m-Travel.com and Travel Distribution News

Archive Category: Telecom

Mobile wake-up call to the travel industry

By Mike Grenville | 160characters.org

"Don't wait for 3G," said Vodafone, calling on the travel industry to take advantage of the mobile technology that is already there and that consumers are using. "SMS is the prevailing communications method of this millenium so far and the travel industry can no longer afford to ignore it," was the view from Vodafone at EyeforTravel's European Travel Distribution Summit in London last week.

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DoCoMo smart card enables global GSM roaming

TOKYO -- Global roaming capabilities for mobile phone users may be taking a big step forward. But, the online application is in Japanese only. NTT DoCoMo is introducing its World Walker G-Card, a new smart card that will enable DoCoMo mova 2G subscribers to use both DoCoMo and non-DoCoMo GSM mobile phones for international roaming outside of Japan beginning next month.

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Vertical markets split on mobile operating system

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Vertical markets continue to deploy mobile solutions in order to increase worker productivity. Although mobility has been embraced in vertical markets, a standard operating system (OS) has not. According to a recent vertical market survey of nearly 1,000 members of IDC's Mobile Advisory Council, the Palm OS remains entrenched in healthcare, education, and government segments while Windows CE/Pocket PC is the preferred platform for mobility solutions within field sales/service and utilities segments.

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Former SAS executive Marie Ehrling joins Telia

STOCKHOLM -- Marie Ehrling, formerly Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Scandinavian Airlines, will begin a new position in January as head of Telia's Swedish operations. She will report directly to Telia's President and CEO Anders Igel. Ehrling, 47, holds a B.Sc in economics from the Stockholm School of Economics. Within SAS, she had the responsibility for the ground and station services divisions, international traffic routes and the establishment of Star Alliance.

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European mobile subscriber growth stagnates

CAMBRIDGE, UK — Subscriber numbers in Western Europe's mobile telephone market will stagnate at around the 300 million mark for the foreseeable future, according to a new report released this week by Analysys, a global advisory firm on telecoms and new media. However, there are some positive signs for mobile operators, with the long-term decline in average revenue per user (ARPU) starting to level out.

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Vicinity's location server added to AT&T's mMode

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- The Vicinity Location Server (VLS) has been added to the mMode service recently launched by AT&T Wireless. Customers in all AT&T Wireless GSM/GPRS markets can now use their wireless phone and VLS technology to find the nearest ATM, fast food establishment or other retailer. 

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NTT DoCoMo licenses i-mode in France

TOKYO -- NTT DoCoMo, the world's largest and fastest growing mobile communications company, will license and transfer its i-mode technology and trademark to French mobile communications operator Bouygues Telecom. Under the licensing pact, DoCoMo will provide Bouygues Telecom with the patents, know-how, and technologies needed to launch the service on the Global Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and UMTS networks if Bouygues Telecom is granted a 3G license in France.

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SITA and Comfone develop in-flight phones

CANNES -- SITA and Comfone, the Swiss based supplier of roaming services to mobile network operators, have taken a step forward in the development of in-flight communications with the signing of a contract that is designed to make paying for on-board phone calls easier for airline passengers. Both companies are exhibiting and participating in the 3GSM World Congress this week.

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Siemens presents wireless start-ups at 3GSM

CANNES -- Two systems of mobile travel reservations are among start-ups presented this week by Siemens Mobile Acceleration at the 3GSM World Congress. Eight months ago Siemens Mobile Acceleration started its operations with the announced goal of fostering start-up companies that focus on wireless technologies, platforms, and applications for GSM/GPRS, and UMTS mobile telephony.

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Mobile operators waiting for 'killer app'

By Bruce Jackson | Chief Technical Officer, Elata

As executives of mobile operators recover from the festive season, the talk will inevitably turn from indebtedness to the new "killer" applications which are planned to relieve the gloom in 2002. Historically, every time a mobile operator has needed to improve revenue from services, it simply launched a new one. And why not? After all, Short Messaging Services (SMS) have so far proven lucrative beyond expectation, and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) that use next generation networks to send pictures and video clips between subscribers may soon offer a good return. 

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3G needs new, more powerful user interfaces

CHESTERFIELD, Missouri -- New and more powerful user interfaces are just as crucial to the success of 3G wireless as applications and radio technology. That is one of the conclusions of the new 89-page report, The Evolving Mobile User Interface: Strategies for the Wireless Internet, released last week by Datacomm Research.

