As Culpit concisely and eloquently points out, “Words have incredible power. They create love; hate and confusion. They define us and the world in which we live. They shape our reality as well as our perceptions. Our words determine our ideologies and beliefs.”

In the way of cutting through the fog of unclear and shifting meaning, he proceeds, with a tip of the hat to Johnny Carson and David Letterman, to offer an irreverent top 10 list of definitions for popular cloud terminology used in 2011. His countdown begins at 10 with “cloud portability” and finished at number 1 with the really big question, “What are cloud services?”

Here are a few highlights:

• At number 9: What is SlapOS? SlapOS is what you want to do to your forehead every time you get an email from that coworker (you know the one) who intentionally leaves the “Sent from my iPad” or “Sent from my Blackberry” signature on his or her emails. Oh, wait — you meant that SlapOS. Yes…the one that doesn’t involve bodily harm or potential assault charges.

• At number 5: What is a telecom cloud provider? This very curious breed of cloud provider is known for its conservative demeanor, stratified silos, compulsive trench digging and insane addiction to obscure acronyms. Despite these traits, they often become great family pets.

• At number 3: What is a cloud provider? This is the first question that I ask myself each and every morning when I look at myself in the mirror. And I always answer my reflection saying, “I am, you handsome devil.”

WhiteSpace Alliance founding members AmeriSys, BAE Systems, Korea’s ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute), NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology) and say that TV white space, also referred to as super wi-fi or white-fi, has the capacity to provide wireless broadband access to as many as 3.5 billion people worldwide.

The new association “has been formed with the goal of enabling the emerging worldwide WhiteSpace ecosystem to deliver cost-effective broadband solutions, and support products and services that use WhiteSpace,” according to a Dec. 15 WSA press release.

The association will highlight and promote the use of the emerging IEEE 802.22 standard, which in the U.S. uses spectrum currently allocated to unused television channels. This spectrum promises to provide 20+ Mbps broadband wireless access with a range as far as 100 kilometers (62.5 miles), although actual commercial deployments have not been built yet.

“We welcome new members that are willing to invest time and energy to realize this global, multibillion dollar opportunity and make an impact on their company’s bottom line,” said WhiteSpace Alliance chairman Dr. Apurva Mody. “This is a unique opportunity to shape the organization, and participate in the WhiteSpace market– the next generation of Internet connectivity.”

A special thanks to our clients for your confidence in us to help you meet your community and customer needs. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

A 2011-through October-review of the U.S. smartphone market from The NPD Group’s “Mobile Phone Track” and “Smartphone Track” services reveals that the market share of Google’s Android mobile OS grew to 53%, while that of Apple’s iOS grew to reach 29%. Former market leader RIM’s BlackBerry mobile OS market share fell to 11%, a falling trend line followed by other former market leaders. RIM and its lagging peers “have made critical business decisions this past year in a quest to shore up their U.S. smartphone businesses,” however, NPD researchers report.

“The competitive landscape for smartphones, which has been reshaped by Apple and Google, has ultimately forced every major handset provider through a major transition,” said Ross Rubin, executive director, Connected Intelligence for The NPD Group. “For many of them, 2012 will be a critical year in assessing how effective their responses have been.”

In its research note, NPD reviews three key 2011 smartphone market developments whose effects are sure to carry forward into 2012.

1. Google Acquires Motorola

Motorola’s share of US smartphone handsets fell from a peak of 36% in 4Q 2006 to as low as 1% by 3Q 2009. They’ve been rebounding since, rising to 16% in 4Q 2010 before falling back to 12% in 3Q ‘11.

Google announced its intention to acquire Motorola Mobility back in August, a transaction that may be delayed past January 10, which was when the European Commission originally expected to issue a final antitrust ruling.

According to Rubin, “Android has helped Motorola climb back into the smartphone market; now, though, Google will seek to use Motorola’s patent pool to help protect other Android licensees,” according to Rubin.

