RCS DevChallenge...carriers aiming a new paradigm?

The GSMA launched a new competition, the RCS DevChallenge trying to boost mobile and pc solutions based on RCS specifications.
Rich Communication Suite is perhaps the last chance of carriers to keep a key role (not exclusive) in the solutions based communication market and avoid to become finally a mere dumb pipe.
The idea is about combining a lot of experiences around the address book, allowing to combined voice call with additional media sharing possibilities (audio files, live videoshare, instant messaging, etc).
The powerful Presence feature (IETF, 3GPP and OMA specs) is enabling a lot of rich "use cases always on" not being intrusive. Then Social Media interaction, CRM info from your suppliers, user generated content and distribution can be "re-invented" using a common interface, the RCS client. A compatible multi-platform RCS client, backed from powerful data core and IMS, coming as a native feature even in low-mid tier handsets, with API's to create clients and extensions (as app or web based) for personal computers will make RCS as successful as SMS.
a) most of devices enabled
b) a common interface being used for a lot of different use cases (no laziness to learn how to use, little effort, lots of possibilities).
We hope carriers take RCS seriously and forget their traditional trial/deploying times and push the accelerator. Solutions based on particular apps, not always multi-platform are being launched everyday, app-stores being opened...are not the win-win-win scenario. If services are not compatible for all types of users making difficult to arrive to critical mass of users, and when most of users reject the idea of installing an application and learn it for each communication experience they want to try.

The paradigm of "only carrier owned" services was not successful, carriers can not think and flawless execute all the use cases.
The opposite paradigm based on mere dumb pipe carriers and a ecosystem of applications with no standards and compability (the current one) is not being successful, it is not including the most of users.
A new paradigm is needed. It will be relying on both approaches, openness and also standarized enablers being shared to develope use cases on the top.

Of course, Solaiemes backs RCS, we will participate in the contest, our vision from the beginning was about communication services, using standard features, considering IMS as a very good enablers and being our first product, LIVESERVE, using combination services (videoshare).

Carriers, we look forward your feedback and positive collaboration.

1 or 2 Cameras ? that's the question

Everybody knows how one of the most promising features of 3G technology, the videocall was not successful. Carriers, with initial limited 3G capacity launched low profile the videocall, it was more related to say "we have videocall" rather than "videocall is powerful, use it". Initial prices were too high and the person to person videocall is not really "the killer application".
A lot of services can be deployed using Videocall, IVVR (video IVR), user generated content for enterprise use cases, online journalism, multimedia blogging, law enforcement use cases and also social media interaction. But the initial "not correct promotion" just discouraged solution developers from innovating based on mobile video. The point is that as videocall/videoShare was not being used, right now, in order to reduce the cost of the handsets, the 3G devices are missing the front camera, not only useful for videocall/IMS_videoshare features but also for well known applications being ported to mobile.
When mobile bandwidth & stability capacity is ok, and some carriers (as 3G in UK) are welcoming 3rd Party VoIP/ToIP communication applications as Skype, now it is time to reconsider that the front camera is really a need, not only to use properly videocall and IMS videoshare, but also be used in traditional full multimedia and UC conceived applications.
In our opinions it makes no sense to add megapixels to the main camera, (not usefull when the device has not the zooming and optics of a photo-camera device) and remove from the design the front camera.
Just a mere example, when using a mobile to live broadcast a breaking new, the online journalist will need to appear him/herself during moments, and later...be streaming what is happening.

Carriers can still monetize videocall/videoshare when using them for added value use cases and other front camera based apps can help to monetize boost data plans.

Hope carriers and device suppliers reconsider this...WE WANT BOTH CAMERAS !!!

Solaiemes, semi-finalist at Qprize Business Plan competition

Solaiemes has been selected as semi-finalist in the Europe/Israel region of the the global Qualcomm Ventures competition Qprize.
The competition rules set only early stage technology companies (< 1 M u$ in VC investment) could compete with their business plan to try to win convertible notes. The competition itself is a great chance to get awareness, as being shorlisted regional semifinalist means that the investment arm of one of the more innovative global companies as Qualcomm screened your business plan and consider feasible the entrepreneurs ideas and the how to convert them into a profitable business. We will be pitching in the regional semi-final next week, september, the 10th in London. Find here the list of Europe/Israel selected companies for the semi-final: