Industry news

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.

Mobile operators offer reassurances over mobile privacy

Following revelations this week which suggest that some Smartphones may be running ‘secret’ apps that track mobile phone activity – including emails and SMS messages – leading Australian mobile companies have swiftly moved to reassure customers that their data is safe.

Telstra, Optus and Virgin Mobile have all confirmed that data on their devices was safe.

A Telstra spokesperson told news.com that “We do not track customers’ phone usage other than for the purposes of connecting a call or billing for services.”

Similar statements were made by both Optus and Virgin Mobile.

The clarification comes following the revelation that Android based Smartphones, such as those produced by the likes of HTC and Samsung, may be running a ‘rootkit’ app that conceals its presence and can monitor user activity.

The discovery was made by Trevor Eckhart, an Android security researcher. In a youtube video he shows how an entire SMS message was recorded by the software developed by Carrier IQ’s app. The company claims that the app is nothing more than a ‘diagnostic tool,’ built to measure carrier and handset performance – but there are privacy concerns around the device because it could potentially be used to store user information.

Australian mobile companies are keen to stress that they do not hold any information on their customers. Text messages you send and text messages you receive – be it from friends or businesses – remain private and confidential.

It should also be noted that when it comes to receiving text messages from businesses, SMS providers are heavily regulated in Australia under a code developed by ACMA (The Australian Communications and Media Authority).

Email SMS, Email to SMS, SMS from Email – What does it all mean?

In an age when businesses are constantly expanding or relocating staff to different areas in order to seek growth, they have to come up with effective ways to communicate with one another.

You may have offices in cities such as Tokyo, London and Brisbane. You may also have a fleet of vehicles constantly on the move in those cities. If this is the case, the idea of using Email SMS services could revolutionise the way in which your business is run.

In its simplest terms, Email to SMS means that messages are sent via email, but delivered as texts. SMS responses will subsequently be received as emails.

This means that organising a large group of staff who may be constantly on the move, but still need to communicate efficiently, can be made a great deal easier by introducing SMS from Email.

It is also worth noting that not everyone in a business will have constant internet access. Email itself is by far and away the most popular and effective way for colleagues to communicate with each other throughout the world.

However, for a variety of reasons, all of these people cannot have internet access all of the time. From this point of view, Email SMS is a very useful substitute for basic email.

Another consideration is that integrating Email SMS to an existing system is not a complex process. When using the system, it is simply a case of adding a different suffix to an email address so that it is sent as an SMS instead of an email.

The world of technology within business is constantly evolving and right at the heart of this evolution is the way in which business professionals communicate with each other.

SMS from email is one of the most popular, and most effective, business communication solutions.

WA State Government consider SMS alerts over shark threats

In the wake of three fatal shark attacks within the last two months, the State Government in Western Australia are considering the idea of establishing a ‘shark hotline’ which will allow people the chance to send SMS alerts about shark attacks or sightings.

Local residents made their feelings on the matter very clear at a public forum in Busselton last week. Fisheries Department Chief Executive Stuart Smith has since responded to the calls from a concerned public.

“We are interested in developing a system that works best for our purposes,” said Mr Smith. “We will evaluate the effectiveness of the current alerts in place and use something similar or build an entirely new system.”

Smith said that he and his officers were considering a system which would be quite similar to the one which was established by the Fire and Emergency Services Authority in the area.

That particular system was designed to warn people who live in ‘at-risk’ areas about potentially threatening bushfires.

Norman Moore, the Fisheries Minister, was cautious but open to discussion on the subject when speaking to The Sunday Times recently.

“Such an option would usually prove useful to alert people of sightings when they were out of the water. However, if the research advice indicates it could be a viable and cost effective shark mitigation tool, the State Government will consider it among any other options identified by the review,” Mr. Moore stated.

The idea is certainly a very original use of an SMS service, and may prove useful if there was evidence that the spate of recent attacks was set to continue.

Professor Shaun Collin, from the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute, accepted the merits of an SMS alert system, but also suggested that education on the issue of sharks is extremely important.

“Since there is so little known about sharks, their movement patterns and the influences of environmental cues on their behaviour, the Government could consider funding more focused research,” said Prof Collin.

Business text messaging takes hold in Australia

The Australian mobile phone market is worth $17 billion and hit 125% penetration in 2011, according to the latest research.

According to the Mobile Communications Statistics and Forecast’s annual publication of the Australian mobile phone market, SMS messages are used extensively.

The mobile services industry now represents over 50% of the overall industry revenues in Australia. As the population increases, so does the demand for phones which incorporate SMS services. The research also found that the number of people with dual mobile subscriptions has increased. Many Australians have two separate phones, one for personal use and the other for business.

Whilst phone calls are still the dominant use for a mobile phone, using mobile data has become increasingly popular recently with the advent of Android and Apple powered Smartphones.

