Author Archives: Tony Dennis
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
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
Motorola promotes RAZR HD to the UK
Rating: We think its NFC capabilities will work at MWC 2013
Just days before the industry’s most crucial trade show – MWC Barcelona, Motorola Mobility decided to announce the availability of its latest RAZR handset – the HD, into the UK. There’s no actual mention of this handset being ‘ranged’ by any of the UK’s networks – only a list of mainly online suppliers. What is even more curious is that – despite hyping its 4G capability as one of the RAZR HD’s main features, there’s no mention of it being compatible with the UK’s only working 4G network – EE. Well, we reckon it is anyway. Plus we think if you got yourself one right now it would work with the MWC NFC app despite not being on the official list. Continue reading
GoMo finally gets My MWC app onto handset before MWC 13
Rating: Latest technology obviously too complicated for old hands
In order to help attendees get the most out of their visit to the Mobile World Congress 2013 Barcelona, the organisers (GSMA) have launched the My MWC portal. In the good old days there was an associated mobile app simply called My MWC. Oh no, not any more. That system was obviously far too easy. Effectively what you have to do if you registered way in advance is to sign back in again and ask to be connected to My MWC. Here at GoMobile Towers we have been tearing our hair out trying to sort this out so we thought we had better share our experiences. Continue reading
Industrial internet will blow M2M out of water
Rating: Carries two orders of magnitude more data
It’s not that often that you encountered game changing technology but that’s exactly what GoMobile News found when chatting to Bill Ruh, a corporate officer with GE Global Software. From certain perspectives, what GE is calling the ‘industrial internet’ is a direct rival to traditional M2M (Machine to Machine) offerings. Except that the industrial internet is way more powerful and far more intelligent than standard M2M based solutions. Perhaps the industrial internet could best be described as M2M on steroids. Fortunately, cellular connexions still have a role to play in an industrial internet scenario. Continue reading
UK finally sells off its 4G/LTE spectrum
Rating: Sees BT re-entering mobile space ‘super-Wi-fi hotspot’
The UK comms regulator, Ofcom, has finally announced the results of its 4G spectrum auction. The four existing UK mobile operators have won new spectrum and we have seen a subsidiary of fixed-line incumbent, BT -Niche Spectrum Ventures win spectrum, too. This means that BT has re-entered the cellular market after – in our humble opinion, the disastrous decision to float off its mobile arm – O2. But BT many not be planning to become the UK’s fifth national mobile network operator, according to John Delaney a research director for consumer mobile with IDC. Anyway, EE and Vodafone have acquired spectrum in both 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands, while Hutchison (3UK) and Telefonica (O2) only got 800 MHz spectrum. Niche Spectrum Ventures (NSV) only has acquired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band. Continue reading
MACH claims first ever cloud based revenue protection
Rating: Sits in cloud or on mobile operators premises
Claiming to have the first ever cloud based revenue protection solution for mobile operators, MACH has released CASHBACK v8 which analyses revenue leakage in near real-time to help operators use resources more efficiently. Recent research by Analysys Mason shows that efficient revenue assurance is an absolute must for operators given that between 5 per cent to 15 per cent of total operator revenues as lost to leakages. MACH maintains that a cloud-based managed service ensures rapid implementation as well as providing enhanced performance capabilities and decreasing time to market. In addition to revenues loss, the system also identifies sub-optimal revenue chain processes Continue reading
Movirtu introduces Bring Your Own Number – BYON
Rating: Provision a corporate number on an existing SIM card
GoMobile News readers will already be familiar with the concept of Bring your Own Device (BYOD) where employees can utilise their own personal smart mobile devices in the workplace. Well, Movirtu has just introduced a whole new spin on BYOD which it has termed Bring Your Own Number (BYON). Known as Movirtu WorkLife, It gets around some of the major drawbacks to introducing BYOD – such as billing and security issues. Best still, it is quite simple to implement because employees only have to install an iOS or Android app (BlackBerry might follow). They acquire an entirely separate ‘corporate’ number without even the need for a second SIM or SIM swap whilst retaining their existing personal number. Movirtu even claims that this solution is compatible with leading device management offerings such as AirWatch, MobileIron and mFormation. Continue reading
Opera’s operator sales bolstered by Skyfire acquisition
Rating: The move also has implications for ad-supported data
Two giants in the world of mobile data optimisation - Opera Software and Skyfire Labs are to combine. Opera intends to acquire Skyfire by mid-March [2013]. Significantly, the move will help to boost the range of solutions that both companies can offer to mobile network operators. The pair have agreed, however, that the development of Skyfire’s own popular mobile browser will continue. It will also enhance Opera’s presence in North America and bolster its mobile advertising solutions. Continue reading
Interactive Toolbar is Mobixell’s secret weapon
Rating: Clientless solution for serving ads
There’s been a lot of talk about Over The Top (OTT) services – like Whatsapp and Skype ‘stealing’ customer mindshare from the mobile network operators. Well, chatting with Noam Green, vp for products & marketing with Mobixell, GoMobile News has discovered a way that mobile network operators can fight back. Mobixell is probably best known for providing mobile network optimisation solutions. However, the company is now able to offer its operator customers a Customer Engagement Tool Bar service, which enables operators to wrestle back control of the relationship with their subscribers. The key weapon here is the Mobixell Interactive Toolbar which even enables operators to monetise search. Continue reading
iPhone no longer the UI leader says On Device
Rating: Actually Motorola RAZR users are happier
Another clear sign that Apple is losing its way and that Android based handsets are winning out has been provided by On Device Research. It has mined data gathered from 320,000 mobile and tablet users across six countries to produce a user satisfaction table taken from 92, 825 mobile users in the USA. The report shows the iPhone coming in fifth place behind four Android based handset. Coming as no surprise to GoMobile News, the Motorola Droid RAZR M took second place behind the Motorola Atrix HD. Continue reading
Mysterious Dreameye finally lifts its skirt
Rating: Aussie mob ad company finally reveals location, etc
For a company which described itself as an “Australian based mobile advertising company with a focus on delivering rich media ads” back in 2008, Dreameye Media Pty Ltd really doesn’t seem to understand what GoMobile News does. It publishes the world’s leading directory to the mobile advertising world, for starters. Instead of helping us out by supplying information on how potential customers can contact Dreameye, head honcho Simon Hunt seems more keen on issuing thinly veiled threats. We’re flattered but Hunt appears to have created an entirely new (HTML) web site just to disparage us. Continue reading
Dreameye Media/Simon Hunt threatens GoMo News yet again
Rating: No attempt to refute allegations, of course
What a bizarre situation. A company which described itself back in 2008 as an “Australian based mobile advertising company” has once again issued thinly veiled threats against GoMo News. Its gripe is that we keep printing comments from readers about Dreameye and its owner/operator Simon Hunt in good faith. Most recently from ‘Adam’ who thanked us for alerting him to the company’s track record. See our story here. There has been little attempt by Hunt/Dreameye to refute any of the allegations, of course. It’s difficult to contact him anyway. There’s no www.dreameyemedia.com web site any more and its Skype profile only gives the one number +61468424783 which is some kind of Australian mobile phone number. Continue reading
