Editorial Manager’s Eye, by Anthony Weaver, Editorial Manager Connect-World publications.
Welcome to the Connect-World eDigest, which provides a summary of the ICT trade events and news items that have recently caught my eye as Editorial Manager.
For more information on the news items, please visit our press releases webpage detailed below. https://connect-world.com/category/page-content/press-releases/
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Trade Events
PTC Hawaii, 21-24 January 2018
PTC’s annual conference is the Pacific Rim’s premier telecommunications event. The Conference provides all attendees with a three-day platform to focus on planning, networking, and discovering what the new year will bring.
PTC’18 was the 40th Anniversary celebration for PTC’s annual conference, opening a new decade of connections.
PTC’18 celebrated and joined over 7,000+ members and industry attendees in Honolulu, Hawaii from 21-24 January 2018 to share and explore the critical transformational shifts of the next four years, and the next forty years.
Ref: https://www.ptc.org/ptc18/
Press Releases
Monday 29 January
Nokia implements Future X network architecture for 5G to deliver breakthrough network performance and reduce costs
On the day Nokia unveiled its ReefShark chipsets, the company has outlined the scope of its Future X architecture for 5G, the basis for its new reference silicon design and the foundation of its 5G technology and services portfolio.
This portfolio – to be showcased at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month – comprises a full, end-to-end network that delivers up to three times more data capacity per cell site and 30% lower total cost of operation* through artificial intelligence-based automation.
Nokia’s 5G Future X provides unprecedented baseband performance thanks to Nokia’s breakthrough ReefShark chipset. ReefShark chipsets also decrease the size of massive MIMO antennas by 50%, increasing deployment options, while achieving a 64% reduction in the power consumption of baseband units. Machine Learning-enabled beamforming technologies allow networks to ‘follow’ mobile devices and extend cell range as well as provide massive capacity wherever it is needed.
Friday 26 January
Nokia opens Cloud Collaboration Hubs to enable operators to realize their cloud strategies
Nokia is strengthening its cloud and data center services by opening a Nokia Cloud Collaboration Hub in Singapore. Another hub will be opened in Irving, Texas in February 2018, to be followed by a third one in Reading, UK. The hubs are execution centers where multivendor cloud services from strategy and design to execution and delivery are provided. They offer innovative tooling and automation, as well as DevOps based cloud development and delivery.
The Nokia Cloud Collaboration Hubs include a multivendor lab set-up with experts co-located to help operators visualize, develop and execute tailored use cases based on their cloud strategies. The global network of hubs provide support to operators to speed up their transition to cloud. The Cloud Collaboration Hub is an evolution of the Cloud Design Center, opened in 2016 in the UK, which has already been delivering multivendor cloud solutions to operators globally.
Thursday 25 January
Qualcomm and Leading Chinese Manufacturers Announce ‘5G Pioneer’
Today, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) held the 2018 Qualcomm China Tech Day in Beijing. At the event, Qualcomm Technologies and leading Chinese manufacturers expressed interest in working together in an initiative to support China’s smartphone industry for the global opportunities that will be made available by 5G and introduce 5G New Radio (NR) standard-compliant commercial devices expected as early as 2019, announced as the “5G Pioneer” Initiative. Representatives from Lenovo Group Ltd., Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd., vivo Communication Technology Co., Ltd., Xiaomi Communications Co., Ltd., ZTE Corporation and Wingtech Technology Co., Ltd. joined Qualcomm Incorporated president Cristiano Amon on stage to give support to working together on this initiative. These companies aim to accelerate the availability of commercial 5G premium tier devices expected in 2019.
Amazon Go tech will bring a new era of personalised shopping, but it won’t kill human interaction
Analysts have predicted that Amazon Go could launch in the UK by the end of 2018, which would enable British shoppers to experience a checkout-free supermarket for the first time. According to retail technology expert Conversity, such a change will herald a new era where personalised, automated product recommendations and innovative shopping experiences become the norm. However, rather than eliminating the element of human interaction in shopping, this new technology will be used to complement and enhance the relationships customers have with human sales staff.
Amazon Go works by tracking shoppers in stores using cameras and sensors, with any products they pick up and take away from the store being automatically charged once they leave. For Dave Stark, CEO at Conversity, this development will encourage further advances in retail technology, all designed to increase convenience for consumers.
Tuesday 16 January
Consumers’ 5G wish list outlines action plan for operators
Ericsson today presented Towards a 5G consumer future – its Consumer and Industry Insight report that discusses the six calls to action from consumers that operators need to act upon to provide a foundation for adoption of 5G technology.
The report, the biggest 5G consumer expectation study to date, represents the views of 800 million smartphone users worldwide.