Phones using Google’s Android operating system proved to be the most popular.   By the end of 2011, the reports suggest that smartphones will dominate 50% of the market over the Apple iPhone. Total sales volumes highlighted that a number of people are changing their handsets on a regular basis to keep up with current trends.

The competition between operators to offer the latest handset on the cheapest tariff has intensified recently. The growing demand for data use means that many customers are prepared to reduce their use of fixed-line voice services.

SMS messaging for businesses

There are an estimated 6 million more mobile subscribers than people in Australia. With the growing popularity of phones, many businesses now communicate to their customers via SMS messaging.

Business text messaging is becoming increasingly common as companies can engage with consumers on an extremely cost effective level.

The research found that “retailers are fast becoming the focal point for interaction with customers, many of whom have individual needs which require a higher level of customer service.”

It’s 30 years since Australia’s first mobile phone call

Nearly everyone in Australia has a mobile phone these days. However, the first mobile phone in Australia in is only 30 years old.

The popular mobile device first emerged in Australia in 1981.  The first call was made on the country’s first mobile network – Telstra’s new Public Automatic Telephone System.

At that time Telestra was known as Telecom, and the car handset device from where they made that very first call had a very straightforward name, simply – The Mobile Phone.

What was the first mobile phone like?

The first mobile phone weighed a hefty 14kg and consisted of a 45cm handset, a receiver stored in the boot of the car and an antenna on the roof: hardly what we’d refer to as a mobile phone today.

Only the most well off Australians could afford it, as it cost $5,000. Although the phone was big, it didn’t have much memory; it was able to store only a maximum of 16 numbers. Obviously, sending an SMS with the device was unimaginable at the time.

Unlike today’s mobile phones complete with MP3 players and hundreds of different call settings, the Telstra mobile phone alerted drivers of incoming calls by automatically honking the horn and flashing the headlights!

Before and after

When the first commercially-available hand-held mobile appeared in 1983, phone coverage was limited to three mobile base stations in the greater Melbourne area and only 1000 people could use it at once.

Much has changed since then. Today the Telstra network has more than 7400 base stations across Australia and 11 million users benefit from its service. SMS services and mobile internet were a revolution when they arrived…..who knows what the future will bring.

The great debate: Samsung vs Apple iPhone 4S

The on-going battle between tech giants Samsung Electronics and Apple deepened over the last few days when Samsung moved to embargo sales of the new iPhone 4S in Australia.

The legal dispute over phone similarities comes after a court in Australia temporarily banned sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 earlier this year.

The South Korean manufacturer has previously made attempts to embargo the new Apple smartphone in France and Italy, claiming patent infringement.

The two companies have been involved in a legal dispute over smartphone and tablet designs since April when Apple sued Samsung for allegedly copying iPhone and iPad models.

Whilst both parties make counter claims, however, Apple appear to be holding the upper hand having previously won pleas to ban the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany.

A statement by Samsung said, “Apple has continued to violate our patent rights and free ride on our technology. We will no longer stand idly by and will steadfastly protect our intellectual property.”

At Esendex, we are not coming down on either side of the debate -  we love the S2 and the iphone 4 equally.  It is clear however that mobile usage is growing quickly.

Recent research from mobcity.com found that the average Australian will spend 35 minutes a day sending text messages. The number of SMS messages sent in Australia has increased dramatically over the last few years. In 2010, there was a 300% increase in overall SMS/MMS message use across the country.

With all this in mind the mobile phone race has never been closer.

Who do you think will win this battle of cool technology?

Infographic: Stats about mobile usage

As a country Australia is sending far more SMS messages than we were just a couple of years back. Below we take a look at some of the emerging trends and staggering figures that highlight the growth of mobile phone usage across Australia.

Did you know that in 2010 there was a 300% increase in overall SMS/MMS message volumes across the country? Everyone, from young children to old grandparents, knows how to send a text message today.

Figures compiled by mobicity.com show that most Australians spend 35 minutes a day sending text messages. In 2010, 8 million text messages were sent across Australia on Valentine’s Day. Teenagers send on average 5 text messages a day – 83% of all Australian teens own a mobile phone.

Half of these teens do not turn their phone off at night and a quarter of them admit to replying to texts they receive at night immediately: 10% of these teens admit to receiving text messages that wake them up each night.

But it’s not just young people who send text messages – figures show that Australian seniors send on average one text message a day, too.

This is just a snap shot of the volume of SMS messages that are being sent across Australia each and every day. As a nation we are one of the most mobile-tech savvy: 43% of Australians own a Smartphone and 26% of all Australians participate in mobile social networking and 32% of Australians own an Apple iPhone.

With such impressive growth rates it is little wonder then that more and more brands are using mobile and SMS messaging in particular as an effective marketing channel.

Click on the magnifier glass to check the infographic