Mobiles get net home of their own
Net sites could soon be friendlier to use on mobile phonesSoon it could be much easier to browse the net on a mobile phone. Approval for a .mobi domain has been given by the organisation that oversees the net's addressing system. Websites that use the .mobi domain will be created specifically for mobile devices such as handsets and handheld computers to make them easy to find and browse. The first websites using the new .mobi domain are expected to appear by late summer next year.
Rick Fant, spokesman for the MTLD, the organisation behind the new domain, said motivation for .mobi came out of the realisation that use of the net on handsets is growing far slower than the rate of overall subscribers for mobiles.
"We know the potential is there because the mobile internet in Japan and South Korea is very prolific," he said. Handset haven The problem at the moment, said Mr Fant, is that few websites are designed with mobile users in mind.
Most websites are put together for viewing on a PC at resolutions of 800 by 600 pixels that connects to the net far faster than most mobile phones can do.
To get around this a condition of buying and running a .mobi domain will be adoption of basic standards and templates that ensure a "predictable" experience for phone owners.
The setting up of the .mobi domain would also make it much easier for search engines to find and catalogue sites so users can get at them easily when they go hunting for them. Such websites also need to take into account how people pay for their phone and bandwidth limitations.
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Friday, July 15, 2005
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
26 Million People Text Message in Support of Live 8
More than 26.4 million people around the world sent text messages on Saturday in support of the Live 8 campaign to clear the debts of the poorest countries, setting a world record for text messages sent, according to organizers. Prior to the event, the previous record for the most text messages sent on a single day for a single event was approximately 5.8 million for an episode of "American Idol" when viewers voted for a winner.
Source: Reuters
Amp'd Plans to Launch Content Rich Handset
Mobile Virtual Network Operator Amp'd plans to launch a menu full of wireless entertainment. The company reports its handsets will overflow with content and features more commonly associated with television and the Internet, allowing subscribers to view video of news, sports, concerts and other live events, as well as movie and television clips and music videos. Wireless handsets will be available through the company's Website with customizable features.
Source: New York Times
Mobile Virtual Network Operator Amp'd plans to launch a menu full of wireless entertainment. The company reports its handsets will overflow with content and features more commonly associated with television and the Internet, allowing subscribers to view video of news, sports, concerts and other live events, as well as movie and television clips and music videos. Wireless handsets will be available through the company's Website with customizable features.
Source: New York Times
Mobile Music Expected to Swarm the Wireless Industry
According to an AFP report, digital music will soon heat up the wireless industry. Wireless phone manufacturer Ericsson expects mobile music to be the most important service the industry offers this year. With phones equipped to play high-quality music and featuring continuously expanding storage space wireless phone manufacturers hope to soon replace other portable music devices, such as iPods.
Source: AFP, Washington Post
Nevada to Launch Wireless Handheld Gambling
Nevada's Governor Kenny Guinn signed a law last month authorizing gamblers to play slot machines, video poker, blackjack and other games on handheld wireless devices in casinos' public spaces. Tourists will be able to play their favorite games from restaurants, bars, convention rooms and swimming pools. The wireless devices are expected to launch early next year.
Source: New York Times
Nevada's Governor Kenny Guinn signed a law last month authorizing gamblers to play slot machines, video poker, blackjack and other games on handheld wireless devices in casinos' public spaces. Tourists will be able to play their favorite games from restaurants, bars, convention rooms and swimming pools. The wireless devices are expected to launch early next year.
Source: New York Times
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
T-Mobile Inks Deal with Google
T-Mobile announced it will use Google as the entry point for customers to access the Internet via wireless devices. T-Mobile plans to provide subscribers full access to the Internet from its wireless phones, dismissing the "walled garden" concept where carriers pick and choose which Websites subscribers can view. The company will also offer devices with larger displays to better view Web pages.
Source: Reuters
T-Mobile announced it will use Google as the entry point for customers to access the Internet via wireless devices. T-Mobile plans to provide subscribers full access to the Internet from its wireless phones, dismissing the "walled garden" concept where carriers pick and choose which Websites subscribers can view. The company will also offer devices with larger displays to better view Web pages.
Source: Reuters
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Verizon Wireless Expands Broadband Service
Verizon Wireless announced it will deliver broadband Internet service to 15 more markets, for a total of more than 50, extending its lead over Cingular Wireless and Sprint. The network expansion includes Seattle, St. Louis, Cleveland and the Long Island suburbs of New York City.
Source: Associated Press
Free Wi-Fi Initiates Two Bills
For nearly a year, governments and businesses have argued whether Internet access is a paid privilege similar to telephone and cable services or if municipalities can provide the service for free. Municipalities see free Wi-Fi as necessary to attract new residents, tourists and businesses. Internet service providers see it as a threat to their billion-dollar high-speed access businesses. Two bills have been introduced on the issue, which highlight the divide. Senate bill 1294 says no state can prohibit a municipality from offering broadband to its citizens. House bill 2726 says state and local governments can't offer Internet service if a private provider already does.
Source: Washington Post
For nearly a year, governments and businesses have argued whether Internet access is a paid privilege similar to telephone and cable services or if municipalities can provide the service for free. Municipalities see free Wi-Fi as necessary to attract new residents, tourists and businesses. Internet service providers see it as a threat to their billion-dollar high-speed access businesses. Two bills have been introduced on the issue, which highlight the divide. Senate bill 1294 says no state can prohibit a municipality from offering broadband to its citizens. House bill 2726 says state and local governments can't offer Internet service if a private provider already does.
Source: Washington Post
Cingular Considers iTunes Phone
According to reports, Cingular Wireless is considering selling a Motorola wireless phone that plays Apple Computer's iTunes music service. The iTunes phone is another example of how wireless carriers and music companies are betting on wireless phones with digital music players to be a key source of growth in the next few years.
Source: Reuters
Paramount Confiscates Wireless Phones
At Paramount Studio's premiere of "War of the Worlds," all guests, including celebrities, were required to hand over their handbags and wireless phones to security guards. According to a New York Times report, Paramount confiscated wireless devices in case people attempted to record scenes using their cameraphones.
Source: New York Times
At Paramount Studio's premiere of "War of the Worlds," all guests, including celebrities, were required to hand over their handbags and wireless phones to security guards. According to a New York Times report, Paramount confiscated wireless devices in case people attempted to record scenes using their cameraphones.
Source: New York Times
Ringtones Continue to Generate Revenue
Ringtones are providing music labels and wireless carriers a chance to build a vibrant, piracy-proof market for songs, video clips and other wireless entertainment. At a time when illegal "peer-to-peer" sharing of songs hurts the music industry, many companies are seeing success in wireless ringtone sales. According to research firm Consect, ringtone sales topped $4 billion worldwide and $300 million in the U.S., in 2005.
Source: Reuters
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Wireline Companies Lobby to End Wi-Fi Plans
As cities look to provide high-speed wireless Internet access, many are receiving push-back from wireline and cable companies. Around the country, governments are contracting with providers other than local telephone or cable companies to build or run networks using Wi-Fi technology. Many traditional telecom providers view these projects as a threat and are pushing for laws to curtail them.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Vodafone Expects Clientele to Triple
Portuguese wireless carrier Vodafone Portugal expects its 3G subscriber base to triple by March 2006. The expected growth of its subscribers is based on attractive rates, better handsets and wider 3G coverage. Vodafone is currently the second largest of three wireless phone carriers in Portugal.
Source: Reuters
Portuguese wireless carrier Vodafone Portugal expects its 3G subscriber base to triple by March 2006. The expected growth of its subscribers is based on attractive rates, better handsets and wider 3G coverage. Vodafone is currently the second largest of three wireless phone carriers in Portugal.
Source: Reuters
China Wireless Phones Show Poor Performance in 3G Test
According to reports, a Chinese standard for 3G wireless phones failed to perform well in a government test, raising doubts about when licenses might be granted. Phones equipped with the TD-SCDMA standard could only be used to place calls and send text messages but failed to support other services, such as downloading video clips.
Source: Associated Press
Federal Rules Prohibit Telemarketing to Wireless
According to a CNet News report, the more that 190 million U.S. wireless subscribers could be targets for telemarketers. Since there are more wireless subscribers than wireline subscribers across the globe. However, Federal rules prohibit using automated dialing machines to reach wireless subscribers' phones. Under the rules, telemarketers are allowed to dial each number by hand, which would be labor and cost intensive, according to the Federal Communications Commission. CTIA-The Wireless AssociationTM ensures that wireless carriers are doing everything they can to keep wireless phone numbers out of the hands of telemarketers.
Source: CNet News
Friday, June 17, 2005
Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce:Global Spending and Trends
2005 is projected to be a breakout year for mobile marketing, with spending spiking from "virtually nothing to millions in pilot investments." Though that sounds suspiciously like the online advertising hype of the 1990s, remember, the Internet is now key to the marketing and sales strategies for most companies. Wireless represents the next frontier.
