17/11/2007

Advertising key to putting Internet in every cellphone

BOSTON, United States (AFP) - The emergence of "smartphones" has put the Internet, music and videos in the palm of the consumer's hand, but the technology will need a flow of advertising cash to reach its full potential.
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Cellphone makers and service providers meeting at the Mobile Internet World conference here picture a world five years from now where the consumers will be able to pay bills, read the news and communicate with their mobile devices.

Few cellphone owners are currently using their devices to access the Internet -- nine percent, according to the Yankee Group, a technology consulting firm.

But the IDC research firm says that more than one in five cellphones sold in 2011 will be "smartphones," devices with Internet access that can also play videos and music.

Three billion cellphones circulate in the world, three times more than computers. While Internet connection over the cellphone is often slow, it is improving.

According to Kiyo Oishi, chief of the Japanese firm Access, one billion consumers will have access to high-speed Internet in 2013.

Consumers will need better services, including simpler websites and systems that are not limited to one operator or device.

But the market will need revenue.

"Advertising, commerce will be the economic engine that will drive everything," said Andrew Belt of the Monitor Group.

Currently operators make money through subscriptions to their services. For instance, some companies charge for email service, ringtone downloads or voting on television game shows.

But to get a slice of the mobile Internet age, companies will have to rely on advertising to get their products to consumers, analysts say.

"You have 110 billion dollars spent on TV (advertising). By 2008 you'll see big shifts, to mobile and social networks," said W2 Group chief executive Larry Weber.

According to the firm eMarketer, 16 billion dollars will be spent on advertising on cellphones in 2011, 10 times more than today.

"Most people would rather have free services with ads than paying subscriptions," said Andy Jedynak, co-chairman of the Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) mobile committee.

Advertising will become the main source of revenue for mobile devices, but not before three to five years, he said.

IAB, which represents companies that sell interactive advertising, already wants to set standards for cellphone ads, including to limit their size to no more than a quarter the screen.

"All mass-media are financed by advertising," said Douglas Edwards, founder Handmark. "Advertising will inevitably" become the main source of revenue, he said.

15/11/2007

M:Metrics Launches Mobile AdTracker

Today M:Metrics debuts a new service tracks ad display on mobile sites, or on the devices themselves.

M:AdTracker will be deployed on 120 mobile portals and websites, including those from ESPN and other high-level publishers, as well as a few lower-tier ones.

The software measures ad display four times daily and returns raw numbers to M:Metrics, where data is analyzed and scrubbed by a team before conversion into client-ready reports.

Ads must link back to a webpage to be counted by the software.

Early reports show a number of Fortune 100 companies advertising on mobile platforms, breaking conventional wisdom that mobile advertising tends to be primarily for mobile products.

13/11/2007

Nokia launches WidSets - a mobile dashboard


Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced that its innovative Internet service called WidSets, launched one year ago, has emerged from Beta to a new service platform. With the new platform WidSets will offer improved usability by localizing mobile clients and improving mobile widget library. WidSets will also bring advertising in as the primary business model. WidSets works on Java enabled handsets from a range of manufacturers and utilizes widgets, so users can have one-click access to real-time online content without needing to use a mobile browser.

"We've been delighted with the feedback we've had from the Beta trials of WidSets," said Jarmo Jokinen, Director of WidSets, Nokia Emerging Business Unit. "During that time, we've had more than 3 million users register for the WidSets service on more than 300 models of mobile device. We've valued the early feedback, which has enabled us to launch a more compelling service for users and content providers."

The new platform offers a dynamic search feature and an improved widget creation tool for quicker, simpler and more personalized options for creating widgets. And now it is really easy: enter the web address, click to select the feed and then you will have a personal widget! Around 90 percent of the current WidSets' content is already user generated, but the WidSets team has recently added many new widgets and made it easier for users to find local and also non-English-language content.

The new Explore feature for finding widgets offers an option to perform a live search, filter through recommended widgets, or go through tags or categories, and download them for use on mobile devices.

WidSets now offers a unique advertising model to commercial customers for providing two-way-interaction between the advertiser and their customers or prospects. A great example is a movie theater widget: the user chooses the city they are looking for and can then see what movies are on, in which theater, and whether there are seats available. A perfect match of benefits for movie going consumers, and the advertiser!

On the WidSets website people can review the widgets and see the latest, most popular or top rated widgets and share those with others. And now this can also be done from the mobile device. One of the latest widgets is for AccuWeather.com, which is expected to rapidly become one of the top ranked widgets in the WidSets library.

The WidSets mobile dashboard can also now be shared. This means that when creating a profile, users may share their own dashboard and widgets with the others, and see what the other "WidSeteers" are using as well as how they look like, thanks to the user images available in dashboards.

Nokia plans to pre-install WidSets in tens of millions of mobile phones during 2008, and enabling service support in tens of different languages. The recently unveiled Nokia 8800 Arte which will start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007 will be the first handset to offer WidSets to its style-conscious consumers. In addition, users can already get started with WidSets via the Download! folder on all Nokia Nseries and Eseries devices.

WidSets works on a wide variety of mobile phone brands, and is already compatible with more than 300 mobile devices. Users can easily download WidSets from www.widsets.com or on their mobile from get.widsets.com.

07/11/2007

Mobile Video Subscribers to Jump to 59M in 2010

Despite concerns over the business plan and subscriber rates, mobile video phone sales are expected to climb from $58 billion in 2006 to $125 billion in 2010 worldwide, according to a report from Infonetics Research.

The bump is fueled by "increasingly powerful and efficient phones" and augmented spectrum availability.

There were a few million subscribers to video phone service in 2006, but the number is expected to climb to 58.6 million in 2010. Currently, about 77 percent of subscribers are found in the EMEA and Asia/Pacific regions.

Though the US trails behind in bringing video to mobile phones, it may get a hand after the government effectively switches off analog TV in 2009.

05/11/2007

Google Plans Mobile-Phone Operating System to Expand Beyond Web

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., seeking to expand beyond the Web, said it plans to create a mobile phone operating system for handsets sold by Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc.

Google, owner of the world's most popular Internet search engine, today announced the 34-member Open Handset Alliance, which includes Sprint, T-Mobile and phone makers Motorola Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

The agreement would boost Google's advertising revenue from mobile phones, which outsold personal computers by more than 4 to 1 last year. For phone companies, the accord may bolster sales of online services and give them an edge over larger rival AT&T Inc., the exclusive U.S. carrier for Apple Inc.'s iPhone.

``While it might be some time before mobile-phone advertising revenue begins to be meaningful for Google, it certainly says that they have worked successfully to put the foundations for such growth in place,'' said David Garrity, director of research at Dinosaur Securities Inc. in New York, who advises buying Google's shares.

Spending on mobile-phone ads may jump to $11.4 billion worldwide by 2011 from $2.17 billion today, according to Informa Plc, a London-based research firm. Google, in Mountain View, California, gets 99 percent of its more than $10 billion in annual sales from advertising, mostly by selling text links next to search results on its own pages and partner sites.

