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 !!!

LiveServe Solutions Framework (LS 3.0)

We are please to announce our last release of our LiveServe platform. We unveiled it at MWC 2009. New features:

• Support of VideoCall as live mobile incoming stream (to be added to the intially VideoShare feature supported)
• Framework designed to create "tailored" solutions based on "skin look and feel changes"
• Timeline and Geoview Media repository. Cell ID script, GPS and carrier LBS supported to get the location.
• Live Windows exportable as iframe to other websites
• Tagging/edit comments on posted media
• Connectors to personal accounts of social media sites: YouTube, Blogger, OVI...
• The web framework is also supporting VoIP audio from our VoxServe Push to Talk platform.
• Live mobile video not only broadcasted using WEB, LiveServe is also providing 3G streaming to mobile devices.

The LiveServe Solution Framework become the ideal platform to build mobile/convergence added value use cases for online media, socia media, law enforcement, task reporting, emergencies...

Solaiemes to join GSMA's Rich Communication Suite programme (RCS)

Solaiemes is joining GSMA's Rich Communication Suite (RCS) programme, first born as a initiative launched by several big players and now opened to participants outside that circle, under the GSMA aegis (more information about GSMA's RCS programme at http://www.gsmworld.com/rcs/programme.shtml).

We hope to bring forward our marketplace vision, hopefully different and enriching, and help with our technology, specially LiveServe.

LiveServe is right in the crossroads between open enablers (VideoShare and videocall), affordable handsets and Web 2.0. It is probably the most advanced mobile video platform for social uses, enterprise and vertical markets. We are saying it aloud: we can, let us work together with you: achieving more with less. Read about our disruptive approach here: instead of rely on applications only for high-tier devices, we promote powerful and standardized enablers, common across device range and vendors.

New! Solaiemes Communication SaaS

Finally, after conducting appliance based trials of our LIVESERVE technology converging media from mobile to Web 2.0, a new provisioning tool allows the capacity sharing, and start commercialization of our technology as SaaS model in parallel with the appliance model.

With this new approach, online media, web 2.0 communities, third party integrators will have an affordable way to include ubiquos live video in their solutions.
The platforms provideds html embbeds to include in the customer public sites or private web bases productivity solutions (as ERP, CRM) in a very simple way, each embed could be linked with media associated from 1 to n different handsets or resources. Several applications becoming feasible:

• Web TV
• online media live feeds from outdoors
• VideoBlogging / Video personal live broadcasting
• Video Surveillance
• VideoReporting ERP (gardening, maintenance, building tasks documentation)
• Interactive Voice and Video Response (IVVR)

Media Sources include:

• 3G handsets with videoshare feature ( Nokia N Series, 6120, 6110, and others)
• 3G videocall capable (upon request, needs a videogateway platform and ISDN conections)
  
• Webcams
  
• fix IP cameras
• and specific clients developed on demand in case of targetting other devices with no videoshare feature (windows mobile, iPhone, etc).

See exemples of integration with public site as blogger.com and enterprise propietary solution.




Additional brochure (spanish versión) -> brochure
And finally the video showing how easy could be integrating the platform with final use cases.

Solaiemes Team

Yes! Solaiemes team has a sleepless iPhone fan :-)

Alex, one of the Solaiemers, even as a company we tried to work for empower mid-tier devices is apple-fanatic, it proves how Solaiemes mobility army is accepting all views :-)
He was in the cue during now to adquire his 3G iPhone in the recently open TELEFONICA Store in the historical Telefonica headquarter in Madrid (just plane city centre, Gran Via street, where usually cinema premiers take place, the street of red carpets).

See the sequence of 4 videos (selected from the more than 10 he shooted) from the "long waiting" until getting the ONE, this services where streamed "live" in our blog using our technology, the quality is not as better as it use to see due the lots of 3G
subscribers in such a small place and also the mobile-camera (nokia 6120) being
handled by the quivering hand of our "excited by iPhone" colleague :-)

Let's talk about handsets

Disclaimer: this is a personal view, in Solaiemes we have team members worshipping the IPhone, and perhaps they are no sharing my point of view :-)

Now, let's talk about handsets as mobility tools. Everybody is waiting impatient the 3G iPhone, of course, it is a very nice handset, with lot of capabilities, Apple design, and proper marketing, obviously Solaiemes will try to squeeze its capabilities to deliver more mobility use cases experiencies.
Once said that, now, I want to help people realizing that a lot of powerful use cases are not needing iPhone, and perhaps other devices have advantadges. iPhone has a powerful browser and a lot of mobile solutions could be done base on rich web using AJAX, it is a fact, but for multimedia mobile use cases, related with infrastructure, all is still to be done.
Nokia is including by default as "out the box" features Push to Talk, VideoShare (see what i see), etc...
Other device manufacturers as Motorola, Samsung, SonyEricsson, have the same features developed but are no enabled in the SW right now in most of countries, we encourage them to enable the features and help the ecosystem to make this features a powerful ARPU generator for carriers, and a powerful "satisfaction" generator for their customers. With PTT and VideoShare you have real mobile experiences and new capabilities about being conected, alerted, sharing live media, multimodal usability. All these capabilities enable competition vs iPhone strengths: mobile browser, ipod-mobile, high tier conected PDA.