Source: eMarketer.com
2005 is projected to be a breakout year for mobile marketing, with spending spiking from "virtually nothing to millions in pilot investments." Though that sounds suspiciously like the online advertising hype of the 1990s, remember, the Internet is now key to the marketing and sales strategies for most companies. Wireless represents the next frontier.
Source: eMarketer.com
She Got Game?
Traditionally, males are more likely than females to be game players, and though neither gender is downloading mobile games in massive numbers, recent data suggests that men are about twice as likely to be downloaders.
A new report released by the Yankee Group indicated that 8% of men surveyed in Western Europe downloaded games to their mobile phones on a monthly basis, compared to 5% of women. However, about 16% of both genders have downloaded a game on a less frequent basis. More than three-quarters of mobile phone subscribers, male and female, have never downloaded a game.
A May 2005 report from M:Metrics found that 4.4% of US men had downloaded a game, compared to 2.3% of US women, though women played games just as much as men. But a recent study from Telephia found that females accounted for three-fifths of the 3.5% of mobile phone users who had purchased a game for their handset between February and May 2005.
In any case, there is a marked difference between mobile gaming and console or computer gaming, where males dominate in playing time and purchasing.
One factor is the limited technology of phones, which encourages simpler puzzle, quiz or basic arcade games, which tend to be more appealing to women. Action, fighting, first-person shooter or sports games, which tend to be men's preference, dominate the larger console market. In mobile applications these games require more sophisticated handsets.
Yankee Group points out that although the many of the most popular games are ones like Tetris or "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" the focus in gaming has been on console spin-offs like Tomb Raider or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
For an in-depth look at the mobile market, read eMarketer's Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce report.
Traditionally, males are more likely than females to be game players, and though neither gender is downloading mobile games in massive numbers, recent data suggests that men are about twice as likely to be downloaders.
A new report released by the Yankee Group indicated that 8% of men surveyed in Western Europe downloaded games to their mobile phones on a monthly basis, compared to 5% of women. However, about 16% of both genders have downloaded a game on a less frequent basis. More than three-quarters of mobile phone subscribers, male and female, have never downloaded a game.
A May 2005 report from M:Metrics found that 4.4% of US men had downloaded a game, compared to 2.3% of US women, though women played games just as much as men. But a recent study from Telephia found that females accounted for three-fifths of the 3.5% of mobile phone users who had purchased a game for their handset between February and May 2005.
In any case, there is a marked difference between mobile gaming and console or computer gaming, where males dominate in playing time and purchasing.
One factor is the limited technology of phones, which encourages simpler puzzle, quiz or basic arcade games, which tend to be more appealing to women. Action, fighting, first-person shooter or sports games, which tend to be men's preference, dominate the larger console market. In mobile applications these games require more sophisticated handsets.
Yankee Group points out that although the many of the most popular games are ones like Tetris or "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" the focus in gaming has been on console spin-offs like Tomb Raider or Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
For an in-depth look at the mobile market, read eMarketer's Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce report.
Big Picture for the Smallest Screen
Despite the anticipated growth in multimedia capable handsets, mobile phone will continue to be niche advertising medium, according to a new report.
Although digital PDAs and mobile phones are ubiquitous — popping up from handbags, jacket pockets and belt clips everywhere — they seem to be the one new media place advertising dollars are not going.
The small "fourth screen" may be looked at more often every day by consumers than movie, television and even computer screens, but a new report from Strategy Analytics, "Advertising on the Fourth Screen: Opt-In To Dominate Mobile Marketing Spend," expects mobile marketing to remain only a niche revenue opportunity, representing just 2% of the projected $47 billion online advertising spend in 2010.
Strategy Analytics said that mobile advertising will be constrained by "low consumer acceptance of advertising on their handsets, device fragmentation and negative sentiment from carriers towards marketing supported content models."
Marketers want to be close at hand, however. A recent report from Forrester Research showed that over half the US marketers surveyed were interested in advertising on mobile devices.
"Advertising over wireless is more complex than TV, radio, and the Internet, because of the fragmentation caused by handset diversity and the uncertainty of take-up rates of different mobile technologies like video and Java," said David Kerr, Vice President of Strategy Analytics. "We expect sponsored video and audio services to grow strongly over the next five years capturing 17% of total spend by 2010, while browser based advertising will claim the greatest share with 44%."
The situation will change, in time. Too many marketers see the value of being on the fourth screen — right in front of their targets' noses. As the report concludes, "Momentum is building, but many barriers remain before the muscle of mobile advertising and marketing can be fully flexed."
"Mobile marketing is ripe with promise and to some extent still surrounded by hype as well," said eMarketer Senior Analyst Noah Elkin. "But those looking to the wireless channel would do well to remember that it is still in an incipient phase. On the one hand, the staggering demographics of the global wireless market should not be discounted. On the other hand, the ways in which most people use their handsets continue to evolve, with voice still by far the most dominant application."
For more information on this subject, read eMarketer's Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce report.
Despite the anticipated growth in multimedia capable handsets, mobile phone will continue to be niche advertising medium, according to a new report.
Although digital PDAs and mobile phones are ubiquitous — popping up from handbags, jacket pockets and belt clips everywhere — they seem to be the one new media place advertising dollars are not going.
The small "fourth screen" may be looked at more often every day by consumers than movie, television and even computer screens, but a new report from Strategy Analytics, "Advertising on the Fourth Screen: Opt-In To Dominate Mobile Marketing Spend," expects mobile marketing to remain only a niche revenue opportunity, representing just 2% of the projected $47 billion online advertising spend in 2010.
Strategy Analytics said that mobile advertising will be constrained by "low consumer acceptance of advertising on their handsets, device fragmentation and negative sentiment from carriers towards marketing supported content models."
Marketers want to be close at hand, however. A recent report from Forrester Research showed that over half the US marketers surveyed were interested in advertising on mobile devices.
"Advertising over wireless is more complex than TV, radio, and the Internet, because of the fragmentation caused by handset diversity and the uncertainty of take-up rates of different mobile technologies like video and Java," said David Kerr, Vice President of Strategy Analytics. "We expect sponsored video and audio services to grow strongly over the next five years capturing 17% of total spend by 2010, while browser based advertising will claim the greatest share with 44%."
The situation will change, in time. Too many marketers see the value of being on the fourth screen — right in front of their targets' noses. As the report concludes, "Momentum is building, but many barriers remain before the muscle of mobile advertising and marketing can be fully flexed."
"Mobile marketing is ripe with promise and to some extent still surrounded by hype as well," said eMarketer Senior Analyst Noah Elkin. "But those looking to the wireless channel would do well to remember that it is still in an incipient phase. On the one hand, the staggering demographics of the global wireless market should not be discounted. On the other hand, the ways in which most people use their handsets continue to evolve, with voice still by far the most dominant application."
For more information on this subject, read eMarketer's Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce report.
Technology Beyond 3G
Some of the world's wireless companies are pushing high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), an even more sophisticated technology than 3G. At the CommunicAsia trade show, wireless phone manufacturers, such as Samsung and Ericsson, discussed a range of technologies that go beyond 3G. The companies say HSDPA will provide faster download speeds than current 3G systems, allowing users to surf the Web and watch videos of much higher quality on their wireless phones.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Some of the world's wireless companies are pushing high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), an even more sophisticated technology than 3G. At the CommunicAsia trade show, wireless phone manufacturers, such as Samsung and Ericsson, discussed a range of technologies that go beyond 3G. The companies say HSDPA will provide faster download speeds than current 3G systems, allowing users to surf the Web and watch videos of much higher quality on their wireless phones.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Florida Residents Pay Parking Meter Via Wireless Phones
Drivers lacking quarters in Coral Gables, Florida can now use their wireless phones to feed parking meters. The automated system allows drives to simply dial in from their wireless phones, enter the number assigned to their parking spot, and the required costs will be bill to their credit card. Subscribers call back and end the billing cycle when they leave.
Source: Associated Press
Drivers lacking quarters in Coral Gables, Florida can now use their wireless phones to feed parking meters. The automated system allows drives to simply dial in from their wireless phones, enter the number assigned to their parking spot, and the required costs will be bill to their credit card. Subscribers call back and end the billing cycle when they leave.
Source: Associated Press
Bluetooth May Be Open to Cracking
According to research firm IDC, Bluetooth technology was installed in 92 million wireless handsets, wireless phones, portable computers and other devices in 2004. The number of Bluetooth-enabled products is expected to more than double to 186 million in 2005. Two experts introduced research showing security systems used in many Bluetooth devices are susceptible to security lapses. No Bluetooth breaches have been reported. However, the new findings have some researchers concerned.
