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LG, Samsung, Qualcomm Rush for GPS Patent
Wednesday, 05 October 2005
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2793&Itemid=2
With growing outdoor activities encouraged by the advent of ubiquitous era and penetration of mobile communications, mobile handset makers and technology developers form home and abroad are increasingly applying for GPS-related patent.
After temporary fall from 40 in 2000 to 37 in 2002, the number of GPS-related patent filed in Korea soared to 79 in 2004.
LG accounts for 17% of the accumulated number of GPS-related patents filed for the last five years, Samsung 11% and Hyundai Motor Company 7%. Among foreign companies, Qualcomm applied for 13% of overall patents filed in Korea, Fujitsu 7% and Siemens and Lockheed ranked third and fourth.
GPS technology is used for LBS in cell phones, GIS, chase of moving objects and telematics. The volume of telematics market, the biggest portion of overall GPS market, surged from $ 1 billion in 2001 to $ 5 billion in 2004 and the figure is expected to reach $ 9 billion in 2006. .
By TelecomsKorea.com
Qualcomm Snags Cox Channel 4 Exec
Posted date: 10/4/2005
http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=16685028.55078402.1206361.592918.29115602.793&aID2=....
Dan Novak, who has driven the success of Channel 4 San Diego for Cox Communications, announced Oct. 4 that he has accepted an opportunity to lead the programming of Qualcomm Inc.’s MediaFlo USA Inc. unit, which seeks to beam TV programming onto cell phone screens.
Novak, Cox’s vice president of programming, has been with Atlanta-based Cox Communications for 15 years. For the last nine years, he has driven the growth of the regional cable station.
Channel 4 televises 250 live sporting events yearly, including San Diego Padres games.
Among Novak’s major past and continued programming successes were the Channel 4 Super Bowl festivities, the shows “San Diego Insider” and “Forefront,” and the annual Salute to Teachers.
Novak said he is leaving Cox on Oct. 12, and 24 hours later will begin his new duties as vice president of programming of MediaFlo.
“I will be part of a team working on content and programming of MediaFlo,” Novak said, though he said it’s too early to talk about specifics.
MediaFlo, which is slated to go to into commercial operation in October 2006, seeks to appeal to wireless phone users by creating radiolike and televisionlike programming for the next generation of wireless devices.
– Marion Webb
Jack Sirard: Stock analyst touts a California strategy
By Jack Sirard -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Story appeared in Business section, Page D1
Get weekday updates of Sacramento Bee headlines and breaking news.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/13665537p-14508309c.html
When it comes to picking stocks, Bud Leedom says there's really no reason to look beyond the borders of California.
The 40-year-old former analyst for Wells Fargo Securities points out that the Golden State has hundreds of publicly traded companies that are involved in everything from biotechnology to supermarkets.
"There is always something going on in California, across a diverse group of industries. Anything that's really important in growth industries starts here," he says. "The state represents the key to the growth of the national economy."
Leedom, who's chairman of the San Diego Growth Stock Conference, believes that institutional traders can dramatically affect the price movement of individual stocks.
In fact, his primary analysis of the market focuses on the buying and selling of institutional investors, which he uses to chart the supply/demand ratios of hundreds of California stocks.
Leedom, who grew up in California and studied astronomy, mathematics and statistics at San Diego State, publishes the California Stock Report, a relatively new investment newsletter that rates and ranks the state's top companies.
Mike Doran, a Shingle Springs money manager, says Leedom could be onto something.
"The market is being led by energy and commodity stocks," he says, "and everyone is trying to figure out a way to play the post-Katrina market."
While consumer spending was leading the economy for some time, capital spending by corporate America is expected to increase and that will benefit the technology sector, Doran says. If that happens, a California investment strategy would be advantageous due to the abundance of technology companies in the state.
Leedom focuses much of his coverage on the large-and mid-cap stocks but also will study small-cap stocks of note.
He says it's a good time to survey the wide-ranging field of California stocks "because several are poised to break out of their trading patterns to the upside."
What stocks does he like?
Two of the three currently at the top of his list are Amgen Inc. and Northrop Grumman Corp., two stocks as different as night and day.
"With Amgen, I like the fact that the company has a lot of products coming down the pipeline," he says.
The stock (ticker symbol AMGN on the Nasdaq) closed Monday at $79.62; it has traded between $52 and $86.92 a share over the past 52 weeks.
"Its earnings are up and its valuation in the market makes no sense to me; it should be higher," Leedom says. "Amgen is one of the premier names in a sector that has been decimated over the last several years."
Leedom follows the biotech sector closely and notes that only about one in 15 companies makes any money. Amgen, based in Thousand Oaks, is quite profitable, he adds.
Also getting featured billing on his list of California's Golden Bulls is Northrop Grumman (ticker symbol NOC on the New York Stock Exchange).
The Los Angeles defense and aerospace contractor expects to land a steady flow of government contracts, which means it's well-suited to increase its earnings over the next several years, he says.
Leedom notes that institutional investors have been significant buyers of Northrop shares of late. The stock closed Monday at $53.88.
One of his very favorite stocks is Qualcomm Inc., the San Diego-based communications equipment company that's on the verge of delivering its third generation of telecom products. He believes that its stock bears watching over the next 15 months.
"This is a stock that was a huge player in the market until the bubble burst, but now it's pointing toward having a great 2006," he says.
"The stock (ticker QCOM on the Nasdaq) was just lumbering along in the $30 range for a long time, but now it's moved up to $45.05 a share. I don't think it's too late for investors, because Qualcomm could run to $60 to $70 a share."
Another of his personal favorites is Netflix Inc. (ticker NFLX on the Nasdaq) which he says continues "to benefit from the troubles hitting such rivals as Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. Netflix, based in Los Gatos, closed Monday at $26.64 a share.
"Very soon Netflix will be able to stream its videos to consumers over the Internet," he says. "People have been waiting for that, and it could come by the end of the year."
Leedom admits he currently has a bias toward large-cap stocks because they've come down so much in value since the stock market downturn in 2000.
"I recognize that a lot of people like stocks that are priced at $5 to $6 a share, but those stocks may only be worth that much - or less," he says.
"With so many large-cap stocks selling at bargain prices, this is not the time to bank on small-cap stocks."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALIFORNIA'S GOLDEN BULLS
Bud Leedom says investors can find some top-quality California stocks selling at reasonable values. The top five on his list, with Monday share prices:
1. Amgen Inc.: Trades as AMGN on the Nasdaq, $79.62
2. Netflix Inc.: NFLX on the Nasdaq, $26.64
3. Northrop Grumman Corp.: NOC on the New York Stock Exchange, $53.88
4. Qualcomm Inc.: QCOM on the Nasdaq, $45.05
5. Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc.: MFLX on the Nasdaq, $29.69
Source: California Stock Report
Taking CDMA2000 Into the Next Decade
White Paper on CDMA2000 3G Evolution Available on the CDG's Website
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=87252
COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 4, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) and Signals Research Group, LLC (SRG) announced today the availability of a white paper on CDMA2000(r) evolution to 3G and beyond and the benefits it offers to operators in regards to capacity, data throughput, enhanced functionality and revenue opportunities. The paper, entitled "The 3G Evolution -- Taking CDMA2000 into the Next Decade," was prepared by the Signals Research Group on behalf of the CDG, and is based on extensive interviews with operators, equipment suppliers and other industry players. The paper is now available to the public on the CDG's website.
"The evolutionary path of CDMA2000 has enabled operators to migrate to 3G and advanced broadband wireless technologies ahead of their competitors and to lead the industry in transition to next generation services," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "CDMA2000 continues to evolve with CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A and B and future enhancements, which will allow operators to introduce VoIP, multi-megabit-per-second speeds, multi-media and broadcast capabilities in the coming years."
According to the paper's sole author, Michael Thelander of the SRG, "Although not always well understood and appreciated, all 3G technologies are CDMA-based, and over time will exhibit similar performance characteristics. The primary difference with CDMA2000 is that the evolution from 2G to 3G, including EV-DO and its future revisions, is relatively seamless due to backward and forward compatibility, 'in-band' migration, and an aggressive reuse of existing hardware without the need to deploy an entirely new radio access network. Further, CDMA2000 has a 2-3 year time advantage for those operators that wish to take advantage of it."
The paper includes a comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary path of CDMA technologies, with emphasis on capabilities of the family of CDMA2000 standards commercially available today and future revisions and key success factors that have contributed to the commercial success of the technology. It also provides examples of how CDMA2000 operators have been able to capitalize on the inherent advantages of the CDMA2000 evolution path to expand market share and grow voice and data revenues. The paper clearly demonstrates that while CDMA2000 and WCDMA technologies offer similar performance, the CDMA2000 evolutionary path offers operators significant time-to-market advantage.
The white paper is available at www.cdg.org
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030 or rsilverio@bockpr.com, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org
About Signals Research Group
Signals Research Group, LLC is a venture-capital backed company that offers thought-leading field research and consulting services on the wireless telecommunications industry.
The "no holds barred" approach to conducting research and analysis means that SRG's first and foremost objective is to offer differentiated research products and services. Instead of just reporting the news and analyzing past events, SRG focus on where the industry will be tomorrow and the technologies and service offerings that will shape its future and not those that defined its past. More information on Signals Research is available on www.signalsresearch.com
CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA)
CONTACT: CDG News Bureau
Ricca Silverio
(714) 540-1030
rsilverio@bockpr.com
Worldwide 3G/WCDMA subscribers grow by 2 million per month
Published: Tuesday 4 October 2005 | 09:37 AM CET
/www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=98354&nr=
Anytime, anywhere
MobiTV lets you watch shows on your cell phone
By JEFFERSON GRAHAM
USA TODAY
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051004/LIFESTYLE/510040328/1024/NEWS01
LOS ANGELES -- Brainstorming about how to take their company to the next level back in 2003, three guys in Berkeley, Calif., came up with a crazy notion that a cell phone was powerful enough to display television images.
On little 1- and 2-inch screens. And that people would actually pay to watch it.
Potential partners laughed at first. But in November 2003, Sprint became the first wireless carrier to offer Paul Scanlan, Phillip Alvelda and Jeff Annison's MobiTV to consumers. This September, Sprint and MobiTV received a special Emmy award for their efforts. The service, now also offered by Sprint and Cingular, has attracted 500,000 subscribers.
"I would never bet against the American love affair with television," says Scanlan, MobiTV's chief operating officer. "It spans all ages and all demographics. The logical next step is to be able to watch TV anywhere."
In a wireless world of nearly 200 million cell phone subscribers, half a million customers is a drop in the bucket. But it is about on par with the total audience for some cable networks. For instance, The Discovery Channel, which is carried on MobiTV, averages 445,000 daily viewers on TV sets.
MobiTV has "built a consumer experience that people understand and accept, which is a rarity in technology," says Mark Donovan, an analyst at research firm M:Metrics. "Now their challenge is to grow and keep competitors at bay."
As entertainment and cell phones converge, companies of all sizes are scrambling to compete. Startups such as GoTV, PacketVideo and SmartVideo are, like MobiTV, bringing video content to phones. San Diego-based Qualcomm, which makes chips for phones, is testing a system to transmit TV signals from broadcast towers directly to handsets.
MobiTV recently announced that it plans to expand beyond TV with MobiRadio -- 50 satellite music channels -- as a separate subscription.
Music has exploded into the world of portable devices, but radio on cell phones is currently very limited. "People want their local traffic, and local radio. This is the first step. We'll get there," says Alvelda, MobiTV's CEO.
British research firm Informa Telecoms and Media predicts that in just five years, there will be more users of broadcast mobile TV worldwide -- 124.8 million -- than there are U.S. TV homes (110 million).
