BlackBerry Shows Off its First Flip-Phone

 

Research In Motion (RIM) has shown off its first ever flip phone – the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone. The quad-band EDGE and Wi-Fi based BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone features two color displays, and the external LCD makes it easy to preview incoming emails, text messages and phone calls without opening the handset, while the large, 240 x 320 internal LCD displays messages, videos and web pages.

“The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this exciting new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is a full-featured smartphone with a unique and friendly design and it is a natural choice for flip phone users who want to start doing more with their phone than just talk.

BlackBerry Shows Off its First Flip-Phone

Research In Motion (RIM) has shown off its first ever flip phone – the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone. The quad-band EDGE and Wi-Fi based BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone features two color displays, and the external LCD makes it easy to preview incoming emails, text messages and phone calls without opening the handset, while the large, 240 x 320 internal LCD displays messages, videos and web pages.

“The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this exciting new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is a full-featured smartphone with a unique and friendly design and it is a natural choice for flip phone users who want to start doing more with their phone than just talk.

Free SMS

Send Free SMS to any mobile in India. YouMint allows its members to send Free SMS and also they get paid for incoming SMS too. YouMint is a new service that could alter the way advertisers reach out to mobile consumers. YouMint has enabled advertisers to reach out to a large base of users who have opted in to receive advertising on their mobile. This is one service to look out for!

New system to deliver e-coupons over broadcast mobile TV

Today DoCoMo and Japanese broadcaster Nippon Television Network Corporation announced a system to deliver electronic coupons to mobile phones via digital terrestrial broadcast mobile TV.

The preferred mobile TV system in Japan is OneSeg – a form of digital terrestrial broadcast TV. Since it went live in April this year, operators have launched several mobile handsets which can receive the signal. As it’s digital, OneSeg offers the interesting possibility to combine data with the broadcast signal and there have been a few experimental services such as baseball programmes which offer viewers additional statistics on demand. This latest service is the first idea to really push the boundries of what broadcast mobile TV can do – offering coupons you can redeem at retailers direct from your mobile.

The coupons are delivered as Toruca e-coupons. The Toruca system uses the FeliCa contactless IC chip used by wallet phones so consumers can redeem them directly at retailers by holding their phone over an ic reader-writer touchpoint. The interesting point about this new system is that the coupons can be combined with video clips taken from the TV show to offer content-specific marketing. For example, the service provides the possibility of combining a coupon with a clip of a cooking recipe. The coupons can also be forwarded to friends through email or infrared, presenting some interesting viral marketing opportunities. The new system seems like a great opportunity for marketers to produce some integrated marketing campaigns using the mobile and a lucrative way for operators to monetize broadcast digital TV which lies outside of their billing control.

Source: http://wirelessfederation.com/news/new-system-to-deliver-e-coupons-over-broadcast-mobile-tv/

This blog is now moving to http://www.WirelessFederation.com

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Spanish regulator listens to operators on termination cuts

The Spanish telecoms regulator has softened its proposed cuts on termination rates after operators’ complaints. The CMT had wanted to halve the rates charged by operators when rival operators’ calls finish on their networks. Its proposals would have seen all operators charging EUR 0.06 by 2008 after a progressive series of reductions. At a meeting on 28 September, however, the CMT decided to cut rates between 41 and 47 percent over a period of two, rather than three, years. The new measures start from October and will oblige Telefonica Moviles (Movistar) to cut interconnection prices by 41.52 percent, Vodafone by 42.66 percent and Amena-Orange by 46.76 percent. By September 2009, all three operators will have to charge the same rate of EUR 0.07. The CMT is hoping the termination rate cuts will be passed on to final consumer prices. The Federation of Consumers in Action (FACUA) criticised the CMT’s compromise with operators, saying the final cuts were insufficient. The rates “will continue to exceed the limits set by Brussels to a disproportionate extent”, it said.

Source- http://www.telecompaper.com

Siemens: Examines Legal Options On BenQ Unit Insolvency

Siemens said it is examining its legal position against BenQ, following the Taiwanese company’s decision to stop offering financial support to its German mobile operations, which is likely to lead to bankruptcy of the unit.

