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Gatortrapper, sorry if this was covered in a previous post, but where did the $1.56 reference originate from?
SS9173
I also agree the list of questions should be prioritized. I will discuss with JP, Success and others off-line from here.
SS9173
PVC, I am just as interested as everyone else at getting tough questions answered, but you and everyone else have to understand there is a limit to what Neom Mgmt will disclose until the proper time either because of SEC regulations or competitive issues.
Trust me it is far better to not blind side Management. The golden rule applies here as in all business dealings IMO.
That doesn't mean every single question we ask must be submitted in advance. But, when we have a list of 25+ questions, it is better to submit those in advance so their presentation can try to answer as many of our concerns as possible. That then minimizes the number of questions we have to ask as follow-up to their presentation.
So, in conclusion, the better Management is prepared in advance of our concerns, the better the chances we will get some of our concerns addressed.
I won't debate you further on this one...if you still disagree then well we agree to disagree. OK?
SS9173
Perhaps JP will comment when he has time, but I believe it worked out well with him submitting the questions in advance of the December shareholder meeting. I believe much of the ppt presentation content was aimed at answering the questions he submitted.
SS9173
watty56, it is at 10:00 AM. Email me at ss9173@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
SS9173
I have made arrangements to attend the June 7 shareholder meeting. If you are also planning to attend the SHM and are interested in meeting for dinner either the evening before (June 6) or for lunch after the meeting, send me a private message or email me at ss9173@yahoo.com .
Thanks,
SS9173
Chuck Jensen could just be visiting Gavitec or 12snap, both are headquartered in Germany.
SS9173
beam11, astute observation. I agree with your thoughts. EOM
DD Television Stations Are Urged to Break a Few Rules
By STUART ELLOTT
Published: April 21, 2006
THE expression "think outside the box" has been overused enough to become jargon. But for a few hours yesterday it was appropriate, as local television stations were urged to diversify beyond their boxes, i.e., TV sets, to remain relevant — and profitable — in the new digital age.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/business/media/21adco.html?ex=1303272000&en=7a85520b5ed03277&a...
WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., operates a Web site that generates more ad revenue than the site of a local newspaper. Local stations doubled their Web ad revenue last year.
"Conventional wisdom, it's an enemy at a time like this," said Beth Comstock, president for digital media and market development at NBC Universal, part of General Electric. "In media today, I don't think there is a single rule that can't — and frankly, probably shouldn't — be broken.
"This isn't just about driving growth," she added. "It's about staying in business."
Her call to action came at the annual marketing conference sponsored by the Television Bureau of Advertising, an organization that promotes broadcast TV as a medium. For the fifth year in a row, the conference was held during the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, reflecting the status of automakers atop the list of America's largest marketers.
For the first time, the conference was devoted to a single topic: the importance of the "multiplatform" — that is, offering content and advertising not only on local broadcast stations but also online, on cellphones and other wireless devices, through video on demand and on video iPods.
The sole topic was intended to underscore that "advertisers and their agencies are increasingly asking for — make that demanding — a multiplatform strategy from all their media partners," said Christopher Rohrs, president of the bureau, in a speech he gave to almost 1,200 attendees to begin the conference.
To address that, Mr. Rohrs said, the bureau has selected a dozen members to serve on a committee devoted to multiple-media platforms, which plans to hold its first meeting today. The committee members include executives from ABC, CBS, Gannett Broadcasting, Meredith Broadcasting, NBC, the New York Times Company Broadcast Media Group and Pappas Telecasting.
There are two principal reasons that TV stations are seeking to broaden their horizons. One is "consumers will increasingly choose what they want to see, when they want to see it, on whatever device they want to see it," said Alan Frank, president and chief executive at the Post-Newsweek Stations division of the Washington Post Company.
The other reason was offered by David Rehr, president and chief executive at the National Association of Broadcasters: "Every new stream of programming is potentially a new source of revenue. Most distribution channels will create more value for our content."
Those prospects were the subject of a panel discussion led by Gordon Borrell, president and chief executive at Borrell Associates, a consulting company specializing in the local online advertising market.
Mr. Borrell discussed a new report from his company showing that local television stations more than doubled their Internet ad revenue last year compared with 2004, to $283 million from $119 million. And, he predicted, the figure would climb to $410 million by the end of 2006.
But ad revenue last year for Web sites operated by local newspapers totaled $2 billion, according to the report, or more than nine times what the Web sites of the local TV stations took in.
