Social Networking

Vodafone makes first mobile Internet acquisition

Lynnette Luna — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:39:43 -0400

Vodafone made its first acquisition in the mobile Internet space, paying $49 million in cash for Zyb, a private Dutch company that provides social networking and contacts management technology--two hot applications in the mobile space. Zyb enables mobile users to back up their contacts on a website and offers IM services and calendar-sharing with other users online, a service that could morph into a platform for mobile advertising. The deal is part of Vodafone's "total communications" strategy in the newly created Internet Services division to offer services beyond the mobile phone.

For more about Vodafone's Internet strategy:
- check out this article from the Financial Times

Virgin Mobile USA subs earn minutes from Facebook

Thu, 15 May 2008 11:30:14 -0400

Virgin Mobile USA announced the Fund My Phone application, which extends the operator's Sugar Mama marketing program to the Facebook social networking platform and enables consumers to earn wireless airtime for their fellow Virgin Mobile subscribers. Over 700,000 Virgin Mobile USA customers have joined the Sugar Mama initiative since its 2006 launch, viewing ad spots, responding to branded text messages and completing surveys to earn free airtime--with Fund My Phone, consumers download the app to their Facebook profile page and share up to five different spots with Facebook friends, scoring free minutes as the ads are viewed.

For more on Fund My Phone:
-read this release

Related articles:
Virgin Mobile USA teams with Limbo
Virgin Mobile USA: Ringbacks on the rise
Facebook for Mobile Operators debuts on Vodafone
Frengo flirts with Facebook for mobile dating

ALSO NOTED: VZ Navigator 4.0; A Zune content filter? and much more...

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Report: Mobile social networking tops 4 million users in the U.S.

> Microsoft denies plans for Zune content filter.

> Verizon Wireless announces updates for VZ Navigator.

> NBC launches multi-platform Women at NBCU effort.

And Finally... Lebanese civil war fueled by cell phones. Article

T-Mobile, Nokia renew deal for mobile web services

Fri, 02 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

T-Mobile and Nokia announced an agreement to collaborate on new mobile web and social networking services, two months after T-Mobile denied a plot to dump Nokia devices tied to the handset giant's Ovi mobile web service over concerns Ovi would cannibalize the operator's in-house content platform. Per terms of the deal, Nokia will customize its devices to integrate a dedicated suite of T-Mobile services, while the operator will offer the Ovi platform across a range of Nokia devices. The companies will also partner to enhance T-Mobile's MyFaves community service.

For more on the T-Mobile/Nokia deal:
-read this release

Related articles:
Nokia to officially launch Mosh in June
Nokia does the right thing with Spike Lee
Nokia opens the door on Ovi, new devices

ALSO NOTED: How much spectrum do they have? WiMAX's financial impact; and much more...

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Mobile social networking revenues climb to $412M by 2012.

> Volkswagen drives multi-platform polling campaign.

> AskMeNow mobilizes the Money Channel.

> A new study claims that mobile ads bolster moviegoer awareness.

> How much spectrum do AT&T and Verizon Wireless have?

> Motorola: WiMAX won't have a financial impact until next year.

And Finally... Urban miners scavenge old mobile phones for embedded gold and iridium. Article

Sonopia's DIY MVNO service closes shop

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Sonopia, the do-it-yourself MVNO venture enabling organizations, charities or individuals to launch branded mobile services through its online service, is reportedly winding down operations. On his blog, Tapio Anttila--managing partner of digital media consultancy Brauning LLC and a onetime Sonopia senior exec--reports that Sonopia laid off its existing U.S. staff at the end of March, and "reached an amicable resolution with existing marketing partners to transition subscribers it had acquired."

Launched in April 2007 by Juha Christensen, the former head of Microsoft's mobile division and a founder of Symbian, Sonopia promised each fledgling MVNO a selection of popular handsets, competitive calling plans, premium voice and data services and customized content, including social networking functionality--each sponsoring group received 5 percent of the revenue collected from its subscribers, with Sonopia sharing the remainder with network partners Verizon Wireless and Vodafone Group. Partners spanned from the National Parks Conservation Association to the American Medical Student Association to the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch Women's Softball League.

