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Mobile News
New home power monitoring app for iPhone launches
Jun 15th
Have you ever stopped to wonder how much energy is being consumed in your home, even while you’re not there? Thanks to a new service from Intamac System Ltd., consumers are now able to monitor and control power consumed in their home from a handset such as the iPhone; and can view home energy usage information at any time. This revolutionary service even allows consumers to manage standby devices and detect appliances that are left switched on for extended periods of time.
Intamac Systems, a global market leader in connected home monitoring services, has partnered with Current Cost to develop this new capability. Current Cost is a leading UK based designer and manufacturer of energy monitors, and has recently launched its updated ENVI self-install home energy monitor device. With over half a million monitors sold, consumers in the UK are able to track the power consumption in their homes, and use this information to make savings and reduce their CO2 emissions. Intamac Systems has developed a way of linking the Current Cost ENVI display to the web without the need for a PC, so consumers can record trends and monitor energy usage from anywhere in the world. Information is presented to the consumer via their Intamac Home Manager account, accessible via website and mobile devices.
“Home energy monitors help consumers reduce their average energy consumption by as much as 15 per cent through cutting energy waste, making them a very cost effective tool with a fast pay-back period.” said Martin Dix, CEO of Current Cost. “The work Intamac has done to link our monitors to the web and provide remote mobile access and control, means we can offer customers even more capabilities. In addition to monitoring usage patterns, we can encourage savings by allowing consumers to compare their carbon footprint against their neighbours, receive tips and advice on how to make further savings, and choose to receive alerts based on consumption data.”
The new mobile management includes an iPhone application that offers new levels of control for Intamac’s Home Manager web enabled home monitoring service. Extending this application to include the Current Cost device means customers are now able to much more; “We want to give homeowners the ability to remotely monitor and control their homes, with simple interfaces and mobile applications which adapt to peoples’ changing lifestyles and demands” explains Kevin Meagher, CEO and Founder of Intamac Systems. “The rapid adoption of broadband as a utility is allowing us to develop new and exciting service for homeowners and small businesses. The new services we are providing with the Current Cost monitors are a great example of the benefits to consumers of networking devices using the web.”
Intamac and Current Cost are already extending its collaboration by introducing a range of new products and services which take remote control to the next level. This allows consumers to track the energy usage of individual appliances and allows them to turn on their central heating before leaving the office, or turn off any devices left on standby, with the touch of a button on a mobile phone. “Our belief is that this information will empower people to make simple changes to the way they manage their homes, and make a real difference in reducing overall energy consumption and costs.” adds Kevin Meagher.
Intamac’s award winning web-based services are currently available through various global partner companies including British Telecom, DSC Tyco, LockOn, WoonVeilig, and Yale.
For further information on Intamac’s Energy Management services and applications or to simply find out more on what Intamac’s technology can do for you please visit: www.intamac.com.
Connect launches for Email Continuity for mobile phones and handheld devices
Jun 15th
Connect has today launched an upgraded version of their Email Continuity service that enables users to send and receive email through mobile phones and PDAs. Connect’s Email Continuity, launched last year, was developed to provide SMEs with 24/7 access to their email, if their Exchange server was out of action. However, at the time, the only way to access emails was via a web browser which made it too slow to run on most PDAs. Now the upgraded Email Continuity service allows the service to be used on mobile phones, including iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Google’s Android. Prices start from £43 a month for up to 10 users.
With the current economic climate, small businesses are reluctant to replace aging servers so making them vulnerable to server failure. Most of these enterprises are also hugely reliant on ensuring 24/7 access to email – according to recent research by Connect, 42% of IT directors at small to medium sized businesses, said that they would face redundancy if their company had no access to email for more than 24 hours.
Mark O’Dell, Director of New Technology at Connect, states:
“As the use of mobile devices in the commercial world gathers pace, it is important that SMEs ensure that their staff can have 24/7 access to email and other key applications. This is likely to be even more critical for employees who are based outside their offices. That is why this new, upgraded version of our Email Continuity enables employees to carry on working if the unforeseen happens – from a short term email server failure to a major disaster.”
O’Dell continued:
“In the past, this kind of technology was only available to very large organisations that had the resources to have a comprehensive business continuity solution in place. However, it is now possible for the smallest of enterprises at a fraction of the cost.”
