Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace. Fifteen years ago, analysts and investors frequently asked enterprises, “What’s your Internet strategy?” The unspoken corollary was, “If you don’t have one, you’d better get one fast, [...]

Software giant Oracle recently released a report focused on the mobile space showing that increased consumer demand of mobile data services is a worldwide phenomenon fueled by the rise of smartphone adoption and more robust network offerings. The survey, “Opportunity calling: The future of mobile communications – take two,” (“take one” was released last year) [...]

As data consumption continues to skyrocket, service providers are coming to terms with the fact that a once voice-centric market is rapidly turning into a data-centric one. Consumption of data on mobile networks is being driven by a perfect storm of ubiquitous mobile broadband, smart connected devices and new data services. While the growth in data consumption may be exponential, the growth in data revenues is somewhat less stellar. Service providers around the globe are tackling the very real issues of how to best monetize data services while ensuring the best quality of experience.

Consumer appetite for video-on-demand services – the ability to access videos when and where it is convenient to them – is on the rise. The arrival of 3G/4G and LTE networks has opened up new bandwidth for on-demand access, with entertainment such as movies and television shows driving adoption. Other driving factors are at work, too, particularly for mobile subscribers, which leaped over the 300 million mark in the United States alone this past year.

“A small coffee, please.” – As the barista uses a tablet to take your order, you check the balance of your bank account and look at the weather forecast on your smartphone. When your coffee arrives, you sit down and scroll through the latest news headlines on your smartphone. Convenient and easy, right?

HTML5 is a language for structuring and presenting content for the Web, a core technology of the Internet. It is the fifth revision of the HTML standard and as of September 2011, is still under development. Its core aims have been to improve the language with support for the latest multimedia while keeping it easily readable by humans and consistently understood by computers and devices. You may ask, what the big deal, why should I care in wireless telecoms? The short answer is that HTML5 will be the technology that will create a multibillion dollar value chain disruption for app developers, enterprises, for Apple, for Google and for wireless operators – does that make it interesting enough?

During your average day how many times do you speak or text on your smartphone, browse on your tablet, or work on your laptop? In the evenings you may read e-books, message from your mobile, or check your Facebook. You go on vacation and watch videos while waiting for the plane, take pictures with your phone and send them to friends back home.

For all of the forecasts about 4G and LTE mobile data traffic growth, the overwhelming majority of mobile data today traverses 3G networks. This reality is driving new investments in policy management, video optimization, policy enforcement and a host of other related equipment – and with it, a surge in Diameter signaling traffic, which provides the framework for policy, charging and authentication functions.

Mobile Roadie has expanded its self-service mobile app platform to China under the moniker of Q Mobao. The company said its partnership with FabriQate will enable more brands, publishers and other content companies to reach deeper into the Chinese market with iOS and Android apps.The first customized Chinese app comes from Madonna. It gives fans [...]

If you’re driving faster than 10 mph, you’ll have a hard time using your Android smartphone if Sprint Drive First is installed on the device. The new Android app from Sprint Nextel Corp. automatically locks a mobile phone when a car is moving more than 10 mph. The app will disable phone functionality, direct incoming [...]