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AMD Appoints Donald Newell as Server Chief Technology Officer
AMD announced the appointment of Donald Newell as vice president and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Server. A distinguished engineer with more than 20 patents filed, Newell previously served as a senior principal engineer leading the System-on-Chip (SoC) and datacenter networking architecture groups within Intel Labs before joining AMD to lead its server roadmap and platform design programs. As AMD Server CTO, Newell is responsible for the concept and definition of AMD’s long-term server roadmap based on current conditions, expected demand and long-term server trends. He is leading multiple worldwide teams and working alongside other AMD design and development teams to ensure successful transition of programs from design to market availability. Newell reports to Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Products Group.
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COSMOTE Romania launched a new communication platform for prepaid customers
COSMOTE Romania has positioned right from its entrance on the market as the brand that cares about real people needs, is close to them, facilitates communication and makes it accessible for everyone. "As innovation is key in our marketing strategy, we always refresh our communication campaigns and surprise our public not only with the most advantageous value for money propositions on the market, but also with new and exciting initiatives. This is why, for the new communication platform, we chose to create a totally new and unique location, specially designed to reflect the day to day lives of young people socializing with their friends. With the unique setting and recurring characters for all the commercials, we trust that the brand will achieve even more consistency and the public will respond well to our new propositions", stated Costas Kapetanopoulos (photo), Marketing and Communication Director, COSMOTE Romania.
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Internet-Enabled TV Trumps 3-D TV in 2010
While the consumer electronics headlines this year have been dominated by 3-D television news, the real story in 2010 is about Internet-Enabled TVs (IETVs), according to iSuppli Corp. Global shipments of IETVs—i.e., TV sets with built-in Internet capability—will amount to 27.7 million units in 2010. In contrast, 3-D set shipments will total only 4.2 million this year. While 3-D television shipments are set to soar in the coming years, iSuppli’s forecast shows the biggest near-term growth story is in IETV. "Despite aggressive promotions from the industry and intense consumer interest generated by the blockbuster Avatar and other titles, the 3-D TV market in 2010 will be limited to a small pool of enthusiastic early adopters," said Riddhi Patel, director and principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli. "In contrast, IETV is entering the mainstream in 2010. This is because 3-D is still dealing with a number of barriers, including cost, content availability and interoperability, while IETV provides immediate benefits by allowing TV viewers to access a range of content readily available on the Internet."
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Berg Insight says 111.4 million European households will have smart meters by 2015
According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the installed base of smart electricity meters in Europe will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17.9 percent between 2009 and 2015 to reach 111.4 million at the end of the period. Providing consumers with detailed information about their electricity consumption the new generation of meters give customers control over energy costs and create financial incentives for energy savings. Moreover smart meters constitute the core building blocks in future smart grids that will incorporate a wide range of technologies related to renewable generation, distribution network optimisation and energy conservation. The report identifies France, Spain and the UK as the next countries in Europe where smart metering will become introduced, following major rollouts in Italy and the Nordic region.
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TIWS announced that they have signed a sales agency agreement with DOCOMO Europe Limited
Telefónica International Wholesale Services S.L. (TIWS) announced that they have signed a sales agency agreement with DOCOMO Europe Limited that will help both companies to support the requirements of Japanese MNC customers in Europe, with focus on mobile services. DOCOMO Europe has close relations with a majority of the Japanese multinational corporations in Europe, many of which have requirements in the countries where Telefónica operates. Under the terms of the agreement Telefónica will support DOCOMO Europe’s customers in European countries where Telefónica has mobile operations, starting with the UK and expanding to other countries. Jose R. Vela, CEO of TIWS commented "The agreement with DOCOMO Europe adds value to the mobility offer we make to our multinational customers, and gives us the opportunity to expand our services. With this agreement TIWS consolidates its position as one of the largest companies in the wholesale telecommunications market".
