T-Mobile USA, Inc. today introduced two suites of mobile broadband data plans to address the growing use of mobile broadband devices (tablets, laptop sticks and mobile hotspots) and the increasing demand for data among business customers. T-Mobile’s new 500MB, 2GB, 5GB and 10GB overage-free and 500MB, 2GB, 5GB and 10GB high-speed data plans address the desire of customers to select the plan that best serves their business priority – whether that is predictable monthly billing or access to high-speed data for a reasonable cost. Pricing begins as low as $19.99 per month for 500MB on the high-speed data plan. This is an attractive entry point for low-volume data users and in line with T-Mobile’s strategy to provide disruptive pricing for business customers.
For many businesses, predictable monthly costs are paramount. T-Mobile’s new overage-free data plans allow businesses to control the expense of monthly data usage with plans that slow data transmission speeds when users have used their data allotments instead of incurring overage charges. However, if maintaining the fastest possible data speeds available on T-Mobile’s network is the priority, the new high-speed data plans do not slow speeds as the allotment is reached, but instead apply overage charges ranging from $0.02 to $0.10 per MB depending on the data allotment selected.
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Boost Mobile, a leader in the no-contract wireless industry with award-winning service plans, will introduce another industry first, BBM Unlimited, which features worldwide unlimited access to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and talk and text with payments that shrink to as low as $30 a month. Continuing the Boost Mobile trend of offering more choice, flexibility and value, this offer is available beginning on July 10 exclusively with the BlackBerry Curve 9310 smartphone, which is launching the same day for $99.99 (excluding taxes).
BBM, available for all BlackBerry users worldwide, is one of the largest mobile social networks with more than 56 million active customers globally. Customers can experience real-time communications and easily chat with friends at the speed of now, with instant responses and “read” confirmations. Plus, BBM goes beyond chat with more than 1,000 BBM-connected apps available for download on BlackBerry App World. BBM-connected applications offer a social, interactive experience that’s not available on any other smartphone platform.
“We have partnered closely with RIM to enhance the Boost Mobile line-up and launch the first-ever no-contract BlackBerry smartphone priced under $100,” said Andre Smith, vice president-Boost Mobile. “This breakthrough device is matched with the most affordable BlackBerry service plan in the industry with shrinking payments and unlimited talk, text and worldwide BlackBerry Messenger.” |
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According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, Apple has generated US$150 billion of cumulative revenues for its iPhone family in the first five years since launch in June 2007. A quarter of a billion iPhones have been shipped cumulatively worldwide.
Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “Apple’s first iPhone was launched commercially in the United States on June 29, 2007. Between June 2007 and June 2012, we estimate the iPhone family of models has generated US$150 billion of cumulative revenues worldwide for Apple. This is an impressive achievement and it illustrates just how popular the iPhone has become during the past five years.”
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “The iPhone portfolio has become a huge generator of cash and profit for Apple. A quarter of a billion iPhones have been shipped cumulatively worldwide in the first five years since launch and Apple reaches its fifth birthday at the top of its game. However, there are emerging signs that the iPhone’s next five years could get tougher. Some mobile operators are becoming concerned about the high level of subsidies they spend on the iPhone, while Samsung is expanding its popular Galaxy portfolio and providing Apple with more credible competition.”
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Explosive wireless data growth is magnifying the need for additional spectrum before the impending crunch when demand exceeds capacity and quality of service is seriously impacted. Worldwide wireless traffic is expected to grow 25 times over the next five years (Source:Bell Labs modeling and forecasts), thus the industry is looking for new innovative techniques to get the most from limited spectrum resources.
Trade association 4G Americas today announced the publication of a white paper titled "HSPA+LTE Carrier Aggregation" to outline a potential new technique for further integrating HSPA and LTE with carrier aggregation. The new feature, called HSPA+LTE carrier aggregation, is being considered at 3GPP for standards development and will build upon existing standards to further integrate HSPA and LTE technologies to utilize limited spectrum to the fullest.
"HSPA is the foundation of mobile broadband today and LTE is the next-generation high speed wireless technology of choice, so the time is now for 3GPP to consider even closer radio integration of these two great mobile broadband technologies," stated Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. "Building on existing standards, the new carrier aggregation techniques could potentially be worthwhile for operators, vendors and their customers."
