Waseela for Technology Consultations (Waseela), a leading systems integrator specialising in broadband wireless technologies for telecom operators, service providers and large enterprises in the Region.

Announced that it has launched an in house research and development programme for enhancing, customising and localising Wireless Real Time Location Services (WRTLS) applications and products.

The WRTLS technology enables locating humans and objects through the use of small tags on near-real-time basis and inside buildings or inside dense urban areas where GPS-based location services do not work.

The WRTLS technology relies on the standard-WiFi wireless systems and provides accuracy that reaches up to a couple of metres only.

Additionally, this technology allows for interactive communication with the tags adding more possibilities for its utilisation.

The WRTLS has important applications to increase productivity, improve efficiency, enhance security, tighten control and streamline processes in hospitals, logistics facilities, manufacturing facilities, airports, shopping malls and amusement parks.

Dr. Samer Taha, CEO and Founder of Waseela, stated at GITEX where Waseela is exhibiting this year, that “The decision to create a dedicated in-house programme for WRTLS highlights the determination of Waseela to lead the wireless system integration activities in the Middle East region.

It puts Waseela on the front-line of being one of the very few companies in the region that are capable of running R&D programs towards producing advanced wireless solutions.

We are confident of the capabilities of our engineers and confident of the joint research initiatives we will expedite with selected leading universities in the region.”

Dr. Samer also clarified that a major part of the R&D efforts will go towards building and customising software modules including Arabisation of the customer interface modules in addition to customizing special applications for different industry and market requirements.

Waseela has demonstrated basic forms of the WRTLS technology at its booth at GITEX where different types of tags in addition to different types of WiFi-enabled Smartphone where tracked in a near-real-time way with high accuracy.

It was also demonstrated how different logical rules can be created to trigger location-based decisions, like raising an alarm if a specific tag crosses a specific boundary, etc which represents a safety application where a warning message can be sent to parents if their child crosses a specific area in a mall, for example.

Many other behaviour-based and location based events and decisions were demonstrated during the Waseela demo of WRTLS technology.

Waseela WRTLS solutions and applications are ready to be delivered to customers in the Middle East region with more features and enhancements scheduled to be delivered over the coming year.

Vodafone New Zealand, the country’s biggest mobile phone operator, lifted profit 25 per cent in its latest financial year, mainly reflecting lower depreciation charges.

The Auckland based company reported net profit of $151.5 million in the 12 months ended March 31, up from $121.6 million a year earlier, according to financial statements lodged with the Companies Office.

The bulk of the improvement came from a reduction in its depreciation and amortisation bill to $245.2 million from $261.7 million.

Operating revenue rose 6.1 per cent to $1.69 billion.

The result shows Vodafone has managed to retain earnings as it sheds customers to new entrant Two Degrees Mobile. It had 2.458 million connections as at June 30, down from 2.484 million three months earlier.

Vodafone still has the largest market share, followed by Telecom with 2.097 million customers, and 2Degrees at 580,000.

Telecom reported some $420 million from mobile revenues across all of its units in the 12 months ended June 30, while 2Degrees reported sales of $107.6 million in the year ended December 31.

Vodafone said sales in 2012 will fall by $124 million and earnings will drop by $55 million on the Commerce Commission imposed cut to mobile termination rates, the amount operators charge each other to end a call on a rival network.

It also expects to spend between $50 million and $80 million of its own cash above its share of the $285 million rural broadband initiative to upgrade high speed internet services in rural areas over the coming six years. Vodafone teamed up with Telecom to build mobile cell sites and lay fibre to rural schools.

Vodafone paid a dividend of $130 million, or 84 cents per share, to its British parent, nearly triple the $47 million it paid last year. The mobile phone operator suspended dividends for the previous two years after its $631 million return in 2008.

What you see above is every telecom exec’s nightmare.  Google is stepping up the mobile phone value chain once again and making its own SIMs.

Google may be testing networks in Spain for the possible launch of its own MVNO in the country, based on some photos that have been leaked from an employee working at the company.

It appears and there is little corroborating proof that Google staff are being supplied with dedicated SIM cards that may be running on an MVNO network, or possibly just running on the main networks as normal for testing purposes.