For more on Sonopia's demise:
- read Tapio Anttila's blog entry about Sonopia's demise

ICO plans mobile video trials in mid 2008

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:59:18 -0400

Satellite company ICO Global Communications announced plans to deploy a GEO satellite on April 14 that will deliver a satellite-hybrid terrestrial network using mobile TV technology DVB-SH.

After the satellite is launched, the company plans to begin market trials in Las Vegas and Raleigh-Durham in mid-2008 of what it calls ICO MIM, Mobile Interactive Media. The trials will focus on three areas: entertainment using DVB-SH for mobile TV services, guidance services that will include real-time traffic data and social networking applications and assistance services, which will offer Onstar-like roadside services.

Initially, the service will initially consist of a Ã¢â‚¬Å“set-top box in the trunkÃ¢â‚¬Â to deliver these services, said Tim Bryan, CEO of ICO during an Alcatel-Lucent press briefing here at CTIA. Later, the company plans to offer dockable portable mobile and OEM-installe devices. Direct delivery to handhelds is possible in the future.

Partners in the trial include Alcatel-Lucent, which is providing the DVB-SH technology, Hughes and WiMAX operator Clearwire, which is a wireless broadband offering to the mix. Last fall, Clearwire announced a joint agreement with ICO. Craig McCaw, who founded Clearwire, owns a 75-percent voting interest in ICO.

Google and OHA release Android SDK

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:59:55 -0500

The Open Handset Alliance, the mobile technology industry coalition spearheaded by Google, announced the availability of the Android Software Development Kit, which promises to enable developers to create applications for the search giant's fledgling mobile platform. The SDK includes advanced development and debugging tools, a rich set of libraries, a true device emulator, in-depth documentation, sample projects, tutorials and FAQs and more. The OHA site will also offer a blog and discussion groups--the association adds developers may contribute feedback throughout the development process. The OHA will make available the entire Android platform under the Apache v2 open-source license next year. For more information or to download the SDK, click here.

In addition, Google announced the Android Developer Challenge, which will dole out $10 million in awards for innovative mobile applications created for Android. Suggested application subjects include social networking, media consumption and management, productivity solutions, gaming and location-based services.

For more on the Android SDK:
- read this release

Facebook courts the enterprise

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

During his keynote appearance Wednesday at the CTIA Wireless I.T. and Entertainment event in San Francisco, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz announced the debut of Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones, a mobile social networking software application developed in collaboration with device maker Research In Motion. According to Moskovitz and RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridus, who joined the Facebook co-founder onstage at CTIA, Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones leverages the push-based BlackBerry system architecture with the open Facebook Platform--the app will make its carrier debut via an exclusive deal with T-Mobile.

"Mobile is the next frontier in social networking," Moskovitz said.

Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones enables Facebook users to send and view messages, photos and related content via mobile--it automatically pushes notifications to the BlackBerry device, allowing users to upload photos complete with captions and tags. The app also enables users to send event invites, manage photo albums and manage their Facebook status away from the PC.

Facebook and Research In Motion inaugurated their collaboration about six months earlier. "Within two days, we had our first working prototype, and we realized we were really on to something," Lazaridus said Thursday. "We realized that with two open platforms, we could start intimately linking them together."

According to Moskovitz, Facebook now boasts an active membership close to 50 million. It is also the most trafficked photo site on the web, housing close to four billion images. -Jason

Facebook, RIM team for social networking app

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

"Mobile is the next frontier in social networking," Moskovitz said.

According to Moskovitz, Facebook now boasts an active membership close to 50 million.