Local television "has the power to significantly drive traffic to the Internet" by cross-promoting with the contents of station broadcasts, Mr. Borrell said, "yet it hasn't in many cases."
"You have a tremendous opportunity in front of you," he added. "All media are in flux, and flux is a great time to institute change."
As an example, Mr. Borrell cited the Web site operated by WRAL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Raleigh, N.C., that is owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company. The ad revenue for the site (www.wral.com) exceeds the ad revenue for www.newsobserver.com, the Web site operated by the leading local newspaper, The News and Observer, published by the McClatchy Company.
When it comes to capitalizing on additional methods of delivering content and ads, Mr. Borrell said, "we are where television was in the late 1950's."
That outlook was echoed by the announcement yesterday of the final figures for Internet ad revenue last year, released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The results set a record at $12.5 billion, up 30.2 percent from $9.6 billion in 2004.
"We must be like Google, in a constant beta state," said Christine M. Di Stadio, senior vice president for marketing and new media at the New York Times Broadcast Media Group. Her reference was to the myriad test products and services offered on the Google Web site.
Local stations ought to offer opportunities for social networking on their Web sites, Ms. Di Stadio suggested, to compete with popular services like MySpace; streaming video, to compete with Web sites like YouTube; and mobile marketing.
As an example, Ms. Di Stadio described a "mobile physician finder" she is developing, listing doctors and their telephone numbers. Cellphone users will be able to "click on the phone number and dial, using click-to-call technology," she said.
"Guys, we needed all these screens to come along to make us exciting and vibrant again," Ms. Di Stadio said, laughing.
Brian Wheelis, vice president and group media director on the giant AT&T account at GSD&M in Austin, Tex., part of the Omnicom Group, cautioned the attendees against worrying that they will be competing against themselves.
"If you think about the Web as cannibalizing, you've already given up and you're not ready for it," Mr. Wheelis said. He praised the Web site of KXAN, the NBC affiliate in Austin, owned by LIN TV, which offers blogs, podcasts, streaming video and other new media at www.kxan.com.
Another member of Mr. Borrell's panel, David Buonfiglio, advised local TV stations to take part in the nascent trend known as user-generated or consumer-created content, which is meant to build emotional connections between customers and brands.
Mr. Buonfiglio, vice president for local sales at Internet Broadcasting Systems, cited a contest sponsored by the Web site of WPTZ, an NBC affiliate owned by Hearst-Argyle Television that broadcasts to Burlington, Vt., and Plattsburgh, N.Y. The contest on the site (www.thechamplainchannel.com) "invited viewers to write the next commercial" for a local car dealer, Mr. Buonfiglio said, and drew twice as many entries as had been forecast.
Mr. Buonfiglio also offered some advice in a humorous vein. "You really should go out and tell agencies what you can do," he said. "Get a capabilities presentation. If you don't have capabilities, get some of them first."
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SS9173
DD VeriSign posts $78M in MoCo revenue (from fiercemoco.com email)
VeriSign's mobile content group posted $78 million in revenues for its first quarter, and while it's no shocker since the company forecasted $70 million to $75 million for the quarter, the figure is still remarkably lower than its $114 million in revenue last quarter. Part of the decrease comes from the SMS and MMS unit's move to the company's communications and commerce group, which would have added an additional $15 million in revenue for the quarter. Still, the content group said the spiral will continue next quarter, which should bring in about $65 million in revenue. After that, the company expects its acquisition of m-Qube to bolster revenue, and by the third quarter the unit should be back in shape. The conference call also made it clear that VeriSign paid about four to five times the expected 2006 net revenue of m-Qube at acquisition, which some insiders say is rather high. Deals with Verizon and at least one BREW-based MVNO should also help the company moving forward.
SS9173
DD Orange Partner Camp - May 8-10, 2006
I sent this one to headquarters this morning. Some interesting sessions and within driving distance of Ft. Myers.
http://www.orangepartner.com/site/enuk/news/events/orange_partner_camp/florida/p_partnercamp.jsp
http://www.orangepartner.com/site/enuk/news/events/orange_partner_camp/florida/p_sessions.jsp
http://www.orangepartner.com/site/enuk/news/events/orange_partner_camp/florida/p_sponsors.jsp
SS9173
DD 3G reaches 40% penetration in Japan and South Korea
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/17049.php
While it is very early days for 3G in most countries, mobile operators in Japan and South Korea have already reached 40% penetration of 3G services and they provide valuable lessons for mobile operators in other regions, according to a new report from Analysys. Mobile operators in Japan and South Korea have consistently led the world in the development of innovative mobile services and technology. They have unrivalled track records of introducing new handset capabilities and services, and they are currently the only markets to achieve mainstream adoption of services delivered by 3G networks.
