Time for Carriers to step up | Here comes fast apps | RealtyGo_blog

Fast App

Understanding the interplay between the wireline and wireless worlds is important as value shifts occur. You can’t have a blockbuster iPad2 launch without Wi-Fi. And 55% to 60% of the embedded home Wi-Fi base is coming through cable modems. Apple Inc.’s success eventually results in Comcast Corp.’s, Time Warner Cable Inc.’s, Verizon Communications Inc.’s FioS and even AT&T Inc.’s U-Verse’s success.

With the next generation of tablet and phone devices (Apple’s iPad2 and the HTC Corp. Thunderbolt, for example) comes the front facing camera. We wrote about this with the column “The iPhone without a contract” last Labor Day. Sprint Nextel Corp.’s HTC Evo 4G launched last year with a front-facing camera using the WiMAX network and QiK (now owned by Skype) as the pre-installed app. New hardware begets new software. And this new software is high BPS (bandwidth per second). The higher the BPS, the faster the app.

The next $100 billion of value in the telecommunications industry (inclusive of software) is going to be created by the fast app ecosystem. Combine secure cloud computing with gigabit Ethernet backhaul and dual-core processors and you have the makings of an entirely new industry. It’s not that Groupon brought millions of us daily deals – it’s that they now bring them to us in 1080p (or whatever form factor your device can support). I can now see next year’s holiday blockbuster toys in action at Amazon.com (or through their app), not still photos. And video communication, including a revamped Pandora + YouTube, is now connected to my television. Why do I have a V-Tech cordless phone (and a $40 per month bill)? Why do I have a premium digital video tier?

It’s an exciting world to dream about, and developments are coming very quickly, thanks to companies like Apple and Google Inc. The highest returns can only occur, however, when you expand the market from portable (Wi-Fi) to mobile devices. In car. On train. On bus. If you are moving, you need mobility, not portability. And mobility requires bandwidth that moves with you.

This is where the wireless carriers come in. They hold the keys to mobile fast apps. As much as the developer community wants to circumvent or ignore relationships with the wireless carriers, they cannot achieve a high common denominator (“fastest app”) without the ability to achieve consistent bandwidth speeds and consistently low latency. Said another way, those applications developers that invest in the network interfaces and carrier relationships will create differentiation (and value) faster than those who dumb performance down to the lowest levels. When technology moves quickly, value is created from those companies who can expand with the market, who can achieve the highest and best result instead of the lowest and least. The bandwidth disparity created by 2G/3G/4G and Wi-Fi networks operating simultaneously is too great.

The only way Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA Inc. (combined or separate) can grow 10 to 20 million net adds in the next three years is to partner with the fast applications developers. Multi-player Angry Birds in 3D with optional voice chat does not happen without network integration – the connections are real-time, not “push” and servers need to be very close to the network. Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA may need more growth than 10 to 20 million net adds over the next 3 years to remain relevant. Dropped calls be damned – what about dropped apps?

So we have a willing development community, at least two willing carriers (on top of Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility who will definitely not take this lying down), and capital waiting to earn disproportionate returns. Where do we get started? Three ideas:

1. Multi-player Angry Birds in 3D with optional voice chat takes applications to a new level. Maybe an “all green” AB on March 17?

2. Facebook (or their replacement) could reinvent video communications singlehandedly (and take advertising to a new level).

3. Cloud-based communications directories with caller identificaton (app free version includes a mini-advertisement delivered on every incoming call).

One of the biggest reasons for any directory is discovery. In the old days of White Pages, we discovered a street address and a phone number associated with a name. With the advent of fast apps, I may want to know if you have FaceTime and if you are available for a quick chat, even if you are not in my contact list. Where’s the FaceTime (or Skype or Fring or ooVoo or YouTube or Facebook) listing on my BlackBerry? It doesn’t exist. Then how do I discover that you have FaceTime (meaning an Apple device that has a front facing camera on a participating carrier that has optimized FaceTime for their 4G network)? We need a better discovery engine to make FaceTime or their competitor a more relevant communications application.

The directory needs to protect privacy. I need to be able to turn off applications from being used by some and make an entirely different set of applications available to others. The directory needs to be connected to individuals, not Exchange (which, as explained in the last paragraph, doesn’t have room for these listings anyway). Privacy is easiest with an independent source – friendly to but free from wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, and operating systems.