According to one report, the staff are each getting Google branded SIM cards that work on each of the three main networks, but another source with a photo of a phone screen suggests that the networks are identifying the SIM as a dedicated network/MVNO.

A Google branded MVNO would certainly be a dramatic move for the company which has already worried some handset manufacturers with its Motorola Mobility purchase and now a possible attempt to tie handsets and networks into a single package.

Spain heard is first but more European locals will start seeing these soon.  MVNOs have gone the way of the Dodo in the US with Sprint buying Virgin and Boost and others departing the market.

Broadband and 4G networks spearhead telecommunication market developments Buddecomm’s latest USA Annual Publication, ‘2010/11 Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in the USA’, details the fixed-line, mobile and broadband markets in theUSA.

The publication also examines Internet trends and the emergence of new telecommunication services such as VoIP and IPTV. The report also profiles developments in the broader digital economy, including smart energy grids and the nascent e-health, e-government and e-education sectors.

US mobile subscriber numbers increased to over 300 million by early 2011. Although penetration levels are reaching saturation, mobile data revenues increased by around 23% year-over-year to December 2010 and are expected to continue to grow at very high rates between 2010 and 2015.

Increases in data ARPU in particular are largely offsetting the ongoing decline in ARPU for voice services. In early 2011 the US was still trailing its OECD counterparts in terms of broadband penetration, speed and affordability.

Nevertheless, the market is currently witnessing significant investment activity in FttH deployments, DOCSIS 3.0 upgrades, mobile broadband network rollout and municipal wireless broadband activity.

Despite the growing developments in FttH, WiMAX and 3G networks, broadband service in most regions is still generally limited to one DSL and one cable operator. Strong subscriber and revenue growth rates during 2010 have confirmed VoIP’s position as a widely used telecommunications service in the US.

This report contains overviews, analyses and detailed statistics of the US fixed-line, mobile and broadband markets including their sub-markets such as DSL, cable, FttH, wireless broadband, utilities broadband, the Internet, VoIP and IPTV.

The Business Channel Executive Reports interviewed Suzanne Bowen via Altitude-Media on American Airlines about the business, social and personal opportunities that Virtual Phone Lines creates. Thousands of www.didx.net members buy and sell virtual phone numbers from 55 countries since 1999! Listen to find out more. It will broadcast May and June 2011 on American Airlines and at http://www.altitude-media.com/current_shows.

More information soon about our video podcast with CNN Airport Network to be aired later in 2011.

Transcript:
Q1 from CNN Radio: We’ve all experienced difficulty conducting business while traveling or in remote locations. Connecting with clients and associates on the go can be a challenge. There is a new product that enables you to have offices in every major city you need one. It’s called Virtual Phone Line. Flying with us today is Suzanne Bowen. Suzanne, would you explain how this is configured and how it works?

Suzanne’s Answer: There are a variety of ways to configure and very simple to do. To start, pick one or more cities in the world where there are people who are currently or potentially important to you.

For me, it might be Tokyo for friends, Mexico City for business and Bangalore or Karachi for the plethora of technology development talent. Share those local numbers (virtual phone lines) with people who are in those cities? How do I let them know my phone numbers that are local to them? I post them on my website, blog, email signatures, advertisements, business cards and social networking pages.

I can login any time to my VPL account and set them to forward to wherever I want to be reached at any given point in time such as Google Talk, Skype, a SIP address, a landline or a cell phone.

Q2 How does a Virtual Phone Line change things for people and organizations, especially in the areas of business? And who is your competition?

Suzanne’s Answer: The key advantage is to offer opportunities for businesses to have a market as large as the globe itself with just a small investment in a few Virtual Phone Lines. In today’s world, business is mobile. Fewer clients have to actually open the physical front door of an office or business. To enable your potential and current clients to call a phone number belonging to you that is local to them is an excellent tool.

Competition? Just google Virtual Phone Line and you may see a list of great companies providing such a service. Some of the ways that our service is different includes the option to connect the line with one’s Facebook business page and even start an audio blog with them.

Q3 How can people and businesses get their own Virtual Phone Line or Lines now?

Suzanne’s answer: Visit www.virtualphoneline.com. Sign up. Choose one or more cities important to the business. Choose where you want the numbers to ring to for your business. Let all the VIP (very important people) in business, friendship, etc. have the Virtual Phone Line number that is local to them. Now, they will start calling you which is what you need!

