Editor's Note: This is one of a series of stories examining the current economic downturn and how it affects the wireless industry. For more on this topic, visit RCRWireless.com/EconomicDownturn.As Washington, D.C., continues its efforts to bailout Wall Street and stabilize the economy, analysts expect...
In the wireless industry - where talk of hockey-stick projections and tipping points dominates conversation - device management has been a relatively tranquil space. But that may be about to change.For years, mobile security has been a "just-around-the-corner" thing in wireless, where a new...
As Motorola Inc.'s growth sharply contracted between 2006 and 2007, four Chinese handset vendors were among the fastest growing in the business, although at markedly lower volumes.The finding is one of many disparate conclusions drawn in a new study from Forward Concepts that examined...
A sequential dip in shipments by Motorola Inc. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications between the fourth quarter and the first quarter spelled t-r-a-c-t-i-o-n for numerous second-tier handset makers, particularly in emerging markets. The opportunity for greater volumes among those outside the elite top tier...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis' Peter Jarich, NPD Group's...
The once-monolithic handset market is becoming a lot more interesting.As growth slows in developed markets, players with strong presence in emerging markets may see more dependable gains. But macro-economic uncertainty has analysts and handset vendors forecasting anywhere from 4% to 10% overall growth for...
Hello! And welcome to our column, Worst of the Week. There's a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRWirelessNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis' Peter Jarich, NPD...
Mobile television and clip-based video content clearly represent an emerging opportunity for mobile network operators, traditional production houses, online portals and community sites like YouTube/Google, advertising firms, and other wireless supply chain companies. However, new IDC research suggests this market faces several hurdles that...
Like Britney Spears, mobile advertising is desperately in need of some monitoring.Market research firms seem to be tripping over themselves to offer the most optimistic projections for wireless ads. The Kelsey Group predicts the U.S. market will grow from $33.2 million last year to...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis' Peter Jarich, NPD Group's...
It would be perilous to deduce overly broad implications from the release of a single handset - even if it is an iDEN handset made by struggling Motorola Inc. on sale at ailing Sprint Nextel Corp. - but it would be foolish under the...
In roughly 25 years, the wireless and mobile industry has undergone three generations of technological change and stands on the threshold of a fourth. Its success has made it possible for policymakers to imagine a connected world with "communication for all." In short, the...
The momentum of 3G data access has picked up speed as customers - particularly business users - experience the value of access to mobile broadband connectivity on their laptops, regardless of location. With this growing market, does Wi-Fi still have a role with the...
Market research firms seem to be falling over themselves in an effort to cram the most zeroes into their projections for mobile advertising revenues. But for traditional advertisers - you know, the ones with really big budgets - 2008 will be much more about...
For spectators at the iPhone circus, two basic questions seem prevalent. Will Apple Inc. sustain the brisk sales of its signature handset at AT&T Mobility here in the United States?And, in the circus' high-wire act, how will the iPhone fare overseas, as it rolls...
As ringtone revenues descend and full-track mobile music services spin their tires, ringback tones are quietly gaining steam. But they may not be quiet much longer.Ringbacks-audio content that a caller hears instead of a traditional ring before the person being called answers the phone-first...
Comverse Inc. said it is teaming with Jamba to power an off-deck ringback tone service for T-Mobile Germany.The carrier will employ Comverse's Fun Broker, an off-deck service that allows content providers to sell ringback tones directly through their portals. The move allows T-Mobile to...
The worldwide mobile music market will ring up $11 billion in annual revenues by 2011, according to a study released last week by the U.K. firm Understanding & Solutions Ltd. Meanwhile, IDC predicts the global market for wireless devices will exceed $250 billion within...
It's no secret that advertising dollars are finally coming to mobile. But for now, at least, it's the high-profile publishers that are bringing in the cash.How big mobile advertising will be depends on whom you ask. The Kelsey Group predicts the U.S. market will...
The inexorable pressure to launch a handset-as scheduled-for maximum impact-has created a growing market for mobile device management (MDM) products, including firmware over the air, or FOTA.As network operators increasingly rush to introduce new revenue-generating services and applications, market growth from a modest field...
Apple Inc. provided information on how the iPhone's battery replacement will take place and how much it will cost. The iPhone vendor's choice of a sealed-in battery-the same approach used in the iPod-has generated some criticism. The battery is estimated by Apple to handle...
The second quarter is over in a week and will end with a bang or a whimper, depending on how "opening weekend" goes for Apple Inc.'s iPhone. Hard numbers from the vendors themselves are due in mid-July and the leading market analysis firms...
Whether it's through a transistor radio, a Walkman or an iPod, on-the-go music has an impressive track record as a business model. But when it comes to revenues from full-track downloads, their may be little room on the dance floor for carriers. Mobile music...
