Native Mobile Report- June 2013
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This month's snapshot of the latest mobile trends in the local and international digital landscape.
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Native Mobile Report- June 2013
- 2. INSERT IMAGE IN BACKGROUND MAKE SURE IT FILLS THE SCREEN 100% A MONTHLY SNAPSHOT OF MOBILE NEWS, VIEWS, EVENTS & DEVELOPMENTS LOCALLY AND ABROAD
- 3. HOWTOUSETHISREPORT Thisreport isintended to be aneasy-to-reference tool It isaresource that you can flipthrough in your owntime – and not to necessarily read from front-to-back
- 4. CONTENTS » Executive Summary » Section 1: Mobile Landscape » Section 2: Mobile Devicesand Operating Systems » Section 3: Mobile Networks » Section 4: SocialNetworks » Sources and Contacts
- 6. EXECUTIVESUMMARY 1. TopwebsitesinSouthAfricahavebeenidentified 2. Every1MobilereachesintoAfrica 3. EUlowersmobileroamingrates 4. Apple’snewIOSandmusicstreamingservice 5. ProjectRaywiththeworld’sfirstsmartphoneforthevisuallyimpaired 6. NewKenyanmodemtospeedupinternet 7. GoogleDriveisnowavailableinZuluandAfrikaans 8. VodacomBusinesshasadvocatedtheuseofsmartmobiletechnologytomitigateenergycapacityandconsumption concerns 9. MicrosoftOfficearriveson theiPhone 10. GoogleprojectLOON:Balloon-poweredinternet 11. SamsungGalaxyS4Zoom:Camera-SmartphoneaswellasthreenewGalaxyTab3tablets 12. Sony:theSmartWatch2 andanewlow-costSonyXperiaCdual-SIMsmartphone
- 7. 13. Theworld'sfirstLTE-Advancednetwork,andtheGalaxyS4LTE-A 14. MicrosoftrevealsInternetExplorer11andOffice365isnowinninenewcountriesinAfrica 15. OrangehasexpandeditsreachinSouthAfricathroughadealwithNashuaMobile 16. Vodacomplanstorolloutfiberaccess toselectedbusinessparksacrossSouthAfrica 17. MTNextendsdatapricecutsanditslossonMyanmarbid 18. Neotelsalerumoursswirlingagain 19. TopTwitterusersandDMMA’ssurveyresultsaboutSouthAfricans’internethabits 20. Whatsapphits250mactiveusers 21. Facebookaddshashtagsupport 22. Instagramaddsvideo 23. NomoreFacebookadsonpageswithsexualandviolentcontent
- 9. TOPWEBSITESINSOUTH AFRICA » EffectiveMeasurereleaseditsMay2013websitetrafficstatisticsrecently, revealingthatNews24isthelargestSouthAfricanwebsite,followedby Howzit.MSNandIOL. » EffectiveMeasureistheofficialtrafficmeasurementpartneroftheDigital MediaandMarketingAssociation(DMMA),andprovidesaccuratetraffic statisticsforSouthAfrica’stopwebsites. » AccordingtotheMay2013EffectiveMeasurestatistics,News24attracted2.4 millionuniqueSouthAfricanvisitors.HowzitMSNrankedsecondwith1.7 millionuniquevisitorsandIOLthirdwith1.5million. » ThelatestEffectiveMeasurestatisticsalsorevealedSouthAfrica’slargest mobilewebsitesareVodafoneLive,News24Mobile,andSupersport. Source: MyBroadband, 4 June 2013
- 10. EVERY1MOBILEREACHES INTOAFRICA » Every1Mobile,whichspecialisesinbuildingmassaudiencesviamobilein sub-SaharanAfrica,recentlyannouncedthatithasraisedR18millioninangel investment. » Every1Mobile,foundedin2010,usesthepowerofmobile-enabledsocial networkstotransformhoworganisationsengagewithyoungpeopleaged 15-35insub-SaharanAfricaandotheremergingmarkets. » E1M'sultimateaimistohelpyoungpeopleinemergingmarketsenterthe formaleconomy.Thecompanyrunsninemobilesitescoveringeducation, health,jobsandentertainment. » Thecompanyalreadyrecordsover3millionmonthlyvisitstoitssitesand serves25millionpageseachmonth.Usersareequallysplitbetweenmale andfemaleacrossSouthAfrica,Nigeria,Ghana,Tanzania,Kenyaand Zimbabwe. » ‘Bybuildinglargemobile-basedcommunitiesofhighlymotivatedand educatedyoungpeoplewhoarefasttrackingintotheformaleconomy’E1M isbecomingthegate-keepertoanaudiencethatisinhighdemandfromthird partiessuchascorporations,governments,foundationsandNGOs. Source: Bizcommunity , 14 June 2013
- 11. EULOWERSMOBILE ROAMINGFEES » Checkinge-mailorsurfingthewebonamobilephonewhiletravellinginthe EuropeanUnionwillbeathirdcheaperfromJuly 1thankstoroamingcuts enforcedbytheEU’sregulator–just intimeforthesummerholidayseason. » TheEuropeanUnionhasbeeneagertoshowitsrelevancetoEUcitizenswith measurestocutthecostofconsumergoodssuchasflightsandroaming fees,withmobilechargesaparticularlypopularstepoverthepastseveral years. » “TheEUhastoberelevanttopeople’slives,”theEU’stelecomsregulator, NeelieKroes,saidassheannouncedthe36percentreductioninroaming. » FromJuly1,thecostofusingtheinternetwhileabroadfallsto45centsper megabytefrom70cents.. » Thecostofmakingcallsdeclinesto24centsperminutefrom29cents,and receivingcallsto7centsperminutefrom8cents. » Thecostofsendingtextmessageswillalsogodown,from9centsto8cents Mobileusersdon’tpayforreceivingtextmessageswhiletravellinginthe EuropeanUnion. » AllofcostswillfallagainonJuly1nextyear. Source: MyBroadband , 27 June 2013