31/10/2007

Mobile Video Audience Expands Like Wildfire

The audience for mobile video in the US, which totals 8 million in August viewing from a carrier deck or referred video content, is up 34 percent from January, according to M:Metrics.

That's just 3.7 percent of US mobile subscribers, but the growth rate is impressive.

22/10/2007

Mobile Brand Advertising Takes Off, Direct Already on Its Way

The pieces are in place for mobile brand advertising to start scaling up, says eMarketer's Mobile Brand Advertising report, which projects worldwide mobile brand advertising will increase to $3.6 billion in 2011 - nearly 30 times more than the mere $124 million in 2006

17/10/2007

ESPN, Nielsen Make Foray into Cross-Media Measurement

ESPN and Nielsen have joined to work on a measurement system that tracks audiences across platforms, reports Advertising Age.

The program builds a snapshot of how audiences move between media platforms, and how exposure to ads on one drive people to others.

How a call-to-action on TV drives traffic to the internet, how ads on mobile platforms push people to the internet, and other engagement factors, are all going to go under the microscope.

ESPN is Nielsen's test case in building the total-audience measurement offering.

The sports media brand has a vested interest in that sort of data since it has embraced the idea of offering its content in a variety of places, based on the multiplicity of media consumed by sports fans.

The program will also give advertisers a glimpse at unduplicated audience figures, providing a more accurate snapshot of how many people are being exposed to content and ads.

11/10/2007

Global Brands May Accelerate Mobile Marketing Efforts

28 percent of global brands surveyed have already launched live SMS (text) campaigns. 18 percent have launched live MMS (multimedia) campaigns, according to a mobile-marketing survey of 50 global brands by Vanson Bourne for Airwide Solutions.

The growing sophistication of mobile marketing campaigns is reflected in the number of brands considering implementing both SMS and MMS mobile marketing in the next 12 months: The proportion has doubled to 28 percent since a similar survey in 2006, Airwide said.

The survey also found that more brands expect to spend a greater proportion of their marketing budget on mobile campaigns in the near future: 71 percent project that they'll spend up to 10 percent of their budget on mobile marketing within two years.

Among other key findings of the study:

* Brands' experience with mobile marketing is increasingly positive, as more brands are getting higher response rates from their campaigns:
o The percentage of big brands who said up to 10 percent of recipients of mobile marketing campaigns requested more information as a result of receiving a mobile marketing message grew from 32 percent in 2006 to 58 percent in 2007.
o Regarding financial transactions, 73 percent of brands said up to 10 percent of recipients of campaigns undertook a financial action as a result of the campaign, compared with 28 percent of brands saying so in 2006.
o Every responding brand agreed that its most recent mobile marketing campaign was successful in increasing customer familiarity of the brand.

* Mobile phone users are expected to benefit from a range of incentives as part of the growth in mobile marketing:
o Almost 60 percent of brands intend to send special offers via the mobile phone.
o Over one-third (36 percent) intend to send discount vouchers.
o Other incentives will include digital loyalty cards, free gifts and preferential terms.

* The experience of brands using mobile marketing demonstrates that the actual campaign response rate is higher than the expectations of those who have not yet implemented mobile marketing:
o 57 percent of brands not yet using mobile marketing anticipate that customers will request more information, while 83 percent of brands that have already implemented campaigns said they received requests for more information.
o The numbers for financial transactions are higher, with 38 percent of inexperienced brands stating that they expect consumers to undertake consequent financial actions, whereas 82 percent of experienced brands say recipients completed a financial action as a result of receiving a mobile marketing message.

* As brands have learned about mobile marketing, the perception that SMS is a reliable and measurable medium has increased:
o Among brands not using SMS in campaigns, the percentage that find SMS too complicated for marketing has dropped significantly, from 24 percent in 2006 to 8 percent in 2007.
o More brands now know how to measure its effectiveness, with the uncertainty about how to do so dropping from 18 percent in 2006 to 11 percent in 2007.
o Still, among those not using SMS, some 7 of 10 now say it's not right for their audience.
* Despite considerable enthusiasm for mobile marketing, there are some barriers to even higher growth rates:
o More than half of brands have not yet employed either text messaging (58 percent) or multimedia messaging (60 percent) systems for marketing.
o The perception that MMS is difficult to use has grown from 14 percent in 2006 to 29 percent in 2007, and concerns about reliability have grown from 12 percent to 34 percent in the same period.
o Almost half of big brands (46 percent) are concerned that mobile marketing is too intrusive, with many feeling that customers will perceive messages as spam; and of these, 41 percent are unsure how to rectify the problem by targeting specific audiences.
o Over one-third of brands (36 percent) would require detailed information on how the user responded to the message - and one in five want proof that the message has been received by the user's handset.

About the study: Airwide Solutions commissioned Vanson Bourne in January 2006 and July 2007 to survey 50 of Europe's global brand names about their plans for mobile marketing.

IAB Issues Final Word On Rich Media Impressions

IAB - THE INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING BUREAU ON Wednesday released final guidelines on the measurement of rich online media to better gauge the level at which ad impressions are counted in rich online application environments supported by AJAX and JSON technologies.

10/10/2007

Mobile Platform Sees First Transcontinental Merger

This October will not only be remembered for the Indian Summer; it will also witness one of the first major merges in the mobile marketing space.

European mobile marketing firm Mindmatics, and US mobile app service provider Air2Web, have stated intentions to merge.

The companies will operate under the Air2Web name, though a rebranding may occur by the end of the year.

Mindmatics put on major mobile marketing campaigns in Europe for clients like Unilever and P&G, and has set up major TV-based voting systems for shows like Deal or No Deal in the US and Eurovision Song Contest in Europe.

Stateside, Air2Web implements service and transaction abilities for brands like The Weather Channel, P&G, AT&T, and UPS.

With the deal, the two greatly expand their services while availing both sides of the pond to frontiering opportunities.

09/10/2007

TeliaSonera launches mobile browser and ad channel

TeliaSonera is to launch SurfOpen, an internet tool that simplifies mobile surfing and will act as a new advertising channel.

SurfOpen, expected to launch in the first quarter of 2008, is a window that stays in sight at the top of the mobile display in a similar way as web browsers' icons. It will enable mobile phone users to navigate the internet as they do on a PC. SurfOpen comprises tabs for favourites, search engine and ads.

As part of the initiative, a new interactive advertisement space has been created called value window. The window will appear when the phone is idle and not when the user needs the display to surf the internet or use any of the phone's other tools. The window will have space for display advertising and users can also collect their own favourite services on the phone's background to transfer to them in one click.

Kenneth Karlberg, President of TeliaSonera Mobility Services, said: “SurfOpen simplifies things for all our customers who surf on the Internet with their mobile phones. Current and new customers familiar with the Internet on the PC will find their way in the service, and they do not even have to learn things again when they change their phones."

