Industry news

Mobile security – Exactly who is responsible for the protection of users data?

There has been an intriguing media debate recently regarding whose responsibility it is to make sure the personal information of mobile users is fully protected. While some fingers point squarely towards app marketplace operators, app developers have also been called upon to take their share of responsibility.

Since the arrival of the smartphone, the amount of information mobile users share through their handsets has increased considerably. This has led experts within this industry to call for better privacy protection in general. However, it is still not clear who should be in charge of this process.

Todd Moore, founder of app vendor TMSoft, commented recently on mobile app privacy at the State of the Mobile Net conference in Washington. Moore admitted that companies such as Apple and Google have several good privacy protection policies in place, yet believes they could do more to improve things.

“The operators of the iPhone and Android app marketplaces are in the best position to enforce privacy controls and set rules limiting the amount of information apps can collect,” he stressed.

Independent security and privacy researcher, Ashkan Soltani, added fuel to the fire by arguing that app developers bear most of the responsibility for protecting privacy. He said that app developers “must embrace a set of standard privacy practices going forward” to improve the situation.

As an example case, he mentioned the iPhone app Girls Around Me, which was voluntarily withdrawn recently by app maker SMS Services due to its dubious privacy policy. Using location on Foursquare, Girls Around Me alerted its users to nearby women, or men.

Commenting on this specific app, Sarah Hudgins – public policy director at the Interactive Advertising Bureau – said it was “a 10 creepy” on a scale of one to ten.

Security first

Guaranteeing confidentiality and privacy protection is essential amongst the frequent exchange of data in business today.

Esendex understands that the provision of a secure, robust and high performance SMS service is crucial to the business operations of our customers and our continued success. For more information please visit our security and reliability and privacy policy webpages.

The Power of Mobile Marketing

The popularity of marketing methods based on mobile devices is clearly growing within the modern day. More innovative techniques are emerging every day, but reliable platforms such as SMS and MMS are still essential to building a good relationship with the customer.

Although other interesting platforms are gaining popularity all the time, SMS marketing is still a mainstay within the mobile marketing strategy.

“Both messaging formats, SMS and MMS, are still the most successful techniques for generating responses from consumers and driving them to a mobile site or some other engagement process,” stated Joe Barber, founder of Third Screen Media (TSM), a mobile marketing company with specialised products for enterprise messaging.

Figures published in the online magazine Marketingmag.com.au revealed that more than eight trillion text messages were sent in 2011. In comparison to other client-approaching techniques, such as the email, SMS receives a 1.8 to 2.5 times greater click-through rate. MMS gained even better results, reaching as high as 3.4 times the response rate.

Practical SMS tips

Mobile expert Joe Barber gave a number of tips regarding the idea of developing an effective SMS marketing strategy. Barber suggests that it is important to be careful with the length of the SMS. Specifically, you should try to be short and concise about what you wish to say.

Long messages are boring and tedious, and are more likely to be ignored. If you are including links, make sure you shorten the URLs so you don’t misuse your characters.

“MMS still has strong consumer response rates and enables the inclusion of over 500 characters with images and logos. MMS can create a far more engaging experience,” suggests Barber.

It is also advisable not to send too many SMS messages. Abusing your clients’ inbox will lead them to view your messages as spam and will dilute the impact of what you are attempting to convey.

Australian NBN ban on Chinese company creates international tension

The relationship between China and Australia has suffered a significant blow as the Chinese Ministry of Commerce has made public their dissatisfaction over the recent ban of the Chinese company Huawei in Australia.

The Australian government has banned China’s largest building networks company, Huawei, following the recommendations of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). The ASIO warned the government that working with Huawei could potentially compromise national security.

Canberra has subsequently decided to ban the telecommunications company Huawei from taking part in the National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Following these recent events, Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang revealed a few days ago that the Chinese government was “deeply concerned” by the decision.

“Australia should not exclude a company from participating in a fair competition on so-called national security grounds in absence of evidence,” he said.

