Central repository of device information key to uptake of mobile web

MobileAware, a leading provider of mobile business solutions and founding sponsor of the Mobile Web Initiative (MWI), has called on industry players to collaborate to break down the barriers to widespread uptake of the mobile Web.

Dr Rotan Hanrahan, Chairperson of MWI's Device Description Working Group (DDWG) and MobileAware's Chief Innovations Architect, has called on mobile operators, device manufacturers and mobile software vendors to join forces to eliminate one of the main hindrances to the deployment of mobile Web services - the lack of publicly available mobile device information necessary for effective content presentation across all devices. Hanrahan believes that industry-wide collaboration will yield a central repository of essential device information, which will be the key to unlocking the potential of the mobile Web.
 
"The mobile Web will be bigger than its fixed counterpart," says Dr Hanrahan. "The key to the mobile Web is adaptation, and the key to adaptation is information. By making the essential information freely available, validated and easy to access we can convert the device diversity problem into an asset. We can lower the barrier of entry into the mobile Web and enable its growth."
 
Formed in May 2005, the MWI aims to make Web access from a mobile device as simple and convenient as access from a personal computer. It is envisaged that this will typically require adaptation of Web content, which in turn relies on an understanding of the different characteristics, features, behaviours and limitations of mobile handsets. As part of the MWI, the DDWG was formed to provide access to device descriptions that can be used in support of Web-enabled applications, to provide an appropriate user experience on mobile devices. The group will draw on the experience of diverse technologies, such as OMA UAProf and WURFL to aid in the success of the mobile Web.
 
One of the first deliverables of DDWG is a landscape document which will articulate what the W3C and other organizations are doing, or have already done, in this space and what the overall architecture could be for different adaptation technologies to work together. Other deliverables include the publishing of a set of requirements for a reference repository of device descriptions and the development of a business model surrounding the creation, maintenance and use of device descriptions.
 
To learn more about W3C, visit www.w3.org

Most organisations have no idea whether investments in IT are providing increased efficiency, added value, or competitive advantage, due to an absence of measurement

The effectiveness of IT investments is a very significant factor in the ability of IT to provide value. Yet a new report 'Measuring IT Costs and Value - Maximising the Effectiveness of IT Investment', recently published by Butler Group, Europe's leading IT research and advisory organisation, identifies that in many organisations just 8% of the IT budget is actually spent on initiatives that bring value to the enterprise. The report says IT management must make a conscious effort to measure and monitor IT investment. Once understood, IT management should then endeavour to increase the proportion of spending on enhancements and new services designed to transform the organisation or grow its overall value.

"An inordinate amount of IT executive time seems to be expended on measuring and controlling costs rather than focusing resources on initiatives that will add value to the organisation," says Mark Blowers, Butler Group Senior Research Analyst and co-author of the study. "Those IT departments capable of measuring performance are in the minority. Small wonder then that IT remains isolated, misunderstood, and treated simply as a cost centre by senior management. This absence of measurement means that most organisations have no idea whether investments in IT are providing increased efficiency, added value, or competitive advantage."

IT management lacks focus on understanding the organisation's value drivers and corresponding IT capability

There is increasing prominence being placed on the ability of IT deliverables to match organisation objectives. Unfortunately, there still appears to be a lack of focus by IT management on understanding the organisation's main value drivers and corresponding IT capability. Without this it is impossible to formulate an IT strategy that will meet the organisation's needs. IT must improve transparency and visibility, with accountability for performance related to organisation value drivers.

"Most organisations have very little visibility into IT performance. This needs to change, due in no small part to the growing compliance and regulatory pressures, which means IT management having the ability to prove the department is being run effectively and offering value," says Blowers. "To provide this transparency and accountability many enterprises are turning to governance as an important mechanism for controlling the organisation. The deployment of IT governance is recommended for providing a framework for measuring IT costs."