Finally, the directory needs to be free. Listed or unlisted, private, user-controlled and free. This is not to say that there aren’t charges for “end caps” (featured fast apps), or that larger corporate or association directories don’t pay some fees, or that we show a mini-message on every incoming call in exchange for a free app, but this is not the calling name data storage margins of the past. And, if it can bring in 10 to 20 million customers for Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA (together or separate), it’s worth the carrier effort.

Fast apps are the next $100 billion opportunity in the communications industry. A well executed fast apps strategy by T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel (combined or separate) can break the current duopoly (or Verizon Wireless can execute it on its own with LTE and cripple their competition). To make fast apps a reality, the discovery process needs to be radically simpler, privacy needs to be protected, and it needs to be free to the end user. We need an independent directory.

Here come the fast apps. Are you ready?

Jim Patterson is CEO and co-founder of Mobile Symmetry, a start-up created for carriers to solve the problems of an increasingly mobile-only society. Patterson was most recently President – Wholesale Services for Sprint and has a career that spans over eighteen years in telecom and technology. Patterson welcomes your commentsatjim@mobilesymmetry.com.

The faster the network, the better your MobileURL’s operate | Sprint could deploy LTE nationwide by year-end 2013 | RealtyGo_blog

Let get faster!

Should Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) decide to deploy LTE as part of its Network Vision network modernization project, the company could have a live LTE network this year, with nationwide LTE coverage by year-end 2013, a senior Sprint executive said.

Speaking at a Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference Wednesday, Steve Elfman, Sprint’s president of network operations and wholesale, said that the company will not make a decision regarding LTE deployment until mid-year. He added that if Sprint does decide to deploy LTE it could turn it on quickly and have LTE devices by 2012. Elfman added that the reason the company will not make a decision until mid-year is because Sprint wants to establish and announce a strategy that is still being determined by the company and its partner Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR), which runs a mobile WiMAX network.

Elfman also discussed Network Vision, the $4 billion to $5 billion network modernization project that Sprint is undertaking over the next three to five years. Sprint currently runs an EV-DO network in the 1900 MHz PCS band, has a wholesale deal with Clearwire  to use WiMAX in the 2.5 GHz band and owns an iDEN network in the 800 MHz band. Sprint has said it will begin phasing out the iDEN network in 2013.

Elfman reiterated that the company plans to enhance its CDMA coverage in the 800 MHz to improve in-building coverage. In addition, he said that Sprint will deploy a CDMA-based push to talk solution from Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) and will have new PTT devices by the third quarter of this year that will use the enhanced PTT solution.

Regarding Sprint’s relationship with Clearwire, Elfman said that Clearwire has been a good partner to Sprint and that the company is “in the middle of some positive negotiations with them.” The two companies have been locked in a dispute over wholesale revenue sharing, and Clearwire has said that resolving the dispute is key to moving forward on securing new funding. Clearwire expects to announce a decision on new funding sometime in the second quarter.

via Sprint could deploy LTE nationwide by year-end 2013 – FierceWireless | RealtyGo_blog

True Mobile Digital TV (MDTV) means watching live Digital TV (DTV) on mobile devices_RealtyGo_blog

What mobile DTV (MDTV) is?

Which networks can deliver true DTV experience to mobile devices?

True Mobile Digital TV (MDTV) means watching live Digital TV (DTV) on mobile devices,

with a user experience similar to the one the consumers are used to on their home TV. This

means having a big variety of shows to watch, with high quality high frame rate video and

quick response time for channel switching. While there are elements in the market that try to

confuse true MDTV with other forms of TV/media distribution that offer poor quality video

and a poor offering of channels, true MDTV is distributed through a dedicated broadcast

MDTV network.

Soon real estate professionals will be able to stream their live events and seminars through MDTV channel outlets, keeping consumers up to date on current events within their general areas. Imagine getting updates from destination places around the world, Vacation rentals for lease and a tour performed by the actual owner or representative. Choosing you vacation destination in the near future may become more real than ever before. Rest assure, RealtyGo will be looking into this futuristic type channeling to deliver real estate listings and information as efficiently as possible for everyone using Mobile devices.  Keep a look out for MDTV and a new technology boom; does Youtube ring a bell… .

The most common alternatives of DTV distribution to mobile devices are to get the DTV

content through the WiFi network or through the cellular network.

This article explains the different available methods, why the true MDTV experience can be

achieved only by a dedicated broadcast MDTV network and how the MDTV offering can be

broadened by wise usage of all the methods for distribution of DTV, which can provide the

best value and best user experience to the consumer.