05/10/2007

IAB: First-Half Internet Ad Revenues Of $10B Up 27%


IAB President/CEO Randall Rothenberg calls it the "Oh my God, it happened" year for major marketers as the shift of marketing budgets to online channels marches on. Search continued to account for the highest dollar spending, at 41% of the total. Still, Rothenberg says, more efficiency and simplicity are needed for spending to really take off.

Read the whole story...

04/10/2007

Clear Channel Unveils Spectacolor HD Billboard — with Free WiFi, Ad Ops Galore

CNN is joining the ranks of Reuters, breaking ground with a giant Times Square-based digital display.

This isn't just any billboard. CNN, now the content provider for Clear Channel's new Spectacolor HD billboard, will not only boast the highest quality of any digital billboard in the US; it's also packed with outdoor advertising options galore.

Going up on the corner of 47th and Broadway, the billboard will run multiple ad spots in conjunction with streaming news, weather forecasts and HD broadcasts from CNN.

Advertisers can buy Bluetooth downloads that allow visitors to bring "a piece of the billboard with them home," as well as interactive content via short code that will turn people's phones into a remote controls.

Finally, the board will serve as Time Square's first free public Wi-Fi spot.

03/10/2007

Microsoft Plans to Become a Media Company

Within the next four to 10 years, says Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer, as much as 25% of the software giant's revenues are likely to come from advertising. Microsoft can already deliver advertising to new platforms such as in-game promotions and mobile-phone campaigns.

Business Week has more.

02/10/2007

Nokia signs video deals with CNN, Sony and others

HELSINKI (Reuters) - The world's top cellphone maker Nokia ( has signed partnership deals with seven companies including CNN and Sony Pictures to bring video content to its top-of-the-range multimedia phones.

"Consumer desire to watch Internet videos on mobile devices is growing all the time and we want to help users discover and access the best content in the simplest way possible," Harri Mannisto, director at Nokia's multimedia unit, said on Tuesday.

Nokia said it would also bring video content from India's IBN news channel and videos from Jamba, RooftopComedy, ROK and Versaly Entertainment to its N95 models.

It has previously signed similar deals with Google's YouTube and Reuters.

Nokia's Navteq Buy Is Giant Leap Into Services

Still, there are challenges. It's no longer about serving up the ads. It's about using the intelligence in the IT network to ensure the correct ads appear on the mobile phone or navigation system when the consumer seems most receptive. "In theory it's easy, but really difficult to do," one analyst says. "You first have to identify people who are interested in the product, Tropicana orange juice, for example."

Read the whole story on Mediaweek.com

01/10/2007

Nokia Spells Out Mobile Ad Plans

Nokia has announced how the advertising on its content-sharing Mosh network will work, reports ClickZ.

Mosh will allow people to upload content to profiles that can be shared with friends via mobile devices. Content can be uploaded either directly from a mobile device, or through the web.

Banner advertising on mobile sites will, of course, be contextually relevant to the content they appear with. So if a group of movie fans is constantly uploading homemade reviews, the likelihood is high movie-related ads will populate that group.

Nokia will start off selling the ads in-house, but has not ruled out partnering with an ad network. These could include mobile firm Enpocket, which Nokia acquired just last month.

Mobile Broadcast TV to Reach Almost 120MM Users by 2012

Nearly 120 million mobile users in more than 40 countries are expected to receive broadcast TV services by 2012, compared with less than 12 million in 2007, with DVB-H the dominant transmission standard, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

However, the report cautions that services face significant technological and regulatory hurdles, both prior to launch and as they bid to build a critical mass of subscribers.

Worldwide annual consumer spending on mobile broadcast TV services is expected to exceed $6.6 billion by 2012; combined end-user revenues from streamed and broadcast mobile TV services will rise from just under $1.4 billion in 2007 to nearly $12 billion in 2012, according to Juniper's forecast.

Google Buys Mobile Social Networking Startup

Google plans to acquire a mobile social networking startup called Zingku, which lets users share photos, send invitations or conduct polls via mobile phone. It also provides a way for businesses to send "mobile flyers" to customers advertising products and services.

28/09/2007

Mobile Marketing Association Debuts Rules, Advertisers Comply

The Mobile Marketing Association has announced new guidelines for mobile advertising, and advertisers have fast expressed a willingness to follow them, reports ClickZ.

The guidelines were developed by the group as a way to try bringing uniform experiences to mobile users across the globe, as well as ease the creation of mobile campaigns.

Recommendations for banner ad sizing, appropriate file sizes and the amount of text are all covered in the new guidelines. Of note is express advice to explicitly label all ads as such, to ensure users are aware of the presence of sponsored placements.

These recommendations join those that the MMA issued just months ago, dealing specifically with advertising to children.

Companies including Yahoo, Enpocket and Admob announced they will gladly follow the MMA's new order. Yahoo said its mobile ads would be fully compliant by the year's end.

25/09/2007

DoubleClick launches mobile advertising service

New York—DoubleClick announced the launch of DoubleClick Mobile, a new service for mobile advertising.

DoubleClick Mobile integrates operational processes for scheduling, targeting, selecting and delivering ads on mobile Web pages with publishers’ existing digital channels.

Features of the new service include automatic ad selection, new mobile ad formats, third-party impression tracking, device preview and handset capability targeting.

DoubleClick Mobile is integrated with DoubleClick DART for Publishers to manage digital ad campaigns. It gives media companies the ability to sell and manage ad inventory across online display, rich media, video and mobile devices.

24/09/2007

MySpace to Debut on Mobile Platform

Fox Interactive is debuting a free mobile-friendly version of MySpace, reports The Boston Globe.

The introduction of complimentary, all-carrier access to MySpace is made possible through advertising support. Paid access was available before, but only through a handful of carriers. Paid "premium" access will still be available and will include more functionality, such as cell phone image uploading.

With the ad-supported version of MySpace mobile, users can make text-based updates to their profile pages, such as updating blogs and leaving comments.

Banner ads and sponsorships will make up the first ad efforts on the mobile version. Ad-targeting based on cellphone data and user location will be introduced later on.

Wi-Fi, Mobile Phones: A New Health Risk?

While major cities around the world rush to offer free wireless Internet access, critics are questioning the long-term health impact from exposure to electromagnetic waves. Studies on mobile-phone users to be released next year will focus on people with brain and neck tumors.

IHT.com has the full story.

22/09/2007

Audited Mobile Advertising Audience Composition Metrics Released

Mobile advertising effectively reaches some of the most desirable, yet elusive, media consumers - if the responses from a survey of the AdMob publisher network by M:Metrics are an indication, writes MarketingCharts.

Some 65.5 percent of respondents were 18-34-year-olds, with broad demographic reach into various sub-segments, according to the third-quarter survey that covered more than 2,000 mobile.

Numerous sites that target African-Americans have audience compositions in excess of 50 percent of that elusive 18-34-year-old demographic, whereas the ethnic group comprises only 6.3 percent of the mobile population, according to M:Metrics.