Solaiemes focuses on empowering the mid-tier devices, the largest market size in western countries to enable from network application specific infrastructure the same or even more multimedia and usability performance of high tier devices, and will help people with mid tier devices not envying iPhone users :-)

juan

Solaiemes LiveServe new feature. VideoPosting in OVI SHARE

Hi,
After including in our "mobile to whatever" videoshare LiveServe Suite platform features as automatic posting in YouTube and Blogger accounts, we announce that now we can videopost in the OVI media share social network (owned by Nokia) using VideoShare in 3G Networks.
With handsets supporting videoshare (also known as See What I See) configured to reach our platform, user could real time post, after stop your shooting, with no handset application needed.
Of course it is a test done from Spain, and not a commercial service yet :-(


Handsets we can send sip settings to configure and supporting the videosharing are mainly Nokia N73, 6120, 6110, N93 and others with specs indicating videoshare support.

Solaiemes showcased at IPTV Evangelist Magazine

Gilbert B. Hammer, IPTVe editor and Producer/DP showcased our technology at their well known IPTV site. We performed a remote demo about mobile to web realtime broadcasting, and storage ->website autoposting. Gilbert is based in New York, and shooted the real time demo to produce a 4 minutes videoreport including videos of our other use cases as peer to multipeer mobile videoshare. Many Thanks Gilbert

http://www.iptvevangelist.com/mobile/2008/04/solaiemes.html
also available at Brightcove.TV http://www.brightcove.tv/channel.jsp?channel=14549041

About IPTV Evangelist

IPTV Evangelist is the ultimate guide to the people and the companies that are defining the red-hot IPTV market. Founded by streaming video pioneer Gilbert B. Hammer, IPTV Evangelist combines the latest IPTV news and analysis with interviews with key IPTV players. As the title of the site implies, Gilbert is passionate about IPTV, which he views as the next-generation for online and mobile entertainment for its creative integration of new and improved forms of communication, storytelling and community. For more information, visit www.iptvevangelist.com.

Good news for VideoShare !!! Nokia's move.

Recently Nokia has been adding the VideoShare feature (SeeWhatISee) to mid-tier handsets as 6110, 6120 and 6130, with configuration menu.
We are excited:

• Till now, the entry level of using N Series was a barrier for several customers asking for small and cheaper devices. FIXED.
  
• Till now not available handsets with WCDMA bands used in Europe/Asia (mostly 2100) and US and SouthAmeria (1900/850). That is letting us (Solaiemes) to demonstrate in a lot of countries the capabilities of our mobile infrastructure.

Hope we strength soon links with Nokia to cooperate to make VideoShare a killer feature and feasible a lot of high added value mobile use cases.

Yes ! We did, using 3G VideoShare to real time content upload to YouTube

Hi,

After showcasing use cases of our LiveServe Suite Infrastructure as real time broadcasting video from 3G VideoShare capable handset. (We use currently the native client included Nokia N73 and other N Series and several E Series ) as:

• real time videobroadcasting inserted as widget in whatever WEB 2.0 site as blogger.com
• real time videoposting in a dedicated blogger site

We unveil how uploading real time content from wherever you are, at any time to YouTube. The stream could be so long as your handset battery life decides :-)
Our first YouTube realtime video-upload using 3G VideoShare with our platform:

original size is QCIF (176x144) and the UMTS uplink was 64 kbps, the quality then is limited, hope soon the uplink rate will reach 128 kbps and the handset clients will do also.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=09KqxIqrNQU

for YouTube fanatics a nice enhancement, it could be operated by independent hosting or even better using carrier branded commercial videoshare services !!!


solaiemes team

Yes ! We are in the Mobile World Congress and videoposting :-)

Hi,
We are exhibiting at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona (Feb 11-14th). We will be unveiling our platforms for real time sharing media across mobile and WEB 2.0 / Corporate Applications.
We will be broadcasting several times a day using this blog, from mobile-camera, and all the recordings will be real time available at:

http://solaiemesvideoblog.blogspot.com

LiveServe 2.0...when Mobile and WEB 2.0 walk together :-)

Hi, we will publish in the next few days a press release in out website, but just in advance for our readers, we are going to unveil our first product reaching the second release, the LiveServe.

Here you can find a video with a couple of use cases, integration as Widget of 3G VideoShare "See What I See" in blogger public site, and the video-real-time-autoposting, a way to create personal videoblogs from whatever you are in your important moments. Concepts as video-twiter become feasible, and a lot of enterprise productivity solutions could be based in real time videoreporting.
We did not install anything in the device, we are using native features as VideoShare and can use videocall (but videocall has worse performace), these are network infrastructure based solutions.

It is time for carriers to make the move towards IMS, or at least enable this kind of services increasing ARPU, and new MVNO's to take a look about this services as virgin market segment to get customers, not only techy individuals but media companies, services companies, emergency forces, law & reinforcement, etc.


be there, from now on to the Mobile Congress week we will unveil new products

keep in touch  :-)

best regards.

Solaiemes Videos about our technologies !

We just recorded with a better camera than a simple handset as in the past :-) the new videos featuring our VideoShare infrastructure example of use cases and our demo enhancing mobile usability with our AVISG platform. We know we are not Spielberg but keep trying :-P

VIDEOSHARE TECHNOLOGY

USABILTY TECHNOLOGY