Infrastructure sharing is set to have a significant impact on the Indian mobile sector in 2008 as carriers look for ways to expand their coverage as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

The operators, meanwhile, will retain ownership of their active infrastructure -- the base transceiver station (BTS), base station controllers (BSCs), antennae, and backhaul equipment.

The new so-called "tower companies" will lease out their passive infrastructure to all operators, generating new revenues and enabling those service provider customers to roll out services more quickly than if they had to develop new passive sites of their own.

In December 2007, Bharti Infratel, which was created earlier in the year to handle Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Mumbai: BHARTIARTL - message board)'s network, announced it would be teaming up with Vodafone Essar and IDEA Cellular Ltd. to form an independent company called Indus Towers. The partnership covers 70,000 towers in 16 telecom regions, and the new company will handle all future rollouts in those areas. (See Indian Carriers Form Co. and Upheaval in India's Mobile Market.)

Bharti Infratel has also announced a $1 billion investment from a group of international firms, including the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd. , Goldman Sachs & Co. , Macquarie Bank , and Citigroup . That investment values Indus Towers at more than $10 billion. (See Bharti Sells Tower Stake.)

Also last December, regional operator Spice Telecom announced it has decided to sell 875 of its tower sites to Quipo Telecom Infrastructure Ltd. , an independent company, for INR6 billion (US$152.59 million). Spice also stated in an announcement to the Bombay stock exchange that it will borrow up to $400 million from Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. and an additional $410 million from China Development Bank (CDB) for growth and network expansion.

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) will reportedly create its own separate tower company in the coming months to share its infrastructure. The carrier's network includes 31,000 GSM towers and 7,500 CDMA towers, and it has issued a tender for the construction of an additional 6,000 towers.

Reliance Communications Ltd. created Reliance Telecom Infrastructure Ltd. (RTIL) in January 2007 to manage more than 12,000 towers. (See Reliance Approves Tower Spinoff.)

It sold a 5 percent stake in the company in July to a group of international vendors for $350 million, giving it an enterprise value of $6.75 million. (See Reliance Sells Tower Stake.)

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been encouraging carriers to take advantage of infrastructure sharing to increase the availability of telecom services throughout the country, and the Department of Telecom has invited all carriers and tower companies to submit proposals for the rollout of 11,000 new towers. That's in addition to the 8,000 sites commissioned for the first phase of the project.

The rollout will be financed by revenues from the government's Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which collects 5 percent of all carriers' adjusted gross revenues to fund telecom development in underserved areas.

This year will see operators reaping the benefits of these agreements, as they expand their networks to meet the demands of a growing subscriber base and accelerate their push into low-margin rural areas, where as much as 70 percent of India's 1.1 billion-strong population resides.

Indian mobile subscriber growth is continuing to accelerate; operators added a record 8.32 million new accounts in November to bring the total customer base to 225.46 million.

D2’s mCUETM Product Line Helps OEMs Address Intersection of Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and Unified Communications Functions

LAS VEGAS, NV — January 7, 2008 — D2 Technologies, the market leader in software platforms for IP communications, today introduced the industry’s first embedded mobile convergence software to power the next generation of converged multi-mode mobile communications devices. D2’s mCUETM pairs an innovative, patent pending communications user interface (CUI) with the company’s vPort MP VoIP software platform to address the needs of OEMs and service providers delivering integrated Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and Unified Communications (UC) functionality. mCUE provides a complete embedded software framework for multi-mode mobile handsets for enterprise and consumer use, such as dual-mode cellular plus Wi-Fi phones, and is being unveiled for the first time in a private suite at The Signature (Tower 1), MGM Grand during the 2008 International CES in Las Vegas, January 7-11. 

