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Tag: Ericsson

  • Global Exhibitors to Launch Latest Products at CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014

    Global Exhibitors to Launch Latest Products at CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014

    MUMBAI: An extensive line-up of product launches and showcases will elevate the excitement quotient at CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014. The shows will return to Marina Bay Sands Singapore from 17 – 20 June 2014 with a strong emphasis on mobility and connectivity, featuring cutting-edge technology updates and latest products from leading global industry players and thought-leaders.

     

    Preferred Platform for Product Launches and Showcases

    The CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014 media briefing kicked off today with Sennheiser Electronic Asia and Panasonic Tough Book giving live demonstrations of their game-changing products that will serve as key enablers for businesses in an increasingly mobile world. Other launches to look forward to:

    ·BioSenze Life Science / Shopster: To be launched for the first time worldwide, BioSenze’s self-administered diagnostic kits provide accurate readings for common health tests utilising the patient’s blood, urine or saliva samples. These metered readings are transmitted to cloud servers via the patient’s smartphone and the patient’s health dashboard is reflected in the mobile application that is available on multiple platforms. This reduces the cost and time required for conducting these diagnostic tests and at the same time, improves the efficiency in doctor-patient consultation.

    ·Huawei: The Huawei Ascend P7 Android smartphone will be launched, for the first time in Asia, at CommunicAsia2014. The smartphone, a combination of technology, design and performance, features an 8 MP camera and is set to open doors to a more connected world

    ·NEC: NEC is proud to launch the SmartDECT handset G966 for the first time in Asia. The sophisticated handset provides enterprise-grade capabilities and proven DECT voice quality to contribute to the effectiveness of staff in various industries

    New Additions to CommunicAsia2014 and EnterpriseIT2014

    Some of the world’s leading companies in their respective areas of expertise have joined CommunicAsia2014 and Enterprise2014 for the first time,  such as Aglient Technologies, BIMAR, Ericsson, KTsat, NEC, Sennheiser, Siemens and Toshiba.

    Preferred Platform for Networking and Knowledge Sharing

    The refreshed CommunicAsia2014 Summit will unveil 14 keynotes as well as seven new tracks that highlight current trends and challenges related to BYOD/CYOD, Big Data and Internet of Things, Mobile Banking, Payments and wallets and more, featuring over 200 well-respected industry thought-leaders and C-level speakers from industry giants such as EMC Corporation, Google Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), KORE Wireless, Mastercard, MediaCorp, Robert Bosch, SES, SingTel, StarHub and Twitter.

  • Monetising OTT: Competing in a new game

    Monetising OTT: Competing in a new game

    SINGAPORE: In this session at BroadcastAsia 2013, Ericsson, sr. director, innovation and business development, content and enabler Jon M Sonsteby focused on how best to monetise from over the top services.

     

    He began his session with a very sleekly executed pre-roll advertisement and at the end he exclaimed, “Pre-roll is great, but let’s think outside the pre-roll ad. How can we best monetise from the OTT platform?”

     

    According to the Consumerlab Annual Research, which Sonsteby used during his presentation, Social TV is really exploding – as more than 60 per cent people use social forums while watching TV – these numbers reveal the results of 100,000 respondents, and reflects the views of nearly 1.1 billion consumers from more than 40 countries globally.

     

    Referring to the Ericsson ConsumerLab TV Video Consumer trends 2012, Sonsteby stressed on the fact that consumers are not canceling their traditional TV subscriptions on a larger scale, though the traction for OTT is growing.

     

    He further went on to explain the trend of scheduled broadcast TV falling from 92 per cent to 87 per cent between 2010 and 2012; the drastic fall in the trend of recorded broadcast TV from 61 per cent in 2010 to a mere 45 per cent in 2012. Whereas, DVD/Blue-ray witnessed a minor fall from 48 per cent to 45 per cent between 2010 and 2012 and PPV a rise by a per cent from 19 per cent to 20 per cent between 2010 and 2012.

