GSM Trade Body Wants All New Phones to Have NFC by Mid-2009

The GSMA, the global trade group for the mobile industry, has called for full NFC functionality -- including the standardised 'Single Wire Protocol' interface -- to be built into all new mobile phones from mid-2009.

The GSMA's Board said that it fully supports the need for the ETSI endorsed 'Single Wire Protocol' standard to provide the interface between the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC, or SIM card) and the embedded NFC chipset within the handset. The NFC chip can communicate with existing contactless readers to deliver a wide range of secure, interoperable and transparent services, such as credit and debit payments.

Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA, said, "There is no doubt that there is a huge latent demand for a large variety of mobile transaction services, of which there is universal interest in proximity payments, as trials across the world have already shown. We are committed to ensuring that mobile payment services are delivered as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. But this will require device manufacturers to make sure that the vast majority of commercially available handsets incorporate the Single Wire Protocol and Near Field Communications features as standard.

"Doing so would enable the industry to leverage significant economies of scale, and ensure greater accessibility of NFC services for mobile users, added Conway."

This call for handsets is supported by recent operator trial results, which indicate a growing consumer demand for mobile payment services. Trials are underway across eight countries involving nine mobile operators as part of the GSMA's Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative. Further pilots are planned across 14 countries by 15 mobile operators.

In Taiwan, in a trial of over 200 users, FarEasTone found that 90% of people felt positive toward to this new service. 80% of people were satisfied that the service is secure, and 40% said they would switch their monthly spending to a mobile credit card service.

Seven banks and four mobile operators -- including Orange and SFR -- involved in the "Payez Mobile" trial in France have announced the results of trials conducted with almost 500 sales outlets and nearly 1000 triallists. Over 90% of triallists said they found contactless mobile payment convenient, fast, and easy to use. In addition, 94% declared that they would recommend it to their friends and family. Merchants welcomed the possibility of offering to their customers an innovative payment solution, with over 80% saying they appreciated the speed and cutting-edge appeal of mobile contactless payment.

Equally, in Korea, SKT and KTF found that m-transportation was very popular with users, and this is likely to translate to other mobile payment services. Approximately 450,000 users of the "T-money" service were quick to adopt the service as it is convenient and compatible with existing readers. According to KTF's survey, 85% of m-transportation users indicated satisfaction levels were 'very high'. 85% of them believe that using a contactless mobile phone is much more convenient than getting their wallet out to use public transportation, and would continue to use the mobile service. "T-money" attracts users not only for the public metro and bus, but also for small transactions such as buying goods from convenient stores by simply tapping on the contactless readers.

In July the GSMA on behalf of operators issued a detailed Device Requirement document to a wide range of vendors and suppliers in the 'Pay-Buy-Mobile' ecosystem. 37 key players responded, giving a clear picture of the core requirements for any SWP/NFC device.

Resource - cellular-news

HTC Launches WiMAX-GSM Smartphone

Scartel (brand Yota), a Russian provider of Mobile WiMAX, and HTC have launched the world’s first integrated GSM/WiMAX hands

“Yota was established to provide a unique set of mobile communication services to millions of people in Russia and today we have launched the first device and services to realise its full potential,” said Denis Sverdlov, General Director of Yota’s parent company, Scartel LLC (brand Yota). “We really believe that these innovative services, high-speed Internet and stylish HTC MAX 4G will completely change the communications industry, just as the introduction of cellular communications did many years ago.”

The Yota Mobile WiMAX network offers high-speed wireless Internet access, and the Mobile WiMAX network with traffic prioritisation algorithms, allows online films, video and TV programmes to be viewed on the large WVGA screenet.

Broadcasting 14 free channels at launch and 23 channels by the end of 2008, Yota TV introduces a powerful mobile television experience. The vibrant, 3.8 inch 800x480 screen of the HTC MAX 4G can display up to nine TV channels simultaneously, allowing quick and easy channel surfing and programme selection. Thanks to the device’s TV-out capability, users can also watch content on the big screen, putting the HTC MAX 4G at the very heart of the mobile entertainment experience.

