RIM tops VeriSign offer for Certicom February 6, 2009
Posted by aikservices in Certicom, Financial, Research In Motion, RIM, VeriSign.Tags: Certicom, Financial, Research In Motion, RIM, VeriSign
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Research In Motion has made a new bid to acquire the mobile security developer Certicom, topping an offer from VeriSign. Certicom went to court to block RIM’s initial bid, saying it was too low. RIM is now offering CAD 3 per share, beating an offer of CAD 2.10 per share from VeriSign. Certicom’s board said it considers RIM’s offer a “superior proposal”, as defined in its agreement with VeriSign. VeriSign now has five business days, until the end of 11 February, to change its offer. If Certicom goes ahead with the RIM deal, it will owe a CAD 4 million termination fee to VeriSign.
IBM and RIM add new Lotus features to BlackBerry devices January 22, 2009
Posted by aikservices in BlackBerry, IBM, Research In Motion, RIM.Tags: BlackBerry, IBM, Research In Motion, RIM
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IBM and Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced new Lotus collaboration features and developer tools on the BlackBerry platform that will enable greater access to live expertise and collective intelligence through BlackBerry smartphones. The new features will help customers find expertise, form teams, share information, and stay in touch in real time making them more effective and productive while on the go. This initiative is in response to the explosion of mobility worldwide. IBM’s Institute for Business Value predicts one billion mobile Web users by 2011 and a significant shift in the way the majority of people will interact with the Web over the next decade. The new Lotus collaboration features and developer tools on the BlackBerry platform will deliver productivity beyond the office extending IBM software and services so that individuals can access all of the resources they need to keep their business moving, anytime, anywhere, said Bob Picciano, general manager, IBM Lotus Software.
US Patent Firms Seeks Ban on Imports of Nokia, HTC Mobile Phones January 20, 2009
Posted by aikservices in AMD, HTC, Mobile, Nokia, Palm, Panasonic, RIM, Telecom, USA, Wireless.Tags: AMD, HTC, Mobile, Nokia, Palm, Panasonic, RIM, Telecom, USA, Wireless
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Following a complaint late last year by patent holdings firm, Saxon Innovations, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to institute an investigation of certain electronic devices, including handheld wireless communications devices. The products at issue in this investigation are handheld devices such as smart phones, cellular telephones, and television remote controls.
The ITC has named Nokia, RIM, HTC, Palm, Panasonic and AVC Networks as affected by the investigation – which has the power to block the imports of products made by these firms.The Saxon Innovations patent portfolio is comprised of over 180 US patents covering technology that originated from AMD and its spin off Legerity.
BlackBerry Curve 8900 To Hit U.S. In Feb.? December 29, 2008
Posted by aikservices in 3G, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Javelin, Canada, Edge, GPS, Mobile, QWERTY Keyboard, RIM, T-Mobile, Telecom, UK, USA, Wi-Fi, Wireless.Tags: 3G, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Javelin, Canada, Edge, GPS, Mobile, QWERTY Keyboard, RIM, T-Mobile, Telecom, UK, USA, Wi-Fi, Wireless
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It seems the stateside BlackBerry faithful will have to wait until the new year to get their hands on the BlackBerry Curve 8900, also known as the BlackBerry Javelin.TmoNews, an unofficial T-Mobile news blog, has confirmed that the anticipated and updated Curve has a “hopeful” release date of Feb. 18. The device is expected to hit T-Mobile first. Already available in Canada and the U.K., the Curve 8900, which got the stamp of approval from the FCC here in November, is being called the high-end BlackBerry Bold 9000’s kid brother.
The quad-band Curve 8900 offers Edge support with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, a 512MHz next-generation processer, a full QWERTY keyboard and a 2.4-inch, 480 x 360 high-resolution display. The Curve 8900 also marks the thinnest smartphone in BlackBerry’s 10-year history to offer a full QWERTY keyboard, just a hair over a half-inch thick. While the Curve 8900 lacks 3G support, it wraps in a 3.2-megapixel camera and BlackBerry OS version 4.6.
