Z-mobile ramps up customer focus in Kosovo

Emerging Kosovan mobile service provider Z-mobile offers its subscribers tailor-made prepaid and post-paid services. The company, which entered the Kosovan market as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the beginning of January, has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to improve the intelligence of its services to increase customer satisfaction and speed up the implementation of new services.

“Our goal is to connect people without borders and limits,” said Milot Gjkolli, chief executive officer at Dardaphone, the parent company of Z-mobile. “To this end, we aim to grow our business across the region by adopting models conducive to fast and innovative service launches. We selected Nokia Siemens Networks as our partner due to its track record of understanding mobile phone users and by providing top notch services and customer care. We are confident that through this strategic partnership, we will be able to rapidly increase the quality of the services we offer.”

Under the scope of the five-year deal, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide consulting and system integration for a next generation intelligent network (NG IN) platform to support services sharply focused on Z-mobile’s business needs. The NG IN platform will provide solutions for Z‑mobile’s postpaid and prepaid billing and charging services, as well as interactive voice response (IVR) for automated voice or keypad navigation and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The platform can be scaled efficiently and cost-effectively to meet the expected growth of Z-mobile’s subscriber base.

“The high demand for customizable services makes the Kosovan market both innovative and challenging,” said Dietmar Appeltauer, head of the central-east European region at Nokia Siemens Networks. “For Z-mobile to outdo the competition and grow its subscriber base, it must offer cutting-edge and future-proof services, targeted tariffs and calling plans, all backed by a strong customer relationship management system.”

The Z-mobile brand is owned by Dardaphone, which is a joint venture of the Devolli Group Corporation and the US-based C-Com Group.

Secure mobile access to the cloud with StoneGate Virtual SSL VPN 1.4

Stonesoft, an innovative provider of integrated network security and business continuity solutions, introduces the new StoneGate SSL VPN Virtual Appliance, SSL VPN 1.4 and SSL-1060 for secure mobile and remote access.

The StoneGate SSL VPN solution is ideal for organisations that need to easily provide controlled yet flexible remote access for their employees, partners or customers. The solution enables organisations to share information freely and yet have full control over who accesses the information, when and from where.

Virtual SSL VPN appliance offers mobile access to the cloud
The StoneGate SSL VPN Virtual Appliance complements Stonesoft’s network security solution for virtual environments. The new appliance allows rapid deployment and implementation of mobile access to cloud computing.
The more common cloud computing becomes in corporate business and virtualised datacenters, the stronger is the need for secure access to corporate applications in the cloud. StoneGate SSL VPN Virtual Appliance combines the need for granular access to the corporate web and legacy applications with the secure and authenticated profiling of users.

The StoneGate SSL VPN Virtual Appliance is based on Open Virtual Format (OVF) standard and provides multiple features that meet the needs of virtual environments such as strong authentication, a flexible application portal and support for Federation ID standards such as SAML 2.0 and ADFS. The appliance is compatible with both VMware’s ESX/ESXi 3.5 and 4.0 (vSphere) versions.

Sophisticated authentication and access control
StoneGate SSL VPN 1.4 offers organisations enhanced security provided by integrated mobile authentication methods, granular access control and a holistic view on access rights with a single integrated access policy.

“Authentication is very important if we need to allow local, remote and mobile users, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders to access data and applications. Unfortunately, too often it is taken for granted. Authentication is not just a matter of typing a username and password – instead, organisations should carefully plan how it is integrated with existing authentication systems. In many cases, solutions that provide access to corporate applications need to support extended authentication systems like Federated ID or advanced Single Sign On techniques for both web and legacy applications. These are just some of the key strengths offered by StoneGate SSL VPN,” highlights Marco Rottigni, SSL VPN product manager at Stonesoft.

StoneGate SSL VPN provides easy management and administration of access control for all network users. Administrators can easily select the parameters, or a combination of parameters, that will grant or deny the access to applications. This includes sophisticated assessment and trace removal techniques to ensure that corporate security standards are enforced at all times, also for mobile and roaming users.