”The introduction of the HTC MAX 4G represents the culmination of a close partnership between HTC and Yota to develop the world’s first integrated mobile GSM/WIMAX handset,” said Peter Chou, CEO and President, HTC Corporation. “Russia is a key strategic market for HTC and Yota’s Mobile WiMAX network sets a new global benchmark for next-generation mobile services.”

The HTC MAX 4G supports GSM calls using a SIM card from any Russian network operator and when both callers are Yota subscribers, the call will automatically be routed as a VoIP call over the Yota Mobile WiMAX network.

Resource - cellular-news

GSMA Announces Asia Mobile Awards Nominees

Winners of the Asia Mobile Awards 2008 and Mobile Innovation APAC Tournament to be announced at the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau

30^th October 2008, London: The GSMA, the global trade association for mobile operators, today announced a shortlist of 40 nominees for the Asia Mobile Awards 2008, plus the 15 'Top Innovators' for the Asia-Pacific round of the Mobile Innovation Global Competition that will be contested and presented at the forthcoming Mobile Asia Congress, Asia's leading mobile communications event that is set to take place in Macau, SAR People's Republic of China (18-20 November 2008).

Judged by independent analysts, journalists and industry experts, the winners of the GSMA's Asia Mobile Awards will be presented on the evening of Tuesday 18 November during the GSMA's Mobile Asia Congress gala opening party (sponsored by China Mobile, Ericsson, Sony Ericsson and the Macau Government Tourist Office) at the Cotai Strip® CotaiExpo™ at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau. The Asia Mobile Awards attracted more than 120 entries this year from companies across Asia and across the mobile value chain, with a wealth of commercially available products, services, content and applications.

The nominees for the Asia Mobile Awards 2008 are:

Best Mobile Game

• Electronic Arts Asia Pacific, Singapore for 'Spore: Origins'
• ZIO Interactive, Inc, Republic of Korea for 'Sketcher 2'
• CAPCOM, Japan for 'Biohazard 4 Mobile edition'
• Gameloft, Republic of Korea for 'Asphalt4: Elite Racing HD'
• Simlife Science & Technology, China for 'Lament Island'

Best Mobile Music, TV or Video Service

• Artificial Life, Inc, Hong Kong for 'MoPA-TV'
• Bharti Airtel, India for 'On-Demand Service on Airtel Live'
• Gracenote, USA for 'Gracenotefi Mobile Music Platform'
• Telstra Corporation, Australia for 'Mobile Foxtel from Telstra and Big Pond TV on Mobile'
• Geodesic Inc, USA for 'Mundu Radio'

Best Mobile Advertising Service

• Madhouse Inc. China for 'Nike Zoom Campaign'
• China Mobile, China for 'Wireless Interactive Marketing: CRM System in Shanghai Volkswagen LAVIDA'
• Telstra Corporation, Australia for Telstra Mobile Codes
• OnMobile Global Ltd, India for 'Ad Ringback Tone'
• Wolfpac Mobile Inc., Philippines for 'Nescafe 3in1 Decode Promo'

Best Mobile Enterprise Product or Service

• Innopath Software Inc., USA for 'Integrated Mobile Device Management'
• Celltick, UK for 'Live Screen Media'
• Soprano Design, Australia for Soprano Mobile Enterprise Messaging Suite
• Spinvox, Australia for 'Spinvox'
• KTF, Republic of Korea for 'Show Care'

Best Mobile Internet Service

• Bharti Airtel, India for 'Airtel Job Search'
• GYPSii, The Netherlands for GYPSii
• SKT, Republic of Korea for 'Gifticon'
• MobileOne, Singapore for 'M1 Mobile Surf'
• CSL Ltd, Hong Kong & Changing Worlds, Ireland for One2Free and '101 Mobile data Services'

