Next Generation Messaging Platform

Redknee’s enhanced messaging gateway (EMG) is a next generation messaging platform that combines an innovative rating and charging engine along with advanced message profiling, routing, ,and delivery function over and above standard SMS_C function. This gives service providers flexible and precise control on a per-message basis haw SMS and MMS service are routed, delivered and charged for. EMG can easily rate and charge for premium SMS and MMS content that contain information such as stock quotes, sport news, and horoscopes from MVNOS and third party content providers. EMG additionally supports numerous value-added messaging service (VAS) such as televoting, spam control, content filters, message backup, corporate messaging routing, group broadcast, and pre-packaged bundles of messages based on criteria such as corporate department, family group, destination country, or time of day. EMG Release 7.0 support premium short messaging service (PSMS) to provide subscribers with the ability to use short codes to purchase content over their mobile phone. It also enables wireless operators to host multiple MVNOS and off-net third party content providers. With new support for regular expression (REGEX) rules in the main rating engine, EMG 7.0 reduces operator needs for specialized training while allowing them to quickly launch and easily maintain flexible rating rules.

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T &M – High Tech Mingles with Emerging

The testing and measurement sector at 3GSM World Congress was full of stark contrast. While top equipment vendors vied with each other to offer the latest in 3G testing, others targeted emerging markets which are still growing fast. Overall, the greatest perceived threat was from convergence which threatens to end the insularity of mobile phone network.

When surveying what is hot in the test and measurement (T&M) arena, it is very easy to become blinded by the latest technological developments. At 3GSM Barcelona 2006, that blindness could be attributed mainly to vendors promoting their various HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packed Access) testing suites. In truth, T&M requirements are radically affected by geography. What is required in Brazil is not the same as what is needed in Portugal. So while many suppliers are currently focused on improving W-CDMA (Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access) testing, others still cater to 2.5G and even 2G networks.

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CONTENT IS A KING

Over recent years, the 3GSM World Congress has provided a rings-side seat for what has proved to be a drawn-out courtship ritual between two sectors with very different business models, cultures and traditions. At this year’s event in Barcelona, potential suitors included 85 exhibitors that described themselves as content providers.

A number of recurring themes emerged. Among mobile operators there is a growing, if sometimes reluctant, acceptance that restricting customers to their own portals will ultimately prove to be counter-productive. Major media brands are looking for ubiquitous distributions; they will partner with operators with good market reach, but will also sell though intermediaries and exploit the intrinsic strengths of their own brands to sell” direct-to-consumer”

With content increasingly available though multiple channels, ‘search’ was a hot topic. Google used the Congress to announce that Vodafone had joined T-Mobile and Motorola in its growing portfolio of major mobile partners and Orange UK adopted m-spatial’s Local Search & Discovery Engine.

While business model for search on mobile could be similar to those for the PC, one major difference is that search results need to be relevant to the capabilities of the user’s device.

In the language of the media industry , ‘ marrying the long tail with powerful discovery’ is the crucial next step in maximizing life-time revenues from the millions of tracks and clips in the global back-catalogue.

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HSDPA shines at 3GSM

Most 3GSM networks in Europe and beyond are expected to activate the HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) upgrade by the end of 2006 and the imminent arrival of HSDPA was underscored at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, with every major vendor demonstrating the technology. Test equipment suppliers also unveiled their solutions for testing both HSDPA and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access). Ian Channing provides a wrap-up of developments.

Ericcson showcased its commercial HSDPA system which supports downlink speeds of to 3.6Mbit/s with pre-commercial devices from several vendors. Although the system will support this higher speed, Ericcson said the maximum speed for commercial devices today was 1.8 Mbit/s. However, Mikael Back , Ericsson`s Vice President of WCDMA Radio Network claimed the company was only “a step away from an easy software upgrade that will allows speeds of up to 14.4 Mbits/s”.

With its partners Novatel wireless and Samsung, alcatel was showing HSDPA wireless data calls at 3.6Mbit/s using Samsung handsets and similar services with Novatel’s PC data cards. Alcatel said current HSDPA solution supports all terminal categories defined by 3GPP, including Categories 8 and 10 (7.2Mbit/s and 14.4Mbit/s) from day one, without any need for network modification.

Lucent Technologies announced that it was participating in interoperability trials designed to ensure that end-users will be able to share video services across 3G networks based on UMTS/HSDPA technology, and also will be able to exchange video with users on fixed networks.

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NETWORK : SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING NEW

Mobile phones are a hight-profile consumer electronics product – colourful, feature-packed fashion accessories with a lifetime measured in months. Cellular infrastructure is available in one style and colour-19” grey cabinets that must provide reliable services for decades hidden in a dark backroom. But this seemingly unglamorous world is not without its challenges as it looks to serve a growing array of demands.