Smartphones Try To Outsmart the Competition December 8, 2008
Posted by aikservices in AT&T, BlackBerry, CDMA, GSM, iPhone, Microsoft, Mobile, Research In Motion, RIM, Smartphone, Telecom, Verizon Wireless, Wireless, YouTube.Tags: BlackBerry Storm, GPS, Mobile, Research In Motion, RIM, Telecom, Verizon Wireless, Wireless, YouTube
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Cell phone carriers are touting their smartphones as the smart choice for the holiday season. Verizon Wireless and Research in Motion’s new BlackBerry Storm has all the familiar BlackBerry features but is a touch-screen device.
Audrey Lundy, public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, said Verizon incorporated the touch-screen to keep up with customer demand. The Storm employs a clickable touch-screen that is designed to respond like a keyboard.
When Apple’s iPhone came into the marketplace in 2007, users were excited about its touch-screen capability. The phone also offers more than 5,000 downloadable applications like navigation tools and access to YouTube.
The iPhone was the No. 1-selling phone for the third quarter of this year. Even with its success, some said the iPhone is for general consumers while the BlackBerry is for the business community.
The launch of the iPhone 3G added Microsoft Exchange access and GPS technology, which could in turn appeal more to the business crowd, said Brian Bollenbach, director of product development for Anyware Mobile Solutions. The BlackBerry and the iPhone still have their niche audiences, he said. But additions and phone upgrades are increasing their customer base. “I say in both cases they have opportunities to bleed over to both markets with their new versions,” said Bollenbach.
Smart phones took off about six years ago, said Bollenbach. They offered mobile versions of applications business people had on their home computers, making it easier to work away from the office.
Various industries took note of the increasing popularity for mobile devices. They started creating mobile Web sites, but many were slow to take off because it took a long time to download all the information. Bollenbach said in the past year there have been significant improvements to browsers that have sped up loading time. The success of the iPhone in the past year has the other carriers taking note of its forward-thinking applications, he said. “The systems are going to continue to become more diverse,” said Bollenbach. “I do think we’ll see certain carriers lose market shares and others will gain.”
Which company will see the most success depends on consumers’ carrier service, he said. The iPhone works for AT&T subscribers and the BlackBerry Storm is on the Verizon plan. Those services could influence future smart-phone purchases.
“I would say iPhone is off to a good start, they have a loyal fan base,” he said. “But we’ll have to see.”
Even with people conserving their money this holiday season, Bollenbach anticipates many smart phones are a likely gift purchase this year.
Open-Source Symbian Has Caught AT&T’s Eye December 8, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Android, AOL, Apple, AT&T, BlackBerry, CDMA, Google, GSM, iPhone, Mobile, Research In Motion, RIM, Smartphone, Symbian, Telecom, Windows Mobile, Wireless.Tags: Android, AOL, Apple, AT&T, BlackBerry, Cell Telecom, Google, Intrinsyc, iPhone, ISB Corporation, Mobile, Nokia, Research In Motion, RIM, Symbian, Telecom, Trusted Logic, Windows Mobile, Wireless, Xenient
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The world has been waiting for an open-source Symbian mobile operating system, but it won’t have to wait much longer. The Symbian Foundation expects to have its first version ready in the first half of 2009.
The foundation is making strides and gaining more support. Symbian on Thursday announced AOL, Cell Telecom, Intrinsyc, ISB Corporation, Trusted Logic, and Xenient have added their endorsements to the 58 other companies already supporting the open-source effort.
“We are delighted with the response from the Silicon Valley community, as well as from developers around the world, to the plans for the foundation to build on the leading open mobile platform,” said Lee Williams, who has been nominated as executive director of the foundation and who was a keynote speaker at this week’s Symbian Partner Event in San Francisco.
The AT&T Connection
Even though Symbian has a commanding lead in the global mobile operating-system market with nearly half the implementations worldwide, competition is rising. Research in Motion, Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, and Windows Mobile are all challenging Symbian on the smartphone front.
What’s more, Symbian hasn’t gained much traction in the U.S. Symbian could gain an advantage, though if comments made by an AT&T executive at the Symbian event Thursday pan out as some observers expect.
