For Geeks that Like to Twiddle
wireless Networking
Novatel Wireless Selected by Tripple Track for Integrated M2M Solutions
281 days
SAN DIEGO, may 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Novatel Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVTL), a leading provider of intelligent wireless networking solutions, today announces that Tripple Track, a leading Scandinavian provider of GPS tracking and vehicle management solutions, has selected Novatel Wireless to provide its full portfolio of Enfora asset tags and mobile tracking devices as well as its N4A™ CMS service delivery platform.
Tripple Track is currently operating in the Nordic countries providing mobile tracking and asset tags for a number of enterprises. “the Enfora end-to-end portfolio has helped us tremendously expand and rapidly grow our business,” says Tripple Track’s CEO Erik Thaysen. Tripple Track is today providing M2M solutions to a vast number of verticals — from car importers, rental car companies and car leasing companies to companies in the broadcasting and wind power industries. “the intelligent devices from Novatel Wireless coupled with the N4A communications and management software make it easy for us to deploy new solutions with enterprises and be up and running immediately,” mr. Thaysen continues. “we are excited about the opportunities ahead and to introduce our customers to the recently expanded portfolio of integrated devices and management tools”.
The Novatel Wireless’ M2M portfolio of integrated devices consists of asset tags, mobile tracking, telemetry, work force monitoring and personal tracking solutions. All integrated devices can be combined with Novatel Wireless’ robust N4A Communications and Management Software platform and be monitored, managed and reconfigured remotely from almost anywhere in the world. By combining the N4A CMS platform with the intelligence of the integrated wireless devices, customers will gain a solution that offers ease-of-deployment, superior, reliable performance in a small and flexible package.
“Tripple Track is an exciting partner for Novatel Wireless showcasing the endless opportunities for enterprises to secure and monitor assets and increase productivity,” says Tyson King, VP of Sales for M2M Integrated Solutions, Novatel Wireless. “Tripple Track is expanding their business rapidly and we’re honored to be selected as their solutions provider.”
About Novatel WirelessNovatel Wireless, Inc. is a leader in the design and development of intelligent wireless solutions based on 2G, 3G and 4G technologies providing wireless connectivity. the company delivers specialized wireless solutions to carriers, distributors, retailers, OEMs and vertical markets worldwide. Product lines include MiFi® Intelligent Mobile Hotspots, Ovation™ USB modems, Expedite® embedded modules, Enfora® smart M2M modules, and Enfora integrated M2M solutions. these innovative products provide anywhere, anytime communications solutions for consumers and enterprises. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novatel Wireless is listed on NASDAQ: NVTL. for more information please visit nvtl.com. (NVTLG)
This release may contain forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended to date. these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. these factors include risks relating to technological changes, new product introductions, continued acceptance of Novatel Wireless’ products and dependence on intellectual property rights. these factors, as well as other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, are discussed in more detail in Novatel Wireless’ filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (available at sec.gov) and other regulatory agencies.
(C) 2012 Novatel Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved. the Novatel Wireless name and logo and Enfora are trademarks of Novatel Wireless, Inc. other Company, product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Contacts:
Media:Charlotte RubinNovatel Wireless +1 (858) 812-3431
Investors:William A. Walkowiak, CFANovatel Wireless +1(858) 431-3711
SOURCE Novatel Wireless
Wireless LAN Standards
288 days
I will be looking at two WLAN standards, 802.11a and 802.11n
802.11a introduced in 1999 offers a low range WLAN range, where as 802.11n is a relatively new standard that was introcued into 2009, which offers increased data throughput and a much stronger WLAN range.
Service Set Identifier (SSID)
A SSID is the indetifier of a Wireless Network, in many cases it will be broadcasted for other devices to pickup. although in some cases it will be not be broadcasted for security reasons, hence you will need to know the SSID to connect to. Techniques such as MAC Spoofing can sometimes help gain access to these networks by pretending imitating other devices.
WLAN Topologies
Ad-Hoc - This is where two or more wireless devices are connected to each other, without being connected to any LAN devices.
For example: Two iPhones connected to each other using a PAN (Personal Area Network) such as Bluetooth.
In an Ad-Hoc setup there is also no Access Point, so you need to know where to connect to e.g. a SSID
Infrastructure
This is a way for a wireless devices to connect to wired networks. The wired network will create one or more access points in order for wireless devices to connect to the network. This is done by broadcasting an SSID which the wireless device can detect.
How to Set Up an Office Wireless Network
295 days
The Internet has over a period of little more than two decades developed to the point where it is difficult – in fact, almost impossible – to imagine a modern office without it. Office employees use the web to communicate with each other via email, to do research that will help them to expand or modify their business activities, or to find products, services, and software that they need. and many businesses also have an Intranet system, whereby information is shared using Internet Protocol technology within the organization. this article will describe how to set up and use an office wireless network.
Contrary to what one might at first think, setting up an office wireless network does not require that much specialized technical skills or equipment; all one needs, basically, is a wireless router. the number one problem that needs to be solved is that of which kind of router should be used; there are three basic types, and the kind chosen depends largely on the connection speed desired as well as on the size of the organization and the activities to be done on the network. Most small businesses can make do with a G router; if on the other hand there will be much moving around of complex files, such as graphics or high-res photos, then the company will probably be better off using a much faster N router, which is also the kind least vulnerable to outside interference. A DHCP server, a firewall, and a wired hub or switch should also be included.
Once that question has been taken care of, both computers should be equipped with wireless network cards, which can be identified by the wireless icon in the control panel; if they are not, these items must be bought and installed on the machines.
Another thing to remember is that the connection between computers will be faster, and the signal better, if they are in the same room as the router. the router, too, should be near both a source of power and a source of Internet connection, so that it can be plugged into both. on each computer, the instructions for installing the router should be followed, upon opening the browser.
The next step is to create a service set identifier (SSI), and a password to be associated with it. other security features should also be installed. To connect other computers onto the network, simply pull up the Start menu on all of them and pick my Network Places > all other Users.
A printer can also be included on the wireless office network, so that it can be used by anyone on any computer. To do this, one should select Printers and Faxes from the control panel, and choose Add a Printer > next > Standard TCP/IP > next > type in the IP address here > Finish. then click on the message that appears when the booting process is completed, and choose have disk when it asks how to finish installing the printer. on being asked for the necessary installation files, type in the name of your optical disk, and click twice on next.
Different computers on the same network can also share their files by means of a peer to peer system. the details of setup are somewhat different for Windows XP and Windows Vista or Windows 7. P2P works best when there are less than ten computers involved.
It is not just PCs that can be used on a wireless network. A smartphone can also be part of the web, provided it is within a certain distance of the router; Bluetooth devices are already being used for the purpose. there are also PANs (personal area networks), though these do tend to have a slower connectivity rate than LANs.
A well set up wireless office network can really spike up the level of employee productivity.
Secure Your Wireless Home Network Tips
300 days
Consumer grade wireless routers have flooded the residential landscape with thousands if not millions of wireless network enabled homes. Take a laptop into any densely populated area and more often than not you will most likely be able to find open unsecured wireless access. Open unsecured wireless networks are susceptible to free loaders or malicious activities like sniffing for passwords. also imagine if someone outside your household was to illegally download copyrighted material and the investigation of such an offense leads back to your router as the source of the illegal activity. Protecting your wireless home network should be a top priority. Luckily, currently available consumer grade routers now provide better more robust and easier to configure wireless security features. Implementing the following best practices and tips can help to ensure that your home wireless network is secure and safe.
Disable broadcasting of your routers SSID (Service set identifier) to prevent easy detection by rogue laptops or wireless enabled devices. This options forces wireless devices to be manually configured to connect to a non-broadcasting wireless network. the user of a wireless device would have to know explicitly the SSID to be able to connect. If you prefer to broadcast your SSID anyways then use a vague name that does not identify who you are.
