Mobile Entertainment Issue 56, September 2009

OCTOBER 2009 ISSUE 56

FOR EVERYONE IN MOBILE CONTENT www.mobile-ent.biz

MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT

Glory, revelry and a six foot eight comedian: the 2009 ME Awards

2009

CONTENTS

AWARDS

WINNERS 09 THE Who went home with a smile and a gong?

17

ONE-YEAR-OLD ANDROID

19

FAYLING SUCCESS

How is Google’s baby doing?

Brothers thriving in the US

20

THE GREY MARKET

23

THE SITUATION SITUATION

Don’t overlook the over-50s

Here at ME, we wish everyone could win one of our awards. But until we switch to a politically correct event in which everyone gets a prize for taking part and trying jolly hard, there will always be a victorious few.

This year the awards included a few debut winners – Saffron Digital, BBC, Yahoo – to file alongside some perennial favourites. Who can wrest the trophy from Shazam, Admob and Apple? That’s the challenge for the class of 2010. So, yeah, there may be some disappointed finalists. But what a night. Another sell-out, and proof that mobile content is about as sexy as business can get.

Elsewhere in this issue, we look back on a year of Android, ponder why the industry persists in ignoring the spending power of oldies, and take the temperature of the job market...

Recruitment in the spotlight

4-6 News 28 Appointments 31 Shows 33 Network subs 34 Databox 37 Charts 39 Marketplace 46 Discontent www.mobile-ent.biz

October 2009 3

NEWS

Be iFraid. Be very iFraid kay, I admit it. I called the whole iPhone thing completely wrong. Six months into the age of the iPhone I still believed that the device, while magnificent in many ways, was basically one for web designers, Mac obsessives and creative types only. I figured it was the Mac in mobile clothing. Nice, but niche. Well, I just don’t think that point of view is tenable any longer. Here at ME towers, eight out of 20 people on our floor – across different mags and job descriptions – own an iPhone. That’s 40 per cent penetration.

Even my wife’s got one. And, believe me, Mrs Green has never worn a black polo neck.

I think I underestimated the degree to which people were ready to make the leap from phone to connected device. Boy, were they ready – they

O

I think I underestimated the degree to which people were ready to make the leap from phone to connected device.

Boy, were they ready just wanted a nudge from something with a sexy UI and form factor. The N95 couldn’t give them that. But, speaking from a UK perspective, there have been major hurdles to adoption. Want an iPhone? Go through the pain on switching networks – and be prepared to pay £45 a month if you don’t want to pay extra for the device. But still over a million did.

Now that Voda and Orange are on board, something approaching 50 million Brits can have one (assuming the Orange/T-Mobile deal is approved) without changing operator. And I’m hearing that Apple’s new partners will compete on price with O2.

What the hell happens next? Nokia, Samsung et al must be very nervous. They need to up their game. From anecdotal evidence, iPhone refuseniks (and they are out there) are looking to the HTC/Android as much as the traditional big five for an alternative. There’s a buzz about the Palm Pre, and even Microsoft is preparing to make a big noise around new Windows devices.

For the first time in years, it seems as if the ancien regime in devices is under threat. Could it be that Nokia et al are standing up to operators with their own services just at the point when they lose their pull with consumers?

Fascinating times. Me, I’m still too wary of the cult of Apple to get an iPhone. But I’m not writing off an iPod Touch.

Tim.Green@intentmedia.co.uk; @timgreen64 4

October 2009

iPhone UK exclusive comes to an end Market widens for the device as networks take it on board THE IPHONE will get a proper crack at the UK mass market when it is sold by Vodafone and Orange/TMobile from later on this year.

The long-rumoured end to the O2 exclusive came in just two days last month when first Orange and then Vodafone confirmed they would begin selling the iPhone 3G and 3G S. Assuming the T-Mobile /Orange merger goes through, the deals will make the device available across all UK networks with the exception of 3, which could of course strike its own deal with Apple at any time.

Meanwhile, away from hardware, Apple’s App Store continues to go from strength to strength. The firm confirmed last month that more than two billion apps have been downloaded from its store, and that there are now 85,000 apps available to the 50 million iPhone and iPod touch owners, with

Binbit bags Acme Mobile THE MEXICAN D2C specialist Binbit looks set to fuel expansion in South East Asia with the purchase of Singapore-based Acme Mobile.

Binbit is acquiring 100 per cent of the shares of Acme, which is a distributor of mobile entertainment content. Binbit will now use Acme’s network to target 300m subscribers.

Antoni Muntaner, Binbit’s chairman, said: “The acquisition reinforces our position abroad, in step with Binbit’s strategy of investing in profitable markets within our line of business.”

The move takes Binbit into 26 countries worldwide.

Acme will continue to operate as a business unit for Binbit Group and CEO Paul Meyers will remain as MD of Asia for the new entity. www.binbit.com

How many people will plump for the iPhone now...?

125,000 developers in its Developer Program.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said: “The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate, with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a

year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone. The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it.” www.apple.com

Mobile giants fight over developers VODAFONE has launched a €1m widget contest to drive developer support for its 360 platform – and it’s not the only one looking for app makers.

Appstar has a combined prize fund of €1m, which will be shared across Voda opcos in UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. The contest will outline the widget capabilities of the new Vodafone 360 mobiles.

The developers of the top three widgets will be awarded prize money of €25,000, €15,000 and €10,000. The €25k winner will also have their entry submitted into a pan-European competition.

Competing for attention will be Nokia. Its Calling All Innovators competition is

back, touting Ovi Store contracts and cash prizes for UK developers, with a £20,000 prize and Ovi Store contract for the winner.

Finally, Sony Ericsson is in the middle of a 15-location roadshow to explain its app store strategy to ‘tier one’ developers. It’s offering a ‘five days to portal’ promise to those that can deliver apps which improve the Sony Ericsson experience. Christopher David, head of developer and partner engagement at Sony Ericsson, said: “Our mantra is accessibility. We’ll keep the barrier low with no submission fee or membership cost. We want to define a hero programme for the best partners.” developer.sonyericsson.com

www.mobile-ent.biz

Samsung targets youth with social smartphones Manufacturer places full might of its global marketing behind Corby touchscreens OS here, despite the sophistication of the Corby.

It did so to keep the UI simple and tailored for young users.

Features common to all Corbys include Touchwiz UI and haptic feedback, one finger zoom, two megapixel camera, music player and built-in links to photo sharing and video sharing sites.

Gilad Bachrack, head of portfolio management, Samsung Telecoms Europe, said: “We’re targeting a youth maket that is increasingly interested in touch features and mobile social networking. The Corby family starts from €150 before subsidies, and we’ve never been able to hit this price point before on a youth product with this feature set.”

SAMSUNG will embark on a huge spending spree to promote its new family of smartphones to younger users.

The ‘Journey Into Colour’ campaign will promote three Corby phones (called the Genio in France and the UK), which comprise a full touch handset, a BlackBerrystyle qwerty (CorbyTXT) and one with a slider keyboard (CorbyPRO).

All will ship with built-in access to social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. There will also be 25 widgets pre-loaded, with a link where users can download 50 more.

For all the relative sophistication inside the devices – and they start from €150 pre-subsidy – it’s the dramatic colouring that will probably grab younger consumers’ attention. The four hues are: Jamaican Yellow, Cupid Pink, Minimal White, and Festival Orange.

Interestingly, Samsung opted to keep its proprietary

www.samsung.com

Samsung hopes the bright colours and simple UI of the Corby phones, along with social networking access, will attract younger users

Big changes in the Java games space EA MOBILE’S grip on te Java games market is now even stronger: from November, it will distribute Namco Bandai games in Europe, Russia, India, Latin America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Namco Bandai will still operate its own D2C online store in these regions, and retain distribution to smartphone app stores. Its US operation is unaffected.

It means EA, which also handles coin-op giant Taito, now has Tetris, Pac-Man and Space Invaders in its catalogue.

The deal accelerates consolidation in the space.

Lsst month saw big changes at the sector’s third largest player, Glu. It parted company with its EMEA MD www.mobile-ent.biz

Frank Keeling and SVP of global publishing, Jill Braff.

The company told ME the moves are part of a restructure, which includes finding a new CEO and hiring a new team in the US to focus on social games. So far, Glu has launched two Facebook games in beta – Bonsai Blast and My Hangman. www.eamobile.com

Moto all a Blur MOTOROLA’S long-awaited return to the mobile frontline is an Android device based around social networking called the Clic.

The US firm is pinning its hopes on the MOTOBLUR interface inside the Clic – called Dext in the UK – which sits on top of the Android OS and aggregates social networking feeds and content.

It says the system is quick to set up and lets users communicate across multiple channels from one tidy app.

Motorola isn’t joining the rush to build its own app store.

Instead, the new device links users only to Android Market.

But the firm’s MOTODEV developer programme remains very much alive, with several new initiatives encouraging partners, including a new ‘App Accelerator Program’

SATCHWELL: Still innovating

and ‘MOTODEV Studio for Android Beta’.

The firm has stressed that, despite the unremarkable physical nature of the Clic, there’s still plenty of form factor innovation. Tom Satchwell, Motorola’s director of international marketing, said: “Motorola has a history of innovation. The Dext is just the start of a long road for us.” www.motorola.com

[IN BRIEF] Momac wears casual The UK content delivery specialist Momac has launched a platform for browser-based casual games play, called GoPlay. The firm says games can be offered free/ad funded, or via a low cost subscription (typically between €1-2 per month) for unlimited access. Users browse the GoPlay portal to select a game, which is then launched immediately in a mobile internet session for instantaneous play.

O2 identifies with Shazam UK operator O2 has teamed up with Shazam to help customers identify and then buy a song heard while out and about. Subscribers can use the service by dialing 2580 and holding their handset up to music for a few seconds. In return they’ll receive a text message containing details about the track and an embedded link to purchase it. It’s another bit of progress from Shazam, which is one of the world’s most popular apps and still runs a D2C service.

SE gets a pre-load of Accumulate Embedded games in Sony Ericsson devices, starting with the Yari, will be wrapped with Flexion technology to encourage trials and purchases.

Flexion is a wrapping engine that builds in a range of purchase options such ‘try-before-you-buy’, ‘rent for the day’ or ‘have-a-go for 25p’ into a game or app.

Accumulate calls it ‘on-device retailing.’ This deal represents the first time a handset manufacturer has pre-loaded games with Flexion.

MIG revenue up 74 per cent The UK mobile giant Mobile Interactive Group is sailing through the economic downturn, with annual revenue up 74 per cent and profits up 52 per cent. The firm’s consolidated financial accounts revealed a revenue rise from £39m to £68m in the year to April 30th.

