China Mobile deploys Gemalto multimedia SIM
Gemalto, a leader in digital security, has been selected by China Mobile (CMCC) for the multi-site deployment of Gemalto FullMultimedia SIM (subscriber identity module) cards.
The project is underway in the Guangdong, Shanxi, Beijing, Jiangsu and Shanghai provinces and is the first large-scale commercial multimedia SIM deployment in Asia.
Launched with four different Windows Mobile 6.0 handsets from leading Asian manufacturers, Gemalto was able to integrate multimedia SIM-based content and applications into high-functionality handsets with ease.
The FullMultimedia SIM will be distributed to CMCC’s premium subscribers and will feature a Multimedia phonebook and advanced SMS management which have long been identified as critical applications by China Mobile.
The FullMultimedia SIM will bring China Mobile SIM-based applications into the Multimedia era with a rich interface, providing also a straightforward way to instantly port the service into new handsets.
The FullMultimedia SIM package also helps increase the average revenue per user (ARPU) generated by data services. Applications such as music, ring tones and movie clips can be saved directly onto the SIM, which removes the barrier created by the fear of losing personal data downloaded into the handset when changing phones. In addition, local services such as maps and directories will be pre-loaded on the FullMultimedia SIM by local China Mobile branches.
“This FullMultimedia SIM solution gives us an opportunity to target our high-end market segment with a real tool for portability and protection for user data, from phonebook numbers to downloaded content,” said the Director of the Division of Service Card and Number Management, Department of Market Operations, China Mobile. “The new multimedia capabilities of these SIM cards mean that we do not compromise on the quality of the presentation of our services, which is a strong expectation of this customer segment.”
“Once again, China Mobile is leading the way in deploying the latest innovations to its customers” commented Philippe Vallee, Executive Vice President Telecom, Gemalto. “This deployment, coupled with the Windows Mobile family of handsets, enables us to work with China Mobile in providing superior and segmented offers to the market based on the new multimedia capability of the SIM.”
Gemalto is a leader in digital security, with pro forma 2007 annual revenues of over US$1.6 billion, more than 85 offices in 40 countries and about 10,000 employees, including 1,300 engineers in R&D.
China Mobile Limited is the largest of the telecom carriers in Asia. China Mobile has a website at www.chinamobile.com.
Youku video-sharing site partners with MySpace China
Youku, China’s leading video-sharing website, according to the China Internet Society and iResearch, has entered an exclusive partnership with social networking service provider MySpace China for the local market.
“The value proposition Youku brings to the MySpace.cn partnership is three-fold,” noted Victor Koo, CEO of Youku.com.
“It expands MySpace.cn’s online offerings to include user-generated video content — a much-in-demand attribute for social networking websites. It also allows MySpace.cn to cooperate with China’s leading and fastest growing online video site, and it enables MySpace to draw on proven proprietary technology developed by Youku to support its online video streaming capabilities,” commented Koo.
Youku said the partnership with MySpace China is a good strategic fit. Beyond the fact that the companies’ online products and services complement each other, the agreement will help drive traffic to both sites, making them more valuable for global advertisers seeking ways to reach online consumers cost effectively. The partnership is also being viewed as a positive business relationship that will promote a healthy culture of information-sharing between users of the Internet, as well as drive the development of Web 2.0 platforms in China.
Launched in December 2006, Youku has come to set the performance benchmark for video-sharing websites in China. According to a March 2008 report by iResearch, a leading online research company in China, Youku is ranked highest among China online video sites based on criteria such as user traffic, product offerings, capital investment and operational capabilities.
Youku.com (www.YOUKU.com ) is a leading video sharing website and premier online video brand in China, and one of the top destinations for people to watch and share short-form videos in Greater China. Youku was founded by Victor Koo, former President of Sohu.com, a leading Internet portal in China. Youku.com has become the fastest growing online video site in China since its official launch in December 2006. It features the fastest video streaming speed, fastest video upload response and search for Internet users in China. Youku.com was named as a “Red Herring 100 Asia” award winner for 2007, and also ranked No. 1 in the video sharing category according to a China Internet Society survey of July, 2007. The Youku video channel on MySpace.cn can be viewed at http://myspace.youku.com.
MySpace China is a locally owned and operated venture co-founded by MySpace.com, IDG and China Broadband Capital Partners.
MySpace China is online at www.myspace.cn.