1 Methods for Mobile DTV distribution

1.1 Distribution of Mobile DTV through the cellular network

The cellular network is conceptually a unicast network, meaning that the content is

transmitted to each receiver individually, even if several receivers are consuming the same

content simultaneously. Thus with the current deployed and used technologies, distribution

of mobile DTV content through the cellular network is no different than the distribution of any

other data through the cellular network.

There are some technologies for broadcasting content over cellular networks, including

Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), Integrated Mobile Broadcast (IMB), and

Evolved MBMS (e-MBMS) for LTE networks. These technologies are currently either not

mature yet or not widely used (i.e. deployed). Nevertheless, though currently cellular

networks use unicast transmission for distributing DTV content, this article refers also to

optional future usage of these broadcast technologies.

The main concern that is related to mobile DTV distribution is its relatively high bandwidth

requirement. Watching live DTV content at good quality on mobile devices requires

continuous reception of streaming audio/video (A/V) content at a rate of about 500Kbps.

This reception rate enables the display of good quality video at QVGA resolution and at a

frame rate of 30 frames-per-second (FPS).

In developed countries, current cellular networks are already congested with the increase of

video consumption (YouTube, etc.), live gaming, web surfing and other data-consuming

applications over mobile devices. These networks do not have the bandwidth to provide live

DTV services with a similar user experience to stationary DTV in terms of video quality and

content variety. Recent testimonials to this problem were made public by AT&T, which is

now setting a cap for its subscribers’ data usage, since they need to “ease the congestion”

(http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/theres-a-cap-for-that-att-will-limit-data-

consumption-for-new-smart-phone-users /).

For Full article and White Paper about (MDTV) follow this link

Technology at its best;

RealtyGo – Your Real Estate Listings Best Friend!

| 02.17.11 | Google: Personalization will revolutionize commerce – RealtyGo_blog

Google Mobile BARCELONA, Spain–Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt capped off the second day of the Mobile World Congress trade show here with a far-ranging and forward-thinking keynote address forecasting a future where increasingly personalized and relevant mobile services transform most every facet of users’ lives. “Smartphones are taking over–smartphone sales surpassed PC sales on a quarterly basis just last week,” Schmidt told a capacity crowd. “The smartphone is the destination for the next generation of games, apps and social connectivity.” Looking beyond the current mobile marketplace, Schmidt outlined what he called “a serendipity platform–your phone helping you learn new things and meet new people you wouldn’t otherwise meet. Why does my phone not talk to my friend’s phone? Why doesn’t it monitor people who are ill?” Adding he believes very strongly in “the optimism of what we can do with computers and technology,” Schmidt said the accelerated evolution of the Web, mobile and cloud services will ultimately shoulder even greater burdens plaguing everyday life, giving consumers the time and flexibility to spend more time with the people they care about, doing the things they enjoy and making the world a better place. “Computers are here to make us happier,” he asserted. Schmidt also stressed the increasing role of permission-based personalization solutions, anticipating a future where technology solves human failings spanning from fuzzy memories to boredom. Shifting his focus to more contemporary mobile industry opportunities, Schmidt said he anticipates substantial breakthroughs in the mobile advertising segment. “Think about the creativity of the commercials you see on TV, and apply that on mobile in a personal way–that’s the next great frontier,” he said. “The display business is fundamentally about telling stories–that produces a better, more relevant ad and a more satisfied consumer. A billion dollar business right in front of us.” In addition, Schmidt called mobile payment services and Near Field Communications transaction technologies a “mega-scale opportunity,” outlining a scenario where he’s walking down the street in a commercial area. “My phone remembers I need new pants, and it knows ahead of me are two stores–one offering the product at a 20 percent discount, the other offering a 30 percent discount. I enter the store with the bigger discount, the pants are ready, and out I go. You don’t think this is going to work? It should revolutionize electronic commerce and payments. We’re seeing that models around consumerism are working when they’re tied to location and advertising.” Despite the mobile industry’s myriad innovations, Schmidt cited its capacity to revolutionize life in developing nations as his greatest source of pride. “The future is for the masses, not the elite,” Schmidt stated. “Two billion people we’ve never heard from will enter our conversation in the next three to four years. Because of mobile, it’s possible, and it will change their lives more than it changed any of ours. That’s what I’m proudest of.”

| 02.17.11 | Google: Personalization will revolutionize commerce – RealtyGo_blog

Text Message marketing Vs Email Marketing | RealtyGo | MobileURL’s | QR Codes | GPS | zuzu

Text Message marketing Vs Email Marketing | RealtyGo | zuzurealestate | MobileURL’s | QR Codes | GPS

iPad - RealtyGo - Mobile Real Estate listings

 

RealtyGo offers end users 4 modalities for current and immediate real estate listing information; QR Code, GPS, Call, SMS/MMS mobile gateway technology.