Source: Wall Street Journal
UWB Could Cut All the Cords
Despite the popularity of wireless technology, many electronic products remain attached by cords. However, in 2006 a short-range wireless technology called ultrawideband (UWB) will boost speed and data capacity for consumers. Initial products will be adapters that plug into existing electronic devices to connect them wirelessly. For example, music lovers will be able to download songs directly to their MP3 players. Analysts expect the technology to be gradually embedded in electronic products starting in 2006 and predict them to become widespread. According to a Dow Jones Newswire report, products could hit retail stores as early as Christmas.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
Despite the popularity of wireless technology, many electronic products remain attached by cords. However, in 2006 a short-range wireless technology called ultrawideband (UWB) will boost speed and data capacity for consumers. Initial products will be adapters that plug into existing electronic devices to connect them wirelessly. For example, music lovers will be able to download songs directly to their MP3 players. Analysts expect the technology to be gradually embedded in electronic products starting in 2006 and predict them to become widespread. According to a Dow Jones Newswire report, products could hit retail stores as early as Christmas.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
EarthLink’s Government Intervention
According to a Dow Jones Newswire report, EarthLink has the potential to expand its markets through municipal governments, which are now eager to advance Wi-Fi access across their cities. EarthLink has struggled with losing consumers since moving away from dial-up access to faster broadband services, creating a decline in the company's dial-up business. In a search for growth, EarthLink is now focused on new technologies, including high-end services for wireless devices and Internet telephony. It has also studied alternative Internet-access technologies like service over wireless networks and power lines that could help free it from phone and cable companies. Through city governments EarthLink now has a chance to offer Internet services over large-scale alternative networks. EarthLink recently allotted 12 bids to the city of Philadelphia for a $10 million contract to build, run and maintain a city wide Wi-Fi network for residents, visitors, businesses and mobile government workers.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
According to a Dow Jones Newswire report, EarthLink has the potential to expand its markets through municipal governments, which are now eager to advance Wi-Fi access across their cities. EarthLink has struggled with losing consumers since moving away from dial-up access to faster broadband services, creating a decline in the company's dial-up business. In a search for growth, EarthLink is now focused on new technologies, including high-end services for wireless devices and Internet telephony. It has also studied alternative Internet-access technologies like service over wireless networks and power lines that could help free it from phone and cable companies. Through city governments EarthLink now has a chance to offer Internet services over large-scale alternative networks. EarthLink recently allotted 12 bids to the city of Philadelphia for a $10 million contract to build, run and maintain a city wide Wi-Fi network for residents, visitors, businesses and mobile government workers.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
Napster Teams up with Ericsson
Napster has teamed up with Ericsson to develop a wireless version of Napster's online music service that can deliver full-length songs directly to wireless phones. The two companies hope wireless providers around the world will begin to offer the product to their subscribers before the end of 2005. Napster's push into wireless services highlights how the music industry is moving to tap wireless phone networks as a distribution channel.
Source: Wall Street Journal, CNet News
International Airlines Launch Onboard Wi-Fi Access
A year after German airline Lufthansa premiered onboard wireless Internet access on some flights, at least 8 other international airlines are following its lead. Japan Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines have launched Wi-Fi service. Korean Air plans to launch onboard Wi-Fi access this summer. El Al, China and Asiana airlines will follow later this year. Business travelers are ideal customers since they like to stay productive, don't mind paying for convenience and usually travel with laptops.
Source: USA Today
Yahoo Expands Wireless Services
In an effort to boost its business, Yahoo plans to expand its role in wireless services. The company already has voice deals with wireline and wireless service providers SBC Communications, Verizon Communications and Sprint. Additionally, Yahoo is expanding the reach of its email service, allowing Sprint customers to manager their email accounts via wireless phones. The company plans to strike deals with other wireless carriers in the future. (Source: Reuters)
Monday, June 6, 2005
Japanese Carriers See Decreased Revenues Despite Growth of 3G
If the Japanese market is any indication, 3G services do not necessarily translate into increased revenues, according to a New York Times report. Japanese carriers spent billions of dollars introducing 3G networks and services with the hope that these services would generate new revenues. Unfortunately, price wars resulting in all-you-can-use plans, and therefore lowered total customer spending, have not made this a reality. The report suggests U.S. carriers learn from their Japanese counterparts - avoid price wars, ensure advanced wireless networks are extensive and reliable, make handsets plentiful and affordable, and services practical and easy to use.
Source: New York Times
Wireless Gaming Expected to Reach $430 Million in 2009
Tetris remains one of the most popular computerized games, except now it is played on wireless phones. Although still a relatively small industry, wireless gaming is expected to grow from just $72 million in 2004 to $430 million in 2009, according to Jupiter Research. The potential for the industry has attracted a number of traditional video game publishers to the field, including THQ Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Konami Digital Entertainment, Square Enix Co., Sega Corp. and Bandai Games. Due in large part to wireless handsets with larger color screens, faster chips and longer-lasting batteries, gaming publishers offer a wider menu of games, from simple "Frogger" to complex three-dimensional, action-adventure games, such as "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow."
Source: Baltimore Sun
Report Details Sprint's Plans for Wireless
A Washington Post report examines how Sprint Corp. plans to "cut the cord" and focus on its wireless business. The company will relocate its corporate headquarters to Reston, VA upon merging with Nextel, forming the largest independent wireless carrier with no corporate ties to wireline companies. Sprint plans to partner with cable companies to offer alternate technologies replacing traditional wireline phone service and marketing bundles of entertainment and communications services, such as Internet-based phone service, high speed Internet connections and television and music via wireless phones. A new advertising campaign will encourage customers to "cut the cord" on wireline service and use only wireless. The company will also spend nearly $3 billion on its network to improve wireless coverage in buildings. Finally, the company is developing a wireless phone hybrid complete with built-in Wi-Fi technology, allowing users to make calls over an Internet-phone at home and over the wireless network when away from home.
Source: Washington Post
A Washington Post report examines how Sprint Corp. plans to "cut the cord" and focus on its wireless business. The company will relocate its corporate headquarters to Reston, VA upon merging with Nextel, forming the largest independent wireless carrier with no corporate ties to wireline companies. Sprint plans to partner with cable companies to offer alternate technologies replacing traditional wireline phone service and marketing bundles of entertainment and communications services, such as Internet-based phone service, high speed Internet connections and television and music via wireless phones. A new advertising campaign will encourage customers to "cut the cord" on wireline service and use only wireless. The company will also spend nearly $3 billion on its network to improve wireless coverage in buildings. Finally, the company is developing a wireless phone hybrid complete with built-in Wi-Fi technology, allowing users to make calls over an Internet-phone at home and over the wireless network when away from home.
Source: Washington Post
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Two Way TV Australia Bets on Wireless Gambling
Two Way TV Australia, known for its expertise in interactive television, is aiming to capture the Asian market for gambling via wireless phones, which some forecasters expected to be a multibillion dollar industry by 2009. The company signed agreements with content developer Zone4Play, giving it Australian, New Zealand and Asian rights for technology to provide gambling over 3G wireless devices.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
Two Way TV Australia, known for its expertise in interactive television, is aiming to capture the Asian market for gambling via wireless phones, which some forecasters expected to be a multibillion dollar industry by 2009. The company signed agreements with content developer Zone4Play, giving it Australian, New Zealand and Asian rights for technology to provide gambling over 3G wireless devices.
Source: Dow Jones Newswire
Report Examines Wireless Phone Use in Flight
According to a CNet News report, comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission suggest there may be an agreement to relax the rules banning wireless phone use on commercial flights. The report examines questions and answers focusing on when the rules will be relaxed, the technology that will allow it and why there currently is a ban.
Source: CNet News
According to a CNet News report, comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission suggest there may be an agreement to relax the rules banning wireless phone use on commercial flights. The report examines questions and answers focusing on when the rules will be relaxed, the technology that will allow it and why there currently is a ban.
Source: CNet News
Friday, May 27, 2005
Bono Asks Fans to Text Message
Bono, lead singer of U2 is using text messaging during his concerts to get U2 fans involved in his One Campaign. The rockstar asks fans to take out their wireless phones and urges them to text message their names to the One Campaign's number. Shortly after, the names appear like movie credits on the stage's big screen.
(Source: Washington Post)
Bono, lead singer of U2 is using text messaging during his concerts to get U2 fans involved in his One Campaign. The rockstar asks fans to take out their wireless phones and urges them to text message their names to the One Campaign's number. Shortly after, the names appear like movie credits on the stage's big screen.
(Source: Washington Post)
Ringtone Reaffirms Teenagers' Spending Habits
According to the University of Birmingham, the success of The Crazy Frog's Axel F ringtone validates findings that teenagers spend more money on ringtones and computer games than music alone. The Crazy Frog Axel F is set to be the first wireless ringtone to top the charts, according to a BBC News report.
