#MWC GSMA Awards overview, winners and soft focus perspective

GSMA Awards hosted by Mr Stephen Fry!!!

This afternoon I am at the GSMA awards and I have to be honest, Stephen Fry is the reason I’m here!

CEO Rob Conway of GSMA opens proceedings with a speech pointing out that the demand continues to grow while innovation continues to surprise. Lovely, nice, where’s Stephen?

Stephen bounded onto the stage and I erupted in glee. Everyone else applauded politely. He welcomed everyone beautifully and even welcomed the media scum, and I glowed in his thoughtfulness.

He declared that presenting the awards was the summit of his entire life – gosh, we need to get him out more!

Quote: “

What does an Italian say when using when using a Samsung phone running Microsoft OS? – bada bing!”

Honestly, I love this guy. Bada bing! Gets me everytime.

Stephen calls this the “best time in history to care about how we share and communicate”, that “the industry has true biodiversity” and while he is open in his admiration of Apple, he admires them “in as much as it drives others and causes the whole ecosphere to adapt, adopt and excel”. I mean, how beautiful are those sentiments?

Thank you GSMA! Stephen thanks you, and I think you for giving us Stephen!

So, I drag my attention away from the towering Stephen to the business at hand – award winners. Addafix Gmbh, Austria, won their second award in two days for Yellix, which “enriches the user’s phone experience by adding relevant social & local content to calls in real time”. Co Founder of Addafix, Claudia Poepperl was fantastic and waltzed with Stephen as he had invited winners to exchange an acceptance speech for a dance. Well done Claudia, showed real wit and personality – a joy.

Orange France won an award for their improvement to voice – HD. Their Executive Vice President of Technology believes “Voice is the ultimate application”.

Presented by Vivek Dev, Telefonica, the mobile advertising category, winner is ClanMo and Ogilvy for the Ikea product. A German friend said of this product that it is becoming all the rage in Germany! Collecting the prize was Alex Meisl, Chairman of Sponge on behalf of Clanmo as the snow kept Clanmo in Germany.

Mobile Innovation Grand Prix was accepted by Ken Hawk, CEO Ubidyne and he thanked Vodafone and T-Mobile. I wonder are they going to CeBIT?