2. The Fall of RIM

Once loved by users, the tiny keypads and small screens of RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones were made awkward and limiting with Apple’s industry-leading shift to touchscreens and larger screen sizes with the iPhone. RIM saw its US smartphone market share fall from 50% in 2Q 2006 to 8% by 3Q 2011. RIM’s made some “incremental improvements” as it prepares to release its next-generation platform, including release of the BlackBerry 7 mobile OS, Rubin notes; however, it’s got a lot of catching up to do. RIM now ranks fifth among smartphone OEMs, behind Apple, HTC, Samsung and Motorola.

3. Nokia does Windows

Nokia is another former market leader that has its work cut out for it as it tries to close the gap between its smartphone sales and those for Google Android smartphones and Apple’s iOS mobile devices. For its part, Microsoft continues to try to break into the top tier of the US market.

While Microsoft’s previous generation Windows Mobile OS reached a peak US smartphone sales market share of 50% in 2Q 2007, Windows Phone 7 hasn’t captured more than 2% since its launch in 4Q 2010.

The two made a big splash this year with Nokia agreeing to use the Window Phone mobile OS on its smartphones, but “Nokia and Microsoft must build from almost nothing to carve out success between the consistency of the iPhone and the flexibility of Android,” according to Rubin.

Verizon Wireless picks up a valuable asset that helps assure its place as the nation’s leading wireless services provider. SpectrumCo’s three cable industry partners turn what’s likely a significant profit on their investment in acquiring the wireless spectrum, and they’ve leveraged that by negotiating agreements with Verizon that allow all the parties to cross-sell various products and services.

The two sides announced “they have entered into several agreements, providing for the sale of various products and services. Through these agreements, the cable companies, on the one hand, and Verizon Wireless, on the other, will become agents to sell one another’s products and, over time, the cable companies will have the option of selling Verizon Wireless’ service on a wholesale basis,” according to a news release.

Verizon Wireless and SpectrumCo also announced the formation of “an innovation technology joint venture” that aims to develop technology that provides better integration between wireline and wireless products and services.

“These agreements, together with our Wi-Fi plans, enable us to execute a comprehensive, long-term wireless strategy and expand our focus on providing mobility to our Xfinity services. We’re excited about this partnership with Verizon Wireless and the future innovations we will bring to consumers,” commented Neil Smit, Comcast Cable’s president.

Dan Mead, Verizon Wireless president and CEO added, “Spectrum is the raw material on which wireless networks are built, and buying the AWS spectrum now solidifies our network leadership into the future, and will enable us to bring even better 4G LTE products and services to our customers. American businesses and consumers can have confidence that the best wireless network has the foundational resources to deliver on that promise.”

The U.S. can no longer claim the throne of smartphone supremacy. That honor now belongs to China, where smartphone shipments surged 58% quarter-to-quarter in 3Q11 to reach a record 24 million units, vaulting over the U.S. to become the world’s largest smartphone market, according to research from Strategy Analytics.

Nokia, in handsets, and Symbian, in mobile OS, are market leaders in China, while Samsung, Apple, ZTE, Huawei and HTC “are upping their game with high-end and low-end models,” the report author wrote in a research note.

Nokia shipped 6.8 million smartphones in 3Q11. Samsung ranked second, having shipped 4.2 million units. Taken together, the two accounted for 46.1% of the China market.

Mobile connections in China are forecast to exceed 1 billion come May next year, while mobile penetration will reach 74%, according to a GigaOm report. That compares to some 303 million in the U.S.

China and India were already the world’s largest mobile markets when measured by mobile connections, according to Wireless Intelligence. The market research firm forecasts that ongoing growth in the two countries’ mobile telecoms markets will drive mobile connections to a “landmark 3 billion” in 1Q 2012 and 4.1 billion by 2015.

Computer programming languages have steadily progressed towards using ‘natural language’ to write instructions that computers can carry out. AT&T’s Platform as a Service (PaaS) may be the ultimate, terminal point in this evolution.

It is targeted for use by businesses. AT&T’s PaaS is “a complete development environment to build and launch custom applications quickly, run them reliably and manage them easily across the full application lifecycle,” according to a company news release.

