Posts Tagged ‘mobile’
Monday, February 20th, 2012
 The Federal Trade Commission today issued a staff report showing that neither app stores nor app developers provide the information parents need to determine what data is being collected from their children, how it is being shared, or who will have access to it.
“At the FTC, one of our highest priorities is protecting children’s privacy, and parents deserve the tools to help them do that,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
Kids app ecosystem needs a wake-up call
“Companies that operate in the mobile marketplace provide great benefits, but they must step up to the plate and provide easily accessible, basic information, so that parents can make informed decisions about the apps their kids use. Right now, it is almost impossible to figure out which apps collect data and what they do with it. The kids app ecosystem needs to wake up, and we want to work collaboratively with industry to help ensure parents have the information they need.”
According to the FTC report, Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Disappointing, in 2008, smartphone users could choose from about 600 available apps. Today there are more than 500,000 apps in the Apple App Store and 380,000 in the Android Market. “Consumers have downloaded these apps more than 28 billion times, and young children and teens are increasingly embracing smartphone technology for entertainment and educational purposes.”
The report says the survey focused on the largest stores, the Apple App Store and the Android Market, and evaluated the types of apps offered to children, the disclosures provided to users, interactive features such as connectivity with social media, and the ratings and parental controls offered for such apps.
Lack of information available
The report notes that mobile apps can capture a broad range of user information from a mobile device automatically, including the user’s precise geolocation, phone number, list of contacts, call logs, unique identifiers, and other information stored on the device.
At the same time, “the report highlights the lack of information available to parents prior to downloading mobile apps for their children, and calls on industry to provide greater transparency about their data practices.”
While there was a diverse pool of kids apps created by hundreds of different developers, there was almost no information about the data collection and sharing on the Apple App store promotion pages and little information beyond general permission statements on the Android Market promotion pages.
“In most instances, staff was unable to determine from the information on the app store page or the developer’s landing page whether an app collected any data, let alone the type of data collected, the purpose for such collection, and who … obtained access to such data.”
The report recommends:
- All members of the “kids app ecosystem” – the stores, developers and third parties providing services – should play an active role in providing key information to parents.
- App developers should provide data practices information in simple and short disclosures. They also should disclose whether the app connects with social media, and whether it contains ads. Third parties that collect data also should disclose their privacy practices.
- App stores also should take responsibility for ensuring that parents have basic information. “As gatekeepers of the app marketplace, the app stores should do more.” The report notes that the stores provide architecture for sharing pricing and category data, and should be able to provide a way for developers to provide information about their data collection and sharing practices.
The report notes that more should be done to identify the best way to convey data practices in plain language and in easily accessible ways on the small screens of mobile devices. The agency will host a public workshop in 2012, in connection with its efforts to update the FTC’s “Dot Com Disclosure” guide, about how to provide effective online disclosures. “One of the topics that will be addressed is mobile privacy disclosures, including how they can be short, effective, and accessible to consumers on small screens.”
The FTC enforces the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule. The Rule requires operators of online services, including interactive mobile apps, to provide notice and get parental consent prior to collecting information from children under 13. The report says in the next 6 months, FTC staff will conduct an additional review to determine whether some mobile apps were violating COPPA.
Tags: apps for children, FCC, mobile
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | No Comments »
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
 Good news for tech specialists: increases in demand for certain skill-sets and not enough candidates to fill them will make a competitive landscape for those with the right stuff, says Bluewolf in its its annual IT Salary Guide for 2012.
While the report shows the biggest increases in demand for mobile, data, cloud and user engagement technologists, it also reveals a decline in job candidates with the skill-sets required to meet those needs.
“Organizations aren’t just competing against each other for qualified tech professionals—they’re contending with an ever widening talent gap and the mass exodus of baby boomer retirees,” warns Bluewolf co-founder and principal Michael Kirven.
