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1) Microsoft predicts strong growth in smart phones
Microsoft aims to double the number of mobile phones running its Windows software this year from 6 million at the end of 2005 and to keep up this rate of growth in coming years, a Microsoft executive said.
"The number of devices operating on Windows Mobile doubled to 6 million last year," Peter Knook, head of Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Devices division, told Germany's Euro am Sonntag in an interview published on Sunday.
"We want to make 100 percent again this year and to grow further at this rate in coming years."
Microsoft competes in the market for smartphones, which can run software applications such as email, mobile TV and games, with British software maker Symbian, owned by the world's top handset producers including Nokia.
Nokia has about half the global market for smartphones.
2) Palm and Microsoft: Once competitors, now partners
10/18/2006 by Vawn Himmelsbach
TORONTO – Palm on Wednesday said that with the launch of its latest smart phone, the Treo 700wx, it wants to provide business customers with more choice: either the Palm or Microsoft OS.
Previous Palm devices, such as the Treo 650 smart phone runs on the Palm OS alone. Palm said it will also launch three new products before the end of the year -- and it will launch with multiple carriers in Canada. While the Treo 700wx is now available on Bell’s high-speed mobile network, 1xEv-DO, Telus should be on board within the next couple of weeks. Palm also has plans to bridge the gap between business and consumer products, said Michael Moskowitz, vice-president of Americas International with Palm Inc.
Canada is one of the fastest growing markets for converged mobile devices, said Moskowitz, and in 2007 they will outpace the sale of handsets. Palm expects 25 per cent growth in Canada over the next five years for converged mobile devices. “We expect this market to accelerate following this launch,” he said.
Fully story here
3) 15-17% of Americans and Canadians use more than one mobile phone
In-Stat has asked thousands of wireless subscribers in the US and Canada if they have more than one mobile phone number. 15% to over 17% responded that they did, indeed, use more than one mobile phone; most had one phone for personal use and one for business; many use a standard cell phone for most voice calls and have a second device (usually a BlackBerry) as their second phone. That means there are 32.7 mln fewer people in the US who have cell phones than the so-called “penetration rate” suggests. True penetration is closer to 60% and there are over 30 mln potential new wireless subscribers that haven’t been recognized in the past,
4) 48 mln ultra low cost mobile phones to ship in 2007
Shipments of Ultra Low Cost (ULC) mobile phones could reach 48 mln units in 2007,
. The market research group says 19 mln ULC handsets will ship in 2006, with Motorola continuing to dominate the sector with an almost 80% share.
5) In US average wireless bill up $11 over the past three years
During the past three-year period, the average monthly wireless bill has increased a full $11: from $55 in 2004 to $66 in 2006. the percentage of wireless customers using text messaging on a regular basis has risen from 19% in 2005 to 25% in 2006 - a 32% increase. J.D. Power and Associates measures customer satisfaction based on 42 specific service-related measures grouped into six key factors that impact overall wireless carrier performance. They are (in order of importance): call performance and reliability (26%); customer service (17%); service plan options (17%); brand image (14%); cost of service (14%); and billing (12%). Carriers are ranked across six regions in the United States: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest and West.
6) Worldwide about $667 bln spent on mobile services by year-end 2006
Mobile global subscribers have grown at a 15% CAGR rate, and global mobile revenues have seen a similar 18% CAGR, exceeding $667 bln,
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