The new service costs from £43 a month. For more information, visit Connect’s email continuity website.
Video: hands-on with the Nokia E72
Jun 15th
Our friends over at the Nokia Conversations blog have got their hands on the new E72 handset – and give it a spin on video for your viewing pleasure.
Research: 70% of small businesses use smart phones
Jun 15th
Seven out of ten UK small businesss are now using converged mobile devices, such as iPhones and BlackBerry smartphones, according to research conducted by O2.
The figures, based on recent sales figures from the carrier, represents an increase of nearly 100% over the last 12 months, with many small businesses now combining their personal and business handsets into one.
On Wednesday, the first day of the London tube strike, O2 reported a surge of 13% in data traffic in the Greater London area, as customers took advantage of remotely accessing data, even when they were not able to make it into the office.
Feedback from small business customers has revealed the ability to access social networking sites through applications such as TwitterBerry is a key factor behind the increasing popularity of converged devices. Nearly half (48 per cent) revealed they access sites up to four times a day, with promoting their business and recruiting new staff among the most popular reasons for use. Over a quarter (28 per cent) revealed that the ability to keep in touch with other small businesses in real time had boosted business confidence
Newly developed business specific applications on the iPhone were also cited as adding to the appeal of the device as a business as well as personal tool. New applications such as LogMeIn were identified as popular applications for increasing efficiencies, providing users with the ability to remotely view their computer desktop over the 3G network or Wi-Fi connection, meaning the user can access files even if out the office.
Despite small businesses cost-cutting across many areas of their business, nearly half (49 per cent) of small business are continuing their level of investment in technology, in an attempt to benefit in the long term. Converged devices were identified as the most popular technology products that businesses were investing in, largely driven by the increase in staff efficiency and the need to cut costs by reducing fixed office space.
One in ten customers revealed they had actually increased the amount they had spent on these devices since the onset of the recession.
Simon Devonshire, Head of Small Business Marketing, O2 commented: “We’ve seen a real shift in attitude amongst small businesses around the criteria they are looking for from their mobile devices, specifically in the blurring of lines between a handset for business and a separate one for personal use. More small businesses are opting for one combined converged device which offers them not only great functionality but also flexibility and access to both their business and personal lives. The use of social networking as a means of keeping and growing business is also a trend that we predict will continue to grow. By enabling their staff to be able to work even when they are out of the office, business owners are reaping the benefits of a more productive and in-touch workforce.’
Nokia unveil three new handsets
Jun 15th
Nokia have today unveiled three new handsets – the touch screen 5530 ‘XpressMusic’, the E72 QWERTY business handset, and the flip-style 3710 fold.
Nokia 5530 XpressMusic
Nokia 5530 XpressMusic
Following on from the 5800 XpressMusic device, the 5530 (right) is, like its predecessor, a music and media-orientated touch screen handset. Supporting GSM/EDGE networks, Wi-Fi – but not, disappointingly, 3G, you get up to 27 hours of music playback time, a 4 GB memnory card and a rather nifty 2.9 inch widescreen touch display.
Sporting direct access to popular social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the device also has a ‘people carousel’ feature, which gives you easy access to the latest updates (phone calls, emails, photos, social media statuses) of up to 20 people. There’s also integrated media sharing on the device, with services such as Ovi Share, Flickr and VOX just a few clicks away.
Shipping in Q3 2009, the 5530 is expected to sell at EUR 199 before taxes and operator subsidies.
Nokia E72
Nokia E72
From music to email, and pleasure to business, next we turn our attention to the E72 (pictured left). Building on the success of the E71 – Nokia’s best selling QWERTY device to date, Nokia have taken the best bits from the E71, some other features from the E75, and thrown in a few upgrades like a 5-megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack and a new optical navigation key.
In addition to these developments Nokia have also integrated instant messaging direct into the home screen. The E72 supports Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and Ovi (amongst others) straight out the box, using Nokia’s Messaging service. There’s also onboard clients for Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes, plus improved on-device email setup for popular personal mail services like Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail and others.
The Nokia E72 is expected to begin shipping late in the third quarter of 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR 350 before taxes and subsidies.