Similar results were found for females (sites with audience composition over 60 percent females, versus 42 percent of mobile browser population) and Hispanics (sites with over 35 percent Hispanic composition, versus 18.5 percent mobile browser population), among other demographic profiles.

M:Metrics simultaneously announced a more broad launch of its M:Audit mobile advertising tool, which uses on-device survey technology to measure the audience composition of mobile web properties.

"Brand advertisers can now reach their target audience on mobile phones using sophisticated demographic targeting," said Omar Hamoui, CEO, AdMob.

The M:Audit service provides third-party audited composition metrics for mobile domain owners, ad networks and content providers.

18/09/2007

Mobile Ad Spending Boom on the Horizon, says Myers

Slow to catch on, mobile advertising is about to enter its heyday, according to the latest ad spending projection from The Jack Myers Media Business Report.

The forecaster believes advertisers are currently spending about $500 million annually on mobile advertising but will increase that amount by 120 percent next year and reach about $1.1 billion.

The spending won’t stop there, said report publisher Jack Myers. He estimates another 120 percent boost in mobile spending for 2009, meaning marketers will shell out about $2.4 billion to dangle their goods and services in front of mobile device users. According to his forecast, 2009 should be the year mobile advertising draws 1 percent of the $254 billion total ad spend.

“Mobile advertising, in 2005, was at virtually the same level as gaming advertising," said Myers in an interview. “It was growing at a fairly parallel rate with gaming.” However, if his projections prove correct, mobile ad spending will grow twice as fast as game ad spending in 2009.

While it will not come close to the growth rates of either mobile or game ad spending, general Internet advertising -- including search and video -- is still on the rise. Myers projects online spending to increase 20 percent, to $16.7 billion, this year. Similar growth rates should follow, according to Myers: Online/Internet should see 24 percent gains in 2008 and 28.5 percent growth in 2009.

He said video advertising will be the heavy hitter of the online advertising lineup. “Search growth is slowing, but everything to do with video is accelerating,” said Myers. While monetization of YouTube and other user-generated video is a hot topic these days, Myers said the big growth in online video ad spending will benefit large, commercial sites. “More the CBS, Disney professional type video,” he said.

While online advertising is growing, it still amounts to a small slice of overall marketing budgets. “In 2007, online represents 7.2 percent of total advertising and advertising represents 31 percent of total marketing,” said Myers. Noting that online represented only 5.3 percent of total advertising in 2005, Myers predicts it will have doubled to 10.5 percent by 2009.

Myers forecasts overall media advertising will increase 6.9 percent in 2008 and 3.1 percent in 2009, and his report notes categories untracked by some other forecasters, such as cinema, mobile, games, branded entertainment, satellite radio and custom publishing, are expected to collectively grow 20.3 percent this year, 18.4 percent in 2008 and 18.5 percent in 2009.

Meanwhile, Myers projects newspapers will sustain the largest declines in ad spending. He said the papers will lose 4.6 percent in ad revenues in 2007, 2.4 percent in 2008 and 4.5 percent in 2009.”

17/09/2007

Mobile Phones 'More Relevant' Than TV for Ads

Media and advertising companies are starting to latch on to people's mobile phones by beaming ads to them using Bluetooth technology. Such ads are expected to become commonplace. Industry observers say they allow for better targeting than mass media like television or radio.PARIS (Reuters) - Your cell phone may be one of the last spots around that's relatively free of advertising -- but not for long. Media and advertising companies have found a way of latching on to people's handsets by beaming ads to them via Bluetooth, the same technology used in some hands-free headsets.

Here's how it works: When you're standing less than 10 meters away from a Bluetooth interactive billboard, window display or concert hall booth, you'll be asked if you want to switch on your Bluetooth function and accept a file. That file could be a video, a song or an offer of rebate coupons.

As you are strolling down the Champs Elysees, for instance, don't be surprised if one day Lancome, using the technology, invites you to test its newest perfume in a nearby shop. You may also find yourself on the receiving end of ad clips from Coca-Cola or a Warner Bros. preview of its "Happy Feet" animated film.

"A mobile phone is the one electronic device most people carry with them at all times, so it is too good of an opportunity for media companies and advertisers to miss," says Nick Jones, wireless technology analyst at Gartner research house.

But cellular phone operators aren't showing much enthusiasm for Bluetooth marketing since it's free for the consumer and often does not generate extra revenues for them.

Instead, mobile operators such as Orange favor a rival technology to Bluetooth called Code 2D - or QR (quick response codes).

These bar codes, already used in Japan, are read by camera phones and send the user directly to a Web page. Accessing a Web site requires a subscription to a wireless Internet connection for which users usually have to pay.

"Bluetooth does not answer all our needs for mobile marketing," Jean-Noel Tronc, head of Orange Mobile in France, told Reuters in an interview. "For us, Code 2D is much better."

Orange, which also operates in the UK, Poland and Spain, has asked manufacturers -- starting in early 2008 -- to supply it with camera phones with Code 2D capabilities.

BYPASSING OPERATORS

But advertisers don't necessarily need the support of operators. After all, consumers can use Bluetooth to download files regardless of which operator they have chosen, or even without one.

So don't be surprised if Bluetooth ads become commonplace down the road. After all, they allow for better targeted and more relevant advertising than mass media like television or radio.

"Mobile marketing is a one-to-one relationship, while TV or radio marketing is one-to-many," says Gartner's Jones. "Mobile phones take this personalized form of marketing a step further."

Something else to take into account with such marketing is whether it will simply annoy consumers.

Fabien Beckers, CEO of Paris-based mobile marketing firm Kameleon, rejects the idea that such ads are just spam, since consumers receive them only on an opt-in basis.

Still, most agree that for Bluetooth marketing to work, consumers need to get something out of it. The picture of an insurance company's logo probably won't attract much interest.

"It (mobile marketing) has the potential to become a significant player in the marketing world as TV advertisers struggle to get people's eyeballs," says Jon Hudson, senior vice President of PC, automotive and consumer business units at CSR, "But it has to be more than 'your next McDonalds is 200 meters on the left'."

Some local authorities believe Bluetooth proximity communication has a future in the public services arena as well.

This month Paris City Hall has started offering maps and updated what's-on guides beamed from 20 of the city's self-hire bike stations, which have been all the rage since they were installed in July.

"We are trying to test the public's ability to use Bluetooth and their appetite for such 'take-away' information," says Jean-Philippe Clement, the Paris City Hall IT official who oversees the bike station Bluetooth project.

Nokia to acquire Enpocket to create a global mobile advertising leader

Enpocket to provide Nokia with a platform to accelerate scaling of its mobile advertising businessEspoo, Finland - Nokia and Enpocket today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Nokia to acquire Enpocket (www.enpocket.com). Enpocket is a global leader in mobile advertising; providing technology and services that allow brands to plan, create, execute, measure and optimize mobile advertising campaigns around the world. By acquiring Enpocket, Nokia will accelerate the scaling of its mobile advertising business, leveraging Enpocket's platform and strong partnerships with advertisers, publishers and operators. In addition to key assets, through this transaction Nokia is gaining a team with strong expertise in global mobile advertising across disciplines.

