CTIA

Welcome

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:54:09 -0400

This week FierceMobileContent is reporting live from CTIA IT in Los Angeles. Be sure to check back throughout the day for updates. CTIA IT live coverage sponsored by:

A wide-open race for OS dominance

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:08:43 -0400

What a difference a few months can make. Consider how much the mobile software landscape has transformed in the time since CTIA Wireless 2008 took place in early April: First and foremost, of course, Apple introduced its iPhone 3G as well as its App Store mobile application storefront--in the first month after the App Store launched, consumers downloaded more than 60 million iPhone applications, earning developers about $21 million in the process. But that's not all: The open source arena opened up wide when Nokia acquired the remaining shares of mobile software licensing company Symbian Limited, announcing it plans to team with Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DoCoMo to pool the Symbian OS, S60, UIQ and MOAP technologies to create a single open mobile software platform. At the same time, Google maintained the first devices powered by its Android mobile OS would hit retail by year's end, despite recurring rumors to the contrary, and Verizon Wireless formally committed to the LiMo Foundation's mobile Linux standard.

So while the mobile software community arrives at CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008 with more momentum and energy than ever before, applications developers also find themselves at the crossroads between opportunity and fragmentation, faced with the prospect of three major open-source operating systems (Symbian, Android and LiMo) as well as the iPhone and perennials BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. There's no clear favorite: Despite the breakout success of the App Store, which effectively revolutionized application sales and distribution in a matter of days, the iPhone still represents a relatively small segment of the overall device population--moreover, Apple's mysterious internal review process, erratic update protocol and my-way-or-the-highway approach to pricing have all rubbed some developers the wrong way. Google also alienated its fair share of developers by secretly making a new version of the Android OS SDK available only to finalists of its Android Developer Challenge contest. And let's not count out Microsoft, either--the software giant recently revealed the number of Windows Mobile licenses grew by 81 percent in the past year, and there are now some 18,000 WinMo apps in all. Pay close attention to which operating systems the breakout apps of CTIA Wireless I.T. target: The battle for OS supremacy is about to get very interesting.

More big changes for the smallest screen

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:28:14 -0400

Roughly a year ago, as the mobile industry prepared to descend on San Francisco for the annual CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment conference, Apple's iPhone was seemingly all anyone could talk about. As we now return to the Bay Area for CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008, the device's successor iPhone 3G is all the rage, but where the first iPhone innovated the mobile user experience, this latest incarnation is more notable for bringing with it Apple's App Store, a virtual retail storefront that in one broad stroke revolutionized the business of mobile application distribution and sales to the tune of 60 million downloads in the first month alone. By simplifying access to applications spanning from entertainment to productivity tools, the App Store crystallized for consumers the true scope and potential of the mobile experience, illustrating the possibilities inherent in carrying a pocket-sized computer everywhere you go.

The challenge now facing the mobile entertainment sector: Capitalizing on the App Store's momentum. T-Mobile USA is reportedly at work on its own unified software store, one that would work with every T-Mobile wireless device. But the iPhone isn't the sole catalyst behind mobile content's continued evolution. The recent Beijing Summer Olympics proved a huge boon for the platform as U.S. swimming phenom Michael Phelps' record-breaking eight gold medals captivated the nation--NBC's Olympics Mobile WAP site generated close to 30 million page views, with users spending close to 6 minutes per visit. And sports coverage on mobile should continue to attract attention throughout the remainder of the year, with the coming NFL season poised to launch a host of fantasy football applications as well as live game coverage via the NFL Network and exclusive operator partner Sprint.

So the future looks bright--unless mobile entertainment falls victim to the recession, of course. Expect the economy to emerge as a major point of discussion at CTIA Wireless I.T., along with the growing reach of mobile social networking, the revenue promise of mobile advertising and the continued stagnation of the mobile music and video markets. As always, mobile seems to live in a state of constant flux--like the subscribers it serves, the industry just doesn't know how to sit still. - Jason

P.S. Be sure to join me at the Fierce networking party Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Mezzanine in San Francisco. RSVP here.

Mobile entertainment at a crossroads, again

Jason Ankeny — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:26:47 -0400

Billboard's semi-annual Mobile Entertainment Live! conference, taking place September 9, introduces a new format this time around, promising an event shaped in large part by audience interaction. In addition to staples like keynote interviews and presentations as well as in-depth tracks emphasizing mobile content tentpoles like music, video and advertising, Mobile Entertainment Live! will spotlight product demonstrations, Q&A sessions and moderator-free open feedback forums. Another significant change: The conference is produced in association with handset giant Nokia, whose head of major label relations Paul Smith is among the keynote presenters. Other scheduled keynoters include Warner Music Group's executive vice president of digital strategy and business development Michael Nash, MySpace's senior director of mobile business development Brandon Lucas and MediaFLO's senior vice president of programming and advertising Jonathan Barzilay.