(Source: BBC News)
According to the University of Birmingham, the success of The Crazy Frog's Axel F ringtone validates findings that teenagers spend more money on ringtones and computer games than music alone. The Crazy Frog Axel F is set to be the first wireless ringtone to top the charts, according to a BBC News report.
(Source: BBC News)
Thursday, May 26, 2005
E! Signs Wireless Phone DealSmart
Video Technologies and E! Entertainment Television announced an agreement to provide entertainment content for wireless phones. The service will feature clips from E! Entertainment's shows E! News, The Awful Truth, Wild On! and red carpet interviews.
Source: Los Angeles Business Journal
Video Technologies and E! Entertainment Television announced an agreement to provide entertainment content for wireless phones. The service will feature clips from E! Entertainment's shows E! News, The Awful Truth, Wild On! and red carpet interviews.
Source: Los Angeles Business Journal
Young Wireless Users are Most Interested in Music
According to a survey conducted by the Network Management Group, commercial-free radio on wireless phones and the ability to download music to phones are the two most interesting advanced services to young adults. About 40% of 1,000 wireless users between 13 and 34 years old are interested in commercial-free radio on their wireless devices. Nearly 35% of those surveyed showed an interest in wireless music downloads, according to the report.
Source: Reuters
According to a survey conducted by the Network Management Group, commercial-free radio on wireless phones and the ability to download music to phones are the two most interesting advanced services to young adults. About 40% of 1,000 wireless users between 13 and 34 years old are interested in commercial-free radio on their wireless devices. Nearly 35% of those surveyed showed an interest in wireless music downloads, according to the report.
Source: Reuters
Friday, May 20, 2005
Game Developers Look to Expand on Wireless Phones
Some of the gaming industry's largest developers, including THQ, Namco and Sega, demonstrated wireless phone games at the Electronic Entertainment Expo video game trade show. According to research firm The Yankee Group, revenue from wireless gaming totaled an estimated $173 million in 2004 and will reach nearly $1 billion in 2008. (Source: Reuters )
Some of the gaming industry's largest developers, including THQ, Namco and Sega, demonstrated wireless phone games at the Electronic Entertainment Expo video game trade show. According to research firm The Yankee Group, revenue from wireless gaming totaled an estimated $173 million in 2004 and will reach nearly $1 billion in 2008. (Source: Reuters )
California Legislation Bans Political Text Messages
Under new legislation approved by the California Assembly, politicians would be barred from sending unwanted campaign ads via text message to wireless phones and pagers. The bill, which now goes to the state Senate, would protect wireless subscribers from paying for unwanted political messages on their wireless phones. (Source: Associated Press)
Con Hacked Into Hilton's Sidekick
The hackers who obtained photos of Paris Hilton from her wireless phone used "social engineering" instead of technical hacking, according to a Washington Post report. According to the report, a 16-year-old received access to celebrity accounts by convincing a T-Mobile employee to give him confidential information. The hacker was part of a group that discovered a security glitch in T-Mobile Sidekicks when passwords are pre-programmed. According to T-Mobile, it has since invested millions of dollars to protect customers' information and continues to reinforce their systems to address the security needs of their subscribers. (Source: Washington Post)
The hackers who obtained photos of Paris Hilton from her wireless phone used "social engineering" instead of technical hacking, according to a Washington Post report. According to the report, a 16-year-old received access to celebrity accounts by convincing a T-Mobile employee to give him confidential information. The hacker was part of a group that discovered a security glitch in T-Mobile Sidekicks when passwords are pre-programmed. According to T-Mobile, it has since invested millions of dollars to protect customers' information and continues to reinforce their systems to address the security needs of their subscribers. (Source: Washington Post)
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Mobile Marketing: It’s In the Mix
The first stage in mobile marketing’s inevitable evolution is officially over, and it is time to bring the industry forward into its next era of integration with larger branding initiatives. So say companies that are in the process of developing technologies and marketing campaigns that will bring the medium to the next level in 2005 and 2006. A year ago, the carriers themselves were the largest clients and true believers in the handset’s potential as a marketing device; this year, the big brands are pretty much all in.
“It’s been staggering; it’s really taken off,” says Jeff Philbin of Vibes Media, whose clients now include Hershey, Anheuser Busch and ESPN. “We’re very heavily into Fortune 500 campaigns,” adds Darrin Hegemier, chief marketing officer at Global Wireless Entertainment (GWE), which manages mobile initiative for Calloway Golf, Evel Knievel and the Reef extreme sports brand. Both Vibes and GWE exemplify the next waves of mobile campaigns.
The mobile-marketing industry is way beyond sending a Dunkin’ Donuts latte coupon via SMS. Both Vibes and GWE are leveraging the cellphone’s ubiquity to make mobile a part of an ongoing conversation with a brand on a global basis. “Everyone learned in the last year that you can’t do a 60-day messaging campaign regionally with a [brand] and be successful,” Hegemier tells sister publication Wireless Business Forecast. “It’s not fully integrated with marketing and vertically integrated with other marketing. No platform will do it for you. It takes a comprehensive multi-year strategy.”
The mobile platform’s real-time properties are about to be leveraged even more aggressively this year as marketers invite users themselves to contribute content to an event. Vibes has begun using its Live Text-2-Screen and Pix-2-Screen platforms that let users submit text and images that go directly to a screen behind a band or on a “jumbo-tron” at a venue. Vibes used it for a Motorola promotion in Times Square on New Year’s Eve and for the current “Green Day” tour. It is running in-bar programs for Maxim and Bud Light, where customers can text-2-screen as a kind of flirting. An iRadio application lets radio listeners text song requests and contest entries to a station without getting a busy signal
Monday, May 16, 2005
Direct Marketing Industry Set To Capitalise On Growth In Mobile Subscriptions
The emerging direct marketing industry in the Middle East is preparing to capitalise on the significant growth in mobile and Internet subscriptions throughout the region. Direct Marketing 2005, the region’s first conference for the direct marketing industry, being held from the June 11 to 15, 2005, at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Dubai will focus on the increasing potential of targeting consumers through internet and mobile marketing.
>More
The emerging direct marketing industry in the Middle East is preparing to capitalise on the significant growth in mobile and Internet subscriptions throughout the region. Direct Marketing 2005, the region’s first conference for the direct marketing industry, being held from the June 11 to 15, 2005, at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Dubai will focus on the increasing potential of targeting consumers through internet and mobile marketing.
>More
Vindigo Releases Suite of Enhanced Mobile Marketing Solutions Targeting Cell Phone Users
Vindigo, a leading mobile media company, announces a suite of marketing solutions with enhanced direct response features for advertisers looking to reach cell phone users. Vindigo has added email and SMS opt-in capabilities to its industry-leading advertising on mobile web and downloadable content sponsorship offerings. With Vindigo tools, advertisers can first build a database of mobile consumers who opt-in to receive text messages, and in lock step execute a follow-up SMS campaign. Vindigo makes it easy to implement end-to-end mobile marketing campaigns, which build both brand equity and generate qualified leads.
>More
Vindigo, a leading mobile media company, announces a suite of marketing solutions with enhanced direct response features for advertisers looking to reach cell phone users. Vindigo has added email and SMS opt-in capabilities to its industry-leading advertising on mobile web and downloadable content sponsorship offerings. With Vindigo tools, advertisers can first build a database of mobile consumers who opt-in to receive text messages, and in lock step execute a follow-up SMS campaign. Vindigo makes it easy to implement end-to-end mobile marketing campaigns, which build both brand equity and generate qualified leads.
>More
Friday, May 13, 2005
Users Continue to "Cut the Cord"
According to a Washington Post report, an estimated 6% of the U.S. population has "cut the cord". Millions of college students, young professionals and families are ditching their traditional wireline phones and relying exclusively on their wireless phones. According to the report, the trend is expected to continue as generations grow accustomed to wireless phones.
Wireless Services Continue to Add Features
A USA Today report sheds light on the various offerings wireless providers continue to add to their list of product features. Wireless phones continue gaining in popularity for uses other than voice calls. Many wireless subscribers are using their phones to view TV, listen to MP3 files, surf the Internet and act as mini-computers.
Gates Believes Wireless Phones Will Lead MP3 Market
Microsoft founder Bill Gates believes wireless phones will overtake MP3 players as the leading choice for portable music. He believes the popular iPod device will face increasing competition from wireless phone companies integrating MP3 players into wireless phones.
Src: Reuters
Wireless Industry Aims to Monitor Adult Content
According to a Wall Street Journal report, some wireless carriers in Asia and Europe are turning to adult-content to spur the use of wireless services. Analysts expect spending on such content for wireless phones to exceed $1 billion in 2005, up from almost nothing a few years ago, and to triple or more within a few years. Currently in the U.S. there are no specific regulations governing adult content on wireless phone. CTIA- The Wireless Association� is now formulating guidelines that tackle two issues: classifying what materials should be restricted and how to technologically prevent minors from accessing such material.