El Araby Group entrusts their IT infrastructure to NEC
The IT Platform Division for EMEA of NEC Corporation has been selected to provide the entire expanded IT infrastructure of El Araby Group, which includes a call centre for 150 users, IT infrastructure for several new office buildings, and the El Araby Medical Centre Hospital in Egypt. El Araby Group is one of the largest corporate enterprises in the region, with over 16,000 employees, activating in 7 different industries and revenue of over $750,000,000 USD. Due to a very complex IT architecture, El Araby was looking for a reliable IT provider, capable of offering a robust and easy to manage solutions to insure data security and high availability, in the same time to be able to adapt to the company’s growth. Another mandatory aspect of their decision referred to TCO reduction.
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Mobile Video Services Revenue to Exceed $2 Billion in 2013
Revenue from mobile video services is expected to top $2 billion worldwide in 2013, according to the latest data from ABI Research. Video services included in this forecast are video telephony, video messaging, video sharing, video-on-demand, VoD downloads, and "other" video services. "Video services revenue will only amount to about $121 million this year," says senior analyst Mark Beccue. "But the growth curve is very steep indeed, and will only continue to accelerate through the end of our forecast period in 2015." Video sharing will be a small portion of this revenue while video telephony, video messaging and video-on-demand will account for the lion’s share. Consumers’ appetite for mobile infotainment, sparked by the availability of 3G networks, is one of the main drivers for this market. This will only increase as MNOs move to 4G. At the same time, the proliferation of connected mobile devices means more screens in the hands of subscribers. Web 2.0 services, with their emphasis on real-time collaboration, communication and networking add fuel to the fire.
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Smart Cards and Embedded Security Expert John Devlin Joins ABI Research
ABI Research has announced the appointment of John Devlin as Principal Analyst, Smart Cards and Embedded Security. As a principal analyst within ABI Research’s Smart Cards and Embedded Security Research Service, John Devlin focuses his research and management efforts on markets and technologies for smart cards and chip cards, authentication, identification, payments, and data protection. Vice President and CRO Stuart Carlaw says, "John is an extremely experienced analyst with good standing in the industry. His introduction to the team provides ABI Research with additional comprehensive research in an area that ties a number of our existing solutions together to form a truly 360-degree view."
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NEC presents in Cyprus the latest updates on business solutions
The IT Platform Solutions Division of NEC presented on the 24th of June in Nicosia, Cyprus, the latest updates with regards to NEC’s strategy, servers and solutions. The event organised in collaboration with InterFRONTIERS Ltd, the IT Platform Solutions’ business development unit for SEMEA region and with A. Th. Loizou & Son Ltd, the authorized reseller for the IT Platform Solutions Division in Cyprus. Structured in product presentations and hands on demonstrations in the afternoon, the event gathered decision makers and IT managers from well known Cypriot corporations and public sector, as well as Middle East customers coming from countries such as Egypt and Bahrain.
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DIRECTV, the world’s most popular video service and Panasonic, a world leader in 3D TV technology
DIRECTV, the world’s most popular video service and Panasonic, a world leader in 3D TV technology, ushered in a new age in the rapid growth of 3D entertainment for the home with the launch today of three 3D channels, including n3D™ powered by Panasonic – a linear channel dedicated exclusively to 3D programming and viewable on 3D television sets including Panasonic’s line of award-winning VIERA Full HD 3D TVs. n3D™ powered by Panasonic, is now available at no additional cost to millions of DIRECTV HD customers on channel 103. Throughout the month of July, n3D customers will have access to exclusive, original 3D programming such as Guitar Center Sessions with Peter Gabriel and Jane’s Addiction, as well as additional titles such as, Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia, Wild Safari: A South African Adventure and N Wave Picture’s S.O.S Planet, African Adventure: Safari in the Okavango and Encounter in the Third Dimension.
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First NEC Partner conference for SEMEA region on IT Platform Solutions
NEC Computers has completed the transfer of activities to the IT Platform Solutions Division (ITPS) of NEC, providing cutting edge IT business solutions based on Intel processors. With new products, new solutions, new partnerships, a sharply focused strategy, NEC is climbing new heights. Regarding the SEMEA market, ITPS is represented by interFRONTIERS interconNECt Ltd, the business development unit based in Cyprus, responsible for partner channel selection, training and support in terms of distribution, sales and technical assistance. On the 22nd and 23rd of June, NEC hosted the first regional conference for its SEMEA resellers, in Cyprus. The event provided partners with the latest updates with regards to the ITPS strategy and direction as well as a comprehensive roadmap on servers and solutions. The conference also welcomed aboard new resellers expanding the offerings and reach of NEC’s solutions in the region.