Best Mobile Money Service

• Watchdata System, Singapore for SIMPass'
• Bharti Airtel, India 'mCheck on Airtel'
• Total Access Communications, Thailand for 'ATMSIM'
• Bharti Telesoft, India for 'mobiquity mBanking'
• True Move Company, Thailand for 'TouchSIM by Truemove'

Best Mobile Broadband Handset/ Device

• Samsung Electronics, Republic of Korea for ' Samsung Innov8 (i8510)'
• Telstra Corporation, Australia for 'Telstra Turbo 7 Series Wireless Gateway/ BigPond 7.2 Wireless Broadband Home Network Gateway'
• Huawei, China for Huawei E180 HSPA Rotable USB Stick'
• LG Electronics, Republic of Korea for 'LG Secret'
• Samsung Electronics, Republic of Korea for 'Samsung Omnia (SGH-i900/i908)

The 'Green Mobile Award'

• Powercity Corporation, Philippines for Windpower Application for Telecommunication Technology
• AXIS, Indonesia for 'Green Power & Energy Saving Initiative'
• MIC 2, Lebanon for 'Scratch Card Recycling & Replacement Program'
• Nokia, Singapore for 'Integrated Nokia Kiosk (INK)'
• Vodafone & Enable Community, New Zealand for 'Mobile Reuse & Recycling Programme'

More information about the GSMA's Asia Mobile Award nominees can be found at: www.asiamobileawards.com

The Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition was created by the GSMA as part of the Mobile Innovation Market, which encourages breakthrough technology, applications and services in the mobile industry by bringing together smaller companies developing innovative mobile products, with industry investors from leading venture capital firms and senior figures from mobile operators and leading global brands.

The Mobile Innovation Marketplace event at the Mobile World Congress is a unique platform for top innovators competing for the Mobile Innovation Global Award Championship title. During this event in Macau, 18-20 of November, 15 emerging growth companies from around the world will compete in five categories, reviewed by senior executives from mobile operators, industry suppliers and venture capital organisations. The distinguished judging panel includes representatives from Vodafone Ventures, Belgacom, Orange, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia, Microsoft, Intel Capital, and ICT 168 Capital.

The Top 15 Innovators for the Asia-Pacific leg of the 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition are:

Most Innovative 'True Mobile Start Up'

• Movirtu, UK
• Sentry Wireless, Ireland
• uSoftation, Korea

Most Innovative 'Carrier Infrastructure or Platform'

• PixSense, US
• Sunbay, Switzerland
• Xtract, Finland

Most Innovative 'Consumer Application or Service'

• MNC Wireless Berhad, Malaysia
• ngpay, India
• TuneWiki, US

Most Innovative 'Mobile Application in a Vertical Market'

• Broca Communications, UK
• Impetus Technologies, India
• V3 Teletech, Singapore

Most Innovative 'Wireless Device-centric Technology'

• CooTek, China
• WiSpry, US
• Zeemote, US

One winner will be named from each category and awarded the title of 'GSMA Global Semi-Finalist'. From these five cutting-edge ideas, two 'Mobile Innovation Global Finalists' will arise and win a trip to Barcelona to compete against the other Global Finalists for the prestigious title of the "2009 GSMA Mobile Innovation Global Award Champion", to be named during the GSMA's Mobile World Congress next February. The Platinum sponsor of the Mobile Innovation Marketplace is the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia).

For more information on the GSMA's Mobile Innovation Market and the Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition, please visit: www.mobileinnovation.org and www.mobileinnovation.org/awards.

- ENDS -

About the GSMA:
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade group representing more than 750 GSM mobile operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. The Association's members represent more than 3 billion GSM and 3GSM connections - over 86% of the world's mobile phone connections. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives.

The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers.

The GSMA's Mobile Asia Congress

The GSMA is co-organising the Mobile Asia Congress 2008 at the Cotai Strip®CotaiExpo™, the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel with China Mobile and China Unicom From 18-20 November 2008. Telenor, one of the largest pan-Asia operators, is a platinum sponsor of the event, Nokia China is gold sponsor.
Resource - GSM World