     

    In terms of on-demand habits, the consumer’s TV/video consumption on a weekly basis or more has witnessed a rise in short video clips e.g. YouTube from 58 to 62 per cent between 2010 and 2012; even streamed or downloaded movies or TV shows witnessed a rise from 54 per cent to 59 per cent from 2010 to 2012.

     

    Sonsteby also mentioned how basic broadcast viewing has slowly migrated from internet based on-demand to multi-screen experience. He further dwelled into the change in social TV habits, where the maximum hike was witnessed during browsing the internet while watching television from 64 per cent in 2011 to 83 per cent in 2012 and the use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs) rising from 44 per cent in 2011 to 62 per cent in 2012.

     

    “The important features that consumers are on the lookout for include: excellent video quality, simple user interface, A la cart TV/video service, ad free telecasts, a diverse availability of content and theatrical releases that come on TV too,” Sonsteby explained.

     

     Finally, coming to monetising from OTT, he said, “There are two possibilities to monetise from OTT, one being use of portal ads that include banner, text or rich media and the second being non-portal ads, which include in-stream ads (pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll) and out-stream ads also called overlay ads.”

     

    Summing up his session, Sonsteby mentioned that consumers want content anytime, anywhere and access across any device or platform. He also mentioned that social media is the go to place in the future and broadcasters or content owners want to continue building brand loyalty and look at newer revenue streams to receive from consumers directly.

  • Ericsson to acquire Microsoft’s IPTV biz Mediaroom

    Ericsson to acquire Microsoft’s IPTV biz Mediaroom

    MUMBAI: Ericsson has reached an agreement with Microsoft to acquire its TV solution Mediaroom business. The acquisition, Ericsson believes, will make it one of the leading providers of IPTV and multi-screen solutions with a market share of over 25 per cent.

    Mediaroom is situated in Mountain View, California and employs more than 400 people worldwide. Ericsson expects to close the acquisition during the second half of 2013.

    Ericsson SVP and Head of Business Unit Support Solutions Per Borgklint said, “Ericsson‘s vision of the Networked Society foresees 50 billion devices to be connected via broadband, mobility and cloud. Future video distribution will have a similar impact on consumer behavior and consumption as mobile voice has had. This acquisition contributes to a leading position for Ericsson with more than 40 customers, serving over 11 million subscriber households. In addition, Ericsson will be powered with senior competence and some of the most talented people within the field of IPTV distribution.”

    The global IPTV market is estimated to reach 76 million subscribers in 2013 with revenues of $32 billion growing to 105 million subscribers and $45 billion in 2015.

    “Mediaroom is the leading platform for video distribution deployed with the world‘s largest IPTV operators. This strategic acquisition positions Ericsson as an industry leader thanks to the skills and experiences of the talented people of Mediaroom combined with Ericsson‘s end to end service capabilities,” Borgklint concluded.

    The total media solution portfolio of Ericsson in the TV and video space combined with a further increased focus on consumer needs will be the foundation for providing services to end users. The importance of video distribution capabilities for the customers and their consumers will be increasing as more and more LTE networks are deployed and filled with smartphone users.

    “We are proud of the number one IPTV market position that we have achieved with Mediaroom. Ericsson‘s complementary portfolio of TV and networking services will help drive the future growth and development of Mediaroom,” said Microsoft Corporation Corporate VP Tom Gibbons. “Ericsson is positioned to be a valuable strategic partner for operators and TV service providers around the world as the IPTV market evolves.”

    Microsoft Mediaroom is the TV technology behind many of the world‘s leading television service providers like AT&T U-verse, Entertain of Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, TELUS Optik TV(TM) and Swisscom. Mediaroom-powered TV services are offered on more than 22 million set top boxes deployed throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC.

    Ericsson already sees that the ever-changing behaviors of TV consumers are evolving faster than ever. Speed of innovation and intelligent solutions drive consumer propositions in TV anywhere. This development will continue to fuel the industry as convergence becomes reality. The development requires content owners, broadcasters, TV service providers and operators to re-think their propositions.