"Despite the intention of Western mobile operators to develop a broader range of non-voice services, data ARPUs are still dominated by basic SMS person-to-person messaging," says Dr Alastair Brydon, co-author of the report. "In contrast, Japanese and South Korean operators generate a significant proportion of their total revenue from data services other than text messaging." The report shows how this data revenue is achieved with rich portfolios of services, including mobile Internet access, entertainment, ringtones and music, games, mobile TV and video, community portals and mobile transactions.
While Japan and South Korea have had some successes with non-voice services, the Analysys report warns against blindly following their lead. "In the race to offer new services and capabilities, operators in Japan and South Korea have sometimes failed to anticipate the full commercial implications of their actions," says Alastair Brydon. "Innovation has not always translated into strong revenue growth." Despite rapid migration from 2.5G to 3G, Japanese operators have struggled to grow overall ARPU. For example, NTT DoCoMo suffered a 15% decline in overall ARPU between 2003 and 2005.
According to co-author Dr Mark Heath, "Obsession with the latest technology and services in Japan has led to insufficient attention to more basic services, such as voice and messaging." Japan has already seen a steady decline in voice usage, exacerbated by low-priced messaging services, which encourage users to send mobile emails instead of making voice calls. With a stronger focus on voice services, South Korean operators have achieved voice usage growth and maintained voice ARPU with a range of innovative tariffs. Mark Heath adds, "Mobile messaging revenues are in terminal decline in Japan. Despite an average of over 400 mobile emails sent and received per 3G customer each month, messaging revenues in Japan lag those in markets with much lower usage. The pricing method adopted significantly under-prices messaging and other low-bandwidth services."
Lessons from the Japanese and South Korean Mobile Markets examines the development of the Japanese and Korean mobile markets in order to uncover key lessons for operators worldwide. The report considers the prospects for innovations, such as mobile credit card transactions and handsets equipped to read barcodes, and presents strategies for succeeding with 3G, multimedia services and flat-rate charging for voice and data.
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SS9173
DD Wireless Digital Wallet (from mediapost.com email I received yesterday)
It was only a matter of time before cell phones became vehicles for buying and paying for stuff. They're already the ultimate multifunction devices. We use them for talking, texting, blogging, for accessing news, watching video content, listening to music, voting for "American Idol" contestants, and who knows what else. But now, we'll be able to use cell phones to pay for entertainment content.
PayPal, a unit of Internet online auctions giant eBay, has introduced PayPal Mobile. The service allows consumers to make purchases and exchange money using wireless phones. The service conducts transactions via secure text messages.
Universal Music Group, one of the entertainment providers that's supporting the technology, plans to use PayPal Mobile to sell CDs by artists including the Pussycat Dolls, Mary J. Blige, and Daddy Yankee. MTV will use the service to sell T-shirts, DVDs, and other items from its Web store. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Bravo, and the NBA Store are weighing what items they'll make available for purchase via PayPal Mobile.
PayPal isn't the only provider working to merge the wireless/mobile world with commerce. Motorola, Obopay, TextPayMe, and Visa are all experimenting with wireless payment technologies. Visa is reportedly testing a contactless payment technology that uses radio waves to transmit transaction data. Participants in trials of the new technology can use their wireless phones to pay at restaurants, for downloading content, shopping at home via TV, and for purchasing tickets.
It all sounds freakishly futuristic, but it's not. The technology could become widely available in the next six months to a year. Now, what would really be cool is, if you could use a cell phone to pay for groceries instead of waiting in those endless queues at the store.
SS9173
beam11, yes - I did and it's in the board header.
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=10448956
SS9173
Beacs, Here's one more News Corp dot for you - courtesy of our very own St. Andrew - posted by him on 10/11/05:
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=8068336
RE: Newspapers...
Did you know that many of the major newspapers (both in the US and internationally) have heard about Paperclick?
Yup! Right now folks, a significant number of them have Paperclick included as part of their three year plan.
Have a nice day
Love,
S.A.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Remember St. Andrew made that post prior to all these acquisitions: 12snap, Mobot, Gavitec, Sponge and soon-to-be announced, HipCricket. Now Neomedia is becoming the Mobile Marketing SuperCompany. There is already a tie to Gavitec. IMO, it will expand from there over time. Stay tuned and you'll see.
Kind regards,
:>)
SS9173
DD Connecting the dots to News Corp...possibly our "big gorilla" deal in the making:
4/11/06 post by N E O M highlighting his CTIA observations and discussions with Neomedia Management http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?Message_id=10630798&txt2find=news
Excerpt: When asked about NEWS Corp’s interest in NeoMedia I received a uncharacteristic “no comment”.
4/7/06 PR: http://www.neom.com/press_releases/2006/20060407.jsp
- Gavitec is working with The Times, which is owned by News Corp.
Excerpt: Recent successful public trials include: "Coast Mobile" in conjunction with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and News International's The Times newspaper, along with a number of other interactive mobile campaigns. Gavitec's Lavasphere technology is synergistic with NeoMedia's own PaperClick handset code-reader, and plans are being implemented to further strengthen NeoMedia's offerings that connect the physical world to the mobile Internet.
3/28/06 posting from JP highlighting the connection of Chas Fritz interview on TS radio show with News Corp http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?Message_id=10403851&txt2find=news
Excerpt: Fox, who welcomes TS as a weekly guest speaker on Bulls & Bears is a wholey owned NEWS Corp. company.
3/14/06 posting from SOG highlighting News Corp's digital strategy http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?Message_id=10152553&txt2find=news
Excerpt: Newspapers will have to adopt a multi-channel strategy, embracing mobile phones, iPods and even PlayStation Portables, if they are to survive in the digital era.
The prediction was made by Rupert Murdoch, the chief executive of News Corporation, parent company of The Times, in a speech given tonight at the Stationers’ Livery company in London.
Mr Murdoch, who turned 75 over the weekend, said that newspapers will have to use new technology to engage readers in what he described as an era in which "media becomes like fast food".
In the future, readers and viewers will consume "news, sport and film clips on the go" on devices like "Sony’s PSP, or others already in test by our satellite companies" such as BSkyB, the broadcaster in which News Corp holds a 37.2 per cent stake.
Mr Murdoch said: "Crucially, newspapers must give readers a choice of accessing their journalism in the pages of the paper, or on websites such as Times Online or — and this is important — on any platform that appeals to them, mobile phones, hand-held devices, iPods, whatever".
2/27/06 News Corp Targets Mobile with Mobizzo http://www.moconews.net/news-corp-targets-mobile-with-mobizzo.html
Have you noticed all the Mobizzo advertising on TV lately?
Article: “Twelve executives from the News Corporation gathered recently in a makeshift office in Barcelona to plot their newest entertainment venture. But they did not come to discuss television dramas, film or newspapers, their core businesses, but how to create entertainment for the cellphone.”
So they’ve launched Mobizzo, a mobile content store which offers “text alerts from a gossip column in a British tabloid, The Sun, and kung fu movie posters and yoga and meditation music from the Star media group in Hong Kong”. It will cost $2-3 per item or a subscription plan for $5.99 per month…available on Cingular and T-Mobile with other carriers planned (obviously, for a third-party portal). However, despite the obvious strength from News Corp’s archive video won’t be available for at least 12 months “because most American cellphones cannot receive it”. Then Lucy Hood, who is overseeing Mobizzo at the News Corporation’s Fox Mobile Entertainment and Fox Mobile Studios, had the nerve to try and pretend News Corp is somehow breaking new ground.
“The question,” she said, “is, How do we roll out a global mobile product? How do we share? It’s a new business we are trying to conquer. We are taking an enormous risk. But these days, it’s about being first.”
From what they’ve launched so far I’m pretty sure it’s all been done before, or something similar. Admitedly, there are some interesting sources of content…a Hollywood tattoo designer, a Chinese art collective, a Los Angeles street artist, some teenage underground comic writers and so on.
Apparently Rupert Murdoch wants Mobizzo to be a global brand by the end of the year, but it’s going to take a lot of work…
Mobizzo- About us: http://www.mobizzo.com/us/panelLinkDisplay.do?linkTo=about
What is Mobizzo?
