As part of the broadband team at Informa’s drive to cover all growth markets I have taken a careful look at some countries in the Balkan region. For the cineastes amongst you, it has been a voyage of discovery redolent of Harvey Keitel in Angelopoulos’ masterful Ulysees’ Gaze. Kosovo is one such market I have looked into and the evidence shows there is much potential.
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Several developments in recent months reflect the changing shape of Europe’s mobile industry and show how operators are adapting to new market realities. They specifically concern the shifting relationship between mobile operators and partners in the MVNO and VoIP arenas. Read more »
I’ve just returned from Midem, the music industry’s annual knees up held in (usually sunny, but not really in January) Cannes. The general mood was the mixture of optimism (Spotify, new business models) and pessimism (piracy, stalling digital sales) that has long been par-for-the-course at music industry events. Read more »
The earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12 is a tragedy of devastating proportions. The official death toll stood at 111,500 as of Jan. 24, according to the Haitian government officials, with another 200,000 people reported injured. Just 132 people were pulled alive from collapsed buildings in the past two weeks. In addition to losing their loved ones and their homes, millions of Haitians also lack the basic necessities of life: food, water and clothing among them. It is a desperate situation.
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Mobile network operators have arrived at something of a crossroads in terms of formulating a strategy for managing the vast amounts of data about each of their subscribers that they are continuing to accumulate. Subscriber-data management (SDM) is an area that must be addressed, and the chosen approach will be critical to future competitiveness and profitability. Read more »
Early adopters put up with a lot. They risked crippling back injuries to tote the first portable laptop computers. They paid over the odds for broadband for the pleasure of being “always on,” albeit at 512Kbps. They overlooked the many failings of numerous generations of smartphones to access the Internet on the move. So it should come as no surprise that the latest trend to sweep the telecoms and media markets should prove to be a bit of a disappointment. Read more »
The prospects for WiMAX seemed to have dimmed somewhat in the past couple of years as a result of the strong growth of HSPA, which is often seen as a rival to WiMAX, and a recession that has reduced the appetite for the spending necessary to build networks. Read more »
You know that funny little picture of a sword in the hand of your avatar? Or the animated graphic of a glass of champagne which you received on New Year’s from a friend? What about the kitten which is purring and acting cute next to your girl friend’s name in the new mobile phone book? Have you considered sending out a big bouquet of virtual roses for Valentine’s Day? Read more »
US companies Apple and Google have edged closer toward a head-to-head clash in the mobile industry with their respective announcements of mobile-ad-network purchases and Google’s handset launch this week. Mobile advertising has been put firmly back on the agenda, and the stage has been set for a fierce battle between the two California-based giants for dominance in the smartphone and mobile Web markets. Read more »
The past year has been particularly challenging for Europe’s mobile operators, in light of the economic downturn and the growing impact of regulatory measures. These factors and heightened competition in the industry have caused operators to focus on costs and operational efficiency. Read more »