Src: Wall Street Journal
According to a Wall Street Journal report, some wireless carriers in Asia and Europe are turning to adult-content to spur the use of wireless services. Analysts expect spending on such content for wireless phones to exceed $1 billion in 2005, up from almost nothing a few years ago, and to triple or more within a few years. Currently in the U.S. there are no specific regulations governing adult content on wireless phone. CTIA- The Wireless Association� is now formulating guidelines that tackle two issues: classifying what materials should be restricted and how to technologically prevent minors from accessing such material.
Src: Wall Street Journal
PDAs Decline, as Smartphones Increase
Shipments of PDAs declined for the fifth straight quarter, while there was an increase in shipments of smartphones and other devices combining organizer functions with wireless phone capabilities, according to research firm IDC. Worldwide shipments of PDAs decreased 1.9 million units in the first quarter 2005. In that same quarter, smartphone shipments increased nearly 135% to 8.4 million units.
Src: Associated Press
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
The Mobile and Wireless Dating Conference will focus on management, technology and marketing for the wireless, mobile and internet dating industry.
http://www.mobiledatingconference.com
It will take place July 21-22, 2005 in San Francisco.
http://www.mobiledatingconference.com
It will take place July 21-22, 2005 in San Francisco.
The Mobile Marketing Manifesto
By Pete Lerma
This week, I decided getting you excited about mobile marketing should be my personal crusade. The refrain I seem to hear is mobile is "it " in Europe and Asia, but it's "a few years away" from hitting it big here in the States.
People working in mobile marketing circles say we're a lot closer than you might think.
I got a quick state of the union from Carrie Himelfarb-Seifer, VP of sales at Vindigo and a board member of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA). Some facts she brought to my attention:
>>More
Monday, May 2, 2005
Mobile Marketing's Use To Skyrocket
We've heard about the advent of mobile marketing (yawn) for years. And yeah, teens could long use short text messaging (SMS) to vote for contestants on 'American Idol'. A few cosmetics companies sent out a few hundred SMSs advertising their hair products. A synagogue recently sent Sabbath greetings to its members via SMS. Other than that, we haven't seen much of this much-hyped mobile marketing around. But you wait.
Chances are, mobile marketing will blossom, along with cherry trees, this spring. Paul Cushman, of mobile marketing consultancy M-Qube, tells me of an upcoming campaign that a major beverage maker has slated for May. As part of the campaign, this yet-unnamed company will give away more than 1 million prizes, including Xbox gaming consoles and 200,000 ringtones.
To me, this campaign is an indication that mobile marketing is about to enter the big league, until now occupied by TV, newspaper and online ads. The fact that the campaign uses ringtones could also be hinting at an advent of mobile multimedia advertising.
Up till now, most of the wireless promotions out there - they were mostly pilots and trials -- involved short-text messaging. And yes, teens use SMS a lot. But in this rich-media world, text is rather boring. Soon, however, I think, we might actually start seeing multimedia promotions, involving photos, audio and video.
The History Channel Launches Mobile Marketing Campaign
Today’s launch of a new mobile marketing initiative for The History Channel delivers content directly to consumers’ PDAs or smartphones and incorporates quizzes with real-time results, daily history trivia, a programming schedule, "what’s on now" updates, and email opt-ins for future information about The History Channel. By incorporating a mobile Internet site via AvantGo, The History Channel hopes tp provide its audience with a more interactive, informative experience. "Horizon Interactive identified early on that a large percentage of information-seeking men between the ages of 25-54 are PDA and smartphone users, which is a similar demographic to those watching The History Channel," says Horizon Interactive Strategist Wendi Dunlap.
She said the History Channel had previously tested PDA advertising over the past few years with considerable success prompting the new initiative launched today. "We are always looking for innovative ways to reach our viewers and extend The History Channel brand. Working with Horizon Media and AvantGo on this new mobile marketing initiative enables us to directly reach the upscale, information-hungry men who are our viewers while reaching out to new and potential viewers," said Michael Mohamad, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, The History Channel.
>>More
On advertising: Searching for the right tone
By Eric Pfanner International Herald TribuneMONDAY, MAY 2, 2005
Jean-Paul Edwards, an advertising executive in London, was riding a ski lift in the French Alps a few years ago when his mobile phone beeped to signal an incoming text message. He thought it was from his wife, so he pulled the phone out of his pocket, and, fumbling around with his gloves, dropped it in the snow.
After half an hour of searching, Edwards found the phone, only to discover that the message was actually from his mobile network, advertising a promotion. In revenge, Edwards decided to drop the service provider.
"Mobile phones are a terrible advertising tool but a great communications tool," said Edwards, head of media futures at Manning Gottlieb OMD, a firm that plans ad strategies and buys media space and time.
What he meant was that traditional, in-your-face advertising doesn't work well on mobile phones, with which many users have remarkably intimate relationships. (A recent survey by the ad agency BBDO Europe showed that 22 percent of respondents in Italy and Spain admitted to answering their mobiles during sex.)
Instead of blatant SMS sales pitches, mobile users seem to prefer creative approaches that blur the boundaries between advertising, communications and entertainment.
Last summer, for instance, Gardena, a provider of gardening products, set up a giant billboard in Dortmund, Germany, with an interactive twist. By sending a text message to a number shown on the poster, which depicted a boy holding a garden hose, passers-by could activate the nozzle to squirt actual water.
Such promotions can raise brand awareness, even if they don't immediately generate sales. Because they fuel traffic on mobile networks, operators love them, too.
Still, cellphone advertising has been slow to take off. In Germany, the biggest mobile market in Europe, such advertisers spent about €40 million, or $51.7 million, last year, said Jupiter Research, less than one-tenth the amount spent on online advertising.
Yet as mobile phones become more technologically sophisticated, adding video and Internet content, advertising experts are optimistic about the prospects.
BBDO's recent survey showed that in some countries, consumers treasure their mobile phones more than their televisions. The agency, a unit of Omnicom Group, set up a new venture to explore the possibilities of mobile advertising, in partnership with an Omnicom direct-marketing unit called Proximity.
Experts say the best examples of marketing via the mobile phone, like the Gardena billboard, employ other media as well. That is not only because of consumer tastes but also because of evolving legal and regulatory restrictions on how phones can be used in advertising.
European Union rules governing privacy and e-commerce, for instance, generally require marketers to obtain the consent of phone users before sending them ads via text messages or other electronic means. But rules are sometimes implemented inconsistently at the national level.
>>More
By Eric Pfanner International Herald TribuneMONDAY, MAY 2, 2005
Jean-Paul Edwards, an advertising executive in London, was riding a ski lift in the French Alps a few years ago when his mobile phone beeped to signal an incoming text message. He thought it was from his wife, so he pulled the phone out of his pocket, and, fumbling around with his gloves, dropped it in the snow.
After half an hour of searching, Edwards found the phone, only to discover that the message was actually from his mobile network, advertising a promotion. In revenge, Edwards decided to drop the service provider.
"Mobile phones are a terrible advertising tool but a great communications tool," said Edwards, head of media futures at Manning Gottlieb OMD, a firm that plans ad strategies and buys media space and time.
What he meant was that traditional, in-your-face advertising doesn't work well on mobile phones, with which many users have remarkably intimate relationships. (A recent survey by the ad agency BBDO Europe showed that 22 percent of respondents in Italy and Spain admitted to answering their mobiles during sex.)
Instead of blatant SMS sales pitches, mobile users seem to prefer creative approaches that blur the boundaries between advertising, communications and entertainment.
Last summer, for instance, Gardena, a provider of gardening products, set up a giant billboard in Dortmund, Germany, with an interactive twist. By sending a text message to a number shown on the poster, which depicted a boy holding a garden hose, passers-by could activate the nozzle to squirt actual water.
Such promotions can raise brand awareness, even if they don't immediately generate sales. Because they fuel traffic on mobile networks, operators love them, too.
Still, cellphone advertising has been slow to take off. In Germany, the biggest mobile market in Europe, such advertisers spent about €40 million, or $51.7 million, last year, said Jupiter Research, less than one-tenth the amount spent on online advertising.
Yet as mobile phones become more technologically sophisticated, adding video and Internet content, advertising experts are optimistic about the prospects.
BBDO's recent survey showed that in some countries, consumers treasure their mobile phones more than their televisions. The agency, a unit of Omnicom Group, set up a new venture to explore the possibilities of mobile advertising, in partnership with an Omnicom direct-marketing unit called Proximity.
Experts say the best examples of marketing via the mobile phone, like the Gardena billboard, employ other media as well. That is not only because of consumer tastes but also because of evolving legal and regulatory restrictions on how phones can be used in advertising.