The absence of tools and methods is a major contributor to the lack of successful measurement

To enable IT management to get their message across to stakeholders and internal staff good communications are paramount. This is where methods such as Enterprise Architecture, business cases, and Balanced Scorecards come into their own. A well-prepared business case is a way of putting forward project details in a standard format, which helps purvey professional competency and makes it easier to compare projects. Balanced Scorecards can provide a mechanism for monitoring and conveying IT performance that simply encapsulates the state of the IT environment.
 
In order to provide the required levels of transparency IT management must put in place the foundations of well-managed IT assets, comprising infrastructure, processes, and skills, along with the use of automation, which form very important enablers for successful measurement processes.  Ad hoc manual methods based on spreadsheets are no longer acceptable or a practicable solution; especially as data quality for accurate and comprehensive IT reporting is now crucial.

"In order to reach the required level of consistency the deployment of an integrated toolset and common repository must be an area of focus, as is the setting up of feedback loops and dashboards," says Blowers.

"Organisations have become quite competent at measuring IT costs, but not the value. It is imperative that IT management is able to gain an understanding of the level of IT spending that brings value to the organisation. The challenge for IT management is to supply services that can support the organisation's growth requirements, whilst minimising the amount spent on running IT."

The market for mobile content and entertainment services could grow to around €32 billion inWestern Europe, by 2012, according to a new report published by Berg Insight. But although many mobile network operators around Europe such as Orange, TeliaSonera and Vodafone have, or will be launching mobile TV services, these will not be the main services contributing to the surge in mobile content and entertainment revenue within this time-frame. Subscribers will be reluctant to sign up for monthly payments to access TV services until transmission reaches broadcast quality – which is not expected before 2012 in most markets.

That is not to say that TV properties will not contribute to revenue growth at all. TV brands will increasingly cross over onto mobile through selected streamed and downloaded clips, games tie-ins, interactive TV and branded content services as TV producers and broadcasters integrate mobile into their production schedules.

“Most TV rights owners stand to receive just insignificant amounts per download through their revenue share deals with the mobile network operators so only those properties with mass market appeal stand to earn any real money,” says the report’s author, Julie Robson. “But with some major media brands entering the market we might start seeing some more aggressive deals”.

The leading mobile content and entertainment services over the next 5–7 years will be games, sport, music and multi-media downloads and content messaging. Adult content will also provide an important revenue stream in many Western European markets, although mobile operators will often prefer to keep a distance from racier content and stick to softer branded “lads mag” type content – e.g. GQ, Loaded and FHM.

“There are so many advanced feature phones in circulation now and people are starting to get accustomed to using these features,” noted Robson. “At the moment around 15 percent of mobile subscribers use their phones to access content and entertainment services on a regular basis (i.e. at least once a month), by 2012 we would realistically expect that figure to be 50 percent.”

But download services such as ring-tones and icons, which have dominated the mobile content and entertainment market to date, are already falling victim to significant price erosion and gone are the days when mobile operators had the main visible branding on phones. As early as this year, we expect games to overtake the logos and ring-tones as the most popular mobile content and entertainment service category. At the same time, we expect a whole host of familiar brands vying for position on the user interfaces.

Quiconnect has announced that it has signed a contract to offer global service providers access to WLAN hotspots operated by ADP Télécom.  This is a significant win for the company as ADP Télécom runs some of the most prestigious and popular WLAN hotspots in France.  These include airports such as Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Toulon, Lille, Montpellier, 36 business hotels in the Alliance Hospitality Group, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the largest exhibition centre in France, the Concorde La Fayette hotel, and The Palais de Congrès, a leading convention centre in Paris. 

Quiconnect assists telecom operators to better serve their customers by offering branded wireless voice and data services to create virtual networks, along with all associated technical and financial interconnectivity.  This approach has clear advantages not only for service providers themselves who benefit from dynamic wholesale pricing, easy network monitoring and presence management capability - a key requirement to facilitate public access voice over IP and voice over Wi-Fi - but corporate end-users who have simplified WLAN log in through 'virtual' landing pages branded to their familiar telco.