It is also the most trafficked photo site on the web, housing close to four billion images. -Jason

The Minisode Network premieres on V Cast

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:44:15 -0400

Verizon Wireless announced it will team with Sony Pictures Television to offer The Minisode Network, a new V Cast channel featuring four- to six-minute versions of Sony-owned television series including Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Charlie's Angels, The Jeffersons, Bewitched and Fantasy Island. (And was any actor better suited for the mobile platform than HervÃƒÂ© "Tattoo" Villechaize? I think not.) Originally launched in mid-2007 via social networking site MySpace, The Minisode Network quickly racked up more than 3.25 million online views--each minisode retains the complete story arc of each episode it distills, said Sony Pictures Television VP of mobile entertainment Eric Berger in an interview with FierceMobileContent. "Minisodes aren't just clips or skits--each has a full story arc," Berger said. "It doesn't devalue the original content--it keeps the brands alive and fresh, and introduces these shows to new consumers as well." -Jason

3Guppies debuts photo sharing app for Facebook

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:06:48 -0400

Mobile social networking service provider 3Guppies announced the availability of its mobile application on Facebook Platform, promising users an efficient and free method to download photos posted on the popular social networking website to any mobile phone. Unlike similar applications, Facebook's 47 million users do not need to have the app on their handset--or even use Facebook--to receive photo messages via 3Guppies. The company launched a widget with similar functionality for other community and blog sites earlier this year, sending close to two million media files to cell phones since that time. "We make it easy to get content from the web to the phone," said 3Guppies CEO John Dearborn in an interview with FierceMobileContent. "By reducing barriers to sharing content, we make this an easy service and an attractive one." -Jason

IPX marks the spot for Ericsson deals

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:58:50 -0400

Wireless technologies giant Ericsson announced agreements with mobile social networking site Twitter and mobile media company PlayPhone to launch Internet Payment eXchange, a white-label solution that provides mobile billing and connectivity for content via messaging, web and WAP services. According to Ericsson, IPX will support Twitter's global SMS traffic, which enables subscribers to send and receive brief status updates across the social network--IPX will also enable Twitter's new tracking service, which allows users to seek out fellow site members by means of key words and subject matter. As for PlayPhone, IPX promises to improve mobile purchases by simplifying the relationship between the direct-to-consumer content portal and the user's wireless operator, reducing the number of economic and technical relationships required per transaction.

"These contracts are evidence of Ericsson's ability to leverage our global footprint as companies embrace the mobile channel and expand their business beyond national borders," said Ericsson's director of IPX for North America Scott Nichols in an interview with FierceMobileContent. "The goal of IPX is to drive and champion this movement. Our biggest push is to lower the barriers of entry into the mobile space."

For more on Ericsson's IPX deals:
- read this release

Related articles:
Ericsson, Turner team for mobile multimedia
Ericsson, Intel team to accelerate mobile media adoption

Social networking and UGC-will it live up to projections?

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:59:55 -0400

A cursory glance at the CTIA I.T. Wireless & Entertainment 2007 keynote schedule tells you everything you need to know about the impact of mobile social networking and user-generated content services: When Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz enjoys the same headliner status awarded to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and music legend Quincy Jones, it's safe to say social networking has arrived. The projections are lofty: According to a new study released by market analysis firm Juniper Research, the number of users frequenting mobile chat and dating services is expected to grow from about 40 million in 2007 to 260 million in 2012, with revenues expected to exceed $1 billion by 2010.

Right now that's just wishful thinking, but clear progress is being made. In July, Nokia acquired photo-sharing service Twango, and two months later debuted Mosh (a.k.a. "Mobilize and Share"), the first mobile social network created by a handset maker. Late September also saw Google purchase mobile social networking platform Zingku. AirG, which has 100 wireless operator partnerships in over 40 countries and touts itself as the world's largest mobile community, announced earlier this week it has surpassed the 20 million unique user benchmark. Rival mobile social networking services, including 3guppies, are planning significant announcements at CTIA. And is it sheer coincidence that both Moskovitz and Ballmer are keynoting given Microsoft's rumored interest in snapping up a stake in Facebook? Time will tell.

What remains so compelling and unique about social networking and user-generated content is that the core consumer behaviors--e.g., texting and snapping cameraphone photos--are already commonplace among the subscriber population. It simply seems like an easier sell than so many other next-generation mobile services and applications. The problem is that no one has figured out the formula for making money: Since ponying up $1.6 billion for UGC poster child YouTube last year, Google has yet to turn a profit on its investment. No wonder News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media division launched a free, ad-subsidized mobile version of MySpace--after all, the revenue opportunity isn't the content itself, but the premium messaging that follows as users discuss and share that content. That opportunity promises to be the subject of much old-school networking at CTIA, and a discussion that continues long after the event draws to a close. -Jason

Motorola: Hits come but every four years

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 09:57:41 -0400

By Brian Dolan

CHICAGO--There were surprisingly few occasions that Apple's iPhone entered the discussion at MotorolaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Research Experience Day yesterday in Schaumburg, Ill. But, then again, there was no need to point to the obvious.

