Daily Insight: Day 3, Mobile World Congress 2012

Summary and Analysis of Announcements on Wednesday 29 February 2012

This post reproduces the Daily Insight sent to our clients on the third day of Mobile World Congress 2012.

The views below represent our initial analysis. Our views may change as more details come to light.

MOBILE PHONES

Aiptek Announces i20 Pico Projector for iPhone
(http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/index.do?option=viewbwheadline&deliveryid=1264223694773&presskitid=739285&uId=37138&ctype=C)
Ben Wood: One of a multitude of micro-projector accessories. It will be largely irrelevant for many Apple users owing to the iPhone’s AirPlay streaming feature. It will also be challenged by ever-improving projector phones like the Samsung Galaxy Beam.

 

APPLICATIONS AND CONTENT

Ixonos Presents Super App Concept
(http://www.ixonos.com/2012/02/ixonos-presents-the-worlds-first-super-app-concept-at-mobile-world-congress/#post-3454)
Paolo Pescatore: This is an interesting move in an area that few have focussed on. RIM has heavily promoted the concept, but the true value of super apps beyond the user experience is unclear. In some cases they are costly to develop with no guaranteed return.

Yubico Launches YubiKey Nano
(http://www.yubico.com/yubikey-nano-smallest-one-time-password-token)
Paolo Pescatore: Managing multiple accounts can be a cumbersome and frustrating process for users. The YubiKey solution provides an approach for seamless authentication. A similar concept would be great for mobile devices too.

Telefonica Digital and China Unicom Collaborate on OTA Personalisation of M2M SIMs
(http://pressoffice.telefonica.com/jsp/base.jsp?contenido=/jsp/notasdeprensa/notadetalle.jsp&selectNumReg=5&pagina=1&id=66&origen=notapres&idm=eng&pais=1&elem=17887)
Martin Garner: This is another operator self-built M2M SIM management platform. It appears to be useful but does not solve the problem that operators’ global coverage rarely matches that of their biggest customers.

Comcast Announces Cloud-Based Energy Management Solution
(http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=1160&SCRedirect=true)
Martin Garner: This solution is a clever system for helping end users to see tangible benefit from M2M smart meters. The cost of setting up each home will be a key factor in adoption.

Telefonica to Launch Dual Persona Service for Mobile Devices
(http://pressoffice.telefonica.com/jsp/base.jsp?contenido=/jsp/notasdeprensa/notadetalle.jsp&selectNumReg=5&pagina=1&id=66&origen=notapres&idm=eng&pais=1&elem=17880)
Geoff Blaber: This is typical of a trend toward virtualization as businesses strive to manage the consumerisation of IT and the growing prevalence of employee-sourced devices. This is increasing the need to separate consumer- and business-related content and applications.

Millennial Media Releases mMedia Advertising Solution
(http://www.millennialmedia.com/pressroom/press-releases/millennial-media-announces-release-of-self-service-solution-mmedia-/)
Paolo Pescatore: Brands and advertisers are seeking to take greater control of the ad campaign process. The full release will be welcomed by many of Millennial Media’s current and future partners.

Gameloft Launches First MMORG on Set-Top Box
(http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/publicsiteContentFileAccess/739482/739482.html/?fileContentId=739482&fileName=739482.html&fromOther)
Paolo Pescatore: This announcement underlines the importance of new channels to game publishers. It also highlights that set-top box providers are looking for new ways of enhancing the value of their products beyond TV services.

 

OPERATING SYSTEMS

WAC Unveils In-App Billing API
(http://www.wacapps.net/press-releases/-/asset_publisher/v5Lg/content/wac-unveils-new-mobile-direct-billing-solution-for-virtual-goods?redirect=%2Fpress-releases)
Geoff Blaber: WAC had a disappointing Mobile World Congress 2012. Its stance has shifted from providing infrastructure for app stores (now relatively low on operators’ agendas) to providing network and billing APIs, of which this is an early example. In-app billing is crucial to driving purchases but WAC faces bigger challenges as the wider industry moves to HTML5.

 

SEMICONDUCTORS

Marvell Delivers Multi-Core Mobile Platform for Global Connectivity
(http://www.marvell.com/company/news/pressDetail.do?releaseID=2116)
John Jackson: The announcement is formidable on paper, ticking all the boxes in terms of multimode LTE and TD-SCDMA modem support coupled with a powerful multi-core Armada processor integrated in a cost-effective reference design. Marvell’s focus on China in recent years makes it unclear whether this product will gain global traction.

 

MOBILE MONEY

Morpho and Inside Announce SIM That Turns Any Phone into an NFC-Phone
(http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/index.do?option=viewbwheadline&deliveryid=1264223692518&presskitid=737554&uId=37143&ctype=C)
Digantam Gurung: Inside, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of NFC chips, unveils a relatively easy and efficient way to bring NFC to many more phones. Its involvement makes this a significant move, but the initiative will face competition from several rivals, including T-monet of South Korea.

Orange Offers Visa Mobile Prepaid Accounts to Orange Money Customers
(http://www.orange.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp120229en.jsp)
Digantam Gurung: This presents a good opportunity for partnership to offer mobile money to unbanked populations in emerging markets, in line with Visa’s plans for its mobile prepaid accounts.