- 12. SMARTPHONESBLOOMIN EMERGINGMARKETS » Globalsmartphoneshipmentsareexpectedtoreach958.8millionunitsin 2013,surpassingfeaturephoneshipmentsforthefirsttime,theIDCsays. » AccordingtotheInternationalDataCorporation(IDC)WorldwideQuarterly MobilePhoneTracker,smartphonesareexpectedtoaccountfor52.2%ofall mobilephonesshippedin2013. » Thefirmexpectsthetrendtocontinue,withsmartphoneshipmentsgrowing mostrapidlyinemergingmarkets,whichwillaccountfor64.8%ofunits shippedin2013. » Drivingsmartphonesforwardhasbeenaperfectcombinationofstrong demandfromendusers,greateremphasisbybothcarriersandvendors,and adeepselectionofdevicesavailableatmultiplepricepoints,theIDCsaid. » Withtheriseinglobalsmartphoneshipments,demandhasquicklyspread fromdevelopedmarketstoemergingmarkets,theIDCsaid. » Asaresult,smartphoneaveragesellingprices(ASPs)havedeclinedto$372 in2013,downfrom$407in2012and$443in2011. Source: BusinessTech by MyBroadband, 15 June 2013
- 13. Mobile devices and operating systems SECTION2
- 14. APPLE‘SNEWIOSANDMUSIC STREAMINGSERVICE » AppleIncunveilediTunesRadio,afreemusicstreamingservicethatisakey partofoverhauledmobilesoftwarethatthecompanycalledthemost revolutionaryre-designofitsoperatingsystemsincetheiPhonewas introducedin2007. » AsApplekickedoffitsannualconferenceinSanFranciscoforitsdevelopers, executivesalsoshowedoffanewlineofMaccomputersandsaidthat updatedSirivoicesoftwareusedontheiPhonenowincorporatesMicrosoft Corp‘sBingsearchengine. » iTunesRadio,whichwillcompeteagainstPandoraMediaInc,allowsusersto customisebygenreandpersonaltaste. » TheserviceisfreewithadsacrossApple’sdevices,includingAppleTV.Itis freeofadsforsubscriberstoiTunes’Match,adigitalcontentfeature. » CallediOS7,thesmartphoneandtabletplatformredesignedbyresident creativehonchoJonnyIvecomeswithanewedge-to-edgelookthatuses translucencytohighlightunderlyingcontent,newtypefaces,andnewicons. AppleplanstomakeiOS7availableinthefall. Source: BusinessTech by MyBroadband, 10 June 2013
- 15. SMARTPHONEFORTHE BLIND » AsmallteamofIsraelientrepreneurshascomewiththeworld’sfirst smartphoneforthevisuallyimpaired. » ProjectRay,astheteamcallsit,wasoriginallyconceivedasawayofhelping theIsraeliLibraryfortheBlindgetitsservicestoawideraudience. » Thevisuallyimpairedpersonsrelyonamultitudeofgadgetsandmostof themdon’tcomecheap. Theyalsohavetodragalongawholesuitcaseof expensiveaccessories. » ThewholeideaofProjectRayistoreplacethatsuitcasewithapowerful, cloud-connectedsmartphone. » Peopleneedjust30minutesoftrainingtogettogripswiththenewUI.Itrelies onaudiopromptedcommandsandusersselectappsandcommandsby liftingthefingeroffthescreen. » InadditiontotextingandGPS,thephonealsofeaturesacolourdetectionapp thathelpsusersmatchtheirclothing,alongwithabanknoteapptoidentify money. Source: TechEye, 10June 2013
- 16. NEWKENYANMODEMTO SPEEDUPINTERNET » KenyanfirmUshahidihasdesignedaninnovativeinternetmodem,BRCK, specificallyforAfrica,inabidtospeedupbroadbandinternetconnectivityon thecontinent. » Themodemhasbeendesignedtoconnectupto20devicesatatimeand seamlesslyswitchbetweenWi-Fi,3G,4GandEthernetconnections automatically,dependingonwhatsignalsareavailable. » ThemodemaimstokeepAfricansconnectedevenwhenthepowerturnsoff andtheinternetconnectionislost.Thenewmodemhopestosolveonekey problemthathindersAfricanbusiness-electricityshortages. » ThemodemalsoallowsuserstopluginaSIMcardtoofferanetwork anywhereinreachofamobiletower. » TheBRCKhasaneight-hourbatterytoovercomeelectricitypower interruptions.Itisalsopackedwithcloud-basedsoftwarewhichmeansitcan beaccessedfromanywheretoseehowWi-Fiandelectricityareconnections are. » BRCKwillstartsellingonthemarketfromNovemberbutitisavailablefor pre-orderfor$199from theendofJune. Source: Ventures Africa, 12 June 2013
- 17. GOOGLEDRIVENOWINZULU, AFRIKAANS » GoogleDrive,thesearchgiant’sonlinestorageanddocument,presentation andspreadsheetcreationservice,isnowavailablein18newlanguages, includingAfrikaans,Amharic,SwahiliandZulu. » ThisbringsthetotalnumberoflanguagesDrivesupportsto65. » ThenewadditionsareAfrikaans,Amharic,Basque,Chinese(HongKong), Estonian,French(Canadian),Galician,Icelandic,Khmer,Lao,Malaysian, Nepali,Persian,Sinhalese,Spanish(LatinAmerica),Swahili,UrduandZulu. » Userscanswitchbetweenlanguagesatanytimefromthesettingsmenuin GoogleDrive.Theserviceallowsuserstocollaborateondocuments, spreadsheetsorpresentationsandtheywillcontinuetoenjoythis functionalityeveniftheirDriveissettoadifferentlanguagethanthatofthe personwithwhomthey’recollaborating. » ThenewlanguagesalsoapplytoGoogleDriveformobiledevices. Source: TechCentral, 12 June 2013
- 18. MOBILETECHTOMITIGATE LOAD-SHEDDING » Followingtherecentannouncementthatload-sheddingschedulesarelikely totakeeffectacrossSAthiswinter,VodacomBusinesshasadvocatedthe useofsmartmobiletechnologytomitigateenergycapacityandconsumption concerns. » Vodacom’sbusinessarmsayssmartmetering–asystemthatenablesthe gatheringofdataforremotereporting–canhelptorestrictload-shedding andthepotentialelectricity-supplyconstraintsnegativelyimpactingthelocal economy. » HeadofVodacomBusiness,VuyaniJarana,says,globally,utilitieshave successfullyusedsmartmeteringtounderstandelectricityusageandsupply management.“Locally,theintroductionofsmartmeters,whichislegislated intheElectricityRegulationsActof2006,willallowtheutilitytoimplement newbusinessmodels,suchastimeofusetariffs.” » Hesaysthistypeofmobilemonitoringwillhelptheutilitytoreducepeak demandwhileend-userswillstarttosavemoneyasaresultoftheinsights gathered. » SmartmetersareacomponentofM2Mcommunicationandarebeing introducedaroundtheworld. Source: ITWeb, 14 June 2013