“This poses a huge challenge for business as they scramble to adopt new flexible technologies that support the Agile Enterprise, but for those with the right skill-sets, this should come as good news.”
The report, which covers major industries including media, telecom, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and financial services, provides the following key findings:
- Senior Software Developer salaries will rise 6%+ with an average high of $99,000 per year
- Starting salary ranges are predicted to jump to $98,000 per year for Android, iPhone and iPad developers
- Average salaries for Android, iPhone and iPad Developer will jump to $98,000 per year
- Top tier ERP, BI, and CRM Developer salaries will rise from $84,000-$105,000 to $88,000-$110,000
- Front-end and User Experience technologists are seeing spikes in demand with predicted salary ranges for HTML5 at$89,000-$127,000
- Security Analysts will experience a significant increase in salaries ranging from $94,000-$125,000 per year
- Data Analysts & BI Professional salaries will creep past pre-recession levels, rising between 5-6% annually
On the executive level, CIOs and CSOs are seeing the most gains. In database administration, business intelligence analysts and data architects are enjoying the largest salary hikes while software and web development salaries are experiencing jumps all across the board. In information security, analysts are seeing the highest demand.
Tech skills: What’s hot and not:
- Mobile:
- Hot: HTML5, iPhone/iPad and Android up 200+%
- Not: Blackberry and Windows Mobile down 50+%
- Big data:
- Hot: MySQL, HBase, Cognos and Informatica up 100+%
- Not: DB2 down 50+%
- Cloud computing:
- Hot: Eloqua, Marketo, Salesforce and Google Apps up 100%
- Emerging: AWS-EC2 up 50+%
- User engagement:
- Hot: UI Design up 100+%
- Not: Flash, Flex and ActionScript down 50+%
“The growing demand we’re seeing for tech professionals is driven by a need to bring greater agility into the enterprise,” continued Mr. Kirven. “This in turn is fueled by a volatile global economy combining with changes in customer expectations, workforce dynamics, and technology itself. But businesses and workers alike must invest in training to ensure the skills are there to meet emerging challenges and opportunities.”
Bluewolf’s IT Salary Guide is available at: http://success.bluewolf.com/forms/AssetRequestForm?docid=555
Tags: 2012 IT salary guide, BI, big data, cloud computing, CRM, ERJP, iPad, iPhone developers, jobs, mobile, retiring baby boomers, senior software developers, starting IT salaries, tech specialists in demand, User engagement
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, TechJobs, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Monday, January 16th, 2012
 Blogs trump social networks as a source for purchasing advice for all online women. 84% of the women in the BlogHer community report they made technology purchases based on blog advice versus only 56% relying on advice from social networks. A significant 69% of U.S. women online say they rely on blogs versus only 53% turning to social networks.
All women online said they use manufacturer websites regularly for information about products, but report the information on these sites have little influence on their final purchasing decisions.
“No one earns the trust of women online better than other women online, especially when you’re talking about the devices she depends on to stay connected and productive,” said Elisa Camahort Page, Co-founder and COO of BlogHer Inc.
“The good news is that our Consumer Electronics Study provides insights into how best to resonate with women, and it’s not on corporate sites, traditional or social.”
Marketing to Women: What Works and What Doesn’t
Women were asked which marketing approach creates the most favorable impression of a consumer electronics brand.
The number one approach, selected by 52% of respondents, is to make sure the product is being marketed on “blogs, websites or forums” they already visit regularly.
This response signals that having a noticeable presence on sites customers already frequent can be a key strategy for brands. Women are seeking recommendations from their online friends, not just brand messages, with women choosing reviews by bloggers as one of the three most favorable marketing approaches (28%).
When building awareness online, it’s critical that brands consider the mobile experience, particularly for some demographic groups. Almost 60% of adults under the age of 50 use their mobile phones during the purchase process.
Additionally, a large percentage of African Americans and Asians report having used their mobile devices when shopping for consumer electronic devices (70%), vs. 58% of Hispanic/Latinos and 45% of Caucasians.
