Videotron introduces mobile TV channel (Canada)
Videotron, which operates in Canada, has launched country’s first exclusive mobile TV channel. It has launched Lib-TV, which currently offers original content for internet or portable media viewing, consisting of short videos described as humorous, irreverent and avant-garde.
Currently there are only about 6 shows online that are all 5 minutes in length but you can bank on more coming soon. Videotron has brought on Quebec actor and comedian Patrick Huard to help spike interest and customers can visit LibTV.ca. No word yet if there is an app for this channel.
comScore Launches Mobile Measurement in Canada
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced the introduction of its syndicated mobile measurement service, comScore MobiLens, in Canada. MobiLens offers insights into mobile consumers’ demographics, behaviors, and device attributes and capabilities, to provide a comprehensive picture of the mobile market. Canada marks the eighth individual market now reported in MobiLens, along with U.S, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan.
“We are excited to bring MobiLens to market in Canada in order to deliver a mobile measurement solution to this growing industry,” said comScore vice president Bryan Segal. “MobiLens provides valuable and actionable reporting capabilities, essential for establishing mobile as a legitimate advertising medium. Advertisers, publishers, advertising agencies, and mobile carriers alike can now gain visibility into Canada’s mobile audience and optimize their sales and marketing strategies for this rapidly developing market.”
Mobile Behaviors in Canada
Mobile subscribers in Canada exhibited strong usage of mobile media on their devices. In March 2011, 40.6 percent of mobile users in Canada used an application on their mobile device, while 32.7 percent used a mobile browser. Accessing of news/information was conducted by 35.2 percent of the mobile audience, while social networking sites or blogs were used by 25.4 percent. Sending text messages and taking photos with their phone were the top two activities, used by 64.5 percent and 48.9 percent, respectively. Accessing work or personal email represented 29.7 percent of the total mobile audience.
| Select Mobile Behaviors in Canada March 2011 Total Canada Mobile Audience Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
|
| Share of Mobile Subscribers | |
| Total Mobile Subscribers: 13+ yrs old | 100.0% |
| Sent text message | 64.5% |
| Took photos | 48.9% |
| Used application | 40.6% |
| Accessed news and information | 35.2% |
| Used browser | 32.7% |
| Used email (work or personal) | 29.7% |
| Played games | 27.3% |
| Accessed social networking site or blog | 25.4% |
| Accessed weather | 22.9% |
| Used major instant messaging service | 21.1% |
| Accessed search | 21.1% |
| Captured video | 20.3% |
| Listened to music on mobile phone | 19.0% |
| Accessed maps | 17.5% |
| Accessed sports information | 13.1% |
| Accessed entertainment news | 13.0% |
| Accessed movie information | 12.0% |
| Accessed bank accounts | 11.1% |
| Accessed restaurant information | 9.8% |
| Accessed financial news or stock quotes | 9.4% |
Smartphone Penetration Across Global Markets
Smartphone adoption continues to spread across the globe at various rates. Canada’s smartphone penetration reached 32.8 percent in March 2011, marginally higher than that of the U.S. The U.K. led all reportable markets in smartphone penetration at 40.8 percent, followed by Spain (40.2) percent and Italy (38.3 percent).
| Smartphone Penetration Across Global Markets March 2011 Total Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
|
| Share of Mobile Subscribers | |
| Total Smartphone Subscribers | 100.0% |
| United Kingdom | 40.8% |
| Spain | 40.2% |
| Italy | 38.3% |
| Canada | 32.8% |
| United States | 32.2% |
| France | 31.4% |
| Germany | 28.3% |
| Japan | 9.7% |
Smartphone Platform Market Share in Canada
In March 2011, 6.6 million people in Canada owned smartphones, representing one-third of the total mobile audience. RIM was the leading mobile smartphone operating system with 42.0 percent share of Canadian smartphone subscribers. Apple ranked second with 31.0 percent share, followed by Google with 12.2 percent, Symbian with 6.4 percent share and Microsoft with 5.1 percent share.
| Top Smartphone Platforms March 2011 Total Canada Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
|
| Share of Smartphone Subscribers | |
| Total Smartphone Subscribers | 100.0% |
| RIM | 42.0% |
| Apple | 31.0% |
| 12.2% | |
| Symbian | 6.4% |
| Microsoft | 5.1% |
Mobile Industry Leaders Voice Support for comScore Mobile Measurement in Canada
“comScore has a heritage of commitment to the Canadian marketplace. With the growth of mobile from a consumer perspective, and an advertising platform, we are very excited to see the first ongoing syndicated measurement of the mobile market established,” said Michael Becker, Managing Director of North America for the Mobile Marketing Association. “The availability of ongoing data should only help raise the profile and investment in this important and growing media”
“Consumption of mobile media is dramatically accelerating in the Canadian market,” said Greg Banducci, Head of Mobile, Yahoo! Canada. “In order to continue leading and innovating, Yahoo! relies on on a comprehensive data set to provide insight into consumers’ mobile behaviors; our own methods and insights combine with products like MobiLens provide us with that advantage.”
