Microsoft sues Motorola over Xbox royalty
Microsoft Corp. has sued Motorola Inc. claiming that Motorola is charging excessive royalties on network technology used in Microsoft’s Xbox game system.
According to Microsoft, it has filed a case in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, arguing that Motorola breached its commitments to standards organizations to license patents related to wireless and video coding technologies under reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and conditions.
As per the company, Motorola demanded royalties that are excessive and discriminatory, and asked the court for compensation from Motorola.
It was Microsoft’s second lawsuit against Motorola in a little over a month.
Last month, the software giant filed a suit against Motorola for infringement of nine Microsoft patents by Motorola’s Android-based smartphones.
AT&T, Verizon May caution Mobile-Phone Users exceeding monthly Limits
Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. may have to start alerting mobile-phone subscribers who are on the brink of exceeding their monthly limits and generate higher service charges.
According to Chairman, Julius Genachowski, the Federal Communications Commission will propose rules tomorrow and may take a final vote in coming months.
According to reports citing FCC’s e-mail, subscribers may get voice or text alerts when they use too many minutes in a month or place calls using more expensive networks outside the U.S.
Genachowski further stated that it’s clear that the magnitude of this problem is significant, and that it’s time to take action. A survey by the FCC showed 30 million Americans, or one in every six mobile-phone users, had experienced bill shock.
Carriers led by Verizon Wireless, under FCC investigation for overcharging 15 million customers for data, have stated that mandatory messages aren’t necessary because carriers give customers ways to track use of data, voice and text features.
According to Christopher Guttman-McCabe, a vice president for CTIA- the Wireless Association, a Washington-based trade group, providers are concerned about prescriptive and costly rules. The industry continues to develop tools to keep customers informed about their level of usage.
According to the summary, the FCC’s proposal would require clear disclosure of the tools to track minutes of use, in part because too many consumers don’t know about them.
According to FCC, a Verizon Wireless customer, Robert St. Germain of Dover, Massachusetts, faced an $18,000 bill after free data downloads expired without warning. The company agreed to forego the charges after the bill was featured in a newspaper article and the FCC intervened.
According to Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Verizon Wireless, the company was able to resolve that issue. There are occasions when company messes up, and sometimes it takes awhile to get it right.
Microsoft Sues Motorola over Android phones
Microsoft the world’s largest software company has filed a patent- infringement case against Motorola claiming that the company’s Android-powered phones infringed on nine patents held by the software giant.
According to Microsoft deputy general counsel, Horacia Gutierrez, the alleged infringements centre on the way Motorola’s synchronize emails, calendars, contacts and meetings, in the way it notifies the user of changes in signal strength and battery power.
Microsoft filed two complaints: one with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, which could ban U.S. imports of the phones if a violation is found; and second in federal court in Seattle in which Microsoft seeks unspecified cash compensation.
According to Gutierrez, the company has responsibility to the customers, partners and shareholders in order to safeguard the billions of dollars they invested each year in bringing innovative software products and services to the market. Motorola needs to stop its infringement of the company’s patented inventions in its Android smartphones.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, is repairing its mobile-phone operating system to Windows Phone 7 this year to stem market-share losses to Apple Inc.’s iPhone and phones with Google Inc.’s Android software. Motorola’s disagreement is a part of mushrooming conflict over smartphones that includes Oracle Corp. suing Google and Apple fighting HTC Corp. and Nokia Oyj.
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.
Chicago court rules TCPA applies to SMS
According to a federal district court in Chicago the SMS messages that are sent to consumers without their consent could violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
The decision reminds of the conclusions in the previous Ninth Circuit opinion and underscores the importance of getting express consent from consumers before sending SMS messages.
According to Gonzalo E. Mon, attorney at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Washington, mobile marketers would be well-advised to get express consent before sending text messages to consumers. Without the consent of the consumer, the marketers are likely to face complains, lawsuits and significant settlement costs.
In the last few years there has been a considerable rise in the number of people filing lawsuits against companies that failed to get consent from consumers before sending them text messages.
The primary law in the US which is governing the conduct of telephone solicitations is TCPA and it restricts the use of automatic dialing systems, artificial or prerecorded voice messages SMS text messages received by mobile phones and the use of fax machines to send unsolicited advertisements.
Sprint to launch its first 4G smartphone this year (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The current 4G leader, Sprint has announced to introduce its first smartphone before mid-year with an aim to make the greater speed a reality for many businesses over the coming year.
Sprint’s 4G networks reaches about 30 million people in 27 markets and with the addition of Houston, New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington by the end of the year; it will expand the footprint to include 120 million people.
Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network has already been launched in 2008 but there have been no handsets to use on it. Apart from Sprint, several other USA carriers has also announced their entry into 4G services with Verizon announcing the introduction of its 4G network later this year using a competing technology called LTE.
AT&T is expected to launch its own LTE network sometime in 2011. Undoubtedly, Sprint’s rush to deliver 4G ahead of its competitors explains its choice of network technology.
Verizon landlines sale to Frontier approved by Ohio
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The purchase of the traditional telephone line business by Frontier Communications Corp.’s from Verizon Communications Inc has been approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
The regulator approved Frontier’s acquisition of Verizon’s wireline operations in Ohio for homes and small businesses. Nevada, South Carolina and California’s regulators were followed by Ohio to approve Frontier’s acquisition.
Frontier has already received approvals from officials in 41 towns in Washington state and Oregon and it is waiting for approvals from five other states and the Federal Communications Commission.
Verizon adds ex-Clinton cabinet member to board (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A former U.S. secretary of transportation who served under President Bill Clinton has been added as the 13th board of Verizon Communications Inc. Rodney Slater will join Verizon’s board of directors on March 5, 2010.
Slater specializes in transportation, infrastructure and public policy issues and is a partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP in Washington. He is also a vice chairman and senior adviser at James Lee Witt Associates. Slater is also a member of the boards of Delta Air Lines, ICx Technologies, Kansas City Southern and Transurban Group.
Cingular Wireless Offers Integrated Network
Cingular Wireless customers in Franklin County now have the benefit of an integrated network through a combination of the Cingular Wireless and former AT&T Wireless networks.
With both networks combined into one, Cingular customers should experience fewer dropped calls, improved call quality, new coverage where none existed before and better in-building, in-car and pedestrian coverage.
Network integration involves choosing the best cell sites from both networks, eliminating duplicate equipment and combining technologies onto a common network.
Since 2005, Cingular has spent more than $850,000 in the Franklin County network alone and about $13 billion nationwide.”It’s great to see the investments we’re making in our network are paying off, especially for customers,” said Nancy Garvey, vice president and general manager for Cingular’s Missouri and Kansas markets.
“Quality and coverage are everything in our business, and our customers can be assured they’re receiving the most reliable service in the Franklin County area.”
When Cingular and AT&T Wireless merged in October 2004, customers received a better experience immediately because they had access to more cell sites in more places through “home-on-home” roaming.
Now, with the completion of the network integration in Franklin County, the two networks can “talk” to each other, establishing the call through the closest cell site and passing the call seamlessly from site to site. Customers have all of the cell sites in the Franklin County area working together for them.
“Washington is a very important community for us and we strive to provide not only the best network but also the best customer service,” Garvey said.
“It’s evident that we are succeeding in this with the Washington Missourian’s 2006 Reader’s Choice award for ‘Favorite Cell Phone Store,’ which we were honored to receive.”
Source- http://www.zwire.com
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