Messaging vendors tout multimedia services at CommunicAsia
By Michèle Scanlon, Head of Research & Analysis
When it comes to making money from SMS the world looks to the Philippines and more widely to a number of Asian countries. The region's most important show confirmed this as messaging solutions and vendors were prominent at the annual CommunicAsia exhibition in Singapore (19-22 June).
The main message from vendors at CommunicAsia was that they were able to offer operators and consumers multimedia messaging services today, run from existing 2.5G networks even before the roll-out of 3G networks. However, the future development of messaging beyond SMS depends on the development of handsets. Despite this, application developers and software vendors are gearing up to offer innovative messaging services beyond the traditional text only SMS. A key hindrance to SMS take-up in some parts of Asia is the lack of local language support or character input.
SMS-C vendors
The ongoing battle between the largest SMS-C vendors, Logica and CMG, for market share and publicity continued at CommunicAsia with both announcing regional contracts and exhibiting multimedia solutions.
Logica demonstrated its multimedia messaging solution with a Compaq iPAC which was first announced at the GSM World Congress in February 2001, and is already in deployment in Japan. Logica has teamed up with NEC to incorporate its 3G messaging solution in the planned 3G network roll-outs in Japan.
Annoucements made by Logica at CommunicAsia
- Hong Kong operator, HKT CSL, will be implementing phase II of Logica's USSD server with Chinese support for its #100# branded service which was first launched in late 1999
- Hutchison, another Hong Kong operator, has selected Logica for its USSD server, and has deployed it in its prepaid roaming service
- The formation of a partnership with Aersoft to launch its mobile chat solution to Logica's clients. Dublin-based Aersoft is a provider of entertainment solutions which are available to mobile subscribers via SMS, WAP or a web interface
- Another partnership agreement with Digital Rum, a provider of secure m-commerce solutions. Logica plans to offer Digital Rum's 'Shopping Assistant' service permitting users to browse and price products before making a purchasing decision, on its mobile internet platform. The partnership is specifically loking to target Asia, after securing Telefonica, Eircell, Virgin Mobile and Mviva as clients in Europe.
Although more low key than Logica in terms of exhibition size and space, CMG was very enthusiastic about its new contracts in the region, some of which it has won from previous Logica Telepath SMS-C customers. The battle of the vendors was highlighted in April 2001 when the investment community downgraded CMG's shares after branding it too Eurocentric and GSM-focused than its competitors, in particular Logica. Whilst still remaining in the GSM arena, CMG is planning to build on the success of its SMS-C installation in the Philippines with Globe GSM, and capture greater market share in the Asia-Pacific region.
Contracts announced by CMG at CommunicAsia included
- Telkomsel, a GSM Indonesian operator has selected CMG's Wireless Service Broker for mobile internet content and services including infotainment, financial and news services. Telkomsel already uses CMG for its SMS-C which was launched in November 2000
- New Indonesian GSM-1800 licensee, Indosat, planning to launch in August 2001, has selected CMG for its messaging solution
- Celcom in Malaysia is using CMG for its SMS-C as well as its Prepaid Billing System for SMS. The GSM operator launched prepaid SMS MO services in mid-June 2001. In a previous contract, CMG also sold its SMS-C to Celcom's competitor, DiGi.
Comverse offers SMS-C and SMS interoperability gateway solutions. Recent Asian contracts include the award for Comverse's Intelligent SMS-C (ISMSC) by Indonesian GSM operator, Excelcom, and the selection in Hong Kong for Comverse's SMS Gateway to offer SMS interoperability to Hong Kong's six operators, as well as solving its mobile number portability issues. SMS interoperability is scheduled to be implemented in July 2001. Moving towards MMS, Comverse announced the first sale of its MMS platform including wireless instant messaging services to new 3G Spanish operator, Xfera, on 30 May 2001. The new platform was first announced in February 2001. Comverse has several contracts in China, mainly with China Mobile networks, and Shanghai Unicom.