As a group, most respondents identified themselves as “price-conscious” shoppers (47%), over “early adopter” (7%) or “leading edge” shoppers (23%), so offering discounts is understandably a top marketing approach, selected by almost half of women online. Price consciousness may also explain why Apple’s iOS devices were the runaway choice of respondents when asked which device they would want if a “gadget genie” could give them any product for free.
With the consumer electronics market now reaching $186 billion in the U.S., and women influencing $90 billion-worth of those purchases (Consumer Electronics Association, 2007), the BlogHer Consumer Electronics Study reveals the widespread impact of blogs, social networks, and mobile phone usage on the consumer electronics marketplace, representing a call to action for brands and retailers alike.
Tags: blod advice drives electronics purchases, BlogHer, blogs trump social networks, mobile, social networks
Posted in Blogging, Internet/New Media, Marketing, Mobile, social media, Tech Culture | Comments Off
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
 Shane Johnston, Capstrat VP By Allan Maurer
So, when you hear talk about digital marketing tactics, what term makes you roll your eyes and curse under your breath? That’s one of the questions communications agency Capstrat asked the marketing and technology pros who attended the recent TechMedia Internet Summit in Raleigh, NC.
“Far and away, of ten choices, they said QR codes,” says Shane Johnston, a vice president and account director at Capstrat. QR codes (Quick Response Codes are those bar codes you scan for information or to go to a web site). “A lot of people think they are overused and misused and don’t pay off,” Johnston adds.
In the survey, 23 percent said QR Codes caused the most eye-rolling, while 14.6 percent said social media, and 10.9 percent said SEO.
Capstrat received about 240 responses to its survey, a statistically significant number of the 1,800 or so people who attended the Internet Summit Nov. 15-16.
“We tried to keep it a bit entertaining and snarky,” Johnston says of the survey. It asked questions such as, “What trend is the next Justin Bieber-in its adolescence now but sure to hit its prime soon.
Mobile headed for prime time
No surprise there: 25.7 percent said “mobile marketing,” followed closely by “location-based marketing,” with 25.2 percent. “Only one vote separated the two,” Johnston notes.
 The 2011 Internet Summit in Raleigh filled the ballrooms at the Convention Center. Which tactic is the most misunderstood (the Kanye West of digital marketing, the survey suggests). Social media nabbed 28.3 percent of the votes there, with only analytics at 11.9 percent even close among the ten other choices.
Asked which marketing trend will fade like a fake tan in the next year, QR Codes again won the voting with 37.1 percent, followed by banner advertising at 25.9 percent.
Personally, we think banner advertising gets a bad rap. One of the things we hear from digital marketing experts and measurement firms such as comScore is that for certain campaigns (such as selling package goods), banner ads can be as effective as TV advertising in moving goods off store shelves.
One marketing expert who spoke at the event said, “You hear a lot of talk about people not clicking on banner ads, but if its an ad for something they’re looking for, they click on them.”
Which buzzword is most misused?
What would you respond if asked, “Which digital marketing buzzword do people – like that annoying intern – misuse all the time?”
Those responding to the survey said “cloud,” (25.7 percent), with “engagement” (18.9 percent), “thought-leadership” (16.7 percent) and “new media” (14.9 percent) also getting significant responses.
“What’s the bright shiny tactic your CEO keeps grabbing for? Survey said: Social media (24.5 percent) followed by analytics at 12.3 percent.
Ok marketing wizards, what new technological magic will transform digital marketing in the next two years? The Internet Summit attendees said “digital wallets,” (22.5 percent), mobile (19.3 percent) and new platforms (such as tablets), 19.8 percent.
After using our new Amazon Kindle Fire tablet for only a few days, we suspect new platforms may be a major factor, ourselves.
Bad news for traditional marketing
Here’s some bad news for print, TV and radio media. Asked if they could slash spending in one area, which they would choose, a whooping 41.7 percent said “traditional media.” But online media took its lumps too, because “banner ads” came in second at 25.5 percent.