  • RComm signs $1 bn deal with Ericsson to manage network services

    RComm signs $1 bn deal with Ericsson to manage network services

    MUMBAI: Billionaire Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Communications today signed an eight-year full-scope managed services agreement with Ericsson for $1 billion to operate and manage the wireline and wireless networks in the Northern and Western states of India.

    As per the contract, Ericsson will manage the day to day operations across wireline and wireless networks and will take over responsibility for field maintenance, network operations and operational planning of Reliance Communications 2G, CDMA and 3G mobile networks.

    This agreement is aimed to meet the fast evolving customer demand for communications applications and services in one of the world‘s most dynamic telecom markets.

    Reliance Communications will benefit from Ericsson‘s world-class processes, methods and tools and the partnership will allow Reliance Communications to free up resources to focus on user experience, as well as improving innovation power, agility and speed across the specified geographies. Reliance Communications‘ infrastructure covers 24,000 towns and 600,000 villages in India to which it offers converged services including voice, data and video.

    Ericsson will streamline Reliance Communications‘ operations by bringing all aspects of fiber, tower operations, wireless networks and wireline access networks to Reliance Communications‘ wireless and global enterprise business, across differentiated product lines. Ericsson will also drive a modernisation of the tools, processes and best practices that are applied across the business resulting in operational efficiencies by managing cost through consolidation.

    Commenting on the agreement, Reliance Communications CEO – Wireless Business Gurdeep Singh said, “We are happy to announce our partnership with Ericsson to manage our wireline and wireless network enabling us to provide a higher level of customer experience in terms of network and services. Given the complexity of network increasing with platforms, technologies and application offerings, we are banking on the experience, innovation and technical expertise of Ericsson to improve the productivity of our network and ensure that it delivers to its full potential. We are confident that they will exceed the expectations of our customers through optimization of resources and provide us cost effective solutions.”

    Ericsson EVP and Head of Business Unit Global Services Magnus Mandersson said; “We are excited to partner with Reliance Communications for this strategic multi-technology managed services deal. The increasing uptake of new technologies requires an increased focus on customer experience management in the hyper competitive and highly dynamic Indian telecom market. With this partnership Reliance will increase focus on their core business and innovation. We are pleased to welcome more than 5,000 employees who will join us from Reliance Communications and support our long term commitment to India‘s ICT market.”

    This agreement will be driven by defined service level agreement governance. Ericsson will be responsible for improving network performance and ultimately service quality, with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction and retention. Ericsson will also work closely with Reliance Communications to identify opportunities to introduce new services and expand its existing businesses to help realise the full potential of its network.

    “This partnership will enable our enterprise customers to deploy state-of-the-art data services on our integrated network through the global expertise of Ericsson. This is one of the first times that wireless and wireline enterprise network is being outsourced to deliver world-class service and performance assurance,” added Reliance Communications CEO, Global and Enterprise Business Punit Garg.

  • CNN goes live for the first time with 3G

    CNN goes live for the first time with 3G

    MUMBAI: CNN International has made its first ever global television broadcast from a mobile phone, live from the 3GSM conference in Barcelona. As part of CNN’s coverage from the conference, CNN went live to millions worldwide via the 3G network shortly after 7pm Hong Kong time, Monday February 12.

    The ‘live via phone’ ninety second piece was broadcast by CNN International correspondent Jim Boulden for the daily news show, ‘Business International’ and opened CNN’s coverage from 3GSM trade show.

    Tony Maddox senior vice president of news operations for CNN International said: “This new development underlines CNN’s clear commitment to developing 3G technology in news gathering. By adopting emerging technologies, CNN continues to lead the way in reporting from the field. 3G technology is enabling our correspondents to deliver packages and live broadcasts both quickly and easily from wherever they are in the world. This is an important demonstration of how we are evolving our newsgathering abilities using the latest technologies.”

    Working with mobile technology partner Ericsson, CNN has invested in digital newsgathering which enables its global correspondents to add 3G phones to their reporting tools. The technology has already been tested through live reports on CNN’s broadband service, CNN Pipeline, but this is the first time the news network has used mobile devices for live television.