Enable mac address filtering. A mac address is a unique identifier assigned to networking devices by the manufacturer. Wireless routers can be configured to allow only approved mac addresses. the mac address on most computers can easily be found by viewing the device properties of the wireless network card.
Enable encryption by implementing Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or WPA2 (version 2) with Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) or Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). If your wireless device supports it, WPA2 with AES should be the preferred encryption method. the next best alternative is WPA in combination with TKIP which is compatible with a good number of older wireless devices which may not support WPA2 AES. Avoid WEP as it is no longer deemed reliably secured. A pass phrase is the last step after you have settled on an encryption method. at a minimum use a strong pass phrase with 6 or more upper and lowercase letters and numbers.
Although router security options may sound overwhelming for the less technical, most router manufacturers provide simplified wizard based security configuration processes to help anyone easily setup, configure and test secure wireless access. Be proactive and do not overlook the importance of safeguarding and protecting wireless home network.
Home Wireless Networks
337 days
A home wireless arrangement can be set up application wireless bounded breadth arrangement (WLAN) devices. a wireless LAN has a wireless interface that enables wireless advice amidst the computers and borderline accessories that are a allotment of the LAN. a wireless LAN has bound ambit and is advised to be acclimated alone in a bounded ambiance such as a building, appointment circuitous or home. the capital advantage is the adaptability and advancement provided by a wireless LAN.
A wireless home arrangement can be installed calmly by abutting a wireless router to the network. the router charge be placed in a axial area aural the home. Computers which are placed abutting to the router, or in the aforementioned allowance as the router, accept bigger arrangement speed. Most wireless routers abutment broadband modems while others abutment buzz band connections. each computer affiliated to the wireless LAN charge accept a wireless LAN agenda installed.
It is binding to name the wireless arrangement and to ensure that all the computers on the WLAN allotment the aforementioned arrangement name. Though a wireless router contains a congenital in admission point, one may accept to use a wireless admission point if an absolute Ethernet home arrangement is extended. the admission point charge be cabled to the switch, hub or LAN router.
Unlike cellular networks with anchored frequencies, users in WLANs accept to allotment frequencies, which sometimes advance to collisions. the best of abundance depends on whether microwave, advance spectrum, or bittersweet advice is actuality used.
The primary WLAN standards accommodate the IEEE-802.11 alternation and HiperLAN. the IEEE-802.11 (Wi-Fi) accepted supports 1 Mbps abstracts amount and several choices of concrete average such as advance spectrum and infrared. an added affection of this accepted is the array attention for abeyant or abandoned wireless users. faster 54 Mbit/s 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11g (2.4 GHz) standards are now available. New standards above the 802.11 specifications, such as 802.16(WiMAX), are currently actuality developed and action several enhancements such as best ambit and faster alteration speeds.
The HiperLAN accepted can be acclimated to abutment 23.5 Mbps approach rates. however, it allows use of alone advance spectrum concrete average and is not actual popular.