Troy Simoni, Quiconnect's chief executive officer, says, "Our focus is all about providing service providers quality footprint to extend their networks virtually.  Their corporate customers want easy Wi-Fi access as they travel internationally and the deal negotiated with ADP Télécom reflects this.  Both the commercial aspects and technical interoperability between their systems and ours were done swiftly - a clear sign that ADP Télécom sees the huge potential of our business model."

Benoît Vedel, ADP Télécom's strategy director explains, "We are a specialist in telecommunications networks and services at airports and other sites in France with high volumes of business traffic.  Clearly Quiconnect is innovating in the whole area of service provider interconnectivity and this agreement will enable us to attract a far broader international customer base for our Wi-Fi hotspot infrastructure."

Launches fully-managed service for creating content-heavy digital superstores

Qpass has announced a new service offering that, it is claimed, will revolutionise the way mobile content is brought to consumers' handsets. Qpass Content Services is the first fully-managed offering to enable mobile operators and media companies to outsource the management of their entire digital content stores, providing a clearer, faster path to selling mobile content including ringtones, games, videos, music downloads and images.

The service spans the entire digital supply chain extending from content producers to consumers and spans critical retailing functions including content sourcing and management, merchandising and storefront, financial and business controls, supply chain management and customer care. It will uniquely deliver sophisticated market analysis of consumer content purchasing trends, drawn from Qpass' unique position in the digital value chain, to help companies build customer loyalty and drive revenues.

Qpass Content Services gives companies who want to be in media commerce immediate access to Qpass' advanced technology platform, and a strong portfolio of content from Qpass' extensive network of content providers. The technically superior platform manages the entire digital supply chain, with a repertoire of more than one million digital media items from more than 300 directly integrated partners representing thousands of content provider partners. The complete solution also benefits operators and media companies through Qpass' extensive expertise in mobile and media commerce.

"Operators and media companies need to strike while the iron is hot to capture consumers already hungry for digital content," said Chase Franklin, CEO of Qpass. "However, creating a digital media content store akin with the consumer experiences of a popular high street department store is a complex challenge. The Qpass service offers a simple way to get straight access to the skills and expertise needed to accomplish this. It removes the risk of upfront investment by 20 to 45 per cent and gives operators and media companies the local market knowledge they need to realise the potential of mobile content as a revenue driver."

Qpass Content Services is a global offering, to meet the needs of a digital industry that operates beyond geographic boundaries. For companies looking to successfully manage a digital media content "superstore" with various storefronts (WAP, web portals, and text short codes, for some examples) tailored for local market needs, the Qpass Content Services provide locally targeted content portfolios and marketing expertise. Through supporting the brokerage of direct relationships with content producers, operators and media companies will have the agility and flexibility to ensure that their digital content stores are always stocked with the latest content that is selling in specific markets.

"We're excited to provide the industry's first solution that will aid the transition to a more profitable ecosystem for digital content, tightening the chasm between content and the consumer," added Franklin.

Launches new IP Office software to enable enhanced mobility features through IP DECT; Announces new vertical market strategy for SMBs

Avaya, the leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services, is introducing new software capabilities to address the communication needs of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“We are committed to developing our product portfolio for businesses employing less than one hundred employees.  This segment is one of the highest growth areas of IP telephony and business communication applications,” said Patricia Hume, group vice-president, Avaya’s Small and Medium Business Solutions group.  Research has shown that 50% of companies in this segment will be using VoIP by 2008(1).  As such, they are rapidly adopting IP telephony to improve their communication systems and reduce costs through features such as call forwarding, conferencing, unified communication and other applications.

Integration and flexibility benefits with IP Office 3.1

To enable greater mobility, Avaya is announcing that IP Office  supports IP DECT for digital cordless phones.  This means that when employees are away from their desk, they can choose to have both their desk phone and a cordless phone, or soft-phone ring simultaneously so they need never miss a call.