StoneGate SSL VPN includes also advanced logging, auditing and reporting features that help businesses meet industry, government and corporate regulatory compliance out-of-the-box.

New mid-range appliance SSL-1060 and spike licensing
The new StoneGate SSL-1060 appliance comes with the latest StoneGate SSL 1.4 software version, offering new features with respect to network integration and end point security such as the ability to configure port forwarding configurations and Ticket Single Sign On (SSO) enhancements.

The SSL-1060 appliance is designed for companies who need to provide a user base of 50 to 500 users with secure, authenticated remote access to business applications while ensuring best performance at all times.

Stonesoft introduces Spike licensing to all SSL VPN appliances. Spike licenses are temporary licenses used for increasing the number of users in emergency situations. For example, a second wave of H1N1 swine flu might keep employees at home or a nearby river flooding the office might prevent them from working there. In such cases, the ability to quickly increase the number of remote users becomes business-critical.

”Secure mobile and remote access to corporate data is not a luxury any more. In today’s increasingly fast-paced business, it has become a necessity that determines who is going to succeed. The new StoneGate SSL VPN helps organisations to streamline their processes and provides tools for finding new business opportunities – without compromising security,” said Klaus Majewski, vice president of marketing at Stonesoft.

StoneGate SSL VPN allows employees and partners to access more applications regardless of their location, using any web-enabled device. While this increases productivity, the network remains secure and protected from vulnerabilities. In addition, advanced features such as automated user account management ease the workload of the company’s IT administration.

Dialogue Appoints Regulator As Compliance Manager

Mobile messaging and mobile payments specialists Dialogue Communications has appointed Alex Crisp, formerly Investigations Executive at PhonepayPlus (the agent appointed by Ofcom to regulate paid-for telecoms services in the UK) to be its new Compliance Manager.

In what could be the first appointment of a former regulatory official by an aggregator such as Dialogue, Alex has been brought on board to take responsibility for internal regulatory matters as required. He will provide full support and guidance to Dialogue and its customers worldwide whilst endeavouring to build on the commitment made by Dialogue to its adherence to global and domestic regulatory requirements.

“Moving from the regulatory side of the industry fence and working with Dialogue will provide me with the opportunity to look at the regulatory scene from a global perspective; the move should throw up some interesting and exciting challenges for me,” said Alex.

“I see my appointment as a significant commitment by Dialogue, both to regulatory matters and to giving its customers the sort of world class service and support that has seen the company grow so successfully in recent years”.

While with PhonepayPlus, Alex was instrumental in introducing and leading on strategic changes which impacted on significant falls in consumer complaints. These changes also aided in developing an increased intelligence-led approach to investigations. As well as becoming knowledgeable on legal and regulatory issues effecting mobile messaging in the UK he gained valuable experience in planning and carrying out investigations and in making representations in front of internal tribunals.

Alex has built useful relationships with other regulatory bodies including the ASA, the OFT, the SFO and HMRC as well as with UK mobile network operators and other industry stakeholders.

Ericsson chosen by TeliaSonera

TeliaSonera is upgrading its fixed broadband access network to offer businesses and consumers media-rich services such as high-definition TV, live video streaming and online gaming. Ericsson provides the broadband access network of one million lines based on VDSL2 technology.

Mikael Bäckström, Head of Ericsson Nordic and Baltics, says: "Operators' decision to move from ADSL to VDSL2 is in line with consumers' need to get more bandwidth at home. Combining the strength of its fiber access with existing copper access is an effective and fast way to deliver nationwide high-speed broadband."

Internet use in Sweden is widespread, and according to Swedish statistics, almost 90 percent of households have home access. The goal for Swedish authorities is to secure access to even higher broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s.

