NovemberFriday, November 07, 2008Nick Saalfeld caught up with Acision CTO Louis Corrigan, to find out what messaging tools are just around the corner - and how Acision is supporting their development. Read moreFriday, November 07, 2008As the battle in developed nations hots up to deliver web services and functionality on high-powered handsets, it's easy to forget that, elsewhere in the world, new subscriber bases are growing exponentially. With that growth comes demand for highly scalable, and lucrative, basic text services. Mike Grenville examines the market.
Read moreFriday, November 07, 2008Fun Text injects traditional MMS with creative imagery from big name studios – and provides an easy interface through which to send these messages on. Simon Rockman finds out more. Read moreSeptemberMonday, September 08, 2008As the mobile industry embraces online and IP services, it's easy to forget that the humble text message has been a consistent profit engine for mobile operators. Mike Grenville examines the state of SMS around the world today, and offers some pointers for operators looking for the next generation of text services. Read moreDecemberThursday, December 20, 2007What is available today and enhances the mobile internet experience whilst driving additional data revenues? The answer is staring operators in the face. Carriers looking to profit from the mobile internet need to focus on enhancing existing internet applications through integrated multimedia messaging capabilities. Read moreFriday, December 07, 2007Mobile advertising was one of the most consistently featured topics in the media this year and looks set to stay top of the agenda well into 2008. Mike Beech, VP Product Management for Intelligent Charging at Acision, looks at how its future success lies in the hands of the payments industry. Read moreOctoberThursday, October 04, 2007MMS is, and always has been, about more than just picture messaging. Narrow perceptions about the functionality and potential applications of MMS have doubtless contributed to its relatively slow rise to popularity. However the curtain has certainly not yet fallen on multimedia messaging – and with new applications presenting themselves regularly, it may soon be time for MMS to take centre stage. Read moreSeptemberThursday, September 06, 2007Keeping existing customers and attracting new ones is a constant battle in any industry, but it is a particular challenge for mobile operators. A history of uninspiring customer service, combined with the ease with which people can swap operators, has created a breed of promiscuous mobile user that flits from network to network, taking advantage of the latest deal, discount or handset.
Securing a larger slice of revenues is not as simple as lengthening contracts as mobile customers are as fickle as they come. Fewer upgrades means old technology and old technology can seriously hamper the uptake of services ... Read moreAugustFriday, August 17, 2007SMS celebrated its 15th birthday in July this year, demonstrating just how remarkable the service is – still at the top of its game long after many younger mobile applications have died a death. SMS is often called the “accidental hero” of the mobile industry, but just what is its history? Steven Van Zanen, VP marketing for Intuitive Messaging at Acision gives us the low-down. Read moreFriday, August 03, 2007It was only a matter of time before Apple entered the mobile industry, and with its usual flair, the company has moved the industry’s goal posts. The advent of the iPhone demonstrates beyond doubt that the handset has taken centre stage in the consumer telecoms market. Read moreJuneMonday, June 04, 2007The recent battle between BskyB and Virgin left no-one in any doubt of who is the most powerful. Sky now dominates the relationship between content owner and content distributor. But the broadcaster is also leading industry changes that mean it will become more difficult to distinguish between a broadcaster and a content owner, as they increasingly break out of their comfort zone, taking on each others’ roles in order to be independent of one another. In this converging landscape how can a content owner with its own distribution channels, and a finger in every pie - like Sky - prevent getting bogged down with the management of it all? Read moreMonday, June 04, 2007Mobile advertising presents an appealing and unique opportunity for brands to reach potential customers. The status that the mobile phone has achieved as the ever-present, trusted and most importantly most personal device means that you can’t get much closer to a consumer than appearing on the little screen of their phone. Read moreMayTuesday, May 08, 2007Who knows more about their customers, a mobile phone operator or Google? The answer, you would think, should be straightforward… but you may be surprised. Read moreDecemberFriday, December 22, 2006The uptake of converged communications has introduced a wealth of new opportunities for service providers. The boundaries of communications are blurring between fixed-line and mobile operator services and extending into triple and quadruple-play services with broadband, video streaming and TV on demand. As well as creating new avenues for generating revenues, this also brings opportunities to foster closer relationships with customers as they engage more with their provider’s brand. Read moreTuesday, December 12, 2006The unexpected and phenomenal success of SMS has been well documented and is now accepted as fact. Indeed, a significant chunk of the high revenues which mobile operators have enjoyed can be attributed to this accidental hero and its unassuming popularity with users. So where next for SMS - what challenges lie ahead and what role will it play in the next chapter of the digital communications saga?
To many observers the mobile industry now appears to be having a mid-life crisis, unsure of the best route to take to guarantee a successful and exciting future, yet painfully aware of being consigned to the shadow of 21st century media and internet companies. Newer services such as mobile TV and mobile instant messaging (IM) tempt and tease operators with a hazy vision for the future, but it is with SMS where the real and tangible hope immediately lies. Nevertheless, most observers agree that if the emphasis is switched to the customer experience, then success and longevity can be achieved. Read moreOctoberSunday, October 08, 2006The recent spat between the British music industry and leading ISPs has caused a stir in both the internet and mobile content industries. Rather than solving the perceived problem of digital rights management and illegal file sharing, what the British Phonographic Institute (BPI) has achieved is to demonstrate its old fashioned approach to retail, and its lack of understanding of the power of new mediums. Read moreAugustSaturday, August 05, 2006It is becoming increasingly fashionable for the mobile industry to model itself on the internet/PC world – through similar applications, services, commercial relationships and user experiences. Unfortunately, with successful mimicry come the same problems that have plagued PC users for many years – viruses and spam. Read moreJulyWednesday, July 19, 2006The dynamics of the telecoms industry are changing with operators facing increasingly serious competition, not only from other new entrants, but also from players in other domains. MVNOs, WLAN providers offering broadband access via hotspots, VoIP providers and VNOs that offer low price, or even free, voice and data services to their subscribers all pose threats. However, it is the internet giants, notably Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, who have been touted as the real threat to operators: all have recently indicated they intend to take a large slice of the mobile pie, particularly in data services. Read more |