- 19. MICROSOFTOFFICEARRIVES ONTHEIPHONE » SoftwaregiantMicrosoftseemstohavemeltedandalloweditsmobile versionofOffice365tobeinstalledontheiPhone. » OfficeMobilenowletsiPhoneusersaccess,view,andedittheirOffice documentsanditissurprisinglysimilartowhatisalreadypreinstalledtoday onWindowsPhone8. » BecauseOfficeMobileisfromMicrosoft,yourformattingandlayoutremain intactwhenviewing,editingoraddingcomments,thankstosupportfor charts,animations,SmartArtgraphicsandshapes.Whenyoureturntoyour PCorMacyourdocumentlookslikeitshould. » Sinceitwasreleased,MicrosofthasaddedSkypecalling,andnewOneNote featurestoOffice365. Source: TechEye, 14 June 2013
- 20. BALLOONS:GOOGLE’SPLAN TOCONNECTTHEWORLD » ThecompanyhasbegunapilotprojectinNewZealandusinghigh-pressure balloonsinthestratospheretoprovideInternetconnectivity“at3Gspeeds”to remoteandruralareasacrosstheplanet,withSouthAfricahighonthelistas aplannedpilotcountry. » ProjectLoonballoonswillfloatabout19kmabovetheearth’ssurface,.Each pumpkin-shapedballoonisthesizeofalightaircraftandisroughly15min diameter. » Usersconnecttotheballoonnetworkusinganantennaattachedtheir building.Theballoonsrelayconnectivityfromterrestrialinternetnetworks andcanshareconnectivitybetweenthem. » Eachballooniscapableofservinganareawitha20kmradiusandacoupleof hundredsimultaneoususers. » Aspartofthetrial,whichwillservice50locationsinandaroundChristchurch inNewZealand,Googlelaunchedatotalof30balloonslastweek.Fiber backhaulfromthegroundstationisbeingsuppliedbyResearchand EducationAdvancedNetworkNewZealand. Source: TechCentral, 15 June 2013
- 21. YOUNGPEOPLEMOREWILLINGTO PAYFORDIGITALNEWS » Youngpeoplearemorewillingtopayforonlinenewsthananyotherage group,accordingtoamajorstudyof Internethabits. » Thesurveyof11,000internetusersinninecountriesincludingtheUKfound that25-to34-year-oldsaretwiceaslikelytopartwiththeircashfordigital newsthanolderreaders. » "Paywallsandappsarenolongerregardedasnovelties,butarenow increasinglypartofeverydaylifeformanyofthosewantingaccesstonews.” » Otherfindingsfromthesurvey,compiledbyindustrymarketingbody Newsworks,showthat49%of18-to24-year-oldsreadadigitalnewspaper– thehighestreachofanyagegroup. » Morethantwo-thirdsofthisagegroupsaidtheyhadreadanational newspaperinanyformatintheweekbeforethesurvey,comparedwith72% ofthoseagedbetween25and34. Source: Guardian, 20 June 2013
- 22. SAMSUNGGALAXYS4ZOOM » ThefolksatSamsunghavebroughtfourtharatherlargeamountofmobile devicestotheir‘Premiere’event inLondon,theGalaxyS4Zoomnotleast strangeamongstthem. » Thisdeviceisahybridofwhat’sgenerallyconsideredasmartcameraanda smartphone–orapoint-and-shootcamera,ontheotherhand,andtakesa middle-pointstancebetweentheSamsungGalaxyCameraandthe SamsungGalaxyS4. » Onthismachine’sbackisa4.3-inchSuperAMOLEDdisplay,coveredwitha paneofGorillaGlass3,andupfrontisa16-megapixelCMOSsensorwith opticalimagestabilisationworkingwith24-240mm10xopticalzoom,anda F3.1-F6.3lenstoboot. » Thisdeviceworkswithaphysical‘SamsungZoomRing’too–thusbringing furtherdifferentiationbetweentheGalaxyS4ZoomanditsGalaxyCamera predecessor. » Thisringactsasaguideforthiscamera’sopticalzoom,butcanalsoactivatea featurewhiletheuserisinaphonecall. Source: SlashGear, 20June 2013
- 23. THREEGALAXYTAB3 TABLETSCOMINGINJULY » OnJuly7,SamsungwillreleasethreenewGalaxyTab3tabletsin7-,8-,and 10.1-inchscreensizes. » The7-inchershipswitha$199pricetagand8GBofinternalstorage.While boththe8-inchand10.1-inchversionsinclude16GBofstoragewithpricesat $299and$399,respectively. » Eachtabletincludesa(nowexpected)SamsungIRblaster,microSDstorage slot,50GBoffreeDropboxstoragefortwoyears,andthreefreemonthsof HuluPlus. Source: CNET, 24 June 2013
- 24. SONY’SSMARTWATCH2 » SonyhaslaunchedtheSmartWatch2duringapressconferenceatthe MobileAsiaExpoinShanghai » TheSmartWatch2hasa1.6-inchLCDdisplay,witharesolutionof220x176, andismadefromacombinationofaluminumandplastic,whiletheincluded strapisstainlesssteel.Thewatchsectionis9mmthick. » It’scompatiblewithmost24mmwatchstraps,andthewatchsectionisIP57 splashproof.AccordingtoSony’sspecs,thebatteryisgoodforaboutsixdays lowusage,orfourdaysforregularuse. » ItconnectsAndroiddevice–nomatterwhetherit’saphoneortablet– runningAndroid4.0orlater,butlikeitspredecessor,isn’tcompatiblewithiOS. ItusesNFCforone-touchpairing,andmaintainstheconnectionusing Bluetooth3.0. » It’scompatiblewitharangeofnotificationsandevents,suchasSMS,MMS, Facebook,Twitter,Google+,Gmail,andmissedcalls,plusotherapps includingthemusicplayer,yourphonebook,theweather,calendar,andthe calllog. » Ownerswillalsohaveaccesstothe200-plusapplicationsdesignedforthe SonySmartWatchwhicharealreadyavailablethroughGooglePlay,and therearesuretobemoretocomeinthefuture. Source: DigitalTrends, 25June 2013