Applications built using its PaaS run on AT&T’s Cloud Services platform and “can also deliver the high performance you need and the low per-user price you want,” the telecompetitor touts.

In order to make use of it, you need to sign up for the service online; provision the virtual resources you need; and create a development environment (that can be done within minutes, AT&T claims). By doing so, businesses and other organizations can avoid long procurement cycles and reduce capital equipment expenses, according to AT&T.

AT&T’s Cloud Services platform provides a secure, scalable, 24×7x365 infrastructure of virtual application and database servers, as well as an application development environment and tools that include 50 pre-loaded, customizable templates that enable “non-traditional” users to develop applications.

]]> http://fecinc.com/blog/att-intros-do-it-yourself-app-development/feed/ 0 http://fecinc.com/blog/can-broadband-save-consumers-8k-per-year/ http://fecinc.com/blog/can-broadband-save-consumers-8k-per-year/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:59:57 +0000 Mike Boehne http://fecinc.com/blog/?p=854 A high-speed broadband connection to the Internet can save American consumers nearly $8,000 a year, according to the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA). The cost savings are detailed in the IIA’s, “The Real Cost of the Digital Divide in 2011,” a report produced by Nicholas J. Delgado, a certified financial planner and principal of Dignitas, a wealth management company based in Chicago.

A high-speed broadband connection to the Internet can save American consumers nearly $8,000 a year, according to the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA). The cost savings are detailed in the IIA’s, “The Real Cost of the Digital Divide in 2011,” a report produced by Nicholas J. Delgado, a certified financial planner and principal of Dignitas, a wealth management company based in Chicago.

The savings are primarily the result of using the Internet to comparison shop and find group deals. “Consumers are able to save online due to price comparison, access to deeper markets and the power of group-buying,” said Delgado. “The popularity of websites like Groupon and LivingSocial has skyrocketed with users able to cut their spending in half in areas like dining out, entertainment and salon services.”

Delgado’s analysis is based on the 2010 Consumer Expenditure Survey, which the US Dept. of Labor released on Sept. 27.

Average annual expenditures per consumer fell two percent in 2010, according to the report, though the amount saved, at $7,707, stayed about the same compared to a year ago. 2010 percentage savings rose in Housing (9.8%), Food (26%), Gasoline (6.19%) and Non-Prescription Drugs (30%).

The average annual cost of a home broadband connection in 2010 was $490. Taking advantage of discounts offered only to online customers, consumers could save $7,200 per year on essentials such as housing, food, clothing and basics like entertainment and travel, according to the IIA.

Broadband customers can completely eliminate the average $46.68 spent on paying bills, for instance. They could cut the average spent on newspapers by nearly 90%, and that spent on entertainment nearly in half. Buying non-prescription drugs online can yield savings of 30 percent, while the amount spent on buying clothes can be reduced by nearly 34 percent.

A disproportionate percentage of Americans lacking a broadband Internet connection are either minorities, seniors, lower income or live in rural areas. Thus those who can benefit the most from a broadband connection and the savings that can be gained re missing out.

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, just two-thirds of American adults have a broadband connection at home, while the Commerce Dept. reported in February that only 60 percent of rural households have a broadband connection, the IIA noted.

“Broadband service is like a treadmill; you have to use it to reap the benefits,” said Bruce Mehlman, IIA co-chair. “Extending broadband access to all Americans is the best way to empower them to better manage their spending in a challenging economic environment.”

ZweigWhite says Hot Firm list members “…have outperformed the economy and competitors to become leaders in their chosen fields.” The Hot Firm List, compiled yearly, recognizes architecture engineering, planning and environmental consulting firms that exhibit the fastest growth in the last three fiscal years. Rankings average percentage revenue growth and absolute dollar revenue growth during the period under review.

While we are extremely proud of this accomplishment, we know it’s only because of the commitment and dedication of our clients to ensure their respective community is served with the best network possible. We are honored to work in partnership with them to achieve this important goal.