"Nokia has already announced its intention to be a leading company in consumer Internet services and we believe that mobile advertising will be an important element in monetizing those services for our customers and partners. Enpocket's mature leading edge platform and people expertise are a strong fit with Nokia existing capabilities in the mobile advertising market," said Tero Ojanperä, Chief Technology Officer, Nokia. "This acquisition is a game changing move to bring the reach and depth of Nokia to organize the market across the world, and make it easier for an ecosystem to develop."

Enpocket is a privately-owned company, established in 2001 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The innovative technology that drives the Enpocket platform is a mobile advertising campaign management and delivery system distinguished by advanced consumer insight, targeting, and measurement. The platform can deliver mobile advertising across multiple formats including SMS, MMS, mobile Internet advertising, and video. Enpocket is powering mobile advertising for leading mobile operators and publishers across the globe and has an ad sales force that is working with large brands.

"Effective interactive advertising on the mobile device can create tremendous value for the mobile industry while bringing new Internet services to people around the world," said Enpocket President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Baker. "Enpocket and Nokia are combining to provide the leadership needed to define, build and standardize globally the business of mobile advertising so that brands can easily and efficiently engage consumers on their personal devices."

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2007.

15/09/2007

Google Brings AdWords to Mobile Search

After a year in beta, Google has opened AdWords to its Mobile Search product.

Keyword management will be integrated into the existing AdWords user interface. Ads will appear in the mobile platform unless advertisers actively decide not to participate, reports ClickZ.

Mobile Search listings will be free until November 18. After November 19, AdWords users must opt out, or they will be charged for mobile clicks.

However, Google notified AdWords users that only ads with mobile-adaptable landing pages will qualify for inclusion in Mobile Search.

14/09/2007

Sprint Nextel to Debut Mobile Shopping

Sprint Nextel has debuted a new service allowing shoppers to compare and buy products using mobile phones, reports The Associated Press.

The Mobile Shopper lets people use their phones to compare prices on products from a variety of retailers, both large and small. If they find the right product, customers can then buy the products right from their phones.

Sprint, which does not take a cut of the purchase, is using the service to attract and retain customers. The company is hoping that mobile shopping, once confined to ringtones and wallpapers, will resonate with customers just as online shopping did.

The process of making handheld purchases has seen some sophistication of late. PayForIt, which enables users to charge select services via mobile, recently debuted in the UK. Google has patented Gpay, dubbed a potential "PayPal of mobile," and Apple's browser- and wi-fi-ready iPod and iPhone enable users to purchase items directly from the internet and at Starbucks.

12/09/2007

ESPN Taps AdMob to Serve Mobile Ads for Cricinfo

Cricinfo.com, a major professional cricket content source, has just tapped AdMob to assist in monetizing mobile internet traffic.

AdMob boasts a large advertiser base in countries most crucial to professional cricket, including India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and the UK.

The liaison is marked as one of the first global and local mobile advertising partnerships, with AdMob committing to serve ads globally for Cricinfo in addition to permitting advertisers to target local markets.

UK-based Cricinfo was purchased by ESPN early this summer. It reaches about seven million cricket fans per month.

What Steve Did in the UK


The Business published a very interesting article on the introduction of the iPhone in the UK

The article states; "Think of the possibilities, the Vodafone executives said. You’re walking down the high street and your iPhone – complete with tracking system to pin down your location and armed with a profile of your shopping preferences – alerts you to a special offer in the shop just ahead of you. It would be the ultimate in targeted advertising – or as critics would put it, the ultimate Big Brother intrusion."

The iPhone could debut in Britain as early as next month – on a Tuesday, the day favoured by Apple for its launches – with O2, owned by Spain’s Telefonica, likely to be the exclusive network provider (as AT&T is in America). It would sell for between £250 ($503, e370) and £399. An October launch would ensure the product is on sale in time for the crucial build-up to Christmas; some have suggested a November launch, which would be a blow to Apple.

Read the full article here

11/09/2007

Ericsson CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg: Mobile broadband is becoming a mass market

With 128 commercial HSPA networks rolled out and more than 300 HSPA devices available around the world, mobile broadband is moving quickly toward becoming a mass market, Ericsson President and Chief Executive Officer Carl-Henric Svanberg said today at the company's Strategy and Technology Summit in London.

As evidence he gave several examples where, in commercially launched HSPA networks, data traffic has quadrupled over the past year and is accelerating. Ericsson has laid the foundation for this development with its technology, which connects more than one billion people around the world.

Svanberg said: "This is an exciting development in our industry. HSPA with speeds of 7.2 Mbps is now being launched, and we will see embedded modems in early 2008. This indicates that mobile broadband is already becoming part of our daily lives."

Svanberg also elaborated on the continued demand for telecommunications in developing markets in which GSM is built out for coverage and capacity and, in parallel, networks are upgraded to HSPA.

Svanberg continued: "We see clearly that the mobile phone will be essential in closing the digital divide. Mobility is a key contributor to productivity and quality of life in developing countries".

In mature markets, mobile broadband services are becoming more prominent in peoples' lives as networks become capable of delivering them. At the same time, there are major expansions in fixed broadband networks, in which intelligence is being moved toward the edge.

Other speakers from Ericsson at the Strategy and Technology Summit were Karl-Henrik Sundström, CFO, Joakim Westh, head of strategy and Håkan Eriksson, Chief Technology Officer. Featured were also speakers from Sony Ericsson; Miles Flint, CEO, Björn Ahlberg, head of Content & Service Development, and Howard Lewis, head of PBU Entry.

06/09/2007

Ericsson and Endemol sign global partnership


Ericsson and Endemol International B.V. today announced a global partnership agreement to develop interactive TV and user-generated content via Ericsson's 'Me-On-TV' solution.

The Ericsson 'Me-On-TV' solution was developed in partnership with Endemol, a global leader in TV and digital entertainment, and Dutch technology company Triple IT.

'Me-On-TV' is a network and device-independent technology, allowing consumers to upload, publish and share live or pre-recorded video content via any mobile device, from anywhere to any screen around the world. Consumers can transmit to websites, TV broadcasts, or stay in contact with friends in a community. It also allows broadcasters, internet sites, and mobile network operators to directly manage live and on demand content via state-of-the-are editorial management tools.

Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Ericsson's multimedia business, says: "This global partnership flags Ericsson's commitment to establish a leading position in multimedia. It shows our partnership approach with innovators in complementary fields to develop consumer solutions for multiple screens that can benefit media companies and operators alike."

William Linders, Executive Director of Digital Media at Endemol International, says: "We're delighted to be working with Ericsson on this exciting new technology. The market for digital content is rapidly evolving and 'Me-On-TV' could have a significant impact on the way consumers interact with TV and digital media."

'Me-On-TV' will be offered as a white-label service to content aggregators such as broadcasters, internet sites, and network operators. It will be delivered as an end-to-end service, fully integrated, hosted and managed by Ericsson.

