BSNL eyes 85,000 mobile connections in Nashik
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Nashik, has set a target of 10,000 new broadband multi-play and 85,000 new mobile connections by March 2007.
BSNL has also commissioned its video conferencing studio at Canada Corner here and launched the fixed line prepaid phone (FLPP) service.
Presently, BSNL has 5,636 broadband subscribers. It has set a target of 10,000 new broadband multi-play connections by March 2007. Besides, it is planning to extend its broadband network in Malegaon, Niphad, Dindori and Manmad towns in the district,??? said Ashok Weer, general manager, BSNL, Nashik.
The company provides mobile service to 86,551 users in the district through 62 towers — 28 in urban areas and 34 in the rural.
To achieve the target of 85,000 new mobile connections, BSNL is putting up 116 towers in the district of which 44 will be in urban areas and 72 in the rural. So far, 23 towers have been put up in rural areas.
BSNL had recently set up a mobile switching centre (MSC) at Satpur, Nashik, with a capacity of 4 lakh connections.
The video conferencing studio will be available for at least 15 minutes at the rate of Rs 10 per minute while the fixed line prepaid phone (FLPP) service is available at Rs 337, with no security deposits or no minimum guarantee.
Source- http://www.business-standard.com
Vodafone Netherlands contract strategic for Amdocs
Merril Lynch analysts Tal Liani, Priscilla Law and Stanley Kovler believe that Amdocs’s (NYSE: DOX) new five-year contract with Vodafone Netherlands (VN) is “relatively small, yet holds substantial strategic importance.” They estimate the contract to be worth $10-$15 million per annum.
The analysts note that Amdocs generated about a quarter of its third quarter revenue in the European market. They also point out that, as the company’s service margin is usually depressed by larger contracts where it is required to grant large discounts and make initial investments, they believe that this new smaller deal may aid in raising its service margin.
They also emphasize that Vodafone has in the past used smaller locations as a spring-board for new business models, and anticipate that success in Holland will lead to further deployment across Europe.
Amdocs chief marketing officer Michael Matthews explained that Amdocs helps leading brands like Vodafone free time and capital to focus on new revenue-generating initiatives and compete on the leading edge. The ability to both modernize and run IT business processes for customers makes us uniquely attractive to service providers looking for more cost-efficient ways to operate, even as their business becomes more complex and their service portfolios grow. We are committed to expanding our managed services footprint in Europe, and look forward to other major wins in the European communications space.???
This contract involves Amdocs taking over VN’s wholesale and retail billing, provision and partner settlement operations. Amdocs has already been providing services to VN for eight years, and Merrill Lynch therefore estimates the incremental revenue from this contract to be $5-$10 million per annum. The analysts believe that the contract will positively impact Amdocs’s future because “this contract marks a success in replicating the evolution of relationships seen in North America with Sprint Nextel and Bell Canada from pure system solutions to including managed services.”
VN chief executive officer Guy Laurence said of the contract, “This contract is also a natural evolution of our successful eight-year relationship with Amdocs and reaffirms the company as one of our most strategic and trusted business partners.???
Merrill Lynch rates Amdocs “Buy”. Its price objective is $43.00, which compares with a closing price yesterday of $39.80.
Source- http://www.globes.co.il
Wippit bolsters music catalogue
Digital download service Wippit, has added 2.4 million new songs to its roster following a string of deals with record labels.
The UK-based company has struck digital distribution deals with The Orchard, IODA, VUT, Digital Rights Agency and CD Baby.
Paul Myers CEO and Founder of Wippit says, Wippit has a solid reputation as a destination for independent music even if we do offer a full range of content and the public perception of Wippit as the online ‘indie store’ is certain to be reinforced with the addition of this content???.
IODA distributes over 600,000 tracks from more than 2,700 independent record labels around the world, including music from Fall Out Boy, Bebel Gilberto, Seu Jorge and Master P.
CD Baby represents and supplies music from 150,315 artists directly, offering more than 700,000 recordings in their purest form, as the artist intended.
VUT (German Association of Independent Record Labels, Publishers and Producers) is Germany’s leading trade organisation for independent music, representing over 1100 companies including !K7.
The Orchard will supply Wippit with music from its catalogue of more than one million tracks representing 73 countries, thousands of labels, and every music genre. This catalogue includes titles from multi-platinum acts such as Green Day, Coldplay, Ray Charles, and Barenaked Ladies, as well as from breaking bands like The Hold Steady, Bedouin Soundclash, and Immortal Technique.
DRA (Digital Rights Agency) distributes music from popular artists such as Snoop Dogg, Chamillionaire, Daddy Yankee and Ludacris from more than 300 leading independent record labels.
Wippit has a growing international customer base. The UK now makes up 45% of business with 26% coming from other European countries and 17% from the US and Canada.