Tags: abeyant, band connections, broadband modems, buzz band, home wireless networks, switch hub, wireless interface, wireless lan, wireless router, wlan standards
Are Wireless Routers and Laptops Harmful To Your Health? ~ UnHealthyEarth
346 days
Laptops, computers, and other electronic devices are manufactured with certain safety standards to shield users from potentially harmful effects. One of these standards used to be that they could not emit radio frequencies (RF). Enter the age of wireless networks. Suddenly your computer is designed to emit microwave radiation. Add to this the fact that your laptop is often kept on your…lap! so even if you’re still sitting on the fence about the dangers of all these frequencies flying around, still you must admit that laptops present a particularly personal dose of radiation exposure.the problem is not from laptops alone. These days the typical home wireless network includes a desktop PC or two, some laptops, an entertainment system, wireless keyboards and mice, and wireless printers. Toss in your wireless phones and cell phones, and you’re literally swimming in a soup of electromagnetic (EMF) pollution.Even if you don’t keep a wireless (WiFi) network in your home, you are exposed to them in stores, restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, schools – the list goes on. In fact, cities have been building huge wireless networks to offer free broadband service to their citizens. some have called all these frequencies “electro-smog.”Hooking up all our home or office devices is called a local area network (LAN). once upon a time, all the devices needed to be hooked together with wires that carried signals to a connecting device called a router. now wireless routers have made wired networks nearly obsolete. who wants to run all those cables through ceilings and walls when it can be done wirelessly? however, all the convenience comes with unseen hazards.With a wireless LAN, each device on the network is built so that it can send a signal to the router and receive signals back. Wireless routers typically have a range of a hundred to several hundred feet. Adding a booster that increases the signal strength can increase the range. As with all radio signals, the closer you are to the transmitter (the router) the stronger the signal. Cell phones work on the same principle. the difference is that cell phones work at a different frequency and put out a stronger signal than wireless LANs.Cell phones work on the same principle. the difference is that cell phones emit ten times the radiation of wireless routers. This leads many to the belief that wireless routers are safe due to their low power intensity – far below the minimum standards for cell phones. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Cell phone standards are set for short-term exposure, and they’re based on the thermal (heating) effects of the microwave radiation they emit. however, there are other, non-thermal effects of cell phones at exposures less than current US standard, such as memory loss, sleep disruption, slowed motor skills and reaction time, decreased immune function, spatial disorientation and dizziness, headaches, lowered sperm count, increased blood pressure and pulse, DNA breakage and reduced DNA repair capacity, and cell proliferation.also, let’s not forget one major difference. Cell phone exposure is intermittent. It affects you the most during actual phone calls, and to a lesser degree when the cell phone is turned on and worn on the body. Wireless routers, on the other hand, subject you and family members to constant long-term exposure. the exposure is not a cell phone’s brief burst of radiation, but a constant bath of low strength RF radiation.Exposure to the types of radiation emitted by cell phones, wireless networks, and Bluetooth devices may lower melatonin levels in the body, leading to insomnia, irritability, poor concentration, mood swings, lowered immune response and more.A recent study even links WiFi exposure to autism. the study, published in ‘Australasian Journal of Clinical Environmental Medicine,’ claims that the radiofrequency waves emitted by Wi-Fi routers isolate and trap metals in brain cells. These metals, according to the study, are the cause of the drastic increase in autism. Is this link provable? Time will tell.so what can you do about the constant EMF pollution from wireless networks? One obvious solution is not to put one in your home. use a wired system. Okay, we hear you when you say that’s just not an option. you already have your wireless LAN, or you just don’t want to run all those wires. there are a few things you can do.Our EMF Pollution SolutionsEarthCalm Omega WiFiMost people are unaware that their wireless routers and laptops are built with transmitters that constantly generate a cloud of microwave radiation when they are on, even when they are not actively in use. if your router is plugged in or if your laptop is on and the battery has juice in it, the transmitter in each is sending out a hazardous signal that is creating a potentially dangerous field of microwave radiation. when the Omega WiFi is inserted, this hazardous field becomes a beneficial field of protection that will protect you throughout the day and while sleeping at night. when you insert the Omega WiFi into a wireless router, any person using a laptop or a desktop computer or game console (such as Wii or Nintendo) that is programmed into your network and entertainment system is protected as well. your laptop can even be kept in your bedroom when recharging while you sleep.if you never take your laptop out to places with WiFi networks but use it exclusively with your home wireless network, then what you need is the Ethernet version of the Omega WiFi. Plug it into one of the Ethernet ports of your router, and your family is protected while using any devices in the network.on the other hand, if you take your laptop to WiFi equipped locations, or if you plug it directly into an Ethernet modem without a router, then you need the protection of the Omega WiFi USB version. Laptops in particular generate an extremely high miligauss field when they are switched on. they put out as much as a 100-miligauss field at the keyboard, which is extremely fatiguing and hazardous to your health, especially over extended periods of time. less than two miligauss has been determined to be safe. the Omega WiFi provides dramatic protection from this radiation by modulating the EarthCalm circuits into the laptop’s EMF field to create a grounding pattern, which allows your body to dissipate the hazardous radiation. Plug one directly into the USB port of your laptop if you or a family member uses it away from the protection of your Omega WiFi-protected network.most people notice the relief instantly as soon as they plug the Omega WiFi into their laptop or router. they also notice that the number of hours they can spend at their laptop without headaches or fatigue expands exponentially.Source: atapcreations.wordpress.com
Largest Illinois healthcare system uproots Cisco to build $40M private cloud
358 days
LAS VEGAS — A healthcare network in Illinois is investing $40 million in Alcatel-Lucent switches to consolidate data centers into a private cloud.
