RSSNews & Analysis
Vodafone posts stagnant profit for full-year
Vodafone has reported increased revenues and profits for the six months ending 30 Sep 2011

UK-based carrier Vodafone revealed stability in its operations over the full year to end March 31, but recorded negligible growth.

Microsoft launches social learning network
Microsoft launches So.cl, a social networking site for students

Microsoft has attempted to get into the social networking space by launching its own social network So.cl, which is specifically targeted at students.

Google’s acquisition of Motorola gets green light

Internet giant Google has cleared the final hurdle in the way of its acquisition of handset manufacturer Motorola Mobility. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce Anti Monopoly Bureau (MOFCOM) approved the deal over the weekend with several conditions.

Augere Wireless to quit India

Sanjiv Ahuja’s emerging markets project, Augere Wireless is set to exit the Indian market due to regulatory uncertainty. The WiMAX firm will sell the 4G spectrum licences it holds in the two states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, according to local reports.

Social TV can help Facebook avoid becoming the new Yahoo!

The stats on Facebook usage are jaw-dropping, with over 900m registered users, over 500m of whom visit daily. For many of those users, Facebook is the internet. It’s the place they go to connect, to communicate, to share and – increasingly – to spend time consuming content. Much of that content – photos and status updates – is user-generated, but in terms of time spent and revenue generated, the importance of professionally created content, notably social gaming, cannot be overlooked. And by virtue of its scale, Facebook is becoming an important global platform for more traditional media content such as music and video. Yet attempts to charge users for such content have so far failed to gain traction.

Upcoming events
Mobile Money Special
Opinion
Africa’s Cloudy Horizons
240px-Cable_map18.svg.png

Africa is my destination this week. I’m on a mission that’s both personal and professional.

Officially, I’m here to work with clients, catch up with our growing regional team and speak at Informa’s inaugural Cloud Africa Summit.

Unofficially, I hope to prove myself wrong about the déjà vu that I feel about aspects of Africa’s ICT market.

The IMF just said that sub-Saharan Africa is beginning to stand on its own feet, pointing to its sustained and major progress since the millennium.

Dutch operators clear first LTE hurdle, but impact on customers is limited
LTE

The month of May has brought a spate of LTE launches in the Netherlands, as telecoms operators scrambled to meet the coverage obligation deadline for the 2.6GHz spectrum they all bought two years ago. Cable operator Ziggo was the first, followed by the incumbent, KPN, and the rest have now followed suit, with T-Mobile the latest to announce its launch.

Interviews
Hutchison: “We don’t have a problem with innovation from OTTs”
John Blakemore is director of European regulatory affairs, Hutchinson

John Blakemore is director of European regulatory affairs, Hutchison and will be speak on the topic on, “Growing the data roaming market” on Day 2 of the LTE World Summit, taking place on the 23-24 May 2012 CCIB, Barcelona, Spain. We catch up with him to see what the spectrum challenges are for 3, his views on roaming charges, and on innovation in the industry.

CEO, Viber: “Network quality is extremely important to Viber”
Talmon Marco, founder & CEO, Viber Media

Talmon Marco, founder & CEO, Viber Media is speaking on Day One of the LTE World Summit, taking place on the 23-24 May 2012 CCIB, Barcelona, Spain. Just ahead of the conference we speak to him about why LTE is important to Viber and why roaming issues need to be resolved to ensure OTT services can prosper.

Reducing mobile operator costs with POS solutions
It costs an average of £50 to send a unit to a repair centre

In times of economic constraint, it is vital for businesses to find ways of reducing their costs and effectively managing their resources, whilst simultaneously ensuring that customers are satisfied with the service they are receiving. This can often be difficult, with many overlapping factors to be considered. For mobile operators, achieving such a fine balance can be crucial to their success in confronting increasingly aggressive competition.

Front Line
Feature
James MiddletonSocial spending

Over The Top providers have become the staple wildcard in almost any sector set on a collision path with mobile. By and large they are very good at what they do: connecting a user with their chosen content or service by whatever means available.

Pages-from-MCI175
Hot Topic – Mobile Financial Services

Mobile financial services are back in the news, making for a substantial share of the announcements made at February’s Mobile World Congress. The aim is as simple as the ecosystem is complex, and structuring a play in this space is no mean feat.

MCI Magazine
Regional Focus

Select a Region:

The world Europe and RussiaThe AmericasAsiaMiddle EastAfrica Europe and RussiaThe AmericasAsiaMiddle EastAfrica