“mCUE revolutionizes mobile communications by tying together the best aspects of PC-based communications, such as VoIP, instant messaging and presence support, with the roaming benefits of mobile cellular and connection speed and quality of in-building wireless,” said Doug Makishima, vice president of marketing at D2 Technologies.  “It is a complete turnkey solution for multi-mode mobile communication devices.”  
D2’s mCUE software bridges the functionality of IP communications with the coverage of mobile networks to provide the best communication experience for mobile users. Because it is interoperable with enterprise IP-PBXs and UC systems as well as service provider networks, mCUE provides enterprise users with mobile access to full directory services, extension calling, corporate IM, and other features typically only available on IP desk phones or PC-based soft phones. Its revolutionary user interface, built on top of a multi-identity, multi-session, multi-protocol engine, enables users to simultaneously log into multiple different communications services such as SIP, Google Talk, Yahoo!, MSN, AIM, and others. 
 
mCUE is specifically designed for mobile embedded devices, making it an ideal platform for smartphones and mid-range “feature phone” class devices.  Its user interface offers the latest advances in unified communications including presence-centric and push-to-X control over all types of sessions including voice, IM, SMS, and e-mail messaging.  It includes an innovative presence-based converged contact list for all services and tools for managing multiple accounts, services and networks.

mCUE utilizes D2’s Internet Service Interface (ISI) layer, a unique interface enabling multiple IM, VoIP and e-mail services as well as concurrent sessions.  It can be customized to meet specific OEM application requirements and can be rebranded by service providers looking for revenue enhancing customer opportunities. Furthermore, its complete Java-based user interface framework for Linux can be ported to other GUI platforms.

D2’s vPort MP VoIP software engine gives mCUE seamless FMC mobility through IMS-SIP and VCC functionality. vPort leads the market in embedded VoIP performance, efficiency and platform support, enabling networking, signaling and voice processing functions to execute as an integrated solution on a single processor, thereby driving down costs.
D2 technologies’ extensive experience in embedded VoIP solutions, IP communications, Java device platforms, and mobile user experience enables the company to provide core communications solutions for Android, Linux communications platforms, and other OS platforms used in mobile devices. In addition to Linux, vPort has been ported to a number of other OSs and RTOSs, and will be available on Windows® Mobile in the near future.

Pricing and Availability
D2’s strategic customers are in current product demos.  Pricing information is available on an individual basis through the company’s sales team.

About D2
D2 is the market leader in software platforms that power IP communications equipment.  The company’s embedded VoIP software enables manufacturers to use leading communications hardware platforms and ICs to quickly and affordably deliver a broad range of communications devices, from terminals and network equipment to wireless IP phones.  D2’s software, which processes billions of minutes per month across a wide variety of different types of devices, is setting the stage for the next generation of converged multimode IP handsets and terminal equipment.  To learn more about how D2 is transforming the world of IP communications go to www.D2tech.com.

Avaya IP Office solutions are linked to serve 15 sites citywide, slashing telecommunications costs by 60%

When the City of Bedford, Texas, looked for a solution to soaring telecommunications costs, it turned to a high-performance, converged communications network featuring technology from Avaya Inc., a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services.

Designed and installed by Avaya Platinum-level BusinessPartner Lantana Communications, the new network is based on Avaya IP Office, a secure, easy-to-use converged voice and data system for small and medium-sized organizations. To date more than 110,000 Avaya IP Office solutions have been sold worldwide.

Sixteen of the systems are now linked to serve approximately 400 City of Bedford workers – from law enforcement officers and firefighters to parks and recreation workers and the administrative team in city hall. By replacing its former central office-based telephony services with the new Avaya network, the city has slashed its telecommunications costs by 60 percent, for a savings of nearly $90,000 a year.

"Not only have we been able to make dramatic reductions in our costs, but we've done so while adding new features that help us operate more efficiently and improve the service we deliver to local residents," said Bill Cooper, information technology director, City of Bedford.

Previously customers of the city's water utility would call a city employee directly with questions about their service or their account, leaving voicemail if the employee were unavailable. Now, contact center software that is built into IP Office allows customers to dial a central number and have their call routed to the first member of the department available to take their call, improving the city's responsiveness. In addition, incoming calls can be easily transferred to any city employee using four-digit dialing.

New "hot desking" capabilities help workers stay in touch and operate more efficiently when visiting a remote office. They can log in from any phone on the network to make it their own - receiving calls and accessing their directories and individual feature settings, just as if they were in their own office.