European Union rules governing privacy and e-commerce, for instance, generally require marketers to obtain the consent of phone users before sending them ads via text messages or other electronic means. But rules are sometimes implemented inconsistently at the national level.
>>More
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Kids and Their Phones
Published: March 16, 2005 (After March 23, 2005, this article will only be available to eStat Database subscribers.)A new study by NOP World indicates that 44% of US tweens and teens between the ages of 10 and 18 own a cell phone.
Mobile phone ownership penetration has increased from just 13% of 12 to 14 year-olds to fully 40%, while penetration among 15 to 17 year-olds has increased from 42% to 75%. Overall, 16 million young people ages 10 to 18 own a mobile phone.
A similar survey taken in mid-2004 by Taylor Research & Consulting Group found cell phone ownership levels among kids lower than those revealed by the NOP World study. However, the Taylor study only covered 8 to 15 year olds, while NOP's survey includes 16 to 18 year-olds. Older teens have higher mobile phone ownership levels, which brings up the average for the entire age range.
Taylor Group's data indicated that cell phone ownership was on the rise, but more kids owned or had in their room other kinds of electronics. For example, 35% had regular telephones, compared to the 21% who had mobile phones. Just over 70% had TVs in their rooms, and 81% had stereos or CD players.
NOP found that many teens are interested in phones that can act as MP3 players or digital cameras, suggesting that cell phone penetration may increase as they come to serve multiple entertainment purposes.
Taylor Group also found that girls were more likely to have cell phones than boys and were also more likely to possess regular telephones, cameras and stereos. Boys were more likely to have TVs, DVD players and video game systems.
While kids and teens are often notoriously mercurial in their brand allegiances, NOP finds that they are fairly loyal when it comes to cell phones — 77% say they have stayed with their first mobile service provider, and only 11% of respondents plan to switch providers in the next 6 months.
Interestingly, Verizon and Cingular are by far the most familiar mobile phone providers among US teens, with over 40% of respondents saying that they are aware of these companies. AT&T Wireless, which recently merged with Cingular, is well known to 20% of teens. As Ben Rogers, Vice President of NOP World Technology notes, with the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, "Cingular has a clear opportunity to catapult ahead of Verizon when it comes to brand recognition among teens and tweens." However, it is not clear how much of AT&T Wireless's name recognition will migrate over with the company to Cingular, since, after all, the "AT&T" name will disappear.
As cell phone ownership continues to increase among teens and tweens, mobile marketing will represent an excellent way for advertisers to reach this crucial age group. For more information about the mobile marketing sector, read the Mobile Marketing report, available on eMarketer's Web site.
Published: March 16, 2005 (After March 23, 2005, this article will only be available to eStat Database subscribers.)A new study by NOP World indicates that 44% of US tweens and teens between the ages of 10 and 18 own a cell phone.
Mobile phone ownership penetration has increased from just 13% of 12 to 14 year-olds to fully 40%, while penetration among 15 to 17 year-olds has increased from 42% to 75%. Overall, 16 million young people ages 10 to 18 own a mobile phone.
A similar survey taken in mid-2004 by Taylor Research & Consulting Group found cell phone ownership levels among kids lower than those revealed by the NOP World study. However, the Taylor study only covered 8 to 15 year olds, while NOP's survey includes 16 to 18 year-olds. Older teens have higher mobile phone ownership levels, which brings up the average for the entire age range.
Taylor Group's data indicated that cell phone ownership was on the rise, but more kids owned or had in their room other kinds of electronics. For example, 35% had regular telephones, compared to the 21% who had mobile phones. Just over 70% had TVs in their rooms, and 81% had stereos or CD players.
NOP found that many teens are interested in phones that can act as MP3 players or digital cameras, suggesting that cell phone penetration may increase as they come to serve multiple entertainment purposes.
Taylor Group also found that girls were more likely to have cell phones than boys and were also more likely to possess regular telephones, cameras and stereos. Boys were more likely to have TVs, DVD players and video game systems.
While kids and teens are often notoriously mercurial in their brand allegiances, NOP finds that they are fairly loyal when it comes to cell phones — 77% say they have stayed with their first mobile service provider, and only 11% of respondents plan to switch providers in the next 6 months.
Interestingly, Verizon and Cingular are by far the most familiar mobile phone providers among US teens, with over 40% of respondents saying that they are aware of these companies. AT&T Wireless, which recently merged with Cingular, is well known to 20% of teens. As Ben Rogers, Vice President of NOP World Technology notes, with the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, "Cingular has a clear opportunity to catapult ahead of Verizon when it comes to brand recognition among teens and tweens." However, it is not clear how much of AT&T Wireless's name recognition will migrate over with the company to Cingular, since, after all, the "AT&T" name will disappear.
As cell phone ownership continues to increase among teens and tweens, mobile marketing will represent an excellent way for advertisers to reach this crucial age group. For more information about the mobile marketing sector, read the Mobile Marketing report, available on eMarketer's Web site.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Enpocket Java Engine - Creates richer relationships between brands and consumers
With global handset sales at 680 million in 2004, and the large majority of new phones now Java-enabled, Java applications are proving to be a popular, easy-to-use and interactive medium that give brands a permanent presence in the consumer's pocket.
Media companies, content providers and brands including Hallmark, Match.com, Time Out and Touchline Data Systems use the Java Engine to establish a presence on the mobile handset. The applications build greater affinity with consumers and enable fast access to both pre-loaded and dynamic data accessed over the mobile internet.
"Marketers are now building mobile services that take interaction and consumer control to the next level. SMS and MMS are great ways to inform and educate, but branded Java applications really entertain and enrich user experience," said Peter Larsen, CEO, Enpocket. "With the release of the Enpocket Java Engine 2.0 brands are no longer faced with long and expensive application development and testing cycles."
The Java Engine integrates with the Enpocket Marketing Engine, the world's most widely used mobile marketing software, to allow targeted Java content and relevant marketing to be transmitted to individual handsets. The Enpocket Java Engine 2.0 is ready for MIDP 2.0 and 1.0, providing stronger security features and allowing for updates to an application's core menu structure over the air.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Levi's campaign gives push to mobile marketing
Levi’s is making a further push into mobile marketing, using WAP for the first time as part of the launch of its spring 501 campaign. Mobile users will be able to preview the new Levi’s television spot on their mobiles from 7 February, a week before the ad’s official launch on 14 February. From 11 February, users can view the full television ad via a WAP website, which has been created by Lateral. The site will also offer exclusive mobile content in support of the overall campaign, including the Film of the Film and other downloads. “We want to move Levi’s further into the mobile content arena, using mobile as a pull medium,” Helene Venge, the head of digital marketing at Levi’s Europe, said. “The approach is to offer the target audience downloadable content that they can send to each other, or applications that enable their own creativity. A WAP site is a complementary communications channel and we will be looking to evolve our use of WAP over the year.”
Source: Campaign © Brand Republic
Levi’s is making a further push into mobile marketing, using WAP for the first time as part of the launch of its spring 501 campaign. Mobile users will be able to preview the new Levi’s television spot on their mobiles from 7 February, a week before the ad’s official launch on 14 February. From 11 February, users can view the full television ad via a WAP website, which has been created by Lateral. The site will also offer exclusive mobile content in support of the overall campaign, including the Film of the Film and other downloads. “We want to move Levi’s further into the mobile content arena, using mobile as a pull medium,” Helene Venge, the head of digital marketing at Levi’s Europe, said. “The approach is to offer the target audience downloadable content that they can send to each other, or applications that enable their own creativity. A WAP site is a complementary communications channel and we will be looking to evolve our use of WAP over the year.”
Source: Campaign © Brand Republic
Mobile Marketing Comes to North America
By Kelly Shermachhttp://www.crmbuyer.com/ Part of the ECT News Network
By requiring an opt-in from consumers before sending advertising to their cell phones, the company builds a unique subscriber base for each product. Macy's, for instance, can choose to sponsor messages only to women, aged 18 to 35, who earn more than US$40,000 annually and live within 25 miles of a Macy's store.
Interactive marketing has come a long way. In 2005 it will appear more often not only on the big screen -- the computer screen, that is -- but on the little screen of the mobile phone as well. With a cell phone the constant companion to more than 170 million Americans, there's a lot of potential.
A marketing phenomenon that already has achieved great popularity in Europe and South Africa is now catching on with North American marketers, who see a benefit in reaching customers when they're out spending money.
Overall, digital media and technology enable marketers to better target potential customers. And it often registers responses better than traditional marketing efforts, pleasing company executives and shareholders who want to see accountability for every dollar spent on a brand.