In his closing remarks, COO Greg Brown pointed to MotorolaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Crystal Talk technology and use of haptics in the RAZR2, its intuitive Chinese character touch screen application Ming and its various video-based social networking applications as evidence of the handset maker's multifaceted approach to the handset market.

"We know very intuitively that we don't want to be a one hit wonder," Brown said. "We want a steady drumbeat of devices."

While Motorola did not commercially launch or publicly unveil any devices at the Research Experience day yesterday, it's clear from the peak behind the curtain that the company really isn't pursuing a one-hit wonder strategy.

Jim Wicks, MotorolaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s corporate vice president of consumer experience design, who left Sony six years ago to join Motorola, said there have been two watershed moments for handset makers during his six years at Motorola: The launch of the RAZR and the launch of the iPhone.

"Ever since [the RAZR] launched everybody has been chasing it from a physical, form factor perspective. Four years or so later, I think a similar provocation has come from Apple and the iPhone," Wicks said. "This time, though, it's not about the hardware at all, it's the software... That phone has a highly cinematic user interface that makes for a very provocative device. It's great for the industry, because it's great for consumers." Wicks added that the iPhone has probably shown the industry that touch screen phones can work in North America and Europe, which goes against what was previously thought.

Wicks believes that the market would not be receptive to a potential one-hit wonder right now and Motorola is wise to bide their time. Ã¢â‚¬Å“You have to make sure, as company and group, you ready yourself to drive the market or be ahead of it.Ã¢â‚¬Â

SPOTLIGHT: Motorola: Hits come but every four years

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 06:59:52 -0400

Schaumburg, Ill.--There were surprisingly few occasions that Apple's iPhone entered the discussion at Motorola's Research Experience Day yesterday in Schaumburg, Ill. But, then again, there was no need to point to the obvious.

In his closing remarks, COO Greg Brown pointed to Motorola's Crystal Talk technology and use of haptics in the RAZR2, its intuitive Chinese character touch screen application Ming and its various video-based social networking applications as evidence of the handset maker's multifaceted approach to the handset market.

Click here to read the rest of this feature...

CTIA I.T. & Entertainment 2007: Everybody is a star

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:18:21 -0400

Andy Warhol would have loved the mobile platform--suddenly, anyone and everyone can be a star. The accelerating sales of camera phones, the ever-increasing popularity of messaging and the emergence of social networking services have made it possible to capture every facet of modern life for worldwide broadcast. Mobile handsets are no longer simply a conduit to experience Hollywood-approved video clips and major-label music downloads: content consumption is giving way to content creation, and more and more the phone isn't about what you can do on it, but what you can do with it.

Heading into October's CTIA I.T. & Wireless Entertainment event in San Francisco, the audience transformation from consumers to prosumers is both promising and problematic--on the one hand, subscribers are more engaged with their phones than ever before, but on the other hand, traditional revenue generators like music, video and gaming seem stuck in neutral. Put yourself in the shoes of your average 18-to-24-year-old iPhone owner and MySpace member: Given the choice between producing and distributing your own personalized content or downloading premium mass-media content already available across a series of other platforms, which is more appealing?

Even a quick scan of the CTIA I.T. & Wireless Entertainment 2007 programming schedule suggests an industry in flux: While record industry mogul Quincy Jones is the featured attraction at Monday's Mobile Entertainment Live! forum, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will keynote the Tuesday morning session, and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz will headline Wednesday. And showbiz, software and social networking aren't the only forces shaping mobile entertainment--marketing and advertising are still gaining momentum, and content access and discovery snafus are still crippling momentum. There's no question mobile entertainment is still evolving--the question is what it is evolving into. Whether or not CTIA I.T. 2007 will supply the answer is a question in and of itself. --Jason

P.S. FierceMarkets will bring you all the news and scoops from the CTIA I.T. Show. We are the official online show daily for CTIA. We will deliver all the news in our regular issue and at a custom micro-site entitled "CTIA Live!" Click here to check out the website.