In addition, the City of Bedford no longer needs to pay a vendor to make telephony changes. Instead, the city's information technology manager can centrally manage each IP Office system and make moves, adds and changes without visiting each individual location.

"We now run all our data and phone traffic through our Avaya IP Office systems over a city-owned private network, and doing so has given us new-found flexibility," Cooper said. "For example, since Avaya offers a variety of connectivity options, we've linked five sites using an existing fiber network, but use wireless connectivity for those that are more remotely located. We also have flexibility in the types of phones we use with the system, so we were able to select a mix of Avaya digital and IP phones, using each where it made best business sense to do so."

About Avaya
Avaya delivers Intelligent Communications solutions that help companies transform their businesses to achieve marketplace advantage. More than 1 million businesses worldwide, including more than 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®, use Avaya solutions for IP Telephony, Unified Communications, Contact Centers and Communications-Enabled Business Processes. Avaya Global Services provides comprehensive service and support for companies, small to large. For more information visit the Avaya Web site: http://www.avaya.com.

About Lantana Communications
Lantana Communications offers a wide variety of strategic consulting services with Converged Communications, large scale communication solutions, data Services, large scale install services, equipment and software maintenance, 24/7 technical support, refurbished equipment and Avaya certified professional services for all of its customers. For more information we invite you to visit us at http://www.lantanacom.com.

Dubai TV introduces a mobile portal in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt which offers special multimedia, as well as competitions, ring-tones and games

Dubai TV has launched an interactive mobile portal with local partner Qanawat, using U-Turn Media Group’s mobile media delivery platform. The portal is branded Dubai TV and contains a wide selection of multimedia, including downloadable video previews of upcoming TV shows, daily sporting and weather information, ring-tones, games and a weekly competition.

Marketing of the service includes regular TV spots in the four countries where the service is offered, as well as a comprehensive SMS campaign in United Arab Emirates.

There are no plans to charge consumers directly for the service, although as user numbers grow advertising within the portal will be introduced in the form of banner ads and short pre-play video announcements. The long term strategy will be to deliver targeted advertising to consumers based on their location, age and preferences.

The Dubai TV portal is compatible with most handsets that have a colour screen and is available as an on device portal (ODP) which is installed onto the phone or as a WAP site. The ODP version allows users to launch the service by clicking on a branded icon residing on the desktop of the phone, with no manual configuration required. Updates to the portal are performed in real time over the air, ensuring the latest version of content is presented.

Users in all four countries, regardless of the network operator being used, can access the service by sending a simple SMS request. This pan-regional, carrier independent mobile service is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is testament to the scope of the flexible U-Turn platform.

The Dubai TV mobile offering was launched in contrast to the path taken by several other broadcasters who have aligned themselves with operators and are offering their programming through carrier branded services. It is a unique situation because the content, branding advertising and promotion are controlled by Dubai TV alone.

“We strongly believe that media companies will drive the deployment of video and other premium services on mobile phones”, said Mr. Daniel Konecny, Head of Global Sales at U-Turn. “We are delighted that Dubai TV sees the potential of going mobile and has chosen U-Turn as their trusted technology partner,” he added.

Local partner Qanawat is managing and uploading the content to the portal using U-Turn’s patented content management system. Connectivity with local SMS providers and marketing coordination is also being provided by Qanawat.

Martin Bentler (46) took over as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Siemens IT Solutions and Services. He replaces Michael Schulz-Drost, who has moved to the Mobility Division of the Industry Sector in the same capacity.
Bentler's last position since 2006 was as Managing Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Siemens Corporate Finance. Since joining Siemens in 1985, he has also gathered experience in the IT sector. At the beginning of the nineties, he was in charge of Performance Controlling at the former Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme (SNI), and from 1994 to 1997 he headed Controlling at Siemens USA. From 1997 to 2006, Bentler was with Siemens Financial Services, initially as head of Accounting and since 2000 as CFO.