- 25. THEWORLD'SFIRSTLTE-ADVANCED NETWORK,ANDTHEGALAXYS4LTE-A » TheKoreancarrierSKTelecomhasofficiallyannounceditslaunchiofthe world'sfirstpubliclyavailable LTE–AdvancedWirelessNetwork. » TheGalaxyS4LTE-Aisalsoofficially(inredorblue)thefirstdeviceableto takeadvantageofthenewtechnologyforevenfasterdatatransmission speeds.Accordingtothepressrelease,SKTelecomplanstohaveasmany assevenLTE-Adevicesavailablebytheendoftheyear,allcapableofupto 150Mbps. » Accordingtothepressrelease,SKTelecomplanstohaveasmanyasseven LTE-Adevicesavailablebytheendoftheyear,allcapableofupto150Mbps. » WhileSKTelecomisusingCarrierAggregationandCoordinatedMultiPoint technologytoimprovespeedsrightnow,itwilladdEnhancedInter-Cell InterferenceCoordinationin2014togoevenfaster. Source: Engadget, 25June 2013
- 26. BLACKBERRYLAUNCHESIPHONEAND ANDROIDSECURITYPLATFORM » BlackBerryintroducedanewservicecalled‘SecureWorkSpace,’which allowsenterpriseiPhoneandAndroiduserstotogglebetweenpersonaland corporatemodes. » SecureWorkSpaceisaimedatgivingcompaniescontroloverthedatathat flowsovertheirnetworks,evenonauser'spersonalphone. » Corporateemail,calendars,contactsandintranetsarecordonedoff,andIT departmentscanaddorremoveotherappsfromthatcorporatesection withoutaffectinganypersonalinformation. » Thatseparationensures,forexample,thatuserscan'tcopyamessagefrom thecorporateprofileandpasteitintothepersonalone.Justascrucially, malwareinfectingthepersonalsideofthephonewon'tmakeitswayinto corporatedata. Source: CNNMoney, 25June 2013
- 27. SAMSUNGGALAXYS4MININOW AVAILABLEINTHEUK » TheunlockedSamsungGalaxyS4MiniisnowavailableintheUK,the handsetisavailableSIMfreefor£364.98includingtaxesfromUKretailer UnlockedMobiles. » TheSamsungGalaxyS4Minifeaturesa4.3inchqHDSuperAMOLEDdisplay witharesolutionof540x960pixels,processingcomesintheformofadual core1.7GhzprocessorandthedevicewillcomewithAndroid4.2.2JellyBean. » OtherspecificationsontheGalaxyS4Miniincludeafrontfacing1.9megapixel cameraandarearfacing8megapixelcamera,thedevicealsofeatures 802.11a/b/g/nWiFi,GPS,Bluetooth4.0,NFCandLTE,italsocomeswith 1.5GBofRAM,amicroSDFcardslotand8GBofbuiltinstorage. Source: GeekyGadgets, 26June 2013
- 28. MICROSOFT:THELATESTCHANGES TOITSWINDOWS8.1 » MicrosoftismakingadjustmentstoitsWindows8operatingsystem, beginningwiththeresurrectionoftheStartbutton. » ThecompanyalsounveiledimprovementstoitsBingsearchengine,built-in supportfor3-Dprinters,anupdatedXboxMusicapp,andnewtoolsfor developersmakingWindows8applications. » ThecompanyannouncedafewnewapplicationsforWindows8,includingan officialFacebookapp,FlipboardandNFLFantasyfootball. » ThoughtherewasabriefpreviewofanewversionofPowerPointfor Windows8,thenextversionoftheMicrosoftOfficesuitewon'tbereleased until2014. » AfreepreviewversionoftheWindows8.1updatefordevelopersisavailableto anyoneinterestedininstallingit.Theversionforregularconsumerswill comeoutlaterthisyear. » Otherchangesincludetheabilitytobootdirectlyintothedesktop,more flexibilitywiththetilesontheStartscreen,supportforhigh-resolution displays,andgreaterBingintegration. » ThebigXboxMusicupdateisaradiofeaturethatbuildsastationforlisteners basedonasong,muchlikePandora. Source: CNN, 26 June 2013
- 29. MICROSOFTRELEASESINTERNET EXPLORER11 » InternetExplorer11isoutinprevieweditionwithbettertouchperformance, fasterpageloads,andanintegratedbrowsingexperienceacrossallyour Windowsdevices. » Thenewbrowser’stouchperformancebenefitsfromGPU-enhanced performanceforpanning,zooming,andswipingthatoffloadsimage processingfromtheCPUtosavebatterylifeandimprovingresponsiveness. » MicrosoftistakingapagefromApple’sbookwithsharingofyouropentabs, favorites,usernamesandpasswords,andhistoryfromPCtotablettophone, allviaSkyDrive. » Thosewholovetabswilllikethenewbrowser—IE11supportsforupto100 opentabsatanygiventime. » “Themostimportantpartofthescreenisavailableforyoursiteswithasingle, unifiedinterfacewithtabsandaddressbaratthebottomoptimizedforfast accessandtouch,”Microsoftsays. » TogetthenewIE11,you’llneedtodownloadtheWindows8.1previewfirst. Source: Venture Beat, 26 June 2013
- 30. OFFICE365EXPANDSTO9NEW TERRITORIESINAFRICA » MicrosofthasannouncedtheavailabilityoftheentiresuiteofOffice365 packagesinninenewterritoriesacrosstheAfricancontinentwhichincludes Angola,Cameroon,CapeVerde,Coted’Ivoire,Ghana,Mauritius,Rwanda, SenegalandZimbabwe. » “Office365isavailableinvariouspackages,eachonespecificallydesignedto meetaparticularneed,”saidMarcIsrael,OfficeDivisionGroupLeadfor MicrosoftWest,EastandCentralAfricaandIndianOceanIslands. » “Thismeansthatwhetheryouareaconsumer,educationalinstitution,small tomid-sizebusinessoralargeenterprise,wehaveanOffice365packagethat willmeetallyoursoftwarerequirementsinanalways-up-to-datecloud service,atapredictablemonthlycost.” » “OneofthebiggestchallengesSMEsfaceintoday’sharsheconomic conditionsisfindingtechnologythatmeetstheirneedswithoutbreakingthe bank,”Israelexplained. » MobilityisalsocriticalintheAfricancontextandOffice365allowsusersto accessfunctionalityacrossmultipledevicesatnoextracharge. Source: Venture Africa, 27 June 2013