"Our goal is to bring ABC to them anytime, anywhere and on any device," says Bernard Gershon, senior vice president of ABC News' digital group.
ABC News Now is one of many channels included with MobiTV's service, which also includes MSNBC, ESPN and Fox Sports.
MobiTV (which is marketed to some Sprint subscribers as Sprint TV) differs from Verizon's vCast video-clip service in that it is real-time TV. The service works best with large-screen or color-multimedia phones that range from $100 to $400 from Sprint and Cingular.
Because wireless networks and handsets are constantly improving, the quality of the MobiTV image has grown from a glorified slide show just a few months ago, to "a real video picture now," says Brian Seth Hurst, a MobiTV user and big-time booster. "It's much faster now."
Boston Web designer Matthew C. Smith began subscribing to MobiTV a few weeks ago and has written enthusiastically about it on his blog. "I signed up for the 'wow' factor," he says. "I show it to my friends, and they're blown away. The product itself is outstanding. The user interface is clear, a lot clearer than I expected it to be."
You won't find hits such as "Lost" or "Desperate Housewives" on MobiTV. Prime-time network programming has rights issues that have yet to be tackled, so news is the primary motivator for sign-ups. "We live in a society today where live breaking news is a common occurrence and people want to know what's going on right now," Scanlan says.
Sprint took a chance on the young company because the MobiTV application "was easy to use, and the guys were, and continue to be, easy to work with," says Dale Knoop, general manager of Sprint's multimedia services division.
Cingular, which signed up a year after Sprint, likes MobiTV because "it changes people's expectations of what a phone can do," executive director Rob Hyatt says. "When we tell people about a ring tone, they don't get it until they hear it. But with TV on a phone, they immediately understand it."
"We have a tremendous advantage," says co-founder Annison, MobiTV's vice president of engineering. "We have a head start and know how to efficiently run a global TV network. There's still a lot of room for innovation, as we figure out how users want to interact with mobile video. That's our challenge over the coming years."
Originally published October 4, 2005
Tight squeeze for mobile TV
Published: October 3, 2005, 4:00 AM PDT
By Marguerite Reardon
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
http://marketwatch-cnet.com.com/Tight+squeeze+for+mobile+TV/2100-1039_3-5886537.html?type=pt&par...
TV service on the go is being touted as the next big moneymaker for mobile phone operators--but if too many people tune in, carriers' brand-new third-generation networks could be overwhelmed.
According to a recent report from Analysys, an independent research group in the United Kingdom, capacity on a third-generation, or 3G, wireless network could be exceeded as early as 2007 if 40 percent of subscribers view even eight minutes of video per day.
"Streaming video consumes 10 times the bandwidth over a network that voice traffic consumes," said Alastair Brydon, one of the authors of the report. "So watching 10 minutes worth of video per day will have a significant impact on the network. Right now, the 3G networks are empty, so it's not a problem. But if the service proves popular, then it could be a big problem."
News.context
What's new:
Mobile TV service is being hyped as a future moneymaker for wireless carriers. But new 3G networks might not be ready to handle streaming video for the masses.
Bottom line:
Mobile operators could face big problems if their TV services become popular too quickly. However, several technology companies and standards bodies are already working on solutions.
More stories on this topic
Mobile operators have spent billions of dollars on 3G wireless networks in order to deliver new services such as e-mail, music downloads and video. In the United States, major carriers are just now in the final stages of deploying these networks. And as completion nears, carriers hope the new capabilities will help boost sagging revenues.
Video and TV services for mobile phones are being hyped as major moneymakers for the future. Three of the major U.S. cell phone operators have begun offering a mobile TV service. Verizon Wireless has its Vcast service. And Sprint and Cingular offer a service from start-up MobiTV. At the CTIA tradeshow in San Francisco last week, content providers such as MTV and Warner Music Group were busy announcing deals to deliver content via cell phones.
The stage has been set for a major market to emerge. But so far, mobile TV services have not been a big hit with consumers. Still, wireless carriers hope that the faster 3G network will improve image quality and lead to more content--such as movies, news clips, real-time sports, mini-soap operas and full-length TV programs--thus driving demand.
"We're very encouraged by the market," said Dale Knoop, general manager of multimedia for Sprint. "We definitely think there's a lot of demand to have things that entertain and inform you on the go."
But the truth is that mobile operators could face big problems if their TV services become popular too quickly, because 3G was never built to deliver streaming video.
"The carriers are going to have to move the traffic off the cell network eventually," said Albert Lin, an analyst at American Technology Research. "It just doesn't have the kind of capacity that video demands."
This is exactly what happened in South Korea when carriers initially rolled out streaming video services there. Within eight to nine months, the network became congested with video traffic. SK Telecom quickly realized that a new approach was necessary. So it built a separate satellite network to broadcast its mobile TV service.
Why can't 3G networks support high volumes of video traffic? 3G wireless networks are divided into cells. Users in a given cell share the available bandwidth. The networks are also designed to be "unicast," which means signals are transmitted between a single sender and a single receiver. If 500 people in the same cell decide to watch the same video clip, the network has to transmit a copy of that video clip over the network to each user.
"The carriers are going to have to move the traffic off the cell network eventually. It just doesn't have the kind of capacity that video demands."
--Albert Lin, analyst, American Technology Research. "This isn't a big deal when users are chatting on the phone, sending text messages or downloading ring tones, because those applications use up relatively low amounts of bandwidth. But video eats up roughly 10 times more bandwidth.
"3G is a poor solution for a big media event, like a breaking news story or a championship sporting event," Brydon said. "Just when everyone tunes in to see what's happening, the network fails. Not having enough capacity is clearly a bit of a weakness."
A more efficient way of delivering mobile TV would be to broadcast the content to users, and allow those who want to view it to tap into the network, he said. This approach, used in traditional broadcast television and radio, means that video clips are transmitted only once over the network, instead of being replicated and transmitted hundreds or even thousands of times.
Several technology companies and standards bodies are already working on solutions. One group, called the 3GPP/3GPP2, is working on modifying 3G. The technology, called MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Standard), will likely be available for W-CDMA and CDMA-2000 networks in 2007. The benefit of MBMS is that it doesn't require additional spectrum or licensing. What's more, coverage will be identical to conventional 3G networks.
But the drawback of MBMS is that it requires operators to set aside capacity that could otherwise be used to sell lucrative point-to-point voice or data services. Also, because of the capacity limitations, services would likely offer only a limited number of channels.
Other approaches call for building dedicated broadcast networks using technologies that would greatly increase the number of channels
available. Currently, at least three such technologies are being developed: DVB-H, DMB and MediaFlo.
The verdict is still out on which method operators and handset makers will adopt. DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handhelds) is already being tested in Berlin; Helsinki, Finland; Oxford, England; and Pittsburgh. Handset maker Nokia and Crown Castle, which sells wholesale wireless capacity to other carriers, are testing the technology in Pittsburgh. Crown expects to start offering the portable TV broadcasting service next year.
DMB, or Digital Mobile Broadcast, is a standard developed in South Korea. It works much like digital radio in that country.
And then there is MediaFlo, a technology developed by wireless handset and chipmaker Qualcomm. MediaFlo consists of an end-to-end network that uses new wireless transmitters and receivers. Qualcomm doesn't plan to sell video services directly to consumers, but will offer wholesale access to its network for providers offering mobile TV service. Mobile operators will be able to offer from 15 to 20 channels of broadcast-quality TV. The service is expected to be commercially available by the end of 2006.
The benefits of using dedicated broadcast technology are obvious, but it will require operators to upgrade portions of their network. It will also require customers to buy new handsets.
Previous Next Another potential consequence of building these separate broadcast networks is that it could take some control away from the cellular phone providers. Because these networks could be accessed by anyone, content providers could sell their brand directly to consumers, cutting out the mobile operators entirely.
So far, mobile operators aren't saying much about their plans for the future, but many have acknowledged they are looking into new technologies.
"We've said publicly that we're looking at MediaFlo, but that's all I can say about it," Sprint's Knoop said.
But most experts acknowledge that it's unlikely mobile operators will face a problem in the short term, because mobile TV isn't likely to take off for at least another two years.
"MobiTV says they have 500,000 subscribers," analyst Lin said. "But that's out of a total of 175 million cellular subscribers. That doesn't sound like a significant market to me yet. Despite all the promotions and hype, I don't think the volume is really going to be significant until at least 2007. And by then, these new technologies should be available to the market."
From Bloomberg news ON TI
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a_Fpb0YXMtd0&refer=news_index
Cut and Paste from above:
<Texas Instruments, the world's third-biggest semiconductor maker, slid 43 cents to $33.45 in Germany. Goldman cut the stock to ``underperform'' from ``in-line,'' citing competition from Qualcomm Inc. in the so-called 3G baseband business.
Qualcomm, the world's No. 2 maker of chips for mobile telephones, added 19 cents to $45.24 in German trading.>
Wireless users racing to dial up mobile TV
Sprint, others broadcast shows on cell phones
By Jefferson Graham
Gannett News Service
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051004/NEWS03/510040317/1004/news03
LOS ANGELES - Brainstorming about how to take their company to the next level back in 2003, three guys in Berkeley, Calif., came up with a crazy notion that a cell phone was powerful enough to display television images.
On little 1- and 2-inch screens. And that people would pay to watch it.
Potential partners laughed at first. But in November 2003, Sprint became the first wireless carrier to offer Paul Scanlan, Phillip Alvelda and Jeff Annison's MobiTV to consumers. This September, Sprint and MobiTV received a special Emmy award for their efforts. The service, now also offered by Sprint and Cingular, has attracted 500,000 subscribers.
Advertisement
"I would never bet against the American love affair with television," said Scanlan, MobiTV's chief operating officer. "It spans all ages and all demographics. The logical next step is to be able to watch TV anywhere."
Competition, too
In a wireless world of nearly 200 million cell phone subscribers, half a million customers is a drop in the bucket. But it is about on par with the total audience for some cable networks. For instance, The Discovery Channel, which is carried on MobiTV, averages 445,000 daily viewers on TV sets.
MobiTV has "built a consumer experience that people understand and accept, which is a rarity in technology," said Mark Donovan, an analyst at research firm M:Metrics. "Now their challenge is to grow and keep competitors at bay."
As entertainment and cell phones converge, companies of all sizes are scrambling to compete. Startups such as GoTV, PacketVideo and SmartVideo are, like MobiTV, bringing video content to phones. San Diego-based Qualcomm, which makes chips for phones, is testing a system to transmit TV signals from broadcast towers directly to handsets.
MobiTV recently announced that it plans to expand beyond TV with MobiRadio - 50 satellite music channels - as a separate subscription.
Millions of users likely
Music has exploded into the world of portable devices, but radio on cell phones is currently very limited.
"People want their local traffic and local radio. This is the first step. We'll get there," said Alvelda, MobiTV's chief executive officer.
British research firm Informa Telecoms and Media predicts that in five years, there will be more users of broadcast mobile TV worldwide - 124.8 million - than there are U.S. TV homes (110 million).
"Our goal is to bring ABC to them anytime, anywhere and on any device," said Bernard Gershon, senior vice president of ABC News' digital group.
ABC News Now is one of many channels included with MobiTV's service, which also includes MSNBC, ESPN and Fox Sports.
MobiTV (which is marketed to some Sprint subscribers as Sprint TV) differs from Verizon's vCast video-clip service in that it is real-time TV. The service works best with large-screen or color-multimedia phones that range from $100 to $400 from Sprint and Cingular.
Quality improving
Because wireless networks and handsets are constantly improving, the quality of the MobiTV image has grown from a glorified slide show to "a real video picture," said Brian Seth Hurst, a MobiTV user.