A picture can be found under: www.siemens.com/it-solutions/pictures/02010801

Siemens IT Solutions and Services is an internationally leading provider of IT solutions and services. It covers the entire IT service chain from a single source, from consulting to system integration, right through to the management of IT infrastructures. In addition, Siemens IT Solutions and Services extends the range of offerings of the other Siemens Groups to include software developments and IT solutions. With its comprehensive know-how and industry-specific knowledge, Siemens IT Solutions and Services provides measurable added value for its customers. Founded in January 2007, the new Siemens Group employs around 43,000 people and posts annual sales of about 5.4 billion euros, of which some 70 percent are generated outside of the Siemens group. www.siemens.com/it-solutions

Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of DVR Anywhere on the Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia platform, giving digital video recording (DVR) consumers the flexibility to watch their recorded TV programs on any TV in their home, further enhancing the platform’s powerful connected TV capabilities. In addition, Microsoft also announced it is working with leading programmers, including Showtime Networks Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s TNT and CNN networks, to showcase new connected TV applications and scenarios that are enabled by the extensible Microsoft Mediaroom platform.

With DVR Anywhere, viewers could begin watching a movie in the living room, resume viewing it on the kitchen TV during dinner, and finish watching the same movie from the comfort of their bedroom. In addition, members of a household will never have to fight over the remote control again, due to the capability to watch the same or different recorded programs from multiple TVs in the home simultaneously while recording other shows to be viewed at their convenience.

Microsoft Mediaroom’s DVR Anywhere is software-based, so no TV tuners are needed. It also requires that only one set-top box in the home have a hard drive, thus lowering the expense for service providers and consumers. The DVR Anywhere feature, which will support standard and high-definition TV, is the first whole-home DVR offering currently available to IPTV service providers.

Microsoft is also partnering with Showtime Networks and Turner Broadcasting to demonstrate applications Microsoft jointly built with ES3 that showcase the potential of Microsoft Mediaroom to bring consumers new, personalized connected TV experiences. These next-generation scenarios, not yet available to consumers, will be on display in the Microsoft booth at the 2008 International CES show, and include the following:

In addition, Microsoft will show an application called My Pad, designed and built by emuse technologies, that connects viewers to their social networks through the TV via Windows Live services and also enables them to share personal pages that exist online and on the TV. Finally, Microsoft and ChoiceStream Inc. will demonstrate a personalized TV and video-on-demand recommendations application tailored to each viewer’s unique tastes and preferences.

“With DVR Anywhere and the promise of new applications that can further extend Microsoft Mediaroom’s potential in the future, Microsoft is delivering on its promise to make the television experience truly social, personal and connected,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Connected Television Division at Microsoft. “Consumer demand for connected TV is here, and Microsoft Mediaroom continues to offer new ways for viewers to experience TV as part of their connected, digital lifestyle while also enabling the very best digital TV service available anywhere.”

“Consumers are coming to expect connected TV services from their TV provider,” said Pete Dailey, senior research analyst with Stratecast Research. “With Microsoft Mediaroom, consumers are promised new ways to extend their TV experience beyond the living room, making the TV a major hub of the connected entertainment lifestyle. This innovation enables carriers to differentiate video offerings based on very compelling connected functionality rather than simply competing on price.”

New relationship expands Mediaroom ecosystem and brings new capabilities for advanced connected TV services.

Microsoft Corp. and Broadcom Corporation today announced a collaboration in Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) products. The collaboration includes Microsoft and Broadcom working together to enable the popular Microsoft Mediaroom™ IPTV client software to operate on next-generation set-top boxes (STBs) utilizing the Broadcom® BCM7405 system on a chip (SOC).This technology will permit service providers and original equipment manufacturers to support a range of features such as whole-home digital video recording (DVR), high-performance user interfaces, and photo and music sharing.

The new alliance with Broadcom exemplifies the continued commitment by Microsoft and its ecosystem partners to deliver market leadership and innovation to Microsoft Mediaroom customers and to make new connected TV services a reality for service providers worldwide. Working together, Microsoft and Broadcom are leveraging the capabilities of the BCM7405 SOC to further enhance the performance of Microsoft’s Mediaroom platform in support of next-generation service provider requirements.