Moving Targets
According to soon-to-be-released research from the CMO Council and the Promotion Marketing Association -- titled "Digital Directions: How Technology Is Touching and Transforming Promotions" -- 19.8 percent of marketers across industries have used or are considering using short message service (SMS).
"Mobile marketing is quickly becoming the most direct, most interactive, widest-reaching and fastest-growing marketing medium in the world," said Barrie Arnold, vice president of strategy and business development for SMS Media Group of Aliso Viejo, Calif.
SMS Media Group drops sponsorship or advertising onto permission-based SMS content like daily horoscopes or winning lottery number alerts. It also conducts straight mobile marketing campaigns. By requiring an opt-in from consumers before sending advertising to their cell phones, the company builds a unique subscriber base for each product. Macy's, for instance, can choose to sponsor messages only to women, aged 18 to 35, who earn more than $40,000 annually and live within 25 miles of a Macy's store.
There are countless ways to segment a customer group. A chemical company might notify its farming customers when to spray their crops according to the climate and weather of particular geographical pockets, and afterward, remind them to order more product. A pharmacy can send SMS messages to senior citizens when they need to refill their prescriptions. CNET already notifies consumers when the electronic items they want drop in price.
Younger Consumers
"It's lifestyle marketing triggered by an event," said Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council.
SMS marketing inexpensively notifies customers of a promotion when they're out and about, spending money, "not when they get back to their houses and ... and turn on their computer and log into their e-mail," he said.
That said, the messages must be relevant or they won't elicit a reponse, both Neale-May and Arnold said. Relevancy is especially important in the United States, where recipients pay 5 cents or 10 cents for each text message. In other parts of the world, service contracts tend not to operate on a per-message basis.
More than 30 billion text messages were sent in the United States in 2004, Arnold said, and most originated with 12- to 34-year-olds who influence or account for more than $800 billion in annual spending.
Aggregated data from eMarketer indicates that younger wireless users are more receptive to mobile advertising than those ages 35 and up. Respondents surveyed for the "Digital Directions" study expected college students to respond most readily (79.7 percent), followed by teenagers (75.2 percent), males 18-34 (62.2 percent) and youth (58.1 percent).
"Their whole social fabric is driven by their mobile connections," Neale-May said of young consumers.
Investing in Mobile Marketing
"Clients buying media in our mobile media network are experiencing 4 percent or better response rates," said Tom Burgess, CEO of Third Screen Media of Waltham, Mass., a mobile advertising vendor.
Dunkin' Donuts (which is not a Third Screen Media client) achieved a 4 percent response to a mobile coupon it distributed to young adults in Boston, for example. Short codes and similar solutions give marketers a way to track success.
In late February, the Mobile Marketing Association established committees to compile return-on-investment (ROI) metrics and best practices for mobile CRM . The association said in a statement that by the end of the year it should have the information on which to base guidelines for mobile marketing campaigns.
SMS Media's Arnold admitted that mobile marketing can be as difficult to measure as traditional media advertising, unless marketers direct message recipients to a specific URL or code a direct-response message or provide people with vanity phone numbers to call. There is technology to do this, but its application costs money.
The average Third Screen Media client has budgeted between $25,000 and $250,000 for mobile marketing this year, reported Burgess. But influencing consumers never comes without a cost.
By Kelly Shermachhttp://www.crmbuyer.com/ Part of the ECT News Network
By requiring an opt-in from consumers before sending advertising to their cell phones, the company builds a unique subscriber base for each product. Macy's, for instance, can choose to sponsor messages only to women, aged 18 to 35, who earn more than US$40,000 annually and live within 25 miles of a Macy's store.
Interactive marketing has come a long way. In 2005 it will appear more often not only on the big screen -- the computer screen, that is -- but on the little screen of the mobile phone as well. With a cell phone the constant companion to more than 170 million Americans, there's a lot of potential.
A marketing phenomenon that already has achieved great popularity in Europe and South Africa is now catching on with North American marketers, who see a benefit in reaching customers when they're out spending money.
Overall, digital media and technology enable marketers to better target potential customers. And it often registers responses better than traditional marketing efforts, pleasing company executives and shareholders who want to see accountability for every dollar spent on a brand.
Moving Targets
According to soon-to-be-released research from the CMO Council and the Promotion Marketing Association -- titled "Digital Directions: How Technology Is Touching and Transforming Promotions" -- 19.8 percent of marketers across industries have used or are considering using short message service (SMS).
"Mobile marketing is quickly becoming the most direct, most interactive, widest-reaching and fastest-growing marketing medium in the world," said Barrie Arnold, vice president of strategy and business development for SMS Media Group of Aliso Viejo, Calif.
SMS Media Group drops sponsorship or advertising onto permission-based SMS content like daily horoscopes or winning lottery number alerts. It also conducts straight mobile marketing campaigns. By requiring an opt-in from consumers before sending advertising to their cell phones, the company builds a unique subscriber base for each product. Macy's, for instance, can choose to sponsor messages only to women, aged 18 to 35, who earn more than $40,000 annually and live within 25 miles of a Macy's store.
There are countless ways to segment a customer group. A chemical company might notify its farming customers when to spray their crops according to the climate and weather of particular geographical pockets, and afterward, remind them to order more product. A pharmacy can send SMS messages to senior citizens when they need to refill their prescriptions. CNET already notifies consumers when the electronic items they want drop in price.
Younger Consumers
"It's lifestyle marketing triggered by an event," said Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council.
SMS marketing inexpensively notifies customers of a promotion when they're out and about, spending money, "not when they get back to their houses and ... and turn on their computer and log into their e-mail," he said.
That said, the messages must be relevant or they won't elicit a reponse, both Neale-May and Arnold said. Relevancy is especially important in the United States, where recipients pay 5 cents or 10 cents for each text message. In other parts of the world, service contracts tend not to operate on a per-message basis.
More than 30 billion text messages were sent in the United States in 2004, Arnold said, and most originated with 12- to 34-year-olds who influence or account for more than $800 billion in annual spending.
Aggregated data from eMarketer indicates that younger wireless users are more receptive to mobile advertising than those ages 35 and up. Respondents surveyed for the "Digital Directions" study expected college students to respond most readily (79.7 percent), followed by teenagers (75.2 percent), males 18-34 (62.2 percent) and youth (58.1 percent).
"Their whole social fabric is driven by their mobile connections," Neale-May said of young consumers.
Investing in Mobile Marketing
"Clients buying media in our mobile media network are experiencing 4 percent or better response rates," said Tom Burgess, CEO of Third Screen Media of Waltham, Mass., a mobile advertising vendor.
Dunkin' Donuts (which is not a Third Screen Media client) achieved a 4 percent response to a mobile coupon it distributed to young adults in Boston, for example. Short codes and similar solutions give marketers a way to track success.
In late February, the Mobile Marketing Association established committees to compile return-on-investment (ROI) metrics and best practices for mobile CRM . The association said in a statement that by the end of the year it should have the information on which to base guidelines for mobile marketing campaigns.
SMS Media's Arnold admitted that mobile marketing can be as difficult to measure as traditional media advertising, unless marketers direct message recipients to a specific URL or code a direct-response message or provide people with vanity phone numbers to call. There is technology to do this, but its application costs money.
The average Third Screen Media client has budgeted between $25,000 and $250,000 for mobile marketing this year, reported Burgess. But influencing consumers never comes without a cost.
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
FCC Lists Sites that Spam
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published a list of Websites that transmit unwanted email and text messages to wireless phones. The Websites have 30 days to stop transmitting unwanted emails and text messages, unless the recipient has given approval to the Website. Under anti-spam legislation signed by President Bush, senders of unwanted email and text messages could be fined up to $11,000 per violation.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published a list of Websites that transmit unwanted email and text messages to wireless phones. The Websites have 30 days to stop transmitting unwanted emails and text messages, unless the recipient has given approval to the Website. Under anti-spam legislation signed by President Bush, senders of unwanted email and text messages could be fined up to $11,000 per violation.
Monday, February 7, 2005
It's easy to throw some banner ads up on a Web site to at least try and offset costs, but it's a tall order on a mobile screen. Nevertheless, one well-known content brand is going to start offering free mobile content supported by ads. New Media Age reports that The Financial Times is going to launch an ad-supported version of its mobile Java service, for which it currently charges subscription fees of $5, 5 euros or 4 pounds per month, initially with a brand-sponsored version of the software.
The head of FT's mobile services says advertisers are looking for integrated print and online campaigns, and the company can now bring mobile into the mix. The FT Java software is from Swedish developer Mediabricks, which supports a similar application, also ad-supported, from CNN.While many mobile content providers struggle to find the right balance on pricing, the FT and CNN deals do suggest that it's possible to create ad-supported mobile content that is non-intrusive and acceptable -- something many mobile ads thus far haven't been. It remains to be seen how effective these types of sponsorships are, though, both for users and for advertisers.