Headcount soared by 46 per cent.

The results vindicated the firm’s recent expansion beyond its traditional base in transactions, messaging and m-commerce, to launch subsidiaries in mobile advertising (4th Screen), experiential (New Toy), digital comms (Jigsaw) and – this summer – mobile internet publishing (Kilrush).

Nokia effects Dopplr swoop It’s been a very busy month for Nokia. Just days after moving for LBS specialist Plum, it acquired Dopplr, another firm offering location-aware services. Dopplr’s Social Atlas service – which is currently available as an iPhone app – is pitched at both private and business travellers, and enables members to share travel plans privately with their networks and exchange tips on places to stay, eat and explore.

October 2009 5

NEWS

Microsoft opens app store PC giant presses ‘start’ on mobile drive with new devices and marketplace THE ROLL-OUT of Windows Mobile Marketplace has begun: it’s already available to Windows 6.5 users, and will arrive for users of older handsets next month.

Todd Brix, Microsoft’s director of mobile services marketing, said: “Our plan is to deliver the full Marketplace experience in two phases. First, we’ll launch Windows Marketplace for Mobile with Windows phones on October 6th. We’ve also discussed following this launch with an update that will include support for Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 by the end of the

year. More specifically, we’re targeting November for phase two.”

The second phase will be about more than just older WinMo handsets. Brix says November will also see the launch of the “PC-based catalog and shopping experience”, as well as user reviews on the store and anti-piracy protection for apps.

Microsoft has also stepped up its activities in the device space, launching phones with Windows Mobile 6.5 across multiple operators worldwide. It says the new OS will deliver improved UI, better browsing and access to

The Windows Mobile Marketplace will feature on HTC devices

content. Supporting manufacturers include HTC, LG, Samsung and Toshiba. www.microsoft.com

Mfuse set to race into Casino space UK MOBILE gambling specialist Mfuse is set to diversify from sports betting into casino gaming for the first time.

The company will roll out a series of non-branded games in a departure from its traditional heartland of enabling mobile wagers on live sports events.

Mfuse admits the two markets are different, but feels the time is right for diversification. Marcus Wareham, CEO of Mfuse, said: “The sports book is timecritical – a game kicks off a 3pm and nothing changes that. This makes sports apps a tool and not entertainment.

Casino games are different.

But we’re ready to launch into it. Our technology and handset coverage will give us an edge we can exploit.”

Meanwhile Mfuse continues to sell in its Lifebet

sports book aggregation service to media brands. The most recent such deal was with magazine publisher IPC Ignite to supply a white label betting portal for the men’s lifestyle brand Nuts. The service give Nuts mobile users a single WAP access point to Litebet’s portfolio of bookmakers including Ladbrokes, Skybet and William Hill. www.mfuse.com Player One’s portfolio includes Freddie Flintoff Powerplay Cricket. Not one for the US market, perhaps

MTN eyes further content growth IMImobile to target Africa and the Middle East regions with new VAS services PAN-REGIONAL operator MTN has outsourced its content activities to the Indian managed services provider IMImobile.

The operator will attempt to streamline and harmonise its media play across 21 markets in Africa and the Middle East with the deal, which will deliver content including music (local and international repertoire), sports, games, entertainment and news.

One of MTN’s new content streams will be the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for which it has exclusive global mobile rights, including match news, fixtures, results, team and group profiles.

MTN also says its partnership with IMImobile will enable it to launch new income-generating voice and data services across its global footprint. IMImobile will 6

October 2009

Nozipho January-Bardill

deploy its Service Delivery Platform (SDP), including its DaVinci Content Management System, to manage the operation.

Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN’s group corporate affairs executive, said: “IMImobile’s value proposition and technology solutions will enable MTN to reduce the time-to-market for new services, boost ARPU and keep MTN at the forefront of innovative services.” www.mtn.com

ROK plus One adds up VETERAN UK games publisher Player One is now part of ROK mobile services portfolio.

Player One is a specialist in the field of sports, working closely with a number of licensors such as Matchroom to secure IP including Freddie Flintoff Powerplay Cricket, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Snooker and

Ernie Els’s Golf. It also distributes personalisation products, in addition to handling the live streaming of sports events.

Although the firm has a strong tradition in Java games, it has more recently turned its attention to handheld formats, with Freddie Flintoff’s Powerplay Cricket set for Nintendo DS

and various Sony PSP mini games in development.

Jonathan Kendrick, chairman and CEO of ROK, said: “We are delighted to add Player One to our portfolio and we look forward to the successful deployment of its existing library of world-class mobile games as well as developing new games.” www.rokent.com

www.mobile-ent.biz

Congratulations to all ME Award winners

Experiences are better when they’re shared. www.ovi.com

ME AWARDS 2009 Silver Partner

Exclusive Drinks Reception Partner

Exclusive Operators Award Partner

Exclusive Games Publisher Award Partner

Exclusive Best Social Media Company Award Partner

Best Marketing and Advertising Award Partner

Best Handset Company Award

After-Show Party Partner

Best D2C Company Award Partner

2009

Gold Partner

AWARDS

And the winners were...

Downturn be damned! The party mood at the ME Awards 2009 was emphatic proof that mobile content is the business of today and tomorrow. Re-live your memories and check out the winners here…

ME Awards 2009 DEVELOPMENT & PUBLISHING Best Gambling Company: Cellectivity Best Adult Company: Cherry Media Best D2C Company: PlayPhone Best Games Developer: Digital Chocolate Best Games Publisher: EA Mobile Best Music Company: Universal Best Video Company: BBC Best Social Media Company: Flirtomatic SERVICES Best Video and TV Service Provider: Saffron Digital Best Music Service Provider: Shazam Best Games Service Provider: Metaflow Best Transactions Provider: Ericsson IPX Best Mobile Publishing Platform: Netbiscuits Best Marketing & Advertising Company: Admob Best Search and Location Company: Yahoo Mobile Best App Store: Apple App Store OPERATORS & HANDSETS Best Handset Company: Apple Best Operator: Vodafone SPECIAL AWARD Outstanding contribution to mobile content: Neeraj Roy

www.mobile-ent.biz

veryone loves a good awards dinner. Especially when they get a prize to go with their tiramisu. The fourth annual ME Awards was packed to the rafters as usual, and there was plenty of squealing from the 18 winners on the night. You can read all about them over the following five pages, but it’s worth mentioning a few of them here. Among those that got a deserved pat on the back for unglamorous but much-appreciated work were Saffron Digital and Metaflow. These guys were simply thrilled, and so they should be.

Then there were the perennials.

Although we can’t disclose the number of votes, we can confirm that Admob, Shazam and Flirtomatic walked their categories – just like last year. Finally, a word about Apple. It too bagged the large majority of the votes in ‘best app store’ and ‘best handset company’. To be honest, Apple was churlish not to accept the awards in person. Let’s hope, for the good of the biz, that next year the vote is closer.

E

October 2009 9

ME AWARDS 2009

SERVICES

BEST VIDEO AND TV SERVICE PROVIDER

BEST MUSIC SERVICE PROVIDER

Saffron Digital

Shazam

A well-deserved award for a company that is finally seeing the fruits of years of work developing the mobile video space. Saffron is now working with partners boasting some of the biggest brands in the world. It’s a close partner of Sky, which uses Saffron’s technology to to deliver its 247Football service to the likes of T-Mobile, Vodafone and O2. And it is also powering Sony Ericsson’s all-you-can-eat PlayNow Arena Movies store.

Shazam seems to have this award in its pocket, literally and metaphorically.

The perennial winner polls the most votes year in, year out, by virtue of its uniquely mobile business model, and its sheer market success. In less than a year since it launched, Shazam is the fifth most popular application in the Apple App Store, having been downloaded by over seven million iPhone users worldwide – and used to identify over 185 million tracks. Now it’s aiming for similar results on Ovi, BlackBerry and Android handsets.

BEST TRANSACTIONS PROVIDER Ericsson IPX

BEST GAMES SERVICE PROVIDER Metaflow Every partner of Metaflow will be delighted to see this ‘under-the-radar’ company have its moment.

Metaflow’s workflow solution may not be glamorous, but publishers including EA Gameloft, Glu and THQ swear by it – using the system to prepare over 750,000 mobile game SKUs for 350 different sales channels each month. Metaflow’s Charles McLeod punched the air with delight.

It’s easy to be dazzled by the giant multinational scale of one of the telco industry’s juggernauts.

But if the firm was just about footprint, it wouldn’t have polled so many votes. Clearly, this was equally an award for service quality. Ericsson IPX provides billing services to two billion subscribers via over 100 operators, and works with a vast number of content providers.

BEST MOBILE PUBLISHING PLATFORM Netbiscuits Netbiscuits’ first award in this category is well-deserved. The firm has dedicated itself to mobile site creation since 2000 and now hosts 8,000-plus sites in 50 countries.

Clients include Yahoo, MTV and eBay. More recently, Netbiscuits enhanced its support for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and S60 – and introduced a solution that displays mobile pages within a downloadable app.

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October 2009

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ME AWARDS 2009

BEST Best Marketing and Advertising Award Partner BEST SEARCH AND MARKETING & ADVERTISING COMPANY LOCATION COMPANY

BEST APP STORE

AdMob

Yahoo

Apple App Store

Three in a row for Admob, which continues to make a huge impact on the content market, providing instant revenue for mobile site publishers and instant inventory for advertisers.

The firm’s growth seems to be endless. We remember being shocked at one billion ads served in a month: now it’s up to four billion.

Don’t discount the possibility of a fourth ME Award next year.

Recognition for Yahoo, which shows solid commitment to mobile. The firm just announced a $100 million ad campaign to support a new home page and fresh approach to search – with mobile firmly part of it. This campaign will maintain the momentum begun at Mobile World Congress, when Yahoo tied together various mobile offerings into one product. ME’s Stuart O’Brien collected the award on Yahoo’s behalf.

You’re not surprised are you? Was there ever going to be another winner of ME’s first best app store award? The Apple App Store put a big rocket up the industry’s arse, and made every other vendor re-think their approach. It has served up two billion downloads since July 2008, and hosts 85,000 apps. Sadly, Apple wouldn’t accept the award in person so ME’s Tim Green had to.

DEVELOPMENT & PUBLISHING

BEST SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY Flirtomatic

Exclusive Best Social Media Company Award Partner

Onwards and upwards for Flirtomatic, which took home an ME award for the second year running. The innovative social network successfully moved into the German, US and Australian markets this year, while continuing to hone its outstanding UK operation. Flirtomatic makes real money from 1.2 million users with ARPU at over $10 per month. These users buy ‘Flirt Points’ in order to gift virtual items to others.