“We’re providing our Microsoft Mediaroom customers with innovative connected TV services that help differentiate them in the marketplace,” said Christine Heckart, general manager of marketing for Microsoft TV. “Broadcom’s high-performing chipsets provide our customers with greater choice while allowing us to deliver new, richer TV applications.”

In support of these new connected TV services, Broadcom and Microsoft are also working to help ensure the highest level of security functionality on this new platform. This is especially important in deployments where multiple conditional access technologies must be supported, such as in Europe.

“BT is very happy to see Broadcom join the Microsoft Mediaroom ecosystem of suppliers,” said Richard Griffiths, director of Technology Strategy and Development at BT Vision, a customer of Microsoft. “The [BCM]7405 SOC will enable us to offer our customers even more powerful applications and services on their TV through the BT Vision V-box.”

“We are very pleased to be working with Microsoft on this important collaboration,” said Richard Nelson, vice president of marketing for Broadcom’s Broadband Communications Group. “Microsoft is driving the movement toward exciting and connected TV experiences, and we see increased synergy between the breadth of Broadcom product offerings and what Microsoft wants to enable within the whole-home DVR environment and beyond.”

BCM74xx series SOCs from Broadcom can also be embedded into other consumer devices to allow users to choose from a variety of IPTV-ready receivers such as HD DVD players and television sets. This creates more opportunities to experience connected TV through other devices and services.

“This relationship demonstrates how Microsoft Mediaroom ecosystem partners continue to drive innovation across the television industry,” said Michelle Abraham, principal analyst at In-Stat. “The combination of the Microsoft and Broadcom SOC will be especially attractive to service providers who want to stay ahead of the competition in delivering highly innovative connected TV services.”

About Broadcom’s BCM7405 System-on-a-Chip Solution
Broadcom’s highly integrated low-power 65 nanometer solution leverages Broadcom’s proven track record and market leadership in set-top box technologies to deliver unprecedented levels of performance, system security and cost savings. It supports the latest in interactive features and a wide range of video compression standards (such as VC-1 and H.264), and includes support for new video compression standards such as China’s AVS. It offers support for multiple conditional access and digital rights management solutions, including Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10 and Mediaroom security requirements. The BCM7405 can decode and display simultaneous high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video with picture-in-picture and mosaic support. Multiple planes of HD graphics, powerful content security, and support for peripherals including USB 2.0, SATA II, Ethernet and HDMI 1.3 are provided. A 64-bit 400 MHz multimode DDR2 controller is also provided, as is support for NOR and NAND flash.

About Microsoft Mediaroom
The award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia software platform is driving the future of television by enabling broadband service providers to deliver new connected TV and entertainment experiences to consumers worldwide. Microsoft Mediaroom provides new ways for consumers to experience TV as part of their connected, digital lifestyle, while also creating new business opportunities for broadband service providers, hardware manufacturers, content creators, advertisers and application developers. Over 20 of the world’s leading service providers across four continents have selected the Microsoft Mediaroom platform to drive their digital TV services. More information on Microsoft Mediaroom and the opportunity to deliver the best in TV plus all a customer’s media in one place is available at http://www.microsoft.com/TV and http://www.microsoftmediaroom.com.

About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry’s broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art, system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom is one of the world’s largest fabless semiconductor companies, with 2006 revenue of $3.67 billion, and holds over 2,300 U.S. and 1,000 foreign patents, more than 7,100 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video and data.

Digital broadcast service provider MobiTV, electronics firms Samsung and Rohde & Schwarz, communications solutions provider Nokia Siemens Networks and satellite communications company SES Americom jointly announced the launch of a new mobile television solution utilizing local broadcast TV spectrum. The platform, scheduled for live demonstration at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will deliver local and national programming as well as interactive applications to mobile devices "in-band"--i.e., on local stations' transmitters and spectrum--via Advanced Vestigial Sideband (A-VSB), a Samsung-developed, backward-compatible enhancement of the existing U.S. digital TV broadcasting system, and is based on open standard specifications defined by the Open Mobile Alliance BCAST 1.0, a globally interoperable mobile TV service layer specification suite.