Roger Smith, AT&T’s director of next-generation services, told the event that the wireless carrier is considering how it might standardize on only a few mobile platforms over the next few years. He cited Symbian as a “credible candidate” to be among those platforms.
Speaking of an open Symbian, Smith said, “If done well and done right, this can be a game-changing event.” It’s all part of AT&T’s move to take more control over its destiny in the mobile operating space.
A Fragmented Market
“At the end of the day, the mobile OS platform market is going to be fragmented for the foreseeable future. While there is Windows Mobile, there is no Windows of mobile, meaning one dominant platform that will rule everything,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia. “We are going to see any number of strong players here amongst many.”
Symbian has been a strong platform in Europe for some time. But until the birth of the Symbian Foundation, talk about Symbian revolved around Nokia, its creator. Nokia’s interpretation of the Symbian mobile operating system was in the Series 60 devices. Some industry watchers have speculated about Symbian becoming a unified platform for AT&T.
“It’s hard to see a carrier standardizing on a single platform and what benefit that would have for them,” Gartenberg said. “Even more interesting is that these comments came from someone at AT&T, which of course has the exclusive [U.S.] franchise on the iPhone, which is now one of the best-selling devices in mobility, period.”
Apple iPhone Users Download 300 Million Apps December 8, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Apple, BlackBerry, CDMA, GSM, iPhone, Microsoft, Mobile, Palm, Research In Motion, RIM, Smartphone, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: Apple, BlackBerry, Microsoft, Mobile, Palm, Research In Motion, RIM, Smartphone, Telecom, Wireless
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Apple iPhone owners have downloaded 300 million applications through the App Store. The news came in the fine print of an advertisement in Friday’s edition of The New York Times.
What’s more, iPhone owners appear to have downloaded a whopping 100 million apps in the last six weeks alone, based on previous Apple disclosures.
To put the phenomenon into perspective, the App Store launched on July 11. By early September, Apple was boasting about its progress: 100 million downloads.
Apple launched its App Store with more than 3,000 applications — more than 90 percent priced at less than $10 and more than 600 offered for free. That number has since swelled to more than 10,000 applications, and numbers are growing as developers embrace the opportunity.
“This milestone demonstrates both Apple’s strengths and prominence in this space as a newcomer,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia. “It wasn’t that long ago when the CEO of Microsoft and the CEO of Palm were basically dismissing Apple’s efforts in mobile, talking about how difficult it is for a new entrant into the space.”
A Blockbuster App Store
The App Store’s applications can take advantage of the iPhone’s large display, multi-touch user interface, hardware-accelerated 3-D graphics, built-in accelerometer, and location-based technology.
Earlier this week, for example, Amazon released an application that lets users tap into its shopping features through the iPhone. But games and music topped the iPhone’s list of most popular applications.
“Apple has really turned the App Store quickly into an extremely viable and popular platform to developers. When Apple announced the first 100 million downloads, developers noticed,” Gartenberg said. “And there are something like 10,000 applications in the store right now, which is huge for a platform that’s been on the market and generally available for just a few months.”
Competitors Copycat
So popular is the iPhone App Store that Research In Motion is coming online with its own store. RIM in October announced the new store and a new on-device application center that opens up the BlackBerry’s millions of users to developers vying for an audience.
RIM said it plans to launch the BlackBerry application store next March, giving its users a one-stop shop for compatible applications and a user-friendly way to manage upgrades and purchases.
RIM said the introduction of more consumer-friendly features in BlackBerry smartphones has sparked interest from the general public. As a result, thousands of consumer and lifestyle-oriented applications for BlackBerry smartphones are now available.
Will Apple’s and RIM’s app stores duke it out? Analysts expect RIM to pick up its fair share of developers. Apple’s success with the iPhone and the subsequent App Store demonstrates the velocity of mobile and how quickly things change in this arena.
“When you’ve got the right technology, the right messaging, the right marketing, and the right product coming together at the right time, you can do a lot,” Gartenberg concluded.
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