Flirtomatic has even launched a ‘flirt words’ programme for brands to buy keywords and sold inventory to ‘real world’ brands. www.mobile-ent.biz

BEST GAMBLING COMPANY Cellectivity Deserved recognition for an important and longstanding participant in the mobile gambling space. Cellectivity is a key broker for any company wishing to establish gambling services on UK operator portals, managing content, integration, reporting and pay-outs. It also operates Bet2Go, an app that enables users to receive odds from the UK’s six top bookmakers.

October 2009 11

ME AWARDS 2009

DEVELOPMENT & PUBLISHING CONTINUED

BEST ADULT COMPANY Cherry Media

BEST D2C COMPANY

Cherry is back on top again, to coin an inevitably innuendo-laden phrase. This most high profile of adult companies won the prize at the first ME awards in 2006, but has narrowly missed out since. It’s well deserved. Cherry boss Julia Dimambro is a charming flagwaver for responsible adult content, while never shying away from the onanistic ‘truth’ of her product. Cherry Media continues to thrive. In the last 12 months it has signed 26 new distribution deals and is now available on more than 65 operator decks across multiple continents.

PlayPhone

Best D2C Company Award Partner

The D2C market ain’t easy, but PlayPhone’s model of marrying its own consumer-facing services while powering those of megabrands like Wal-mart and Cartoon Network is flourishing. The firm bagged this award after a busy year that has taken it into 25 countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Significantly, it also moved into operator store management – taking over the NTELOS content offering and launching a Wireless Retailer Program to promote good content retailing.

BEST GAMES DEVELOPER Digital Chocolate Three in a row for Digichoc, which is still impressing industry peers after more than 60 games released. The firm’s commitment to casual play is being emphatically vindicated in the era of social media and app stores.

The new focus is ‘OmniMedia’, a merging of original IP, viral discovery and multi-format development (phones, consoles, social networks).

BEST GAMES PUBLISHER

Exclusive Games Publisher Award Partner

EA Mobile

Yes, it has the brands and the infrastructure, but no one can deny that EA Mobile works those advantages hard on mobile. The wireless unit generated revenue of $189 million in FY2009, up 24 per cent year-on-year. It also moved nimbly into casual and iPhone, confirming the launch of a dedicated unit that will make 99 cent games for Apple’s platform.

BEST MUSIC COMPANY Universal A first ME award for the world’s biggest label, and one that its first-mover status in so many digital initiatives surely warrants.

Witness Nokia's revolutionary Comes With Music service, a project that went live with all-label backing, but which Universal backed first. Later, it made headlines again as the major label supporter of Virgin Media's unlimited DRM-free MP3 downloads service.

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October 2009

www.mobile-ent.biz

ME AWARDS 2009

DEVELOPMENT & PUBLISHING CONTINUED

SPECIAL AWARD

BEST VIDEO COMPANY BBC Mobile TV has had its issues over the years, but when BBC moved its iPlayer app onto handsets, the sector was transformed. iPlayer lets audiences view BBC TV and radio up to seven days after transmission. Now, three per cent of all iPlayer traffic now comes from iPhone or iPod Touch.

The Beeb has also added video to its mobile website, which attracts 3.4 million UK visitors a month. Tim Green accepted the award for the BBC.

OPERATORS & HANDSETS

Neeraj Roy won a deserved ovation for his award – then gave host Greg Davies a big hug

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT BEST HANDSET COMPANY Apple

Best Handset Company Award

Apple again. The firm may not engage with the industry too readily, but it sets the standard in so much of what it does. After selling around 35 million iPhones in 18 months, the task now is to keep the momentum going. But more operator deals might just help it to do so. O2’s Antony Douglas accepted for Apple with a quip about having four weeks left.

BEST OPERATOR Vodafone

Exclusive Operators Award Partner

Days before scooping this award for the first time, Vodafone lifted the lid on its new app platform 360, signalling the end of the old portal/storefront approach and opening up the world’s biggest network to the creativity of indy developers. Sure, Voda was hurried along this route by the example of Apple, but it’s still brave, decisive and laudable. Be interesting to see what happens when partners Softbank, China Mobile and Verizon get moving.

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October 2009

Neeraj Roy, CEO, Hungama Mobile There are so many clichés surrounding the Indian market: 10 million new subs a month, entertainment-obsessed users, etc, etc. But when you go there for yourself, you see that it’s true. I was lucky enough to be in Mumbai last year for a conference on all things digital. And who invited me but Neeraj Roy. Well, of course, Neeraj Roy. This man is Indian mobile entertainment in human form. His company, Hungama, dominates the local scene thanks to its close links to Bollywood. Now, you don’t get those deals without great personal charm. Neeraj has that. And when I was at that conference the high regard in which he is held was obvious. It was hard to get near him.

Some entrepreneurs build successful businesses and leave it at that.

Others try to give something back. Neeraj is in the latter camp – always working for the wider cause of mobile content, and on behalf of his beloved home country.

I was thrilled to witness the warm ovation Neraj received when he collected his award. And typical of him to offer a special hug to the host, six foot eight inch Greg Davies, when he complained that he never gets them. I can’t think of a more fitting recipient of this award.

About those judges…

The question of who wins the ME Awards is not decided by the ME team but by over 400 industry execs from across the industry. Their votes decide it. So don’t blame us if you didn’t win. The judges are drawn from all corners of the business – from hardware to publishing, operators to consumer brands – and we’re extremely grateful for their time. www.mobile-ent.biz

Helping you understand mobile audiences & their behaviour Nielsen enables you to make more informed business decisions regarding your mobile strategy. Whether benchmarking your mobile site’s audience, understanding how mobile audiences consume media through their handset or optimising your mobile advertising strategy, you’ll get easy-to-use information to help achieve your goals.

̐ Understand your target audience’s mobile behaviour ̐ ̐

- what phones they have, what features they use, what sites they visit Benchmark the performance of mobile internet sites - visitor numbers, reach, visits, time spent per person Track the media consumed through mobile - SMS, MMS, internet, video, games, on-portal applications

For more information, please contact: Edward Kershaw T: +44 (0)20 7014 0590 E: edward.kershaw@nielsen.com

Congratulations to all the winners!

www.nielsen.com

© 2009, The Nielsen Company

ANDROID FOCUS

Mobile operating system Android is set to rival iPhone’s App store with increasing numbers of handset makers opting to use the platform.

Happy birthday

Android hen T-Mobile started selling the G1 handset last October in the US and UK, expectations were high. It was the first smartphone to run Google’s Android OS, which was heralded as having the potential to compete with iPhone. Has it? Not yet, but as the year has gone on, there have been signs that Android is picking up traction with handset makers, operators and app developers.

The real momentum now is in handsets. The G1 quickly sold a million units, but few devices followed in its wake. Mobile World Congress – predicted to be an Android-fest – yielded only one such device, the HTC Magic for Vodafone.

However, that sold a million units in just four months – clearly, consumers like Android. Since then, the pace of handset launches has picked up.

HTC revealed its Hero and Tattoo, while LG unveiled its first model, the GW620. Motorola made its comeback with the Dext, while INQ has confirmed that its first Android phone will go on sale in 2010. With 18-20 new

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Android phones expected by the end of this year, Strategy Analytics’ prediction of eight million Android handsets sales by this point could prove conservative.

One of the reasons why handset makers like Android is the ability to layer their own user interfaces on top. Motorola’s MOTOBLUR is a good example. It syncs contacts, posts, messages and photos from social networking sites and delivers them to the homescreen. It’s an Android handset, but MOTOBLUR is all Motorola.

It’s one year since Google’s mobile OS launched. So how has it performed?

Stuart Dredge investigates…

Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson has shown off a beautiful Android UI codenamed Rachael, and HTC has won plaudits for Sense. Available on the Hero, this includes widgets, ‘scenes’ to offer different homescreens based on the time of day and a visually arresting ‘perspectives’ content interface.

This ability to customise Android shouldn’t be underestimated, given the vendors’ desire to retain some control over the user experience. It’s easy to see operators joining in too.

In this sense, it currently scores over rival platforms Symbian and Windows Mobile.

If there is excitement around Android phones, what about the app store? The topline Android Market stats look good – 10,000 apps are now available, with users having downloaded an average of 40 apps to their handsets, and 80 per cent downloading at least one app per week.

However, free apps are doing very well on Android, but paid apps are not.

Hence AdMob’s estimate that Android Market is generating $5 million a month, compared to iPhone’s

App Store’s $200 million. Puzzle game Trism, for example, famously made $250,000 in two months on iPhone for its developer, but sold less than 500 copies on Android, meaning a paltry return of $1,500.

It’s partly down to billing. Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t get credit-card details from every user. And in the absence of operator billing, Android Market requires users to pay via Google Checkout. Meanwhile, developers complain of too many freebies, and not enough information for buyers.

Some even suggest that Google doesn’t care about paid content. Yet, the next version of Android Market will separate paid and free apps, and let developers provide screenshots, icons and longer descriptions for their apps.

Despite the problems, support is growing from content providers.

Spotify launched its Android app the same day as iPhone, with the extra feature of being able to run in the background. Android also beat iPhone in the cutting edge reality market.

Although Android hasn’t helped firms and operators knock iPhone off its perch, it is providing a headache for Symbian and Windows Mobile.

That’s a decent enough achievement.

So far evidence shows that Android’s future is ripe with potential.

October 2009 17

18

October 2009

www.mobile-ent.biz

US FOCUS/A3 MEDIA

Big brothers Denver-based siblings Clint and Blake Fayling built a formidable operation out of adult Brickhouse Mobile and mainstream 5280 brands. So why did they re-brand the company as A3 Media? Tim Green asks them…

Re-branding is always a bit of a nightmare, so why bother?

Clint: As we went more international, we became aware of the shortcomings of the name (5280 refers to the height above sea level of the company’s home city Denver – ed). One time we were in Turkey and a translator was explaining our name to a client – and struggling – so that’s when we thought ‘let’s change it’.

A3’s Blake (left) and Clint (right) Fayling are very tall in real life, which explains our headline

So what does this mean for the 5280 and Brickhouse brands?

Blake: They will carry on under the A3 umbrella. Basically, the change brings us closer to the cable company model where you can offer a range of product types under one entity.

But is there a problem going into a conservative operator with Brickhouse in the repertoire?

Blake: Well, again, it’s like the cable companies. Time Warner, Comcast – they all offer mature content. They seem to be okay.

How important to the company is adult content?

Blake: It depends. Outside North America, we lead on the mature content and diversify into other areas. In North America it’s the other way round.

Clearly, the US operators are rigidly opposed to mature content. Do you think there will be any change to their stance?

