At the 3GSM World Congress this week, Adobe Systems announced a partnership to deliver Adobe FlashCast in Sweden. Telenor will conduct the first trial in Europe, joining several operators across the globe now testing FlashCast, a client-server solution that delivers rich data experiences to mobile phones. Trial users will be able to access specific channels dedicated to weather, news, and entertainment, writes Andy Stout.
Designed to solve many of the limitations of today’s mobile data services, FlashCast impacts the entire mobile ecosystem by expediting and simplifying the delivery of mobile content. It not only enables mobile network operators like Telenor to differentiate their brands in the fiercely competitive wireless market, it also helps to establish recurring revenue streams by increasing data adoption and usage. Similarly, it enables content developers and handset manufactures to create and deliver more dynamic applications.
“FlashCast makes it easy for users to discover personalised content, from gathering news and traffic conditions to gambling or booking a round of golf,” said Michael Bergman responsible for New Business at Telenor Sweden. “This is of growing importance to our subscribers as the market for mobile content services continues to intensify.”
For operators like Telenor, the success of NTT DoCoMo’s FlashCast application is a great example. Since the i-channel news and daily information delivery service launched in Japan in 2005, more than eight million mobile phone subscribers have signed up for the service. Subscribers receive five base channels for content-including news, weather, entertainment reports, sports and horoscopes-and are alerted to new channel updates via the standby screens of their mobile phone. In addition, third-party developers can also offer additional value-added content to enhance the breadth of available content for the user.
“Today, more than 200 million Flash Lite enabled mobile devices have shipped and Adobe continues to focus on ensuring that mobile content delivery is ever more integrated across its flagship creative products,” said Mike Bergeron, vice president for business development, Mobile and Devices at Adobe. “Flash developers worldwide now see the delivery of mobile content as an essential part of their future business plans and partnering with innovators like Telenor will open new markets for engaging Flash content.”
Telenor’s trials will begin in Sweden this month followed by in-depth focus groups. A commercial launch is expected in the autumn of 2007.