The Chinese ministry of Commerce also defined the Australian move as “unjust” and stressed that it might serve to damage diplomatic relations between the two countries significantly.

Mr Danyang also pointed out that 90% of Huawei’s staff in Australia were ‘local’ and cited the company’s past record as a supplier to other projects which were similar to this latest one.

Chinese investment in Australia

Speaking to The Age, an intelligence analyst close to the Chinese Security Services commented on these events:
“There is already a deeply ingrained perception in China that Australia does not welcome the Chinese investment, especially in light of the past rejections of Chinese mining investment projects, although some of the companies had to share the blame as well,” he said.

In his opinion, the Australian government should have communicated its decision to Huawei and Beijing more effectively to dispel the perception of discrimination.

“The relationship between China and Australia can only move forward through more frank exchange of ideas,” added the source.

On top of this, the ban on Huawei has re-ignited the debate regarding Western fears of cyber attacks on the IT infrastructure of key companies from China.

The ACCC take a bite out of Apple

As many of you may have heard the ACCC is instigating legal action against Apple for what it believes to be false and misleading claims that the new iPad 3 has 4G capabilities within Australia. For anyone who has purchased one of these beasties and tried to connect to Telstra’s new 4G network, which is limited at the moment anyway a la when 3G was rolled out
a few years ago, it doesn’t appear to be the case.

On the back of Apples 4G claims the ACCC have taken legal action against Apple alleging that the promotion of the “iPad with WiFi + 4G” is misleading as you’d expect 4G is 4G, but alas it’s not and it doesn’t, at least in Apple’s world.

Last week Apple provided an undertaking to the Federal Court that they would, as soon as reasonably practical, but no later than April 5th, display the statement “This product supports very fast cellular networks. It is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks and WiMAX networks.” which we’re happy to advise is now on their website, at least on their store. They have gone one step further to advise, where they have an email address, to send anyone that has already purchased an iPad 3 of the same.

And with good reason, many consumers have flagged they would prefer a partial refund as compensation of the lack of 4G, especially in light of the new 4G network with Telstra (where HTC already have mobile devices working on the new high speed network) and Vodafone Hutchinson and Optus are set to launch their 4G networks sooner rather than later. This is a view also taken by the ACCC who have also cited their belief that anyone who has purchased an iPad 3 with the understanding that they can connect to 4G too.

The hearing has been set down to be heard on May 2^nd, and I’m sure Applites, early adopters, late adopters and everyone in between will keenly await the outcome.

New rules to stop SMS marketing scammers

In June, a new code will come into effect that will serve to protect mobile users from mobile premiums SMS scammers.

In an attempt to avoid SMS marketing scams, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) have announced that a new code will come into force from the 1^st of June this year.

The new version of the Mobile Premium Services Industry Code, which reveals a number of measures to prevent SMS scams, has been developed by the Communications Alliance.

This new rule will be mandatory and will replace the current code that was established on the 1^st of June 2009. Originally, the code was created following the high level of customer complaints about mobile premium services. The implementation of the code in 2009 helped to reduce the mobile users’ complaints by 90%.

ACMA said that the current modification of the rule will introduce a requirement for mobile carriers to monitor and report to the ACMA on content providers’ compliance with the code. In addition, it will also make the prices, terms and conditions of these services clearer to mobile users.

Key changes to the current Australian code

•  Firstly, mobile providers of reverse charge services will need give users details of call costs, terms and conditions before charging.
•  Likewise, service providers will be asked to let users know all the information about the cost of a service close to the number used to request a service in an advertisement.
•  Additionally, the new code will require subscription service providers to use the terms ‘subscription’ or ‘subscribe’ in sign-up messages, as well as to inform customers of the ongoing nature of these services and related charges.

The aim of ACMA with these modifications is to improve the current code and make it more effective. Mobile providers failing to obey these requirements will be persecuted and face Federal Court penalties of up to AUD $250,000.

Since the use of SMS is gaining importance as a communication platform within the world of business, it is hoped that this new code will benefit both, customers and companies legally developing SMS marketing.

