ITU, GSMA collaborate on developing markets
549938
(InfoWorld) - Two global telecommunication organizations have agreed to collaborate in boosting mobile phone access in developing countries. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an arm of the United Nations responsible for telecommunications issues, and the GSM Association (GSMA), which represents the interests of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) operators, will work together in several areas, including projects aimed at low-cost access to mobile phone services, the two organizations said Tuesday. While GSMA is keen to help its members penetrate huge developing markets such as Africa, the ITU sees wireless as a relatively quick and cost-efficient way to provide phone service to people in countries lacking traditional fixed-line telephone infrastructure. The two organizations will focus on three primary areas: low-cost access to phone service, industry and government cooperation in planning and financing, and industry benchmarking. To help spur low-cost access to mobile phone services, GSMA and ITU will draw on programs each has established for developing markets and identify projects in which the two groups can pool their expertise and resources. While the GSMA has created its own development fund andÂ introduced contestsÂ to encourage the development of low-cost handsets, the ITU has launched its Connect the World initiative, a project to reduce the digital divide. Together, GSMA and ITU also intend to forge partnerships with governments and companies to assist with planning and investment. A key goal will be to establish a regulatory environment to safeguard investments in emerging markets and pursue innovative approaches for theÂ use of universal services fundsÂ to expand wireless access in rural and remote communities. Universal service funds are used mostly by governments in developing countries to subsidize the rollout of telecommunications services. Last year, GSMA estimated that governments in 15 countries have collected $6 billion for their universal service funds, including $2 billion that came from levies on mobile operators. Of this amount, governments have spent $1.6 billion, leaving billions untouched. As for industry benchmarking, both GSMA and ITU have huge statistical databases, which they intend to use to help create key industry and performance indicators for improving decision-making. Last week, GSMA published a study claiming that consumers and businesses in numerous developing countries are paying too much for international calls. Authors of the study call for introducing competition in international gateway services, a move that they claim could reduce call prices by up to 90 percent. The use of mobile phone technology to connect people will be a focus of the GSM World Congress, which begins next week in Barcelona.
139641
NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone and 24 other mobile phone firms and manufacturers join forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks.
685942
Many IT managers plan to expand the uses of their wireless LANs by adding technologies such as dual-mode mobile phones. But some companies may be held back by concerns about upgrade costs and security.
515499
Companies are working together to ensure their DVB-H phones and network equipment are compatible.
245583
The second-largest cellphone operator in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States said the $4.3 billion deal will create the regionâs first integrated fixed-to-mobile provider.
696913
It&#39;s the first deliverable in a joint-development agreement reached last spring, with more interoperability planned. By Stephanie Stahl.
551812
Mobile operators at the 3GSM World Conference in Barcelona are expected to discuss how they can work together to boost new mobile advertising services.
7221
LONDON - Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo, Intel and IBM have started promoting a jointly developed specification for increasing the security of mobile commerce applications.
757692
The use of mobile phones in emerging markets is growing but people are using their phones for more than just talking.
690237
Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc.  and  Atlanta-based AT&T Inc.'s  wireless unit will work  together to build a high-speed mobile network throughout  Hawaii, catering to Japanese tourists.
463778
A third GSM operator has been established in Belarus, according to local media reports.
712296
Cisco Systems and Indian services company Wipro are collaborating to offer customers IT infrastructure services that combine Cisco&#39;s networking equipment with Wipro&#39;s infrastructure and managed services.The joint offerings will include Cisco&#39;s technology in areas such as application networking services, data centers, security, and telepresence for virtual meetings, the companies said. Cisco and Wipro will collaborate to develop applications that support specific virtual industry models such as health care, financial services, retail, real estate, and transportation.&quot;We have been doing the plumbing so far, which is still good business, but we will increasingly be looking at offering solutions to customers,&quot; John Chambers, Cisco&#39;s chairman and chief executive officer told reporters in Bangalore Wednesday. Cisco expects that the tie-up with Wipro will bring the company revenue of about $1 billion over the next three years.The collaboration will initially focus on the Indian, Middle East, and African markets.Cisco and Wipro are also setting up a Cisco Solution Centre at Wipro&#39;s campus in Bangalore, that will develop and showcase new services and applications around Cisco&#39;s technologies.Cisco also announced Tuesday that it was investing in a venture with another Indian services company, Satyam Computer Services that will focus on the development and deployment of healthcare applications.The collaborations with Wipro and Satyam are part of Cisco&#39;s strategy to use India as a base for developing technologies and business models for emerging markets, which are expected to grow faster than markets in developed countries.The company inaugurated on Tuesday its Globalisation Centre East campus, a new center that will work with partners in other emerging markets in the Middle East, Africa, China, Asia, and Latin America on developing technologies for emerging markets.
386503
Several major phone manufacturers have teamed up with the Open Mobile Alliance to develop a standard for mobile broadcast. Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Siemens and Sony
685450
SINGAPORE : Seven Asia-Pacific mobile phone operators with a combined total of over 56 million subscribers formed an alliance Wednesday aimed at creating a unified regional network.
343078
(InfoWorld) - A group of mobile phone operators and handset vendors is developing a 3G (third-generation) mobile phone platform that combines many standard hardware and software components in an effort to reduce phone development time and costs. NTT DoCoMo, Renesas Technology, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Electric, Sharp, and Sony Ericsson Mobile CommunicationsÂ will jointly develop the platform that will support HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) and W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) as well as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution). Phones that use the new platform could become available worldwide and at a lower cost than other 3G handsets. In addition to the communications support, the platform will include a baseband processor, an application processor with multimedia functionality and a reference design including audio and power supply. It will also incorporate an operating system, with Symbian being the first supported. The companies expect to complete development of the platform in the second quarter 2008. The initiative is the third conducted by some of the companies involved. The first platform supported W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS and the second, still in development, incorporates additional software components. By joining forces to develop such a platform, the phone manufacturers don't have to individually build components that are common across all the phones. That means they can reduce development time and cost and focus instead on creating unique features for their phones. Renesas will sell the platform worldwide, even though most of the partners are in Japan.
250600
A Saudi consortium has awarded four international firms 1.5 billion riyals (&#36;400 million) worth of contracts to set up the second GSM network in the kingdom.
225275
Orascom Telecom, a leading mobile operator in emerging markets, has raised the possibility that it could be sold as part of further industry consolidation.