Endemol will act as a distributor for 'Me-On-TV', licensing the technology as an integrated service in existing and newly developed TV and multimedia formats. 'Me-On-TV' is already being used by Endemol in the Netherlands. Last season's Big Brother TV series saw ex-housemates using the technology to communicate with the house, and this week Endemol in the Netherlands launched the "Ik op TV" format on TV and the internet, in which 'Me-On-TV' is used by citizens to broadcast live and recorded content from their mobile phones, as well as to broadcast live interviews to the program.

05/09/2007

iPhone Tops SmartPhone Sales in June

The iPhone has leaped past its competitors to become the best-selling smartphone on the market in July, its first full month of sale, according to Reuters.

The iPhone accounted for 1.8 percent of all US mobile handsets during the month. Those most likely to buy the iPhone were male, over 35, with a college degree, according to iSupply.

Further, a quarter who bought the iPhone switched to operator AT&T, which has an exclusive contract with the phone.

Apple's two models beat out Research in Motion's Blackberry series, the entire Palm offering, and any individual smartphone model by Nokia, Samsung, or Motorola.

What's more, it also tied the current top-selling "feature phone" — or phones with features like mp3 and camera capabilities — LG's Chocolate. An analyst from iSupply said the iPhone is historic in that it competes with both smart- and feature phones, making it a "crossover phone."

ISuppli estimates that the iPhone will sell 4.5 million iPhones this year, and 30 million by 2011.

Ericsson unveils innovative 'green' base station site concept with Scandinavian design

Ericsson today unveils an innovative radio base station site concept that is not only better for the environment but more cost-efficient to adopt and run, and more attractive to look at.

The modern design, from renowned Scandinavian architect Thomas Sandell, is a completely new approach to site architecture - the 5m-diameter, 40m-high flexible concrete tower encapsulates all radio base station equipment, including the antennas.

The aesthetics of the site concept, named the Ericsson Tower Tube, have been further enhanced by the choice of construction materials. The flexible concrete tower can be colored and branded to the operator's specific needs to either blend in with its surroundings or become an attractive landmark for the local community.

And the concrete itself has a lower environmental impact than traditional steel, producing 30 percent less CO2 emissions during production and transportation.

Diverging from standard design, the radio base station is placed at the top of the tower cutting the distance between it and the antenna. This gives capacity and coverage benefits for the cellular network and can together with the fact that no active cooling is needed reduce energy consumption up to 40 percent.

Furthermore, as the new design occupies less land, 60-75 percent less than conventional sites, site acquisition is easier. Being a self-contained structure, operators can also avoid the need for security fences and the cost of maintaining and patrolling them.

Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio, Ericsson, says: "The appearance of radio base station sites has not really been considered before. They have essentially been a steel tower and a container surrounded by a chain-link fence.

"With this new approach, we not only create a more attractive look for this essential piece of community architecture, but we have also developed a design that is better for the environment and more cost-efficient to run."

29/08/2007

Nokia Introduces Ovi


London, UK - Nokia today introduced Ovi, the company's new Internet services brand name. With the introduction of Ovi, Nokia is expanding from a focus on mobile devices to offering a range of Internet services. Ovi, meaning 'door' in Finnish, enables consumers to easily access their existing social network, communities and content, as well as acting as a gateway to Nokia services.

As part of Ovi, Nokia announced the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, two services that make it easy for people to discover, try and buy music and games from a blockbuster range of artists and publishers, including exclusive content only available through Nokia. Also under the Ovi umbrella is Nokia Maps, a navigation service that offers maps, city guides and more directly to compatible mobile devices. Nokia aims to bring more Internet based services to Ovi in the coming months.

Speaking at the Nokia Go Play event in London, Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo presented Ovi and the new Nokia services for consumers, and spoke about the company's future plans as an Internet company: "The industry is converging towards Internet driven experiences and Ovi represents Nokia's vision in combining the Internet and mobility. Nokia is the number one mobile device company in the world. Looking into the future, we will deliver great devices, combined with compelling experiences and services, to make it easy for people to unlock the potential of the Internet."

"We started this journey with our navigation services earlier this year and we are now combining all our services into a single branded offering - Ovi by Nokia. Over the coming 12 months, you will see us integrate new user interface elements, service suites and web communities to Ovi," added Kallasvuo.

Ovi - one key opens every door.
Ovi (http://www.ovi.com) is the gateway to Nokia's Internet services, including the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and N-Gage games. It will also be an open door to web communities, enabling people to access their content, communities and contacts from a single place, either directly from a compatible Nokia device or from a PC. The first version of Ovi.com is scheduled to go live in English during the fourth quarter of 2007 and additional features and languages expected to go live during the first half of 2008.

Video-Enabled Portable Media Players to Outsell Audio-Only in '08


Driven by increased broadband penetration, declining price points and a growing catalogue of online audio and video content, the market for MP3 players and portable media players (PMPs) will remain strong over the next five years, In-Stat forecasts.

Nevertheless, the main reason that consumers are purchasing portable MP3 players and video-capable PMPs today is the devices' audio playback capability, In-Stat said.

"Only 11 percent of survey respondents say they will purchase a PMP primarily for its video playback function," said Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. "Still, the cost of incorporating video into portable devices continues to decline. As a result, In-Stat expects shipment growth of video-enabled PMPs to outpace that of audio-only MP3 players by the end of 2008."

Among the findings of In-Stat's research, "Worldwide Demand Remains Strong for MP3 and Portable Media Players":

* Worldwide unit shipments for audio-only MP3 players and PMPs combined will reach 275 million units in 2011, up from 182 million in 2006.

* Of the 2,408 respondents to In-Stat's latest survey of US consumers, 52 percent own an MP3 player or other PMP.

In-Stat said it does not expect music-enabled cell phone shipments to soon displace dedicated PMP/MP3 player shipments, but it forecast an opportunity for cell phone manufacturers to capture consumers who are considering cheap, audio-only MP3 players.

E! Creates Online, Mobile Video Content for Breaking Celebrity News


Popular entertainment news channel E! has launched a new series specifically for online and mobile distribution, reports Mediaweek.

E! News Now launched yesterday with 12 original video clips on breaking celebrity gossip and entertainment news. Viewers can stream the clips on E! Online or access them through a participating wireless carrier.

New videos will be posted whenever news breaks, 24 hours a day.

27/08/2007

Mobile Phone Penetration 84 Percent, Wireless Revenue $155B by Year's End

Some 84 percent of the US population will have mobile phones by the end of 2007, with that proportion surpassing 100 percent in 2013, SNL Kagan estimates.

Figures include consumer, business and double-mobile-phone users.

SNL Kagan also forecasts US cell phone subscriptions to grow at a rate of about 3 percent per year over the next decade - versus total population growth of 1 percent - despite decreasing net additions as 100 percent penetration is approached.

The projections anticipate increased data use, including text, web and video, which could be accelerated by new-player business models - e.g., multimedia services that get partially subsidized by advertising, similar to the approaches being tested by Google, YouTube and others.