5 top tips to prevent your phone being hacked

Hacking has always been computer-related and as Smartphones become increasingly advanced, it is important to learn how to protect them against potential hackers. This could be essential to maintaining your privacy.

A mobile hacker could possibly remotely listen to your calls, read your text messages, take pictures with your phone’s camera, follow your internet browsing activity and keystrokes, pinpoint your geographical location and even access your passwords in some very extreme cases.

With this in mind what are 5 top tips to prevent mobile hacking?

1. Set a screenlock pattern or pin on your mobile – If your mobile phone is lost or stolen then a password will instantly stop a hacker picking it up and using it.
2. As mobile phones are becoming increasingly similar to computers, perhaps we should start treating them as such to avoid hackers. Make sure you download an anti-virus app like Lookout, Norton or AVG which is even free to download.
3. Only buy apps from a well-known vendor like Google , Apple, facebook and Twitter. Hackers can embed malicious software into an app which allows them to corrupt your phone’s internal system and steal important data.
4. Avoid unofficial versions of popular apps because they often have malware hidden in the code.
5. If you suspect your phone is being hacked you could pull out the phone’s battery to stop the flow of data. However if you know which app is behaving badly try and remove it, if this is not possible you could factory reset your phone (warning this will remove all your data and photos, but is the only way to ensure your phone is clean).

Mobile marketing insight by mobile specialist TigerSpike

Two representatives from TigerSpike, the Australian mobile specialist, have provided some interesting insights about the prospects of the mobile marketing industry within the country.

In an interview published in mobiThinking, General Manager of Asian operations Alex Burke and Chief Operations Officer Alex Hall spoke widely about the mobile marketing potential that Australia has by providing data and forecasting the future of this growing sector.

In the last few months, Australia’s mobile market has grown enormously. Right now, the country has mobile penetration of 11% and enjoys good 3G coverage overall. According to the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association, News Digital Media are seeing their mobile sites grow at 89% per year.

For the mobile expert, the right development of the mobile web in Australia is narrowly linked to three requisites; 3G infrastructure, carrier pricing models and consumer propensity to adopt new technology.

“Consumers are changing their lifestyle habits, consuming content in different ways. As it becomes habit for people to use their phones to get content, demand for mobile Web services increases. This makes sense as the heavy users of their news, sport, weather and mapping services online are likely to be technology-savvy, and will want to access them on the mobile phone as well,” said Hall and Burke.

In the opinion of both Hall and Burke, although there’s a strong case to be made for almost every brand to use mobile marketing, those that solely target younger males are “missing out the most, by not getting involved.”

Mobile marketing – A potential market

Hall and Burke also suggest that companies such as Toyota, Nike, Coca-Cola and Fosters are examples of innovators within the industry. These firms hit the right target by utilising all the delivery methods at their disposal, such as SMS messaging, MMS, Bluetooth, WAP or QR codes.

However, Hall and Burke also feel that there is a unique reason which makes Australia a location with so much potential when it comes to developing mobile marketing?

“One key advantage is the adventurous nature of Australians – the willingness to give new things a go. This is critical for a new medium like mobile, as growth stems from both the brand’s willingness to innovate with mobile marketing and consumer acceptance of the new channel. Due to the size of the market, Australia is a great test bed to gauge likely success of mobile campaigns in other larger markets.”

Predictions in the world of telecommunications

The auditing and consulting company Deloitte has just published an in-depth report outlining predictions for 2012 in the areas of Technology, Media and Telecommunications.

One of the main reported findings concerns an explosion of the market for smartphones costing less than $100. According to the predictions, over 500 Million of them will be in use before the end of 2012. These figures are based on the consumer definition of a smartphone, rather than the technical one. Studies reveal that users are likely to call a mobile phone a “smartphone” device if it comes equipped with a touch screen or a full keypad, as opposed to categorising the phones according to their operating system.