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Recharge Prepaid Mobile Phone Airtime for Anyone in Mexico from Anywhere in the World Using Prepaid.com
Prepaid.com, an online service for recharging the airtime of prepaid mobile phones, now allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to purchase minutes and other prepaid services for any of the more than 70 million Mexican prepaid mobile phone users. With the addition of Telcel, Mexico’s largest mobile service provider, Prepaid.com now supports every prepaid cellular phone in the nation. For people living outside of Mexico, the service, found at http://www.prepaid.com, gives them the peace of mind that they can stay in contact by gifting prepaid minutes to their family and friends in Mexico. Prepaid.com is extremely straightforward and fast. People go to www.prepaid.com and make a purchase with any major credit or debit card in a few simple and secure steps. Airtime is added to the mobile phone immediately and an SMS text message is sent alerting the recipient to the new minutes. No PINs or refill cards are required, there are no enrollment costs, surcharges or hidden fees, and Prepaid.com eliminates the hassle of having to visit stores during business hours.
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7.2 Million WiMAX Subscribers Reached in Q1 2010
2.3 million BWA/WiMAX subscribers were added in 2009 according to the 11th issue of the 4GCounts Quarterly Report from Maravedis. Yota's decision to migrate its network to LTE appears quite political, and is negatively impacting the WiMAX ecosystem and deployment plans of other WiMAX players. "Carriers are worried about the perceived lack of commitment towards 802.16m," said Maravedis Research Director Adlane Fellah. "However despite the hype surrounding TD-LTE, we do not see much of an ecosystem in the near term." "Spectrum winners, especially those in India, cannot afford to wait 2-3 years before deploying TD-LTE while WIMAX deployments move forward," said Cintia Garza, 4GCounts Team Leader. "If a carrier deploys WiMAX now with the intention of migrating to TD-LTE in the future, a significant challenge emerges regarding how to manage the millions of WiMAX device users."
Harris Corporation RF-7800W High-Capacity Line-of-Sight Radio Receives U.S. Government Certification
Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has received a significant certification from the U.S. government for its RF-7800W High-Capacity Line-of-Sight Radio" which transmits high-bandwidth data over long-range wireless battlefield communication networks. This certification validates that the RF-7800W meets design and implementation standards for information security as required by the U.S. government. "Harris is committed to providing solutions that provide best-in-class combination of performance and security," said Steve Marschilok, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. "The RF-7800W is critical to the rollout of next-generation information architectures for U.S. forces and other nations. This certification ensures the integrity and confidentiality of data sent using the RF-7800W." The Harris RF-7800W is a wireless IP networking radio used to establish high-speed wireless data connections for combat applications over long distances.
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Synchronica Signs Up 40th Mobile Operator and Extends Addressable Market to More than 660 Million End-Users
Synchronica plc, the international provider of next-generation mobile messaging services, has chalked up its 40th mobile operator customer and has currently deployed its solutions to more than 20 mobile operators. This marks an important milestone for Synchronica, which has been successful in growing its customer base by 300% since 2007 and increased its addressable market to 660 million end-users. Earlier this year, Synchronica unveiled its most ambitious upgrade to Mobile Gateway to date. In addition to providing mass-market push email and synchronization, Mobile Gateway 5 now provides a complete next-generation mobile messaging suite, enabling mobile instant messaging (MiM), and social networking services (SNS) regardless of the type of handset. Additionally, users can subscribe to thousands of online news and entertainment services with the new RSS Web-Feed reader.
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iSuppli Moves European Briefing to December
Because of the severe travel disruptions caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, iSuppli Corp. has rescheduled its 2010 European Briefing Series to December, 2010. The briefing now will take place on December 1-3 at the Hôtel Concorde in Berlin. The dates have changed and so has the electronics supply chain. To this end, iSuppli has expanded the event to three full days and increased is focus on procurement challenges in 2010 and 2011. That said, the, overall theme of the briefing will remain the same: how the technology industry can capitalize on the market recovery, with the event entitled: What's Next in the Renewed Economy—Impacts on the Electronics Value Chain. "The downturn of late 2008 and early 2009 had a very different dynamic than anything that the electronics industry has seen before," said Derek Lidow, chief executive officer of iSuppli. "Previous downturns were caused by excess capacity. This one was caused by a steep and sudden drop in demand. We’ve never had a demand-less downturn in electronics. Even as conditions improve, the market remains in uncharted territory."