Boston Web designer Matthew Smith began subscribing to MobiTV a few weeks ago and has written enthusiastically about it on his blog. "I signed up for the 'wow' factor," he said. "I show it to my friends, and they're blown away. "
You won't find hits such as "Desperate Housewives" on MobiTV. Prime-time network programming has rights issues that have yet to be tackled, so news is the primary motivator for sign-ups.
'Easy to use'
Sprint took a chance on the young company because the MobiTV application "was easy to use, and the guys were, and continue to be, easy to work with," said Dale Knoop, general manager of Sprint's multimedia services division.
Cingular, which signed up a year after Sprint, likes MobiTV because "it changes people's expectations of what a phone can do," executive director Rob Hyatt said.
"We have a tremendous advantage," said co-founder Annison, MobiTV's vice president of engineering. "We have a head start and know how to efficiently run a global TV network. "
Intel, Qualcomm Ready To Fight Over Emerging WiMax Standard
BY REINHARDT KRAUSE
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 9/30/2005
http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=16&issue=20050930
A battle is brewing between Intel (INTC) and Qualcomm, (QCOM) and the future of the wireless phone industry could hang in the balance.
The two firms have starkly different visions. Intel, the world's No. 1 chipmaker, looks to build a market for a wireless broadband technology called WiMax — a successor to the popular Wi-Fi standard.
Qualcomm, a pioneer of mobile phone electronics, looks to provide broadband via cell phone networks. And if WiMax spreads, it could supplant the need for Qualcomm's technology.
Qualcomm appears to have the edge, analysts said. But Intel's marketing muscle is hard to match.
"Intel is the godfather of WiMax," said Max Weise, an analyst at the consulting firm Adventis. "It'll be interesting to see how this battle plays out. At the moment, Qualcomm is probably better positioned."
The big question is whether WiMax will catch on with Internet users. The technology has its roots as a big brother to Wi-Fi, a wireless technology that lets laptop computer users connect to the Internet.
Early WiMax systems, like Wi-Fi, provided "fixed-point" access — say, in a hotel lobby or coffee shop — without the ability to roam.
Intel's goal is to turn WiMax into a more mobile technology. New versions of WiMax, in theory, will let users download a movie on a fast-moving train.
If Intel has its way, WiMax networks will start replacing Qualcomm-powered cell phone networks by next decade.
Why is Intel so interested in WiMax? It plans to sell WiMax chips for notebooks and handheld devices, much as does with Wi-Fi chips now, and also to cell phone and smart phone makers.
WiMax should be a big step up from Wi-Fi. WiMax beacons have a longer range and could theoretically offer more bandwidth — as much as 70 megabits per second vs. 54 for today's most popular flavor of Wi-Fi.
But WiMax is a gamble. Analysts expect the fixed-point version of WiMax to catch on, but they aren't sure about the mobile version.
Fixed WiMax gear will likely be used in developing countries or parts of rural America — where homes lack high-speed Internet hookups via cable or phone wiring.
As for mobile WiMax, it will get its first big tests in 2006.
That's when Korea Telecom will launch WiBro, a mobile WiMax-type service, in South Korea.
In the U.S., Sprint Nextel (S) plans to test two types of mobile WiMax gear early next year.
If Sprint decides to build a mobile WiMax network, that will give Intel and other WiMax backers — such as Samsung, Motorola (MOT) and Texas Instruments (TXN) — a big lift.
The best-case scenario for Qualcomm is for WiMax to flop. In the worst case, the mobile flavor of WiMax will prove its mettle and sap the need for cellular networks.
So there's pressure on Qualcomm to prove that its technology — called CDMA, or code division multiple access — can handle superfast Internet connections.
The company said it's ready to do that. "We're well-positioned under any scenarios," said Paul Jacobs, who took over from his father, Irwin, as Qualcomm's chief executive in July. "It'll get fought out in the marketplace. CDMA is in a good position. It has a great road map."
Qualcomm has been active as the WiMax threat grows. In August, the company acquired Flarion, a startup wireless equipment firm.
Buying Flarion gave Qualcomm access to OFDM, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. WiMax equipment relies on OFDM.
Qualcomm said it will supply Flarion-type gear to wireless phone companies if they want it. One long-range possibility: hybrid CDMA-OFDM networks.
"Qualcomm is hedging its bets — in case CDMA eventually gets killed off or loses out to OFDM," said John Freeman, an analyst at Precursor Group, a research firm.
Intel is much bigger than Qualcomm, having raked in $34.2 billion in revenue last year. Qualcomm had $4.88 billion in 2004 revenue.
Intel dominates the personal computer industry, along with Microsoft. (MSFT) Now the chipmaker wants to become a force in wireless technology, and it sees WiMax as a way do that.
To push WiMax along, Intel invested in Clearwire. That company has built a fixed WiMax network in about 20 small U.S. markets.
Intel's main thrust has been outside the U.S. It's been seeding WiMax projects in the Asia-Pacific region, including Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
A hurdle WiMax faces worldwide is a scarcity of licensed radio spectrum. Intel has been lobbying governments across the globe to make spectrum available for WiMax.
There's been some speculation that Intel may buy radio spectrum itself. But most observers doubt it would actually do that.
WiMax backers look to tap into a general dislike for Qualcomm and its patent licensing tactics, analysts say.
Telecom gear makers pay Qualcomm royalties on equipment they sell to wireless firms. Many chipmakers have to ante up too, since they design chips that work with CDMA gear.
Royalties and licensing fees for CDMA gear accounted for 27% of Qualcomm's 2004 revenue. Almost one-third of the mobile phones sold worldwide in 2004 used CDMA. It's even more pervasive in the U.S., where CDMA is the dominant wireless standard.
That means a lot of wireless firms are making payments to Qualcomm.
"No one likes sending a check to San Diego (Qualcomm's headquarters)," said Derek Kerton, a principal at the consulting firm Kerton Group.
Sprint Nextel agrees. "Most of the world is unhappy with Qualcomm," said Barry West, Sprint's chief technology officer. "They feel that its licensing model is egregious."
Then again, WiMax could also carry licensing fees. WiMax Forum, a group of companies setting technical standards, has indicated there will be no royalties for WiMax gear. But West doesn't believe it.
"There has to be some sort of royalty structure," he said.
Sprint looms as a major player in the Qualcomm-Intel battle. That's because the company owns a large chunk of 2.5-gigahertz radio spectrum in the U.S. That spectrum could be used by WiMax gear.
But Sprint is a longtime backer of Qualcomm's technology. It was the first U.S. wireless firm to become a CDMA customer in the mid-1990s. And Qualcomm's Jacobs downplays the possibility of Sprint bolting the CDMA camp.
"Sprint often tries many technologies," Jacobs said. "In the end, we tend to see eye to eye about what the technology road map should be."
For now, Sprint is keeping its options open. It plans to test mobile WiMax gear from both Motorola and Samsung. It's also interested in Flarion's gear and yet another wireless broadband technology from startup IP Wireless.
Sprint plans to start building a wireless broadband network by late 2007. The firm could play the role of kingmaker depending on which technology it picks, West said.
"No one else is in our position right now," West said. "We have all the assets. We have a vision of wireless interactive multimedia services."
Wireless phone companies are eager to sell more data services, rather than just voice calls. For now, text messaging accounts for most of their data revenue. But that's changing — especially outside the U.S.
Many wireless customers of Vodafone, (VOD) NTT DoCoMo (DCM) and SK Telekom (SKM) are watching video clips, sending photos and downloading music.
Most of today's wireless networks can't handle data-intensive applications, analysts said. Even emerging third-generation, or 3G, networks often aren't up to the task, they said. That's why there could be a need for OFDM-based technology.
Qualcomm doesn't think such a radical shift is needed. Upcoming versions of CDMA will pump up data speeds, the company said.
If mobile WiMax gains momentum, Qualcomm still has options.
One of Qualcomm's reasons for buying Flarion was getting its hands on key OFDM patents. Since WiMax is partially based on OFDM, Qualcomm could ask makers of WiMax gear to pay royalties. Qualcomm hasn't said whether it plans to do that. "We do believe we have IP (intellectual property) in WiMax," said Jacobs.
One issue is whether Intel and others can create a mobile WiMax technical standard without infringing on Qualcomm's patents.
"For sure, Qualcomm-Flarion has some IP related to WiMax, but there are other people with intellectual property," said Zvi Slonimsky, chief executive of Alvarion, (ALVR) a top maker of fixed WiMax gear.
Qualcomm to increase investments in Greater China area
Kathelyn Chiu, Taipei; Steve Shen, DigiTimes.com [Friday 30 September 2005]
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050930A9054.html
Qualcomm International plans to increase its investments in Taiwan and China, targeting IC design houses and 3G related companies, Tony Li, president of Qualcomm Taiwan, said at a 3G-technology seminar held in Taipei yesterday.
An investment arm of Qualcomm had appropriated a sum of US$100 million as a venture capital fund for investments in the Greater China area since 2002, Li noted, adding that US$14 million out of the venture capital fund have been invested in the area, mostly investing in China-based companies, including wireless software solution providers Enorbus and handset-use IC design house Techfaith.
Qualcomm is now in talks with a number of Taiwan-based IC design houses for receiving equity investments from the U.S-based IC design company, Li noted. Qualcomm has already made equity investments in Taiwan-based handset maker High Tech Computer, according to Li.
KTF Suspected of Relying on Qualcomm for Mobile TV
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Report
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200509/kt2005093020065811870.htm
KTF, Korea’s second-largest wireless operator, is suspected of turning to U.S. technology for go-anywhere TV services instead of the locally-developed format adopted by its bigger rival SK Telecom.
KTF admits that the carrier checked the commercial viability of various mobility-specific TV services, such as MediaFlo of U.S.-based Qualcomm, but denied the claim that it would tilt toward the foreign format.
``MediaFlo is one of many technologies available for video-on-the-move services. We have examined it and others, but have yet to make any decisions,’’ a KTF spokesman Kwon Young-wung said.
Developed by Qualcomm that is famous for the wireless telephony platform code division multiple access (CDMA), MediaFlo is an end-to-end solution that enables the multicasting of high-quality video and audio streams.
The air-interface MediaFlo system uses over-the-air signals to deliver video and audio channels. As a result, it needs a new frequency on top of legacy CDMA spectrum.
Such take-out TV offerings are the latest buzzword in the telecom and broadcasting segments alike and Korea is at the forefront of the trend on the back of satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB).
TU Media, the subsidiary of Korea’s foremost wireless operator SK Telecom, launched commercial DMB services in this May and KTF jumped onto the DMB bandwagon last month.
Market observers point out, however, that KTF has sought alternative ways to DMB because of concerns that depending on DMB would boost the bottom line of its archrival SK Telecom.
``KTF has a legitimate reason to search for non-DMB technologies for mobile TV as competition between it and SK Telecom is ever intensifying. In addition, it has maintained a good relationship with Qualcomm,’’ Mirae Asset analyst Kim Kyung-mo said.
KTF, the mobile arm of Korea’s dominant telecom operator KT, has been the only carrier in Korea to use a middleware of Qualcomm, called the binary runtime environment for wireless (BREW), which enables music downloading or Web access with cell phones.
Spectrum Shortage
Qualcomm vice president Rob Chandhok said the entity already made contact with KTF at the CTIA Wireless 2005 exhibition held last week in San Francisco.
``We demonstrated our video services (MediaFlo) to KTF officials with mobile handsets last week,’’ said Chandhok, who is in charge of promoting MediaFlo.
Yet, the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) argues Qualcomm will not be able to provide its services here in the near future due to a lack of available frequencies.
``Neither Qualcomm nor KTF requested spectrum for MediaFlo. Even if they ask, we don’t have bandwidth of very high frequency (VHF) or ultra high frequency (UHF) available,’’ MIC director Joo Jong-ok said.