Jasmeet Sethi, Senior Advisor, Ericsson Consumer & Industry Lab, says: “Our latest study does not look at a consumer view on 5G in isolation, but rather uncovers unmet consumer needs that must be fulfilled by operators on the way to 5G. From offering an effortless buying experience to focusing on real network performance, consumers are demanding changes they would like to see already made today.”
Ghana speeds up EMV migration with PURE payment technology
Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is providing its PURE white-label payment solution to GhIPSS (Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems), a subsidiary of Ghana’s central bank that manages the country’s interbank payment processing system. Gemalto’s technology and consultancy will help speed up Ghana’s migration to the enhanced security of EMV transactions, and enable GhIPSS to offer its 41 member institutions comprehensive support for the introduction of domestic branded EMV cards.
The PURE technology solution provides GhIPSS full control and independence over the creation and operation of a new domestic chip-based payment eco-system. The PURE EMV white label offer gives private label issuers or domestic schemes the ability to issue payment cards with total independence from other payment card associations. Full interoperability will be established between all of Ghana’s stakeholders, including banks, merchants and end users. Furthermore, Gemalto and GhIPSS have defined together the domestic issuance and acceptance specifications that will greatly simplify the adoption of the new domestic chip card by the Ghanaian banking community. For end users, the PURE-based solution will ensure that all bank cards can be used at ATMs and POS terminals throughout Ghana, backed by the proven fraud protection of global payment standards.
Wednesday 10 January
Yahsat and Tanaza partner to increase the number of public Wi-Fi hotspots globally
Yahsat, the UAE based satellite operator, announced today the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tanaza, the Italian Wi-Fi cloud management software provider. Under the terms of the MoU, Tanaza will provide Yahsat with a web platform to manage multiple users accessing Wi-Fi and social hotspots across the operator’s coverage footprint.
Since forming in 2010, Tanaza has built a client base of over 800 partners with millions of Wi-Fi users in more than 130 countries. Yahsat will take advantage of the Tanaza’s cloud-based software to allow Wi-Fi connections across geographies, with easy management and effortless user access. Commenting on the MoU, Farhad Khan, Yahsat’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We have been looking for a partner that could tap into the elasticity of the cloud to help to make accessing our network leaner. Tanaza will provide us with the technology needed to further enhance our offering and fully align with the needs and preferences of our end-users across the Middle East, Africa, Central and South West Asia.”
Tuesday 9 January
China Telecom Americas Announces Partnership with Intelisys to Extend Transpacific Network Services
China Telecom Americas today announced it has partnered with Intelisys, Inc., a ScanSource company and the nation’s leading Technology Services Distributor, to extend China Telecom’s service offerings. Through Intelisys, the company’s Sales Partners will gain access to China Telecom Americas’ local expertise and customer service for deploying and managing transpacific network services between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies.
“For agents and VARs whose customers are multinational enterprises seeking global communication solutions, China Telecom America’s transpacific network services are an exceptional addition to their portfolio,” comments Jay Bradley, President, Intelisys. “As businesses, regardless of size or industry, evolve into cloud companies, this partnership with China Telecom will undoubtedly benefit our Sales Partners and their customers. We look forward to a mutually successful relationship.”
Monday 8 January
Samsung Electronics Debuts Next Generation of Family Hub Refrigerator at CES 2018
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the next generation of its award-winning Family Hub refrigerator, continuing to pioneer and redefine the refrigerator category. A winner of the 2018 CES Best of Innovation award, Family Hub sets a new standard for connected living. The new Family Hub will be on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from January 9-12, 2018.
Family Hub in 2018 offers a wide range of smart features that allow consumers to do what they could not do before. These include syncing up food storage with meal preparation, keeping family members better connected and organized, and providing enhanced entertainment. Family Hub is also more intuitive and intelligent with the addition of Bixby voice control and its integration with Samsung’s SmartThings IoT ecosystem.
Thursday 4 January
TV2U, SOL Telecom and CCS TV launch OTT service in Brazil
TV2U, a global provider of OTT media services, today announces the commercial launch of its OTT entertainment service for the region of Brazil, in collaboration with its partners SOL Telecom and CCS TV. TV2U completed full commercial deployment with the integration of the head-end at both SOL Telecom’s and CCSTV’s facilities, and the amalgamation of TV2U’s cloud -based Content Management Services.
The first service offering will consist of over 100 live channels of both premium and local content, rapidly growing to more than 250 live channels, with the addition of on-demand content for movies and TV series in the future.
For more information on the news items, please visit our press releases webpage detailed below. https://connect-world.com/category/page-content/press-releases/
Anthony Weaver
Editorial Manager
Connect-World Magazines
United Kingdom
Email: anthony.weaver@connect-world.com
Web: www.connect-world.com