“Reliable data is an essential ingredient in delivering sound strategic planning and media buying solutions for our customers,” said Robert Jenkyn, Vice President of Digital Solutions at Media Experts. “We welcome the advent of a comprehensive and ongoing mobile measurement service in Canada. We are eager to derive actionable and verified mobile consumer behaviours as we continue to explore this rapidly evolving media.”
For more information on comScore MobiLens, please visit: http://www.comscore.com/Products_Services/Product_Index/MobiLens
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
Canadian Telecom Summit: Videotron Builds, Develops and Creates Value
Robert Dépatie, Videotron’s President and CEO spoke today at the Canadian Telecom Summit held in Toronto while hundreds from the telecommunications industry gathered to listen. Here are the main lines of the speech he delivered.
“The last time we spoke, I said that Videotron would offer attractive mobile products and services and a lot of value. I am proud to report that we have done just that. We promised lower prices on the mobile bill. We delivered. We promised better and more flexible offers to our customers. We delivered on that front, as well.”
“As for the contentious issue of usage-based billing, UBB is simple in concept: an Internet provider will apply an extra fee to certain heavy users who go over a pre-approved bandwidth limit. For Videotron, the issue is less polemic. With our customers, there is no battle.” “We note that this issue affects only a small minority of Canadian Internet users.” “… the first (option) is to use the tools at our disposal to manage activity on the network. In this scenario, those who exceed their limits are asked to make a small additional contribution. Therefore, in a managed network, only the heaviest users pay overage fees. It is the option that Videotron implemented several years ago. We manage our Internet network, and we limit how much consumption is free.”
“Canada faces some crucial choices. The upcoming 700 megahertz auction and usage-based billing are two of them. How we deal with these issues will largely determine Canada’s ability to lead the world in innovation, enterprise and technology. The wrong policy decisions could be devastating. Sometime next year, the Government of Canada will hold the most important spectrum auction in the history of this industry. Everyone is anxiously waiting to see what rules Industry Canada will set for this auction.”
“In 2008, Industry Canada set aside a portion of the AWS spectrum for new entrants. It was a wise move that helped to foster a new era of competition in the Canadian marketplace. Four new wireless carriers entered the market – four companies offering fresh new ideas, innovative offerings and better customer care. Videotron was one of them. The result? Canadians – and not only Quebeckers – are able to enjoy more choice, more value, better prices, and better service. Now, with the upcoming 700 megahertz auction, the Government has the opportunity to cement true wireless competition.”
“We propose the use of an in-band spectrum cap for the upcoming 700 MHz auction. The cap would work as follows: Any bidder who already owns low-frequency cellular spectrum in a given region would be allowed to bid on and if successful purchase, one new spectrum block at 700 MHz. Any bidder who does not already own low- frequency cellular spectrum in that region would be allowed to buy up to two new spectrum blocks at 700 MHz. That’s it. That’s all. The advantages of the Videotron proposal are several. It would not exclude any company from bidding on spectrum, nor would it guarantee that they would succeed. It would not be a set-aside. Furthermore, it would avoid any definitional skirmish over who is – or who is not – a new entrant. Oh, and as you can see from this slide, the incumbent cellular carriers would still come out on top.”
“Canada’s place in the 21st century digital world will ultimately be the result of decisions that we make today. When we look back on those decisions in five years or in twenty-five years, we won’t be focusing on the minutiae: Did Industry Canada slice its spectrum blocks perfectly? Did the CRTC give Internet resellers just the right margin? Only one question will matter, really: Did policy makers do everything they could to create the conditions to allow service providers to flourish/to allow competing network builders to create the platforms for newer, faster, better services to Canadians? All other questions will be secondary, if material at all. I leave you to ponder the implications.“
Check against delivery.
Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, and Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its interactive Digital TV service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of March 31, 2011, Videotron was serving 1,808,600 cable television customers, including 1,243,700 subscribers to its digital service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,267,100 subscribers to its cable and mobile services as of March 31, 2011. As of the same date, Videotron had 164,700 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,129,800 Québec households and organizations. For the sixth consecutive year, Videotron was named Québec’s most respected telecommunications company by Les Affaires magazine, based on a Léger Marketing survey.
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Intrinsyc joins Open Handset Alliance
Intrinsyc Software International, Inc. (TSX: ICS) (“Intrinsyc”), a leading Android™ software solutions provider to the global mobile device community, today announced that it is bolstering its support of the Android device market with the announcement of membership in the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). The OHA is a consortium with over 80 mobile industry members that are strongly committed to promoting the open and royalty free Android platform.
Intrinsyc was an early supporter of the Android platform and has been a key contributor to the rapid adoption of Android on smartphone, e-reader and tablet platforms, having successfully delivered numerous project engagements with industry leading device manufacturers and silicon vendors.
In addition to providing the engineering expertise on award winning mobile devices, Intrinsyc developed and licensed device management and telephony software to accelerate their time to market. Intrinsyc’s RapidRIL™ provides a fast and reliable solution for Android telephony and has been licensed by several Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEM”), Silicon Vendors, and Modem Vendors.
Intrinsyc also has valuable expertise in Android application development as a result of the development of navigation/LBS applications that are used by leading Android smartphone manufacturers, such as LG Electronics, and sold through Android Market™ under the brand name Destinator®.
Android is enjoying enormous success as a complete and open platform for smartphone development and is expanding as a great fit for tablets, and other consumer devices,” stated Tracy Rees, Intrinsyc’s Chief Executive Officer. “Intrinsyc is a leading enabler of the Android platform and looks forward to building on our commercialization efforts with new software and services engagements.”
About Intrinsyc Software International, Inc.
Intrinsyc empowers device makers, mobile operators, and silicon vendors to deliver compelling, next generation mobile devices faster with higher quality, and differentiating innovation. Intrinsyc provides complete product development solutions that leverage its extensive Android and Linux experience. Intrinsyc expertise covers the whole range of platform level software creation, middleware, and application development. Intrinsyc is publicly traded (TSX: ICS) and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations in China, Taiwan and the United States.
Fixmo bags $6.5 mln in funding
Fixmo, which is a mobile devices infrastructure management systems provider, has bagged a US$6.5 million funding in series B financing led by new investor Panorama Capital.
Existing investors and management like Rho Ventures Canada, iNovia Capital and Extreme Venture Partners will also be participating in the series B round.
Fixmo will be utilizing the funding to support the company’s business growth and ongoing development of systems that mitigate the risk associated with enterprise mobile installment.
Tech Mahindra sets up device certification centre in Toronto (Canada, India)
Tech Mahindra, an Indian ICT services provider, has established its ‘Innovation Centre for Mobility Solutions’ in Toronto, Canada.
The centre will initially be providing device certification services to Canadian mobile operators and will expand its services to provide enterprise mobility services on current and next generation mobile devices for the benefit of North American customers in general and Canadian carriers specifically in future.
Tech Mahindra made this investment in Toronto after its selection by Canadian telecommunications providers for certification services of mobile devices.
Vodafone extends World Calling Club promotion (Qatar)
Vodafone Qatar has extended its World Calling Club international call rates to more than 180 countries for just US$17.69 a minute until June 30.
All of the most popular calling destinations are included in this promotion, which included Bahrain, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Yemen.
Vodafone is also extending until 30 June its International Calling Card 25 offer that gives customers 51 minutes of talk time at a rate of US$0.13 a minute. The countries included in this are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Connect In Private Corp. Chooses Geminare Global Cloud Recovery Standard for Latin America, Europe
Telemedia expands DigiCell mobile service coverage (Canada)
Belize Telemedia has expanded its DigiCell mobile service coverage to the Corozal District’s Consejo village.
Consejo users can now access the DigiCell mobile voice and MMS services.
Gatineau, Ottawa, Montebello and Other Locales: Videotron Mobile Services Come to Outaouais (Canada)
Videotron is pleased to announce the introduction of its mobile services in the Outaouais region. Videotron’s mobile offerings will bring Outaouais consumers and businesses the latest mobile technology on one of the most robust networks anywhere, delivering the best value for their money.
“We are excited about launching our advanced mobile service in Outaouais, where residents have always been very loyal to Videotron,” said Robert Dépatie, President and CEO of Videotron. “Our existing customers in the region will continue seeing the benefits of one-stop shopping, which will now include four-service bundles, while new customers on both the Québec and Ontario sides of the river who did not previously have access to our services will be able to enjoy the Videotron experience by taking advantage of two of our products: mobile telephone and mobile Internet service.”
KEY BENEFITS
- New Gatineau-Ottawa Infinite Zone covering more than 3,000 km2
- Unlimited free local and long-distance calling between millions of Videotron telephone customers across Québec and on Videotron’s Ontario mobile network
- High-speed mobile Internet at speeds of up to 21 mbps
- A diverse selection of devices, including Videotron’s first 4G handset
- illico mobile* featuring the widest selection of local content and stunning video quality
PLANS
Infinity at the best price!
Videotron is offering simple, economical mobile communication services with a full range of residential and Business plans. For example, the Infinite Evenings and Weekends plan also includes unlimited email, text, photo and video messages for $24.95 per month, regardless of the number of Videotron services the customer has(1).
Gatineau-Ottawa Infinite Zone
The Infinite urban zone plans, another innovative component of Videotron’s new mobile service, offer unlimited within-zone calling. The Gatineau-Ottawa zone extends from Montebello in the east to Kanata in the west, and from Wakefield in the north to Ottawa in the south, an area of more than 3,000 km2.
Free local and long-distance calling
All plans include free unlimited local and long-distance calling between residential and business customers with mobile or cable telephone services from Videotron. In all, customers can make free calls to more than 2.5 million Quebecers belonging to the Videotron community.
“Videotron’s mobile service reflects the goal we have pursued throughout this project: providing the best available mobile technology and the best possible customer experience,” said Robert Dépatie. “Not only is our offering highly advantageous but it is particularly attractive to our existing customers, who get exceptional rates. We remain true to our policy of giving more to customers who choose our service bundles.”
Attractive options
Videotron is also offering the industry’s most advantageous call management and messaging options, an important consideration for mobile phone users, who typically add options to their plans. For example, customers can send up to 500 messages (including SMS, MMS and emails) using Videotron’s email app for just $5.00, 2,500 messages for $10.00 and unlimited messages for $15.00. Voicemail, call display and voicemail-to-email can be added for $4 per month for one option, $2 for the second option, or all three for $7.
“We asked our customers about their needs when it comes to mobile service,” said Robert Dépatie. “We listened to them and we got the message. We are offering easy-to-understand plans that deliver more and suit every need.”
One of the fastest available mobile Internet access services
Videotron’s mobile Internet key supports data transfer speeds of up to 21 mbps over Videotron’s advanced mobile network. It is a flexible solution for people on the go who need to stay connected.
DEVICES
17 handsets: something for everyone
Videotron has also lined up a selection of best-in-class handsets to meet every need. All support access to illico mobile and remote programming of the personal video recorders of Videotron illico customers. Customers can choose among the most advanced mobile handsets on the market, including the Google Nexus S, the Nuvifone A5 (the first Garmin phone in Canada), the Motorola XT720 and Blackberry handsets and tablets.
First 4G handset
As it expands to the Outaouais region, Videotron is also announcing the addition of the HTC Panache™, its first 4G mobile phone, to its selection of handsets. It features the Android™ 2.3 operating system, HTC Sense™, a 3.8″ touchscreen and a 5 MP camera. Equipped with a 1 GHz processor, the cutting-edge HTC Panache™ delivers snappy performance.
CONTENT
Largest selection of French-language and Québec content
Residential customers will enjoy one of the richest selections of mobile content in Canada, including a vast array of French-language and Québec content. Videotron’s illico mobile service gives customers access to thousands of free and paid television titles (programs and series), 35 television channels, including 23 live channels, and 45 Galaxie music channels.
“Our new mobile service is quickly becoming a major platform for the dissemination and promotion of Québec culture,” said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor Media. “For example, our mobile store carries some 30,000 titles.”
Massive project
Finally, Robert Dépatie noted that designing and building out a new mobile communication network of this scale within such a tight time-frame was no mean feat. “Today’s announcement is a result of a $1 billion investment that has created over 1,000 jobs. I thank our people for all the effort they have devoted to this project. The creation of a state-of-the-art mobile network in two years attests to the expertise we have developed in multiplatform integration and the depth of our 40 years of experience in communications technology.”
Full details are available at www.videotron.com
* Available to residential customers only
Videotron Ltd. (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, and Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its interactive Digital TV service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of December 31, 2010, Videotron was serving 1,811,600 cable television customers, including 1,219,600 subscribers to its digital service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,254,400 subscribers to its cable and mobile services as of December 31, 2010. As of the same date, Videotron had 136,100 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,114,300 Québec households and organizations. For the sixth consecutive year, Videotron was named Québec’s most respected telecommunications company by Les Affaires magazine, based on a Léger Marketing survey.