SNL Kagan also projects total US wireless service revenue to increase at a 5 percent CAGR from 2007 to 2017, from $155 billion this year to $253.6 billion in 2017.

23/08/2007

Yahoo Acquires Mobile Ad Firm Actionality


Information Week reports today that Yahoo is buying Actionality, a German mobile advertising tech firm, for an undisclosed sum.

Actionality provides software technology that inserts ads in content for mobile devices.

The deal is "part of Yahoo's focus on becoming No. 1 in mobile advertising," says a Yahoo spokesperson.

Britain Abandons Old Media in 'Digital Boom'


BBC reports today that the Internet, mobile phones and MP3 players are revolutionizing how British citizens spend their time, according to the new annual report from Ofcom, the regulator for U.K. media industries.

It reveals that older media such as TV, radio and even DVDs are being abandoned in favour of more modern technology.

It also shows that women, in some age groups, are the dominant web users and older web users spend more time online than any group.

Among children it showed that web and mobile phone use is growing at the expense of video games.

The 330-page report takes a comprehensive look at the way Britons use new and old media and reveals a nation in love with its media, gadgets and hi-tech gear.

The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio. However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years.

Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.

The report, the fourth annual survey from Ofcom, revealed big differences in the technologies that different sectors of the population prefer.

* Among Britons aged 25-34, women account for 55% of the time this group spends online

* 16% of Britons aged 65+ spend 42 hours per month online - more than any other age group

* More than 75% of 11 year olds have their own TV, games console and mobile phone

* 15% of 13-15 year olds and 7% of 10 year olds have their own webcam

Young people now spend as much time on their mobile phone as they do playing computer and console games. Proving more popular among younger people are mobile music players and using the net.

Declining among younger people was listening to the radio and playing video and computer games.

Ofcom's report echoed this observation and said Britons were getting increasingly sophisticated in their use of communications technologies.

Older men playing video games, BBC
Older people are keen consumers of modern technology

For instance, a teenager playing an online game might take a picture of a high score or achievement unlocked while they play then text or e-mail it to friends or add it to a website or Facebook page.

The report also revealed that patterns of use could change again as the latest technologies come into wider use.

It revealed that the UK now has about 450,000 subscribers to high-definition services. Of those questioned by Ofcom, 43% said they watched more TV since getting HD. A minority of that group, 36%, said they now watched six or more extra hours of TV every week.

Ownership of a Digital Video Recorder also seems to have a significant effect on viewing habits. Ofcom found that many prefer to watch programmes saved on their DVR rather than a DVD.

22/08/2007

Mobile Social Networking Has 12.3 Million Friends in US and Western Europe

12.3 million consumers in the US and Western Europe report accessing a social networking site with a mobile device in June, according to the first measurement by M:Metrix of mobile social networking, writes MarketingCharts (via CNET's Tech News Blog).

Some findings from the study:

* The US audience for mobile social networking sites is the largest, with 7.5 million, or 3.5 percent of mobile subscribers. Italy follows with 1.3 million, or 2.8 percent; then the UK with 1.1 million, or 2.5 percent; Spain with 751,000 (2.3 percent), Germany (1.9 percent) and France (1.7 percent).

* MySpace garnered the most mobile users in the United States and United Kingdom, whereas MSN was the forum of choice for mobile Web 2.0 users in the other geographies surveyed.

* MySpace attracts 3.7 million US and 440,000 UK mobile users. In America, Facebook's mobile audience is about 2 million, and in Britain, about 307,000.

* Rounding out the top three is YouTube in the US, with 901,000 mobile visitors, and Bebo in the UK, with 288,000.

M:Metrics also tracks the availability of content across all operator portals and found that in June, the top three US mobile social networking sites had strong distribution, with MySpace appearing on the decks of Amp'd, AT&T, Helio and Nextel:

* Facebook was accessible on the Sprint, AT&T, Virgin and Amp'd decks and YouTube on the Verizon deck*.

* In the UK, MySpace has distribution on Vodafone, Bebo is on the 3 deck, but No. 2 MSN Live Spaces is offered nowhere on portal.
* Those under 25 are the most active users of mobile social networking sites across all geographies studied.
* In France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the age demographic with the largest percentage of use is 13-17-year-olds, whereas college-aged consumers (18-24) are the most avid users in the United States and the United Kingdom.

*YouTube is also on the iPhone deck, which was not under measurement at the time of the survey.

21/08/2007

In Mobile Advertising, Users Expect Something in Return...


Despite growing opportunities for mobile advertising, ads on mobile internet and TV services are deemed "irritating" by consumers, according to a new study by Universal McCann.

Recent reports also suggest the world's 2 billion mobile users are turned off by tactics simply imported onto their phones from the desktop and TV. The solution to this problem may lie in offering a different value proposition to users in exchange for perceived "intrusions."

The global study found users were more receptive when they got free content from advertisers, such as branded content and opt-in Bluetooth downloads. For example, Coca-Cola gave away free songs on iTunes.

The best forms of advertising on the mobile were opt-in Bluetooth formats, popular among 72 percent. Traditional ads, such as those on mobile internet pages and mobile TV ads, were rejected by 61 percent of the sample.

The study polled 9,500 people in 21 countries and found that mobile adoption with advanced media features is growing rapidly:

* two out of three owned a portable music or media player
* 45 percent had a laptop
* 28 percent had a portable gaming machine

Consumers in the developing world, such as Mexico, China and Thailand, were the most receptive to ads. The US, France and the UK were the least receptive.

The Mobile Marketing Association is putting stringent standards in place to deter intrusive practices like spam and other unwanted ads, forcing advertisers to be innovative, according to The Globe and Mail.

US marketers looking for inspiration can also look to the Land of the Rising Sun. In Japan, where the majority of its 98 million mobile users have web capabilities, the mobile ad market is expected to become a $1 billion industry by 2011, up from $328 million last year.

And Japanese advertisers do not experience problems associated with segmented carriers and divided services, meaning a campaign launched on the mobile platform can be more or less enjoyed by all or many.

Hearst Makes Mobile Fashionable


With mobile devices becoming an indispensible part of our culture, mobile internet and advertising has become a swelling industry. Consumers can search for news or search products straight from their phones.

Hearst Magazines Digital Media has been dipping into online media with several acquisitions as of late and now, the company is reaching further into mobile with the launch of sites for Harper’s BAZAAR (M.bazaar.com) and Marie Claire (M.marieclaire.com). This brings the company’s mobile portfolio to nine sites.

Chuck Cordray, vice president and general manager of Hearst Magazines Digital Media said, “Through research we found that 25% of our readers now have mobile Web-enabled cell phones but have not yet found what they are looking for. Much like the Internet was ten years ago, today is a brand new world for all of us on the mobile front, and it’s one with clear potential, if the content and delivery are right.”

The sites offer many interactive features and fashion and beauty tips to the BAZAAR and Marie Claire readers. The sites will be free to users but Hearst plans to monetize on the mobile sites by selling wallpaper images.