Clint: I know some operators have been speaking to their counterparts in Europe about age verification and how they can make it work. Some operators have been trialling content controls here in the US. They are all aware of the reaction of their subscribers and their commercial partners, but they also know that if they want to maintain three per cent annual growth, then they need to look at all options. Our approach is to segment the portfolio to suit the customer – 70 per cent of our sales are what we categorise as ‘clothed’. www.mobile-ent.biz

How healthy is the American content market?

Clint: It’s tough. The D2C market is dealing with legal issues, and that’s hard when margins are tight and you have to spend a lot on marketing to get a return. And the operators are streamlining. AT&T, for example, slashed its partners from around 50 to four. Fortunately, we’re working with pretty much everyone.

How have you managed this?

Blake: You have to go beyond the product to differentiate yourself, and focus on your service. That means

You have to differentiate yourself with service – looking at analytics, refreshing the portfolio and micro-targeting. looking at analytics to maximise sales, refreshing the portfolio and micro-targeting. We work with local colleges to help us identify new products. They alerted us to the work of fairy artists, for example, who are very popular with younger girls.

When you work with ‘babe’ content it’s easy to overlook this stuff. But it’s one of our best selling categories now.

How does a B2O company like A3 handle the app store phenomenon?

What’s to stop your partners creating their own apps and bypassing A3?

Clint: There are multiple app stores to develop for, and it’s hard to ensure high quality, consistent brand experience and multiple relationships unless you’re an expert in content. We expect to have our first apps in 60 days.

Nielsen: No pause in the US video boom US players like A3 should be looking hard at video if they want to grow, according to Nielsen Online. Its State of Mobile Video: Promise vs. Progress report says the number of active mobile video viewers leapt to 15.3 million by Q2 2009. That’s seven per cent of all subscribers. And although flat rate data packages have reduced ARPU to $5.73 a month for

access to video compared to $8.32 in Q2 2009, operators still saw an 11 per cent increase in revenues to $308 million.

What’s more, there’s room for growth because half of handsets in use still can’t play videos. However, the industry needs to provide a good enough experience to turn trialists into users; seventy-eight per cent of today’s audience has been

watching for less than a year. Nic Covey, director of insights at Nielsen Online, says: “It’s easy to be a pessimist, but video is a transformational technology that has a way to go before making a dramatic impact. When it does, the beneficiaries will be those who participated in its evolution, and planned for this demand.”

October 2009 19

CONNECTING SENIORS The majority of the senior demographic want to connect with their grandchildren and realise the mobile phone is the way forward

Silver into gold

Why does the industry target youngsters so relentlessly and ignore the considerable disposable income of ‘oldies’? Simon Rockman opines… etting old isn’t great, but it’s better than the alternative.

People are living longer thanks to improved diets and healthcare. And many of the diseases once considered fatal are now treatable. As a result, populations in Western countries are getting older. I believe this is a real opportunity for the mobile business, even if it’s not really being taken at present.

According to Saga, there are nearly 21m consumers over the age of 50 in the UK, representing 34 per cent of the population. This demographic controls 60 per cent of the country’s savings and 40 per cent of its disposable income. It’s a formidable group, and more active than ever. Yet many seniors find mobile phones difficult to use.

Obviously it’s wrong to see the over 50s, or indeed any demographic, as a homogenous mass. Indeed, ad agency McCann Erickson has revealed that 50 to 60-year-olds feel resentment, verging on anger, toward brands that target them based on their age. This was particularly acute among ABC1 consumers. Clearly there are some tech-savvy seniors out there.

But there is a significant group that is bewildered by phone design as it stands. We all know that when you press the power button it takes a while for the keypad to light up, the screen to come on and the phone to search for a network. If you are a bit older and less experienced in mobile, you might expect a phone to come to life straight away. If it doesn’t, you might press the button again and again, until you come to the conclusion that the phone is broken.

Thus, having a phone react instantly makes the difference between making the phone usable

G

20

October 2009

and unusable for this proportion of the population. Saying ‘please wait’ rather than ‘searching’ helps too.

Niche handset vendors such as Doro, Emporia and Amplicom focus on clear design ideas like this.

But such innovations aren’t strange or niche – they’re something we’d all like. Clearly, the ‘mobile phones for seniors’ market isn’t just about big screens, fonts and buttons. Perhaps we can all benefit from a re-think.

Ian Hoskings, senior research associate at the University of Cambridge, thinks so. He has been researching design issues for Vodafone, and estimates there’s potential to grow the mobile market by over nine per cent if the right products are sold in the right way. He believes 60 per cent of existing phone users would find using such a phone a better experience.

Getting the phone right isn’t the only piece of the puzzle to opening up the senior market. If a network were to offer a 50-year-old consumer a phone for their parents instead of an upgrade, then consumer retention would be increased.

Arlene Harris, seniors MVNO Jitterbug founder, sees family support as crucial to helping older subscribers get more for their phones. “If grandchildren can upload photos to their grandparents phones, or update phonebooks, it makes both sides feel involved. The senior feels cool, and the junior’s happy because it’s communicating in the way it prefers.”

Simon Rockman, founder of What Mobile magazine and all-round mobile phone guru

Old-fashioned debate The question of how to develop the mobile market for seniors will be the subject of a conference in London later this month. Execs from Jitterbug, Doro and others will speak at the event.

Mobile Phones for the Senior Market October 26th Royal Institution of British Architects 66 Portland Place London W1B 1AD

More details at www.seniormarket.co.uk or call Simon Rockman on 07973 204024.

www.mobile-ent.biz

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October 2009 21

RECRUITMENT

Well-placed for the

upturn?

Mobile recruitment consultants are using technology to adapt to tough economic conditions. Tim Green finds out more… here’s nothing like a downturn to force change on a market – and if any sector is going to feel the chill wind of economic recession it’s the fellas at the sharp end of the job market: recruitment consultants. Often unloved, but (when they get it right) with a vital role to play, recruitment consultants are currently responding to a tough climate with innovation.

The last six months have seen various players experiment with selfservice web-based exchanges that

T

TOP: IMR Executive’s Ross Wellby BOTTOM: Digimobjobs’ Andrew Nicholls

www.mobile-ent.biz

enable jobseekers and employers to find each other. But before exploring that, it’s worth asking how tough the space has been in the last year. ME polled the leading players, and the verdict was unanimous – poor. More happily, all of them are finally seeing signs of improvement.

A typical verdict comes from Ben Strickland, MD of Aspire Mobile: “The positive is that we haven’t seen a lot of companies downsizing: there just hasn’t been any growth. That’s said, in the last month, we have

witnessed a big turnaround with more and more companies starting to hire again – especially in the technical area with regard to new app stores.”

IMR Executive’s Ross Wellby sees a similar pattern but detects that changes in the market generally are affecting some jobs more than others.

“It’s not so easy to sell a game for £5 any more, so that will affect some people with skills that are skewed towards that model. But if you’re expert in ad-funding, you’ll probably find it easier out there.”

October 2009 23

RECRUITMENT

This pressure on recruitment has seen off some of its participants – Mococonnect appears to have disappeared, for example. It’s tough out there. The challenging environment convinced one of the industry’s foremost consultants – Andrew Nicholls – to experiment with a web exchange model for finding candidates. A bit like eBay, digimobjobs lets candidates upload their CVs to the site for free, while employers pay a fee to upload their vacancies and other information about their people, culture, products or services. It went live in July and is now accessible across 54 countries with 600 candidates registered.

Nicholls believes this model is the logical next step for the more junior end of the market where candidates are more widespread and skills not so scarce. “I realise that this system takes away some of the filtering that recruitment consultants provide. But for jobs under £60,000, I just think candidates and clients need to be able to communicate directly,” he says.

Another compulsion for launching is the unsatisfactory results delivered by generalist jobs services. “It’s a great model, but you need to be sure that the candidates know about mobile.

Are web exchanges the next big thing in mobile recruitment or will companies prefer a faceto-face approach?

Interns comprises a web-based exchange pitched at graduates looking for short tenures with mobile employers. Rosen believes the model is perfect for a sector in the midst of an economic downturn. “In this demanding climate we try and offer a mutually beneficial relationship for both graduates who need experience and companies that need to keep

I’ve heard of senior level jobs attracting CVs from pizza delivery men. We’ll ensure only people who know about mobile use the site I’ve heard of senior level jobs attracting CVs from pizza delivery men. We’ll ensure only people who know about mobile are using the site.”

Another name familiar to the UK mobile market, Ben Rosen (formerly of ARN), has launched a similar service targeting the most junior of all candidate targets. Inspiring

24

October 2009

costs down,” he says. He’s backed by Adrian Jacob from Currency UK, an employer who has used the system.

“It seems that most companies can’t avoid making redundancies and other cutbacks at present. But we still want to move forwards, and taking on talented young staff to help around the office is a great way to do so.”

But what kinds of revenues can be earned using this technique? According to Nicholls, it’s down to throughput.

The average fee on a £35,000 job placement is around £7,000, but a typical consultant works on around ten every two months, and not all of them will result in a commission. On digimobjobs a job listing costs $99 and there’s also a paid-for search component. Nicholls is working on the basis that activity will grow and revenue soar. Digimobjobs expects to post up to 5,000 jobs a month across all territories by early 2010.

If Nicholls is looking for inspiration, he can refer back to Monster.com, which revolutionised recruiting in the last decade with this approach. It came to the UK in 1997 and went from $50m in sales in 2001 to $500m in five years. Now Peter Dolphin, founder of Monster, is helping Nicholls develop digimobjobs.

“I’ve seen the scepticism surrounding this model, but the costs are so low

people try it. And when they do, they find that they can spend £500 rather than £5,000 and get a response straight away. It just works, “ he says.

So is AI set to usurp the human being in the recruitment sector? Of course not. Even Peter Dolphin with his $500m track record is not ready to concede that. “You shouldn’t underestimate the need for human interaction. The system can do a lot of work, but getting the specs right and ‘handholding’ the client – you need good people to do that.”

This may be why Ross Wellby is relaxed about the development. He says: “I’m long enough in the tooth to have seen this before. For me the value comes from understanding the vision of the client and matching that to the right candidate. At the level we work at, the right candidates are often not actively looking for a switch and when they do they move because they’re excited by the vision of the employer rather than the actual job.”

www.mobile-ent.biz

www.mobile-ent.biz

October 2009 25

TARGET GROUPS

Segmentation of the nation t an ME briefing with Samsung, it emerged that the handset giant has a complex grid of consumer target groups, and among them are the ‘mobile rejectors’.

That’s right, the device makers even target people who hate mobiles.

No one’s safe.