UHF and VHF are the most common frequency bands for TV. The country retains 12 VHF channels and 56 UHF channels. Currently, not a single channel is unoccupied as all 68 channels are taken up by the country’s terrestrial broadcasters and cable TV networks.
``Some channels will be redistributed after 2010 when frequencies are returned to the government in time with the conversion of analogue TV formula to digital,’’ Joo said.
``I do not think MediaFlo can be deployed soon in Korea in this climate. It is clear that Qualcomm would not be able to have even a trial run without spectrum.’’
Asked about the outstanding roadblocks, KTF refused to comment while Chandhok claimed it is up to service operators, not Qualcomm, to address the problems.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
09-30-2005 20:09
Cheap Ph :Qualcomm to power Nokia in India
BLOOMBER
Posted online: Friday, September 30, 2005 at 1248 hours IST
Updated: Friday, September 30, 2005 at 1300 hours IST
http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_full_story.php?content_id=104166
SEPTEMBER 29: Nokia Oyj, the world's largest maker of cellular phones, may sell an inexpensive handset in India that uses a chipset from Qualcomm Inc., according to an analyst.
Nokia hired Taiwanese handset maker Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. to make phones that sell for less than $50, said Mike Thelander, a former analyst for Deutsche Bank and founder of researcher Signals Research Group. The handset could be in carriers' testing facilities by the end of the year, he wrote.
The deal could be the break Qualcomm has sought with Nokia, which develops semiconductors with the help of Texas Instruments Inc., the largest maker of cell-phone chips. Nokia has resisted buying from Qualcomm, the No. 2 supplier, and may be looking to the company to boost sales of phones using a technology called Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA.
“It's meaningful,” said Thelander, who recently traveled to India. “It's good for Nokia, too, in that they don't have anything at the entry level in India. Their phones are popular at the mid-tier and above” in the CDMA market. He said he learned of the possible Nokia-Qualcomm agreement through talks with carriers that he declined to name.
Shares of San Diego-based Qualcomm rose 48 cents to $44.99 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading, the highest close since December 2000. They have gained 6.1 per cent this year. Espoo, Finland-based Nokia climbed 14 cents to $16.46 on the New York Stock Exchange and has risen 5 per cent this year.
Nokia spokeswoman Arja Suominen said her company never comments on future products. Foxconn declined to comment, said Michael Lin, spokesman for parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.
Nothing to Report
Qualcomm had “nothing to report” on it dealings with Nokia, Chief Financial Officer Bill Keitel said in an interview on September 21. “We're hopeful,” he added. Qualcomm spokeswoman Patty Goodwin didn't return phone calls seeking comment.
Nokia makes a wide variety of phones for GSM, or global system for mobile communications, the most popular cell-phone format in India with 79 per cent of the market. Nokia sells 60 per cent of India's GSM phones, Credit Suisse First Boston said.
India's No. 2 carrier, Reliance Infocomm Ltd., had 11.1 million subscribers using CDMA handsets as of August. CDMA serves about 21 per cent of the market, according to industry groups Cellular Operators Association of India and Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India.
India's goal to increase subscribers to 250 million by the end of 2007 from the current 62 million could make it the fastest- growing country for handsets in Asia, Thelander said.
Prices
For Nokia to compete in CDMA products, it needs a lower-priced phone, he said. Nokia's lowest price using CDMA is in the mid $60s, compared with about $50 for phones from LG Electronics Inc. and Chinese manufacturers, Thelander said.
Nokia's agreement last February to buy cellular phones with Qualcomm's chipsets from SK Teletech Co., a South Korean cell-phone maker, is no longer valid, said spokesman Insoo Nam.
SK Teletech's parent company, Pantech Co., is gradually scaling back making phones for other companies and intends to strengthen sales of its own brand, Nam said.
Foxconn, which can make 50 million handsets a month, gets as much as 90 per cent of its sales from Nokia and Motorola Inc. Foxconn reported profit for the six-month period ended June 30 rose 66 per cent to $148.9 million as sales nearly doubled to $2.35 billion.
It has plants in China, Hungary, Mexico and Brazil. It had 29,210 employees, mostly in China, as of last September.
Terry Gou, chairman of parent company Hon Hai, is Taiwan's richest person, according to Forbes magazine.
Re: Nokia may use a Qualcomm chip in an inexpensive handset to be distributed in India
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/sddt/20050930/lo_sddt/sandiegodailydigest
Cut and past from above link:
Qualcomm Inc.: SEC documents showed officer Sanjay Jha exercised 4,800 shares at $11.97 per share and sold 4,800 shares at $44.48 per share on Wednesday. Bloomberg News reported that Nokia may use a Qualcomm chip in an inexpensive handset to be distributed in India, according to analyst Mike Thelander.
Nokia to Offer Qualcomm Chip in India
Nokia to Offer Qualcomm Chip in India Handset, Analyst Says
September 29, 2005 15:21 EDT -- Nokia Oyj, the world's largest maker of cellular phones, may sell an inexpensive handset in India that uses a chipset from Qualcomm Inc., according to an analyst.
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conews&tkr=QCOM:US
All Star Analysts Portfolio Highlights: CACI Int'l, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, QUALCOMM and ExxonMobil
Thursday September 29, 6:00 am ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050929/295207.html?.v=1
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2005--Zacks.com just released its latest additions and deletions to its proprietary All Star Analyst portfolio. Members on this exclusive list include CACI International, Inc. (NYSE:CAI - News), Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT - News), QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM - News) and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - News). View the entire list of stocks on the All Star Analyst portfolio at http://at.zacks.com/?id=510
This exclusive portfolio represents all stocks with a Strong Buy rating from at least five analysts with a 5-Star All Star ranking. These are the brokerage analysts whose stock recommendations proved to be the most profitable for investors. Since July 2002, this portfolio has generated an annualized return of 12.92%, exceeding the S&P 500 by a margin of more than 50%. Here is a synopsis of why these stocks are in the All Star Analysts Portfolio:
CACI International, Inc. (NYSE:CAI - News) has a long affiliation with the Army and yesterday announced that it was awarded a $25 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for training, doctrine and combat development for the U.S. Army Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The company's specialists will provide entry level and advanced officer training to soldiers on armor and maintenance tasks. CAI will also provide doctrine and combat development for the Army's Future Combat Systems. In August, The company posted fiscal fourth-quarter earnings per share of 76 cents on revenues of $429.8 million. The earnings result improved year-over-year from 69 cents and topped the consensus by more than 4%, while revenues jumped 20%. Breaking down the increase in revenues, 14% came from organic growth and the rest from the May 2004 acquisition of the Defense and Intelligence Group of American Management Systems, Inc. CACI remains a favorite with the All Stars.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT - News) is one of the All Stars' favorite companies in the hotels industry. In late July, the company posted second quarter earnings per share from continuing operations of 70 cents, compared to 50 cents a year-earlier. The result also beat the consensus by almost 8%. Revenue per available room (REVPAR) at same-store owned hotels in North America advanced 12.7%, while worldwide gained 12.3%. With business remaining robust, Starwood felt comfortable enough to raise its guidance for the remainder of the year.
QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM - News) increased its fiscal fourth-quarter financial guidance last week and now expects pro forma earnings per share of 32-33 cents. Previously, the company expected between 29-31 cents. The new guidance was above the consensus at 30 cents. The company said its estimate is based on the shipment of about 40 million MSM phone chips during the quarter, compared to 39 million a year-ago. QUALCOMM also enhanced its revenue guidance to between $1.48-$1.58 billion, instead of $1.43-$1.53 billion. The company said that 3G CDMA market momentum is strong, as it saw strength across many geographies in shipments of handsets. In its fiscal third quarter, QUALCOMM posted pro forma earnings per share of 28 cents, which bettered the consensus by 12%, while revenues rose year-over-year to $1.36 billion.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - News) recently stated that its U.S. Gulf facilities were not badly damaged in Hurricane Rita. In late July, Exxon Mobil reported second quarter earnings per share, of $1.23, which marked a solid year-over-year improvement from 88 cents. It was also the highest second quarter ever for the corporation. Revenue improved 25% to $88.57 billion. Upstream earnings increased $1,062 million year-over-year to $4,908 million, while downstream earnings, excluding Allapattah, advanced $714 million to $2,221 million.
Discover all the current All Star Analyst rankings and top analyst recommendations at http://at.zacks.com/?id=511
About Zacks All Star Analyst Survey
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TV on cellphones? Funny but profitable
Gregg Moss 9NEWS Business Reporter
Created: 9/28/2005 8:36 AM MDT - Updated: 9/28/2005 8:36 AM MDT
http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=9d29e507-0abe-421a-0093-217b613d9ceb&...
LOS ANGELES (USA Today) - Brainstorming about how to take their company to the next level back in 2003, three guys in Berkeley, Calif., came up with a crazy notion that a cellphone was powerful enough to display television images.
On little 1- and 2-inch screens. And that people would actually pay to watch it.
Potential partners laughed at first. But in November 2003, Sprint became the first wireless carrier to offer Paul Scanlan, Phillip Alvelda and Jeff Annison's MobiTV to consumers. Last week, Sprint and MobiTV received a special Emmy award for their efforts. The $10-a-month service, now also offered by Cingular, has attracted 500,000 subscribers.
"I would never bet against the American love affair with television," says Scanlan, MobiTV's chief operating officer. "It spans all ages and all demographics. The logical next step is to be able to watch TV anywhere."
In a wireless world of nearly 200 million cellphone subscribers, half a million customers is a drop in the bucket. But it is about on par with the total audience for some cable networks. For instance, The Discovery Channel, which is carried on MobiTV, averages 445,000 daily viewers on TV sets.
MobiTV has "built a consumer experience that people understand and accept, which is a rarity in technology," says Mark Donovan, an analyst at research firm M:Metrics. "Now their challenge is to grow and keep competitors at bay."
As entertainment and cellphones converge, companies of all sizes are scrambling to compete. Start-ups such as GoTV, PacketVideo and SmartVideo are, like MobiTV, bringing video content to phones. San Diego-based Qualcomm, which makes chips for phones, is testing a system to transmit TV signals from broadcast towers directly to handsets.
This week, wireless industry heavy hitters are in San Francisco for the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) convention. That's where MobiTV announced that it plans to expand beyond TV with MobiRadio - 50 satellite music channels - as a separate subscription.
Music has exploded into the world of portable devices, but radio on cellphones is currently very limited. "People want their local traffic, and local radio. This is the first step. We'll get there," says Alvelda, MobiTV's CEO.
Anytime, anywhere
British research firm Informa Telecoms and Media predicts that in just five years, there will be more users of broadcast mobile TV worldwide - 124.8 million - than there are U.S. TV homes (110 million).
"Our goal is to bring ABC to them anytime, anywhere and on any device," says Bernard Gershon, senior vice president of ABC News' digital group.
ABC News Now is one of many channels included with MobiTV's service, which also includes MSNBC, ESPN and Fox Sports.
MobiTV can work with lesser phones, but the images are jerkier. Sprint's multimedia phones start at $79.99 for the Sanyo MM-8300. Sprint charges $20 monthly on top of phone charges for a combo plan that includes MobiTV, Internet access and wireless picture-sharing.
MobiTV is offered by Sprint in three varieties, MobiTV (which has 27 channels of real-time TV, including MSNBC, CNBC and ABC News), Sprint TV (fewer channels) and Sprint TV Live (slightly different channel lineups).
Cingular offers MobiTV on 10 phones, including entry-level free handsets - but for best quality, look at the $269.99 Nokia 6682 or $399 palmOne Treo 650 smart phone. Kick in another $9.95 for MobiTV and $20 for an unlimited data plan.
With the Treo you can watch MobiTV via Sprint, Cingular or even Verizon, which doesn't carry the service. Directions for how to do this at www.mobitv.com.
