Chicago.
"This is not another voice network," Barry West, CTO and president of Sprint Nextel's 4G business, said during his keynote address. "This network is about mobilizing the Internet. That's probably the most important statement that I will make today."
West, probably the WiMAX industry's biggest evangelist, laid out several imperatives to this mobile Internet, and all of them are at odds with the traditional way operators have done business. One imperative is unsubsidized devices.
"In order to keep costs down, you can't subsidize the device," West said. "Subsidized devices are why we have walled gardens. They're why operators have to have contracts."
But without walled gardens, how will operators make money? Panelists offered a variety of possibilities. West talked about using WiMAX's QoS features to offer limited throughput to lower-spending customers and completely open pipes to higher-paying customers. It's clear that service needs to move away from a per device model to a per consumer model if WiMAX chips are going to be embedded in a variety of devices, ranging from portable media players to digital cameras. That means operators must look at ways to charge for perhaps a group of devices.
"We're open to many different realms of possibilities since people are going to be carrying multiple devices," noted Praduman Jain, director of 4G WiMAX, during a session about content. "We're exploring different options around pay-as-you go models and hourly rates to make things more flexible."
Jain also noted that WiMAX operators can keep from being a dumb pipe by not only offering open access but content and services that are unique to the service provider. "Customers want openness but they also want safety and security and a good experience... There are plenty of elements that keep an operator from being just a dumb pipe."
Scott Richardson, chief strategy officer with Clearwire, gave some interesting user statistics about the company's pre-WiMAX fixed wireless offering during his keynote address. He said Clearwire reached 10 percent penetration in 70 percent of all its markets in the first quarter. One in five users are also using Clearwire's residential VoIP service in addition to ISP services. The operator offers VoIP services in certain markets for $30 per month. Meanwhile, 59 percent of new users in the first quarter came from cable or DSL. -Lynnette
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FierceLive! Webinars:
> Business Mobility and the Agile Organization - June 28
> Fixed Mobile Convergence Progress Report - July 17
Events:
> Andrew Seybold University Webinar: Mobile TV: Killer Content? - June 21st
> Attend Black Hat USA, July 28-August 2, Las Vegas
> Just Added: Verizon to Keynote IMS Executive Summit, Washington, DC - Sept 19-20
> Mobility World Congress & Exhibition - December 4-6 2007, Hong Kong
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> Need to reach mobile developers at BREW 2007?
> Turn Subscriber State into Profit
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> Revenue Assurance Officer - Mobile Messenger, Culver City, CA
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1. Live from BREW: Jacobs weighs in on ITC
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Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs got serious during his annual keynote address at the BREW 2007 conference Thursday, touting the evolution of the mobile multimedia experience, exploring the potential of fledgling services like social networking and m-payment, and even weighing in on the company's ongoing patent infringement battle with semiconductor supplier Broadcom.
Innovations have historically revolved around enhancements in hardware," Jacobs said. "But to me, when you look at the next generation of communications, it's not about which technology will rule, but which applications and content." He returned repeatedly to a credo celebrating "innovation, execution and partnership," adding "Our vision is based squarely on the successes together we're experiencing."
Jacobs spotlighted Qualcomm's MediaFLO mobile video platform, which he says is ultimately about much more than television. "MediaFLO is core to our vision of making the phone the ultimate convergence device," he says, citing services like datacasting-broadcasting data via radio waves--as a means to broaden multimedia beyond video and television to deliver real-time news, stocks and weather alerts.
Surprisingly, Jacobs later addressed the elephant in the room: The International Trade Commission's recent decision to ban import of 3G handsets employing Qualcomm chips ruled to violate Broadcom patents. "We think the ITC's decision and remedy are unreasonable and wrong," Jacobs says. "We will immediately seek an emergency stay, and ask the president to veto the ITC decision. But these actions have not distracted us from our focus--we will continue to persevere and execute on our vision." -Jason
UPDATE: According to Broadcom, the ITC decided to deny Qualcomm's request for an emergency stay in the order to ban the 3G handsets. More (WSJ sub. req.)
