Newsletter - 07 January 2014

Reliance Jio Infocomm plans to offer 4G 07 January 2014 wireless broadband at up to 49 Mbps

Reliance Jio Infocomm, which has pan-India spectrum for 4G wireless broadband services, plans to provide connectivity speed to subscribers that will be 10-12 times faster compared to 3G networks. "We are practically achieving a speed of 49 megabit per second downlink (download), and uplink is between 8 and 9 Mbps. Theoretically, the present setup that we have, can achieve speed of 112 Mbps downlink," an RJIL official told PTI. At a speed of 49 Mbps an user can download a full movie, which is generally of 600MB size, in about 2 minutes. The average top speed of 3G network is pegged at 4 Mbps.

RJIL is the only company in India to have nationwide 4G spectrum. It holds large chunk 20MHz in one frequency band known as wireless broadband access (BWA) spectrum. It has been allocated 2.2 crores numbers to start its services. The company is running trial of products including phone and TV services that it plans to provide through 4G network. RJIL will provide outdoor customer premise equipment (CPE) that will connect to its mobile tower. "There will be wire which will run into house of customers from this CPE that can be connected to various devices and create a local wi-fi network for people to access broadband. There will be a set-top-box that we will provide which will facilitate both broadband and television services," the official said. The STB has been developed on Google's Android platform.

Besides CPE, RJIL has plans to connect to those homes which won't get strong signals with optical fibre network. Gearing up to foray into TV services market, Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL) has loaded 150 channels that it will provide across all devices ranging from mobile phone to TV sets using its high speed 4G network.
(Source: NDTV Gadget)

BlackBerry 07 January 2014

slashes

Q5

price

by

20%

to

Rs

19,990

Canadian handset maker BlackBerry today slashed the price of Q5 smartphone by 20 per cent to Rs 19,990 to boost sales of devices powered by its latest operating system BB-10. The device with a QWERTY keypad was earlier priced at Rs 24,990. Keeping up with the festive spirit, BlackBerry today introduced a New Year Bonanza offer for its popular BlackBerry Q5 smartphone under which customers can purchase BlackBerry Q5 smartphone at Rs 19,990, the smartphone maker said in a statement. "The New Year Bonanza aims at providing a powerful mobile device, with cutting edge BlackBerry 10 OS at an affordable price point to the consumers," BlackBerry India Director (Distribution) Sameer Bhatia said.

The offer is in line with BlackBerry's commitment towards the Indian market and will help the brand to reach out to more potential customers, he added. The Canadian firm has been facing stiff competition from other smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung as sales have declined over the past few months globally. Besides, it is also betting on apps, including taking its popular messaging service BBM to other operating systems, to rake in additional revenue in the coming months. (Source: Economic Times) CAG can 07 January 2014 audit accounts of private telcos: Delhi HC

In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court today held that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) can auditthe accounts of private telecom operators under the relevant provisions of the law. A bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and V Kameswar Rao permitted the top accounting body to conduct audit of private telecom companies under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act. It rejected the separate petitions of Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers (AUSPI) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) filed against the decision of Telecom tribunal TDSAT on the issue in 2010. The high court had reserved its order in November 2013, after conducting marathon hearings on the issue where it took on record submissions of the Centre, CAG and the petitioners -- COAI and AUSPI. Both the associations had argued, in essence, that CAG can't audit private companies.

To achieve the purpose of audit, the operators had pointed out that they have already put in place mechanism of special audit as envisaged in the license agreement between department of telecom and the companies. The firms had claimed they maintain accounts in line with the TRAI rules and can't be forced to furnish financials to CAG. The CAG had vigorously staked its claim to audit the accounts and sought revenue sharing details from the telecom companies. (Source: Business Standard) CES 2014: 07 January 2014 Internet-connected devices expected to dominate

"I almost wonder sometimes if privacy is an anomaly instead of the other way around," DuBravac said, noting that in small towns of days gone by everyone seemed to know everyone else's doings. "If I can get a richer experience by sharing my data, that is a fair trade-off," he suggested. The latest in television ultra-high definition screens will be on display, but analysts expected them to land in the market with a thud similar to that made by 3-D televisions. "Your television gets a zillion more pixels, but most people won't be able to notice the difference," Gillett said, though DuBravac expects scores of Ultra HD television announcements at CES. Ultra HD television stands to benefit from availability of rich content at online venues such as Netflix, YouTube as well as from major film studios. They are also hitting the market about eight years after consumers upgraded en masse to high definition screens, and historic buying patterns indicate people will be looking for replacement TVs. The global market for technology hit a record high of $1.068 trillion in 2013-powered by uptake in smartphones and tablets, according to Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis at the Consumer Electronics Association.