A majority (20.3 percent) said that if they could, they would throw more money at customer relationship management (20.3 percent), analytics (18.9 percent) and social media (18.7 percent).
And finally, a result we applaud (can you hear me clapping?): most said their number one source of digital marketing news is online publications (37.4 percent) followed by blogs (21.8 percent) and soical media (22.7 percent).
Tags: Capstrat, cloud, Internet Summit, location-based marketing, mobile, SEO, Shane Johnston, social media, thought-leadership
Posted in Cloud, Events, Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 14th, 2011
 Khosla Ventures, a top Silicon Valley venture capital firm, has raised a new $1.05 billion fund to help great entrepreneurs continue to harvest their potential for breakthrough and innovative ideas.
The Khosla Ventures IV fund will further the firm’s strategy to invest in early stage investments in the areas of clean tech, IT, mobile, and Internet technology.
“We have identified the ‘Clean Dozen’ companies in clean tech that can achieve unsubsidized market competitiveness and the ‘Cool Dozen’ categories in Internet and mobile in the post-PC world such as big data, emotion, interest graphs and consumer health,” said Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla.
Khosla Ventures IV follows the Khosla Ventures III fund and Khosla Ventures seed fund. The Khosla Ventures III fund of $1 billion of investor commitments focused on traditional early stage and growth stage companies.
Khosla Ventures also previously raised $300 million for the Khosla Ventures seed fund which invests in high-risk, high-return opportunities, particularly groundbreaking science or internet developments, besides traditional venture investments.
Given the success of the previous funds Khosla Ventures does not anticipate any change in strategy. Khosla Ventures will continue to do Internet, mobile and the clean tech ventures roughly in the same ratio as previous funds. The firm will also continue to invest in IT and cloud services as well as new areas outside of traditional venture capital.
“We fundamentally invest in the companies that we expect to have significant impact, and that’s precisely what the Khosla Ventures IV fund will do,” said Khosla. “We don’t mind failing but do care that the impact be material if we do succeed; and we believe that our willingness to fail gives us an ability to succeed. We will continue to not compute IRR’s when investing as we believe in helping entrepreneurs build companies with high impact and high option value that are not subject to traditional financial metrics.”
Tags: big data, Clean Dozen, clean tech, Cool Dozen, Internet tech, IT, Khosla Ventures new $1B fund, mobile
Posted in Energy, Internet/New Media, Money | Comments Off
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
 Driven largely by new media technologies, the U.S. Communications Industry spending is on pace to grow 4.1% in 2011 to $1.120 trillion and forecast to expand at a 5.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the 2010-2015 period, outpacing nominal GDP growth by 90 basis points, according to a new forecast released today by Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), a private investment firm.
By the end of 2015, the Communications Industry will be the eighth-fastest-growing and fourth-largest U.S. economic component, according to the 25th edition of the VSS Communications Industry Forecast2011-15 .
Communications Industry growth in the 2010-2015 period will be driven primarily by the rapid convergence of computer, internet and wireless mobile technologies fueling the ongoing transformation of the media landscape and leading to new industries, platforms, channels, and consumer and institutional behaviors.
Strong gains in six sectors
Consumer and Institutional end-users are demanding instant and constant access to information, and their investment in state-of-the-art information and technology services remains central to effective decision-making on many fronts.
In the forecast period, these trends are manifested by strong gains in four of the six Industry Sectors covered in the VSS Forecast: Targeted Media, the fastest growing industry sector, with an expected 7.9% CAGR in the period, fueled largely by the Pure-Play Consumer Internet & Mobile Services segment.
That will post a CAGR of 16.2% – outpacing GDP growth by over 3x; Business & Professional Information & Services, which is expected to generate a 7.3% CAGR; Education and Training Media & Services – including Not-for-Profit Instructional Media and K-12 Instructional Media – which is anticipated to produce a CAGR of 5.2%; and Entertainment & Leisure Media, which will record a 5.6% CAGR from 2010 to 2015.