Advocate Health Care is the largest integrated healthcare system in Illinois, and the largest emergency and Level 1 trauma network in the state. it employs 37,000 people and has more than 250 sites of care, including 10 acute-care hospitals and two children’s hospitals.
With all of those facilities, Advocate needed to consolidate, centralize and virtualize IT operations to reduce costs and power consumption, increase availability and uptime, make the network more flexible and speed application deployment, said Gary Horn, vice president of technical services and CTO in Advocate’s Information Systems department.
Horn discussed the project at the Interop 2012 conference here this week.
HOT IN NEVADA: Hot products at Interop 2012
“We’re consolidating data centers to drive costs down, but it creates network challenges” such as increasing bandwidth, storage and CPU cycle needs, and the requirement for more flexible network services, Horn says.
So Advocate is replacing its Cisco Catalyst 6509 Gigabit Ethernet core with a 10G, and eventually a 40G and possibly 100G Ethernet core, made up of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 10000s. Top-of-rack devices will be Alcatel-Lucent 6900s and the edge will be comprised of 2,500 Alcatel-Lucent 6850E switches.
The $40 million investment is spread over five years, and also includes Alcatel-Lucent wireless LAN gear, which the company sources from Aruba Networks.
Advocate also evaluated Cisco’s Nexus switches, and gear from HP, Brocade and Juniper before deciding to go with Alcatel-Lucent. Alcatel-Lucent was already an incumbent voice vendor to Advocate for more than 10 years.
“VoIP was a big factor in the decision,” Horn says, adding that the hospital network is getting ready to deploy Alcatel-Lucent’s OmniTouch IP Telephony system as well.
Data centers are located in Chicago, Park Ridge and Oak Brook, IL. each will have two OmniSwitch 10000s in the core.
Advocate is adopting Alcatel-Lucent’s pod and mesh architecture for its network. Pods are 10G meshes of 6900 switches with 2 microsecond latency. Four such pods could connect to two OmniSwitch 10000s in the enterprise core over 40G Ethernet links to configure a mesh supporting 14,000 server ports and 169Tbps switching capacity across 10 48-unit racks with a latency of 5 microseconds, Alcatel-Lucent says.
The mesh will also support the IEEE’s Data Center Bridging, Shortest Path Bridging and Ethernet Virtual Bridging specifications for a lossless Ethernet fabric. Shortest Path Bridging will replace Spanning Tree in the Ethernet fabric.
Advocate is also adopting Alcatel-Lucent’s virtual network profile (VNP) capability for an application aware network and the ability to manage applications as services with automatic performance tuning.
VNP allows the switches to enforce defined application profiles to prioritize, establish quality-of-service, attach security parameters and provision appropriate bandwidth and capacity for specific applications.
This is intended to ready the network, applications and data centers for public, private or hybrid cloud-based service, in which the network is tuned to execute the application even though it may reside on a server hundreds or thousands of miles away from its target user. VNP profiles are bound to the application as virtual machines move around within and between VLANs extended across locations in the private cloud to maintain service management and service-level agreements, Horn said. Advocate’s hypervisor vendor is VMware.
