The company blog

Mobile World Congress 2012: What are the rumours?

New technology addicts around the world are waiting with baited breath for the 2012 Mobile World Congress, centred around the theme of “Redefining Mobile”. The action will take place at Fira Montjuïc, in Barcelona, between 27th February and 1st March.  Major global players of the mobile market will be unveiling their latest innovations. As many as 1400 exhibitors will be showcasing their products to the visitors, and there is much speculation about which ones will cause the latest buzz.

The prospect of thinner, shinier, faster smartphones has been the subject of many rumours. Quad Core processors, 12 MP cameras, 3D capability and retina resolution are listed amongst the most desirable features, but the manufacturers are keeping their cards close to their chests and surprises are bound to occur. The Samsung Galaxy S3, the Blackberry London, the new Galaxy Nexus and the Motorola Droid are all expected to be released at the congress and will all be competing for attention.

A program of talks and conferences will take place over the course four days, with speakers such as Franco Bernabè, CEO of Telecom Italia, and Anne Bouverot, Director General of GSMA. Conference goers will be able to hear presentations on topics as varied as mobile operator strategies, mobiles and health, and mobile business transformation.

One of the highlights of the event will undoubtedly be the Global Mobile Award ceremony, where the most groundbreaking, successful and useful mobile players receive recognition from their peers. 2011 winners include, for instance, Google, for the Google Maps application, and Dr. Wang Jianzhou, Chairman of China Mobile, for outstanding achievements. The evening will be hosted by the British comedian and musician Tim Minchin.

Finally, discussion forums will provide the opportunity to network with industry players and get fresh inspiration for new mobile marketing strategies.

Tough Guy: “It was tough” by Andy Smith

Tough Guy, in my eyes at least, certainly lived up to its name. We were told before starting that over a third of people wouldn’t finish the course, therefore 2 out of our 6 would statistically fail to complete it, unfortunately this stat bared true.

The course was much tougher than I had expected or anticipated. We stuck together, helped each other out and for most of the course we had a lot of fun. It was the unbelievably cold conditions, and constantly going in and out of freezing water that gradually took its toll on us. And there was also the electric shocks we received and the general tear-inducing fear and pain.

For those tough enough to finish the challenge, they received huge cheers and a nice big brass medal. After the finish line we were given a hot chocolate, the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and a huge thanks to all the volunteers and staff that made the event possible.

Take a look at the photos here

What’s happening in the world of apps?

Smartphone users in the UK are turning away from using paid-for apps, which has created a dilemma for developers trying to capitalise on the smartphone market boom.

The UK has become a nation of smartphone users, with as many as one in three British adults now using one. That was the finding of an Ofcom report published last year, which found that a third of the UK’s adult population had switched to the latest in mobile technology.

When it comes to smartphone use, Britain leads the way in Europe with more than 17 million monthly active users (Flurry Analytics, May 2011). With constant developments in internet usage, SMS technology and email integration within smartphones, this is hardly a surprise. But this boom in smartphone popularity masks the fact that there are many people in the UK who are still content with their regular mobile phone.

Whilst the increased use of smartphones is good news for the manufacturers, other companies and developers linked to smartphones have struggled to capitalise on their popularity. Research from analyst firm Screen Digest has found that the app market is a difficult one to monetise, with the majority of paid-for apps unpopular with users.

This creates a real dilemma for developers who are trying to profit from the popularity of new technology. Even the most simple of app takes time, dedication and money to bring to the market. But no matter how much effort has gone into it, if the app isn’t free then many smartphone users will simply not download it.

The research estimated that of all the apps downloaded worldwide in 2011, an incredible 96% of them were downloaded for free. So many developers are turning to in-app purchases as a way of generating revenue. By offering the apps for free, developers are trying to get users ‘hooked’ on the app and then tempt them to buy additional features.

Apps are currently only supported on the latest mobile phones and are not always on every operating system. So if your looking to communicate with large audiences, SMS messaging is the only guaranteed way for those times when every message matters.