First, keep in mind, everyone has a need to communicate, and not everyone who is in prison is really guilty of a crime. They were simply “Found Guilty.” One of the major inmate phone services providers is * Public Communications Services or PCS who was purchased in November 10, 2010 by Global Tel*Link (with a B+ Better Business Bureau rating).

They have been offering the service of communication for inmates in jails, for about twenty years. Inmates can stay in touch with family and friends through some pretty reasonable call options which comply with the regulations of prison authorities.

Public communications services have automated online services which serve the families and friends of the inmates. Through them, the family is able to accept calls from inmates who are incarcerated in prisons that are served by them. They have new and very easy-to-use calling options such as debit calls, collect calls, prepaid calls for inmates to choose from.

Public Communication Services offer the collect call option whereby the inmate can create a debit phone account from the jail commissary and in this case the amount is paid by him in advance through a debit card. The set up is done free of cost and the inmate is allowed to call any number such as cell phone, hospitals, business or commercial numbers and even international numbers. It is a very safe option to either collect or prepaid calls.

One can use a prepaid option where the family can pre-pay for incoming inmate calls from any facility that is participating in Public Communications services plans. Sign up for this even in case there is a collect call restriction made by your local phone provider or if you have exceeded the collect call limit. In some cases, the local telephone company does not have a billing contract with the facility, so this option can be of benefit. Within fifteen minutes of depositing your money into the PCS prepaid Daily Dial, start being able to receive calls from the inmate.

Public Communications Services also provide collect call services whereby the inmate can place collect calls to any number that has prior approval of the facility. The bill goes to the called party every month through their phone carrier company. But these calls cannot be placed to cell phone numbers, hospitals, businesses phone numbers and any other commercial numbers.

Services that are available include Public Communication Services who are Better Business Bureau accredited and for example,  inmate-telephone-service.com and know more info about public communications services and inmate phone service providers.

Many companies who provide telecommunications especially for prisoners and their families use DIDX.net wholesale telephone company phone number marketplace. If you or someone you know needs these type of services, ask the phone service provider if they are a member of DIDX. If yes, the phone service providers users such as prisoners and their families can leverage DID (direct inward dialing) through them. Read PCS’s article about cell phone jamming versus detection to comply with prison authority regulations.

Enjoy asking and answering discussion questions on TelecomYou, and enter the Raffle to win $200 USD. It is amazing … the accidental but awesome business development that will result, in the meantime.

Discussions section link: http://telecomyou.com/forum/

Other than the raffle, the most active Discussions member will get the “Most Active Forum Member” award for the month of April, 2011. The Award badge will appear at the member’s public profile page.

The more questions you enjoy asking or answering; the higher your chance to win the prize.

Some things that people are talking about now:

Which tablet do you recommend?

What is your average work day like?

What should every newcomer know about the telecom industry?

Has anyone tried iPad 2?

Where exactly is Telecom Business is going?

Feel free to start a new question; this will help others to learn, teach, and collaborate. Tell them Techistan sent you! Visit http://www.telecomyou.com/forum now. Sign up if not already and enjoy!

Plus, looking for a job in Telecom. Watch and listen to Sheraz show and explain how on Telecomyou.com.

Ever been to a MobileMonday meetup? It is a memorable experience! Listen to our VP’s interview with the CEO of MobileMonday and check it out! Etisalat has started up UAE MobileMonday.

Abu Dhabi 17th January 2011 – Etisalat has today signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MobileMonday (MoMo), to initiate a mutually beneficial strategic partnership. MobileMonday is a global mobile entrepreneur community originating from Finland.

Essa Al Haddad, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Etisalat said: “We are delighted to enter into this strategic agreement with MobileMonday, which is important not only for our 18 operations and our 110 million customers across our footprint, but also for the regional telecom industry as a whole. Etisalat and the UAE have developed a reputation for innovation and for taking new ideas and making them successful. With the shared resources and knowledge of MobileMonday, this partnership will see this reputation even further enhanced.”

The MoU was signed by Mr. Ahmed bin Ali, Group Senior Vice President Corporate Communications at Etisalat and Mr. Jari Tammisto, CEO of MobileMonday in the presence of H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, H.E. Dr Paavo Väyrynen, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development and H.E. Matti Lasila, the Finnish Ambassador to the UAE amongst other excellencies, dignitaries and business leaders from the UAE and Finland. This took place during a conference organized by Finpro and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, in Abu Dhabi.

Mr. Ahmed bin Ali, Group Senior Vice President Corporate Communications at Etisalat said: “This is another demonstration of Etisalat’s commitment to provide the latest technologies to our customers and to help develop ICT across the entire region. Etisalat’s mission is to extend the reach of our customers and through partnerships such as this, we are making great strides in achieving our goals.”

MobileMonday was started as an informal network of mobile entrepreneurs in Finland ten years ago. Since then it has grown outstandingly into a global phenomenon opertating in over 110 chapters in more than sixty countries bringing together the local and global influencers of the mobile industry in virtual and live networking events to share ideas, best practices and trends from global markets.

The dynamic community is now looking for new ways to serve both its members and the mobile industry by providing commercial services through partnerships, and the projected partnership with Etisalat is an important milestone in its success story.

MobileMonday’s CEO Mr. Jari Tammisto said: “I am thrilled to begin this strategic partnership which will funnel the know-how and connections of MobileMonday members from over 60 countries to Etisalat’s use while bringing whole new learning and growth possibilities to Mobile Monday.”

Further details about the partnership will be announced at a joint event organized together by Etisalat and MobileMonday at the *Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

About Etisalat
An uncompromising commitment to excellence and innovation has seen Etisalat become one of the world’s fastest-growing telecom groups, rapidly expanding across Asia and Africa.

Its UAE operations, strategically located at the crossroads of East and West enables Etisalat to be the major hub in the Middle East for Internet, voice, broadcast, roaming and corporate data services. Its stellar performance has won Etisalat recognition as ‘Best Operator’ ten times since 2006 and ‘Best Wholesale Provider’ four times in the last three years. Servicing over 110 million customers in 18 countries Etisalat continues to reach out to new customers and markets. For more information please visit www.etisalat.ae.

About Mobile Monday
MobileMonday (MoMo) is an open community platform of mobile industry visionaries, developers and influential individuals fostering brand neutral cooperation and cross-border P2P business opportunities through live networking events to demo products, share ideas and discuss trends from both local and global markets. For more information, visit http://www.mobilemonday.net/.

For more information about Etisalat, please contact:
Nahid Mudathir Hassan El Sayed,
Group Senior Manager Media Relations,
Etisalat
Tel: +97126182187
nahelsayed (at) etisalat.ae

For more information about Mobile Monday, please contact:
Jari Tammisto, CEO,
MobileMonday Global
Tel: +358 400 333 366 or +971 56 7399 478
jari.tammisto (at) mobilemonday.net

* Participate in other MobileMonday startups, conferences and expos recommended by Techistan and http://www.didx.net/events.

How to Look through Job Offers on TelecomYou.com by Sheikh Sharaz

Trying Search on TelecomYou by Suzanne Bowen (not a video)

How to Participate in TelecomYou Discussions by Suzanne Bowen

How to Add a Photo to TelecomYou.com by Alishba Joseph

How to Update Status to TelecomYou.com by Alishba Joseph

How to Send a Message to Another TelecomYou Friend by Alishba Joseph

How to Add Friends from your Networking Sites on TelecomYou by Alishba Joseph

How to Change Your Password on TelecomYou.com by Suzanne Bowen

How to Add Friends to TelecomYou.com by Alishba Joseph

How to Add Events to TelecomYou.com by Alishba Joseph

How to Upload a Video to TelecomYou.com by Alishba Joseph

How to add a Site to TelecomYou.com by Alishba Joseph

So, it’s true that no one gives a hoot (replace with any word that fits better) about you or us, your or our company, your or our country, your or our life when you or we are just one 24/7 commercial. It’s all NOISE! But, they are interested in what your customers and the industry in general think of you. Techistan reporters queried thousands of ITCN Asia 2010 participants such as Atiq Rehman, Executive Director at Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan and more. Visit http://www.itcnasia.com to register for the 2011 annual event of movers and shakers, ideas, innovations, services, and products in Internet protocol-based technologies and communications in Karachi, Pakistan.