Deloitte expects 300 million of these lower-priced smartphones to be sold in 2012, representing up to 20% of the entire mobile phone business. They cover the same market segment as netbooks, targeting users who require internet access without needing the graphics and range of functions offered by traditional laptop computers.

$100 Smartphones are likely to be particularly attractive in emerging markets. They generally support e-mail and messaging, feature a camera of at least 2MP and come with a selection of pre-loaded applications and widgets.

NFC (near field communications) enabled devices are also going to conquer a large share of the market. Up to 200 million of them could be sold in 2012, and the figure is likely to climb further in 2013. NFC is particularly valued for the distance payment possibilities it offers, and it opens up the door for the concept of “digital wallet” to develop.

Unsurprisingly, the global demand for consumer technology will increase this year. People rarely deliberately quantify value for money at the time of purchase, but they generally are conscious of how much a mobile device will be used.

Based on this criteria, consumer technology fairs particularly well: a $500 tablet will be used 350-700 hours a year, meaning the hourly cost of use can be evaluated as low as $0.70… against approximately $10 for a car! For mobile phones, the cost is even lower. With approximately 200,000 text messages being sent every second in the world, consumers are getting an excellent return on investment.

SMS on your watch: Will you be wearing your mobile phone?

Casio’s new G-SHOCK GB-6900 wristwatch promises to keep active business professionals and technology enthusiasts connected at all times, thanks to unique Bluetooth connectivity.

The watch, which is to be launched in March, connects to certain Android phones via Bluetooth so that it can be synchronised with your mobile handset to show incoming calls, emails, or SMS on its display.

The watch is unique in that it features Bluetooth LE, an energy saving version of Bluetooth that promises to extend battery life. Casio claim that the G-SHOCK GB-6900 will have a battery life of up to 2 years with one conventional CR2032 button battery.

Connectivity and mobile phones

This is another great example of how interconnectivity between devices continues to be a growing trend in 2012. In fact, many experts predict that convergence of our devices – from our laptops to our tablets; to smartphones and watches, will be a technology trend to watch out for.

Experts predict that the concept of a fully connected society will shift the way people work, think and live this year. Dr.Henry Samueli, IEEE Fellow, Chief Technology Officer at Broadcom Corporation, and an upcoming speaker at the 2012 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE) next week believes that ‘ubiquitous, nonstop connectivity is what is next.’

This means improving global business operations with what he describes as ‘real time cloud-based data sharing, and seamlessly accessing information and entertainment in our homes and cars.’

The Smartphone revolution is at the heart of these developments and SMS is a key part of this. As technology improves and the use of mobile phones worldwide grows more and more, businesses and organisations are becoming switched on to the power of SMS as a communication and monitoring medium.

Emergency SMS used to fight against bushfires this summer

Technology devices and social media are making instant communication a reality. But did you know that SMS, alongside social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, is the latest channel being used to prevent summer bushfires?

A new bushfire alert system called ‘Bushfire Connect’ aims to combine different ways of communication, including social media and SMS, with official data in order to provide people local and detailed information about summer bushfires.

Every communication system will have its role: SMS alerts to a specific hotline, direct messages to the service’s social media Facebook page, or tweets hash tagged with the word #bushfireconnect.

A combination of methods

The combination of all these communication formats with official resources is designed to provide well-sourced information to their database regarding summer fires.

“It was shocking to know how little people knew at the critical point in time when they needed information,” commented Keren Flavell, co- founder of the system. Flavell added that the ability of social media to spread information had spurred the project.

On top of this, the Bushfire Connect website allows the general public to see wider reports or to sign up to receive more localised information – via SMS – which includes data from both authorities and from locals raising the alarm.

The website also includes incidents on the map and listed in chronological order. Those who want to know even more could find official mainstream news feeds on the site as well.

The system is inspired by the tragedy of Black Saturday, and it was successfully tested in Healesville earlier this year. Volunteers are invited to join the Bushfire Connect team and help communities share time critical information about bushfires.

Sending a quick and direct SMS is certainly one of the best ways to alert others about natural disasters.