The International Telecommunication Union agreed to include WiMAX technology in the global family of advanced wireless technologies. The win is a major victory for vendors and service providers on the eve of the World Radiocommunication Conference that the Bush administration hopes to build on...
Verizon Wireless has added the ability to update software on new phones on-the-fly, a new offering that may stand as a key competitive advantage. The carrier is working with InnoPath Software Inc. to deliver its firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) service, which saves consumers a visit to...
Nokia Corp. inched toward its long-held goal of 40% global market share in the third quarter, shipped more phones than its three largest rivals combined and earned revenue and profit to match. With near-complete dominance over incumbent handset makers, Nokia is moving to address...
Steve Jobs has given in.Apple Inc.'s CEO said the company will let outside developers create applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, reversing a policy that allowed the devices to run only Web-based third-party applications. The company in February will release a software development...
Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There's a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
"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 for wireless devices.
Indeed, Quaciari...
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 across the market pull out...
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 a wireless consumer bill...
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 underscored earlier this month...
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. dropped in the third...
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 rebate. The Touch, naturally,...
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 last year in the...
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 of U.S. wireless carriers...
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., developer of the MachBlue...
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 at least a decade...
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 information. Users with Internet-enabled...
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: messaging, mobile Web and...
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 handset, reducing its price...
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 and expansions by its...
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 on a licensing basis,...
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 their calling plans over...
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 of highlighting what works...
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. America voted correctly. If...
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 wireless industry.--Gaming giant...