But conspicuously absent from the Mobile Entertainment Live! presenter roster are executives from any of the major wireless carriers, which underscores one of the major questions heading into CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008: What role do operators play in the fast-evolving mobile content marketplace, anyway? Given the expanding mobile web presence of major media brands and content providers, the continued emergence of off-deck mobile storefronts, and the growing profile of device maker retail platforms like Apple's iTunes and Nokia's Comes With Music, operators are in more danger than ever of finding themselves relegated to dumb pipe status. No less a surefire CTIA Wireless I.T. conversation starter: The economy, and the impact the recession will have on consumer spending on mobile data. According to a recent report issued by advisory firm Chetan Sharma Consulting, the U.S. wireless data market grew 40 percent in Q2 2008 compared to year-ago totals, generating $8.2 billion in data revenues--average data ARPU also increased $0.50 during the most recent quarter. Will subscribers continue shelling out for mobile data in the face of economic hardship? And if not, what does that mean for a wireless industry increasingly dependent on data revenues? Those are the Q's--we'll see if anyone has the A's.

No mobile TV exclusive for AT&T and CNN?

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Cable news giant CNN is denying reports of an agreement with AT&T to launch an exclusive mobile TV channel via the operator's forthcoming MediaFLO USA-based service. Speaking last week at the CTIA Wireless 2008 event, AT&T Mobility president and CEO Ralph de la Vega said CNN will supply an exclusive AT&T channel scheduled to launch in May--however, in an interview with Multichannel News, CNN Worldwide director of public relations Jen Martin said "There is no deal in place do that with AT&T," adding that while the network provides some news content to the carrier, no exclusive agreement exists. An AT&T spokesperson confirmed de la Vega's CTIA remarks, but declined further comment.

For more on the AT&T/CNN confusion:
- read this Multichannel News article

Related articles:
Sony to launch feature films channel on AT&T
AT&T Mobile TV finally on tap for May

CTIA = Can't Tell If Accurate

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0400

Sure, you've been following all of the news coming out of CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas, but what about the news that's not fit to print--the rumors and insider dish circulating like wildfire across the convention center floor? Here's the juiciest gossip overheard this week, absolutely none of it sourced or fact-checked to guarantee its veracity. And if any or all it all sounds completely made up…well, you're probably correct.

Rumor: CTIA president Steve Largent's opening keynote was lifted verbatim from late comedian Redd Foxx's Vegas stand-up routine.
Rumor: The main entrées served at this year's CTIA Wireless Gala were all cooked from exotic animals left over from Siegfried and Roy's old show at The Mirage.
Rumor: Despite his unfathomable personal wealth, Apple CEO Steve Jobs owns only one black turtleneck, which he has worn to work every single day for more than a decade.
Rumor: One of the private meeting rooms in the CTIA media center was just a front for an illegal cockfighting pit.
Rumor: Due to an ill-considered bluff in after-hours Texas Hold 'Em action, a prominent mobile entertainment firm is now owned solely by poker legend Doyle Brunson.
Rumor: The CTIA is launching another of its AMBER Alert initiatives, this time to determine the whereabouts of the Verizon Wireless/RealNetworks/MTV Rhapsody America service.
Rumor: After Yahoo rejected its acquisition advances, Microsoft is now targeting beverage maker Yoo-hoo.
Rumor: A beloved mobile content newsletter editor woke up Friday morning in a bathtub filled with ice to find one of his kidneys harvested. - Jason

Politicos tout mobile campaigning at CTIA Wireless

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:59:57 -0400

Former presidential candidates John Edwards and Fred Thompson headlined Thursday's keynote presentation at CTIA Wireless 2008, largely sidestepping pressing issues directly impacting the mobile industry audience members in attendance. Opening remarks from CTIA president and CEO Steve Largent suggested the discussion would spotlight the regulatory issues looming over the wireless landscape: A short video segment assembled in conjunction with consumer advocacy group mywireless.org argued against government intervention via statistical snapshots indicating that 69 percent of U.S. wireless subscribers believe they are already paying too much for wireless taxes, 74 percent believe additional regulation would make their bills even higher, and 84 percent believe that a free market economy is sufficient to regulate pricing.