VoIP in the wireless world

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:09:19 -0400

The appetite for wireless applications continues to skyrocket, affecting everything from content delivery to business communications. Wireless service providers are adding video and social networking interfaces. Businesses are demanding unified communications that link email, instant messaging, land line and cell phone services. CTIA's Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show coming up in San Francisco Oct. 23-25 will cover the wireless application trends in the market today, while another looms on the horizon: wireless VoIP.

Handset makers increasingly are turning out WiFi-enabled phones, which could radically alter the wireless provision business model as we know it. Nokia appears to be on the forefront of WiFi-enabled handsets, with several models that hand off calls between cell and WiFi networks. That certainly may not be a service provider's dream, but how long after just one subsidizes a WiFi handset that others will follow? And it's not just about saving minutes, or Skyping on a cell. The handset becomes a PDA in hot spots. Somewhere there's a price point for people who don't necessarily want a Blackberry and the correlative service contract, but would like to occasionally check email on their cell phone.

WiFi-enabled handsets are still relatively new to the market, more so in the United States than Europe, but the introductions have picked up in recent weeks with two new Blackberrys and more new Nokia devices. It only makes sense for service providers to work WiFi into their plans, given the rise of enabled handsets and the army of coders making VoIP clients.

The same thing goes for business applications. Common wisdom holds that small- and medium-sized business are the most aggressive adopters of VoIP, yet almost every week, another huge enterprise VoIP project is revealed: Pizza Hut, the Department of Defense, the University of Buffalo, the U.S. Social Security Administration... the list continues to grow. Saving money is certainly a factor driving VoIP adoption, but so is a building migration toward unified communications. As the nation's workforce becomes more mobile, businesses are seeking ways to keep staff virtually connected in a way that allows emails, cell calls, instant messages and landline calls to be seamlessly accessible across all platforms. The first step toward unified communication is establishing a Internet Protocol foundation, most often by way of a VoIP platform.

The wireless/VoIP mashup is just now gaining momentum with a guarantee to change the carrier model. It's up to carriers in front of the wave to determine how that happens. --Deborah

AT&T upgrading with HSUPA next month

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:59:54 -0400

AT&T is set to announce that it has upgraded its mobile network with HSUPA, which will let its subscribers send photos and video from their phones to the Internet about six times faster than current speeds. The carrier plans to upgrade its networks in October and November. AT&T said that the upgrade to AT&T's high-speed network would increase upload speeds to between 500 and 800 Kbps, from its current speed of about 120 kbps. The growing popularity of blogging and social networking is driving the need for more upstream bandwidth, according to the carrier.

For more on the upgrade:
- check out this prescient rumor mill from last week

Sprint confirms Q4 phone launches

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:59:56 -0400

Recent reports on various blogs have shown leaked photos of Sprint-branded handsets, including: the HTC Touch (photo), BlackBerry Pearl 813 (photo), Palm Centro (photo) and LG Rumor (photo). Earlier in the month we reported that Sprint would launch the Touch and the Centro sometime this year, now we've got confirmation that the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 and the LG Rumor are on the way as well. Here's what we know:

HTC Touch: Full touchscreen, Windows Mobile 6, EVDO-A upgradeable
Palm Centro: Palm OS, EVDO, touchscreen
BlackBerry Pearl 8130: EVDO, GPS, stereo Bluetooth
LG Rumor: sliding QWERTY keypad, Bluetooth, Micro SD expandable

Pretty much all of these specs are in line with what we've been expecting, save for the LG Rumor, which we've never seen before. Apparently the Rumor is "messaging focused [and] easy to use," with "[q]uick and easy access to social networking communities like Facebook and MySpace," according to leaked spec sheets.

Sprint spokeswoman Michelle Leff Mermelstein confirmed that all four of these handsets are landing in Q4 of this year and pricing will be announced at the time of their individual launch dates.

For more on the leaked devices:
- see these full-sized photos of the handsets
- and this Engadget article