Nokia 3710
Nokia 3710 fold
Last – but by no means least – there’s the Nokia 3710 fold (right). A flip-phone device, the 3710 has all the basic features you’d expect from a mobile. Sporting a 3.2 megapixel camera, Ovi photo sharing, and an on-board GPS, Nokia claim the handset “boasts extreme simplicity without compromising functionality”.
And that’s about it really – a basic handset with an average camera – with satnav thrown in for good measure. Designed more for looks than features, the fold is firmly aimed at the younger ‘style-conscious’ audience, and comes in a fetching pink finish. Expected retail price is EUR 140 before taxes and subsidies when it ships in Q4 2009.
3 to launch ‘£0 per month’ SIM-only contract
Jun 14th
Mobile operator 3 are to launch a ‘£0 per month’ SIM-only contract on June 17, with free Skype-to-Skype calls and instant messaging for no monthly outlay.
As well as free Skype and IM, the SIM ZERO package will give consumers UK calls at 20p per minute, texts at 10p each, data at 30p per MB and a one month minimum commitment (with 30 day cancellation notice period).
Andy Nuttall, Head of Pay Monthly at 3, says: “Where once the £35 a month contract was common place, prices are now falling. 3 launched the first £9 contract and other networks have followed suit. Some networks have gone as low as £5, but are handcuffing customers to a 3 year commitment. We want to challenge the market and change mobile forever, that’s why we are offering a UK first – a contract that costs nothing but gives you free calls forever with Skype. Customers can come to us, and when they’re at home in the UK they’ll never have to pay for a call or instant message to anyone else on Skype anywhere in the world.
“For customers who are fearful of commitment, SIM ZERO has minimal ties. Customers can try us out and if they don’t love being with us, they can leave with just one month’s notice.”
T-Mobile Scottish call centre workers told ‘move to Phillipines or lose job’
Jun 13th
T
elecom Service Centre (TSC), who provide call centre staff for T-Mobile at their Larbert and Greenock sites, have been told their jobs are at risk as part of a T-Mobile plan to shift their call centre to the Phillipines.
According to the BBC, TSC announced in April that T-Mobile wanted to move 400 jobs to Manilla. It was suggested to worksers if they wanted to keep their jobs they’d have to emigrate over there.
The offshoring deal, which T-Mobile recently inked with outsourcing company 24/7 Inc, means that at least 418 jobs at the two Scottish sites are at risk.
Local SNP MSP Michael Matheson told the BBC: “TSC has stressed to me that they will treat their staff financially in the normal way that they would if they were being made redundant.
“But they have also got some difficulties in trying to deal with the legal complications which have now arisen as a result of T-Mobile offshoring this contract to the Philippines.”
via BBC NEWS | Scotland | Tayside and Central | TSC deny redundancy payment risk.
ShoZu Names Chris Wade CEO
Jun 12th
Veteran technology executive and entrepreneur Chris Wade, who has served as Chairman of the leading social media hub ShoZu Inc. since 2008, is assuming the additional role of ShoZu’s CEO, succeeding Mark Bole.
“Mark has done a great job of leading ShoZu for almost 5 years and was instrumental in guiding the company to our new app store centric model, realizing early on that the Smartphone market was going to become a driver for consumer adoption of our service,” said Chris Wade.
Wade, who has served on the Shozu board since 2002, is also a private investor in the London-based company. He also serves as Chairman of another startup in the mobility applications space – Mobile Acuity.
Wade formerly served as CEO of Cambridge Positioning Systems Limited for nine years and before that held senior leadership positions for 15 years at Canada’s Nortel Networks. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and chemistry from Leeds University.
Bole, who served as ShoZu CEO since October 2004, led the company from its earliest beginnings. His accomplishments at ShoZu include:
1. Creating and launching the multiple award-winning ShoZu service, which is now used by consumers in more than 130 countries across the world
2. Successfully negotiating deals with several global mobile device manufacturers to have ShoZu pre-installed on millions of handsets shipped each month.
3. Forging the commercial strategy and key relationships within the mobile, music and web 2.0 industries that grew the company from zero revenue to multi-million-dollar revenues annually.
4. Building the ShoZu brand, which is now widely recognized within the mobile industry and beyond.
5. Building and leading a strong, innovative team to extend ShoZu’s intellectual property portfolio and to win multiple global industry awards, including those from the mobile industry, the advertising industry and the online media industry.