MTV, AP Study: Internet Makes Young People Happy


Cellphones, the Internet and other technologies are integrally woven into the lives of today's 13- to 24-year-olds, according to a study on happiness and young people by MTV and the Associated Press. Half of those young people polled say the Internet alone helps them feel happier.

PR Newswire has more details about this study.

Smooth: Nokia's sensuous new 3G device

The new Nokia 6555 features a smooth-back fold design and original analog timepiece


Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced a new 3G mobile phone that pairs original design and quality workmanship with outstanding features. The Nokia 6555 meets the desire for aesthetic appeal with an external analog clock echoing the timeless elegance of high-end luxury. The Nokia 6555 is the first WCDMA phone with a smooth-back fold design with recessed hinge creating a seamless line when open. The phone's gentle curve ensures a smooth and ergonomic user experience. The Nokia 6555 is an accessible option for discerning consumers. The Nokia 6555 will be available within the next month at an estimated retail price of approximately €200 before subsidies or taxes.

Adding to its attraction, the Nokia 6555 features a QVGA 16 million color internal display - twice as many colors as the human eye can see - for a brilliant, crisp resolution on a large 240x320 screen, making it perfect for viewing photos and videos. The camera featuring a 6x zoom gives even greater versatility and full screen portrait viewfinder so you can be sure you get the right picture every time. The self-portrait function on the camera and video sharing ability ensures that special moments are easily shared with family and friends.


"Mobile-savvy consumers expect superior quality and design. We understood that need, and so created the the Nokia 6555. The Nokia 6555 is a sophisticated accessory delivering the outstanding features that you expect from Nokia," said Markku Suomi, Product Group Director, Mobile Phones, Nokia.

From the thin, narrow form factor with smooth lines to the 30MB user memory (with capacity for microSD expandable memory) and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the Nokia 6555 sets the standard in its class.

Key features:
- Original smooth-back design
- Elegant external analog timepiece display
- Brilliant 16 million color display
- Video sharing
- WCDMA and quadband GSM functionality

17/08/2007

Harper Collins Goes Mobile With Book Excerpts

Book publisher Harper Collins has created a mobile-friendly site for iPhone users, reports The Associated Press.

Mobile.harpercollins.com features excerpts from over a dozen of the publisher's newest releases. The excerpts were made possible because Harper Collins has spent time digitizing over 10,000 of its titles.

Facebook Goes Mobile on Apple iPhone

Facebook is launching a mobile version that works on the Apple iPhone. The new mobile edition of the social-networking site will allow users to access and update profiles, track friends, and find maps and driving directions for events scheduled on Facebook.

Red Herring has published a more detailed story here.

15/08/2007

IAB and Lead Generation Committee Release Best Practices for Lead Generation

The Lead Generation Committee and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) have today released the Lead Generation Data Transfer Best Practices.

At the most practical level, the document will help standardize the transfer and reception of data between advertisers and lead generators.

Two major considerations served as guidelines for the final product:

* Security - lead generation data should be encrypted
* Common format and set up - the data must move in a common format through mainstream, secure internet technologies

"The committee encourages advertisers and publishers to implement these best practices and comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations to responsibly support the continued growth of this very important category," said SVP Gayle Guzzardo of Product Management at Q Interactive. She is also the Lead Generation Committee Chair.

Per the IAB/PwC 2006 Full Year Internet Advertising Revenue Report, lead generation revenue totaled $1.3 billion out of all 2006 advertising revenues ($16.9 billion), up from a (now seemingly paltry) $753 million in 2005.

14/08/2007

Alltel to Bring MTV Content to Mobile Users


Alltel's wireless users will soon be able to access content from MTVN as part of a new agreement between the two, reports CNN Money.

MTVN will make videos from its variety of cable networks available to Alltel customers. There will also be games and other features branded with the shows that users can play with or access.

Some of that content will be accessible through Celltop, Alltel's new product for delivering and organizing on mobile devices.

Gannett Launches Local Mobile Sites


News company Gannett announced today that it is entering the mobile market and will make its breaking news, sports, weather and local information available to mobile phone users in 100 local markets, according to WebProNews.

The local mobile sites are tailored to appear on small screens and include content that is updated around the clock by local Gannett Information centers. Information centers provide news and information to a number of platforms, including the Web, newspapers, television and mobile devices.

The new mobile sites will carry local, regional and national display advertising. The mobile sites are free to users with mobile Internet browsing and data plans.

"Local news and information is more in demand than ever by consumers across the country. Making it easily available by mobile device takes Gannett's local information expertise and puts it in consumers' hands," said Jack Williams, president of Gannett Digital.

"Advertisers who appreciate the value of trusted brands, local content and audiences will be able to reach out to those consumers throughout the day."

Along with local community news and information, the mobile sites link to national news, money, sports and life information through the USA Today mobile site.

10/08/2007

Discovery launches mobile offerings in the UK


Media and Marketing Europe reports today that Discovery Networks UK has launched two of its most popular portfolio offerings, Discovery Turbo and Animal Planet, on mobile TV.

Vodafone and Orange customers will have access to exclusive made-for-mobile content, as well as optimized popular content, from the channels' flagship programs. Discovery Turbo will be packaged in 20 minute batches, available on-demand and updated every weekday. Animal Planet mobile content will be offered on-demand as a one hour weekly loop and will showcase snack-sized bites of programming including the award-winning Meerkat Manor and Crocodile Hunter Diaries.

“These new launches are part of a broader strategy to further integrate digital media services, building a stronger and more complementary relationship with our linear channels", commented Keith Underwood, VP commercial, Discovery Networks UK.

Turner Broadcasting Secures European Mobile Distribution Deal


Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) has tapped wireless entertainment provider GlobalFun as the pan-European distributor for mobile games based on the Adult Swim series The Brak Show and the Cartoon Network series Johnny Bravo.

The deal follows a previous announcement that GlobalFun is currently developing and partly distributing the mobile version of The Brak Show.

GlobalFun will distribute the mobile game “Johnny Bee Good,” which is built around the eponymous main character from the half-hour series Johnny Bravo, who is a biceps-bulging, karate-chopping free spirit who believes he is a gift from God to women. The game is designed to appeal to both male and female mobile players. The company will also distribute a game based on The Brak Show, an animated sitcom focused on a space pirate named Brak who lives in outer space, in an American suburbia mid-1960s neighborhood. The game, which is scripted to follow a “mega” episode of the show, can be played either as Brak or his best friend Zorak, each with his own small storyline converging into a bigger one. The objective of the game is the same for both characters, which is to convince Brak’s father to stop an invasion of Alien Ants from Outer Space.

Casey Harwood, the senior VP of interactive, wireless and communication at TBS Europe, commented: “GlobalFun have proven themselves to be both a solid mobile games developer and distributor, and the extension of this deal is a reflection of that. We look forward to working with them on the distribution of these games for The Brak Show and Johnny Bravo.”