MobiTV (which is marketed to some Sprint subscribers as Sprint TV) differs from Verizon's vCast video-clip service in that it is real-time TV. The service works best with large-screen or color-multimedia phones that range from $100 to $400 from Sprint and Cingular.
Because wireless networks and handsets are constantly improving, the quality of the MobiTV image has grown from a glorified slide show just a few months ago, to "a real video picture now," says Brian Seth Hurst, a MobiTV user and big-time booster. "It's much faster now."
Boston Web designer Matthew C. Smith began subscribing to MobiTV a few weeks ago and has written enthusiastically about it on his blog. "I signed up for the 'wow' factor," he says. "I show it to my friends, and they're blown away. The product itself is outstanding. The user interface is clear, a lot clearer than I expected it to be."
You won't find hits such as Lost or Desperate Housewives on MobiTV. Prime-time network programming has rights issues that have yet to be tackled, so news is the primary motivator for sign-ups. "We live in a society today where live breaking news is a common occurrence and people want to know what's going on right now," Scanlan says.
Building on buzz
What became MobiTV began when Scanlan, then working for a marketing firm, and Alvelda met playing ice hockey in Oakland in 1998 and became friends. They agreed to start a business. Alvelda, then a top executive at MicroDisplay working on displays for handsets, brought in his friend Annison.
They formed a company the following year, aimed at merging entertainment and personal devices. As Idetic, they cut a deal with phone manufacturer Siemens to license software for connecting the phone to the Internet wirelessly.
They gained experience sending large packets of information to phones at a time when U.S. phone carriers weren't delivering high-bandwidth data to their users. So the founders decided to show the carriers that it could be done - with live TV.
They nabbed a meeting with Sprint to show their prototype - at the time, silent video with closed captioning. Sprint said it would be interested - but only if the video had audio. "They were very responsive," says Dale Knoop, general manager of Sprint's multimedia services division. "They had it all worked out in a matter of days."
Sprint took a chance on the young company because the MobiTV application "was easy to use, and the guys were, and continue to be, easy to work with."
Cingular, which signed up a year after Sprint, likes MobiTV because "it changes people's expectations of what a phone can do," executive director Rob Hyatt says. "When we tell people about a ring tone, they don't get it until they hear it. But with TV on a phone, they immediately understand it."
MobiTV has grown to 115 employees from 15 and has plans to move from Berkeley to bigger surroundings nearby. It is expanding at a time when mobile media has become a buzzword in the wireless industry, and many companies are looking to compete.
"We have a tremendous advantage," says co-founder Annison, MobiTV's vice president of engineering. "We have a head start and know how to efficiently run a global TV network. There's still a lot of room for innovation, as we figure out how users want to interact with mobile video. That's our challenge over the coming years."
Outperform Market By 20%-30%: means between $54 and $58 I believe.
Qualcomm Shares May Outperform Market By 20%-30%
Maya Roney, 09.28.05, 10:42 AM ET
http://www.forbes.com/markets/equities/2005/09/28/qualcomm-earnings-wireless-0928markets04.html
S.G. Cowen raised earnings estimates on Qualcomm (nasdaq: QCOM - news - people ), predicting that the stock will outperform the market by 20% to 30% over the next 12 months due to increasing competition among handset carriers.
"We believe that increasing competition among the carriers will lead to higher subsidies this holiday season and several major carriers have started to prepare for this eventuality," said S.G. Cowen.
By the end of 2005, the firm expects to see a larger variety of 3G handsets and the first $200 WCDMA [wideband code division multiple access] phones. In early 2006, it believes there could be a number of catalysts that drive Qualcomm shares higher, including DoCoMo starting to sell WCDMA handsets containing Qualcomm silicon, Nokia's (nyse: NOK - news - people ) introduction of a sub-$50 CDMA handset for the emerging markets, and China's restructuring of its carriers and granting of 3G licenses.
S.G. Cowen raised its fiscal 2005 estimate on Qualcomm to earnings of $1.16 per share on revenue of $5.655 billion, up from earnings of $1.15 per share on revenue of $5.601 billion. The research firm maintained the fiscal 2006 earnings per share estimate of $1.56 but raised its revenue estimate for that year to $7.074 billion from $7.054 billion.
"We believe that Qualcomm should be a core holding as it is one of the highest quality large-cap technology companies and is poised to grow substantially over the next three to five years as a result of significant growth in the WCDMA market," said the firm.
QCOM: To Present At 9th Annual Telecosm Conference @ 22:00 ET
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20050927\ACQKNB200509272017KNOBIAS_NEWS____20....
Company representatives of QUALCOMM Incorporated (NasdaqNM: QCOM) will be presenting at the 9th Annual Gilder/Forbes Telecosm Conference today. The Company's presentation is scheduled to begin at 22:00 ET.
Expected Speaker(s):
Klein Gilhousen, SVP
Misc Releated Info:
** Original Confirmation
** Conference Information:
9th Annual Gilder/Forbes Telecosm Conference
The event will feature presentations by the senior management of leading companies in the computers, telecommunications, and miscellaneous electronic technology industries.
Conference Dates: 09/26/2005-09/28/2005
The Resort at Squaw Creek Lake Tahoe
Olympic Way, CA
http://www.gildertech.com/public/conferences.html
I am not a T/A guy, but I believe Q will get to 50 or more by Dec 05.
BREAKOUT WATCH for possible breakout above 45.06, no resistance in area just above.
Type: Continuation breakout from single resistance.
Target: 47.3, 5.8% Stop: 44.19, Loss: 1.2%, Profit/Loss ratio: 4.8 : 1 - Excellent
from Nasdaq Stock consultant:
http://quotes.nasdaq.com/quote.dll?mode=stock&page=multi&symbol=qcom&symbol=&symbol=...
then click on stock consultant
Assessing WiMAX Possibilities
By Johnson, Emmy
Fixed versions are about to deploy, while mobile specs are nearly complete.
http://www.rednova.com/news/technology/253710/assessing_wimax_possibilities/index.html?source=r_tech....
To many people, WiMAX already means portable wireless broadband service-sort of a bigger, better Wi-Fi. There's an element of truth in that characterization, because WiMAX (short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and the nickname for the IEEE's 802.16 metropolitan wireless standards), will be able to reach farther and achieve higher throughputs than Wi-Fi (for Wireless Fidelity, the nickname for the IEEE's 802.11 wireless LAN specifications).
But certified WiMAX components, products and networks aren't here yet, and the portable version is a year or two behind the fixed version. Fixed WiMAX, officially known as 802.16-2004, was ratified last year by the IEEE, and certification is getting under way. The WiMAX Forum, a vendor coalition devoted to boosting 802.16's prospects, will begin certifying radios in the 3.5 GHz frequency-a choice driven by global market considerations-in 3Q05, with deployments of certified gear beginning early in 2006. Certification for radios serving other frequencies-including the unlicensed 5.8 GHz and the licensed 2.5 GHz, both more applicable than 3.5GHz in North American markets-will follow in the first half of 2006.
For mobile WiMAX, officially 802.16e, carriers and consumers could be waiting until 2007 or longer for certified equipment. The IEEE expects to ratify the 802.16e standard by the end of 2005, with chips coming to market in 2006, certification beginning late 2006 and commercial production in 2007. We expect 2008 to be the first year for significant commercial deployments. It is likely that first- generation 802.16e equipment will be portable, with mobility following in subsequent generations. (Mobile means being able to stay connected as you move about, from one cell to another, at a relatively high rate of speed.)
The Korean WiBro Standard, which is very similar to and will interoperate with 802.16e, is further along than 802.16e, with equipment expected for the Korean market in 2006. Meanwhile, carriers around the world are using additional high-speed wireless data options as well. These include the incremental 3G data additions, such as High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and Evolution Data Only/Optimized (EV-DO), as well as higher-capacity versions of 802.11 (also see "Distance Limits to Rule Wireless for the Next Five Years," p. 54).
For example, both Sprint and Verizon Wireless are rolling out EV- DO-based services in "dozens" of cities, while Cingular Wireless plans to deploy HSDPA in "15 to 20" markets this year.
Pre-WiMAX Rollouts Begin
Carriers are hedging their bets partly to avoid tying themselves exclusively, or too soon, to just one of these technologies, and partly in response to the regulatory issues and spectrum allocation concerns that overhang the market. Many do not consider fixed WiMAX a disruptive technology, but they see portable-and even better, mobile-802.16e as the real killer technology.
The WiMAX Forum has set an aggressive timetable for the completion, testing and rollout of 802.16e, and most industry participants acknowledge the technical superiority of 802.16e's OFDM technology to the competing options, but the competing technologies are ahead in terms of development and deployment.
That said, trials with equipment based on precertified, fixed 802.16-2004 WiMAX are under way with carriers including Altitude Telecom in France and Iberbanda in Spain. Both operators are building networks using gear from Alvarion, with Iberbanda also using equipment from Aperto Networks. France Telecom also is trialing pre-WiMAX solutions using equipment from Redline, Aperto, and Alvarion for 3.5 GHz trials in three cities across France.
Most incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) in the U.S. are trialing pre-WiMAX gear, although few providers have made it public (see "BellSouth Launches Portable Wireless Broadband," p. 55.) In June, AT&T briefly announced a pre-WiMAX trial in Atlanta; and at the end of June, Sprint announced a joint technology trial with Motorola focusing on mobile pre-WiMAX that will last into 2006.
On a smaller scale, Clearwire, a company created by Craig McCaw and recently backed with funds from Intel, has been steadily rolling out WiMAX-like gear for commercial deployments across the U.S., using gear from another McCaw company, NextNet. Cities include Jacksonville FL, Midland, TX, Modesto, CA and St. Cloud, MN, among others.
Drivers and Drawbacks
Although WiMAX proponents clearly want to follow in Wi-Fi's footsteps, in terms of gaining visibility and consumer acceptance for WiMAX, they don't want the rapid declines in margins that are typically associated with mass-market commercialization.
Off-the-shelf WiMAX-compliant ASICs have been available since mid 2005, and were pending certification in August. These chips will help radio vendors quickly drive down the price of WiMAX CPE and, to a lesser extent, operator base stations. Off-the-shelf, interoperable ASICs also will reduce operator risk and let operators choose among multiple CPE suppliers.
These developments will help make WiMAX equipment more affordable and the ROI much quicker for carriers offering WiMAX services. Low- priced portability and, eventually, mobility will drive customer demand. We believe WiMAX CPE prices, especially integrated devices with smaller form factors, could fall below $100 within the next five years.
Intel has led the way, in terms of WiMAX marketing, and has put wireless broadband on the map. Intel hopes that its WiMAX platform, based on the PRO/Wireless 5116 SoC (once known as its Rosedale chip) will mimic its very successful mobile Wi-Fi platform, built on the Centrino chip.
Other chip players active in driving WiMAX technical developments include Fujitsu, Sequans Communications, PicoChip and Wavesat, among others. Fujitsu has developed a Statement of Concept (SoC) based on Wi-LAN's OFDM WiMAX technology, and launched a single-chip solution integrating the PHY and MAC in April 2005.
Base station prices probably will not fall as quickly as those of CPE, for several reasons. Equipment suppliers will have to meet carrier standards (e.g., NEBS) and additional hardware, software and integration will be required to support mobility and hand-off features. As the number of WiMAX subscribers increases in a given coverage area, carriers will need to add sectors to their existing base station equipment to support them. We believe the larger margins associated with WiMAX base station equipment explain why heavy hitters like Alcatel and Siemens have stepped into the WiMAX market.