Major segments that have been negatively impacted in recent years by the migration to digital platforms and economic factors are expected to stabilize during the forecast period, according to the VSS Forecast.
The Traditional Consumer Advertising Media sector, which includes the Broadcast Television, Consumer Magazine Publishing, and Broadcast & Satellite Radio segments, among others, will generate growth in the forecast period, albeit trailing GDP, as brand-related digital products and delivery methods gain a stronger foothold for most traditional media outlets.
Business & professional services sector growing
John Suhler, co-founder, president and general partner of VSS, said, “Business & Professional Information & Services continues to be a fast-growing sector, in part, because it has long embraced digital content and related software services and delivery.
“Also, the sectors that held up well in the last economic downturn – Targeted Media, Business & Professional Information & Services, Education & Training Media & Services, and Entertainment & Leisure Media – are all expected to record solid growth in the forecast period, thanks in large part to their migration to digital platforms and delivery methods.”
Time spent with the internet, including traditional media brand-related digital and pure-play platforms – covering usage at home, school and work – increased 6.0% in 2010 to 397 hours per person.
The growth came from consumers spending more time with social media and workers using software to access and manipulate information. Time spent with mobile media in 2010 soared 49.7% to 77 hours per person, thanks in large part to increased smartphone penetration.
With the introduction and rapid adoption of computer tablets by consumers and businesses, those factors are also expected to fuel a 35.3% increase in time spent with wireless media in 2011, reaching 104 hours per person. The segment will post a 19.8% CAGR during the forecast period, with consumer purchases of more e-books, music, mobile applications and streaming video driving the increase.
Targeted Media fastest growing sector
Accordingly, Targeted Media – which includes products and services from operators that provide advertising and marketing messages to vertically defined consumer or business niches – will be the fastest-growing sector in 2011 and during the forecast period, increasing 7.1% to $199.66 billion this year and posting a 7.9% CAGR in the 2010-2015 period, reaching $272.50 billion.
In addition to the Pure-Play Consumer Internet & Mobile Services segment, growth in Targeted Media will come from Branded Entertainment Marketing, where Consumer Events and Paid Product Placements will post CAGRs of 8.5% and 9.7%, respectively, to end 2015 with spending of $33.36 billion and $6.15 billion.
Tags: adevertising, computer, Internet, mobile, traditional media, VSS Communications Industry Forecast, wireless
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, smartphones, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Monday, September 26th, 2011
The iPhone5 is right around the digital corner, and PaidViewpoint, Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) and Mashable have created an infographic to help you decide if you should upgrade when it comes out. It’s the first of three planned infographics on the topic.
Tags: AYTM, infographic, mobile, PaidViewpoint, should you upgrade to iPhone5? Mashable
Posted in Hardware, infographic, Mobile, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
 For the first time a Norton study calculates the cost of global cybercrime: $114 billion annually.(i) Based on the value victims surveyed placed on time lost due to their cybercrime experiences, an additional $274 billion was lost.(ii).
With 431 million adult victims globally in the past year and at an annual price of $388 billion globally based on financial losses and time lost, cybercrime costs the world significantly more than the global black market in marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined ($288 billion).(iii)
According to the Norton Cybercrime Report 2011 more than two thirds of online adults (69 percent) have been a victim of cybercrime in their lifetime. Every second 14 adults become a victim of cybercrime, resulting in more than one million cybercrime victims every day.(iv) For the first time, the Norton Cybercrime Report reveals that 10 percent of adults online have experienced cybercrime on their mobile phone.
In fact, the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 16(v) reported there were 42 percent more mobile vulnerabilities in 2010 compared to 2009 – a sign that cybercriminals are starting to focus their efforts on the mobile space. The number of reported new mobile operating system vulnerabilities increased, from 115 in 2009 to 163 in 2010. In addition to threats on mobile devices, increased social networking and a lack of protection are likely to be some of the main culprits behind the growing number of cybercrime victims.