However, the event never again returned to lawmakers' impact on wireless, with both Edwards and Thompson instead outlining their respective views on the state of American politics, culture and society as the 2008 election draws closer. Decrying the media's "focus on the superficial," Edwards proclaimed that citizens deserve a daily dialogue that illuminates how each candidate would tackle hot-button issues like the economy, the environment and healthcare if he or she wins the presidential race. "Wireless is important to provide this information," Edwards said, citing the enormous impact of mobile and the web on how campaigns are operated and political messages disseminated.

"[Wireless] has changed the basic dynamic of how we fund campaigns," Edwards continued. "We invited voters to text the word 'Hope' to join our campaign, and had literally tens of thousands who signed up. What happens is [these technologies] democratize the process--instead of a few who control funding and access, it's now being dispersed...Wireless takes us to a new dimension."

By contrast, Thompson's keynote largely eschewed discussion of mobile: "John said what needed to be said--you can't get away with nothin' anymore," he cracked, agreeing the platform is a hugely positive element of the modern campaign process. Thompson instead split his podium time between a series of corny jokes satirizing his failed presidential bid and more serious subject matter like terrorism, the tax burdens facing an aging population, the cynicism of American people and what he called "the phenomenon of John McCain."

A question-and-answer session following the two candidates also squandered the opportunity to debate wireless regulation--while audience members were invited to submit questions via SMS, Largent chose to query the former senators on subjects including their personal heroes, the bipartisan schism in American politics and the impact of 24-hour news coverage.

Yahoo to launch voice-enabled oneSearch 2.0

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:59 -0400

Yahoo continued its aggressive mobile push as the web services giant announced the summer 2008 launch of oneSearch 2.0, an expansion of its mobile search service enabling users to initiate queries via text or voice. Marco Boerries, executive vice president of Yahoo's Connected Life division, announced the oneSearch upgrades during a keynote appearance Wednesday at CTIA Wireless 2008, and said the company will open the search platform to publishers to stimulate content integration, simplify search input and make search instantly accessible on device idle screens. "We want to create indispensable mobile services for everyday people--the kinds of services people use many times a day," Boerries said. "We believe the mobile opportunity is too big and too complex to do it alone."

According to Yahoo, improved content integration will yield oneSearch results based more on actual content, not just web links, and provide multi-dimension information--for example, a search for "Italian restaurants" would include traditional results like addresses and phone numbers as well as user recommendations and available reservations. While oneSearch 2.0's Search Assist feature promises faster and easier input, predictive text completion and contextual recommendations, Yahoo will also partner with speech-recognition developer Vlingo to enable voice search allowing for users to seek out any and all information without following prompts or adhering to specific search terms. While Yahoo will officially launch the oneSearch 2.0 service later this year, a technology preview is now available for download on BlackBerry devices.

In related news, Vlingo announced the completion of a $20 million Series B financing round led by Yahoo. According to Vlingo, proceeds from the funding round--which also included existing investors Charles River Ventures and Sigma Partners--will be earmarked to fuel international expansion and continue its R&D efforts.

Click here to see our keynote photos.

Related articles:
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T-Mobile UK signs advertising deal with Yahoo
Yahoo's Panama ad platform going mobile

ICO plans mobile video trial for mid-2008

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:56 -0400

Satellite company ICO Global Communications announced plans to deploy a GEO satellite on April 14 that will deliver a satellite-hybrid terrestrial network using mobile TV technology DVB-SH. After the satellite is launched, the company plans to begin market trials in Las Vegas and Raleigh-Durham in mid-2008 of what it calls ICO MIM, Mobile Interactive Media.

The trials will focus on three areas: entertainment using DVB-SH for mobile TV services, guidance services that will include real-time traffic data and social networking applications and assistance services, which will offer OnStar-like roadside services.

Initially, the service will consist of a "set-top box in the trunk" to deliver these services, said Tim Bryan, CEO of ICO during an Alcatel-Lucent press briefing here at CTIA. Later, the company plans to offer dockable portable mobile and OEM-installed devices. Direct delivery to handhelds is possible in the future.

Partners in the trial include Alcatel-Lucent, which is providing the DVB-SH technology, Hughes and WiMAX operator Clearwire, which is a wireless broadband offering to the mix. Last fall, Clearwire announced a joint agreement with ICO. Craig McCaw, who founded Clearwire, owns a 75 percent voting interest in ICO. -Lynnette

Related article:
Clearwire, ICO collaborate on mobile video

SPOTLIGHT: Déjà vu: Arun Sarin brings MWC speech to CTIA

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:54 -0400

How the Vodafone Group CEO kicked off the second day of CTIA Wireless 2008. FierceWireless CTIA Live