One way for vendors to streamline wireless integration is to develop hand-off and unified management capabilities for the different technologies. Already the IEEE standard includes a roadmap that combines WiMAX and WiFi into one seamless system-but imagine if base stations, platforms or towers could host multiple types of radios and manage handoffs among the different media. Then operators could select 3G, HSDPA, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, GSM and other wireless platforms based on capacity requirements and services for their customers, while sharing elements of the network infrastructure.
For example, in urban areas or business parks, higher-capacity technologies like WiMAX might be deployed, and as the user moves toward the edge of town, they would be seamlessly switched over to a 3G or GSM network. Motorola may be headed this direction as its Canopy line of wireless broadband gear is evolving to comply with the WiMAX standard. Furthermore, with the recent corporate reorganization, Canopy is now part of Motorola's Networking Division- the same division that offers CDMA and GSM solutions.
With the large, traditional carrier suppliers like Siemens, Alcatel, Ericsson and Lucent entering the market, vendor consolidation will surely follow. For example, we fully expect Cisco to enter the space through acquisition. However, being burned by wireless broadband once, they may wait until further assurance of success emerges. Once this happens, we believe they will acquire, in true Cisco fashion, one of the top players.
Not The Only Game In Town
Among the wireless broadband startups, a handful have already arrived where WiMAX hopes to be in five years. Companies like Flarion, IPWireless, ArrayComm, and Navini have been shipping technology that offers WiMAX-type capacity and reach today with the advantage of portability and in some cases mobility.
The catch? They are mostly proprietary, although IPWireless and Navini are based on Qualcomm's CDMA technology, with Navini promising an upgrade path to WiMAX 802.16e. Cellular equipment manufacturers such as Alcatel, Nokia, Ericsson, Lucent and Siemens have joined the game, exploring ways to offer some type of nomadic or mobile broadband Internet access.
Nextel's very public 1.9 GHz trial with Flarion in 2004 in Raleigh, NC, appeared to be a success on all fronts, with Nextel representatives joking at the recent WCA conference in Washington, DC that the users in the trial are staging a small revolt now that their equipment is being taken away and the network is being shut down. Despite Nextel's rave reviews on the trial and an investment in Flarion, Nextel pulled the plug shortly af\ter its announced merger with Sprint in December 2004.
Other trials using Flarion include Aloha Networks in the 700 MHz band in Arizona and Cellular One in Amarillo, TX in 1.9 GHz.
Following its trial of Flarion in June, Nextel announced a trial with IPWireless, a CDMA TDD based technology in its 2.5 GHz spectrum in the Washington DC area, including the surrounding cities of Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA; Reston, VA and Bethesda, MD. The trial is scheduled to start in 3Q05 and will run for at least six months. The Sprint/Nextel merger creates a nationwide swath of 2.5 GHz spectrum that is ideal for nomadic or mobile broadband.
In addition, BellSouth also is jumping into the game. After years of trialing Navini's gear, BellSouth will commercially launch a 2.6 GHz network in August 2005, rolling out its "FastAccess" portable service in Athens, GA (see "BellSouth Launches Portable Wireless Broadband".)
Conclusion
Everyone lauds the concept of portable wireless broadband, with its newer generation of lowercost, more intelligent technology, its wide industry support, and standards such as WiMAX. Nevertheless, there is still an element of uncertainty. The technology has been hyped excessively, and it remains to be seen if, when and how the projected timelines can be met, and whether the networks can scale as promised. However, we are betting on its success and see the global market for WiMAX exceeding $1 billion in five years
Companies Mentioned In This Article
Alcatel (www.alcatel.com)
Aloha Networks (www.alohanet.com)
Altitude Telecom (www.altitudetelecom.fr)
Alvarion (www.alvarion.com)
Aperto Networks (www.apertonet.com)
ArrayComm (www.arraycomm.com)
AT&T (www.att.com)
BellSouth (www.bellsouth.com)
Cellular One Amarillo (www.cell1amarillo.net)
Cingular Wireless (www.cingular.com)
Cisco Systems (www.cisco.com)
Clearwire (www.clearwire.com)
Ericsson (www.ericsson.com)
Flarion Technologies (www.flarion.com)
Fujitsu (www.fujitsu.com)
Iberbanda (www.iberbanda.es)
Intel (www.intel.com)
IP Wireless (www.ipwireless.com)
Lucent (www.lucent.com)
Motorola (www.motorola.com)
Navini Networks (www.navini.com)
Nextel (www.nextel.com)
NextNet (www.nextnetwireless.com)
Nokia (www.nokia.com)
PicoChip (www.picochip.com)
Qualcomm (www.qualcomm.com)
Redline Communications (www.redlinecommunications.com)
Sequans Communications (www.sequans.com)
Siemens (www.siemens.com)
Sprint (www.sprint.com)
Unwired (www.unwired.com.au)
Wavesat (www.wavesat.com)
WiMAX Forum (www.wimaxforum.org)
Distance Limits To Rule Wireless For The Next Five Years
FIGURE A Five-Year View Of Wireless Data Standards
Wireless technologies historically have been crafted to perform voice or data (not both), at specific frequencies over specific distances. For the next five years, we believe this will continue, with TDM dominating cellular voice, while Wi-Fi will be used for LAN data and WiMAX for fixed broadband data access, with gradual growth of WiMAX for carrier IP backhaul and mobile/portable IP broadband for consumer portable data downloads. During this same time, 3G will start to roll out, offering services that include both voice and high-speed data downloads that do not require broadband capacity.
Figure A focuses on wireless data services, from the personal area network (PAN) to the wide area network (WAN), because mixed voice and data devices still do not perform as well at either task as the devices meant for each. Also, there are still a number of technical issues with voice over IP (VOIP) on wireless.
Only when VOIP truly becomes integrated into the common carrier networks, at scale, will we also begin to see seamless wireless voice and data technologieS
BellSouth Launches Portable Wireless Broadband
With the launch of its FastAccess portable service in Athens, GA, BellSouth becomes the first ILEC to commercially roll out wireless broadband technology in the U.S. since newer-generation-non-line-of- sight (NLOS) technology has become available. BellSouth is the spectrum holder of 2.3 GHz and 2.5/2.6 GHz licenses across the Southeast, and plans subsequent rollouts in Florida.
The service is scheduled to begin in Athens this month, targeting the college town's nomadic population of students. BellSouth has found that many students do not sign up for telephone service, effectively eliminating these students from the DSL market. By offering wireless service that can follow students from apartment to apartment, BellSouth believes that they have hit upon a strategic plan of capturing this highly mobile and technology savvy demographic.
Subscribers will even be able to suspend service for up to three months (e.g., over summer breaks), without incurring fees. Prices will be comparable to DSL, with two different service levels available. Speeds range from 1.5 Mbps down/384 kbps up to 384 kbps down/128 kbps up. Subscribers will receive a plug-and-play modem in the mail within three days of order.
BellSouth is not targeting fully mobile data applications, leaving that to its Cingular affiliate; however, the value-add of nomadic or portable data is very appealing, and equipment prices are reaching a point that creates a compelling business case.
Although Navini, BellSouth's supplier, does offer a PCMCIA card, BellSouth is opting for a standalone modem for optimum range and capacity. Unwired, an Australian service operator, has been offering wireless data services in the Sydney area for the last year using Navini gear, and has been pleasantly surprised by the traction of wireless broadband, even among subscribers that have a choice between DSL and wireless broadband. BellSouth hopes to see the same reception from the folks in the Athens area
Other high-speed wireless solutions, like EV-DO and HSDPA, are ahead of WIMAX in development and in deployment
Emmy Johnson is founder and principal analyst at the wireless research firm Sky Light Research. She can be contacted at Emmy@SkyLightResearch. com.
Copyright Business Communications Review Sep 2005
Source: Business Communications Review
IEK: Global WCDMA handset shipments to reach 53.2 million units in 2005
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050928AA058.html
Global shipments of 3G-enabled WCDMA handsets are expected to reach 53.2 million units in 2005 and expand to 100 million in 2006, up from the 17.9 million shipped in 2004, according to projections by Taiwan's Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) of the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).
A total of 186 WCDMA handsets have been launched by 26 vendors worldwide by the first half of this year, with NEC topping all vendors in unit sales with a 20% share of the global WCDMA market, followed by Nokia (14%), Motorola (13%), LG Electronics (13%) and Panasonic Mobile Communications (10%), IEK stated.
In addition, global subscribers of WCDMA services totaled 28.3 million by the end of June, with NTT DoCoMo, Hutchison and Vodafone taking up a combined share of 93.3% , IEK noted, adding that NTT DoCoMo has over 14 million subscribers in the Japan market alone, while Hutchison has over 10 million subscribers worldwide.
QUALCOMM Incorporated Extends Stockholders Rights Agreement
Tuesday September 27, 4:54 pm ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050927/latu141.html?.v=8
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), a leading developer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, today announced that its Board of Directors has amended its Stockholder Rights Agreement to extend it through September 25, 2015. In addition, the Board adjusted the exercise price of the Stockholder Rights, added a requirement that a committee of independent directors annually evaluate the Rights Agreement (a so-called "Independent Director Evaluation" provision) and made certain other technical changes.
QUALCOMM's Board and Governance Committee are committed to best practices in corporate governance and the independent Governance Committee already reviews the Company's charter provisions and other anti-takeover measures annually to assure the terms are in the best interests of stockholders. The Board unanimously approved the extension of the Rights Agreement as an effective means to guard against the potential use of coercive takeover tactics designed to gain control of QUALCOMM without paying full and fair value to all stockholders.
The Stockholder Rights, as amended, represent the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of QUALCOMM's Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock at $180 per Right and become exercisable when a person or group acquires 15% or more of QUALCOMM's Common Stock without prior Board approval. In that event, the Rights permit QUALCOMM stockholders, other than the acquiror, to purchase QUALCOMM Common Stock having a market value of twice the exercise price of the Rights, in lieu of the Preferred Stock. Alternatively, when the Rights become exercisable, the Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of one share of QUALCOMM Common Stock in exchange for each Right that is then exercisable. In addition, in the event of certain business combinations, the Rights permit the purchase of the Common Stock of an acquiror at a 50% discount. Rights held by the acquiror will become null and void in each case. Prior to a person or group acquiring 15%, the Rights can be redeemed for $0.001 each by action of the Board.
To view a question and answer document related to this release, please visit www.qualcomm.com/ir/. A more complete summary of the terms of the Rights Agreement and respective definitive documents will be filed with the SEC on a Form 8-K.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2005 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
QUALCOMM Contact:
Bill Davidson
Vice President, Investor Relations
1-(858) 658-4813 (ph) 1-(858) 651-9303 (fax)
e-mail: ir@qualcomm.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
Qualcomm sees 2006 European, Asian mobile TV trials
Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:15 PM ET
By Sinead Carew
http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuoteCompanyNewsArticle.jhtml?duid=mtfh91206_2005-09-28_02-15-28_n27....
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) expects to run tests of live television over mobile phone networks in Europe and Asia next year, with potential commercial services in 2007, a company executive said on Tuesday.
The supplier of the core wireless chip technology for mobile phones is on track to introduce mobile TV based on its MediaFlo technology in several large U.S. cities in October next year, Qualcomm engineering executive Rob Chandhok said.
Video and music are expected to be the next hot features for mobile phones as wireless providers deliver new services to help them boost revenue as prices of conventional voice calls drop and the number of potential new users shrinks.
Qualcomm has long dominated the market for chips based on CDMA, the biggest U.S. standard for mobile phone technology. It is looking to expand this lead into advanced technologies such as mobile TV.
In Europe, where Qualcomm is only starting to make inroads with its wireless communications chips and technology, Chandhok said both TV broadcasters and wireless network operators were showing a strong interest in its MediaFlo technology.
"We have been pulled into Europe more than we've pushed," said Chandhok at a wireless conference in San Francisco, where he demonstrated the technology on a prototype cellphone.