Wade, who resides in the UK, is based in ShoZu’s London office.
TVGuide.co.uk is UK’s most popular iPhone app
Jun 11th
Just two weeks after launch telly schedule application TVGuide.co.uk has hit the top spot as the UK’s most-downloaded iPhone application with over 60,000 downloads.
According to the company the application was averaging 1,000 downloads a day in the first week. Within nine days, it had reached 45,000 downloads and was ranked sixth for all free apps. Two weeks later it is now number one for all free apps and over 60,000 people have downloaded it.
Designed and built by Apple iPhone games and applications development company, AcrossAir, the TVGuide.co.uk app currently has a rating of four out of five stars. Most reviews on iTunes praise the user-friendly format and the fact that it is free, compared to rival apps which are more complicated and sometimes paid-for.
TVGuide.co.uk CEO, Ravi Damani: “We are delighted at the success of our application. We are confident consumers will continue to appreciate the simplicity of its design and ease of use.”
Derdack announces successful beta program for message master(R) nx
Jun 11th
• Leading telecommunications provider embraces the next-generation mobile messaging service delivery platform
Potsdam, Germany, 11 June, 2009: Derdack (www.derdack.com), provider of mobile messaging platforms and notification workflow software today announced that it had completed a successful beta program for its next generation SMS & MMS service delivery platform. The overwhelming feedback received confirmed message master® nx’s position as an exciting new product that will allow operators to create, manage and deploy mobile messaging services in a fraction of the time and cost previously required, whilst providing a platform for greater service innovation.
The beta program attracted interest from telcos across the world. The chosen operators each extensively tested the beta version of message master® nx to experience the functionality behind the service centric architecture that was created specifically to address the needs of the telco market. Vodafone Iceland, an existing customer of Derdack’s message master® xsp system was one of the many companies that was keen to see the new capabilities offered by message master® nx.
Jóhann Vilhjálmsson, Manager of Application Services at Vodafone Iceland commented, “message master® nx represents a hugely impressive innovation – a product that has been designed for the operators by people who really understand our needs. The most impressive features were that it could be deployed so quickly, the user provisioning is excellent and we liked the drag and drop service creation tools. It will undoubtly enable us to reduce the time required to build a new application or service by 80%. Additionally the reporting capabilities were extremely powerful, yet like the software itself, it was intuitive and easy to use. We look forward to the official release of message master® nx.”
Specific feedback from the beta program clearly demonstrated that message master® nx offers a genuinely new approach to the concept of a modern service delivery platform. Amongst the many benefits that users taking part in the program reported were:
• Ability to centralise multiple VAS services and SMSC/MMSC connectivity onto a single platform thus optimising usage, and minimising initial and total cost of ownership
• Reduced effort to create new mobile messaging products and services using the drag & drop service creation tool which eliminates the need for specialised programming skills
• More accurate real-time reporting to monitor and evaluate the commercial success of services
• Complete browser-based and intuitive management console with more effective division of roles and access rights
•
Matthes Derdack, Managing Director of Derdack said, “Our vision was to create a service delivery platform that would enable operators to break free of the limitations imposed by existing mobile messaging systems. We particularly wanted to enable VAS engineers to design services using simple but powerful drag & drop tools without needing external development capabilities thus speeding up innovation and customization of SMS & MMS value-added services. A substantial amount of R&D has gone into message master® nx and the beta program confirmed both the business model and concept are solving a real need for the operators.”
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About Derdack GmbH
Derdack is an independent software vendor offering mobile messaging platforms and notification workflow software. Derdack’s premium products provide clients with unsurpassed service innovation and business continuity. Derdack is headquartered in Potsdam, Germany and has several hundred installations. A thriving Partner channel extends the company’s reach globally.
Derdack is recognized for its intuitive yet inspiring software products and has customers in over 50 countries worldwide and in all verticals. Clients include BMW UK, Caterpillar Belgium, Daimler, Microsoft Ireland, Roche Switzerland, Siemens Germany, Steria UK, Symantec and Telstra Australia. For further information please visit www.derdack.com.
Press contact: Adam Osman, Rivercalm, email: adam.osman@rivercalm.com Tel: +44 (20) 7152 6118
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