Male, Millennial, Mobile
The study identifies men between 18 and 31 years old who access the Internet from their mobile phone as even more likely victims: in this group four in five (80 percent) have fallen prey to cybercrime in their lifetime. Globally, the most common – and most preventable – type of cybercrime is computer viruses and malware with 54 percent of respondents saying they have experienced it in their lifetime.
Viruses are followed by online scams (11 percent) and phishing messages (10 percent). Earlier this year the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 16, found more than 286 million unique variations of malicious software (“malware”) compared to the 240 million reported in 2009, representing a 19 percent increase.(vi)
“There is a serious disconnect in how people view the threat of cybercrime,” said Adam Palmer, Norton Lead Cybersecurity Advisor. “Cybercrime is much more prevalent than people realize. Over the past 12 months, three times as many adults surveyed have suffered from online crime versus offline crime, yet less than a third of respondents think they are more likely to become a victim of cybercrime than physical world crime in the next year.
And while 89 percent of respondents agree that more needs to be done to bring cybercriminals to justice, fighting cybercrime is a shared responsibility. It requires us all to be more alert and to invest in our online smarts and safety.”
The disconnect between awareness and action is further illustrated by the fact that while 74 percent of respondents say they are always aware of cybercrime, many are not taking the necessary precautions.
Forty-one percent of adults indicated they don’t have an up to date security software suite to protect their personal information online. In addition, less than half review credit card statements regularly for fraud (47 percent), and 61 percent don’t use complex passwords or change them regularly. Among those who access the Internet via their mobile phone, only 16 percent install the most up to date mobile security.
For more findings from the Norton Cybercrime Report globally and by country
Norton Cybercrime Report Methodology
Between February 6, 2011 and March 14, 2011, StrategyOne conducted interviews with 19,636 people and included 12,704 adults, aged 18 and over 4,553 children aged 8-17 years and 2,379 grade 1-11 teachers from 24 countries (Australia, Brazil,Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Belgium,Denmark, Holland, Hong Kong, Mexico, South Africa, Singapore, Poland, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates).
The margin of error for the total sample of adults (n=12,704) is + 0.87% at the 95% level of confidence. The global data has been weighted to ensure all countries have equal representation: adults to n500.
(i) Findings are extrapolations based upon results from a survey conducted in 24 countries among adults 18-64. The financial cost of cybercrime in the last year ($114bn) is calculated as follows: Victims over past 12 months (per country) x average financial cost of cybercrime (per country in US currency).
(ii) The value of time lost due to cybercrime experiences in the last year ($274 billion) is calculated as follows: Victims over past 12 months (per country) x average time cost of cybercrime (per country in US currency). Figure shown in the sum of all countries total cost.
(iii) 431 million victims in 24 countries over past 12 months is calculated as follows: Latest research from NCR shows 69% of adults in 24 countries have been a victim of cybercrime ever and of these 65% have been a victim in the past 12 months. Online population per country (24 country total = 802,872,752 according to CIA World Factbook) x % cybercrime ever per country x % cybercrime past 12 months per country = 431,504,885 (sum of 24 countries)
Total cost of cybercrime is calculated as follows: Total financial cost $114billion plus value attributed to lost time trying to resolve cybercrime $274billion = $388 billion
Total value of the world’s marijuana, cocaine and heroin market ($288 billion) is calculated as follows:
(iv) 14 cybercrime victims per second and one million cybercrime victims per day calculated as follows: victims over past 12 months (as above) 431,504,885 / 365 days per year / 24 hours / 60 minutes / 60 seconds
(v) Source: Symantec Internet Security Threat Report published April 2011
Tags: black market for marijuana, coacaine, cost of cybercrime, heroin, mobile, Norton, Symantec
Posted in Internet/New Media, Legal, Security, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
 AT&T said today that it will bring 5,000 wireless call center jobs back to the United States if its merger with T-Mobile closes.