But from the OEM point of view it makes sense to identify consumers

A

with similar patterns of behaviour and spending power. It means products can be developed with coherence and marketing plans assembled for maximum ROI. ME has been given an insight into these groups by the research firm Mediacells, which bases its ‘Audience Propensity’ on 2,000 weekly exit interviews at point of sale.

WORK PRAGMATISTS Typical Device ...............................................................................................Nokia E55 Audience Size...............................................................................................4.5 million Age Range..........................................................................................25 – 50 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ...............................................................................41% Online Consumption.............................................................................................29% Mobile Consumption...............................................................................................9% Old Media Consumption .......................................................................................21% Earning Capacity ..........................................................................................> £50,000

TECH SAVVY Typical Device..........................................................................Sony Ericsson Xperia 2 Audience Size ...............................................................................................5.5 million Age Range .........................................................................................21 – 40 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ...............................................................................15% Online Consumption.............................................................................................60% Mobile Consumption ............................................................................................20% Old Media Consumption .........................................................................................5% Earning Capacity ..........................................................................................> £45,000

MY PHONE Typical Device ............................................................................Samsung Tocco Ultra Audience Size .............................................................................................16.1 million Age Range..........................................................................................21 – 50 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ...............................................................................75% Online Consumption ...............................................................................................7% Mobile Media Consumption....................................................................................3% Old Media Consumption .......................................................................................15% Earning Capacity ..........................................................................................> £18,000

STYLE CONSCIOUS Typical Device ..................................................................................Nokia N97 (Mini) Audience Size...............................................................................................7.7 million Age Range ..........................................................................................18 – 34 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ...............................................................................25% Online Consumption .............................................................................................50% Mobile Consumption ............................................................................................20% Old Media Consumption .........................................................................................5% Earning Capacity ..........................................................................................> £50,000

Vast manpower goes into research that segments mobile handset users into distinct demographic types. Mobile Entertainment lifts the lid on Work Pragmatists, Tomorrow People and more...

TOMORROW PEOPLE Typical Device.................................................................................................Nokia X3 Audience Size ...............................................................................................5.3 million Age Range ..........................................................................................13 – 18 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ..............................................................................60% Online Consumption .............................................................................................30% Mobile Consumption ...............................................................................................5% Old Media Consumption .........................................................................................5% Earning Capacity.................................................................................> not applicable

PROSUMERS Typical Device...........................................................................................Nokia N900 Audience Size........................................................................................................2.7m Average Age .......................................................................................35 – 45 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ...............................................................................35% Online Consumption .............................................................................................25% Mobile Consumption.............................................................................................30% Old Media Consumption.......................................................................................10% Spend............................................................................................................> £85,000

HIP Typical Device ..............................................................LG Chocolate 2009, Nokia X6 Audience Size...............................................................................................6.1 million Age Range..........................................................................................16 – 24 years old TV and Cinema Consumption ...............................................................................25% Online Consumption..............................................................................................55% Mobile Consumption .............................................................................................17% Old Media Consumption.........................................................................................3% Earning Capacity ..........................................................................................> £22,000

Nokia’s X6 is significant as one of the first two devices to be given the ‘X’ pre-fix. This is a notable move away from the numbering system of before, and moves Nokia’s midtier closer to the N-series in terms of branding. So who exactly is it aimed at?

The Mediacells segmentation targets it squarely at the 16 to 24-year-old ‘hip’ audience, which it is frighteningly precise in defining: “They are on a limited budget but still want to enjoy some of the good things in life, and fashion to them is like waking up, going out and going to sleep.

“They live for the weekends, socialise online and offline in tribes and think Google is out to get them. Breakfast is a bowl of Cheerios, lunch is a bargain baguette and eating is cheating on big nights out. TV can be E4 Hollyoaks on a Sunday morning. For games it’s definitely Xbox and PS3. Big name soccer rules and music is everything.”

All graphs copyright Mediacells Limited 2004 – 2009 All Rights Reserved

26

October 2009

www.mobile-ent.biz

RECRUITMENT

Roberts takes the MEF entices Miranda Roberts from PhonepayPlus to

CTO Mobile Entertainment London – Excellent basic equity

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28

October 2009

ROBERTS

GEHRINGER

MIRANDA ROBERTS has joined the MEF as policy and initiatives officer.

In her new role, Roberts will keep MEF members engaged in the trade body’s various initiatives and policy work. The new recruit previously worked at PhonepayPlus, the UK premium rate regulator, and will work alongside the MEF’s regulations chief, SUHAIL BHAT.

Openwave has appointed HEIKKI MAKIJARVI as VP of business development. He was previously a partner at Accel, one of the tech industry’s best known VC funds. Prior to Accel, he held various management and leadership positions at Nokia and Cisco. Makijarvi will identify new business opportunities, partnerships and alliances.

MobiTV will attempt to drive revenues from advertising and marketing with the appointment of BOB GEHRINGER as VP of advertising and brand partnerships.

He joins from NextMedium, where he helped pioneer a management system for buying and measuring placements in entertainment content. As a result, he generated more than 50 brand registrations from agencies and marketers.

Fast-growing iPhone games developer ngmoco adds JASON OBERFEST to its management team to lead expansion into the social web. He should have a good idea of what to do, given that he was formerly MySpace’s VP of business development and general manager for the social network’s open platform.

2ergo has appointed MARK GILBURT as head of MNO/MVNOs and public sector. This hire should accelerate the firm’s drive into these sectors across key regions. He has over 20 years’ experience and held senior positions with Vodafone, O2 and THUS.

Web transformation specialist InfoGin has hired SCOTT PRANGER to be its VC of worldwide sales. His task is to increase the global footprint of this Israeli company, which offers website transcoding and other services to operators. Pranger has over 20 years of experience in Fortune 1000 and Global 500 accounts. He will be based at Infogin’s US subsidairy.

Samsung Mobile welcomes SIMON STANFORD as UK sales director. He has over 11 years’ experience in the UK telco space and was previously head of connected markets for Telefonica O2 UK.

ALICE KIM is the new SVP of strategy and corporate development at MediaFLO. She is well-known to mobile content people after serving SVP of digital distribution at MTV Networks for many years.

Does your firm have a position to fill? If so, you should advertise on the appointments page that’s read by everyone in the content business: yes, this one. We also offer a complementary online service.

Either way, every exec in the business will be reading about your vacancy. Contact Tom Roberts at tom.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk or +44 (0)1992 535647 for more info. www.mobile-ent.biz

Sponsored by

MEF initiative drive its policy and initiatives activities...

MAKIJARVI

PRANGER

SANDI ISAACS, former SVP of Paramount Digital Entertainment, is president of Allied Red, a NYC-based strategic brand licensing agency.

FRANK KEELING. The former Vodafone and RealNetworks exec joined the publisher in December.

Glu Mobile has parted company with its former EMEA managing director

FRASER NORMAN is consulting with content aggregator Volas Entertainment having left In-Fusio.

Turning the table yet again on another retailer, ME quizzes MD of Digimobjobs Andrew Nicholls, about clients and being compared to estate agents...

How did you get into recruitment?

I was one of the first ten at what is now called Hydrogen Group, where I worked for seven years across various fields before leaving to set up on my own.

Best thing about the job? in so many Getting someone their ideal job, which can change lives worth it. ways. It’s a thrill and makes you feel like your work has been Worst thing? say that.

Being put on par with estate agents; I hate it when people Worst client experience? turned One kept me waiting for a meeting for over an hour, then up. stand even ’t couldn they that tic up so paraly Worst candidate experience? that Being called at 3.30am to confirm a 9am meeting. Was ary? really necess How do you see the mobile sector’s current health? ten years It has been the worst 12 months I have experienced in my market. the in ement improv some seeing now are we in the job, but Worst thing you can say in a job interview? book “I know so many people in mobile.” Having a huge black . counts that rk netwo your use you how it’s far; only goes so

www.mobile-ent.biz

October 2009 29

SOURCE: EVENTS

2009/10 Calendar October October 13th-15th Mobility World Congress Shangri-la, Hong Kong www.MobilityWorldCongress.com The theme of this year’s congress is ‘Optimising the Mobile Broadband Business Model’, and will examine the impact on operator business models of HSPA+ and LTE. October 21st Telemedia 360 Albert Docks, Liverpool www.telemedia360.com Telemedia, one of the oldest conferences in the space, has had a facelift and will re-emerge as Telemedia 360 for the first time in Liverpool, UK. The event will retain its premium telco services focus, but also embrace new areas such as apps, social networking and more. In addition, Telemedia 360 will partner the International Newsmedia & Marketing Association’s ‘Europe Conference – Outlook 2010’, which takes place on the same site.

October 22nd BlackBerry Innovation Forum London www.blackberryinnovationforum.com

RIM’s event has been created to showcase developer innovation around its Blackberry devices. There’ll be lots of technical seminars and case studies, and a partner zone will showcase popular applications.

October 26th Mobile Phones For The Senior Market Royal Institution of British Architects, London www.seniormarket.co.uk The mobile market is youthobsessed – ridiculously so. But who’s got all the money? The older age groups. This conference will address what it believes is a ‘growing demographic with its own needs and preferences...and an area which is so full of opportunities’.

www.mobile-ent.biz

October 27th London Games Conference BAFTA, London, UK www.mcvuk.com/events Game downloads, online networks and the future of retail will be the focus of the ELSPA-backed London Games Conference this autumn. The single day event is being run

by Intent Media, which publishes MCV, Develop, ME and CasualGaming.Biz. The London Games Conference offers a new concept of keynotes, guaranteed networking with speakers, plus informal dinner.

October 27th-28th Symbian Exchange & Exposition Earl’s Court, London http://www.see2009.org The Symbian Show has had a makeover. It’s gone all open source and trendy (see box).

November

Symbian Exchange & Exposition (October 27th-28th). It used to be the Symbian Show, but now that the OS has gone open source, this longstanding event has had a revamp. It’s moved to Earl’s Court and features workshops, ‘event lounges’ and exhibition. Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales will speak.

November 18th-19th 2009 Mobile Asia Congress Hong Kong www.mobileasiacongress.com The GSMA confirmed the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as the venue for its sixth Asian showpiece exhibition and congress.

November 25th-27th BlackBerry EMEA Alliance Summit Rome, Italy www.blackberryalliancesummit.com The event will provide RIM partners with an update on the latest information, tools and resources that are available for BlackBerry, and will also be the setting of the BlackBerry EMEA Innovation Awards ceremony.

EMEA-based BlackBerry Alliance Partners are encouraged to enter in categories that include Public Sector, Enterprise Business Performance, Innovation for Entrepreneurs, Service Quality, Life on BlackBerry, Entertainment on BlackBerry and Connect on BlackBerry.

