By launching a service-based business group, enhanced open standards portfolio and partnerships to enhance a variety of wireless applications, Motorola Inc. has spread its dragnet to collect carrier contracts.
As multimedia services continue to take center stage, the Schaumburg, Ill.-based company is attacking next-generation services from several angles.
The company formed the Motorola NETsolutions Group as part of its broadband sector to help operators design and implement advanced voice, video and data services. On the entertainment side, it announced a partnership with Handango, which offers an entertainment platform for Motorola’s Java-enabled phones, including the V60I, C330 and T720.
On the enterprise side, the company is partnering with HillCast Technologies, which announced a financial application known as MidCast for Motorola’s Java-enabled phones, including the V60I, V66I, T280I, T720, A388 and A008, as well as for future Java-enabled models.
The company also signed agreements with Micro Java Network for new innovative business and personal productivity applications, as well as with Metrowerks to train software developers on how to write software for mobile phones.
“Motorola is committed to investing in strategic relationships which let us provide powerful Java-based solutions to our operator customers as fast as possible,” said Mike Bordelon, corporate vice president and general manager, global product marketing and planning, in Motorola’s Personal Communications sector. “For that reason, Motorola has joined forces with several third-party application developers and content providers to develop and demonstrate useful and fun mobile solutions.”
The NETsolutions Group encompasses both wireless and wireline services. The wireless portion of the initiative entails what the company calls the first wireless cable modem gateway, the SBG1000, which combines a cable modem, wireless networking and gateway technology into one product.
“With the Motorola NETsolutions support, operators can build and/or expand their networks, and launch new services more quickly and cost efficiently than they could on their own,” said Jann Mellman, vice president of the NETsolutions Group.
He said the group enables the company to build, install, integrate, optimize, certify and support solutions that are interoperable and tailored to their specific regional needs.
The services include Internet Protocol network services, project management services, network engineering and design, video on demand and technical assistance.
Motorola aims to achieve end-to-end solutions with a Java portfolio that covers handsets, content, billing and provisioning servers in 4thpass’ application system, as well as software developer support.
In its alliance with Handango, it will provide more than 1,500 wireless games, ring tones, graphics and themes on its wireless phones. One-stop shopping will be provided at hellomoto.com.
“Our online presence demonstrates the depth and breadth of J2ME applications that Motorola can provide to mobile operators to help grow their average revenue per user and increase subscriber loyalty,” said Sue Fullman, corporate vice president of customer solutions and support for Motorola’s Personal Communications sector.
Trying to leverage it presence in the business space, Motorola hopes to use MidCast to stream financial data to devices in real time based on stock symbols users request.
“Users can select the format they want to receive information about the stocks they want, including Level 11 data and real-time plot charts, which adjust dynamically as the market fluctuates,” Motorola said.
Three applications comprise the offerings from Micro Java Networks. They include GlobalTime, which gives users the time in any city relative to the time of the user’s current locale; MobileSurvey, which allows users to collect survey information and results from the work force; and TimeSheet, which allows users to store projects, tasks and expenses on their mobile phones.