Source- https://www.netimperative.com
Redknee Launches Parental Control Solution for Youth Mobile Phone Market
TORONTO – Sept. 26, 2006 – Redknee Inc., a leading provider of innovative infrastructure software that monetizes and personalizes services and content for mobile users, today announced the general availability of its parental control solution (Mobile Group Enabler). The solution helps operators attract the entire family with a mobile service that addresses both family privacy concerns and budget. It allows operators to introduce a range of convenient, time saving and family specific services, including privacy control, cost control and intelligent call routing.
The Redknee solution addresses child protection concerns by enabling parents to restrict who their children call or accept calls or text messages from, and which websites they are able to access via their mobile phones. The solution also allows parents to set account thresholds and receive notification when the number is approaching its monthly limit, avoiding unexpected overages in the monthly bill.
The Redknee parental control solution utilizes intelligent call routing to increase call completion rates and allows carriers to combine postpaid, hybrid and prepaid family members into a single group to simplify billing and reduce operating expenses. Unlike other parental control mobile offerings, the Redknee solution is handset independent, allowing mobile carriers to give subscribers the freedom to add the service to existing plans with their existing mobile phone.
“One of the key barriers to wider-scale mobile phone adoption in the sub-teen youth market is parental concern over child protection,” said Lucas Skoczkowski, CEO of Redknee. “By providing parents with an easy-to-use method to manage who their child communicates with, parents are more willing to purchase their child’s first mobile phone. Redknee helps operators increase network usage, personalize service for their users and boost revenue per user.”
About Redknee
Twenty-six of the world’s leading mobile operators depend on Redknee’s proven infrastructure software to deliver value-added services and content to over 207 million subscribers. The converged revenue engine enables operators to quickly bring to market personalized voice, messaging and content services in real-time. Redknee allows operators and brand owners to maximize their differentiation and revenue while reducing expenditures by integrating with existing environments. The subscriber experience is improved with Redknee’s self-care, loyalty, and analytics that deliver the content and services subscribers want when they want them. For more information, visit www.redknee.com.
Source- http://www.webitpr.com
Technorati : Canada, Mobile, Mobile Youth, Redknee
Ice Rocket : Canada, Mobile, Mobile Youth, Redknee
Buzz Telecom Innovates by Offering its Cut-Rate 10-11-555 Long Distance Service to Fido Mobile Subscribers
Buzz Telecom Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Knowlton Capital Inc.(“Buzz”, TSX V-KCI) announced today that its 10-11-555 long distance dial around service is now available to Fido Mobile subscribers. It is now possible to make a long distance call from any Montreal or Toronto based Fido mobile phone and take advantage of the same low rates available to landline users.
Fido monthly mobile subscribers simply dial 10-11-555 before the long distance telephone number they are calling and can then benefit from competitive rates such as $0.045 a minute to anywhere in Canada and the U.S. and $0.07 a minute to many destinations in Europe. There are no contracts to sign and users of 10-11-555 are conveniently billed on their monthly Fido statement. This most recent innovation offered by Buzz is one of a long series of innovative communication products and services being offered to customers.
“We are pleased to be able to expand our network to include Fido and be the first company in Canada to offer this innovative long distance service from a mobile phone.” Said Rafi Hazan, President and CEO of Buzz Telecom.
About Buzz Telecom Inc.
Buzz Telecom is a long distance service provider which specializes in dial around long distance services such as its 10-11-555 by the minute billing service and its 10-11-289 bundle of minutes service. Clients can effectively dial around their existing carriers by dialing 10-11-555 or 10-11-289, and the desired telephone number and the charges appear directly on the client’s regular telephone bill. Buzz presently offers its services in Quebec and Ontario to Bell, Videotron and most recently to Fido clients. Buzz continues to develop long distance products for its clients in an effort to provide the long distance services as competitively priced as reasonably possible.
Buzz Telecom also offer a selection of prepaid calling cards that customers can use from anywhere in the world, to anywhere in the world.
Source- http://biz.yahoo.com
Technorati : Buzz Telecom, Mobile
Ice Rocket : Buzz Telecom, Mobile
Mobile users star in Mercury vision
BRISBANE company Mercury Mobility is moving into social networking with an offering aimed at getting 3G mobile phone users to spend more time and money on their phones.
Mercury, owned by listed distributor Cellnet, supplies ringtones, music and other content to carriers such as Hutchison Telecommunication’s 3 network.
Now it is taking on the likes of YouTube and News Corporation’s MySpace with a user-generated content service. News Corporation subsidiary News Limited publishes The Australian.
In a twist on the traditional 3G billing model, Mercury – which has content deals with Canadian telcos such as Bell Canada – is planning to pay users who post popular content on the service.
“We’ll launch in the next few months in North America, then here,” general manager Ben Grootemaat said.
“The exciting thing is the way the billing works: people pay us and we can pay people, for example payments for content can be credited to a phone bill.”
Mercury has an office in Toronto and recently opened in London as part of a push into Europe.
“There’s a huge takeup of 3G, so we will see growth in Australia, but it is a lot more substantial in the US,” Mr Grootemaat said.
Revenue from 3G services is the main growth path for carriers, with demand for advanced services growing as more users purchase newer handsets. Music is seen as a key piece of content, with mobile handsets now going head-to-head with music players such as the iPod and Microsoft’s yet-to-be-release Zune.
“The music business will be the key for revenue,” Mr Grootemaat said.
“A phone will be a camera, will contain an equal-to-iPod music device and will take calls.”
Mercury has exclusive distribution deals with Disney and the ABC. One of its services allows parents to download ABC Kids’ videos to their phones to help them entertain children.
Not all content is good, however. Mr Grootemaat is urging the federal Government to take a closer look at subscriber premium services, which offer ongoing – and often expensive – content subscriptions.
Some young people have been caught out by high mobile bills, largely resulting from downloading content such as ringtones and wallpaper.
“I’d encourage them to legislate,” he said. “We don’t do subscriber premium services. The people doing these things have really hurt the market.”
Source- http://australianit.news.com.au
Technorati : Austraila, Mercury Mobility, Mobile
Ice Rocket : Austraila, Mercury Mobility, Mobile
Worldwide DSL subscriptions hit 164 million
Global DSL subscriptions went up to 164 million by 30 June, according to data produced for the international DSL Forum by industry analyst Point Topic. Worldwide, the number of DSL users increased by almost 46 million, a growth of 38 percent in the twelve months. In the European Union a further 18 million broadband subscribers chose DSL in the year to 30 June, a growth of 45 percent. In total, there are more than 56 million DSL subscribers in the EU, accounting for more than one-third of the global total. South and South East Asia increased its global market share of total DSL subscribers to 22 percent, adding more than 13 million new subscribers in the twelve-month period . China contributed the bulk of this growth (up 11.6 million), and India added more than 1.3 million subscribers to DSL, the fastest growing market worldwide. Latin America
added more than 3 million DSL subscribers, with Brazil (up 1.19 million) and Mexico (up 939,000) leading the way. In the Middle East and Africa, growth was dominated by Turkey (up 1.3 million). In North America, DSL is steadily increasing its share of the total broadband market and now accounts for more than 46 percent of the region’s broadband subscribers. In the period, broadband DSL (up 6.36 million) added more subscribers than cable modem (up 5.45 million), with growth in Canada (DSL up 22.2%) and the USA (DSL up 32.7%) both far outstripping cable modem growth.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
Taiwan Mobile to launch BlackBerry service soon
Taiwan Mobile, one of the five operators of 3G mobile communication services in Taiwan, announced that Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM) is offering technological consulting services for the launch of BlackBerry service by TWN later this month.
TWN will first release the BlackBerry 8700g and 7290 handsets in the Taiwan market.
Source- http://www.digitimes.com
NOKIA 8800 SIROCCO
The Nokia 8800, the first Nokia mobile phone to use stainless steel and mineral glass, won the Red Dot “Best of the Best” award for 2006 in the communication technology category.
It is the only mobile phone to receive the coveted international award this year, where 36 winners in 12 main categories were selected from over 2,000 products submitted to the Red Dot Museum in Essen, Germany.
Due to its success, the Nokia 8800 evolved in to Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition with its new soundtrack composed by Brian Eno, and screensavers photographed by Van Hai.
The Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition got its name from the desert-born wind named “Sirocco” that originates in the Sahara and turns moist when it passes over the Mediterranean.
The shape refers to the strength of the human form, a concept implied by stainless steel, polished surfaces and a scratch-resistant glass display window.
The Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition consists of two variants – light and dark. The light inspired by the hot, dry air mass, while the dark, by the cooler, humid one.
The sapphire coating of the 262,000 color display has a distinctive slide mechanism which reveals its 2 mega-pixel cameras.
Composer Brian Eno, the “father of ambient music”, was inspired by nature. He has created a “sonic texture” that is organic and calm. The sound comes from nature caused by two air masses colliding.
“The stainless steel case of the Sirocco edition give the device a sensual feel which humanizes this masterpiece. It’s ergonomic keypad undulates like the glimmering dunes of the night desert, while the jewel-like navigation key shines like the brightest star in the darkest night. It is truly unique, created out of the inherent beauty and difference of nature and distilled into a modern form that is graceful, sympathetic and spare,” Eno said.
Van Hai, a photographer native to Saigon, made the screensavers which he photographed all over the world.