The continuation of German business was an important consideration when the conglomerate reached a deal to have BenQ produce phones under the Siemens name, the company said.

The continuation of the business in Germany was an important factor in Siemens’ decision to sell the mobile operations to BenQ, the company said.

Thus Siemens agreed that BenQ could use the Siemens brand-name for up to five years.

In the past, Siemens only agreed to the use of its brand name in exceptional cases in long-term partnerships, such as in the joint venture Fujitsu-Siemens Computers.

In addition, Siemens said it gave considerable finance to BenQ for patent investment and transferring the IT-infrastructure.

Both parties’ intentions for the long-term operation of Siemens former mobile business, isn’t reflected in the current situation, Siemens said.

Source- http://www.cellular-news.com

SonaeCom Accepts AdC Terms But Says Bid Price In Question

LISBON -(Dow Jones)- SonaeCom is willing to accept the conditions imposed by Portugal’s antitrust regulator on its planned takeover of Portugal Telecom but says its initial EUR9.5-a-share offer is now in question, a company board member said.

SonaeCom board members were speaking at a lunch with journalists following news of the Autoridade da Concorrencia, or AdC’s conditional approval of its bid for Portugal Telecom late Wednesday.

The conditions include SonaeCom’s disposal of either its cable or fixed-line unit, as well as allowing a new operator and MVNOs in the mobile business, SonaeCom revealed in a statement late Wednesday.

The board members said three things have changed since the launch of its bid in February that compromise the offer, which valued Portugal Telecom at EUR11.1 billion.

Firstly, the dividend distributed by Portugal Telecom was EUR0.09 higher than the previous year; secondly, first-half earnings were lower than expected, and finally, the AdC conditions are stricter that the company had foreseen.

However, the board members present at the lunch were unwilling to address the price issue until the AdC’s final ruling is disclosed, which should take place in the next 10 days.

SonaeCom said the AdC’s conditions are no surprise but that the company didn’t expect them all at once.

“In a way, SonaeCom is paying for the opening of telecommunications market, which is understandable, but it will cost us,” a board member said, without giving further detail.

The main condition from the AdC is the disposal of either its cable or fixed-line unit but it has not yet made up it’s mind. “At this point, it is indifferent to us.”

SonaeCom plans to put both units up for sale and see which one fetches the higher price. The AdC will have the last word on the buyer.

Asked about whether the bid is likely to go ahead without resistance, one board member said he doesn’t believe in minority-block or counterbid scenarios since “SonaeCom’s offer is difficult to match.”

Banco Espirito Santo, the biggest domestic shareholder of Portugal Telecom, has been reported to be interested in siding with a rival bid but has denied being in the process of organizing a blocking minority in Portugal Telecom.

“We’re happy to be in the game and we don’t like to lose,” says the same source.

Source- http://www.cellular-news.com

RIM revenues rise 34% to USD 659 million

Research in Motion reported revenues for the fiscal second quarter to 2 September up 34.4 percent form a year ago to USD 658.5 million. There were around 705,000 BlackBerry users added in the quarter for a total 6.2 million. Net profit for the quarter totalled USD 140.8 million. RIM forecast revenues of USD 780-800 million for the fiscal third quarter, with around 800,000 BlackBerry subscribers added. The quarterly figures were deemed preliminary as RIM has opened an internal review of stock-options accounting. The company expects that resulting impact on results will be immaterial.

Source- http://www.telecompaper.com

Unefon CEO, chairman, board members resign

Mexican mobile operator Unefon has seen its CEO Shalom Manova and all of its board members resign, after Ricardo Salinas Pliego assumed control of over 90 percent of the company’s stock, reports El Universal. Salinas, who owned 44.4 percent of Unefon, acquired the 45.6 percent stake which Moises Saba, who was chairman, and his family owned for USD 300 million. Salinas aims to make a public offer for the rest of the shares of Unefon trading on the Bolsa. Moises Saba has resigned as chairman. The resignations are according to the new shareholder structure, according to a spokesman with Grupo Salinas, holding company controlled by Salinas Pliego. Diego Gerardo Foyo Mejia has been appointed as chairman and CEO of Unefon. Eight board members, including Foyo, have been appointed to replace the outgoing members.

Source- http://www.telecompaper.com