Mobile Real Estate Listings

The Mobile URL in the image  is the word “DEMO”

In many ways text message marketing and email marketing are very similar. With multiple forms of marketing available you should offer them all and let the consumer decide which avenue they are comfortable using. Overall you are asking your customers to give you their contact information so you may update and market to them directly.

Building an email phone and text message marketing list of your best customers is a way not to waste money on advertising by casting a wide net and hoping your customers see it. RealtyGo analytics enable you to form a current and relevant  list, you can use efficiently to market to those customers who want to receive offers from you, have already spent money with you or requested information and in most cases are most likely to respond positively to your offers.

There are quite a few vast differences that effect the redemption rates, ability to bring instant sales, and ‘read’ rates in any type of consumer ‘opt in’ marketing.

Fewer than 20% of email messages are opened. Within 15 minutes of sending a text blast, over 95% of your subscribers will have read the message. Think to yourself, every time your mobile phone beeps, how long does it take you to read the text message?

With RealtyGo’s automated software, any time you make a change to your listing(s) a auto message is sent to ‘end users’ that have requested information about your listing(s), for example; if you change the price of a listing or the seller decides to offer their listing for lease and for sale. These are important things a potential buyer or interested party need to know. RealtyGo automatically updates previous consumers that solicited  listing information, any time you make a change, by sending a friendly text message alert.

Customers contact information is automatically captured and displayed in your login area under the specific MobileURL and real estate listing the QR Code and SMS text messages are affiliated with. The mobile call to action is easily integrated into print, radio, television, in store signage and online applications such as Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Google Local Search. They simply text your MobileURL or Scan the QR Code and all your professional business real estate information is provided. With email signups customers have to be on your website and enter their email address or fill out a form in your business.  With consumer trends rapidly moving toward the mobile communication channel for faster and more efficient communication using text messaging and QR codes; You need to give the consumer what they want when they want it and with the tool they use most frequently and feel most comfortable with, Their mobile device(s). By offering multiple contact modalities like Text messaging, GPS and QR Codes you enable consumers an easier and faster way to get the immediate information they want, most importantly the way the consumer wants to get it. More options or ways a consumer can contact you  enables you to build your marketing list much faster, and consumers will continue to utilize your services, due to the fact they know they will receive current and relevant information pertaining to their original interests in your real estate business.

Text Message Marketing Vs Email Marketing.

With text message marketing, you have the ability to increase sales the same day your message is sent. Often new sales can be in your door in under an hour or even market to customers already in your business. New text messages are read in an average of 14 minutes while the average time for someone to read an email is 6.4 hours. In addition, unless your customers have web-enabled phones, which only 14% do, they will have to wait until they are in front of a computer to read it, then print out the offer to bring it in to redeem it. With text marketing, the customer just has to show the text to the business to redeem. These same principals apply with information. Consumers can access immediate information about your real estate listing(s) and Auto Schedule an appointment to meet with the listing Agent or owner based on the listers pre set schedule. The Auto Scheduler allows Agents/Brokers to use their time more efficiently, social networking, continuing education, create new marketing campaigns and meeting with potential buyer.

Typically the benefit of email vs text messaging is cost. There are email marketing providers for small businesses that charge $20 a month. This is for unlimited email blasts. The redemption rates are often low, only averaging 5%, and only offering one modality for consumer contact.

RealtyGo offers all 4 current modalities for contact and much more, for half that price and at a 90% better ROI return-on-investment.

Get more, do less – RealtyGo

via zuzurealestate | Just another WordPress.com site. RealtyGo blog

Cisco Blog » Blog Archive » Offline Marketing Becomes Online Marketing with QR Codes

Originally designed for tracking automotive parts for vehicle manufacturing, QR codes may very well be the next wave in B2B marketing. Funny how technology can sometimes transcend its original purpose…

Although, we, here in the US, may be a bit slower to adopt QR codes,than the rest of the world, it seems QR codes are poised to make it to the mainstream in the near future. Then, it’s only a matter a time before they become a staple in every B2B marketers arsenal.  Here’s a few points to back that up:

According to the International Telecommunications Union, there are 2.5 times more mobile phone users than people connected to the Internet.

Smartphone manufacturers are pre-installing QR code readers on their phones. This already includes Android, Nokia and some Blackberry phones.