Welcome to Mobizzo, THE mobile entertainment destination for the hottest deals on the coolest content for your mobile phone. Whether you want ringers, grafix or games, Mobizzo's got it all including exclusives from your favorite movies and TV shows like FAMILY GUY and NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE and awesome original content that you can't get anywhere else. Mobizzo lets you own your phone by customizing it with grafix and ringers that reflect your personality and make a statement about you.
Content
Mobizzo offers some of the coolest grafix, ringers and games around. And we update our catalogue constantly, so there's always new stuff, from the latest music releases to new grafix that we've designed exclusively for you. Plus Mobizzo offers collections of ringers, grafix and screensavers of your favorite content categories -- sort of like one-stop-shopping for a coordinated outfit for your mobile phone.
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I am not the first to speculate that News Corp might have interest in Neom. But as each day passes with News Corp continuing to expand its business into mobile, the possibility of such a 'big gorilla" deal becomes increasingly more likely.
JMHO.
SS9173
Banks, You will see some of the money when the 1Q-10Q is filed with the SEC in about a month. And then you will see even more money when the 2Q-10Q is filed.
SS9173
Hangdog, Love the CTIA photos. Thanks for posting.
SS9173
N E O M, Thanks for taking time out to attend CTIA and provide a first hand report to us all. You are an asset to this board.
SS9173
Another WAG: SNAP means "Standard Network Access Protocol". If not, can you provide a hint?
SS9173
Koko, here is a stab at your quiz...12snap is pronounced "one, two snap". I believe it means that 12snap provides quick and easy or user-friendly means of mobile marketing to brand marketers for consumer applications.
SS9173
Clawmann, OK...like I said I hope you are right, but many predicted that the pps would increase after the Virgin settlement, and it did "nada". I guess we will agree to disagree on this one with my sincere hope that I will have to concede that you are right when there is an out of court settlement or judgement for the lawsuit.
The wild card in your favor is that if Scanbuy has a wireless carrier all lined up and is starting to rake in some serious revenues, and if they do an out of court settlement that includes a licensing agreement, that could indeed be viewed favorable by the market. However, at this point in time, I see no evidence that Scanbuy is presently generating any significant revenues so a positive outcome may not mean much. The key point here being that Scanbuy must be generating significant revenues of which some portion would be captured by Neom in a positive settlement in order for a positive effect on the pps.
SS9173
Clawmann, Regarding a future Scanbuy settlement, I hope you are right but my intuition tells me otherwise. I think the market is already anticipating a positive outcome for Neom and has priced that into the pps. If for some remote chance, Neom loses the Scanbuy lawsuit, I think the pps would decline, but not the other way around if it is a "win". JMHO.
SS9173
OT DD Lehman Brothers Sees A Healthy Wireless Industry At CTIA
Related Stocks: CMVT, ERICY, MOT, NOK, PWAV, QCOM, TXN
http://wirelessstockblog.com/article/8734
In a note to clients, Lehman Brothers analysts Tim Luke, Jeff Kvaal and Jiong Shao noted the positive tone that came out of the CTIA wireless industry trade show this week:
* In handsets, we believe demand trends globally remain robust led by emerging markets but accompanied by encouraging WCDMA and DO trends where estimates may remain conservative. Inventories appear healthy. Overall we believe market leaders Nokia (NOK) and Motorola Inc. (MOT) are continuing to extend their market share leadership.
* With respect to Motorola (MOT) our checks suggest strong recent trends and for 1Q06 we consider our higher end estimate of 46 million units may potentially be achievable versus consensus of just 42 million units. For 2Q06 we expect normal seasonality of flattish to up slightly. While margin levels are challenging to forcast we believe our high end EPS estimates of $0.30 in March and $0.30 in June may prove achievable if not conservative. We reiterate our 10W rating.
* In the infrastructure market, vendors appear to be seeing growth in the mid to upper single digits in CY06 with a focus on IMS development as well as HSDPA upgrades and EVDO Rev A rollouts. We remain encouraged by Ericsson’s (ERICY)(10W) positioning in HSDPA and in services with an increasing focus on IMS.
* Our checks suggest Cingular’s spending plans remain unchanged for 2006 and that Powerwave Technologies Inc. (PWAV) retains its market share, suggesting PWAV’s sales will recover steadily through 2006.
* In the applications arena, mobile TV appears to be seeing significant interest with gaming and music also seeing growing traction. Mobile Email is also a key area of focus (Mot’s Q phone, Nokia E series) Comverse (CMVT)(1OW) appears to be seeing strong demand trends in messaging and billing.
