Mobile and Wireless Industry Reports

“You can’t just build a device without understanding what that customer really wants,” says Cathy Quaciari, director of B2B devices for AT&T Mobility. Quaciari’s role is to help business users-be it an individual or an IT manager overseeing 1,000 workers-shop …

The holiday season is always the most critical time of the year for the nation’s carriers and handset makers. It’s make or break for everyone. Indeed, much of the industry’s revenues are generated during the fourth quarter. Thus, all players …

Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) introduced industry-backed legislation that would establish a national regulatory framework for the wireless industry and fully pre-empt state oversight of mobile-phone carriers.The Pryor bill, unveiled during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today, would effectively compete with …

Digital mapping companies such as Navteq Corp. and Tele Atlas N.V. “now occupy the most important position in the global GPS navigation supply chain,” according to a new report from iSuppli Corp.The ever-increasing value of mapping intellectual property holders was …

LG Electronics Co. Ltd. faces fierce competition in the United States, despite the handset maker’s devotion to serving the carriers’ needs, according to the vendor’s latest financial results. The proportion of the handset maker’s global shipments destined for the U.S. …

Music and messaging may be the mantra for holiday sales, according to conventional wisdom, but Sprint Nextel Corp. is taking no chances. The carrier will offer the HTC-branded Touch on Nov. 4, for $250 with a two-year contract and mail-in …

Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless has expanded its High Speed Packet Access coverage to include five markets in Quebec, and now covers those markets as well as 20 others across Canada. The carrier launched its new, high-speed network in November of …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Carrier –Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it does not expect the FCC’s upcoming wireless spectrum auction to affect the ratings …

The following list includes venture capital and other investments into wireless companies announced during the past week. The value of the investment is included when available.–Bluestreak: Iris Capital led a $20 million Series D financing round into Bluestreak Technology Inc., …

In a online presentation this morning, Microsoft Corp. introduced its “Unified Communications” software offering that the company said would tie together all current means of business communication based on the concepts of “identity” and “presence”-a promise that has echoed for …

Microsoft Corp. officially joined the voice-operated search field, unveiling a free directory-assistance service for mobile and fixed-line users.The software giant launched Live Search 411, an offering that delivers local listings as well as weather updates, movie show times and airline …

Mobile banking providers ClairMail Inc. and mFoundry announced a new partnership and their first joint customer: BB&T Corp., which operates financial centers in 11 states.The two mobile banking companies are joining forces to offer a “triple-play” of mobile banking options: …

Helio L.L.C., which has made a point of maintaining its handset pricing, is offering a limited-time, online-only promotion with at least $50 off each of the three currently available handsets. The discounts include $50 off the dual-slider Pantech Corp. Ocean …

L.M. Ericsson warned yesterday that third-quarter sales would total about $6.8 billion, with operating profit of $875 million, sending its shares down almost one-third. CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg said the company had “underestimated” the “market dynamics,” which included fewer network upgrades …

Nokia Corp. will answer the iPhone’s splashy user interface with advancements in its own Series 60 UI that runs its smartphone offerings, the Finnish giant said at the Symbian Smartphone Show in London.Nokia will offer the upgraded UI to rivals …

AT&T Mobility has stepped up its customer-friendly policies, following changes by Verizon Wireless and just ahead of a federal hearing on wireless consumer protection. The nation’s largest carrier introduced two new policies: Starting in November, customers can make changes to …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal …

Text-to-vote campaigns are changing TV viewing habits dramatically, and TV programming is pushing the popularity of text campaigns.And so it was that I watched “Dancing with the Stars” last Tuesday. For the uninitiated, Wayne Newton got kicked off the contest. …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect …

The following list details this week’s infrastructure awards for the cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX industries. The contracts are broken down by transmission technology, country and vendor. The value of the contract is included when available.WiMAX–Argentina: Alvarion Ltd. said it won …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Reality Check, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile content industry to give their insights into the marketplace. …

Nokia Corp. will offer a new CDMA handset in North America this fall, though details about possible carrier deals and pricing were not given. Such a phone, however, could run on Verizon Wireless’ and Sprint Nextel Corp.’s CDMA networks and …

PHOENIX-With rival Nokia Corp. moving aggressively to build its worldwide lead through marketing, and the iPhone rattling the handset marketplace, struggling Motorola Inc. has begun to restructure its marketing, from its agency alignment to its internal organization.Marketing chief Casey Keller, …

Shares of InfoSpace Inc. shot skyward after the company said it will sell its mobile services division to Motricity for $135 million in cash.Motricity will acquire InfoSpace’s managed services infrastructure for mobile carriers, including technology and services such as mobile …

Verizon Wireless is betting on Firethorn Holdings L.L.C. for its mobile banking service, and the two companies said they will work with financial institutions to educate consumers about using their phones for financial transactions. Verizon Wireless said it plans to …