Chandhok said he expected multiple European trials in 2006 with some commercial services in 2007. He also expects companies in Asia to start trials of the technology next year. He declined to name potential customers.
Qualcomm is hoping to stoke demand for its TV broadcast technology by investing $800 million to build a nationwide U.S. network and it expects to sell the service through at least one existing wireless service provider.
"We are not concerned about having at least one wireless operator to launch with" in October 2006, Chandhok said.
The top three U.S. wireless providers already offer video clips to their customers.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
QCOM: To Present At Mobile Entertainment Conference @ 19:00 ET
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20050926\ACQKNB200509261717KNOBIAS_NEWS____20....
Company representatives of QUALCOMM Incorporated (NasdaqNM: QCOM) will be presenting at the 8th Mobile Entertainment Summit today. The Company's presentation is scheduled to begin at 19:00 ET.
Misc Releated Info:
** Original Confirmation
** Conference Information:
8th Mobile Entertainment Summit
The event will feature presentations by the senior management of leading companies in the media & entertainment, computers, and telecommunications industries.
Conference Dates: 09/26/2005-09/26/2005
Nob Hill Masonic Center 9/26 1111 California Street
San Francisco, CA
http://www.ihollywoodforum.com/MESFALL2005.htm
QUALCOMM Showcases Leading 3G CDMA Mobile Entertainment and Enterprise Solutions
Tuesday September 27, 7:30 am ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050927/latu003.html?.v=25
SAN FRANCISCO, Wireless I.T. Booth #439, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - - QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), a leading developer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, today announced it will demonstrate a host of innovative third-generation (3G) wireless products and solutions during CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2005 in San Francisco. QUALCOMM's 3G-based multimedia technology solutions represent the Company's strategy of advancing and growing the range of applications and services for mobile entertainment and information access, including 3D gaming, video camcorder capabilities and position location. QUALCOMM will showcase its 3G solutions from Sept. 27-29 in booth 439 at San Francisco's Moscone Center.
ADVERTISEMENT
Also, at a private reception this evening, QUALCOMM will reveal the third annual 3G A-List(TM) Awards winners. The awards honor the most innovative wireless data deployments based on 3G CDMA2000® 1X or 1xEV-DO technology. This year the number of nominees using 1xEV-DO technology quadrupled, indicative of its growing adoption in the enterprise.
"Today more than 270 million cdmaOne, CDMA2000 and WCDMA subscribers worldwide depend on reliable voice communications and leading-edge data services," said Jeffrey K. Belk, senior vice president of marketing for QUALCOMM. "Our booth presence showcases how QUALCOMM and its partners are working together to drive the competitive landscape as the convergence of mobile wireless, computing and consumer electronics continues to simplify and enrich the lives of consumers."
QUALCOMM's highly integrated chipset solutions, including high-speed video downloads, video playback and advanced 3D gaming capabilities will be available for show attendees to experience first-hand on some of the commercial handsets powered by the Company's Enhanced Multimedia Platform chipsets and Launchpad(TM) suite of integrated applications. QUALCOMM will highlight the world's most broadly deployed position-location technology for mobile devices, QUALCOMM's gpsOne®. The Company's gpsOne technology is integrated into select Mobile Station Modem(TM) (MSM(TM)) chipsets, enabling cost-effective location-enhanced handsets that provide unsurpassed performance and capabilities that support a wide range of applications -- from turn-by-turn navigation and fleet management to local directory services.
BREW developers Gameloft, Inetcam, Intellisync, JAMDAT, Networks in Motion and Novarra will be featured in the BREW Pavilion section of the QUALCOMM booth. Visitors to the booth will see high-quality 3D mobile games developed for the BREW solution and demonstrated on advanced 3G handsets which incorporate QUALCOMM's Multimedia Platform chipset. Also showcased will be demonstrations of an interactive BREW Zone Web site, retail cards, SMS codes, and barcode scanner applications, the BREW for Business Enterprise Portal Web site, and the uiOne delivery system.
QUALCOMM will also conduct a live demonstration of its FLO(TM) (Forward Link Only) Technology, featuring over-the-air delivery and viewing of wireless multimedia content on a form factor accurate (FFA) handset. FLO Technology is part of the MediaFLO(TM) System, a comprehensive end-to-end solution that simultaneously and cost-effectively delivers unprecedented volumes of high-quality, audio and video multimedia, streaming or clipped to wireless subscribers. The MediaFLO System is designed to provide an economical delivery solution for streaming high-quality content to millions of subscribers. The MediaFLO System delivers QVGA quality video at up to 30 frames per second and is the foundation for MediaFLO USA's multicast network. The multicast network is capable of delivering a combination of up to 20 streaming content channels, 10 streaming audio channels and up to 800 minutes of Clipcast(TM) (short format) content in addition to numerous datacast services.
In addition to the booth demonstrations, QUALCOMM executives will share their industry expertise during the following sessions:
* Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 2004, "Mobile Multi-player
Games -- What Will They Be? How Do We Get There?" Aaron Bernstein,
senior product manager with the Gaming Group for QUALCOMM Internet
Services
* Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 2:25 p.m. in Room 2004, "Video: Critical Issues
in Developing the Mobile TV Market," Rob Chandhok, vice president of
engineering and market development for MediaFLO
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2005 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
QUALCOMM, BREW and gpsOne are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. cdmaOne, Clipcast, 3G A-List Awards, Mobile Station Modem, MSM, Launchpad, MediaFLO and FLO are trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
QUALCOMM Contacts:
Jeremy James, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-7333
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com
or
Bill Davidson, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
QUALCOMM Conducts First Live Demonstration of FLO Technology on a Wireless Handset
Tuesday September 27, 7:30 am ET
- Demonstration Showcases FLO Technology's Superior Wireless Multimedia User Experience -
Wireless I.T. Booth #439
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050927/latu052.html?.v=28
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), a leading developer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, today announced the first live, over-the-air demonstration of FLO(TM) (Forward Link Only) Technology delivered to a wireless handset. FLO Technology, a multicast innovation and key component of the MediaFLO(TM) System, is an air-interface technology designed to increase capacity and coverage and reduce cost for multimedia content delivery to mobile handsets. The demonstration will feature over-the-air delivery and viewing of multiple channels of wireless multimedia content, both streaming video and multicast packet data on a form factor accurate (FFA) handset. The demonstration will take place during CTIA I.T. & Entertainment 2005, Sept. 27-29, in the QUALCOMM Booth #439.
Engineered specifically for the mobile environment, FLO Technology offers several advantages over other OFDM-based mobile multicast technologies, including higher-quality video and audio, faster channel switching time, superior mobile reception, optimized power consumption and greater capacity than other multicast technologies. Specific performance features of FLO Technology include:
* Support for at least 20 streaming channels of QVGA (240x320 pixels)
quality video at 30 frames per second, 10 stereo audio channels
(HE AAC+ parametric stereo) and more than 800 minutes of stored,
short-format video clips called Clipcasting(TM)
* Low power consumption, 4 hours of viewing time on a standard 850 mAh
battery, without unacceptable degradation to talk or standby time
* An average channel switching time of 1.5 seconds without buffering or
progress bars
"FLO Technology was designed from the ground up specifically for mobility, therefore users won't have to substitute video quality for power consumption or coverage for cost," said Jeff Lorbeck, senior vice president for QUALCOMM MediaFLO Technologies and general manager for MediaFLO USA, Inc. "Competing technologies, especially those developed from pre-existing terrestrial standards, can't promise the simultaneous user benefits that FLO offers. This demonstration showcases how FLO Technology can deliver the best user experience for the mobile subscriber and we look forward to continuing to work with our technology partners in bringing successful wireless multimedia services to market and into the hands of consumers."
"Network coverage, cost of service and content options will all be critical factors in the success of mobile multimedia services," said Linda Barrabee, senior analyst at Yankee Group. "The winners in this space will ultimately be the services and technology providers that deliver all of these things while still offering high-quality audio and video viewing that is easy to use and compelling to the mobile user."
FLO Technology is independent of the cellular network but complements CDMA2000® 1X, 1xEV-DO and WCDMA cellular network data and voice services. In July, 17 leading companies from around the world spanning the entire wireless multimedia value chain joined together to announce the creation of the FLO Forum www.floforum.org, an organization responsible for promoting the global standardization of FLO Technology. Through the FLO Forum's efforts, FLO Technology specifications will be open and available to a wide range of technology providers and equipment and handset manufacturers.
The MediaFLO System is an end-to-end solution that enables multicasting of high-quality video, audio streams, Clipcast media, and IP data-casting. The MediaFLO System is comprised of the MediaFLO Media Distribution System (MDS) and FLO Technology. The MediaFLO System is a manageable, scalable, subscription-based distribution system and an efficient over-the-air network solution that provides wireless operators a way to cost-effectively deliver the high-quality audio and video content their subscribers desire. More information about FLO Technology and the MediaFLO system is available at www.mediaflo.com.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2005 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA and the MediaFLO System are deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2004, and most recent Form 10-Q.
QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. MediaFLO, FLO and Clipcasting are trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
QUALCOMM Contacts:
Cheryl Schwarzman, MediaFLO
Phone: 1-858-651-6276
Email: mediaflo_pr@qualcomm.com
or
Jeremy James, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-7333
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com
or
Bill Davidson, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
I like the word "Charlatans", you used it well, thank you!
This is a JOKE, who the hell is this RBC Capital Markets raising their estimate to $36 when the market price is about $45?
http://www.newratings.com/analyst_news/article_1033516.html
Qualcomm "sector perform," estimates raised
Monday, September 26, 2005 10:00:29 AM ET
RBC Capital Markets
NEW YORK, September 26 (newratings.com) - Analysts at RBC Capital Markets maintain their "sector perform" rating on Qualcomm (QCOM.NAS), while raising their estimates for the company. The target price is set to $36.
In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that Qualcomm has revised its revenue and EPS guidance for the September quarter upward, in the wake of the continued strength in the WCDMA market. The revised guidance reflects increased MSM chipsets shipments, the analysts add. The EPS estimates for FY05 and FY06 have been raised from $1.14 to $1.17 and from $1.44 to $1.47, respectively.
Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi for Phones
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=13706&hed=Qualcomm%E2%80%99s+Wi-Fi+for+Phones§o...
Qualcomm is integrating Wi-Fi functionality into its chipsets so cell phones can use wireless LANs.
September 23, 2005
Qualcomm launched chipsets on Friday that will give cell phone users access to Wi-Fi networks so they can make VoIP calls over the Internet and simultaneously transfer data and run web-based applications.
The company’s Mobile Station Modem chipsets will support a wireless local area network (WLAN) module from Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands to offer connections to Wi-Fi networks that support the 802.11b and 802.11g standards.
Cell phones are increasingly competing with portable devices and notebooks equipped with Wi-Fi chips as ways to access the Internet wirelessly. Uniting the two could provide a way for cell phone makers to break into this market, as well as the growing market for VoIP calls.
“Our work with Philips helps us to address the demand for additional functionality in mobile devices,” said Mike Concannon, vice president of strategic products for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “This strategic relationship delivers a number of new possibilities, which we look forward to making a reality.”
Shares of Qualcomm rose $0.45 to $44.45 in recent trading.
Standards Brew
The chipsets will also give cell phone users access to Qualcomm’s code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile phone technology and support high-speed 2.5G and 3G (third-generation) variations such as CDMA2000 and wideband CDMA (WCDMA), also known as universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS).
The combination of Qualcomm with Philips enables the chipsets to support the wide array of standards.
“We are pleased that Qualcomm has chosen Philips’ WLAN solution to help meet the growing demand for greater connectivity in mobile devices,” said Paul Marino, general manager of connectivity at Philips Semiconductors.