* In the semi arena, we continue to believe estimates for Qualcomm (QCOM) (1OW) remain conservative and we believe GSM leader Texas Instruments (TXN) (2EW) is also likely seeing healthy 1H06 trends.
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SS9173
DD Paypal Mobile is now live (from fiercemoco.com email)
A month after its beta release, PayPal Mobile officially launched yesterday looking to leverage PayPal's 100 million online accounts as a way to evangelize m-commerce. PayPal Mobile enables users to text "PayPal" (729725) and enter the dollar amount they want to send to a particular vendor, charity or user ID number. The ramifications for personal banking are particularly interesting, especially since the service is free. Analysts and insiders seem to have few qualms with the service, and its advent is likely to spur a good amount of growth in the sector.
For more on PayPal Mobile:
- see the application's Web site
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/mobile/MobileOverview-outside
SS9173
Joedimaggio, I agree with your post, and I am continuing to hold my 1.6 million shares. Chas, Chuck, Martin and Team are doing a much better job with shareholder communication, and I wouldn't be surprised that major components of Neom's latest business strategy (developed recently during their meeting in Ft Myers) will slowly be revealed to us between now and June 7. We have got a brilliant management team, and I still see no reason not to keep trusting them. I believe they will continue to do what's best for the business as well as driving increased shareholder value over the long term - not just for us, but for themselves as well. We are in the right industry at the right time with the right IP...I continue to keep the faith.
SS9173
DD Sprint Mobile Marketing Makes Travel Easier for Customers
Luxor Las Vegas will offer Mobile Room-Ready Alerts, Mobile Coupons and Mobile VIP Line Passes
http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?page=show&id=11121
Media Contact:
Emmy Anderson, Sprint
913-794-3467
emmy.l.anderson@sprint.com
RESTON, Va. — 04/04/2006
Mobile marketing is popping up everywhere these days, inviting customers to send text messages to short codes to enter contests, vote in polls, or receive information about their favorite brands. Sprint (NYSE: S) is working with Luxor Las Vegas and Swiftpass, one of the industry's leading mobile ticketing and coupon providers, to make mobile marketing even more useful for consumers and businesses. Sprint today announced several new services designed to make travel more convenient by allowing customers to use their wireless phones to enhance the convenience of hotel registration and other hotel amenities.
Customers who make their reservations after April 4 will have access to these innovative services at Luxor, which will offer mobile hotel registration, mobile coupons and mobile line passes for its RA nightclub to Luxor guests who are Sprint customers.
"Sprint is establishing itself as a leader in providing mobile marketing solutions that help businesses and customers communicate more efficiently, bringing the promise of mobility to daily life," said John Styers, director of data communications for Sprint. "Luxor is dedicated to serving its guests by implementing innovative approaches such as Room-Ready Mobile Alerts, Mobile Coupons and Mobile VIP Line Passes to enhance the travel experience."
Sprint subscribers who stay at Luxor will enjoy greater convenience with their wireless phones when the mobile system is implemented. When making hotel room reservations, Luxor guests will have the option of providing their wireless phone number to take advantage of these services.
"From allowing pre-registration to distributing VIP club passes, implementing this new mobile technology means we will be able to give our guests more ways to do what they want, when they want during their visit to Las Vegas," said Brad Goldberg, Vice President of Marketing for Luxor.
Room-Ready Mobile Alerts
Luxor guests who provide their wireless phone number can receive a text message when they arrive in the Las Vegas area inviting them to pre-register using their wireless phone. If the guest elects to do so, they will receive a Room-Ready Mobile Alert to inform them of their room's availability, or a time at which the room will be available, and will immediately enjoy room-charging privileges, all prior to their arrival to the property.
Mobile Coupons
Luxor guests who have provided their wireless phone number during the reservation or check-in process can receive coupons for discounted meals, show tickets or other offers from Luxor directly on their phones. Using the GPS technology built into Sprint phones, Luxor will be able to determine whether the guest is on the property to estimate which discount offers might prove most useful to the guest.