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Mobile phones and pylons do not harm your health
There is no persuasive evidence that normal mobile phone usage or exposure to pylons and power lines causes harmful health effects, such as cancer, according to Europe’s largest body of engineering and technology professionals. The findings are published as part of a new Position Statement from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Its Biological Effects Policy Advisory Group (BEPAG) says that the overwhelming majority of the evidence does not indicate that normal exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields has harmful health effects. Professor Tony Barker, a Fellow of the IET and chairman of BEPAG, said: "There is still a huge amount of interest in whether exposure to mobile phones and electricity pylons has harmful health effects.
iPhone 4 Sounds Starting Gun for Mobile Handset Gyroscope Market
Monday’s introduction of the iPhone 4 is set to trigger explosive growth in the market for gyroscopes used in cell phones, as a flood of competitors vie to emulate the feature, according to iSuppli Corp. Global unit shipments of gyroscopes in mobile handsets are expected to rise to 285.9 million in 2014, up from 26 million in 2010 and from zero in 2009, as presented in the attached figure. Steve Jobs (photo) at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday gave a dramatic demonstration of the gyroscope by playing a virtual game on the iPhone 4. In the demonstration, Jobs spun around on the stage, causing the gyroscope in the iPhone 4 he was holding to detect a change in direction, thus moving a piece in the game.
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Enterprise Adoption of Ultra-Mobile Devices to Reach $12.5 Billion by 2015
While the iPad, a device belonging to the ultra-mobile device (UMD) category, is all the rage among consumers, enterprise suppliers are already preparing it for business use. Cisco, for example, is marketing its Cisco WebEx Meeting Center application for the iPad. ABI Research forecasts worldwide UMD adoption averaging 55% per year as businesses find many uses for ultra-mobile devices, a category which includes netbooks, smartbooks and mobile Internet devices (MIDs). Enterprise practice director Dan Shey comments: "Differing from smartphones and laptops, ultra-mobile devices offer a few highly desired feature and application capabilities in tablet and clamshell form factors. Businesses will be attracted to these devices for the same reasons as consumers – their larger screens, LAN and WWAN connectivity, and most importantly, low cost."
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CommunicAsia2010
Since 1979, CommunicAsia has established itself to be THE unparalleled one-stop ICT event platform in Asia. CommunicAsia2010 is an ideal marketplace bringing buyers and sellers together to seek the best returns on investments and to determine the best value and latest convergent technologies and applications. Into its 21st year, CommunicAsia2010 highlights the newest technology innovation in the ICT industry in the like of today’s digital convergence landscape. Products being showcased ranges from the latest technologies in applications, solutions to hardware. The show has proven to be the choice platform for product launches and announcements. Held in conjunction with EnterpriseIT and co-located with BroadcastAsia2010, this is the event that is set to address the complete convergence of technology, discuss on the development needs and opportunities in this dynamic industry. Experience the convergence of technology at work all under one-roof at Asia’s most established ICT platform. CommunicAsia caters to the full spread of convergent technologies and applications from industry leaders intended to enhance enterprises' mobility and users' lifestyle.
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Cisco Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire MOTO
Cisco today announced its intent to acquire privately held MOTO Development Group, a design consulting firm that develops products and product strategies for the consumer industry. Based in San Francisco, MOTO's talent base will complement Cisco's and enable Cisco to rapidly enhance its consumer product development road map. "Consumers have embraced our Flip VideoTM, ValetTM and Linksys product lines because they deliver on the promise of making video and home networking simple, affordable and fun," said Jonathan Kaplan (photo), senior vice president and general manager of Cisco Consumer Products. "MOTO's design and engineering teams have deep consumer expertise that will accelerate our ability to continue to deliver great products and expand Cisco's consumer business." MOTO brings to Cisco an accomplished team of more than 35 consultants with a proven track record in the consumer product industry. The MOTO team has been instrumental in the development of innovative products from startups to Fortune 500 companies, including Cisco's industry-leading Flip video product family. MOTO's multidisciplinary team drives innovation across the product life cycle to create engaging products and consumer experiences.