LTE networks are being rolled out across the globe at an accelerating rate -- 91 commercial to date -- while at the same time the nearly 500 commercial HSPA networks are expanded and upgraded with more advanced techniques. With the deployments of LTE coupled with the major investments in HSPA+ infrastructure -- there are 227 commercial HSPA+ networks in 109 countries worldwide -- HSPA and LTE networks can be foreseen to coexist in parallel for years to come. | |
Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced an agreement with Verizon Wireless for the purchase and exchange of certain Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum licenses in 218 markets across the U.S. The transaction will improve T-Mobile’s spectrum position in 15 of the top 25 markets in the U.S. by providing an opportunity for T-Mobile both to acquire additional AWS spectrum and to realign its existing spectrum holdings. Following regulatory approval, this spectrum can be promptly deployed to enhance the company’s 4G mobile broadband service, including the rollout of LTE service next year. Some of the spectrum T-Mobile is acquiring in this transaction include licenses that Verizon is purchasing from SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap, and the agreement is contingent on the closing of those transactions and is subject to regulatory approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice.
“This agreement will provide T-Mobile with critical AWS spectrum, enhancing both network capacity and performance and allowing us to meet the growing consumer demand for 4G mobile broadband,” T-Mobile CEO and President Philipp Humm said. “This is good for T-Mobile and good for consumers because it will enable T-Mobile to compete even more vigorously with other wireless carriers. We anticipate FCC approval later this summer, in time for us to incorporate this new spectrum into our network modernization and the rollout of LTE services next year.”
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Microsoft Corp. and Yammer Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Yammer, a leading provider of enterprise social networks, for $1.2 billion in cash. Yammer will join the Microsoft Office Division, led by division President Kurt DelBene, and the team will continue to report to current CEO David Sacks.
Launched in 2008, Yammer now has more than 5 million corporate users, including employees at 85 percent of the Fortune 500. The service allows employees to join a secure, private social network for free and then makes it easy for companies to convert a grassroots movement into companywide strategic initiative.
Yammer will continue to develop its standalone service and maintain its commitment to simplicity, innovation and cross-platform experiences. Moving forward, Microsoft plans to accelerate Yammer’s adoption alongside complementary offerings from Microsoft SharePoint, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype.
“When we started Yammer four years ago, we set out to do something big,” Sacks said. “We had a vision for how social networking could change the way we work. Joining Microsoft will accelerate that vision and give us access to the technologies, expertise and resources we’ll need to scale and innovate.” | |
Today, T‑Mobile USA, Inc. and Dollar General Corporation announced a new distribution arrangement, bringing an affordable phone and convenient access to T‑Mobile’s prepaid and Monthly4GTM No Annual Contract service to Dollar General customers. Beginning in July, more than 6,400 Dollar General stores will offer numerous T-Mobile prepaid plan options and the Samsung t139 phone, which features messaging, Web browsing, a camera and Bluetooth connectivity.
“Dollar General is dedicated to making shopping for everyday needs simple, hassle-free and convenient,” said Todd Vasos, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Dollar General. “Since 2004, our customers have had access to great T-Mobile plans, and we know that our customers will appreciate more communications options that are affordable and flexible.”
The T‑Mobile Monthly4G No Annual Contract $50 unlimited plan offers unlimited talk, text and Web with no overage charges, and the first 100 MB of data at up to 4G speeds all on America’s Largest 4G Network®. In addition, Dollar General offers T‑Mobile’s Pay As You Go plans, and other Monthly4G No Annual Contract plans, giving customers a flexible option at any price point.
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Boingo Wireless (WIFI), the Wi-Fi industry’s leading provider of software and services worldwide, announced today that Google Offers is sponsoring free Wi-Fi across New York City. Big Apple visitors and New York straphangers on the go can stay productive, update their status and surf online while avoiding data overage charges and network congestion via Boingo’s Wi-Fi networks from June 25 through September 7, 2012.
Starting today, people can access Wi-Fi hotspots for free in select New York City subway stations and at Boingo hotzones across Manhattan, courtesy of Google Offers—the Google service that delivers great deals at the best places to eat, shop and play in New York City and 39 other cities across the U.S.
“Since launching Google Offers in NYC a year ago, we’ve worked with hundreds of local businesses to bring great, personalized deals to New Yorkers who want to make the most of their city, ” said Cliff Hopkins, director of marketing, Google Offers. “We’re excited to bring free Wi-Fi to subway stations and Boingo hotzones in Manhattan. People can surf the Internet, or discover great local deals from Google Offers, while they’re waiting at the subway platform or enjoying summer in the Big Apple.”
“Google Offers and Boingo want to help New Yorkers get to the fun part faster, whether that is an amazing deal on dinner and a movie, or a quality Wi-Fi connection to their email or the latest viral video,” said Dawn Callahan, vice president of consumer marketing for Boingo Wireless. “Free Wi-Fi sponsored by Google Offers makes it easy for everyone to get their Internet on this summer via Boingo’s network across Manhattan.”