Mobile VIP Line Passes for Luxor's RA Nightclub
The Luxor will also launch mobile ticketing from Swiftpass, which will provide hotel guests with bar-coded mobile tickets delivered directly to their phones. The first phase of the implementation will provide guests with the ability to receive VIP line passes to Luxor's nightclub RA.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of communications services bringing mobility to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
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SS9173
DD InfoSpace Unveils New Enhanced Mobile Search Product at CTIA
CTIA Wireless 2006
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2006--
First to Market with a Comprehensive Mobile Search Offering, InfoSpace Makes it Easy for Consumers to Find Content Everywhere: On-deck, Off-deck, Around the Corner, or Across the World Wide Web
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060404005...
InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP), a leading provider of mobile content, applications and infrastructure, today unveiled its latest mobile search product, the most comprehensive mobile search product in the market today. Carriers can integrate the offering to enable subscribers to easily and quickly find the answers they seek and to purchase the mobile content they want while on the go. Today's announcement introduces the latest innovation from InfoSpace, which brings content and services to the four major carriers in North America and provides mobile search products to three major carriers in North America, reaching approximately 72 million mobile subscribers.
Leveraging the power of the company's proprietary metasearch technology, which searches and delivers results from a variety of sources, InfoSpace's new mobile search platform enables the delivery of a comprehensive solution across heterogeneous data types through a single search box, including:
-- Storefront search for mobile purchasing: ringtones, games, wallpapers, videos, bundles
-- Portal search of carrier approved applications - news, stocks, weather, sports, etc.
-- Local search of information about people, places, things and events nearby
-- WAP index search of mobile friendly sites approved by carrier
-- Web index search of the World Wide Web rendered for mobile devices
-- Programmed search of deeply linked editorial content
No other company offers such a complete and compelling mobile search offering today and makes it available under the carrier's brand, with the ability to drive incremental revenue to carriers.
Additionally, InfoSpace's Mobile Search Platform combines an intuitive user interface with powerful personalization and relevancy technologies, to create a search experience tailored to the needs of the mobile user. To deliver the shortest click distance to consumers and save them from typing lengthy query terms, the InfoSpace platform takes into account the subscriber's preferences, device, location and other information to present answers that are personalized and relevant to the mobile on-the-go user.
"2006 will be the year that all mobile media consumption will begin with mobile search," said Brendan Benzing, vice president of mobile search, platforms and ad solutions at InfoSpace. "A browsing experience can be so limiting for users, carriers, and mobile content providers. We can see that merely porting traditional search to phones is just the ante and, in fact, it makes it difficult for subscribers to find and purchase the mobile content they want. At InfoSpace, we are focused on providing a comprehensive, integrated mobile search experience that helps subscribers easily and quickly find what they're looking for. InfoSpace's Mobile Search is the catalyst for increased discovery, personalization and enjoyment."
InfoSpace was first to market in North America with its mobile search products. In 2005, InfoSpace was selected by Cingular Wireless to build the new MEdia Net. In addition to a customizable home page and easy access to information, ringtones and other wireless content, the MEdia Net 3.0 platform features an InfoSpace search tool which can find content, Web links and can be personalized using a zip code feature to find nearby locations. The launch of MEdia Net 3.0 proved very successful, with total search query volumes and queries per user exceeding expectations. In March 2006, InfoSpace launched InfoSpace Find It(TM) with Sprint, a comprehensive subscription-based location enabled search product that allows consumers to easily and quickly find everything from nearby restaurants and movie times to people, maps and driving directions all in one integrated application.
InfoSpace Mobile Search provides carriers a flexible offering that supports on-deck, off-deck and on-device searching. Carriers can work with InfoSpace to index and integrate content from a variety of partners. InfoSpace Mobile Search is available to carriers in North America and Europe today.
More information can be found at http://www.infospaceinc.com
About InfoSpace
InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP) drives mobile media innovation. With one of the world's largest mobile content libraries, InfoSpace makes it easy for consumers to discover, personalize and enjoy their on-the-go experiences. The company uses its superior discovery, merchandising and technology capabilities to help facilitate the delivery of original and licensed content across hundreds of mobile devices and through multiple channels. InfoSpace also mobilizes brands and creates programming and revenue opportunities for mobile operators. The company's products and services have extensive reach in North America and Europe through carriers such as Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Virgin Mobile; in partnership with world-class brands such as Cablevision and Fox News; and through online Web sites such as Dogpile (Dogpile.com), which showcase the company's leading metasearch technology and key advertising partnerships with companies like Google, Yahoo!, Verizon SuperPages and Yellowpages.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding InfoSpace's mobile search applications. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect InfoSpace's actual results include the scope and timing of market acceptance and mobile carrier implementation of the applications and features of InfoSpace Mobile Search Platform. A more detailed description of certain factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed in InfoSpace's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q as filed from time to time, in the section entitled, "Risk Factors." Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. InfoSpace undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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Movieguy, well said. EOM
Koko, I don't read chinese, but I do see a laptop in the http://www.mobiledigit.net website header - not a cell phone. I can't tell at this point if it is a "takeoff" of Gavitec's technology.