- 31. APPLETESTSMOTIONDETECTION FEATURESFORIPHONE » Appleappearstobetestingoutmotioncontrolfeaturesthatwillletpeople controltheiriPhonesbymovingtheirheads. » Thefeature,firstreportedby9to5Mac,wasdiscoveredinthedeveloper versionofApple'slatestmobileoperatingsystem,iOS7,andisnotyetpublicly available. » Itworksbyusingthefront-facingiPhoneoriPadcameratodetecthead movements. » Whenon,thesystemautomaticallyrunsthrougheveryoptiononthedevice screenuntiltheuserselectstheoneheorshewantsbyturninghisorher headtooneside. » Theleftorrightheadmovementscanbeassignedtodifferenttasks,including returningtothemainhomescreen,displayingnotificationsoractivatingvoice assistantSiri. » Theapproachappearstime-consuming,butbeingabletonavigatethephone interfacewithheadmovementscouldpotentiallybeusefulforpeoplewith limitedmobilityorotherdisabilitiesthatmaketouchorvoiceinterfaces difficulttouse. Source: CNN, 27 June 2013
- 32. SONYXPERIACDUAL-SIM5-INCH SMARTPHONEFORR3000 » AlongwiththeXperiaZUltra,Sonyalsounveiledanewlower-cost smartphonetheyarecallingtheXperiaCwhichissettogoonsaleinSouth Africa,September2013for underR3,000. » Notonlywillthedeviceboasta1.2GHzquad-coreprocessor(albeitthe MediaTekMTK6589Cortex-A7),butalsoa5″displayrunningataresolution of540×960. » ItrunsAndroid4.1,takestwoSIMs,andhasanFMradioappwhichlikemost cellphone-basedFMradiosusestheheadsetasanantenna. » SonySA’sheadofmarketing,AndrewFraser,explainedthatthedevicewas designedwiththeexpresspurposeoftargetingemergingmarketsandso won’tseereleaseinthedevelopedworld. » AskedthroughwhichchannelsthedevicewillbeavailableinSouthAfrica, FrasersaidthatsofarCellChasexpressedinterest. » VodacomandMTNhavenotseemedkeenondual-SIMdevicesinthepast, withaVodacomspokespersongoingsofarastosaythatoneofthereasonsis thatsuchdevicesdon’treallyinspirecustomerloyalty. Source: MyBroadband, 27 June 2013
- 34. VODACOMHUNTS30,000SME CLIENTS » Vodacomistargeting30,000subscribers,or6,000newSMEcustomers throughitsnewValueAddedService(VAS)offering,OneNetExpress. » Thesolutionprovidesacustomerwithtraditionalswitchboardfunctionalityon cellphones,and3Gdeskphonesshouldthecustomerrequireageographic telephonenumber,allhostedinthecloud. » GaryHart,executiveheadofmanagednetworkservicesatVodacom Businessnotedinapresentationatthecompany’sheadquartersinMidrand thatOneNetExpress,whichprovidesbigbusinessswitchboardbenefitsto smallbusinesses,isalreadyinusebyovertwomillionVodafonesubscribers acrosstheUKandEurope. » “Togetherthesecustomershaverealisedsavingsofover£1billioninjustone year,”hesaid. » TheVASisavailableforunderR149permonthperdevice(user)andis specificallydesignedforcompaniesemployingupto100employees, Vodacomsaid. Source: BusinessTech by MyBroadband, 6 June 2013
- 35. VIRGINMOBILECEOSLATES VODACOM,MTNINREPORT » VirginMobileSouthAfricaCEO,JonathanMarchbankhasblamedVodacom andMTNandtheir‘unregulated,anticompetitivebehavior’formakingittough forsmallerplayerstoenterthemarket.Thisisaccordingtoareportinthe SundayTimes. » Accordingtothereport,VirginMobileSA,withonly500,000customers,is findingitchallengingtoentertheretailmarket. » Retailers,saidMarchbank,arereluctanttoofferVirginMobileproductsto customersbecausetheywilllose‘trailingrevenue’fromexistingpartnerships withVodacomandMTN. » AccordingtothereportMarchbanksaidthathehasgivenuptryingto competeagainstVodacomandMTN,andisrathertryingtobuildaloyalVirgin Mobilebrandfollowing. » MarchbankwasannouncedasVirginMobileSACEOinAugust2012.This followedstintsastheheadofVirginMobileMiddleEastandAfricaGroup’s activitiesinAsia,andChiefOperatingOfficerforVirginMobileUSA. Source: MyBroadband, 9 June 2013
- 36. RIGHT2KNOW’SURGENTCALLON HIGHCELLPHONECOSTS » Anestimated82.9%ofpeoplelivinginSouthAfricahaveacellphonethat canenablethemtoaccessinformation,enjoyfreedomofexpression-and organiseforsocialjusticeasactivecitizens » Yetthehighcostofairtimeanddataunderminesthedemocratising potentialofthemobilenetwork. » TheRight2Knowislaunchingacampaigntochallengetheprofiteeringof cellphonecompaniesandgovernment'sfailuretoregulatethecostof communicationeffectively. » Accordingtotheorganisation,SouthAfricahasthesixthhighestmobile costsintheworld. » OnWednesday,12June2103,theRight2KnowCampaignheldamarching inCapeTowntocallforfreebasicandaffordabletelecommunications. » The memorandumswerehandedtoVodacom,MTN,theindependent communicationsregulator(ICASA)andParliamentaryPortfolioCommittee onCommunicationtoadvanceSouthAfrica'srighttocommunicate. Source: Bizcommunity, 10 June 2013
- 37. MTNLTEFREEAFTERALL » MTNhasannouncedthatitsexistingandnewLTEcustomerswillgetaccess toitsLTEservicewithouthavingtopayanadditionalLTEVAS(value-added service)charge.MTN’sLTEserviceisavailabletoitscontractandtop-up customers. » TogainaccesstoMTN’sLTEservicenewcustomersneedtopurchasea 128KLTESIMcardandsubscribetothefreeLTEVAS.Existingcustomers withanLTEcapabledevicecanalsoaccessLTEatnocost. » MTNSAwentlivewiththecommercialavailabilityofLTEinthe Johannesburg,Pretoria,andDurbanregionsinDecember2012and coverageextendedtoothermajorcitiesinSouthAfricabytheendoftheyear. » Thecompanysaidthatithasmadesignificantinvestmentspreparingforthe LTErolloutbymodernisingover1,600basestationsitesandactivatingHSPA+ oncloseto1000sitesin2012.Mostofthesiteshavebeen10Mhzinthe 1800MHzre-farmedtosupportLTE. Source: MyBroadband, 10 June 2013
- 38. ORANGETEAMSUPWITH NASHUA » OrangehasexpandeditsreachinSouthAfricathroughadealwithNashua Mobile. » AccordingtoareportbyTechCentralaheadofapressconferenceplannedfor Thursdaymorning,Orange,throughthedealwithNashuaMobile,willbe extendingitsbrandpresenceinthecountrywithproductsaimedatSouth AfricanswhotraveltocountriessuchasFranceandBotswana. » TheOrangecountersatNashuaMobilestoreswillsellSIMpackageswhich workinFranceandBotswana,thereportsaid. » TheMobicarteHolidaypackageisaprepaidSIMthatisvalidfortwoweeks afteractivationandofferstwohoursofcalls,300SMSes,500MBofdataand unlimitedaccesstoWiFihotspotsinFrance,thereportsaid. » Additionally,pre-existingOrangecustomersfromFranceandBotswanacan useNashuaMobilestorestomanagetheiraccounts,thereportsaid. » TheNashuastoresinwhichOrangewillhaveabrandandsalespresenceare inSandton(SandtonCity),Pretoria(BrooklynMall)andCapeTown(Canal WalkandtheIconCentre),accordingtothereport. Source: BusinessTech by MyBroadband, 13 June 2013
- 39. MTNREVISESBISPLANS » MTNhasreviseditsBlackBerryInternetService(BIS)portfolioinwhatitsays isanattempttooffercustomersplansbasedontheirparticulardatausage patterns. » Thenewplans,saysMTN,willbeeffectiveasof14Julyandincludeaccessto allorsomeoftheusualBISservices,includingBlackBerryMessenger (BBM),BlackBerrye-mail,instantmessaging,internetbrowsingand BlackBerryAppWorld. » “BlackBerryMTNcustomerswillbeabletoenjoycompleteandunlimited BISforR59permonth.”Inadditiontothis,theoperatorwillintroduceBISLite forR39.95permonth,witha200MBcap. » MTN’srevisedplansofR29.95(100MBcap),R19.95(40MBcap)andR14.95 (30MBcap)permonthcorrespondtotheBISplansthecompanyintroduced lastyear (theSocialandEmailplan,the Socialplanandthe Messagingplan respectively)– apartfromthefactthatthecapshavebeenincreased. Source: ITWeb, 20 June 2013
- 40. VODACOMOUTLINESFIBRE BROADBANDPLANS » ExecutiveheadofaccesssolutionsatVodacom,JanineRebelo,hasrevealed thatthecompanyplanstorolloutfibreaccesstoselectedbusinessparksin Johannesburg,Pretoria,CapeTownandDurbaninVodacom’sfinancialyear toMarch2014. » Fromnextyear,assumingthedeploymentshavemetthecompany’s expectations,theplanistoacceleratethebuildtomorebusinessparksand alsotoincludeprivatehomesinresidentialestatesinthemix. » Consumerswillbeofferedspeedsashighas100Mbit/sandthereareplans tooffervideo-on-demandandsimilarentertainmentservicesdowntheline. » Intermsofcontentservicesoverbroadbandforresidentialusers,Vodacom intendsofferingMultiChoice’sDStvchannelsoveritsfibrenetworkforestates thataskforit,aswellasvideo-on-demandservices. » AccordingtoRebelo,Vodacomhasengagedwithseveralbusinessparksfor thefirstphaseofthecompany’sfibreaccessplans. » Vodacomhasbegunworkonaprojecttoidentifyopportunitiesforproviding fibre-basedbroadbandintheresidentialmarket.Butfornow,thecompany doesnotplantoofferfibretostandalonehomesalongresidentialstreets. Source: TechCentral, 26 June 2013
- 41. MTNEXTENDSDATAPRICE CUTS » MTNSouthAfricahasextendeditscut-pricedatatariffsforprepaidand contractcustomersuntiltheendofSeptember. » MTNhasalsointroducedafurtherpricereductiononits500MBInternet bundle,reducingitfromR119toR99. » Theprepaidofferingsareasfollows:customerswhopurchase10MBofdata forR10willreceiveanaddition10MBofdataforfree.Thosepurchasing75MB forR29—reducedfromR49previously—willreceive25MBofadditional data. » MTN’scontractcustomerswillnowpayR49/monthfor500MB.Meanwhile, 1GBmonthlybundlesnowcostR79/monthasopposedtoR99/monthwhile theoperator’s1GBTopUpplanhasbeenreducedtoR99fromR129. » ContractcustomersusingMTN’s2GB/monthplanwillpayR119insteadof R139,whilethe2GBTopUpplanhasbeencutfromR189/monthto R149/month. Source: TechCentral, 26 June 2013
- 42. SAFARICOMLAUNCHESMOBILE PAYMENTCAMPAIGNLIPANAM-PESA » Kenya’stelecommunicationcompanySafaricomhaslaunchedamobile paymentservicecampaign,LipaNaM-Pesa,aimingtoestablishitspayment servicesastheprimarytoolfortransactionsintheregion. » LipaNaM-Pesa,isaimedatSMEsandwillenableconsumerstopayfor goodsandservicesusingmobilemoney,withoutincurringtransaction charges. » Mobilemoneypresentlyaccountsforthehighlevelsoffinancialinclusions (thedeliveryoffinancialservicesataffordablecoststolowincomesegments). » Thiscontributedto57percentoftheKenyanpopulationgainingaccessto formalfinancialplatforms. » M-PESAhaslargelycontributedtothisgrowthandisthereforecriticalto Kenya’sfinancialinclusionagenda. » Theservicecanbeusedtopayforanytransactionsvaluedbetween$1and $800. » Safaricomhasregistered5000tradersfortheLipaNaM-Pesaserviceand theCEOsaysheexpectsthenumbertoriseto100,000bymid2014. Source: Ventures Africa, 26 June 2013
- 43. MTNCAMEROON:CANAL+/CANALSAT PAYMENTVIAMOBILEMONEY » MTNCameroonhasofficiallyannouncedthatitisprovidingitsclientelewitha simple,rapid,secureandanaffordablemeansofpaymentwithregardtore- subscriptionwithCANAL+/CANALSATviaMTNMobile. » CANAL+CAMEROONisthesubsidiaryofCANAL+AFRIQUE,TVoperatorby satelliteinAfricaandpresentinover30WestandCentralAfricancountries. » TheCANAL+/CANALSATBillPaymentpackageenablesMTNclients, holdersofaMobileMoneyaccounttopaytheirCANAL+/CANALSATre- subscriptionorthatofathirdpartybysimplydialing*124*2#.Itisuser- friendlyandavailable24H/24and7D/7. » InCameroon,theMTNMobileMoneyserviceisavailableforallMTNclients since2010,betheyholdersofabankaccount,ornot.The CANAL+/CANALSATre-subscriptionpackagethereforeaddstothelistof transactionsalreadybeingcarriedoutviatheMTNMobileMoneyservice. » Suchtransactionsincludeespeciallypaymentofelectricitybills,purchaseof airtime,moneytransfer,paymentofschoolfeesandpurchaseofgoodsand servicesfrompreviouslyselectedpartnersincludingsupermarketsand restaurants. Source: MobileMoneyAfrica, 27 June 2013
- 44. MTNLOSESOUTONMYANMAR BID » SouthAfrica’sMTNhascrashedoutoftheracetowinatelecommunicationslicence inAsia’sMyanmar,oneofthelastfrontiersintheworldformobileoperators. » Myanmar’sgovernmentannouncedthatNorway'sTelenorandQatar'sOoredoo havebeenawardedtelecommunicationslicencesinthatcountry. » ThetenderwillbringforeigncompaniesintoMyanmar'stelecommunicationssector forthefirsttime.Theoperatorswillrolloutnetworksinacountrythatanalystssay hasthelowestmobilephoneusageintheworld,withonly4to9%ofits60million peopleconnected. » MTNwasoneoftheshortlistedcandidatesforatelecommunicationslicenceinthat country,alongwiththelikesofSingaporeTelecommunications,KDDICorp,Digicel, Axiata,BhartiAirtel,OrangeandMillicomInternationalCellular. » Myanmar'sgovernmenthassaiditwillfinalisethe15-yearlicencesbySeptember andoperatorswillneedtolaunchserviceswithinninemonths.Theywillhaveto providevoiceservicesacrossthree-quartersofthecountrywithinfiveyearsanddata servicesacrosshalfofit. Source: ITWeb Africa, 27 June 2013
- 45. NEOTELSALERUMOURS SWIRLINGAGAIN » AlthoughTataCommunicationshastwicerubbishedtalkthatithasanyintentionof sellingitscontrollingstakeinNeotel,themarketwasagainawashwithspeculation thatsomesortofdealmaybeonthecards. » TheSundayTimesnewspaperquotedunnamedsourcesassayingthatformalbids tobuyNeotelwereduebythe endof themonth.VodacomandMTNareunderstood tohavehaddiscussionswithNeotelanditsshareholdersoverthepastfewmonths. » Itremainsunclearwhetheradeal,ifithappened,wouldinvolveasalebytheIndian- headquarteredTataCommunicationsorwhethersomesortofjointventureisonthe cardstoexploitNeotel’sradiofrequencyspectrumassets. » IfMTNandVodacomarethetwocompaniesintherunningtobuyastakeinNeotel ortoenterintosomesortofjointventurewithit,it’sclearthey’dbeinterestedintwo assets.ThefirstisNeotel’sextensiveintra-cityandmetropolitanfibre-optic infrastructure;thesecondisitsaccesstoradiofrequencyspectrumthatcanbeused tobuildnext-generationmobilebroadbandnetworks. » NeotelistheonlyoperatorinSouthAfricathathasaccesstotheso-called“digital dividend”bandaround800MHz,whichisideallysuitedtodelivering4Gservices, especiallyoutsidedenseurbanareas. » Italsohasaccesstochunksofspectrumaround1,8GHzand3,5GHz.BothVodacom andMTNhavesignificantlystrongerbalancesheetsthanNeotel,whichwouldallow themtoexploitthespectrumassetsmorefully. Source: TechCentral, 30 June 2013
- 47. TOPTWITTERUSERSIN SOUTHAFRICA » SouthAfrica’sTwitteruserwiththemostfollowersiscomedianTrevorNoah, followedcricketerABdeVilliers,andSouthAfricanYouTubecelebrityCaspar Lee. » Twitterhasbecomeoneofthebiggestsocialnetworksglobally,withover200 millionactivemonthlyusers. » Internationallywell-knownmusicsuperstarsJustinBieber,LadyGaga,and KatyPerryaretheTwitteruserswiththemostfollowersglobally. » InSouthAfrica,singersarenotdominatingtheTwitteruniverse(asinthe UnitedStates),butratherentertainers,sportsstars,andpoliticians. » The tableprovidesanoverviewoftheTwitterusersinSouthAfricawiththe mostfollowers.Pleasenotethatthesenumberswererecordedon4June 2013. Source: MyBroadband, 11 June 2013
- 48. DMMASURVEYABOUTSOUTH AFRICANS’INTERNETHABITS » AccordingtotheDMMA’ssurveyresultsmostSouthAfricaninternetusers (95%)usetheinternetforEmail,followedbywebbrowsing (84%)andsocial networking(78%) » Respondentscitedtheirhomeastheirpreferredlocationtogoonline,with themostpopularbrowserbeingInternetExplorer(63%),followedbyGoogle Chrome(40%).Intermsofuserswhoaccesses theinternetviatheirmobile phones,threeoutoffoursaidtheydosoeveryday. » Newspaperswereused62%less,followedbymagazines(59%less). TelevisionandradiowerealsoimpactedbygrowinginternetusageinSouth Africa. » Inregardstoonlineshopping,afterfiveyearsofinternetuse, respondents were50% morelikelytoshoponline.Ofthosethatdidnotshoponline, concernregardingsecuritywastheprimaryreasongiven.A totalof45% userswhoshoppedonline in2012admittedtospendingmorethanthe previousyear. Source:IMMGSM Magazine, 11 June 2013