He forecast that figure would ebb slightly this year and level off at $1.055 trillion, noting that regions where demand for smartphones or tablets is hottest tend to be places where low prices are needed to penetrate markets. "North America is no longer in the lead in terms of technology spending," Koenig said.

"The spending coming on line in Asia has sealed the deal in terms of leadership and America will have to settle for number two. Simply put, there is strength in numbers in China." Amazingly, 43 cents of every dollar spent on consumer electronics this year was predicted to go on smartphones and tablets. (Source: NDTV Gadget) Irdeto looks 07 January 2014 at the hurdles that operators must clear to attain success

As the global multi-screen landscape continues to evolve, the growing pay TV subscriber market is set to drive further investment into the technology underpinning multi-screen and OTT TV services. Digital TV Research Limited predicts that the number of households that subscribe to pay TV will reach almost one billion by 2018. Combined with the trend of consumers watching more long-form content on tablets and smartphones, this growth in pay TV customers will signal a further surge in multi-screen offerings as operators look to capitalise on demand, offering added value to keep and attract new subscribers. With competition heating up in the online video market, operators are often trapped by the complexity and pressure of implementing a successful multi-screen strategy. International entertainment broadcasting company Modern Times Group (MTG) recently reported a 25 per cent reduction in direct-to-home subscriptions; but increased subscriptions to their OTT services such as Viaplay more than compensated for this. With increasingly high consumer expectations of a quality user experience, new devices continually coming to market, evolving piracy threats and stringent content owner security requirements, many are still struggling to deliver a compelling, revenue-generating multi-screen experience. However, operators can no longer afford to view multi-screen as a defensive play or an experiment. Multiscreen fundamentally changes the way consumers experience media, and an offensive strategy actually propels business forward and provides a compelling alternative to new market entrants and pirated content. More revenue than cost

With all of these pressures and challenges, how does an operator turn multi-screen from a cost of business into a revenue-generating, brand-building endeavour? We see four key building blocks to making multiscreen work successfully: 1. Increase customer loyalty with a personalised user experience: While many solutions focus on just getting on a device, the real challenge is making a personalised experience across devices that keep consumers wanting more. An intuitive design, coupled with recommendation technology and consistency of user interface and experience across devices is key. Reduce risk, cost and time to market: With the fierce race to offer multi-screen services, operators must remove the risk and delay inherent in complex integration projects. Using a reference architecture that is pre-configured, templated and ready for branding will achieve these goals. In addition, cloud-based services can instantly scale and provide the high level of availability and redundancy that in-house implementations cannot match without massive investment in infrastructure. Uncompromising content protection on any device: To ensure the success of the service, an operator must enable consumers to securely access premium content from any device of choice, including devices of tomorrow. In addition, operators must provide uncompromising security on any device to satisfy content owners and to enable them to maximise the return on their investment in premium content Monetising using different business models: Having the freedom to test market preferences and pricing is a powerful tool for operators to fine-tune their commercial models. Advertising in particular provides major opportunities for networks. Monetisation of long-form video distribution

2.

3.

4.

has been the purview of OTT players such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Now, with the aggressive strategies of companies like Google, the monetisation curve is sure to keep climbing. Multi-screen strategy

Today, a successful multi-screen strategy is more than just content distribution on multiple devices if you want to compete for consumers, and indeed revenue. A more proactive approach to delivering multi-screen services is required, and elevating this service to must-have status for consumers will require development of a personalised experience that engages the viewers, provides tailored recommendations, interacts with their social networks and enhances the existing pay TV experience. A truly great multi-screen solution will propel your business in the right direction and give you the freedom to focus on your core strength delivering a compelling user and content experience. An offensive multiscreen strategy can help you take advantage of the opportunities in the market and drive up content consumption. Pay TV operators must look for a solution provider which will enable them to incorporate the most appropriate and effective personalisation, social connectivity and monetisation functionalities they deem appropriate to service goals. This can be achieved by leveraging managed services, cloud-based infrastructure, innovative technologies, pre-configured workflows and intuitive interfaces. Having the right technology and partners in place is what will separate those who embark on multi-screen, and those who transform this into a successful offering. (Source: Convergence Plus Bureau) Internet-connected 07 January 2014 toothbrush unveiled at CES

Brush smarter. That's the message from the makers of what is billed as the world's first Internet-connected toothbrush. Unveiled Sunday at a preview event for the Consumer Electronics Show, the device from French-based startup Kolibree aims "to reinvent oral care," according to co-founder Loic Cessot. "The "The technology idea in is the industry not has to not evolved brush for years," Cessot but told AFP.

stronger,

smarter."