BlackBerry EMEA Alliance Summit (November 25th-27th). A veritable feast of BlackBerry goodness. The EMEA Innovation Awards ceremony is going to be held here, plus there will be info on all the latest resources available to RIM partners.

January 2010 January 24th-27th MIDEM Cannes, France www.midem.com The year’s biggest music industry trade event, MIDEM, will return as ever to the

Croisette in Cannes next January. But this time, for the first time, it will incorporate the MidemNet digital and mobile programme into the main conference programme. Next year’s MidemNet will take place on January 23rd to 24th, with MIDEM scheduled for January 24th to 27th.

February 2010 February 15th-18th Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Spain www.mobileworldcongress.com The juggernaut returns to Spain. 2009’s show was smaller, but still drew 49,000.

October 2009 31

SOURCE: OPERATORS

network subs Key operator subscriber numbers from around the world Country

Operator

Subscribers

Western Europe UK

Vodafone

18,716,000

T-Mobile

16,675,000

3 (includes 3 Ireland) O2

Germany

Italy

France

Spain

Netherlands

Ireland

Sweden

Norway Denmark

Greece

Belguim

Portugal

Switzerland

Austria Eastern Europe Poland

Hungary Czech Republic

Country

Operator

Subscribers

O2

4,782,800

Megafon

43,500,000

5,381,000

Mobile TeleSystems

65,100,000

20,416,500

VimpelCom

49,400,000

Orange

15,850,000

Tele2

10,642,000

Vodafone

35,471,000

Kyivstar GSM

23,052,000

T-Mobile

38,984,000

Ukrainian Mobile (MTS)

17,900,000

O2

14,506,000

E-Plus

18,038,000

Freenet (debitel + mobilcom)

18,530,000

Drillisch (Victorvox)

2,310,000

Vodafone

22,914,000

3

8,885,000

Wind

Russia

Ukraine Slovakia

O2

365200

Orange

2,901,000

T-Mobile

2,331,000

3

2,190,000

Optus

7,789,000

16,900,000

Telstra

9,300,000

TIM

34,797,000

Vodafone

3,970,000

Orange

25,076,000

China Mobile

477,164,000

SFR

19,652,000

Bouygues

9,594,000

Vodafone

16,910,000

Movistar

23,614,700

Asia Pacific Australia

China Hong Kong India

China Unicom

137,692,000

3

1,340,000

SmartTone

1,139,000

Bharti Airtel

93,923,248

Orange

11,426,000

BSNL

52,144,234

Vodafone

4,618,000

Tata Indicom

35,121,964

T-Mobile

5,235,000

Reliance

72,666,192

KPN

6,821,000

Vodafone

2,175,000

O2

1,710,600

3 (included in 3 UK)

n/a

Japan

Thailand

NTT DoCoMo

54,601,000

Softbank

20,630,000

KDDI

30,840,000

AIS

27,582,000 19,985,000

Meteor

1,024,000

Dtac

3 (includes 3 Denmark)

1,293,000

True Move

15,000,000

Telenor

1,912,000

Singtel

2,976,000

Singapore

Tele 2

3,380,000

StarHub

1,815,000

Netcom

5,412,000

MobileOne

1,619,000

Telenor

2,900,000

Netcom

1,591,000

Movistar

15,002,400

3 (included in 3 Sweden)

n/a

Vivo

45,641,500

TDC

3,096,000

Sonofon

1,833,000

Vodafone

5,906,000

Cosmote

7,690,000

Latin America Argentina Brazil Mexico North America Canada

Claro

39,587,000

Telcel

57,533,000

Movistar

15,517,700

Wind (Previously Q-Telecom)

5,267,000

Bell

6,527,000

Mobistar (Orange)

3,421,000

Rogers

8,014,000

BASE

3,497,000

Telus

6,177,000

Belgacom Mobile

3,787,000

Sprint

49,083,000

Vodafone

5,639,000

T-Mobile USA

33,173,000

TMN

6,959,000

Verizon Wireless

86,552,000

Optimus

3,219,800

AT&T

78,232,000

Vodafone

18,941,000

Orange

1,558,000

Swisscom

5,414,000

Sunrise

1,770,000

T-mobile

3,418,000

Vodafone

5,639,000

Orange

13,681,000

T-Mobile

13,287,000

T-Mobile

5,347,000

T-Mobile

5,411,000

Vodafone

2,909,000

www.mobile-ent.biz

USA

Africa Egypt Morocco Nigeria South Africa

ECMS

21,180,000

Ittissalat Al-Maghrib

14,456,000

Globacom

22,000,000

MTN Nigeria

23,000,000

MTN

17,000,000

Vodacom

19,807,000

Source: Mediacells was established in 2004 to assist clients in making more money out of mobile. The company provides accurate and actionable intelligence to the mobile, media, retail, research and information sectors. www.mediacells.com

October 2009 33

SOURCE: DATABOX

databox

A selection of stats from across the mobile industry...

GetJar downloads Mobile apps portal GetJar says around a third of its users download apps daily.

Of those users 80 per cent consciously download apps that contain advertising, while 74 per cent say they would download an app sponsored or developed by a well-known brand.

The research department at GetJar commissioned a poll of 13,518 of its users worldwide in August 2009. Among its findings are the following:

Don’t drink and download O2 has detected a surge in the use of its mobile internet services between 10pm and 11pm – ‘chucking out time’ in British pubs.

The operator says emailing, news reading and social networking are the top activities among drunken mobile users. Forty-two per cent of respondents use their phones to send late night emails at least once a week.

A third visit social networking sites like Facebook, to check out what their friends are doing and one in five are downloading music.

Unsurprisingly, men are driving this trend, accessing the internet on their phones nearly twice as often as women over a three month period.

Antony Douglas, head of content for O2, says: “O2 Pulse research confirms one of the first things people do on their way home from a night out is surf the web from their mobile. Customers are hungry to chat, gossip, play and Facebook, which might lead to embarrassed red faces in the morning – and not just from over-dosing on chilli sauce.”

Euro handset sales slip OEMs shipped 42 million units in Western European markets during 2Q09, according to the IDC European Mobile Phone Tracker.

That’s down six per cent yearon-year. However the second quarter results are an improvement on the 14 per cent decrease in 1Q09.

Overall, the recession will

continue to impact handset sales in the region, with the market shrinking ten per cent in FY09.

Interestingly, shipments of what IDC describes as ‘traditional’ mobile phones declined 12 per cent during 2Q09 to 33.2 million units, while smartphone shipments rose 25 per cent to 8.8 million units.

Mobile web in the West Over a third of consumers in Western Europe will use the mobile web by 2014, says Forrester.

Its new study claims mobile internet adoption will grow to 39 per cent from 13 per cent in 2008.

It adds that a third of Western European consumers will own internet-enabled phones in 2014.

34

October 2009

The context for this growth is an overall base of 344 million users.

“In the next decade, mobile internet will replicate the success story of PC-based internet as social networks, widgets, search engines or company websites adapt for mobile presentation,” says Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

General apps comprise 57 per cent of downloads, games are 22 per cent, music ten per cent, wallpapers eight per cent and ringtones two per cent.

72 per cent of users access the internet more from their handsets than from their computers.

65 per cent of users are in the 18 to 34-year-old male bracket.

61 per cent of consumers are downloading content at least three to four times a week.

KFC driving mobile web Kentucky Fried Chicken is the brand that holds most sway among members of BuzzCity’s myGamma global mobile social networking community.

The company, which runs its own mobile ad network, says the brands most favoured by its mobile internet users were as follows: 1. KFC 2. McDonald’s 3. Sony 4. Nestlé 5. Samsung 6. Nokia 7. LG 8. Coca-Cola 9. Panasonic 10. Philips The study also found that although 54 per cent of mobile users would recommend a brand to their peers, only four per cent would do so in reaction to a specific sales promotion.

$80 blown on iPhone apps Research says the average iPhone owner downloads 65 apps – that adds up to around $80 in total.

US firm AppsFire claims that 65 per cent of apps were free, while the average price paid for premium apps was a mere $1.56.

The report found that 1,200 users had only installed 15,000 unique apps on their devices. Given that there are around 65,000 total iPhone apps, that means 50,000 failed to register with this particular sample.

AppsFire calculates that the total paid iPhone app market so far equals $3.3 billion, meaning around $2.3 billion for developers, and $1 billion for Apple. www.mobile-ent.biz

Title

Publisher

1

JONAS!

Disney

1

Title

Before the Storm - ft Miley Cyrus Jonas Brothers

Artist 1

Haters Make Us Famous

Title

Category Pink Frosty

2

Win At Texas Hold'em

I-play

2

Here We Go Again

Demi Lovato

2

Evil Mage

Dustin Meyer

3

Flavor of Love

IGfun

3

Boom Boom Pow

Black Eyed Peas

3

Bloo Screen

Imaginary Friends

4

Hannah Montana Star Moves

Disney

4

The Climb

Miley Cyrus

4

One Shall Stand

Transformers

5

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Glu

5

Beat It

Michael Jackson

5

Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart Versaly

6

2 Fast 2 Furious™

I-play

6

D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)

Jay-Z

6

Rap & RnB

Graffiti

7

TextTwist Turbo

Real Networks

7

Fly With Me

Jonas Brothers

7

Eds Hug

Ed, Edd n Eddy

8

Atari Legends

Glu

8

Best I Ever Had

Drake

8

Saints Logo

NFL

9

The Price Is Right

Mobliss

9

You Belong With Me

Taylor Swift

9

Barack Obama

Versaly

10 Wheel of Fortune Deluxe

Sony Pictures

10

Trust

Keyshia Cole

10

Amazing City Scape

Pink Frosty

11

Konami

11

Swag Surfin'

F.L.Y. - Fast Life Yungstaz

11

Butterfly Love

Versaly

Contra 4

12

NBC's The Office Challenge

India Games

12

Knock You Down

Keri Hilson

12

Diva Glitter

Versaly

13

Jewel Quest™

I-play

13

Hoedown Throwdown

Miley Cyrus

13

ATHF Action Now!

Aqua Teen

14 Deal or no Deal: Million Dollar Mission I-play

14

Poker Face

Lady GaGa

14

Red Metal Logo

Metalocalypse

15

Real Networks

15

Turn My Swag On

Soulja Boy Tell`em

15

Crossbones & Headphones

[adult swim]

Glu

16

La La Land

Demi Lovato

16

Dogtown Against the Odds

National Geographic

Disney

Gem Drop

16 Age of Empires III

Glu

17

Waking Up In Vegas

Katy Perry

17

Hannah Montana Color Me Fun

18 Brain Tester 24-Pack

Digital Chocolate

18

Ed's Theme

Ed, Edd n Eddy

18

Pink Tartan

Mobstar Media

19 Family Feud Deluxe

Mobliss

19

Halo

Beyonce

19

Kiss Me Thru Da Phone

Pink Frosty

20 3D Need for Drift

Celander

20

DethPhone Ringtone

Metalocalypse

20 Burning Phoenix Rising

17

Call of Duty: World at War

Versaly

SOURCE: CHARTS

charts Check here every month for the best selling games, ringtones and mobile apps from across the market...