Ove Alm, Senior Vice President of TeliaSonera Networks, says: "Enhancing our fixed broadband network will meet the booming demand for bandwidth. By boosting the speeds in both our fixed and mobile networks, our customers will be able to reach their personalized services irrespective of where they are and what device they are using."

Under the agreement Ericsson will deliver EDA 1200 based on VDSL2 technology and related installation services. The contract includes Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Deployment starts in Sweden and will run over the next 12 months.

The VDSL2-based technology offers unprecedented speeds on existing copper lines, opening up new opportunities for operators to provide customers with high-speed broadband services. By using VDSL2, operators can extend its fiber connections into existing copper lines in the last mile, and thereby maximize the reuse of the existing infrastructure.

Ericsson Launches Something New

Deutsche Telekom yesterday announced their new converged service for enterprise customers in Germany, called DeutschlandLAN, based on the Ericsson Business Communication Suite (BCS).

- Enterprises get voice, mobility, collaboration and conferencing applications for smartphones, PCs and IP-based desktop phones
- The service by Deutsche Telekom, DeutschlandLAN, runs on Ericsson Business Communication Suite

Ericsson's solution consists of IP telephony, mobility, collaboration and multimedia conferencing applications for smart phones, PCs and IP-based desktop phones.

The user is always part of the company network and has convenient access to all the communication tools while on a business trip, using a smart phone or notebook in the same way as when in the office. BCS allows instant team communication in virtual meeting rooms for video conferencing, document sharing or presentations creating dynamic collaboration within the company or interaction with people outside the company boundaries.

Deutsche Telekom plans the commercial launch for April 2010.

"Users want to be able to work wherever they are and not be limited to a desk at their office. Ericsson Business Communication Suite can do that for them and Deutsche Telekom is one of the first operators worldwide to make use of it by introducing DeutschlandLAN", said Jan Wäreby, Head of Business Unit Multimedia at Ericsson.

The Ericsson Business Communication Suite is fully 3GPP IMS compliant. It can serve 250,000 subscribers and can be extended if required. Based on open standards, and bundled with other operator network capabilities, BCS provides operators with a good baseline for a "one stop shop" offering towards the Enterprise segment.

Windows Mobile is better then Apple iPhones

Smaato Inc., a leading mobile ad optimizer and mobile advertising agency, has released its latest global mobile advertising metrics in an exclusive post at MSearchGroove, a top 50 influential source of analysis and commentary on mobile marketing, mobile search and social media.

Smaato's Worldwide Index - which analyzes ad network fill rates and sheds important light on click-through rates (CTR) segmented by handset operating system, geography and response times – is based on data collected from 35 mobile ad networks and over 4 billion ad requests served in the Smaato network of more than 3,000 registered mobile publishers in February 2010.

Overall, Smaato's metrics show that the average worldwide ad network fill rates remain constant at 29% in February 2010. The fill rate is measured as the percentage of ads delivered per ad request and varies by different factors, like country, device, content type.

Smaato's Index also provides a breakdown of CTR data, segmented according to operating system, showing that Symbian continues to lead the pack, with Android a distant second. However, there are some significant shifts that indicate the gap between operating system CTRs could be closing fast. For example, BlackBerry comes in at 51, up from 30 in December 2009, while Symbian – still the dominant operating system – has dropped slightly. It comes in at 147, compared with 173 in December 2009.

However, the biggest surprise is the lead Windows Mobile has over Apple. Specifically, the iPhone and iPod Touch show a declining CTR, coming in with a rate of 89. This is the first time Apple devices have dipped below the average Index of 100, and the first time that Windows Mobile has edged ahead of its rival. In December 2009 the iPhone posted a CTR Index of 119, sliding to 104 in January 2010.

A more detailed analysis of the Smaato Worldwide Index, which covers the ad fill rates of the global top 10 ad networks and a special focus on the fill rates of mobile ad networks in the U.S. and South-East Asia, has been posted on MSearchGroove today.