The OmniSwitch network supports all of Advocate’s applications: patient care, human resources, laboratory, supply chain, financial systems, admissions/discharge/transfer, e-mail and unified communications, and network mediation. Hosting them in a private cloud simplifies application deployment and disaster recovery because physical operations are centralized while the service infrastructure is virtualized, which also allows for elasticity in network and IT resource scale, Horn said.
The Advocate private cloud can also function as a hybrid cloud when service provider services are delivered onto the fabric and combined with IT services to provide a blended application for users, Horn said.
The three data centers are interconnected by a dark fiber ring Advocate lights up with Alcatel-Lucent’s 1696 Metrospan WDM transport system and 1830 Photonic Services Switch. the “MetroNet,” as Advocate calls it, supports 32 10G wavelengths but Horn says that will be bulked up to 44 100G wavelengths in the future.
MetroNet WAN services are provided by Alcatel-Lucent’s 77X0 Services Router. Services include VPLS and Virtual Private Routed Networks and native optical, among others.
Horn says the OmniSwitch fabric will soon be upgraded to 40G Ethernet to better support medical imaging. He envisions it moving to 100G Ethernet in three to four years.
Read more about lan and wan in Network World’s LAN & WAN section.
Time Management Tips – For Networking Professionals
361 days
At the chance of sounding strange, there are but 2 solid words to define Time Management – Forget IT.
It appears we are trying to run faster and faster, packing more activities into our waking hours (largely our working hours), paying little thought to the value of the activities we are attempting to fit in.
In the working environment, people appear to be considered, managed and promoted on the theory of work volume, instead of the effect of their activities; numerous brownie points can be secured by arriving earlier and working later than anyone else in the office.
Now by advancing Time Management is nonsense, as we really cannot control it, we can, nevertheless command the activities into which we concentrate our attention, energy and efforts, and use it to our benefit.
Now for the person who is much more immersed in results, rather than results by volume, there are 4 areas to be aware of:
1. Goal Setting.
2. Pareto’s 80/20 Rule.
3. To do List.
4. Elimination.
This (commonly known as the 80/20 rule) in basic terms advocates that only 20% of our activities (or inputs) account for 80% or our results (or outputs). thus, we waste 80% of our time on worthless nonsense.
In reality, by understanding the 20% of results producing activities, we can concentrate our concentration much more efficiently, work less, and yet improve productivity substantially.
To do List.
Without doubt this is one of the basic and most effective aids available.
Yet, this is a 3 stage process:
a) Brain storm all the aspects requiring attention (just get them down on a piece of paper).
b) Organise in order of significance.
c) Work on the most meaningful task until completion- if distracted, resolve the distraction and move back to the task until it is completed. Then, and only then, carry onto the next item on the list.
As decisive as it is to focus our activities on the 20%, it is just as valuable to distinguish what is needless and eliminate from our life.
In summary, all 4 aspects are inter-related and inter-dependent, with the constant elementary motive being self-discipline.
If we do not, cannot or will not develop self discipline our lives will come close to little more than the abstract accumulation of our whims, and we will one day wake up questioning why we have worked so hard, yet attained so little.
One last word, control e-mail, don’t let it control you
Setting Up A Wireless Network With Windows Vista
363 days
I recently purchased a Sony Vaio with a wireless capabilities. When I went to setup a wireless network with my desktop to share files and Internet access I ran into a few problems. For any of you out there that are having trouble setting up your Windows Vista network, you need not to worry as I went through all of the frustration that is involved so that you don’t have to. So for all of my trouble, here is a step by step guide for you to follow.
First and foremost you need to make sure that your computer or laptop has a wireless device either attached to it or installed internally. A lot of new computers and laptops now come with these preinstalled. on my latop I have the wireless technology preinstalled, whereas my desktop computer hadn’t, so I had to buy a wireless router to connect it to a wireless network. if you are connecting to a wireless network with your wireless router make sure that you install the drivers for the router first.