- 49. WHATSAPPPROCESSES27BN MESSAGESIN24HOURS » WhatsApp announcedthatithadprocessed27-billionmessagesin24hours, anewrecordforthemobilemessagingservice. » It’salsosignificantlyupfromitspreviousrecordof19-billionmessages processedonthelastdayof2012. » AccordingtoWhatsApp,thenumbercomprises10-billionmessagessent and17-billionmessagesreceivedbyitsusers.Ifyou’rewonderingwhy there’ssuchalargediscrepancybetweenthetwofigures,thecompanysays thatit’slargelydowntogroupmessages.Itexplainsthat‘sendingone messageintogroupchatof10peopleis1:10inbound:outbound’. » CEOJanKoumrecentlyrevealedthattheservicenowhasover200-million activeusers.ThatmakesitbiggerthanTwitter. » It’salsostreetsaheadofBlackBerry’sBBM,whichoncedominatedthe space.TheCanadiancompany’sservicenowhas60-millionuserswhosend andreceivesome10-billionmessageseachday. Source: Memeburn, 13 June 2013
- 50. #FINALLY.FACEBOOKADDS HASHTAGSUPPORT » Thebillion-strongsocialnetworkingsitehasannounceditwillnowmake hashtagsclickable,inabidtomakeiteasiertodiscoverandjoinpublic conversationsandfindoutaboutbreakingnews. » FacebookproductmanagerGregLindleyconfirmedthelong-rumourednew featureinablogpost,sayingtheteamaimstoofferusersa‘simplewaytosee thelargerviewofwhat’shappeningorwhatpeoplearetalkingabout’. » Thefirststepinthisprocessistomakehashtagsclickable,allowing FacebookerswhoarealreadyfamiliarwiththehashtagfromTwitter(or Google+,orInstagram,orPinterest,orTumblr,orPath…)todiscoverwho elseistalkingaboutthetopicmentionedintheirlatestupdate. » Clickablehashtagsaren’tavailableforallusersworldwideasyet,butwhen therollouthitsthem,Facebooksaysuserswillbeableto:searchfora specifichashtagfromthesearchbaronFacebook,clickonhashtagsthat originateonotherservices,suchasFacebook-ownedInstagram,and composepostsdirectlyfromthehashtagfeedandsearchresults. Source: Memeburn, 13 June 2013
- 51. INSTAGRAMADDSVIDEO » Instagramlaunchedavideo-sharingtoolon 20June,inamovethatwill placetheFacebook-ownedcompanyindirectcompetitionwithVine,the Twitter-backedvideoapp. » InstagramCEOKevinSystrommadetheannouncementatFacebook's MenloParkheadquartersinCalifornia,promisingthatInstagramvideowould incorporate‘everythingweknowandloveaboutInstagram,butitmoves’. » Instagramvideosdonot‘loop’inthesamewayasVine’s,buttheInstagram formatoffersusersupto15secondsofrecordingtimeinsteadofthe sometimes-limitingsixsecondsonVine. » Instagram'spopularitywasinpartbasedonthespecialfiltersuserscould imposeovertheirpictures,andInstagramvideohassimilarcapabilities–with 13speciallycreatedfiltersavailabletoprocessvideo. » OneofthebenefitsInstagramvideowillhaveoverVineisthatitalreadyhasa dedicatedaudience.Instagramhas130mactiveusers,Systromsaidatthe unveiling,with1bnlikesaday. Source: Guardian, 21 June 2013
- 52. WHATSAPPHITS250M ACTIVEUSERS » OTTmessagingserviceWhatsApphaspassedthe250millionactiveuser mark,thecompanytoldtheWallStreetJournal. » Theuserfigureismoreimpressivegivenitslackofmarketingspendandputs themessagingappaboveTwitter’s200millionmonthlyactiveusers announcedattheendoflastyear. » ThegrowthoffreemessagingappsthatuseWi-Fiormobiledatatosend messagesisaconcernforoperatorsastheyareimpactingrevenue traditionallygeneratedbySMSmessagesandvoicecalls. » AreportfromChetanSharmaConsultingsaidthatWhatsApphas‘moved around’moremessagesthanallmobileoperatorscombinedinanycountry– includingtheUSandChina–duringthelast12months. Source: MobileWorldLive, 21 June 2013
- 53. FACEBOOKSTOPSADSONPAGES WITHSEXUAL,VIOLENTCONTENT » FacebookIncsaiditwillnolongerallowadstoappearonpageswithsexualor violentcontent,astheonlinesocialnetworkmovestoappeasemarketers beingassociatedwithobjectionablematerial. » Themovescomeamonthafterseveralbusinessespulledtheiradsfrom FacebookamidreportsofpagesonFacebookthatpromotedviolenceagainst women. » Facebooksaidatthetimethatitneededtoimproveitssystemforflaggingand removingcontentthatviolateditscommunitystandards,whichforbidusers frompostingcontentabouthate-speech,threatsandpornography,among otherthings. » Adsaccountforroughly85percentofrevenueatFacebook,theworld’s largestsocialnetworkwith1.1billionusers.Facebooksaidthechanges wouldnothaveameaningfulimpactonitsbusiness. » AFacebookpageforabusinessthatsellsadultproductswillnolonger featureads. » Pagesandgroupsthatreferenceviolencewillalsobeofflimitstoads.A Facebookspokeswomannotedthatthepolicywouldnotapplytothepagesof newsorganizationsonFacebook Source: BusinessTech, 1 July 2013
- 56. CONTACTUS Angus Robinson | Director: Mobile & Innovation [tel] +27 (11) 555-3800 [cell] +27 (83) 635 4400 [fax] 0867210884 [email] angus@native.co.za [twitter] @angusrobinson Have a look at all previous Mobile Reports and other mobile work on our site - http://www.native.co.za/home?keyword=mobile Should you have any mobile insight, strategy, campaign or solution requirements please contact us.
- 57. The end.