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Amdocs continues mobile content expansion with $60M ChangingWorlds purchase

Amdocs announced plans to expand its mobile business with a $60 million acquisition of Ireland's ChangingWorlds.ChangingWorlds targets network operators and off-deck vendors with portal-management technology that supports mobile advertising and includes a content-recommendation engine. The 8-year-old company boasts four dozen carrier customers including Sprint...

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN: VCs, mobile developers weathering financial storms . so far: First-round funding extremely tough to get

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/ Economic Downturn.The thought of pouring money into baby tech firms is likely to induce post-traumatic...

Amdocs strengthens off-portal offering: Move attempts to bolster struggling segment

Amdocs Ltd. last week expanded its offering for off-deck content providers as it launched a new business unit designed deliver advertising, commerce and entertainment products across platforms.The St. Louis-based firm released additional modules for its Qpass Off-Portal Suite, a carrier-targeted software offering designed to...

Alltel extends Amdocs deal

ST. LOUIS-Alltel Corp. announced extended its content-billing deal with Amdocs Inc.Terms of the multi-year contract were not disclosed. Amdocs' Qpass Digital Commerce platform allows Alltel subscribers to browse and purchase content such as ringtones, messaging and games. Amdocs purchased Qpass last year for $250...

Amp’d turns to Amdocs to control off-deck sales

Amp'd Mobile has tapped Amdocs' Qpass digital commerce platform to handle its off-deck content business.The mobile virtual network operator said it will use Amdocs' centralized digital commerce platform to support third-party offerings such as text messaging, chat, voting, personalization content and other applications. The...

MetroPCS to use Qpass for mobile content

ST. LOUIS-MetroPCS Communications Inc. has tapped Amdocs Ltd.'s Qpass digital commerce platform to deliver mobile content. The carrier said it will use the technology to offer chat and voting services as well as ringtones and graphics. Qpass' platform will also support MetroPCS' customer-care efforts...

Deficiencies of premium SMS targeted by various mobile payment players

Valista Ltd. is vying for more space on the mobile payments playground with a hosted, WAP-based offering for carriers in the United States and Europe. The Dublin, Ireland-based developer this week plans to unveil a new platform designed to serve as a bridge between...

Motricity snares TV relationships with GoldPocket acquisition

Consolidation in the mobile content space remains white-hot, with Motricity Inc. the most recent player to tap the booming off-deck market with the acquisition of GoldPocket Wireless Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Motricity has gained substantial traction with its Fuel software, which...

Amdocs’ buy of Cramer follows one-stop-shop tactic

Amdocs Ltd. continued its spending spree last week, agreeing to shell out $375 million to acquire operations support provider Cramer Systems Group Ltd. Cramer, a privately held, London-based outfit, produces network resource management software for mobile and fixed-line telecommunications companies. The firm boasts more...

Hands-On diving into mobile marketing arena

SAN FRANCISCO—Wireless game-maker Hands-On Mobile Inc. has created a new division in an effort to tap the booming mobile marketing space. The publisher, formerly known as Mforma, is joining a field that seems to get more crowded by the day. Wireless storefront operators and...

The direct approach: Content companies sidestep carriers to sell to consumers

You can call it off-deck, off-portal or off-network, but the stampede of companies looking to sell content directly to consumers is unquestionably on. Off-deck activity has long dominated the wireless market in Europe, where a lack of garden walls has encouraged subscribers to use...

MBlox to emerge from infrastructure shadows with $175M buy into content

MBlox is rumored to be looking to expand both its global footprint and its business plan with a $175 million acquisition of content provider LaNetro Zed. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based mobile data and billing services provider declined to discuss the buyout, but industry sources say...

Billions lost in soggy networks: More content means more chances for $$ leaks

Wireless carriers are spending big bucks in promoting the use of their flashy, fast new data services: full-length music downloads, three-dimensional mobile games, Web surfing and the like. But with carriers relying on revenue from those transactions to boost their average revenue per user,...

Qpass targets individuals with self-service storefront

SEATTLE—Qpass is hoping to tap the user-generated content market with the launch of a self-service mobile storefront. The offering, dubbed TheContentMarket.com, is designed to enable amateur content providers to build fully functioning storefronts on their own Web sites. Site owners can create free accounts,...

Industry consolidation challenges carrier billing methods

Within the past two years, the number of national carriers in the U.S. has gone from six to four. Between Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Sprint Corp.'s acquisition of Nextel Communications Inc., the companies that need to have their...

Mobile marketing space heats up

The flurry of activity in the content and messaging space continued last week as Wireless Services Corp. announced the acquisition of Mobile Media North America. Terms of the deal were not announced. WSC said it plans to merge the operations of the off-deck content...

Amdocs to acquire Qpass for $275M

Software developer and billing platform provider Amdocs Ltd. plans to enter the digital transaction space with a $275 million buyout of Seattle-based Qpass Inc. Qpass' technology facilitates content sourcing, merchandising, delivery and billing across mobile, Voice over Internet Protocol and Wi-Fi networks. Amdocs said...

Amdocs to acquire Qpass for $275M

ST. LOUIS—Software developer and billing platform provider Amdocs Ltd. plans to enter the digital transaction space with a $275 million buyout of Seattle-based Qpass Inc. Qpass’ technology facilitates content sourcing, merchandising, delivery and billing across mobile, VoIP and Wi-Fi networks. Amdocs said the all-cash...

Operators, content makers need new revenue shares

LAS VEGAS-Wireless operators will need to establish new business models to address the growing market of off-deck content. And they'll likely have to take a smaller piece of the pie.Poorly managed relationships with content providers, a lack of quality customer care and complicated refund...

Cingular launches video offerings with HBO, ESPN, others

ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. expanded its mobile TV offerings, launching a streaming video service featuring short clips from 18 channels. Cingular Video is available free to subscribers purchasing the carrier’s unlimited 3G data plan, which costs $20 a month. Content providers for the service include...

Cingular, Qpass extend m-commerce pact

ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Qpass extended an agreement for Qpass to provide its mobile-commerce platform to the carrier, according to the companies. Qpass is a mobile-commerce solutions company that sells technology that enables the downloading and billing of content. Essentially, Qpass’ offerings allow mobile...

SunCom expands dealings with Qpass

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. said it broadened a two-year licensing agreement with Seattle-based Qpass. The two companies agreed to add Qpass' Content Delivery Platform and Content Management Services to SunCom's Downloadables service, which allows users to download content to personalize their phones. Qpass...

SunCom expands dealings with Qpass

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. said it broadened a two-year licensing agreement with Seattle-based Qpass. The two companies agreed to add Qpass' Content Delivery Platform and Content Management Services to SunCom's Downloadables service, which allows users to download content to personalize their phones.Qpass is...

Qpass offers content stores for carriers

LONDON-M-commerce software developer Qpass Inc. introduced an offering designed to manage digital content stores for wireless operators and media companies.The Seattle-based company launched Qpass Content Services, which performs content sourcing and management, merchandising and storefront management, financial controls, supply-chain management and customer care. The...