Monthly Archives: February 2013
GoMo releases Payforit 101
Rating: Meet the experts – txtNation @ MWC 2013
Perhaps there is nothing more crucial to keeping the wheels of mobile commerce turning than an efficient payment system. Historically, we’ve seen technologies such as Premium Rate SMS (PRS) provide one workable answer. However, by far the most elegant solution is an instant mobile payments system and probably the best example of this is the Payforit micropayments system established by all five UK MNOs (mobile network operators). Continue reading
101: Payforit instant mobile payment system
Sponsored by txtNation
Begun back in 2006 by all five of the UK mobile network operators ((MNOs) – 3UK, O2; Orange: T-Mobile; and Vodafone, Payforit is an instant mobile payment system. All UK networks are supported, including virtual (MVNO) operators like Tesco, Lebara and Virgin. In fact, any UK mobile number (which starts with 07x) can use Payforit. This kind of service is sometimes described as a mobile micropayment service but is also known as ‘carrier billing’ in the USA. It was originally viewed purely as a mobile content payment mechanism (for ringtones, wallpapers, etc) but has subsequently evolved way beyond that. Continue reading
Big surge in UK sales of Windows phones
Consolidating position as No.3 platform
Sales of Windows smartphones have grown by a staggering 240 per cent in a year and now account for 6.2 per cent of the UK market, latest figures from research firm Kantar reveal. In the past year some 700,000 new Windows users were added, while in the three months up to end of January 2013 the Microsoft-based devices – spearheaded by Nokia’s Lumia 800 and HTC’s 8X – surpassed those of BlackBerry in Britain. Continue reading
ZTE launches Grand Memo smartphone @ MWC 2013
Rating: If this ain’t intended as an iPhone killer …
GoMobile News attended its first major Press conference at MWC 2013 which was introduced by He Shiyou, head of mobile devices division with Chinese telecoms manufacturer – ZTE. The occasion was to mark the announcement of its Grand Memo smartphone. Significantly, it claims to be the first smartphone to boast a Qualcomm quad core Snapdragon 800 processor which is why ZTE managed to have Raj Talluri, a senior vp for product management with Qualcomm , in tow. Continue reading
ZTE throws weight behind Firefox OS
Rating: Bringing smartphones to the masses
ZTE used its Press conference at MWC 2013 to throw its weight fully behind the Firefox OS from Mozilla. The clear intention is to flog [sell] smartphones to those who currently can’t afford them – especially in developing countries. The move was introduced by He Shiyou, head of the mobile devices division with Chinese telecoms manufacturer. The first example will be the ZTE Open which will also be the first handset to support the Mozilla Firefox mobile OS and is backed by Tier One MNO, Telefonica. Continue reading
NEC showcases consumer ad engagement technology
Rating: Mixes M2M comms with advertising world
You might think it impossible to put M2M (Machine-2-Machine) communications and advertising together in the same sentence, but here at the Mobile WorldCongress 2012, Japan’s NEC has managed it very easily. GoMobile News has been chatting with Gareth Price, head of new business strategy with NEC Europe. He explained how NEC has the ability to capture the kind of consumer engagement level data that most major brands/advertisers would kill for. Better still, Price revealed that this technology is here now and has even been rolled out in a genuine retail environment in Korea. Continue reading
Vodafone ‘mulling purchase’ of Spain’s Yoigo
Britain’s Vodafone is said to be secretly mounting a bid for Spanish mobile phone provider Yoigo, though acquisition could cost it between 750 million and 1 billion euros ($989 million-$1.32 billion). Continue reading
New Firefox OS for smartphones to challenge Apple and Google
Mozilla, the not-for-profit outfit behind the Firefox web browser, has unveiled its own smartphone operating system aimed at challenging Google’s Android platform while also throwing down the gauntlet to others ahead of the Mobile world Congress event in Barcelona.
According to Mozilla 18 carriers including Deutsche Telekom and Spain’s Telefonica, which owns O2, have already signed up with the new operating system intended for smartphones that sell for £100 or less. Continue reading
Gone are the days when … MWC 2013
Rating: Just more of the same, actually
In the good old days [circa 2004], it was really quite achievable to spot a major shift in the cellular industry’s perception of what was important right now. Those days appear to be over. Continue reading
Mobile ad network StartMeApp announces Beta launch of global ad-serving platform
Combines advanced traffic-targeting with unique algorithmic RTB functionalities
StartMeApp’s mobile advertising platform shifts the focus of mobile ad-buying onto value-based criteria, guaranteeing ARPU and maximizing ROI for mobile advertisers and global content publishers
Press release
February 25th 2013. StartMe, Latin America’s leader in global mobile advertising, has announced the Beta launch of its new world-class mobile advertising platform, leveraging advanced mobile traffic-targeting and a unique real-time-bidding (RTB) algorithm to provide advertisers and content publishers the highest available ROI in the global mobile advertising marketplace through seamless interaction with ad exchanges and media platforms worldwide. Continue reading
millenoki adds video, audio and secure compression functionality to datasquasher
millenoki now offers the most powerful user-controlled mobile data optimisation service
Press release
February 12th 2013. millenoki has increased the power of datasquasher, its user-controlled mobile data optimisation service, by bringing the added functionality of control and compression of video and audio to the market. The improved service is available for anyone looking to provide control, compression and tracking of mobile data, whether for one device, or across a fleet of users. Continue reading
txtNation announce their attendance at Mobile World Congress 2013
Press release
February 23rd 2013. txtNation is pleased to announce its attendance at the forthcoming Mobile World Congress in Fira Gran Via, Barcelona on February 25 – 28th [2013]. Business Development personal from txtNation will be in full attendance throughout the show, demonstrating a full array of mobile billing and messaging options for business. Continue reading
The hipKey could save your valuables at MWC 2013
Rating: Bluetooth powered, location-aware alarm for iOS
As the cellular industry’s premier event, over 70,000 people are expected to descend on Barcelona for Mobile World Congress from Monday 25th February [2013]. Unfortunately attendees stick out like sore thumbs from other visitors to the Catalan capital. Most are wearing suits; carrying laptop bags (or a bag with the MWC logo on it); and some even forget to take their badges off outside the exhibition centre. Hence, many will be victims of street crime including the theft of bags [pocketbooks], wallets and, of course, mobile phones. For owners of Apple smartphones or tablets, Danish company hippih has the answer – the hipkey. Basically, it is a Bluetooth powered, location-aware alarm for iOS devices. Continue reading