SiTV demos MoTi-MoTi interactive TV from iVision
MoTi-MoTi, an innovative interactive wireless solution from i-Vision, a leading technology provider in China offering interactive broadcast TV solutions, allowed viewers to add interactivity and personalization to the experience of watching the Houston Rockets play the Chicago Bulls, during a demonstration by SMG Shanghai Interactive Television Co. Ltd. (SiTV) of its TV 2.0 initiative.
i-Vision is the strategic partner of SiTV for interactive TV business. For this demonstration, i-Vision’s MoTi-MoTi operating platform was utilized to create a customized package of interactive, value-added services and enabled SiTV to aggregate data-casting channels and broadcast combinations of videos, text and pictures to Intel based wireless laptops and set-top boxes. i-Vision’s MoTi-MoTi made it possible for viewers to watch the high definition broadcast of the game while simultaneously visiting TaoBao to purchase Yao Ming’s sneakers, viewing detailed scores from other NBA games, participating in online voting; chatting with friends online and sharing online video content.
i-Vision’s open standard platform empowers service providers, content aggregators, advertisers and commercial operators to enhance their offerings and interact with their target customers. It also enables mobile TV operators to expand their income streams from traditional advertising and subscription revenues.
The company’s wireless interactive TV solutions will support the high definition wireless broadcasting of the Olympics in 2008, enabling the Government to achieve the goal of a Digital Olympics and bring a compelling digital TV experience to domestic and foreign users on laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, MP4s and mobile multimedia devices during the Games. In addition to watching the Games, the audience will be able to check the latest information, such as medal charts, Olympic city maps, traffic data, weather reports and other services anytime, anywhere.
MoTi-MoTi was selected as one of China’s Top 50 Upcoming Mobile Value-Added Products at the 2008 China Mobile Phone CEO Forum in January. i-Vision was also selected as one of 50 Top Innovators for the GSMA’s Mobile Innovation Summit at the Mobile Asia Congress in November 2007.
MoTi-MoTi is an end-to-end mobile TV operating platform that enables operators to produce a personal mobile TV portal that includes a program guide and targeted, interactive value-added applications and interactive advertising. The solution creates a more compelling user experience with the insertion of unobtrusive interactive content enhancements, infomercials and value added services relevant to the mobile TV content being viewed.
Pacnet expands subsea cable network with EAC Pacific
Pacnet is expanding its subsea cable network with the launch of its first Trans-Pacific cable infrastructure, EAC Pacific. EAC Pacific will enhance the connectivity and reliability of Pacnet’s existing pan-Asia EAC-C2C subsea cable network by providing up to 1.92Tbps of bandwidth across the Pacific.
EAC Pacific is part of the 10,000km Unity cable system that is being built by a global consortium, one that includes five other global companies, and it is expected to cost about US$300 million.
“While intra-Asia bandwidth demands are being met by regional cable systems such as Pacnet’s EAC-C2C cable network, Unity will allow us to meet the increasing demand for Trans-Pacific bandwidth as more digital content is generated from within Asia and accessed from across the Pacific,” said Bill Barney, CEO of Pacnet.
Pacnet is the single largest investor in Unity and will control two of the five fiber pairs in Unity. Each of the fiber pairs of the Unity cable system are capable of carrying up to 960 Gbps, and the cable system can scale up to eight fiber pairs. Initial capacity from Unity is expected to be available by the first quarter of 2010.
Through Unity, Pacnet and its consortium partners have led the way for a new operating model for future submarine cable systems. By coming together to build a cable with a high fiber count, consortium members can benefit from a high bandwidth cable that comes at lower unit costs. Additionally, unlike traditional consortium-built cables, the new cable operating model allows consortium members such as Pacnet to operate fiber pairs in the new cable independently.
The Unity 10,000km undersea cable system will land in Los Angeles and connect directly with Chikura, Japan, where it will be seamlessly connected to Pacnet’s EAC-C2C network. This will enhance the reliability and resiliency of Pacnet’s cable network by offering additional capacity and route diversity. The system will provide much needed capacity to sustain the increased growth in data and Internet traffic between Asia and the US.
The members of the Unity consortium include Bharti Airtel, Global Transit Ltd., Google, KDDI, Pacnet and SingTel. NEC and Tyco Telecommunications are the suppliers for the Unity project, which is scheduled to go live in the first quarter of 2010.
Pacnet, a leading telecom services provider, was born from the operational merger of Asia Netcom and Pacific Internet. Pacnet owns and operates EAC-C2C, Asia’s largest privately-owned submarine cable network at 36,800km, with a design capacity of 10.24Tbps. Pacnet is headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore.
For more information, please visit http://www.pacnet.com.