“The photos I’ve shot from different countries can now be seen in the screensaver of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition. It was all about the beautiful places, the people, and their lifestyle that I personally chose,” Hai said.
Van Hai moved to Canada and graduated from the Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, in photography. He set up his own studio in Vancouver after focusing in fashion and portrait photography.
“Portraits and fashion in particular are where my passion lies as I allow the creative space that always involves great people and the opportunity to see the world,” Hai said.
Alex Lambeek, Nokia VP of sales and market operations for mobile phone, Asia Pacific, said that Nokia’s traditional strength is the “ease of use” as well as the trust that consumers have in the brand.
“Premium users want hassle-free devices and they appreciate Nokia for that. We are, therefore, in a perfect spot to invest in the premium devices with that trusted interface. Just as how there’s a legacy and common thread in our design, it’s the same in how the phone should operate as well,” Lambeek said.
The Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition has exclusive sounds in AAC quality (made by Brian Eno), premier user in interface, two- megapixel camera and high quality stainless steel metal covers for durability.
Upon the success of last year’s L’Amour collection, Nokia has also unveiled three new mobile phones such as the Nokia 7390, 7373, and 7360.
Each model from the latest L’Amour collection draws its design inspiration from tribal art and ethnic decoration. These are elements that reflect their preference for blending the retro, present, and future in their quest for individuality.
There are also aspects of embroidery, 3D appliqu©, ceramic tiling, and other traditional decoration and embossed leather finishes and graphics.
The Nokia 7390 is Nokia’s first 3G fashion phone, combined with materials and design innovation. The 3-megapixel camera and WCDMA high-speed connectivity is hidden within ceramic-inspired shell and leather panels. It also has music player with one-button access.
The Nokia 7373 boasts of a metropolitan style, and fluid form. It has an ethnic pattern and a compact swivel design.
It has two- megapixel camera, music, video player, twin stereo speakers, and headset, pouch and phone-jewellery.
The Nokia 7360 is a compact mobile phone, with accents inspired by metal, leather, and transparent surfaces.
It has an FM radio, integrated camera, MMS, MP3 ring tones, and Nokia “Xpress Audio Messaging”
The renewed L’Amour collection is a universal journey of romance, a fusion of technology with traditional craft and union of ancient art with modern communication.
“The L’Amour collection has helped in our brand perception in terms of coming up with innovative designs in different forms that appeal to different consumers. The screensaver also match the color and imagery of the L’Amour collection. At Nokia, our phones deliver an integral fashion experience to our consumers for a ‘flaunt it coz you’ve got it’ strut,” Lambeek added.
Peter Ollikainen, Nokia director, business line management, mobile phones, Asia- Pacific, said that the new Nokia mobile phones follow and create the 2006 color trends.
“Color is a very cultural thing. Pink is the theme of the L’Amour Collection because for us, pink is not only feminine, but also universal. The designs are also something that you can play with and feel comfortable with in your hand,” Ollikainen said.
Joakim Karshe, Nokia design director, said that Nokia is differentiating itself from the competition by combining the latest design trends with a comprehensive understanding of what consumers want to use.
“We work with world-class design agencies in the world which have a deep knowledge of trends. Our team of experts spends valuable time in fashion capitals like Milan and Paris, studying and forecasting major trends, creating relevant and hip designs for our fashion phones. We believe that premium wedge in timeless fashion is an evolution,” Karshe said.
Nokia is a market leader in the cellular industry in Asia Pacific, which provides innovative, industry leading and market-relevant technology and products in over 20 diverse markets in the region.
Source- http://www.mb.com.ph
Canadian mobile base up 12%, fixed-line users drop 5%
The number of mobile phone users in Canada rose to 16.8 million in the first quarter, up 11.9 percent form a year earlier, according to the national statistics office. The growth rate was in line with progress over the past three years. Mobile penetration in Canada however remains behind other OECD countries, at just 52 subscribers per 100 inhabitants – a rate reached in 2001across the OECD average. Fixed-line subscribers remain in decline, down 5.3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter to 11.8 million residential lines. This was the biggest drop since the decline started in 2001. Most are giving up their landline for mobile or cable telephony. At the end of 2005, there were an estimated 615,000 households with only a mobile phone, around 285,000 more than year earlier. In the first quarter, wirelines revenues at traditional operators fell 3.8 percent from a year ago to CAD 5.5 billion. Revenues for mobile operators rose 17.2 percent to CAD 2.9 billion. Wireline EBIT fell 10.1 percent to CAD 1.1 billion, while mobile EBIT increased 32.2 percent to CAD 854.2 million. Mobile operators achieved a margin of 29.2 percent, some 10 points higher than fixed operators. Canada Statistics noted that is redesigning its quarterly survey of telecoms services, and in the interim period only a summary of results will appear.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
