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NEWS:
Strong demand
for premium
mobile video
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THE
latest quarterly mobile video market survey by QuickPlay
Media has revealed a rise in the number of downloads
per individual user as well as a significant increase
in average duration of stream views. The provider of
mobile video business management solutions, revealed
that between 1 April and 30 June 2009 showed an increase
in total video downloads and average downloads per user
over the previous quarter. The company claims that the
increase in total downloads was driven in part by the
release of PrimeTime2Go, a premium mobile TV service
featuring full episodes of TV shows from leading networks
such as ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN and MTVN. The results also
revealed that consumers of streaming video are watching
content in longer sessions. Even though the total number
of TV and video streams and the average streams per
user were down slightly, the survey recorded a jump
in the length of time spent viewing each individual
stream. Specifically, the total number of video downloads
showed a significant increase of 28.4% from Q1 2009
to Q2 2009 and average downloads per user rose from
6.3 in Q1 2009 to 7.9 in Q2 2009. The total number of
TV and video streams decreased by 5.1% from Q1 2009
to Q2 2009 and the average streams per user decreased
from 15.7 in Q1 2009 to 14.2 in Q2 2009. Total streaming
average event duration rose significantly from two minutes
and 29 seconds in Q1 2009 to just under three minutes
(two minutes and 59 seconds) in Q2 2009. According to
the survey, the most popular video download genres were
music followed by movie previews and sports. For live
TV streams, the top preferences were news, kids' entertainment
and sports, while video stream favourites included user-generated
content, sports and news.
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WHAT'S
NEXT FOR MOBILE TV? |
| By
Neville Meijers, Senior Vice President and
General Manager, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies. |
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 The
global market for mobile TV is poised to reach
well over USD $11 billion in 2010 according to
Juniper Research, taking into account both pay
and free-to-air (FTA) business models. These models
are not mutually exclusive, however. Some mobile
TV service providers are testing a unified approach,
combining both pay and free-to-air business models.
Moreover, a unified approach to mobile TV should
extend beyond business models to the underlying
technology platforms, content types and devices
deployed, to provide consumers with a robust,
best-in-class mobile entertainment experience.
Streaming 3G, Wi-Fi and mobile broadcast technologies
each serve different consumer needs when it comes
to mobile media services. 3G networks are well-suited
to deliver long-tail content such as niche programming
and on-demand services. Side-loading content over
Wi-Fi or wired broadband is useful for times when
3G is not available or content is not time-sensitive.
Mobile broadcast technologies provide the best
platform for must-see, high-quality programming
such as live events and breaking news when millions
of consumers typically watch the same program
simultaneously. Combined, these three mobile content
delivery mechanisms provide true time- and place-shifting,
allowing consumers the freedom and control to
watch what they want, where and when they want.
All
'shapes & sizes'
Mobile content comes in all ‘shapes and sizes.’
A successful mobile TV service should deliver
the broadest range of content types in various
formats in an easy to use, intuitive interface.
This could include both live and time-shifted
programming, mobisodes as well as full-length
programs and movies; on-demand services and user-generated
content; clipcasting and IP datacasting services;
interactive applications and more. The market
for mobile media is continually evolving as is
consumer viewing behavior so we may see additional
content types in the future. How consumers access
their favorite mobile media is as varied as ever
with the rise of multi-functional, multimedia
devices. Consumers have a wealth of devices from
which to choose, from the proven – mobile
phones, laptops and personal media players, to
the emerging – smartbooks, portable gaming
consoles and in-vehicle mobile TV devices such.
The ideal mobile TV offering would leverage flexible
business models as well as multiple technologies,
content types and devices to drive both mass-market
consumer adoption and sustainable revenues. This
would empower mobile TV service providers to differentiate
their services and compete more effectively to
win and retain customers. Consumers win through
wider access to mobile media and greater flexibility
in how they choose to consume it.
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SOARING
SMARTPHONE SALES
DRIVE BOOM IN MOBILE APPS
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 A
STRONG rise in smartphone sales will bring about
dramatic growth in mobile application according
to a report by Wireless Expertise, a wireless market
research and consulting firm. The analyst expects
smartphone growth to have a positive impact on the
number of application downloads in the short- to
mid-term with strong revenues derived from low-end
mass market smartphones and mid-to high-end feature-phones
in the mid- to long-term as operators and handset
manufacturers take app stores to the mass market.
According to data from "The future of mobile
application storefronts", the number of smartphones
sold each year will increase from around 165.2 million
in 2009 to 422.96 million in 2013. This will result
in a total smartphone market comprising around 1.6
billion users, in other words smartphone penetration
will reach approximately 28-30% of the total mobile
market by 2013. The report also points out mobile
applications have reignited the demand for multimedia
content and applications after complacency from
existing handset vendors and mobile operators had
virtually killed the mobile content market.
Wireless
Expertise also forecasts that the global mobile
app market will be worth $4.66 billion in 2009,
rising to $16.60 billion, in 2013. Given its estimation
that mobile phones outnumbering PCs around the world
by 4:1, Wireless Expertise says that mobile applications
represent an even bigger opportunity for the mobile
industry than the fixed-line perceived the internet
a decade ago. Wireless Expertise identifies Apple
as a revolutionary force in the apps market. "Apple
has not only invigorated what was rapidly becoming
a stagnant mobile content and services market, but
its App Store has paved the way for professional
content developers and publishers to stand side-by-side
with the new breed of garage developers introducing
innovative and functional apps," commented
Anuj Khanna, CEO of Wireless Expertise and author
of the report. However, the report expects Apple
to face tough competition from mobile operators,
independent service providers and competing vendor
application portals in the next 18-24 months. It
singles out Nokia as a key likely competitor especially
given it can offer its Ovi portfolio over a wide
range of handsets. Symbian, Google Android, Microsoft
Windows and Research in Motion platforms will also
likely attack Apple's share of the market. |
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T-MOBILE
AND ORANGE MERGER
A GOOD MOVE FOR MOBILE TV
|
 THE
move by Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom to combine
T-Mobile UK and Orange UK in a new 50:50 joint venture
company could have serious implications for 3G-based
mobile TV development. The new joint venture will
create the UK's leading mobile operator. It will
have a combined mobile customer base of around 28.4
million, representing approximately 37% of UK mobile
subscribers, or nearly 40% when including Virgin
Mobile customers who use T-Mobile's network. The
two parties are confident that the combination will
bring substantial benefits to UK consumers. They
says they can now offer an expanded network coverage
and enhanced indoor and outdoor network quality
for 2G and 3G services, as well as better customer
proximity through a larger network of own shops
and improved customer services. Moreover they say
that the combination will place the joint venture
in a better position to invest in innovative new
services and to exploit new technologies. Mobile
TV is a prime example of this.
Since
February 2008, Orange and T-Mobile UK have been
piloting a 3G network-based mobile TV and multimedia
broadcast service in London using based on the TDtv
solution from NextWave Wireless. During the pilot
Orange and T-Mobile UK customers were able to receive
up to 24 high-resolution television channels along
with 10 digital radio stations use TDtv-enabled
WCDMA handset. Commented Gervais Pellissier, CFO
of France Telecom, "[The move] will reinforce
fair competition and will provide strong benefits
for our customers through improved coverage, quality
of service and an enhanced capacity to develop new
services and technologies. Our shareholders will
benefit from higher profitability and an immediate
cash flow per share accretion without impacting
the overall indebtedness of the parent companies." |
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