  • Ericsson, Turner to develop international mobile services

    Ericsson, Turner to develop international mobile services

    MUMBAI: Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting System International have formed a collaboration under which the users of mobile services and mobile operators will benefit from the companies’ leading positions in mobility and global multimedia content.

    The two parties are collaborating to develop Turner’s internet, broadcast news and entertainment content – including CNN International, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim material – for mobile multimedia environments. The offering combines the delivery of Turner news and entertainment content with hosting and content management technology, developed by Ericsson.

    The first of these jointly developed services will launch in Europe on 12 February 2007 at the 3GSM World Congress trade fair in Barcelona, bringing a new CNN Mobile service to the users initially in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

    The initial product launch – CNN Mobile – and subsequent launches in this collaboration will make technologically advanced multimedia content available to users in two ways. Firstly, mobile operators will be able to deliver simple access to Turner content through their own branded portals; additionally, end users will have access to content such as the CNN Mobile site directly on their mobile devices.

    Turner Broadcasting senior VP, digital media Casey Harwood says, “With this deal, we will have for the first time a full portfolio of solutions – from SMS through to mobile television – that will scale and easily move across the world. This partnership is a logical fit where the customer and mobile operators benefit through Turner focussing on providing innovative news and entertainment content to its global audience and Ericsson providing the technology behind it.”

    Ericsson senior VP, head of multimedia Jan Wäreby says, “Our service-provider customers throughout the world will greatly benefit from our partnership with Turner Broadcasting, as they will be able to provide popular mobile multimedia content from Turner’s vast catalogue and greatly enhance the multimedia experience for the consumer.

    The CNN Mobile product will be the first example of a true ’off-deck’ portal for mobile users, providing a state-of-the-art news service. A searchable archive of 14 days and over 2000 stories will sit with breaking news alerts and video news updates through the hourly updated ’World News Now’. Available to CNN users in EMEA and Latin America subscription free, the service will be accessible through CNNmobile.com in all mobile browsers or through operator portals where deals are in place.

    The mobile services being developed include intelligent software that enables devices to show only the actual content that is appropriate to the particular handset, resulting in a richer user experience. The services will be rolled out to further territories and both Turner and Ericsson have committed to further product launches throughout 2007.

    The partnership also extends beyond content development, and will have on screen elements on CNN International in a campaign that positions Ericsson as the global leading communications technology company.

  • GSM Association announces shortlist for first Asia Mobile Innovation Awards

    GSM Association announces shortlist for first Asia Mobile Innovation Awards

    MUMBAI: The GSM Association (GSMA) has announced the six finalists for the first Asia Mobile Innovation Awards, a competition for young, small and start up companies across Asia that are developing technologies, applications and compelling content for the fast moving mobile space.

    The six short-listed companies have been selected from more than 70 entries by a panel of judges comprising innovation leaders from mobile operators, vendors and venture capital firms.

    The competition will culminate at the 3GSM World Congress Asia in Singapore on 16 October 2006, when a representative from each of the companies nominated will present an ‘elevator pitch’ style presentation to the judging panel for final selection of the winners. There are two Awards categories – Most Innovative Mobile Application or Content; and Most Innovative Technology Development.

    The Innovation forum session will also include presentations and panel discussions on the mobile innovation theme by Smart Communications, Bharti, Ericsson and SpinVox – this year’s winner of the GSMA’s global innovation award.

    Each category has three nominations:

    Category 1 – Innovative Mobile Application or Content

    · GSTL (India) for Geneva NDIS

    Geneva NDIS is a disaster information dissemination system that rapidly processes data from emergency information sources and sends it to mobile users as a text message alert or a voice call.

    · N2N Consulting for M-Bit Network

    M-Bit Network services supports mobile media applications such as mobile music and video, and TV tie-in competitions, making billing easier for operators and enabling end-users to share files, uncover additional content, or create their own for sharing with others.

    · Microimage Ltd for localised messaging and content browsing

    Microimage claims to have developed the world’s first patented local language messaging and content application, to provide customised local language support for entry-level mobile devices in emerging markets.