Responding to feedback from customers and business partners, Avaya has made its Avaya 4621 IP phone compatible with IP Office 3.1 with a backlit screen display for clearer visibility when making and managing calls.

Following Avaya’s acquisition of Tenovis with its strong focus on the SMB market, the company is announcing new software for IP Office (version 3.1) which integrates with the Tenovis Integral portfolio of products. This will provide SMBs with more choice and a smooth migration path to IP telephony.  Now, the latest IP Office 3.1 software supports Tenovis T3 digital phones which were previously only compatible with the Integral 5 system.   As a result, customers can upgrade from earlier versions of Integral such as Version 3, without the need to purchase new phones. This enables them to protect their investment whilst also providing increased functionality.

Customers who are already using Integral phones can still benefit from the functionality that comes packaged with the previous releases of the IP Office software such as integrated voicemail, contact centre capabilities, computer-based call management, conferencing and call forwarding.

“SMBs are constantly finding new and exciting ways to benefit from IP telephony – whether by improving customer service, enabling mobility or increasing productivity,” said Hume.  “With the new functions available in IP Office 3.1, Avaya is now offering its early Integral customers a clear migration path to experience the increased benefits and cost savings available through IP Office, without the need to invest in new IP phones.”

Natalie Foers, managing director of Avaya SMB distributor, MTV Telecom commented: “It is encouraging to see Avaya continue its investment in communication systems and applications specifically for the SMB market in Europe. As a UK distributor, having research and development on our doorstep really helps us to meet the needs of our resellers and end-customers. IP DECT is a great example of a new software application developed here to provide SMBs with greater mobility to support their employees.”

A new market strategy to meet the needs of SMBs in EMEA

After researching how SMBs in EMEA are using IP telephony, Avaya is developing its multi-channel strategy working in conjunction with its business partners throughout the region, enabling customers to more easily purchase the communication platforms and applications.  To support this approach, Avaya’s vertical market strategy focuses on delivering business consultancy and communication systems specifically to SMBs in the healthcare, property, car dealership, education, retail, accounting and financial services sectors. Already this approach has enabled the company to achieve significant market share in these industries.

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland has announced a new strategic partnership to deliver major improvements to its telephony systems. The company has formed a contract with international IT and telecoms services giant T-Systems to implement and manage all UK communications on an outsourced basis. The new contract will reduce Thomas Cook's telephony expenditure by £20 million (EUR29 million) over five years, and provide a future-proof platform for further development.

As a major UK company with 615 stores and various offices throughout the country, Thomas Cook needed to consolidate its disparate voice systems and equipment. Its objectives were to reduce complexity and generate cost savings, whilst delivering added value to the business and its employees.

As an existing supplier to Thomas Cook for the past three years, Energis partnered with T-Systems to offer an end-to-end, managed solution. Under the agreement, T-Systems will provide overall service management, with Energis providing all voice circuits. Servicing will be handled by Redbridge, with all hardware supplied by Alcatel. Following successful implementation of the managed service, T-Systems may also be involved in further roll-out into France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany for the Thomas Cook AG Group, managed in Germany.

Activity will begin in September 2005, with new voice networks and hardware rolled out across Thomas Cook's head office campus in Peterborough. All Thomas Cook stores, its three call centres and other sites will all have the new technology implemented in time for the peak season for holiday bookings in January/February 2006.

Carl Dawson, IT Director at Thomas Cook, said: "The new managed service will mean major gains for Thomas Cook. Not only will it generate substantial cost savings totaling around £4 million (EUR6 million) per year, but it will simplify the systems in place and provide an overall future-proofed upgrade in services for people in our stores, call centres and offices."