The Kolibree toothbrush includes a sensor which detects how much tartar is being removed in a brushing. It also records brushing activity so users can maintain a consistent cleaning each time. The device conveys the information wirelessly to a smartphone app - a particularly useful aid for parents who want to monitor the teeth cleaning efforts of small children, according to Cessot. "When you use a normal toothbrush you never really know what you've cleaned. It might be 30%. The only person who really knows is the dentist." But the app can tell users if they have missed hard-to-clean areas or are not getting a thorough brushing. The app, which is open for developers to add on other programs, aims to increase motivation and make the experience more fun, said Cessot. The self-funded startup created by Cessot and former Microsoft and Google executive Thomas Serval plans to release the toothbrush worldwide in the third quarter, getting a boost from a crowdsourcing effort. Orders will be available initially through Kickstarter from $99 to $200, depending on the model and will include a free mobile app. (Source: Times of India) Juice 07 January 2014 Hospitality IPTV comes to India

Unique end-to-end IPTV hospitality solution by ANTIK Technology will be presented at Convergence India 2014. From head-end, system & content management to set- top boxes and in-room control integration all system parts from single experienced provider.

Kosice/Slovakia/EU, 4th of January 2014 Global supplier of IPTV solutions ANTIK Technology will present its end-to-end Juice Hospitality IPTV solution at Convergence India 2014 (21st to 23rd of January 2014, New Delhi). It comes with complete hotel suite for digital interactive IPTV roll-out, efficient even for middle-sized and smaller establishments. ANTIK delivers it packed with sat/terrestrial-to-IP head- end, channel management, content management designed specifically for hotels, reception interface, guest interaction, hotel system integration and IPTV set-tops. We are here to help hotels to upgrade the TV experience they offer to guests, explains Igor Kolla, CEO of ANTIK Technology. When moving from analogue to digital world, many obstacles and investments arise in the hotel environment. Our turnkey Juice Hospitality suite of products help the hotel owners to keep the costs of bringing HD content, on-demand services and state-of-art guest interactivity features to affordable level. It brings the guest comfort to another level and enables much-needed new revenue streams for hotel. Juice Hospitality line consist of receivers, IPTV management, content management system, IPTV middleware with HD/3D live TV, catch-up TV (archive), PVR, optional wifi access point, mediaplayer, video on demand, games, room service order via TV, internet access over TV, local sightseeing information, wake-up, messaging, reception user interface, optional integration with major hotel information systems and more. ANTIK entered Indian market in 2013 after it previously expanded with IPTV products under Juice brand to Europe, North America, SEA, Middle East and CIS. It recently extended its portfolio with low-cost palm-size Juice Nano HD IPTV OTT STBs, equipped with external IR. (Source: Convergence Plus Bureau) LG Life Band 07 January 2014 Touch unveiled at CES 2014, compatible with Android, iOS devices

LG has finally entered the wearable technology segment, with the announcement of its Life Band Touch fitness wristband. The South Korean manufacturer will be showcasing the Life Band Touch fitness wristband at CES 2014. The company has yet to reveal the pricing and availability details of the LG Life Band Touch. Notably, the latest wearable from LG can sync with Android and iOS devices using Bluetooth 4.0, though the company has not detailed whether the device can work with smartphone, tablets or even both. The LG Life Band Touch wristband can also track physical activities such as steps taken, distance covered and calories consumption. The Life Band Touch features an OLED touch display which works as a watch and shows notifications from the connected device. In addition to the LG Life Band Touch, the company has also introduced heart beat earphones (Heart Rate Earphone), which can check user's blood flow in the ear, according to The Verge. The Life Band Touch also includes touch controls for music playback and receiving calls from the synced device. The LG Life Band Touch wearable fitness wristband will be pitted against the likes of Nike's popular FuelBand. LG has already revealed plans to expand its Ultra HD TV line-up and has announced a new premium line-up at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Earlier on Monday, the South Korean electronics giant revealed that the company would showcase the premium UB9800 series 4K Ultra HD TVs at CES 204, consisting of 65-inch, 79-inch, 84-inch and 98-inch units. LG's new Ultra HD TV models feature 3840x2160 pixels resolution and equip Ultra IPS panels. (Source:
NDTV Gadget)

PC sales 07 January 2014

likely

to

get

boost

in

Q3

of

2014

A huge order for base components of Personal Computers has indicated that PC sales might get a boost in the third quarter of 2014. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has received a big batch of orders from PC and smartphone chip clients for delivery in the second half of January 2014, PCWorld reports. According to the report, it takes one quarter to manufacture notebooks, less than a quarter to mass produce

desktops,

and

just

little

longer

to

manufacture

laptops.

So the estimated time needed for component manufacturing, computer build time, packaging and shipping, for the component orders placed now will probably hit stores by the end of this year, the report added.
(source: Zee News)