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CEO Esrey outlines Sprint's wireless future

LAS VEGAS -- In a keynote address at the at the 2002 International Consusmer Electronics Show, Sprint CEO William T. Esrey outlined his company's plans to be the first wireless carrier to deliver third generation (3G) wireless services nationwide in the United States.

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Shift seen in global wireless and broadband

WASHINGTON -- The Strategis Group has announced several studies that are planned for release early this year, building on recent findings from the firm that point to dramatic market shifts in global telecommunications markets in 2002 and beyond.

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Yankee Group's 2001 best and worst wireless

BOSTON -- The Yankee Group has reviewed the most significant wireless and mobile technology events of 2001, concluding that it has been a difficult year and 2002 isn't looking much better. It's not all bad news, however, with the Yankee Group predicting that things will start to improve for the wireless industry by the latter part of 2002.

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Satellite phone service starts in Central Asia

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Globalstar, a global mobile satellite service, has initiated service throughout Central Asia, including Afghanistan, through its Russian service provider, GlobalTel. The company said this adds to phones already in use by medical and other aid organizations, with clear, reliable service now available from Caspian Sea to Mongolia.

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KPN Mobile tests NTT DoCoMo's i-mode

THE HAGUE -- The KPN Mobile group tomorrow begins what it describes as "the first practical i-mode tests with a small group of users." This follows the technical co-ordination of the high-speed GPRS network and the new i-mode handsets. 

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Cingular picks Nokia and Siemens for GSM

HELSINKI -- In a deal estimated to be more than US$1 billion, has chosen Nokia as a main infrastructure supplier for its GSM/EDGE network in support of its deployment of new high-speed 3G data services in the United States. The value of the contract represents the largest single system level sale ever for Nokia. 

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Verizon Wireless picks ScreamingMedia content

NEW YORK -- ScreamingMedia will provide Verizon Wireless' digital Mobile Messenger customers with access to current information, the two companies announced this week. Through technology integration, ScreamingMedia is offering filtered third-party content and data to the Verizon Wireless' text messaging service Web site, which was launched last week.

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France Telecom and Aperto partner on wireless

PARIS -- France Telecom and Aperto Networks have announced a partnership in technical and market development initiatives. France Telecom is one of the world's largest telecom carriers, operating in more than 75 countries and also the second largest wireless operator in Europe, and Aperto Networks is a leading developer of second generation fixed broadband wireless access (F-BWA) systems. 

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Google provides searches for AT&T wireless

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- In what both companies described as an ongoing effort to broaden services for users of wireless devices, Google and AT&T Wireless have agreed to provide subscribers with Internet-ready mobile phones direct access to Google's popular search engine. Under the agreement, AT&T Wireless customers now can access more than 1.6 billion Web pages and five million WAP-ready pages on their mobile phones.

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Virgin and Sprint target young US mobile market

British entrepreneur Richard Branson sees an underdeveloped mobile phone market in America. About 40% of people in the United States have wireless telephones, compared with roughly 70% in Europe. The Virgin brand is already well established in with Virgin Atlantic Airways, retail music and a soft drink, and now Branson is moving into the American wireless market.

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CellPoint says E911 delay not needed for GSM

LONDON -- CellPoint, a global provider of mobile location technology and services, today told the U. S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) there is no practical reason for the delaying the E911 mandate in American GSM networks.

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Harri Koponen named CEO of Sonera

HELSINKI -- The board of directors of Sonera Corp. has named Harri Koponen as the new president and CEO, effective 1 October 2001. Koponen, 39, joins Sonera from Ericsson (US) where he is excecutive vice president and general manager.

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PCIA study finds high demand for mobile services

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A new global study released today by the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA) and Yankelovich indicates that there are high levels of demand for advanced mobile services in every country surveyed. The most appealing transaction services included making travel reservations, buying airline and train tickets, locating movie theaters and purchasing tickets, and paying bills. 

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Smaller wireless carriers engaging more customers

NEW YORK -- Jupiter Media Metrix reports that smaller U.S. wireless carriers are engaging customers on the Web more effectively than their larger competitors, and the smaller companies are more likely to reduce customer acquisition and service costs as a result.

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