T-Systems Director of Sales & Service Management, Juergen von Hollen, said: "This deal demonstrates the level of confidence that a major UK-based organisation like Thomas Cook has in our capabilities. To win this contract, we faced tough competition but the team worked hard with our partners to ensure the solution would deliver Thomas Cook with operational flexibility, less staff training and significantly reduce their telephony costs."

Thomas Cook has a wide range of requirements, from internal dialling systems across hundreds of locations, to computer telephony integration at all three of its call centres, employing over 1000 service personnel. In addition we are providing a strategic roadmap for Thomas Cook to enable the company to harness the latest in technology for future cost savings."

Energis' Head of Retail & Travel Sector, Ayes Amewudah, said: "We are delighted to be working on this project with Thomas Cook and our partners Redbridge, Alcatel and T-Systems. The advanced voice applications we are delivering will enable Thomas Cook to provide its customers with a fantastic customer experience at optimum cost."

Quiconnect has announced that it has signed a contract to offer global service providers access to WLAN hotspots operated by ADP Télécom.  This is a significant win for the company as ADP Télécom runs some of the most prestigious and popular WLAN hotspots in France.  These include airports such as Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Toulon, Lille, Montpellier, 36 business hotels in the Alliance Hospitality Group, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the largest exhibition centre in France, the Concorde La Fayette hotel, and The Palais de Congrès, a leading convention centre in Paris. 

Quiconnect assists telecom operators to better serve their customers by offering branded wireless voice and data services to create virtual networks, along with all associated technical and financial interconnectivity.  This approach has clear advantages not only for service providers themselves who benefit from dynamic wholesale pricing, easy network monitoring and presence management capability - a key requirement to facilitate public access voice over IP and voice over Wi-Fi - but corporate end-users who have simplified WLAN log in through 'virtual' landing pages branded to their familiar telco.
 
Troy Simoni, Quiconnect's chief executive officer, says, "Our focus is all about providing service providers quality footprint to extend their networks virtually.  Their corporate customers want easy Wi-Fi access as they travel internationally and the deal negotiated with ADP Télécom reflects this.  Both the commercial aspects and technical interoperability between their systems and ours were done swiftly - a clear sign that ADP Télécom sees the huge potential of our business model."
 
Benoît Vedel, ADP Télécom's strategy director explains, "We are a specialist in telecommunications networks and services at airports and other sites in France with high volumes of business traffic.  Clearly Quiconnect is innovating in the whole area of service provider interconnectivity and this agreement will enable us to attract a far broader international customer base for our Wi-Fi hotspot infrastructure."
 
ADP Télécom has over 40 years experience in providing telecom services at airports in the Paris region and is both an operator and integrator serving, amongst others, the requirement of 1,350 businesses operating at Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.  The company currently provides Wi-Fi access to some 80 million customers who pass through the  French airports and the other business locations under its management. 
 
Serving 96% of the Fortune 500 companies, Sprint has been developing its Wi-Fi presence extensively in the USA over the past several years. In April 2005, Sprint announced that it was working with Quiconnect to extend its WLAN coverage outside America. 
 
Mark Brigman, Sprint's WLAN business development manager, explains, "The majority of our business users are travelling with Wi-Fi technology and to simplify log in we launched our Extended Workplace software for clients' laptops.  This identifies and displays a menu of connectivity choices and gives users the option to point, click and get connected regardless of the access type.  Extended Workplace ensures that customers benefit from a secure, simple and consistent Sprint-branded user experience wherever they are around the world."
 
Sprint is the first service provider customer of Quiconnect to leverage the ADP Télécom partnership.  Brigman says, "We are aggressively adding international footprint to support Extended Workplace and the Quiconnect deal with ADP Télécom totally reinforces why we chose them - they have the connections and skills to sign up 'local' network operators quickly on our behalf thereby adding huge value to, not only our business, but the customers we serve."
 
Simoni concludes, "All the ADP Télécom hotspots are live today and we will be working to connect other service provider customers to the ADP Télécom infrastructures over time."