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4G wireless service is quickly becoming the new standard in the mobile marketplace, enabling faster consumption of content on the go. New research from Nielsen found that adoption of 4G mobile phones has nearly quadrupled since last year, going from 1.4 percent in Q1 2011 to 7.6 percent in Q1 2012. Consumers under 34 are most likely to have already adopted 4G and 63 percent of teens are likely to consider switching to 4G within the next year.
Other takeaways for carriers, device manufacturers, and content providers from our analysis of 4G device usage include:
While both awareness and adoption of 4G have increased, understanding of 4G remains low as 55 percent of respondents are unable to identify any forms of 4G technology.
Eighty-six percent of 4G smartphone owners are satisfied with their 4G devices, comparable to owners of 3G devices, although satisfaction is notably low for battery life among 4G owners (46%). A portion of 4G smartphone owners report manually toggling between 3G and 4G on their device in an effort to conserve battery life.
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The GSMA today announced Flowit as the winner of the "Smarter App Challenge" developer competition at the Mobile Asia Expo. This challenge called on all developers to submit their commercially available mobile apps, on any platform, that meet the growing market need for greater efficiency as defined in the GSMA Smarter Apps for Smarter Phones guidelines launched at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. As the grand prize winner, Flowit will receive $10,000, with each runner up receiving $2,000 and all three received a trip to this year's Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai for the final round of judging.
"There were some incredibly original and inspired apps submitted for the Smarter App Challenges and Flowit truly represents the most creative and innovative developer minds," said Michael O'Hara, chief marketing officer, GSMA. "The GSMA is working with developers to ensure that their applications are more user and network-friendly. This developers' competition will drive the development of efficient mobile applications that have improved connectivity, data and power consumption and security. In turn this leads to an improved user experience that helps to create and maintain app popularity."
The three finalists for the Challenge were
'Flowit' - a photo magazine application where members can post, share and view amazing pictures of their favourite local restaurants - Mr. Jun-Ho Choi, aFactory, South Korea.
'Metrowizard' - a Navigation App using Location-Based Services (LBS) for the Seoul subway system is the world's first - Mr. Kyung Hum Kang, Merlin, South Korea; 'New Dance Tracks' - a Music Aggregator that retrieves data remotely from APIs of three online music stores - Mr. Marco Valent, Dedicado, the Netherlands. | |
TruConnect Mobile LLC today announced it has partnered with Walmart Stores, Inc. WMT -0.46% to deliver Internet on the Go, a new prepaid mobile broadband service that offers a great value for casual users.
Internet on the Go, which is exclusively sold at Walmart, is powered by the award-winning MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot and a service plan from TruConnect with no monthly fee and where the data balance never expires (if used once a year). This is different from other low-cost prepaid monthly services where unused megabytes are wasted at the end of the month -- potentially driving up the cost.
"In today's world of high connectivity, we want to make connecting to the Internet more accessible and affordable for our customers," said Seong Ohm, senior vice president and general merchandise manager for entertainment, Walmart U.S. "By providing an assortment of mobile broadband products at a low price our customers can now choose to connect to the Internet when they want, where they want."
Mobile broadband data services to date have been primarily used by road warriors -- those who are willing to spend $30-$60 every month to be online while on the go. But in fact, industry analysts report that 90 percent of all tablets in the U.S. in 2011 used Wi-Fi, not cellular, for Internet connectivity. That's not because casual users don't want to be online while on the go, but because they don't want another expensive, contract-based monthly data plan.
"We think mobile users deserve fairness and honesty when it comes to the mobile Internet, and with Internet on the Go, users get exactly what they pay for and can use their purchased megabytes whenever they want to with no other hidden conditions or fees," said Kevin Hamilton, president and CEO of TruConnect. "We're proud to have the opportunity to partner with Walmart, a company that puts great value on its customers and we look forward to sharing this exciting new service with mobile customers across the U.S."
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Cricket Communications, a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless services, today announced a special promotion on its Muve Music service in celebration of its success as one of the fastest growing digital music subscription services in the U.S. During the month of June, Cricket is offering all new customers $10 off all of its Muve Music monthly rate plans. In addition to this special rate, customers who port-in their number can walk out the door with a free Muve Music enabled Android smartphone. This device offer only applies at Cricket company-owned stores and premier dealers.
Muve Music, the first digital music service designed specifically for the mobile phone with both consumers and artists' needs in mind, offers truly unlimited song downloads, ringtones and ringback tones with its $55 or $65 monthly rate plans. New Cricket customers during the month of June may take $10 off these Muve Music plans and enjoy all of the above plus unlimited nationwide talk, text and data for just $45 or $55 a month.
