TORONTO—Bell Canada introduced its VoiceNet voice recognition service allowing its customers to have their e-mail messages and other Sympatico-Lycos Web content read to them through the use of voice commands. The carrier said the service will be offered in English and French to digital...
BOSTON—Comverse announced it is integrating SpeechWorks International Inc.'s technology into its platform.The Comverse platform combines a voice user interface with messaging, content applications and user personalization. SpeechWorks will add large vocabulary recognition with its OpenSpeech Recognizer engine, the OpenSpeech Server software and Speechify and...
WOODBURY, N.Y.—Dutch wireless carrier Dutchtone, a subsidiary of Orange Group, continued to flesh out its wireless music service by purchasing Comverse's VoiCD music portal product.Comverse said its portal allows users to listen to music tracks, download ring tones and send music tracks to friends."Today's...
Handsets/wireless devicesSonySony Electronics unveiled its CLIE handhePEG-T415 ld with reduced profile, featuring a slim design with aluminum case and enhanced infrared port for controlling audio and video equipment. The company also...
TOKYO—Japanese mobile-phone shipments in November 2001 dropped by 24.2 percent to 3.22 million units, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) announced. It is the sixth consecutive decline for mobile-phone shipments in Japan, and the second-largest drop following last October's 28-percent drop.JEITA...
LONDON-In an effort to ensure the delivery of audio and visual content over its forthcoming third-generation network, Hutchison 3G UK Ltd. announced a deal with broadcast management company BBC Technology to process and edit news and entertainment content for its network."Hutchison 3G requires cutting...
LONDON—Hutchison 3G UK partnered with BBC Technology to manage the production of Hutchison's audio-visual content to be available in its third-generation (3G) service.BBC will process and edit content for Hutchison 3G through the five-year collaboration. Hutchison 3G, which plans to launch 3G services in...
LONDON—The owners of Vizzavi Europe, a mobile portal formed in May 2000, announced a revised revenue model, along with the departure of the company's chief executive officer (CEO) and a reduction in 100 jobs across Europe.Vodafone Group and Vivendi Universal said their joint venture...
MILAN, Italy—Dutchtone's 1.2 million customers will now be able to download a wide range of music tracks and personalized messages through a deal among the Dutch wireless carrier, electronic music distribution company Vitaminic SpA and messaging company Comverse.Dutchtone's Mobile Music Service offers music content...
NEW YORK—The U.S.-based Wireless Advertising Association announced it will merge with the United Kingdom-based Wireless Marketing Association in order to foster the mobile marketing industry and protect the interests of consumers, the new group said.The new group, which will run under the new Mobile...
TOKYO—Japanese mobile-phone shipments in November 2001 dropped by 24.2 percent to 3.22 million units, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) announced. It is the sixth consecutive decline for mobile-phone shipments in Japan, and the second-largest drop following last October's 28-percent drop.JEITA...
THE HAGUE, The Netherlands-KPN Mobile began tests of i-mode-like services with a small group of users on Dec. 20. The carrier said it will commercially launch the service in the second quarter of 2002. NEC will supply the first i-mode handsets to KPN users....
NEW YORK-Convergent communications are getting closer to reality with development of gateways to distribute content among various stationary and mobile devices and interoperability technology that permits seamless roaming between fixed and mobile networks, speakers at the December Internet World conference said."Centralized media servers tied...
HELSINKI, Finland—In a deal that marks Playboy's entry into the wireless market, the U.S.-based adult entertainment company, partnered with Finland's Wireless Entertainment Services Finland (WES). Under the agreement, WES will create Playboy-branded content for wireless devices.Scheduled for a first-quarter 2002 launch, the deal will...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—KPN Mobile, the financially troubled Dutch operator, will later this month start the first practical i-mode tests in Europe through its joint venture with Japan's NTT DoCoMo. The company said that some 60 national and international content sites would be made available...
HELSINKI, Finland—In a deal that marks Playboy's entry into the wireless market, the U.S.-based adult entertainment company, partnered with Finland's Wireless Entertainment Services Finland Ltd.. Under the agreement, WES will create Playboy-branded content for wireless devices.Scheduled for a first-quarter 2002 launch, the deal will...
SEATTLE and LOS ANGELES—The amount of wireless Internet content continues to move ahead at Warp speed, as two companies announced major new releases.First, Jamdat Mobile Inc. announced the release of Gladiator II: Quest for Freedom, the sequel to perhaps the industry's most popular wireless...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Swedish wireless carrier Telia Mobile announced it will offer a wireless Internet service much like NTT DoCoMo's wildly popular i-mode service.Telia's service, dubbed PocketMode, features an open interface for content providers, allowing them to offer their services directly to users instead of forming...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Lack of content will spell the demise of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) offerings across Europe, according to a new report from Strand Consult, an independent consultancy based in Denmark. The lack of content is due to a lack of revenue sharing models...
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina, United States—Mobile marketing platform provider Avesair is continuing its expansion into the European market with the latest announcement it has been chosen by Enpocket, a European provider of wireless media management services, as its preferred technology provider. Avesair's Messaging...
NEW YORK—Motorola said it has signed a cross-platform agreement to allow it to market popular AOL Time Warner content and services through mobile and instant messaging solutions.The U.S.-based company will license Warner Bros. content like Looney Tunes characters for ring tones, screen savers and...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Lack of content will spell the demise of GPRS offerings across Europe, according to a new report from Strand Consult, an independent consultancy based in Denmark. The lack of content is due to a lack of revenue sharing models and roaming agreements, which...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Swedish wireless carrier Telia Mobile announced it will offer a wireless Internet service much like NTT DoCoMo's wildly popular i-mode service.Telia's service, dubbed PocketMode, features an open interface for content providers, allowing them to offer their services directly to users instead of forming...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—Sweden's largest cell-phone operator Telia has decided to share a percentage of the revenues generated by content services with the developers. The new approach for the company is based on Telia offering the content developers a "direct channel" to its 3 million...
