Verizon plans to open Application Innovation Center in San Francisco
Verizon Wireless is planning to open Application Innovation Center (AIC) in San Francisco, California, later this year. The centre will be a place for developers, network engineers, entrepreneurs and others to work together on applications that uses Verizon Wireless 3G and LTE mobile networks.
First revealed at the Verizon Developer Community (VDC) Conference, the San Francisco facility will be connected to Verizon LTE Innovation Center, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, in order to optimize synergies between development activities at each location.
Construction of the centre began last month, and when complete the space will include collaboration labs, private development labs and offer access to Verizon Wireless equipment and services. Participants will be able to interact with Verizon Wireless experts in application development, software development, network APIs, network performance and business development, all together in one place.
Companies will be invited to spend time at the AIC to create and optimise their ideas and turn them into applications for mobile customers. The collaborative approach is designed to facilitate connections between developers and a range of Verizon Wireless partners.
Google to launch NFC payments’ trials
Google is planning NFC mobile payments’ trials in New York and San Francisco. According to reports, the trial will begin in the next four months and that Google will pay for the installation of thousands†of custom-built NFC-enabled Verifone terminals at merchants across both cities. It is speculated that Google’s Nexus S smartphone the first Android device to ship with built-in NFC functionality will play a key role in the trial.
These rumors follow on the back of Google’s recent launch of NFC-enabled marketing in Las Vegas, Portland and Austin, which allows users to swipe their NFC-enabled smartphones against a merchant-displayed sticker to access tourist/business information or special offers.
The service works in conjunction with the Google Places and Hotpot applications, which allows users to recommend and rate businesses and tourist attractions while allowing businesses to use customized Google kits from the Google Places catalogue to encourage customer participation.
The rumors about the latest trials have given rise to speculation that users will have coupons, gift-and-loyalty cards and subscriptions loaded onto their devices in addition to the usual purchasing information.
Google plans to trail mobile payments this summer
Google is planning to start the trails of an NFC based mobile payment service in New York and San Francisco by the middle of the year, as moves to support mobile payments gains traction from operators and handset manufacturers.
According to sources, Google will pay for the installation of thousands of special cash-register systems from VeriFone Systems to accept transactions from NFC enabled smartphones.
Google added NFC capabilities to its most recent release of the Andoid OS, although it was reported that Apple might decide to wait until next year before adding NFC capabilities to its iPhone handsets.
Google’s mobile-payment service would face competition from EBay’s PayPal and ISIS, a joint effort of several mobile companies. The ISIS system, backed by AT&T and Verizon Wireless, will rely on Discover Financial Services to handle the payments.
Apple expected to announce new iPad on March 2
Apple Inc. is expected to unveil its new iPad tablet computer at an event on March 2 in San Francisco.
Apple has sent invitations of the event to the reports stating “Come see what 2011 will be the year of!”
The event will be held at 10 a.m. San Francisco time.
Sprint launches 4G in San Francisco (USA)
Sprint Nextel has launched its WiMAX network in the San Francisco Bay Area. The service will initially be available in San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto and Oakland. Nationwide the WiMAX network is available in 71 markets across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City.
According to Matt Carter, President-Sprint 4G, the Bay Area is responsible for creating so much new technology and today they are bringing the power of 4G to their customers in that region who are hungry for fast mobile broadband. The introduction of Sprint 4G will be a great asset for this area, and they encourage customers to try it by using one of their well-regarded 4G mobile devices.
Sprint first launched its 4G network in Baltimore in September 2008.
Clearwire and Sprint to launch 4G services in November (US)
Sprint Nextel and its Clearwire Corp venture will start offering their 4G services from November in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
According to Sprint, the service, powered by a new technology known as WiMax, will be available in New York on November 1, Los Angeles on December 1 and in San Francisco around the end of December. As these cities have a high attention of rich people who tend to want to buy the latest technology first, they are seen as key battlegrounds for U.S. telecom providers.
Sprint, the No. 4 U.S. mobile provider and a 55% owner of Clearwire, will offer the service, which it markets publicly as its 4G, using space on Clearwire’s network.
The launches come as Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. mobile service, plans to roll out a high-speed upgrade to its network in 38 cities covering 110 million people by year-end.
Clearwire, which has been launching its WiMax service gradually throughout the year, has promised coverage for 120 million people by the end of the year.
Customers in the New York City area will soon be able to increase their mobility and productivity in many ways: from instantly downloading large files to get work done on the run, to browsing the web just like at home from across the city, or watching online videos and movies nearly anywhere around town.
Subscribers will also be able to purchase a wide range of 4G devices, including compact USB modems, numerous Intel embedded WiMAX laptops and netbooks, portable Wi-Fi/4G hotspots, and other wireless devices, all aimed at making lives in 4G cities more mobile and efficient.
Verizon reveals Plans for 4G Network
Verizon Wireless has unveiled plans for the release of its faster and futuristic mobile device Internet service.
Verizon was trying to improve and increase its cellular infrastructure to make its network available in over 38 cities in the United States with the help of its 4G data network. The plan is expected be completed by the end of this year. The cities to be covered include Los Angeles, California; New York; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and San Francisco, California.
The 4G wireless network of the company is capable of transmitting data ten times quicker than the 3G signal. The 4G network of Verizon is expected to be faster than T-Mobile’s HSPA+ and Sprint’s 4G networks. On the other hand, AT&T has admitted they would launch their 4G service in 2011.
The continuous efforts of all wireless carriers to offer faster networks have been the result of the consumers’ increasing demand for smartphones, which have the ability to download apps, stream music and video, and exchange photos.
According to the new Chief Operating Officer of Verizon Communications, Lowell McAdam, the company was excited and proud to be the first to launch a 4G network. They had waited for years to finally offer their customers the chance to use the best in wireless network.
Gap launches iPad app to make shopping more social
Now customers will have a unique social shopping experience with Gap Inc.’s newly launched commerce-enabled iPad app. The aim of the app is to entertain and inspire consumers while it also lets them shop Gap products anytime and anywhere.
According to Daniel Rubin, spokesman at Gap, social media is important to Gap they want to be where their customers are.
All the content on the app is tagged in order to simplify its use by the consumers. it will make it easier for a customer to buy the specific Gap item featured or to share it with friends.
Gap is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Donald and Doris Fisher.
CTIA panel blame complex ecosystem for threatening mobile’s success
The CTIA panelists have come to a conclusion that mobile is a great way for brands to connect with consumers, but the complexity of the ecosystem is going to make it hard for it to succeed.
The panel of the Evolution of an Ecosystem How Technology Influences Marketing†had a discussion on evolution of ecosystem and how mobile has influenced consumer purchase decision. The panel also discussed how to measure mobile advertising, whether it consists of a successful campaign or not.
According to Kai Buehler, CEO of MindMatics, Santa Monica, the company is in a position where the Internet was 10 years ago.
Mobile marketing is not a new concept there has been a good response of smartphone adoption and mobile has the potential to integrate with other channels.
Several of the panelist including Ingrid Kelly, vice president of Motorola, San Francisco, CA, and Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb, Washington agreed that the ecosystem is still immature and developers do not know who to partner with or where to turn for help.
Mr. Buehler who worked on several mobile marketing campaigns such as Deal or no Deal†and America’s Next Top Model†believed that the company still has the hosts telling viewers to text in and showing them exactly how to do that.