The 5,000 new wireless call center jobs at AT&T will offer among the nation’s most highly competitive wages and benefits. AT&T, which has not yet determined where in the U.S. the new jobs will be located, is the nation’s largest employer of full-time union employees and the only unionized major U.S. wireless carrier.
“At a time when many Americans are struggling and our economy faces significant challenges, we’re pleased that the T-Mobile merger allows us to bring 5,000 jobs back to the United States and significantly increase our investment here,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and CEO. “This merger and today’s commitment are good for our employees, our customers and our country.”
Today’s announcement represents the largest commitment by an individual American company to bring jobs back to the U.S. since the economic crisis began in 2008.
Also, AT&T has committed as part of the T-Mobile merger to increase its U.S. infrastructure investment by more than $8 billion. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute that was commissioned by the Communications Workers of America, AT&T’s increased investment is estimated to produce up to approximately 96,000 new U.S. jobs.
AT&T said today’s jobs commitment does not change its previous guidance on the expected overall merger synergies.
The company is pushing hard to have the merger approved despite some Congressional opposition. Some fear the merger would reduce competition and lead to higher prices for mobile services.
Touting merger benefits
It says that beyond the jobs created, AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile USA provides a fast, efficient and certain solution to the impending exhaustion of wireless spectrum in many markets, which limits both companies’ ability to meet the ongoing explosive customer demand for mobile broadband. The uniquely complementary nature of AT&T and T-Mobile’s network assets will allow the combined company to add wireless network capacity – the functional equivalent of new spectrum – sooner than any other alternative.
AT&T promotes a number of benefits it says the merger will bring. The additional wireless network capacity will enable AT&T to offer better service — fewer dropped and blocked calls, and faster data speeds. Plus, the economic scale, additional spectrum and other benefits resulting from the merger will enable AT&T to deliver high-speed 4G LTE mobile broadband service to 97 percent of the U.S. population, or 55 million more Americans than it would without the merger. Reaching 97 percent of the population with LTE will create a much more extensive and robust mobile broadband platform that will fuel growth and investment throughout the country, the company says.
It adds that the benefits of the AT&T and T-Mobile merger have been recognized by numerous elected officials throughout the country, including 27 governors, more than 100 mayors, 11 state attorneys general, 79 Democratic Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and more than 150 chambers of commerce from 40 states, as well as a dozen labor unions and dozens of high-tech companies, such as Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo! and Oracle.
Tags: AT&T, benefits of AT&T merger, call center jobs, LTE, merger, mobile, mobile broadband, T-Mobile
Posted in Acquisitions, Mobile, TechJobs, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Monday, August 29th, 2011
 Finding the right mobile app for your needs can be more of a pain in the nether regions than necessary. A West Coast startup just landed funding to help mobile device users find the apps that do what they want without jumping through a lot of search hoops. Palo Alto, CA-based Quixey — a search engine for apps – has raised $3.8 million in Series A funding. The $3.8 million investment will help fuel growth and partnership development.
Quixey invented a new type of search — functional search — specifically for apps. Quixey’s functional search scans blogs, review sites, forums and social media sites to learn exactly what each app can do. Quixey has hundreds of pieces of data about each app. Quixey searches apps across all platforms — including mobile, web, desktop and browser apps.
Quixey is fundamentally different from other search engines. Other search engines require users to know an app’s name or official description to find the right app. Since Quixey knows exactly what each app can do, users can search by answering the question, “What do you want to do?”
The investment was co-led by U.S. Venture Partners and WI Harper Group with participation by Webb Investment Network in addition to a follow-up investment by Innovation Endeavors.
Tags: CA, financing, mobile, Palo Alto, Quixey, U.S. Venture Partners, WI Harper Group
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, Money, Telecommunications | Comments Off
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