Customers can also find added value with Cricket's switcher incentive rebate of up to $90.00 and added instant rebates. Check with your local Cricket store to take advantage of these June offers nationwide.
ZTE Score (MSRP $149.99, FREE after added instant rebate and switcher incentive*) is a value priced, full featured Android smartphone that includes Wi-Fi capability, XT9 Trace for easy text entry, 3G Real Web Browsing and a 3.2MP camera/camcorder and has Muve Music pre-loaded.
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HTC, a global leader in mobile design and innovation, pledged its ongoing support of Microsoft by backing the new Windows Phone 8 platform. Building on the two companies' long mobile partnership dating back to 2000 and including more than 40 million phones sold, HTC will be bringing new Windows Phone 8 smartphones to market later this year.
"HTC is committed to Windows Phone more than ever and we are excited to be bringing new Windows Phone 8-enabled smartphones to customers later this year," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "With the introduction of Windows Phone in 2010, Microsoft initiated a new powerful mobile ecosystem with a consumer experience that was both unique and user friendly."
"We have seen great momentum for Windows Phone since its launch in 2010, with 100,000 apps now in the Marketplace," said Terry Myerson, Corporate Vice President of Windows Phone at Microsoft. "HTC is one of our closest partners and we share a common goal in driving people-centric innovation, which makes it easy to work together. We can't wait to see how HTC brings Windows Phone 8 to its product portfolio."
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Delivers major improvements in network capacity, battery life and data speeds
Nokia Siemens Networks has successfully demonstrated new features for HSPA+ networks* that improve smartphone performance. It is the first to implement a bundle of standards-based features that deliver Continuous Packet Connectivity (CPC)**. By reducing network interference, the feature set provides five times more uplink capacity and allows operators to support more smartphone users on HSPA+ networks. In addition, smart device batteries last 15% longer while people benefit from a 60% increase in data rates.
“High network interference levels pose a serious challenge to network capacity, considerably limiting the number of smartphone users that operators can add to their HSPA+ networks. These challenges are magnified with the ongoing rise in smartphone penetration,” said Keith Sutton, head of the WCDMA business line for Nokia Siemens Networks. “Via extensive testing, we’ve established that Continuous Packet Connectivity serves as a powerful tool by countering these challenges and optimizing HSPA+ performance.”
The tests*** included field testing using Nokia Siemens Networks’ Flexi Multiradio Base Station with commercial HSPA+ software and the company’s multicontroller as well as Nokia smartphones. These tests were conducted at a Nokia Siemens Networks Smart Lab in collaboration with experts from a tier-1 operator.
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SAFE-certified devices meet rigorous security criteria and are configured specifically with enterprise use in mind. The deployment of SAFE smartphones and Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets helps ensure that your organization’s mobile workforce is protected to the greatest possible degree through On-Device Encryption and Mobile Device Management (MDM). SAFE devices are also equipped with enhanced features that maximize efficiency and productivity through Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity and enhanced Corporate Email/Calendar/Contact features.
Mobile Device Management
Maximize Flexibility
Samsung offers comprehensive Mobile Device Management capabilities to enable efficient, scaled mobile deployments. Under the SAFE program, Samsung works with a number of leading third-party MDM providers to address even the most challenging management and security concerns:
- AirWatch
- Juniper Networks Junos Pulse
- MobileIron
- SOTI MobiControl
- Sybase Afaria
SAFE smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets provide ultimate flexibility for IT administrators by allowing them to remotely manage mobile applications and overall device functionality. | |
SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced the world's fastest mobile memory card. The SanDisk Extreme Pro® microSDHC UHS-I card is ideal for smartphone and tablet users who want to boost their device's storage capacity while enjoying the fastest mobile experience.
Maximum Performance for Next-Generation Mobile Devices
The SanDisk Extreme Pro microSDHC UHS-I card enables smartphone and tablet users to fully enjoy their mobile device's advanced applications.
- Full HD Video Capture: Mobile phones will capture approximately one third of all video footage by 2014, according to IDC3. With a UHS Speed Class 1 rating (Class 10 equivalent), the new card allows consumers to record superior Full HD videos, even in 3D
- High-Quality Photo Capture: Mobile phones will capture 525 billion photos in 2012, roughly half of all photos captured this year, according to IDC4. The card is ideal for mobile imaging applications, offering up to 90MB/sec write speed for capturing multiple photos using burst mode with a UHS-I enabled mobile device
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