    Category 2 – Innovative Technology Development

    · Open-Plug for ELIPS

    Open-Plug for ELIPS claims to be the first open software framework designed for mobile phones, which enables ELIPS-based handsets to be tailored and configured far more quickly according to the requirements of operators.

    · Radius ED for Global 1 Number

    The Global 1 Number (G1) solution is a simple universal short code that lets mobile users access information from anywhere in the world, via a single secure hub that also handles call-routing, billing and data rights management.

    · Dialog-UOM Lab & Microimage for Disaster Early Warning Network (DEWN)

    DEWN uses a centralised mobile messaging platform and also device-based technology to disseminate early-warning emergency messages, audio and visual alarms, to warn communities of impending disasters.

    The six finalists will also be exhibiting at the 3GSM World Congress Asia, as part of a special feature ‘Innovation Zone’. The two winners will receive an automatic place on the shortlist for the innovation category of the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona next February.

  • Bharti Airtel inks $ 1 billion network expansion contract with Ericsson

    Bharti Airtel inks $ 1 billion network expansion contract with Ericsson

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel today announced the signing of an estimated $ 1 billion network expansion contract with Swedish telecommunications equipment manufacturer Ericsson.

    The contract will enable Bharti Airtel to rapidly expand its mobile services footprint further and reach out to all towns and cities in 15 telecom circles in the country. The three-year service contract with Ericsson is towards the design, planning, supply and installation commissioning of Airtel networks in these circles.

    Ericsson will also upgrade the network with mobile softswitch (Media Gateway and MSC Servers), the solution that paves the way to an all-IP network. Bharti Airtel will be able to reduce the operational costs and introduce new services in a cost-efficient way.

    The scope of the agreement extends to 15 Airtel circles of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP (West), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, UP (East), Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and North East.

    Manoj Kohli, president, Bharti Airtel said, “At Bharti, it has been our endeavor to find innovative business models to deliver better customer experience. Our partnership with Ericsson is testament to this belief as it allows us to focus on delivering better customer experience even as we leverage the world class expertise of our partners to roll out our networks across all census towns by March 2007. In addition, we are also sourcing next generation products that will allow us to deliver innovative products & services to our customers.”

    This partnership will enable Airtel to channel its resources and expertise to its core areas of product innovation, value added services, marketing, branding & pricing, while simultaneously providing world class mobile services by leveraging Ericsson’s world class expertise in network management.

    “Our partnership with Bharti Airtel resulted in the first managed services contract in the industry. Speed of roll-outs plays an extremely important role in large expansions of this nature. Ericsson has demonstrated expertise in this area. We are honoured and pleased that Bharti Airtel has chosen to partner with us to expand their footprint across India” said Mats Granryd, managing director, Ericsson India.

  • Ericsson launches end-to-end IPTV solution

    Ericsson launches end-to-end IPTV solution

    MUMBAI: Ericsson has unveiled an end-to-end IPTV solution, which will make possible a complete range of IPTV services, such as broadcast TV, video on-demand, network personal video recording and electronic programming guides.

    According to an official release, Ericsson’s solution provides telecom-grade performance, meets scalability requirements and involves complete life-cycle management. It also includes guidelines for integration with IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) functions, such as charging and end-user authentication, which is unique on the market. It combines its portfolio with key products from world-leading partners.

    Ericsson Multimedia Solutions VP Claes Ödman says, “IPTV is much more than traditional TV broadcast over the IP network – it is about integrating media with communications services to deliver personalized, interactive television no matter where the viewer is.”

    The end-to-end solution is the first step in Ericsson’s long-term evolution of TV services.

    “Based on our broadband experience, our standardization efforts and our global IMS leadership, Ericsson has a long-term vision for TV and a migration path to help operators meet the challenge,” Ödman says.

    Ericsson’s vision of personalized IPTV services delivered over broadband is based on open standards, including the combination of Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) technologies, for digital entertainment, with the IMS standard for delivering enriched communications services. Ericsson is committed to working with appropriate standardization bodies to achieve economies of scale and inter¬operability in IPTV reference architecture and interfaces, the release adds.