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Imagine Obopay as part of Neom's porfolio of products and services. Might be a good time to strike while they are just getting launched and probably not worth too much...yet! A license agreement would be another option. All JMHO.
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More DD regarding Obopay
Website: http://www.obopay.com/info/
Obopay Overview: http://www.obopay.com/info/PDFs/Obopay_Overview111005.pdf (Obopay Platform is outlined on page 8 of this pdf)
Obopay March 30, 2006 PR: OBOPAY UNVEILS FIRST COMPREHENSIVE MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICE IN U.S. http://www.obopay.com/info/PDFs/pr_33006.pdf
Obopay - About Us: http://www.obopay.com/info/about.php
Obopay is the first comprehensive mobile payment service in the United States.
The opportunity for mobile payments is enormous:
* Mobile subscribers are forecast to reach 2.5 billion worldwide and 200 million in the U.S.
* Every day, new applications increase utility for consumers, from texting to photography to gaming
* Mobile payments have already taken root in Asia and Europe
* Mobile payments in the U.S. are the logical next step
Obopay is an emerging player in the mobile payment space.
* Obopay is an end-to-end service that allows a consumer to get, spend, and send money via mobile phone
* Obopay is the only service that combines an application that resides on the phone, and the option of text messaging. Additionally, it’s the only service that links to the Obopay debit card giving you immediate access to the money in your account
* Obopay is backed by Secure Technology, layers of fraud protection, and its affiliation with MasterCard
* Obopay works on virtually any mobile phone
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Zacked, one of your best posts. Good job!
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Excellent advice. EOM
Ditto...reading the board today has not been a productive experience with only a few exceptions.
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DD Obopay launches mobile payment service to compete with PayPal Mobile
By Colin Gibbs
Mar 30, 2006
http://www.rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=25986
PALO ALTO, Calif.—Obopay officially came out of stealth mode, unveiling a mobile payment service that will allow users to make purchases and send and receive funds on their handsets.
The startup outlined a downloadable application that offers real-time purchases and transfers and can be used on any Web-enabled phone. Users can send money to or request payments from others nearly instantly, and Obopay offers a debit card that can be used in retail outlets or at ATMs.
The company charges 10 cents per transaction, paid by the sender. While the system integrates with banking systems, users are required to set up a separate Obopay account.
Obopay Chief Executive Officer Carol Realini said the company is in talks with “every carrier” in the United States about deploying the service. The company initially is targeting teens and young adults, hoping to entice them to send money to each other—at a restaurant, for instance, or a movie theater—instead of handing each other cash.
“The cell phone will do for money what the iPod did for music,” Realini said. “Instead of having cash in my wallet, I’m going to have money on my phone.”
The company is backed with $10 million in Series A financing from Redpoint Ventures, Onset Ventures and Richmond Management. Obopay’s service is set to launch in the second quarter—the company’s Web site is still password-protected—and will compete directly against PayPal’s mobile payment offering, which was announced last week.
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Beam11, thanks for your sharing your "accountant's view" on the 10K filing. I hope you will post more often...you are an asset to this board.
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Success622, thanks...very helpful as well as encouraging. EOM
Naive question: What is the meaning of "material" with regard to increases of revenue? I believe it means that they will be significant, but is there an SEC or other investor related definition that gives the criteria for "material"?
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Kokonutguy, thanks for the posting the M&A Summary spreadsheet I emailed to you.
I updated the headcount numbers, other locations (took out Lisle, IL and added Big Gig's office for Neom), added number of shareholders, and also added a whole new section showing products and services matrix (page 3 of the file).
Unless we get significant information in the interim, I will update again after the next 10Q is issued, which should have a lot more financial information reported regarding Mobot, 12snap, HipCricket, Sponge and Gavitec.
As always, I welcome comments regarding the accuracy of the information and assumptions from all members of this board as it is a work in process, and I have no problem continually improving the data.
Thanks again for posting this for me (just haven't mastered how to do that yet LOL).
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