 Business Mobility
and the Agile Organization
June 28, 2 pm ET/11 am PT |
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| Join the Economist Intelligence Unit and Nokia for a discussion of business mobility as a competitive function. Learn about mobilizing core business functions, measuring costs vs benefits and overcoming challenges associated with mobility. Register now! |
2. Nuance to acquire Tegic for $265M
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Speech and imaging solutions provider Nuance Communications announced its acquisition of Time Warner AOL subsidiary Tegic Communications, which develops embedded software for mobile devices. Total consideration: about $265 million in cash. The deal adds Tegic's T9 predictive text and multimodal input solutions to Nuance's existing portfolio of voice-enabled applications for mobile device control, search, email and text messaging--according to Nuance, it will deliver an all-in-one interface that integrates their respective solutions to support predictive text, speech and touch input. In addition to a partnership dating to 2005, the two firms also share a number of common customers and affiliations, most notably Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG and Motorola.
The deal is expected to close in Nuance's fiscal fourth quarter. "The enhanced capabilities of mobile devices and networks have fueled significant innovation in features and services, but their potential has been tempered by the traditional interface on most mobile devices," said Nuance chairman and CEO Paul Ricci in a prepared statement. "Tegic shares our vision of delivering an integrated, superior and flexible user experience for today's wireless subscribers. Together, we are poised to redefine the way people interact with their mobile devices, delivering a more convenient, simple way for consumers to control features and access information on their phones, and search and navigate the mobile Web."
For more on the Nuance/Tegic deal:
- read this release
3. Telus and BCE discuss M&A options
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While no official deal has yet been inked, Canadian telecoms Telus and BCE have announced that they are pursuing "non-exclusive discussions" about a possible "business combination." Telus' CEO characterized the potential union as one that would create an "all Canadian solution for both immediate and long-term value creation." BCE also mentioned it will review various takeover bid proposals during the third quarter, including offers by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board and U.S. PE firm Cerberus Capital Management.
Telus claims to have 10.8 million customer accounts, which includes about 5.1 million wireless subscribers, while BCE announced it had more than 5.8 million wireless subscribers by the end of Q1. Telus and BCE run CDMA networks, but Telus also has an iDEN network.
For more on the possible tie-up:
- read this article from RCR News
- read this release
4. AT&T shutting down TDMA network
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AT&T said it will shut down its TDMA network in 18 markets this summer and take the remainder of the network down by early next year. The carrier aims to port all TDMA customers to its more spectrally efficient GSM network. The eighteen markets include a block from New Mexico to Texas to Kentucky, and will be offline by July 15. While AT&T did not disclose the number of subscribers still using TDMA, it did say the network facilitates a mere 1 percent of its calling traffic.
For more on AT&T's TDMA plans:
- read this article from RCR News
5. Live from BREW: The AmberWatch Mobile launched
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AmberWatch Mobile, a sub-brand of not-for-profit child safety group AmberWatch Foundation, announced at BREW 2007 the launch of a new mobile service that will provide GPS tracking capabilities to wireless devices in an effort to keep children and their families safe from threats like abduction and molestation. Scheduled for a September rollout, the AmberWatch Mobile service was developed by location services provider WaveMarket--the service will include text, voice, Web and email alert systems enabling users to contact family members in the event they need assistance. In addition, the service features "scheduled checks" notifying parents when their children arrive home from school.
"AmberWatch Mobile is designed to protect people in harm's way and to provide peace of mind," said the AmberWatch Foundation's chairman and CEO Keith Jarrett. "We are hopeful that this easy-to-use technology will be another tool that will prevent child abduction and other violent crimes before they happen."
During his BREW 2007 keynote address Thursday, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs announced the company will donate 100 percent of its revenues earned from the BREW-based WaveMarket application to the AmberWatch Foundation.