Source: The Feature
The head of FT's mobile services says advertisers are looking for integrated print and online campaigns, and the company can now bring mobile into the mix. The FT Java software is from Swedish developer Mediabricks, which supports a similar application, also ad-supported, from CNN.While many mobile content providers struggle to find the right balance on pricing, the FT and CNN deals do suggest that it's possible to create ad-supported mobile content that is non-intrusive and acceptable -- something many mobile ads thus far haven't been. It remains to be seen how effective these types of sponsorships are, though, both for users and for advertisers.
Source: The Feature
Thursday, February 3, 2005
Where Is Mobile Marketing Headed?
A new eMarketer report explores three possible scenarios for the growth of wireless advertising and marketing over the next five years.
A recent BusinessWeek article quoted several advertising agencies as saying that 2005 will be the breakout year for mobile marketing, with spending set to spike from "virtually nothing to millions in pilot investments." This may sound suspiciously like the hype bestowed on online advertising in the 1990s. But remember, the Internet has become an integral element in marketing and sales strategies for most companies.
There are technological and privacy hurdles to be surmounted, and mobile marketing is not likely to become the instant cash cow agencies hope, but like online marketing, it is here to stay. Wireless could be the next frontier.
To answer the question of what types of businesses will flourish in this new environment, eMarketer's new report, Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce, puts together three potential scenarios that plot spending growth for wireless advertising and marketing over the next five years. Each starts with the supposition that in percentage terms, wireless advertising is at roughly the same level relative to interactive advertising that online advertising was in relation to traditional ad spending in the mid-to-late 1990s.
eMarketer Article Here
A new eMarketer report explores three possible scenarios for the growth of wireless advertising and marketing over the next five years.
A recent BusinessWeek article quoted several advertising agencies as saying that 2005 will be the breakout year for mobile marketing, with spending set to spike from "virtually nothing to millions in pilot investments." This may sound suspiciously like the hype bestowed on online advertising in the 1990s. But remember, the Internet has become an integral element in marketing and sales strategies for most companies.
There are technological and privacy hurdles to be surmounted, and mobile marketing is not likely to become the instant cash cow agencies hope, but like online marketing, it is here to stay. Wireless could be the next frontier.
To answer the question of what types of businesses will flourish in this new environment, eMarketer's new report, Mobile Marketing and M-Commerce, puts together three potential scenarios that plot spending growth for wireless advertising and marketing over the next five years. Each starts with the supposition that in percentage terms, wireless advertising is at roughly the same level relative to interactive advertising that online advertising was in relation to traditional ad spending in the mid-to-late 1990s.
eMarketer Article Here
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Report: Consumers Won't Stand For Wireless Spam
A new white paper released Monday concludes that traditional "push" marketing tactics won't work on cell phones and other mobile devices. Instead, said the report, marketers should focus on reaching consumers on their wireless devices through opt-in, location-based content-sponsorships.
"Protecting consumer privacy is paramount to the evolution of the medium," said Bill Carmody, chief marketing officer of Seismicom, the San Francisco-based brand marketing firm that wrote the report. "Push marketing is less and less effective," he said, adding that spam and spyware have heightened consumers' concerns about receiving ads on mobile phones and other personal wireless devices.
In the white paper, Carmody noted the importance of dispelling the "Starbucks myth," which holds that a person walking a short distance from a Starbucks would trigger an automated SMS text message to their phone offering discounts or coupons for Starbucks coffee.
Carmody said marketers simply will not send users unsolicited text messages--especially because text messages cost money to send and receive. He said that not only would consumer backlash to such a tactic be great enough to outweigh any increased sales from this kind of promotion, but federal regulations issued under Can-Spam outlaw sending consumers unsolicited messages on mobile devices.
But, he said, a marketer such as Starbucks is very likely to invest in an opt-in service that makes it easier for consumers to locate the nearest store. "The most powerful thing wireless adds is location-based services," said Carmody, adding that opt-in, content-based sponsorships that leverage location services are the future of wireless marketing.
For example, Seismicom created a free wireless information portal that users could opt-in to for the Vans Warped Tour--a nationwide concert series that caters to the punk rock/alternative crowd--for its client Samsung, which was trying to promote its distribution partnership with Cingular Wireless. The information portal contained branding for both Samsung and Cingular, but largely focused on delivering content such as information on participating bands, and past concerts in the series. Carmody said the campaign received positive feedback from a demographic segment that notoriously hates being marketed to.
Carmody also mentioned enhanced wireless applications such as Dodgeball, which sends text messages to a pre-registered group of friends in a network. He said the idea is essentially "wireless Friendster," because it takes the idea of social networking and enhances it through location services and the possibility of on-demand meetings.
Dodgeball allows members to send messages to their pre-registered list of friends (and their friends' friends) by simply sending a time and a location. The message "Roy's Restaurant at 6 PM" would locate any friends in a 10-block radius, sending a personalized message such as "Bill is at Roy's Restaurant. You know him through Kathleen."
Carmody said applications like Dodgeball and content sponsorships are significant because successful wireless marketing will follow the similar model of opt-in, location-based services. He said that "customer relationship management" will have to become "the customer manages the relationship," to accommodate today's take-charge consumers.
A new white paper released Monday concludes that traditional "push" marketing tactics won't work on cell phones and other mobile devices. Instead, said the report, marketers should focus on reaching consumers on their wireless devices through opt-in, location-based content-sponsorships.
"Protecting consumer privacy is paramount to the evolution of the medium," said Bill Carmody, chief marketing officer of Seismicom, the San Francisco-based brand marketing firm that wrote the report. "Push marketing is less and less effective," he said, adding that spam and spyware have heightened consumers' concerns about receiving ads on mobile phones and other personal wireless devices.
In the white paper, Carmody noted the importance of dispelling the "Starbucks myth," which holds that a person walking a short distance from a Starbucks would trigger an automated SMS text message to their phone offering discounts or coupons for Starbucks coffee.
Carmody said marketers simply will not send users unsolicited text messages--especially because text messages cost money to send and receive. He said that not only would consumer backlash to such a tactic be great enough to outweigh any increased sales from this kind of promotion, but federal regulations issued under Can-Spam outlaw sending consumers unsolicited messages on mobile devices.
But, he said, a marketer such as Starbucks is very likely to invest in an opt-in service that makes it easier for consumers to locate the nearest store. "The most powerful thing wireless adds is location-based services," said Carmody, adding that opt-in, content-based sponsorships that leverage location services are the future of wireless marketing.
For example, Seismicom created a free wireless information portal that users could opt-in to for the Vans Warped Tour--a nationwide concert series that caters to the punk rock/alternative crowd--for its client Samsung, which was trying to promote its distribution partnership with Cingular Wireless. The information portal contained branding for both Samsung and Cingular, but largely focused on delivering content such as information on participating bands, and past concerts in the series. Carmody said the campaign received positive feedback from a demographic segment that notoriously hates being marketed to.
Carmody also mentioned enhanced wireless applications such as Dodgeball, which sends text messages to a pre-registered group of friends in a network. He said the idea is essentially "wireless Friendster," because it takes the idea of social networking and enhances it through location services and the possibility of on-demand meetings.
Dodgeball allows members to send messages to their pre-registered list of friends (and their friends' friends) by simply sending a time and a location. The message "Roy's Restaurant at 6 PM" would locate any friends in a 10-block radius, sending a personalized message such as "Bill is at Roy's Restaurant. You know him through Kathleen."
Carmody said applications like Dodgeball and content sponsorships are significant because successful wireless marketing will follow the similar model of opt-in, location-based services. He said that "customer relationship management" will have to become "the customer manages the relationship," to accommodate today's take-charge consumers.
Levi’s embarks on spring WAP campaign
Clothing firm Levi's Europe is continuing its digital marketing push with a new campaign promoting its 501 brand via WAP mobile phones.
From 7 February, mobile users will be able to view an exclusive preview of the new Levi's commercial via WAP before it airs on TV on 14 February.
The full WAP site launches 11 February, providing behind the scenes footage and wallpapers.
Meanwhile, the spring 501 campaign will launch on eu.levi.com from 11 February, including the full length advert, alongside background information and downloads.
In addition, an online teaser campaign will run on MSN from the 11 February in the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain. Showing a snippet of the commercial TVC, it aims to drive users to eu.levi.com to view the full version.
Helene Venge, head of digital marketing Levi's Europe, said: "In line with our overall consumer intimacy and cross-channel strategy, we want to move Levi's further into the mobile content arena, using mobile as a pull medium."
The new campaign follows a recent redesign of the Levi’s Europe website, including a new “Girls Only” section, updated fortnightly. In addition, a “Featured Jeans” section allows users to view jean styles in 360 degrees on a virtual model, and get in-depth information about each style.
The site was developed by Lateral, Levi's European digital communications agency.
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