The chipset will allow mobile phones to employ Wi-Fi technology to connect at speeds up to 54 megabits per second. The broadband capabilities are scheduled to be available by the end of the year.
Qualcomm did not state when mobile phones will be available that use the chipset, or which phone makers will offer the technology.
Qualcomm owns numerous patents on CDMA technology. Phone makers that sell phones that run over CDMA networks, such as Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sanyo, and Kyocera, need to license the technology from Qualcomm as do wireless carriers such as Sprint Nextel and Verizon Communications.
Those licensing fees could rise if the phone makers and networks decide to leverage the new capabilities. Wireless carriers may also hesitate to surrender any business to the VoIP networks they compete against, unless they can work out a way to charge for the VoIP calls as well.
Nevertheless, the combination of high-speed Internet access and cellular service could provide a powerful incentive for phone makers and carriers to start putting the new chips into their products.
Korea is Emerging as the Leading Global Testbed For WiBro, and By Extension, WiMAX
Friday September 23, 11:45 am ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050923/235302.html?.v=1
DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2005--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24740) has announced the addition of In Search of 4G: The Development of Korea''s WiBro to their offering.
Current status and possible future development of WiBro in Korea; Korean and international companies involved in WiBro; WiBro subscriber forecasts; comparison of WiBro with other mobile communications services in Korea; analysis of future coexistence between WiBro and other services.
The Korean government and communications industry have invested significant amounts of resources and effort into WiBro since 2002 in order to ensure the industry's continued development and to overcome the fact Korea lacks core patents in other communications fields. More aggressive than any other nation in the promotion of metropolitan area networking, Korea is emerging as the leading global testbed for WiBro, and by extension, WiMAX. However, competing technologies as well as the characteristics of the nation's domestic market may pose a challenge to WiBro development. At the same time, Korean players are working hard to strike a balance between control of core patents and the added exposure and development momentum that cooperation with international heavyweights provides.
Companies Mentioned:
Ace Tech
Agilent
Air Broadband
C&S Microwave
Eastele Systems
Etoos
ETRI
Hanaro
Intel
KISDI
KT
KT Freetel
KTF
KTH
KTN
LG
Ministry of Information and Communication
Neo Telecom
Nortel
Orthotron
Pantech
Posdata
Qualcomm
Samsung
Siemens
SK Communication
SK Telecom
SK Telelink
SK Telesys
Solid Technologies
TTA
TU Media
YBM
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24740
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Fax: +353 1 4100 980
Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Research and Markets Ltd.
Qualcomm To Integrate Wi-Fi Into 3G Phones
September 23, 2005
http://www.advancedippipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=171200151
By Mobile Pipeline Staff Courtesy of Mobile Pipeline
Qualcomm, which develops chipsets for mobile phones, said Friday it plans to integrate Wi-Fi capabilities into chipsets to be used on 3G phones.
Specifically, the company said it would integrate Wi-Fi technology developed by Philips into its Mobile Station Modem chipsets. Phones that use those chipsets will support both the W-CDMA and CDMA2000 flavors of 3G cellular data as well as 802.11g and 802.11b wireless LANs.
Converging the two technologies enables data or voice calls to be placed over cellular networks and wireless LANs. The Wi-Fi-enabled chipsets are expected to be available to handset manufacturers by the end of 2005, Qualcomm said ina statement.
What do you think of these assumptions? 3 Billion phones sold in 2010?
Probably. Please see link below:
http://www.qualcomm.com/ir/PDF/sj_bofa092105_final.pdf
Worldwide wireless subscribers growth from new and existing market:
CY 04 Global penetration 1.8 Billions
CY 07 Global penetration 2.5 Billions
CY 09 Global penetration 2.8 Billions
Qualcomm Could Grow EPS Ahead Of Global Peers
Maya Roney, 09.22.05, 10:23 AM ET
http://www.forbes.com/markets/2005/09/22/qualcomm-wireless-telecommunications-0922markets04.html?par....
Credit Suisse First Boston raised earnings estimates for Qualcomm (nasdaq: QCOM - news - people ) and reiterated an "outperform" rating and $50 price target on the company.
"We expect WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) adoption to accelerate in 2006 and continue to expect Qualcomm to achieve revenue and earnings-per-share growth substantially in excess of the global handset market," said the firm.
Qualcomm increased its fourth-quarter and fiscal 2005 guidance Wednesday due primarily to better-than-expected third-quarter CDMA and WCDMA handset shipments.
Following the announcement, CSFB raised Qualcomm's fiscal 2005 estimate to earnings of $1.17 per share on revenue of $5.7 billion, up from earnings of $1.14 per share on revenue of $5.6 billion. The research firm raised the fiscal 2006 estimate to earnings of $1.47 per share on revenue of $6.9 billion, up from earnings of $1.45 per share on revenue of $6.8 billion.
"At 29 times calendar 2006 EPS estimates, we believe [share] valuation is compelling, particularly relative to its historical trading range," said the firm. "We therefore view this as an attractive entry point and would expect to see more evidence of a late 2005 3G ramp in Europe over the next few months, given improved handset offerings planned for the holiday season and Vodafone's (nyse: VOD - news - people ) recent optimism towards broader adoption in the near term."
S. KOREAN FIRMS PAY QUALCOMM $US1.43BLN IN ROYALTIES
Thursday September 22, 2005, 11:14 am
http://au.biz.yahoo.com/050922/17/9rqj.html
SEOUL, Sept. 22 Asia Pulse - Qualcomm Inc., a United States developer of wireless communication technology, had collected a total 1.48 trillion won (US$1.43 billion) in mobile phone royalties from South Korean handset manufacturers between 2002 and 2004, a government report showed Thursday.
Royalties earned by Qualcomm, which holds the core technology used in code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile phones, from South Korean companies including Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. stood at 536.1 billion won in 2004, compared with 524.5 billion won in 2003 and 420.2 billion won in 2002, the Ministry of Information and Communication said in the report.
The report was submitted to ruling Uri Party lawmaker Seo Hae-seok, a member of a parliamentary committee on science, technology, information and telecommunication, as the National Assembly launched a government-wide audit on the same day.
While Qualcomm developed the core CDMA technology, South Korean companies were the first in the world to commercialize it.
Under the agreement, Qualcomm collects 5.25 percent of revenue from local sales of CDMA handsets in royalties and 5.75 percent of CDMA export earnings from Korean manufacturers, according to people familiar with the matter.
In South Korea, home to the world's third and fourth largest handset makers, Samsung and LG, respectively, the large payment of royalties to Qualcomm has become increasingly contentious as mobile phones become more and more sophisticated.
A senior broadcasting regulator recently urged Qualcomm to resolve its royalty dispute on high-end mobile phones in South Korea to promote the nation's land-based digital television service for cellular phones.
South Korea has one of the world's most ambitious policies to introduce terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB) services, allowing users to watch crystal-clear TV programming on their mobile phones.
However, the project's business perspective remains unclear, mainly because of the higher handset prices.
"Qualcomm's royalties on mobile phones are the biggest possible obstacle to the successful takeoff of T-DMB services," Lee Hyo-sung, vice chairman of the Korea Broadcasting Commission, was quoted as saying by the Digital Times on Tuesday.
"The problem is that Qualcomm's royalties are imposed on handsets, rather than on its core CDMA technologies," Lee said.
The broadcasting regulatory officials have argued that Qualcomm needs to revise its royalties on the high-end mobile phones in a bid to lower handset prices.
Officials at Qualcomm's Korean unit were not immediately available for comment.
(Yonhap)
Standard & Poor's Equity Research reiterated a "buy" rating on Qualcomm (nasdaq: QCOM - news - people ) and raised the target price to $51 from $49.
Qualcomm Outlook Rides High On CDMA Sales
David Ng, 09.21.05, 2:24 PM ET
http://www.forbes.com/markets/emergingmarkets/2005/09/21/qualcomm-wireless-units-0921markets12.html
The research firm cited strong demand for CDMA phones and improved profitability at the wireless technology company.
Qualcomm recently raised its fiscal fourth-quarter guidance for earnings per share, sales and unit volumes. Qualcomm now anticipates pro-forma diluted earnings per share to be approximately 32 cents to 33 cents, versus previous guidance in a range of 29 cents to 31 cents.
Revenue for the quarter is now forecasted to be between $1.48 billion to $1.58 billion, versus the previous guidance of $1.43 billion to $1.53 billion
The company estimates 40 million CDMA unit shipments in the current quarter, versus S&P Equity Research's 38 million target.
The research firm raised the fiscal 2005 earnings-per-share estimate on Qualcomm to $1.17 from $1.15.
N.Y. TV Makes Way for Mobile Video
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/21/2005 6:21:00 PM
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6258999.html?display=Breaking+News
The FCC will allow WLNY-TV New York to "flash-cut" to digital-only broadcasts to make way for a wireless video service, the second such station to get permission to drop one of its signals early.
In a letter to station lawyers, the FCC said Wednesday that even though the station is technically the only one licensed to Riverhead, N.Y., the commission accepted its arguments for the switch. They included that dropping its analog signal will be "imperceptible" given the 92.2% cable penetration of the DMA and that it is moving out to help speed the transition to digital. To sweeten the pot, the station agreed to ask cable operators to convert the digital signal to analog, and agreed to supply cable MSOs with the equipment necessary to do so for the still-predominately analog cable audience.
Qualcomm, which bought WLNY's channel 55 in a government auction of the spectrum to be reclaimed after the switch to digital, says getting the channel early will allow it to deploy its MediaFLO USA video service to wireless phones. It also promised to carry local programming and "core public interest" content including news, weather and putlic affairs.
Regarding other public interest factors, the commission took into account that WLNY-TV, an independent, is not one of the top four stations in the New York and that it would be making way for new wireless services. The FCC last month approved its first so-called "flash-cut." But in that case, it allowed Paxson to turn in its digital channel in Buffalo, N.Y., and broadcast in analog-only until the official switch to digital.
Cramer's 'Mad Money Lightning Round': Qualcomm Coming On
By TheStreet.com Staff
9/21/2005 7:36 PM EDT
http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/funds/lightninground/10243821.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=FREE&....
Here's what Jim Cramer had to say about some of the stocks offered up by callers on the "Mad Money Lightning Round" Wednesday evening:
Qualcomm (QCOM:Nasdaq - commentary - research - Cramer's Take): "Did you hear the bullish stampede ... this great maker of the stuff that is inside your cell phone is just rocking. I'm issuing a 'mon back* right here."
Qualcomm's GSM hunt
By Kevin Fitchard
Sep 21, 2005 11:25 AM
http://telephonyonline.com/wireless/commentary/qualcomm_gsm_hunt_092105/
Qualcomm made an announcement yesterday that could almost be considered a tease. It named its first BREW customer in Europe, a feat it's been trying to accomplish for years. The thing is, the customer, Nordisk Mobiltelefon, is a CDMA carrier. The Holy Grail Qualcomm's looking for, its first GSM customer, is still elusive.
There's quite a lot of scuttlebutt circulating in Europe though, that Qualcomm is on the verge of a major GSM carrier win. Regardless of whether it's true, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise considering all of the work Qualcomm has put into landing a deal there. In the last year it has acquired Trigenix and Elata, a user interface firm and a content delivery platform provider respectively--both of which cater to the European GSM market. What's more, Qualcomm is quietly working on significant changes to its BREW platform--basically making BREW GSM friendly any way it can.
Who knows if Europe is ready just yet to forget about the religious zeal of the technology wars? And even if the community overall is willing to forget, there are a lot of vendors that will probably try to block the gates to the continent. But if Qualcomm can win a single major GSM carrier, there's likely little to stop BREW from proliferating throughout the world.
Contact me at kfitchard@primediabusiness.com.