QR codes are already making creative appearances in music videos – see Kylie Minogue’s “All the Lover’s” video, NHL marketing – see the Detroit Red Wings’ interactive game program, and most notably the giant QR codes in Times Square earlier this year promoting Internet Week 2010.

So, how do we capture the power of the QR code for B2B? Here are a few thoughts on how QR codes can bridge the gap between your offline and online marketing:

Instant Access Direct Mail- Include a QR code on your direct mail piece and the recipient can instantly scan it. No more waiting to get online or to make a phone call, providing a more immediate way for a recipient to engage with your marketing message.

Direct Mail Personalization- QR codes can be personalized for each individual recipient, providing them with a unique experience, more relevant information, and, incidentally, providing you, the marketer, with increased trackability of results.

Tradeshow Signage- Add QR codes to your tradeshow signage that when scanned provide a customized offer, your company information, access to your Facebook page, a custom landing page etc. Whatever makes sense for your business or campaign effort.

I think you get the idea… QR codes are a way for us to “hyperlink” our offline and online marketing efforts in the B2B universe.

What do you think? Will you be utlizing QR codes in your marketing efforts in the next 6 to 12 months? We would love to hear form you.

Special Thanks to Ruth for the article.

via Cisco Blog » Blog Archive » Offline Marketing Becomes Online Marketing with QR Codes | RealtyGo_blog

Google’s AdMob network tops 2 billion requests a day – RealtyGo.co

Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) AdMob mobile advertising network now receives over 2 billion ad requests each day, more than quadrupling requests over the last year. According to Google, the AdMob network now fields more requests in each 24-hour period than it did in the entire month of December 2007; more than 100 million unique Android and iOS devices request ads each month, nearly doubling over the last six months. Asia leads all international markets in terms of regional growth, with monthly ad requests increasing 564 percent over the past year–Western Europe is next at 471 percent, followed by Oceania (363 percent) and North America (266 percent).

Admob...RealtyGo

Google acquired AdMob for $750 million in 2009, finalizing the deal last May. According to research firm IDC, Google controlled 59 percent of the U.S. mobile advertising market (including search and display ads) at the end of 2010; prior to the AdMob deal, Google represented 48.6 percent. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), which in January 2010 acquired mobile ad network Quattro Wireless for $275 million and introduced its iAd platform in July, finished 2010 controlling 8.4 percent of the market, IDC adds.

via Google’s AdMob network tops 2 billion requests a day – RealtyGo

Skype acquires mobile video sharing startup Qik – VOIP – RealtyGo.co

Skype/Mobile_Real_Estate_Listings

Internet telephony services provider Skype entered a definitive agreement to acquire mobile video software and services provider Qik. The transaction is expected to close later this month; financial terms were not disclosed, but multiple insider sources peg the purchase price at $100 million.

Qik’s platform enables consumers to capture and share video across mobile devices, the web and the desktop–content can be shared in real time or archived. The Qik solution extends across more than 200 mobile phones spanning the iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems; in addition, Qik comes preloaded on a series of devices via partnerships with multiple manufacturers and mobile operators.

According to Skype, the acquisition bolsters its existing video calling services by adding recording, sharing and storage capabilities to its product portfolio. In addition, Skype can leverage Qik’s Smart Streaming technology, which optimizes video transmission over wireless networks. Approximately 40 percent of Skype-to-Skype calls take place over video.

via Skype acquires mobile video sharing startup Qik – RealtyGo.co

T-Mobile dropping HotSpot@Home VOIP service | RealtyGo

T-Mobile USA is discontinuing its HotSpot@Home phone program. No more free, unlimited VOIP calls via Wi-Fi at home anymore, at least not through T-Mobile. Skype, anyone?

The program has been in place for two years, but apparently never hit it big. Current HotSpot@Home members can continue to use their subscriptions until they run out, and T-Mobile will continue to support phone calls via Wi-Fi in public hotspots.

Other than that, it doesn’t look like T-Mobile will be releasing a replacement to this service anytime soon.

Subscriptions were between $10 to $15 per month for unlimited calling for phones plugged into a broadband-connected adapter. But when Skype has monthly subscriptions starting at $2.95 that you can use from the ease of any compatible computer or smartphone, the HotSpot@Home program just doesn’t seem worth it.

Any T-Mobile users out there distraught over this?

RealtyGo currently is designing new Social VOIP Software for future Smartphone operating systems.

via T-Mobile dropping HotSpot@Home VOIP service | RealtyGo