It’s easy and existing to speculate about the future. It costs nothing and few, if anyone, are ever held to account for this future gazing. Rarely, however, does anyone from within the cellular industry look over their shoulder to see how previous technology might have a valid role in today’s brave new world.

Bring back to the stage that almost forgotten and sidetracked wireless technology EDGE (enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution). Almost lost under the weight of 3G hype, EDGE lacked appeal and sat uncomfortably on the presentation slides of the marketing professionals responsible for mapping the future evolution of mobile technology. This ignored technology is now undergoing a rebirth as infrastructure and handset vendors release products to satisfy demand from both mature developing countries.

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BILLING TAKE CENTRE STAGE

Operator’s mobile revenues are under attack from the three ‘Cs’; competition, consolidation and convergence. In turn, they are being forced to work with an increasingly complex ecosystem of content providers and brand owners to deliver the content that consumers demand, and drive the data services revenues that the operators need. But, put simply, the operator’s existing billing systems are not up to the job.

“The traditional billing model was built around operators selling and billing direct to the consumer – it was very batch focused,” explains Roger Parks, VP of global product at Qpass. “So the operator’s billing platforms are not set up to handle the challenges of today, which require a tremendous amount of real time processing, and a lot of processes that need to be brought together.”

To rise to the challenge, today’s billing systems need to be able to pull together content and services from a variety of providers, bundle and deliver them and bill for them in real time.

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HOT APPS ON 3GSM

Mobile operators are under pressure, tasked with gaining revenue in an increasingly saturated market. As a remedy to that problem, this year’s 3GSM World Congress saw an outbreak of sticky applications designed to turn operators and network providers from bit pipes into service providers of the future, at little cost. Heather Maclean reviews her pickoff the bunch.

One of these sticky applications is the dubiously named Bupuppies from Kitmaker. No, no adult content, but virtual pets for your mobile. And these virtual pets, unlike the well known Tamagotchi’s from Bandai, do not die and cause five year olds across the globe to collapse in grief. Bupuppies merely sulk when not fed, watered and taken to the bathroom by their owners, and sometimes leave your phone in a huff. Bupuppies are educational too; to feed them a banana, you have to take a picture on your camera phone of something yellow. Buppupies will retail in the UK at around ₤5 and Version 2 will be based on Bluetooth, so your puppy can get a girlfriend from a neighbouring phone.

Real eyes came out with a couple of hot applications. Real Eyes has taken the camera phone and used it to create Digitizer. Users can snap a picture of their own handwriting on a notepad, which is then digitised to create a clear image of the writing on the screen. This can then be sent over MMS (Multimedia Message Service). This is complemented by the real eyes wireless postcard. Wireless postcard allows the user to take a picture from a file or use a new picture, overlay a handwritten message using the Digitizer and then change the colour, size and position of the message. The digital postcard can be sent as an MMS, a mobile blog, or used as wallpaper.

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UNITING THE MOBILE WORLD

With a total attendance of 50.000 visitors, this year1s 3GSM World Congress in the new host city of Barcelona confirmed its status as the biggest mobile show on Earth. Two distinct growth waves were at the hearth of the week’s agenda. The fist involves connecting new customers to existing services in order to bridge the digital divide, whilst the second theme concerns connecting existing customers to new services. Although very different, it was clear from the event that both offer great opportunities.

A packed auditorium of over 3.000 delegates saw GSM Association (GSMA) CEO Rob Conway open the congress and deliver a promise for “a united mobile world.” Core to this vision is the ability to provide anytime, anywhere, any device connectivity for all people and all services.

Conway began by laying out the GSMA’s priorities for 2006; ensuring that quality services are developed at market speed, an effective IP services environment is created for mobile, and a clear technology evolution path is defined. The promotion of mobile technology as the bridge to the digital divide was also cited as critical to industry growth.

The week’s major news announcement centered on the provision of quality services developed at market speed. The GSM Association and 15 of the world’s largest mobile phone operators – including the likes of China Mobile, Orange, TIM, Telefonica, T-Mobile and Vodafone – are to roll out interoperable instant messaging (IM) services that will build on the phenomenal success of text messaging.

This new approach to IM dubbed “Personal IM” – adheres to the core GSM principles of ease of-use, interoperability, initiating party pays, reliability and security. As Conway explained, there is now a “critical mass” of operators willing to work together to ensure interoperability, with the potential for 700 million mobile customers to be connected within the GSM community.

Looking even further forward, Conway noted that the GSMA is also looking at video sharing and web browsing. The latter, of course, is well advanced, with the dotmobi domain name established, but, at a practical level, style guidelines will be set up for the benefit of the consumer and to make the browsing experience mobile friendly. Meanwhile, he announced spam code of conduct to combat unsolicited SMS and MMS – specifically one that blocks text messages asking for a premium-rate response.

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