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Ecosystem
NRJ Mobile signs full MVNO deal with SFR, has 1 mln users
8 months ago
French mobile operator NRJ Mobile signed a full MVNO agreement with carrier SFR. The latter signed a similar deal in June with France’s first full MVNO, Virgin Mobile. According to a recent consultation by telecommunication regulator Arcep, Lycamobile also signed a full MVNO agreement with carrier Bouygues Telecom. Such agreements allow MVNOs to connect their own base stations to the mobile network, providing them with a higher degree of technical independence, and gives them access to more usage data. Separately, NRJ Mobile announced having passed the 1 million active customer mark, three quarters of whom are on postpaid plans. It had 800,000 customers at the end of 2010.
Nokia Goes NFC: First NFC Enabled App In Ovi Store
A recent update to Nokia’s Symbian operating system (called Anna) activates the NFC chip installed in their C7 phone and the first application featuring NFC technologies has just been added to Ovi Store. Xchange app lets user exchange business cards, photos and other information by touching other NFC-enabled devices. After the touch, information is sent to users by email and contact details are automatically saved in the contacts section. Symbian’s update signifies Nokia’s efforts to reassure developers and consumers that the company is not abandoning the platform and is going to support it until at least until 2016. The updates will be available this week in several countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and India, with more to follow over the next three weeks, said Nokia today in its blog.
Look at the Mark Selby’s interview from Nokia.
Although a long time in coming, the update potentially puts millions more NFC smartphones into the pockets of consumers, with some estimates placing C7 shipment figures at more than 5 million worldwide.
The update activates the NFC chip that has been in the C7 since the smartphone began shipping last October. Nokia had originally announced the forthcoming Symbian update in April, and it was expected to be available earlier.
Nokia has already begun shipping new C7s with the Symbian update onboard, though those shipments only started in recent weeks. Nokia shipped an NFC version of the phone, called the Astound, in the United States through T-Mobile USA earlier in the year.
The update improves the user interface and other features for the C7 and for other non-NFC Nokia phones, the N8, E7 and C6-01 (read more here).
GSMA Names BARCELONA First Mobile World Capital!
10 months ago
As the Mobile World Capital, Barcelona will be the home of the mobile industry’s must-attend event, the GSMA Mobile World Congress, and will also develop a range of other programmes and activities that will span the entire year benefiting not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. The press release is now available on the Mobile World Capital website.
We commend all of the finalist cities – Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Paris – for their excellent proposals and the huge amount of energy and creativity that was put into them. While all of the cities who competed for this title presented extremely innovative and compelling bids, in the end, Barcelona truly demonstrated that it deserves the title of the Mobile World Capital, with its combination of outstanding exhibition and conference facilities, its transportation and hospitality infrastructure, its commitment to expanding the reach of mobility throughout Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, and the strong support of the public and private sectors. This is truly an exciting time for Barcelona and for the mobile industry as a whole.
Of course, the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital is the Mobile World Congress. Starting in 2013, the Mobile World Congress will be held at the new, cutting-edge venue, Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. The dates for the 2013 Mobile World Congress are 25-28 February 2013. Mobile World Congress 2012 will remain at Fira de Barcelona Montjuic and will be held 27 February – 1 March 2012.
Beyond the Mobile World Congress, the Mobile World Capital also features two additional elements: the Mobile World Centre and the Mobile World Festival. The Mobile World Centre will be comprised of permanent and temporary exhibitions which will meld culture and technological innovation, facilities for the development and incubation of mobile solutions, and retail and hospitality venues. The Mobile World Festival, which is targeted to the general public, will incorporate a range of activities including sporting events, music and art festivals, film awards, applications and technology fairs and more.
We are very excited that Barcelona will be the Mobile World Capital for the next seven years, and we look forward to seeing you in the Mobile World Capital.