US vendor, TCS, is better known in the CDMA world and in the Americas particularly for its SMS-C and SMS interoperability solutions, than in the GSM-dominated Asia-Pacific region. SMS-C deployments in the Asian region include the now abandoned CDMA network of AAPT in Australia and Telecom New Zealand's TDMA and new CDMA networks as well as Vodafone New Zealand for installation of TCS' Wireless Internet Gateway and QueryNet software for GSM wireless messaging services announced in April 2001. TCS joined the GSM Association as an associate member in February 2001.
Better known for its voicemail and unified messaging services, than traditional SMS, Tecnomen is offering a modular messaging solution based on its eZONER platform. The multimedia messaging solution was first announced in February 2001, and is based on four modules:
- voicezone for voice messages as based on existing voicemail service, as well as voice portal to be available in Q4 2001
- mailzone for textual and visual messages including wireless email, unified messaging and multimedia messaging with image messaging, instant voicemail, instant video mail and video call answering to be available in Q4 2001
- unzone for entertainment services with wireless chat, a download centre for ringtones, logos, music and video clips, as well as instant messaging services
timezone for personal organisation with calendar, schedules and action lists.
| A keen third contender in the SMS-C world competing with Logica and CMG, Sema was not present at CommunicAsia despite having several contracts in the region including in India, Australia, Hong Kong and Fiji. |
Messaging handsets & products
Although not on display, Samsung was keen to discuss its latest model, the SPH-N2000 (9.8mm thick) which is only available for the Korean domestic market. The SPH-N2000 was launched in May 2001 and is priced at approximately KRW 450,000. This high level handset features what Samsung terms an 'upgraded SMS' service with wider animation selection and emoticon pictures.
Ericsson used the trade show to promote its newest range of messaging products, including EMS handsets, T20e, T29s, T39m (all of which are available with Chinese character support), as well as a non-working prototype of its MMS handset, T68. The T68 will be Ericsson's first handset with a colour display and is expected to be launched at the end of 2001. The GSM tri-band handset also offers WAP, GPRS and Bluetooth functionality. The EMS handset, T20s, is currently available in Singapore, and is offered by SingTel Mobile at SGD 99 subject to a 12 month contract.
Ericsson's EMS handsets conform to the current 3GPP-approved EMS standard prior to the teaming up of 3GPP and the other contending EMS client standard, magic4 on a single standard. Magic4 unveiled its latest EMS client solution which is based on the newly agreed EMS Release 5 standards, as well as promoting itself to the wide base of Asian handset manufacturers in the region. Magic4 also announced its first Asian office in Singapore in Q3 2001. Magic4 is currently embeddeded into new messaging products from Philips and Motorola, and is understood to be incorporated into other manufacturers' messaging devices in the near future. Motorola was not present at the trade show, but Philips did exhibit its Az@lis 288 handset which will only be available in the Asian market from Q4 2001.
Nokia was not present at the trade show, but is expected to launch its 9210 Communicator, with colour screen and mobile multimedia functions in Singapore by end August 2001.
SingTel Mobile's website outlines the requirements for Chinese SMS as needing a Chinese input-enabled handset to create and send SMS, and the need to have a Chinese character display handset to receive SMS. Recommended handsets as per SingTel Mobile's website at http://www.singtel.com.sg include:
SingTel Mobile recommended list of Chinese input-enabled mobile phone:
- Ericsson T10sc, T18sc, T28sc, A1018sc.
SingTel Mobile recommended list of Chinese character display function mobile phone:
- Ericsson T10s, T18s, T 28s A1018s Asian version
- Ericsson T10sc, T18sc, T28sc, A1018sc Chinese Input Enabled
- Ericsson GF788c, GF768c
- Motorola V3688, L708, CD928
- Nokia 6150, 3210, 7110, 8210, 8850.
C-Pen manufactured by C Technologies, a subsidiary of Swedish firm, Anoto, can be used to scan printed text using its built in digital camera. Messages can then be stored on the pen (4MB RAM), or sent to PC, PDA or mobile handset via infrared. The pen was being demonstrated with an Ericsson infrared handset. Other functions include translation, calendar and address book. Whilst the pen has support for 15 languages, none are currently Asian languages. Despite this, C Technologies claim usage in Korea is high where the language choice is English - users have to pre-select the language being scanned prior to use.
Anoto and Ericsson teamed up to exhibit the Ericsson Chatpen CHA-30 with Anoto functionality. Like the C-Pen, the Chatpen has a digital camera, but uses Bluetooth functionality, not infrared to transfer text and data. The Chatpen can also be used for handwritten text, thus the emphasis for promoting it in Asia where some local language support is still not available in an SMS environment. Whilst the C-Pen is merely a scanner, the Chatpen uses paper and ink. The Anoto propretiary functionality resides in the paper which contains a matrix of nearly invisible dots. The digital camera takes 50 shots a second, and the image processor calculates the movement and position on the paper. Character boxes at the bottom of the paper are used to indicate the email address or mobile phone number of the final destination of the message. Anoto is already in talks with paper manufacturers such as APP to create a new standard in paper creation, as well as pen manufacturers including Pilot and Mont Blanc. The Chatpen comes complete with rechargeable battery and will be trialled in Sweden on the Vodafone Europolitan network in Q4 2001. No launch date in Asia has yet been announced.
PocketMail operates as a text messaging service provider in Australia using QWERTY keyboard devices manufactured by Oregon Scientific. The battery operated device (2 x AA batteries) weighs 450g with the batteries and is 162 x 80 x 24 mm in dimension. The device is used to compose and send emails, SMS or faxes. Up to 4MB of data can be stored on the device at any one time. PocketMail subscribers are allocated a PocketMail domain email address through which an additional three email accounts can be consolidated. The device will not accept emails with attachments or graphics, but the user will receive notification and the original email can be viewed through PC web access. A built-in modem and DSP chip are used to transmit the text through a fixed phone, including public payphones, and a GSM line. Originating in the USA, where PocketMail currently has 50,000 subscribers, the service was launched in March 2000 in Australia and now has 10,000 subscribers, many in rural regions. Telstra acts as a reseller for the service, and local partners are being sought in Asia in addition to existing partners in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
PocketMail revealed that its consumer demographics include:
- 52% male to 48% female
- 27% of its subscriber base are in the 18-25 yr age bracket
- 25% of its subscriber base are in the 25-36 yr age bracket
- 17% of its subscriber base are in the 37-45 yr age bracket.
In Singapore, the device costs SGD 199, and a 12 month subscription plan with umlimited usage including access to PocketMail's information services (weather, news, stocks and horoscope readings) is SGD 19.95/month, or SGD 9.95/month with 20 free transmissions, and a charge of SGD 0.39 per transmission thereafter. The service is also available on a prepaid basis.
Predictive text input
Whilst not currently seen as a key driver to messaging growth, but merely an aid to input speed, predictive text systems are seen to be a future driver of messaging beyond the youth segment.
Zi Corporation's eZiText predictive word and phrase solution is available in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. The Chinese solution has been available for some time and was first implemented by Ericsson on its T10sc, T18sc and A-series handsets from launch in September 1999. In H1 2000, eZiText was also incorporated into the Ericsson R320sc and R380sc handsets for the Chinese market. This partnership was further enhanced with the March 2001 annoucement of Ericsson licensing Zi's full range of 32 languages into its handsets. The Korean predictive word and phrase solution was launched in May 2001, and the Japanese version is poised for launch in the coming months.
Unlike other countries, the use of predictive text is seen as a driver for personal messaging in China where each word is represented by a character, thus not permitting the usual multi-tapping approach with different alphabet letters assigned to the 10 keypads. For its Chinese service, eZiText uses an eight stroke approach compared to its main competitor, Tegic's T9 with a five stroke approach. Whilst there is no clear reference to the size of the Chinese SMS market, most vendors agree that traffic volumes to date are generated from push content services rather than person-person messaging. Following Chinese New Year celebrations in early 2001, China Mobile announced that three million celebratory messages were transmitted across its GSM network - most of which were forwarded on to groups of friends after receiving an already constructed message.
The Japanese alphabet requires more letters per key in a multi-tapping environment. The Korean version of eZiText permits use of the Korean letter alphabet to create the first syllable of a word through multi-tapping before a maximum of options for the remainder of the word appear at the bottom of the screen available for selection. One of Zi's licensees is Samsung, which has yet to implement the Korean version in its handsets. This will replace Samsung's own inhouse prediction system, Chunnjiin, developed in 1998, and is based on three strokes which are used to make up each character in Korean. Samsung currently uses Tegic's T9 solution in all its export handsets, but eZiText is soon to be adopted in new models.