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Automotive Infotainment to Decline to $24.8 Billion by 2015
The market for automotive infotainment (which includes in-vehicle navigation, audio, video and Internet) will decline to $24.8 billion worldwide in 2015 from more than $29.5 billion in 2010, according to a new study by ABI Research which forecasts that price erosion on in-vehicle navigation systems will hurt the category just as other technologies are beginning to grow to support it. In a new study, "Automotive Infotainment: Navigation Systems, Satellite and Digital Radio, Video, In-Car Computing and Digital Content," ABI Research anticipates that automotive infotainment revenue as a whole will see a CAGR of –3.4% from 2010 to 2015, mainly due to revenue declines associated with built-in in-vehicle navigation systems. Says research director Larry Fisher, "Pressure from the aftermarket, and from free or low-cost applications available via smartphone handsets, will drive down ASPs for GPS/navigation systems so severely that, while the number of vehicles equipped with such systems will double worldwide over the forecast period, revenues for those systems will decline by two-thirds."
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Growth of Linux-based Smartphone Shipments Will Outstrip Growth of the Entire Smartphone Market in 2010
ABI Research anticipates that Linux-enabled smartphones, led by the success of Google’s Android, will comprise 33% of the worldwide smartphone market by 2015. With more than 60,000 smartphones shipping per day, Android has catapulted ahead of other Linux mobile platforms. "Due to its low cost and ability to be easily modified, Linux in the mobile market today is nearly as disruptive as Linux was in server markets a decade ago," says senior analyst Victoria Fodale. Much of the interest that handset OEMs and mobile operators have in Android can be traced to its flexibility. "The Android platform can be modified so that OEMs can differentiate their products," says Fodale, "and the licensing terms allow OEMs to innovate while still protecting proprietary work." But although Google has built early momentum, Android is not without competition. Industry heavyweights Intel, Nokia, and Samsung recently announced two other new Linux-based operating systems, bada and MeeGo. The bada platform is also kernel-configurable so that it can run either on the Linux kernel or a real-time operating system (RTOS) kernel — which makes bada applicable to a wider range of devices than just smartphones.
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never.no's James Neufeld to Speak on Mobile Interactive Media at BroadcastAsia2010
James Neufeld, never.no product specialist, will be among the industry experts speaking at the BroadcastAsia2010 International Conference in Singapore. Neufeld's presentation, "Enhanced Mobile and Interactive Media," will consider how the mobile platform can enhance enjoyment of content for the viewer while it increases both brand loyalty and revenue for the provider. Founded in 1999, never.no is the developer of Interactivity Suite, a sophisticated interactive video platform that enables modification of the video stream based on live, user-submitted content. Because it can dynamically modify playout, schedules, and graphics based on viewer-generated and other inputs, the Interactivity Suite works with traditional TV, Web TV, IPTV, digital signage, and mobile platforms, making it supremely useful in the converging digital media market. Neufeld was recruited by never.no two years ago after a successful stint as head of interactive broadcasting for a dynamic young multimedia organization in North America. His BroadcastAsia presentation is set for 16:00 on Tuesday June 15, the conference's first day, which is devoted to "Breaking New Barriers in Multi-Platform Content Delivery."
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Nokia Siemens Networks first to publish wireless access network energy efficiency using new industry standards
The energy efficiency of Nokia Siemens Networks’ award-winning* Flexi EDGE Base Station is the first to be provided in accordance with new technical specifications published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). ETSI published a standard method to analyze the energy efficiency of wireless access network equipment to make it easier to compare network performance from different vendors with the goal of reducing operator energy use. "Nokia Siemens Networks is the first company to report wireless access network energy efficiency according to the ETSI specification, setting a target for the whole industry," said Prashant Agnihotri, head of GSM/EDGE Product Management, Nokia Siemens Networks. "Without the standard it is impossible to compare product performance and energy efficiency improvements from different companies. This will help us take our discussions with customers to a more concrete level comparing how much power our products consume."
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