For more on AmberWatch:
- read this press release
ALSO NOTED
Fixed Mobile Convergence Progress Report
July 17, 12:00 pm ET / 9 am PT / 5 pm GMT
Host: Sue Marek, Editor-in-Chief, Telecom Group
Speaker: Stuart Carlaw, ABI Research
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Sponsored by
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| Many early FMC offerings in Europe have met with lackluster results, despite the early promise of new revenue streams for wireless carriers and wireline operators. Nevertheless, analysts still say that the U.S. is ripe for fixed mobile convergence. What's the real story behind FMC? Are there current success stories? Register now! |
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT... Google CEO endorses iPhone
Google's CEO Eric Schmidt sung the iPhone's praises at a conference in France, while noting the phone makes for an ideal platform for his company. "iPhone is a powerful new device and is going to be particularly good for the apps that Google is building," Schmidt said. "You should expect other announcements from the two companies over time." The comments came shortly after Google announced the YouTube deal, one of its properties had inked a deal for a "special YouTube player" for the iPhone. Article
> The Street is keeping an eye on Vodafone as the company has a little added incentive to sell its stake in Verizon Wireless this summer. Article
> iPhone developer specs leaked onto a Washington University blog. Article
> Huawei inks $700 million GSM contract with China Mobile. Article | Release
And Finally... The Onion lays down those iPhone features yet to be announced: Polaroid functionality, light saber sounds and nanotechnological reconfiguration, natch. Satire<;/p>
 The iPhone isn't touchy-feely enough
By Brian Dolan
Perhaps the biggest weakness of the iPhone is its lack of tactile feedback, according to Immersion's Director of Mobility Product Management Tim Vetter. The most heralded iPhone competitor, LG's Prada phone, however, makes use of Immersion's tactile technology, VibeTonz, which Vetter claims puts it one step ahead of the iPhone's much-hyped user interface.
To date, Immersion's bread and butter has been rumble packs for console game controllers, which add another immersive element to gaming by imitating, for example, the vibrations of a race car's engine. Immersion is now taking what it has learned from console gaming and porting it to mobile games, mobile user interfaces, mobile messaging and other applications.
Instead of sending a rich text message with an emoticon and the message "I love you" to one's significant other, VibeTonz allows next-gen messaging services to accentuate the message with a vibration that simulates a beating heart. Vetter points out that mobile gaming particularly benefits from the addition of tactile feedback because the mobile phone's screen size, speaker output and cramped keyboard can make for a diminutive experience. The sense of touch can never be "small."
Critics of tactile feedback and the pervasive use of vibrations to complement mobile content point to the potential toll such features could have on battery life. Vetter, however, says VibeTonz effects are short-lived and subtle enough that a typical use case for UI, gaming and ringtone augmentation only results in a 2 percent to 3 percent drain on battery life. Also, Immersion's internal tests show that five years of continual use of the VibeTonz system does not cause a lot of problems to handsets' hardware.
BREW developers who wish to target applications toward Samsung phones or the Prada phone, which have the VibeTonz hardware installed, can download a dynamic extension that lets them make calls into the VibeTonz system, and leverage the features to create unique interplays between tactile feedback and their offering.
"As the world becomes more virtual," Vetter says "it becomes more important to add touch back into it, and that's what we're doing."
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> Business Mobility and the Agile Organization - June 28
Join the Economist Intelligence Unit and Nokia for a discussion of business mobility as a competitive function. Learn about mobilizing core business functions, measuring the costs and benefits, and overcoming the challenges associated with mobility. Register now!
> Fixed Mobile Convergence Progress Report - July 17
Many early FMC offerings in Europe have met with lackluster results, despite the early promise of new revenue streams for wireless carriers and wireline operators. Nevertheless, analysts still say that the U.S. is ripe for fixed mobile convergence. What's the real story behind FMC? Are there current success stories? Join FierceWireless Editor Sue Marek and Stuart Carlow of ABI Research to get an update on the state of FMC. Register now.