Zi's main competitor in the predictive text market, Tegic, was not present at the show.
Application software providers and developers
Following the explosive growth in text messaging in the Philippines, a new player has emerged in the application developers' market from Manila - WolfPac. Established in 1999 to capitalise on the booming SMS market, WolfPac provides the entertainment applications used by Smart GSM, the largest GSM operator in the Philippines. WolfPac also counts Piltel and Sonera Zed in the Philippines as clients. Entertainment solutions include virtual pets, trivia question games, celebrity live chats, as well as the traditional ringtones, graphics and logo downloads. The solutions are developed on a revenue sharing basis with the operator who conducts all promotional activity. The applications are not branded as WolfPac to the consumer, but as an operator branded service. The WolfPac All-Purpose Mobile Messaging Platform (WAMMP) interfaces with the operator's SMS-C via Nokia's CIMD2 protocol - so developed as Smart uses a Nokia SMS-C and as its first client, WolfPac customised the solution. However, interfaces based on regular SMPP open standards are available.
Israeli-based Bug-Life promoted its Rich Messaging Service for cellular operators based on its proprietary Central Animation Server (CAS) which resides within the operator's network. The Rich Messaging Service offers real time delivery of 3D animated characters with content over IP or cellular networks across and between devices - mobile handset, PDA or PC. Through its propretiary graphics machines, the content is created and modified to different formats depending on the delivery destination device - GIF, MPEG4, AVI, WBMP, MBM or BMP. Bug-Life was established in January 2000, and its initial target market is Japan, where an office has since been established. Agreements have already been reached with Sanyo, Sony and Hitachi for use of Bug-Life in their respective products.
WorldRemind was established in Singapore in April 2000 to develop SMS applications initially aimed at the corporate market and government organisations. WorldRemind is allied with Spectrum Labs, another local company specialising in SMS hardware and turnkey solutions. The WR SMS Gateway is the properitary link between the corporation and WorldRemind. Each user requires a GSM modem with SIM card which the user must obtain from the GSM operator as in the manner of a regular subscription. Building on Microsoft's Outlook programme, WorldRemind has developed a reminder service based on appointments and calendar entries made in Outlook. The service is aimed at enterprises, but will be made availalbe to the consumer market from August 2001. WorldRemind offers a range of SMS applications, but one of the more innovative ones currently being used by schools in Singapore is the Parents Electronic Notification System (PENS) which automatically sends an SMS to a parent to notify them of a child's absence from school. Research conducted by WorldRemind indicates that 75-80% of parents in Singapore own a mobile phone. Parents are able to respond to the school's alert from a choice of four options: medical certificate, will give letter, do not know about it or for the school to call them. The system is reliant on teachers completing a computerised attendance sheet. The school bears the cost of the SMS traffic. WorldRemind is also patenting a temperature control and remote management system.
Instant messaging
Whilst the SMS community has touted instant messaging as a future driver of increased SMS traffic, deployments are only beginning in mid-2001 on a trial basis, with no real charging model being explained. The IM vendors at the exhibition were looking for Asian clients and establishing regional offices to boost their respective profiles in the region. US-based Invertix has no Asian deployments as yet, but has ongoing trials in Europe and the USA. Israeli-based FolloWAP, has four deployments in Europe, and none in Asia to date. Both vendors were unable to disclose the participating operators due to ongoing confidentiality clauses. Invertix and FolloWAP both rely on proprietary software to identify 'presence', when a member of the buddy group signs on or off the IM service. This element of presence is the key distinction between SMS chat and true wireless IM. Logica also demonstrated its integrated AOL instant messaging solution with its SMS-C which was first announced in February 2001 at the GSM World Congress. IBM announced the launch of Sametime Everyplace 1.0, its Lotus Notes instant messaging solution for use on wireless devices, including mobile phones, PDAs and pocket PCs. Worldwide commerical availability is scheduled for July 2001.
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