Overall, the best performing mobile ad network in the Smaato Worldwide Index had a fill rate of 72% in February 2010, down 17 from January. Despite this decrease, the average for worldwide ad network fill rate performance remained steady at 29%. What's more, Smaato found that six of the top ten ad networks performed above this average. This re-enforces the pivotal importance and advantages of the network aggregation business model. Smaato aggregates 35 ad networks across the globe to ensure partners get the highest possible fill rate.

"Publishers struggle to identify – in real-time – the right ad network to deliver the right results," notes Peggy Anne Salz, Chief Analyst at MSearchGroove (MSG). "Smaato's aggregation model, which has gained traction globally through its ability to dynamically identify the ad networks that monetize publishers' inventory best, is core to Smaato's competitive advantage."

Smaato is also focused on cultivating a robust mobile advertising business ecosystem in which in can play a leadership role. To this end Smaato also dedicates significant resources to identify and encourage mobile advertising pioneers and innovators.

A prime example of this is the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award, which recognizes excellence in the mobile advertising and developers harnessing mobile apps and the mobile Web that can also be tapped to deliver compelling messages and campaigns to consumers worldwide.

Among the winners – chosen by a world-class jury of leading influencers of the mobile community including MSearchGroove – were: Aloqa, a U.S.-based mobile service that proactively notifies people of interesting places, events, music, movies and other activities nearby; Waze, an Israeli startup that taps the wisdom of crowds to provide real-time maps, traffic information and turn-by-turn directions; and Yoose, a provider of mobile coupon and loyalty programs based in Germany.

To showcase these high-flyer companies and their views on industry hot topics including engagement, location services, mobile couponing and crowd-sourcing Smaato has collaborated with MSearchGroove to produce a special podcast series showcasing the three company CEOs. In the interviews, which originally aired in time for the Mobile World Congress in February, the executives also comment on the meetings with eight top-notch VCs – high-level introductions that are part of the Smaato Award.

Moving forward, Smaato will join MSearchGroove's growing roster of contributors and collaborators. MSearchGroove showcases thought leadership from a select group of partners and supporters including Tego Interactive, a company delivering delivers digital strategy and execution for startups, brands and mobile network operators worldwide; Bango, a mobile payments and mobile analytics provider; Taptu, a mobile search provider; and Netsize a mobile commerce and communications provider on topics ranging from usability and user experience to mobile industry mega-trends.

In addition, MSearchGroove publishes exclusive columns from leading industry executives including Colm Healy, Vice President of EMEA Services for Qualcomm Internet Services (QIS) and General Manager of Xiam Technologies, and Antti Öhrling, Co-Founder of Blyk, the messaging media that works with mobile operators to link young people with brands and other stuff they like.

Ketchikan Public Utilities offers customers a whole new IPTV experience

Subscribers of Ketchikan Public Utilities (KPU) are now enjoying a more interactive TV experience. KPU has recently implemented Nokia Siemens Networks’ Home Entertainment 3.0, a next-generation IPTV platform, which offers a host of interactivity and customization options, and enables the quick and easy integration of third-party applications.

“Our customers are constantly looking for new ways to enhance their always-on lifestyles, and we must deliver differentiated services that best satisfy their needs,” said Dan Lindgren, assistant manager, KPU Telecommunications Division, Ketchikan Public Utilities. “Nokia Siemens Networks’ understanding of the IPTV market opens new business opportunities for us by enhancing our video capabilities with High Definition content, personal video recording, and on-demand and interactive services.”

The Home Entertainment 3.0 (HE 3.0) offers an open environment that will allow KPU to customize its offerings and encourage third-party developers to create their own rich media and Web 2.0 applications that integrate with the operator’s IPTV system quickly and cost effectively. The contract scope also includes professional services.

“The competition in the North American IPTV market is intense, with operators striving to create a compelling and unique user experience. KPU now has a future-proof video services network, and can develop and introduce customized services more easily to broaden its market and win new revenue streams,” said Jouni Welander, director of IPTV solution management, Nokia Siemens Networks, North America.