Tagging

Ringtones

Artists & handsets

Ringtones.com top Euro music tones, September

Song 1 2

Gotta Feeling Sexy Bitch

Flycell US Top Download Handsets, Sep

Artist

Flycell US Top Ringtones, September

Black Eyed Peas

Song

Artist

David Guetta

1

Best I Ever Had

Drake

1

CU920/CU915/Vu

LG

Obsessed

Mariah Carey

2

SGH-A767 (Propel)

Samsung LG

Model

Vendor

3

Riverside

Sidney Sampson

2

4

Don’t Stop Believin’

Journey

3

Birthday Sex

Jeremih

3

CF360 (Slider)

Kings Of Leon

4

Wetter

Twista

4

SGH-A867 (Eternity)

Samsung

Knock You Down

Keri Hilson

5

CU720 (Shine)

LG

5

Sex On Fire

6

Remedy

Little Boots

5

7

Sweet Disposition

Temper Trap

6

Boom Boom Pow

Black Eyed Peas 6

GR500 (Xenon)

LG

Turn My Swag On

Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em 7

M1000 (Wild Card)

Kyocera

Kid Kudi

8

I’m Yours

Jason Mraz

7

9

In Know You Want Me

Chorus

8

Day N Nite

VX9100 (enV2)

LG

Alexandra Burke

9

Kiss Me Thru The Phone Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em 9

W350i/a/c

Sony Ericsson

10

You Belong With Me

VX10000 (Voyager)

LG

10

Bad Boys

Source: Mobilestreams Ringtones.com top Euro funtones, September

1

Meerkat Simples!

2

Red Car Blue Car Race

TV advert

3

Giggety Giggety Goo

Family Guy

4

Compare The Meerkat

TV advert

5

Hey Girl You Got A Text

Fun alert

6

Full Length Spider Pig

The Simpsons

7

Only Fools And Horses

OST

8

Ghostbusters Car Siren

SFX

9

Homer’s Singing Tone

The Simpsons

10

Answer That You Tart

Del Boy

10

Source: Flycell

TV advert

Music

Source: Mobilestreams

USA realtone soundalikes, September

South Africa realtone soundalikes, September

Ringtones Jamster top ringtones, September Song

Taylor Swift

Source: Flycell

8

Artist

1

Boys And Girls

Pixie Lott

2

Sexy Chick

David Guetta

3

I Gotta Feeling

Black Eyed Peas

4

Holiday

Dizzee Rascal

5

Supernova

Black Eyed Peas

6

She Wolf

Shakira

7

Never Leave You

Tinchy Stryder

8

Sex On Fire

Kings Of Leon

9

Sweet Dreams

Beyonce

10

Evacuate The Dancefloor Cascada

Source: Jamster Jamster games, September Game Publisher

Shazam Tagging August 1 I Gotta Feeling Black Eyed Peas 2 I Know You Want Me Pitbull 3 Get Shakey The Ian Carey Project 4 Sweet Dreams Beyonce 5 Poppiholla Chicane 6 Supernova Mr. Hudson 7 Holiday Dizzee Rascal 8 Outta Here Esmee Denters 9 Never Leave You Tinchy Stryder 10 Birthday Sex Jeremih Source: Shazam

1

Sweet Dreams

Beyonce

1

I Gotta Feeling

Black Eyed Peas

2

Bulletproof

La Roux

2

Party In The USA

Miley Cyrus

3

I Gotta Feeling

Black Eyed Peas

3

Paparazzi

Lady Gaga

4

If Today Was Your Last Nickelback

4

I Know You Want Me

Pitbull

5

Funhouse

5

Knock You Down

Keri Hilson

6

When Loves Takes Over David Guetta

6

Good Girls Go Bad

Cobra Starship

7

Hush Hush Hush Hush

Pussycat Dolls

7

Sweet Dreams

Beyonce

8

Taking Back My Love

Enrique Iglesias

8

Boom Bom Pow

Black Eyed Peas

9

Evacuate The Dancefloor

Cascada

9

Battlefield

Jordin Sparks

10

No Surprise

Daughtry

10

Use Somebody

Kings Of Leon

Pink

Source: Melodi Media

Source: Melodi Media

Video & wallpaper FoneStarz top videos, August

FoneStarz top wallpapers, August

1

Sexy Cam

1

2

Sexy Bathtime Flirts

2

Michael Jackson – Music Legend

3

Glamour Girl Greetings

3

Multicoloured Vortex

4

Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas

4

Pink Dolphin

5

Thriller – Michael Jackson

5

Angel Smiley

6

YouTube’s Baby Hulk

6

Earth And Moon

Happy Smiley

1

X-Ray Scanner

MobileActive

2

Need For Speed Shift

EA Mobile

3

...Millioniare?

Glu Mobile

4

Bejeweled Twist

Pop Cap

5

Partner Tracker 3.0

Fox Mobile Studios

6

Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Glu Mobile

7

Looney Toons: Monster Match Glu Mobile

7

Wii Fit Girlfriend

7

All You Need Is Love

8

Scrabble Mobile

RealNetworks

8

Poker Face – Lady Gaga

8

Young Michael Jackson

9

South Park Mega Millionaire

RealNetworks

9

Bonkers – Dizzee Rascal

9

Nodding Puppy

10

Are You Smarter...?

Capcom

10

YouTube’s Charlie Bit My Finger

10

Danielle Lloyd

Source: Jamster

www.mobile-ent.biz

Source: FoneStarz

Source: FoneStarz

October 2009 37

MOBILE MARKETPLACE MOBILE ANALYTICS

MOBILE MARKETPLACE

MARKETPLACE INDEX ADMODA ........................................................08707 661 992 www.admoda.com BANGO............................................................08700 340 365 www.bango.com BRIGHTSHARE ......................................+972 (54) 307 49157 www.brightshare.com DIALOGUE COMMUNICATIONS ...............08700 790 300 www.dialogue.net DYNAMO..........................................................01382 348 635 www.dynamogames.com ELITE ................................................................01543 268 826 www.elite-systems.co.uk FLUID PIXEL STUDIOS ...................................01642 384 336 www.fpstudios.com FROGGIE ....................................................+34 954 98 08 48 www.froggie-mm.com GENIE................................................................0844 415 5531 www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/mobile GORILLABOX ...................................................01628 418 158 www.gorillabox.net INLOGIC ....................................................+421 904 628 889 www.inlogic.eu

INTERACTIVE MOBILE SOLUTIONS

KATINA.............................................................078 3366 4075 www.rawmobileporn.com LOGIC3 ............................................................01923 471 000 www.logic3.com MKHOJ...........................................................+1 650 521 6150 www.mkhoj.com PARTNERTRANS ................................................01753 247731 info@partnertrans.com SPIEL STUDIOS ........................................info@spiel-s.com www.spielstudios.com SPLASH ..........................................................0870 934 2666 www.splashnews.com UNIVERSALLY SPEAKING ..............................01480 210 621 www.usspeaking.com XIAM..............................................................+353 1 483 2000 www.xiam.com

The Mobile Marketplace offers a complete marketing package of print, online and editorial visibility, allowing companies to maintain contact with readers each month without the cost of full display advertising.

The Mobile Marketplace and its associated online version has also been designed to offer readers a directory of all products and services in the content industry. A presence in this section ensures that your company’s details are easily found, keeping you one step ahead of your competitors.

The standard package includes: 1/4 page advert in each issue Regular editorial coverage in the dedicated column Company details listed in the online directory with web link and marketplace index

To get your company featured here contact tom.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk t: +44 (0) 1992 535647 www.mobile-ent.biz

(

)

October 2009 39

MOBILE MARKETPLACE

40

CONTENT DISCOVERY

DEVELOPER

PUBLISHER

MOBILE BROADBAND

October 2009

www.mobile-ent.biz

MOBILE MARKETPLACE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

MARKETPLACE NEWS

Dialogue scoops ACOMMS award with Singtel Optus THE UK transactions firm Dialogue won the ‘Innovation in Content Delivery and Services through Partnership’ prize at the 2009 Communications Alliance and CommsDay Awards.

Dialogue bagged the award with Singtel Optus for an off-portal, on-bill WAP billing solution based on Optus’s Atomic Premium Plus platform. The benefits derived from this solution are increased protection and ease of use for consumers.

Hugh Spear, CEO of Dialogue, said: “It is very rewarding to have been

MOBILE ADVERTISING

nominated and then to win this award against some of the toughest competition in the industry. Through our partnership with Optus, consumers can now make payments for mobile content seamlessly from within their mobile phone’s WAP browser”.

The prize re-affirms Dialogue’s progress in the East. It has signed a number of partners to its WAP billing solution in Australia and expects that this number will grow significantly through the next year.

InLogic runs the Rune GAMES developer Inlogic software has stirred up a potent brew of magic in its newest title, Rune’s Quest.

The game challenges players to avert evil by using logic and skill. “In this game we have joined the mysticism and

logic and by doing this, we’ve shifted it further. There has not been anything similar in our game cataloque so far,” said Ján Kalafut, head of business at Inlogic Software. “It will definitely attract the clients, it is a very addictive game.”

Bango: Blackberry driving mobile web browsing THREE TIMES more consumers browse the web from a BlackBerry than an iPhone, says Bango.

The UK transactions firm claims the BlackBerry is the third most popular mobile phone for browsing the web in the US, accounting for 14 per cent of all mobile traffic. It’s also fifth in the UK and worldwide, above all iPhone models, with Nokia remaining the overall leader with over 36 per cent of traffic seen.

The study confirms the transition of BlackBerry devices from emailers to rounded smartphones. The BlackBerry 8330 Curve now accounts for over 28 per cent of handsets browsing the web.

Bango also revealed the BlackBerry user base is much more likely to use wifi as a connection method. This can make it challenging for brands and content providers to accurately identify

BlackBerry users for tracking, CRM, sales and marketing campaign purposes.

“With all the buzz surrounding the iPhone and the rush to capitalise on its success, many companies fail to realise that over three times more consumers browse the web from a BlackBerry,” said Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango.

SEND YOUR NEWS TO TIM.GREEN@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK www.mobile-ent.biz

October 2009 41

MOBILE MARKETPLACE

42

MOBILE ADVERTISING

GAME DEVELOPMENT STUDIO

LOCALISATION

VIDEO/PICTURE AGGREGATION

October 2009

www.mobile-ent.biz

MOBILE MARKETPLACE MOBILE GAMING PARTNERSHIPS

MARKETPLACE NEWS

Admoda ad requests at 1.5 billion per month MOBILE AD network Admoda is celebrating the success of its network after just months of live service.

The company says requests from its flagship Admoda network, along with its partner service Adultmoda, have risen to 1.5 billion per month since the start of 2009 and are ‘soon to reach two billion per month’. It adds that publisher sign-ups are rising, with 90 per cent re-booking.

Admoda attributes this to high payouts (85 per cent), high CTRs and

consistently high fill rates in key countries, giving publisher partners high eCPMs. Terry Jackson, CEO at Admoda, said: “Over the last year we have been approached numerous times by app developers who are not overly thrilled with the current iPhone eCPM rates being delivered from other ad networks. We have devised a straightforward suite of libraries that we believe will see application developers move to us in droves. Richer ad units will follow with demand.”

Elite chucks eggs and everything at Android LOCALISATION

Specialist Games Services Localisation • Global network of games specialised linguists • Translators to cover all genres of games • All languages covered • In game, scripts, paper parts and marketing translations

Quality Assurance • All platforms (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, PC and Mobile) • Localisation QA • Compliance checks for TRC, TCR and LOT approval • Functionality QA

Audio • Voice overs across all languages • Full casting service • Pre and post production including lip synching • Highly experienced voice directors and engineers

Universally Speaking Priory Chambers, Priory Lane, St Neots, Cambs, PE19 2BH, UK Tel: +44 (0)1480 210621 info@usspeaking.com www.usspeaking.com

www.mobile-ent.biz

THE VETERAN UK games developer Elite has launched classic retro game Chuckie Egg for Android.

It has converted Nigel Alderton’s legendary 80’s platformer for the Google OS, which is now being supported by LG, Moto, HTC and others. The new version updates the ZX Spectrum classic with touchscreen and keypad control options, portrait and landscape display, in-game music and vibration effects, high score entry, records and five in-game language options.

Elite’s MD Steve Wilcox said: “We are very excited to be able to offer Android users a chance at being able to play a real bare bones classic. Generations

have enjoyed Chuckie Egg and never get tired of its endless levels and fun game play.”

BrightShare gets eCOGRA THE ONLINE and mobile gambling affiliate programme, Brightshare, has become the third group to receive the eCOGRA Affiliate Trust Seal.

This follows rigorous inspection and monitoring by the independent player protection and standards body’s professional compliance teams.

BrightShare handles the affiliate marketing activities of the Jackpot Factory group, which includes two mobile casinos.

eCOGRA’s affiliate service provides best practice business standards, backed by a strict inspection and monitoring process. To display the new seal, affiliate programmes must demonstrate their programme establishes, enforces and monitors best practice standards.

Specifically, they must show they calculate affiliate revenue accurately and make payments promptly, communicate efficiently and have controls in place to accurately link players to affiliates.

SEND YOUR NEWS TO TIM.GREEN@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK October 2009 43

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October 2009

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MOBILE MARKETPLACE MOBILE MARKETING & ADVERTISING

MARKETPLACE NEWS

WinAsUGo re-defines loyalty programme MOBILE casino provider WinAsUGo has created a multi-club customer ‘Loyalty Program’ with multiple differentiators.

WinAsUGo Mobile Casino was formed in early 2004 and is now a major player in the mobile gaming space. It was the first company to combine 16 casino games in one app – including Slots Pack, Blackjack and more.

Now, it has launched its first pointbased loyalty programme with the emphasis on user experience alongside a clearly defined rewarding scheme.

WinAsUGo says it’s the most generous programme in the market, with some of the highest accrual and redemption rates and a fast track for members to become ‘Luxury’ or ‘Royal’ members.

GAMES DEVELOPER

BAFTA award winners DYNAMO GAMES are celebrating their FIFTH BIRTHDAY in style with their latest games excelling in the market: CRYSTAL MAZE Retro Classic - Best selling mobile game in June, Mobile Game FAQ’s - 82% - Gold Award

CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER MOBILE SERIES Winner of a prestigous BAFTA award. Five versions and counting.

98% - MobileGameFAQ’s, 9/10 PocketGamer Gold Award

The programme has seven levels, each offering successively better point conversion and higher rewards. Users collect WinPoints right from the start. The aim’s to encourage the customer to aspire to redeem, leading to more spending.

WinAsUGo says it has appraised rival schemes and found most to be one-sizefits-all. Its intention was to create an emotional attachment from customers extending far beyond rewards, perks and comps. The component takes advantage of time and place to create personalised offers that deliver more than bonus WinPoints.

The programme provides the customer with detailed and updated information on a daily basis that can be viewed directly from customer mobile handset.

Cox embraces BREW QUALCOMM will host the BREW service for the US cable operator Cox, enabling it to provide customers with a dynamic mobile app shopping experience.

Subscribers with BREW-enabled handsets will be able to download games, tools, lifestyle, location, messaging and ringtones. Dane Dickie, executive director of product operations at Cox Communications, said: “The overall customer experience is a key factor in choosing operating systems to support our wireless service. BREW will enable our customers to enjoy a

personalised experience with our wireless service.”

Qualcomm launched BREW in 2001, and now has more than 60 operators offering BREW services with more than $2 billion paid out to developers.

DYNAMO SPORTS Under a new branding of games from the company, Dynamo will be specializing in Sports Strategy games for Football, Baseball, American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Golf, F1, NASCAR, Cricket & Tennis.

FOOTBALL TYCOON ® This is Dynamo’s first game to be unveiled under the Dynamo Sports umbrella. It is due for release at the end of May 2009 and has already been nominated for an IGF Mobile award. www.football-tycoon.net

If you are looking for high-quality mobile game development by an experienced player, look no further:

J2ME development BREW iPhone development Handheld Console development for DS and PSP Google Android, Flash Lite & Blackberry Check out our new company website: www.dynamogames.com and get in touch.

www.mobile-ent.biz

Crystal balls for Dynamo SCOTLAND’S games developer Dynamo Games handed out two real-life crystal balls to promote its Crystal Maze 2 mobile game. The draw was made at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, and two of the prize winners can be seen here.

SEND YOUR NEWS TO TIM.GREEN@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK October 2009 45

Send your pictures and gossip to tim.green@intentmedia.co.uk

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We take content extremely seriously in Mobile Entertainment.

But not here...

FAVOURITES PAUL REDDICK, CEO, Handmark Which phone do you currently own?

I have loads, as I like to try all our products on them. At the moment I’ve got a Nokia N97, iPhone, BlackBerry 8830, G1 and Palm Pre in my bag.

Truly madly Corby Journos cringed when Samsung announced its new touchscreen family would be called ‘Corby’. Why? Because for UK citizens Corby is the name of an ugly East Midlands steel town and a naff trouser press used by travelling businessmen in cheap hotels. Samsung’s since renamed its phone ‘Genio’ in the UK. We’re looking forward to the Nuneaton.

Emporer’s new iPhone Great to see satirical website The Onion launching its own headline-generating iPhone app. One particular favourite is the story titled: ‘Apple Claims New iPhone Only Visible To Most Loyal Of Customers’. It describes a device available to those who ‘really, really want to see it’, with a UI only for those who are ‘cool enough’. One customer said: “Not only does it look awesome, but it can do anything you want as long as you believe in it.”

Multimedia computer: RIP The Nokia World event in Stuttgart was hugely enjoyable, but we were a little confused when not once did Anssi Vanjoki refer to ‘multimedia computers’ during his keynote. When we enquired about this, we were informed that multimedia computers had gone to heaven but that they were very happy frolicking with all their Symbian friends. It still hurts. We’ll never get used to calling any Nseries device a phone.

Running the company Flirtomatic’s MD Mark Curtis is an energetic sort of chap.

Keen cyclist, father of massive quotient of children, builder of successful social networking companies. Well, now he’s gone and done a bloody marathon as if to make the rest of us feel even worse about ourselves. He did it in 3hrs 19mins and raised £900 for the World Wildlife Fund.

Didn’t carry his ME Award though. Lightweight.

What’s the best phone you have ever had and why?

That’s like choosing a favourite child. You love them and they drive you crazy.

Current ringtone and wallpaper?

Red Hot Chili Peppers Give it Away, and Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

Favorite mobile game?

Astraware Casino at the moment.

Favorite mobile internet sites?

Current faves are WSJ Mobile Reader, Express News and Pocket Express.

Anything you’d pay for on a mobile that you can’t get?

Instant sandwich delivery.

Which content company do you most admire?

Wall Street Journal and Reuters.

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Design: James Martin James.Martin@intentmedia.co.uk

Associate Editor: Stuart O’Brien Stuart.Obrien@intentmedia.co.uk

Production Manager: Abigail Fanger Abigail.Fanger@intentmedia.co.uk

Sub-Editor: Gemma Messina Gemma.Messina@intentmedia.co.uk

Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk

© Intent Media 2009. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Pensord Press, NP12 2YA

Publisher/Managing Director: Stuart Dinsey Stuart.Dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk

Mobile Entertainment is published 12 times a year by Intent Media ~ Saxon House, 6A St. Andrew Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1JA, England

Managing Editor: Lisa Foster Lisa.Foster@intentmedia.co.uk

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association.

Total average monthly net circulation per issue for January 1st 2007 to December 31st 2007 was 8,012.

Mobile Entertainment magazine – your direct link to the content biz No other B2B mobile content news source hits more eyeballs. Here’s why: Monthly direct-to-desk print circ: 8,012 Monthly digital downloads: 2,236 Online uniques: 50,379 (Google Analytics) Email news digest subscribers: 13,869 Need to get your message across? Work with Mobile Entertainment magazine to maximise your exposure and reach all sectors of the industry, using print, online and events.

Contact Tom.Roberts@intentmedia.co.uk for more details or call +44 (0) 1992 535647

EDITORIAL: +44 (0)1992 535646 ADVERTISING: +44 (0)1992 535647 FAX: +44 (0)1992 535648 46

October 2009

www.mobile-ent.biz

TAKE YOUR

MOBILE IDEAS TO THE WORLD The GSMA Global Mobile Awards are a celebration of the power of innovation. An international showcase of the very best mobile products and services, the awards honor outstanding contributions to our mobile world. There are nine award categories, including Best Mobile Game, Best Mobile Handset or Device, and Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough. GSMA will host this year’s event at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 16th February 2010.

Enter now, and put your VISION INTO ACTION.

ENTER NOW AT: www.globalmobileawards.com Entries open until 23 November 2009

Barcelona | 15 -18 February 2010