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> Andrew Seybold University Webinar: Mobile TV: Killer Content? - June 21st
Is television the next big thing in our mobile lives or will mobile TV be a short-lived experiment that will fade away after a few years? How will user-generated content such as that being uploaded to YouTube and other video-capable Websites affect the mobile TV market, and what business models will provide the best results for both content suppliers and wireless network providers? To find the answers to these questions and more, register now at http://www.andrewseybold.com/asu-registration.asp?EventID=13
> Attend Black Hat USA, July 28-August 2, Las Vegas
The world's premier technical event for ICT security experts. Featuring 30 hands-on training courses and 90 Briefings presentations with lots of new content and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 70 nations. Visit product displays by 30 top sponsors in a relaxed setting. www.blackhat.com
> Just Added: Verizon to Keynote IMS Executive Summit, Washington, DC - Sept 19-20
IMS Executive Summit is the only conference that provides comprehensive content for the business side and the technical side of IP Multimedia Subsystem. If your business has IP-based services as an integral piece of its business, you need to attend this event! Just Added Keynote: Stuart Elby, VP, Network Architecture, Verizon. Register Today!
> Mobility World Congress & Exhibition - December 4-6 2007, Hong Kong
Asia's largest annual international event dedicated to the wireless and mobile industries. This event is open to all wireless broadband technologies and will welcome 7500 visitors and delegates. For more information please visit www.MobilityWorldCongress.com/fw or email chastings@beaconevents.com
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> Need to reach mobile developers at BREW 2007?
Place your message in the BREW TIMES, handed out exclusively to the 2,500 attendees each day during BREW. Several priority placements still available, including inside front and back covers, belly band, and false magazine cover. Learn More.
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> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceTelecomJobs
Announcing FierceTelecomJobs, the new FierceMarkets careers site. Find the perfect job or post your openings at telecom.fiercecareers.com.
> Director, Sales & Business Development - TimeWarner, Burbank, CA
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. seeks a Director, Sales & Business Development for the Wireless Department to be Responsible for developing and executing new business opportunities for WBDD's wireless business, and be the main point of contact for carriers and partners and the center of wireless domain expertise for WBDD. Click for details.
> Account Manager - Mobile Messenger, Culver City, CA
The Account Manager is responsible for account management of Mobile Messengers US clients; and working closely with clients to manage their campaigns and grow their business. Click for details.
> Web Designer - Mobile Messenger, Culver City, CA
Reporting to the Web Design-Lead, this role is responsible for concepts & design of web sites and advertising media for mobile entertainment services. Click for details.
> Marketing Manager - AT&T, Redmond, WA
AT&T is looking for a Marketing Manager to create and manage content for our world-class developer program, devCentral. This person will ideally have experience in working with developers or third party partner communities, but software development or other high tech company may be acceptable. Click for details.
> Service Delivery Coordinator - Mobile Messenger, Culver City, CA
Mobile Messenger is looking for a Service Delivery Coordinator to coordinate the setup and management of mobile entertainment campaigns for the US operations. Click for details.
> Director of Product Management - V-Enable, Inc, San Diego, CA
V-Enable is looking for a Director of Product Management to work with cross functional teams to determine product requirements and customization for directory assistance and local search applications. Click for details.
> Revenue Assurance Officer - Mobile Messenger, Culver City, CA
Reporting to the VP, Business Operations the Revenue Assurance Officer will take on the very important task of analysing billing components of the Mobile Messenger network infrastructure to ensure system integrity, accuracy and completeness of premium services billing. Click for details.
> Traffic Manager - Mobile Messenger, Culver City, CA
The traffic manager ensures the continuous movement of web, print and TV campaigns through various departments. Click here for details.
> Account Manager Position - Mobile Messenger Americas, Culver City, CA
The Account Manager is responsible for account management of Mobile Messenger's US clients, working closely with clients to manage their campaigns and grow their business. Click for details.
> Indirect Sales - Dobson Communications Corp, Poughkeepsie, NY
Dobson Communications /dba Cellular One is seeking people for their growing Indirect Sales Channel. Positions currently available include Indirect Sales Representatives and Indirect Sales Managers. Click for details.
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