Once you have the the router and drivers installed you need to configure you access point or router to the correct settings. To do this you should follow your manual as routers can sometimes vary. For most routers if you type 192.168.1.1 into your browser it will give the router setup page. you will be prompted for a username and password, these can be found with your manual. Once you have loaded the setup page you can click on the wireless tab and setup the networks SSID, which is the networks name i.e. Home Network, James Network, to make it easier from here on in we will use the name WLANHome. then set the password. When you are selecting the security type there are 2 different types WEP and WPA. if you have the option, select WPA as it is a newer and more secure form of protecting for you wireless network. Click the wireless network icon in the notification area in the task bar. you will be presented by the connect to a network window. Select the WLANHome network and click on connect.
If your are connecting to a network that is unsecured you will get a warning screen. if you are connecting to a public network, such as in a hotel or public area that offers free wireless Internet, you are connecting to the network at your own risk as this is considered unsafe. Most public networks are like this otherwise users would not be able to connect to it. if you are sure that you want to connect to the network click Connect anyway.
Once you access your network you will be asked for a security key or passphrase. Enter the security key that you entered on the router setup screen. Click save this network so that the next time you power up your PC or laptop in the area it will automatically connect you. The computer will then verify the passphrase and then it will ask you if you are connected to a public network or a home network or a work network, select the option which best suits your situation. if you are in a public place select the public option as this will prevent other users from see your files. Now you are connected to the network, Congratulations
Sometimes you might run into a few problems, just follow the on-screen instructions and vista will sort the problem out itself or will advise you on how to do so.
Google leaves app void that China Mobile fills
364 days
Google’s Android operating system runs two-thirds of the smart phones sold in China, yet the company’s online app store, Google Play, isn’t open for business there because of censorship concerns. That’s creating an opportunity for China Mobile.
The world’s biggest phone company by subscribers opened its Mobile Market store for Android apps in 2009, and it now has 158 million registered users. Customers have downloaded more than 630 million apps, making Mobile Market the world’s largest carrier-operated app store, said Jack Kent of IHS Screen Digest.
The success of Mobile Market comes at a welcome juncture for the wireless giant, fueling revenue growth as its core business matures. China Mobile competes with Apple Inc.’s App Store in a nation where Analysys International said mobile applications and services are set to jump 80 percent to $35 billion this year as cheaper smart phones make surfing the Web more affordable.
“Without having to compete with the official Google store, China Mobile has an opportunity that operators in other countries don’t have,” said Kent. “China Mobile’s relationship with subscribers leaves it well placed to take advantage.”
The carrier’s data-services business, including Mobile Market, jumped 15 percent last year, compared with an 8.8 percent growth in total sales.
Shipments of smart phones in China are projected to jump 52 percent this year to 137 million units, overtaking the United States for the first time as the world’s biggest market, according to a March estimate from market researcher IDC.
Phones running Android accounted for 68 percent of sales in the fourth quarter, while Apple’s iPhone made up 5.7 percent, according to Analysys International. Apple’s online store generated about $2.9 billion in global app sales last year, compared with about $618 million for Google, Kent estimated.
“The reason we care about this business is that it can help drive or promote our other businesses,” China Mobile’s Chief Executive Officer Li Yue said. “If a developer makes a very good app, then it will help boost traffic on our network and help our growth that way.”
All Web content in China is censored, and that control extends to online stores selling apps, games and e-books. both Mobile Market and Apple’s Chinese-language store, which takes payment in local currency, abide by government censorship restrictions and don’t offer apps to access the blocked websites of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Google said in January 2010 it was no longer willing to self-censor content for Chinese services, so it shuttered its local search page and redirected users to a Hong Kong site. Taj Meadows, a Tokyo spokesman for Google, declined to comment on why Google Play was unavailable in China. The store has more than 450,000 apps and games, the company said in March.
China Mobile’s store has 68,663 apps, compared with 560,957 for Apple, said Sun Peilin, a researcher at Analysys International. Mobile Market’s offerings include Instagram Inc.’s photo-sharing and editing software, and Rovio Entertainment’s “Angry Birds,” “Angry Birds Seasons” and “Angry Birds Space.”
This article appeared on page D – 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle