http://www.smsvas.com
On the 28th of June at the Politecnico of Milan, during the congress organized for the presentation of the 2007 Research, the Mobile Content Observatory has presented the results of the performance of the Italian Mobile Value Added Service Market in 2006.
The observatory has estimated that for VAS the Italians have spent in 2006 around 1,5 billion euro.
One of the most interesting presentations during the conference was the one of Andrew Bud (Vice President of Mobile Entertainment Forum), who has told one important data not analyzed by the Observatory: the satisfaction of the consumers that are using VAS.
Mr. Bud told that in the UK market (one of the most regulated markets) over 74% of the consumers are really unsatisfied of the UK VAS services.
What would be the consumer dissatisfaction percentage in Italy? The Observatory of the Politecnico unfortunately hasn’t analyzed this important data, that, Andrew Bud empathize, is essential for the correct and durable development of this kind of business.
At the center of the afternoon session of the conference, moderated by Professor Umberto Beretelè (President School of Management of Politecnico of Milano), it was an authoritative debate with the top management of the four Italian mobile operators and some software, technology and web companies.
* Marco Comastri – CEO Microsoft Italia
* Paolo Dal Pino — CEO Wind
* Luigi De Vecchis — CEO Nokia Siemens Networks S.p.A.
* Pietro Guindani — CEO Vodafone Italia
* Luca Luciani — General Manager Domestic Mobile Services Telecom Italia
* Massimiliano Magrini – Country Manager Google Italia
* Vincenzo Novari — CEO 3 Italia
* Andreas Schneider — CEO Alcatel – Lucent Italia
At the end of the speeches made by the top managers, Professor Bertelè has opened the question and answer session.
Emanuele Preda, CEO of SMS.it, making echo to the first question from an entrepreneur, that asked if there is a solution for the problems that small companies are kept out from the market by the mobile operators.
Mr. Preda asks if the monopoly of the VAS based on the short code 48XXX, the ones for which Italian consumers spend every year 1,5 billion euro, is legal, considering that it seems there aren’t any laws supporting this monopoly, while there is a deliberation, the # 9 made by AGCOM, the Italian telecommunication authority in 2003 that seems to support the contrary.
Prof. Bertelè prevents that the question of Mr. Preda is completed, even asking two young person of his team to take by force Mr. Preda away from the conference room, despite many people from the audience (see the video) expressly asked Prof. Bertelè to let Mr. Preda to continue his speech and let the top manager answer the question of Mr. Preda.
UPDATE
10th of July 2007
The end of the illegal Mobile VAS monopoly?
The Authority intervenes and deliberates: interoperable and public domain 4XXXX numerations
The Authority for Telecommunications (AGCOM) has published Friday, July 6th 2007 on its website the deliberation n. 44/2007/CIR (about to be published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale).
In this deliberation, concerning a revision of the numeration plan in the telecommunications sector and implementation discipline, the AGCOM opens a public consultation while expressing its own valuations and directives regarding the revision of the numeration plan as regulated by the deliberation n. 9/2003/CIR.
In particular, concerning the decade 4 numerations such as 4XXXX currently in use by the four Italian carriers TIM, Vodafone, Wind and H3G with serious doubts about the legality of such use, the AGCOM is starting a revision of the law that regulates the assigning of the right to use said decade 4 and determines specific uses for the category.
Below the complete text of the deliberation from July 6th 2007 and concerning the decade 4 numerations, yet to be published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale:
[omissis]
9. Rules for assigning and use of decade 4 numeration
At present, the use of decade 4 numeration sees the offer of a vast range of services, by the operators in control of a network, that certainly cannot be labeled as “network internal”, and some of those, on the contrary, are clearly classifiable as value added services.
It is deemed that such situation requires serious consideration, by deliberating in the revision of the Plan all the dispositions necessary to fill previous law holes and efficiently countervail non correct uses of the numeration.
On the other hand, it is also deemed that the rule that allows the use of decade 4 as a short code for value added services already offered on an another public numeration should be surpassed by the profound revision of decade 4 use here being proposed. Besides, as pointed out by some contributions, this possibility creates a situation of obvious advantage for those network carriers that also perform as content providers, in comparison to other service providers.
Given the motivations mentioned above, it’s proposed to restrict the numerations of, strictly speaking, internal network services to the sole numerations 4XU….U with X= 0, 1, 2, while keeping the obligation of preventive communication of activation to the Ministry and the Authority (not excluding the opportunity of requesting a contribute for restoring the administrative dues) and peremptorily forbidding their use for value added services.
It is deemed that the meaning of internal network services might include, at best, those services that are “auxiliary” to the base service, thus completing its usage by the users, such as i.e. listening to the voicemail, urgent call alert, etc., bounding those applications to the 41 and 42 codes.
Additionally, a price differentiation by the second number is proposed, as below:
40U…U calls that are free for the user
41U…U the maximum price is determined by the price of the calls for non value added services terminated on the same network calculated on the user’s price profile
42U…U 0,30 euro maximum answer quota and 1,00 euro maximum quota per minute, or 1,50 euro forfait.
In the present offer of value added services, it’s noticeable that the decade sees an intense use for a category of value added services that are characterized by an activation via SMS sent to a decade 4 numeration and by the delivery of said service to the user via SMS/MMS, eventually on the basis of a periodic subscription plan.
Therefore, it is proposed to allow the use, for those value added services, of a subset of decade 4 numerations (4X with X=3,4,6,7,8 and 9), while estimating a category distinction based on the second number, by a) social info services, c) mass call services, d) entertainment services, e) product selling and broadcasting services)..:
These numerations would therefore become “public”, thus interoperable and assignable by the Ministry of Communications in the same way and by the procedures all other numerations are assigned, after payment of a contribution determined by analogy to contributions already charged for other numerations with similar availability.
Taken into account that typically such use requires a five number code, the assignment could be restricted to a single number.
In the same way as with other numerations used for value added services, it is proposed to set an expense limit. In particular, a 2 euro limit for each “una tantum” received service with one or more SMS and 20 euro monthly limit for subscription based services is proposed. A particular limit, 0,25 euro, would be set for the numerations (starting with code 44) dedicated to mass call services, in line with the price caps already set for other numerations reserved for the same service.
It’s important to note that the proposed modifications have significant impact on the present regulatory structure concerning the use of the decade, therefore it is deemed it would be convenient to adopt a transitory period of suitable duration, in order to allow actuation (by the Institutions) of all necessary initiatives for adjusting to the new directives and also to allow an effective information of the users.
It is reckoned such period might be valuated in at least six months from the approval of the new plan, during which period the use of numerations in decade 4 might be allowed on present conditions with respect of applicable laws.
It is to be noted, finally, that in this proposal the new Plan reserves the code 456 to the general tariff transparency service, while determining the obligations of the mobile and fixed network operators, with respect of the rules that regulate number portability.
[omissis]
In short:
In this deliberation the AGCOM states that the services being offered on 4XXXX numerations are mainly value added services and not internal network services, as ruled by present regulations.
The AGCOM proposal is to maintain those short codes, more easily remembered by the final users than the regular (9 numbers).
The AGCOM therefore proposes changes to the rules, to officially dedicate 43XXX, 44XXX, 46XXX, 47XXX, 48XXX, 49XXX numerations to value added services and making them PUBLIC, and as such interoperable and assignable by the Ministry of Communications in the same way all other numerations are assigned to anyone that makes request, and not by an arbitrary decision of the operator.
Interoperable means that, anyone wishing to offer a value added or premium service may activate a numeration with any of the operators, now all being in competition to one another. Such number would have to be usable on any network of any operator, and in the case of a SMS Premium number it would be capable of receiving/sending SMS and billing. The premium services interoperability is nothing new, since it’s already effective for 166/899 numerations.
The interoperability guarantees competition between operators, therefore it may be assumed that the revenues(1) credited by the operators to the Content Service Providers will become more similar to those of 166/899 services, never below 75%.
The AGCOM also states that the activation cost of the short codes for value added services will be the same as the cost of other numerations with similar availability.
This change to the numeration plan would finally stop the present arbitrary assignation of these numerations by the operators.
Finally, any company could sell value added services at the price it believes more adequate, within the price limits set by the regulator.
The PULL services price cap is very interesting, a limit that favors the growth of the market similar to those countries where the per capita usage of these services is much higher than in Italy. This means the price of tunes, wallpapers, games or any other content may never exceed the cap set by the regulator.
In the last part of its deliberation, the AGCOM foresees a transitory period of at least six months in order to allow companies and Institutions to adjust to the new rules, but clearly states that during such period the use of the decade 4 numerations may be permitted with respect of applicable laws.
Considering that:
1. the present regulations determine the use of 4XXXX numerations only for internal network services provided by the operator himself
2. the telephony operators, as stated by the AGCOM in its document, “use these numerations to offer a vast range of services that certainly cannot be all labeled as “network internal”, but on the contrary, are clearly classifiable in the category of value added services”
all such services should be temporarily suspended until the new rules pass. Alternatively, if the existing services are not suspended, we believe this would be a violation of the general principle of free market competition (and the constitutional laws against the discrimination of any subject before the law) since it would prevent other subjects to access these numerations during this transitory period, at the present conditions.
Point out your case
Many companies have already point out cases of non-assignment of SMS Premium numbers from Italian mobile network operators.
If your company has been discriminated please point out your case, specifying the eventual economical damages suffered.
Write to info AT smsvas.com (substitute AT con @).
Duration : 0:7:33
Read the rest of this entry »
Austin apartments – Waterstone apartments for rent in Austin, TX. Get into the swing of things! Call 888.658.3875 or Visit http://www.apartments.com/search/oasis.dll?page=summary&property=101959.836&p=AptHL&partner=AptHL&cmp=ssv for apartment prices, pictures, videos, floorplans, availability. Character, distinction, and elegance …The premise for which Waterstone was designed, all captured in a textured stone facade of premium Hill Country living. Freedom of choice, Waterstone offers expanded amenities and features, designer color schemes, a choice of six spacious floorplans, and a harbor for indulgence unsurpassed in Austin. Work is done, it’s time for fun. Experience the many venues of a clubhouse focused on you. Play, workout, swim, sweat, or simply chill in the retreat of your own domain. The night is young. Take in a game, a concert, venture off to the many entertainment possibilities that are but minutes away via quick and easy access to Interstate 35 and all that Austin has to offer. Waterstone…it is the next level to living!
*note* You do not need to get poweriso, or ophcrack. They are useful utilities to check if accounts have passwords. Though they do not play a role in enabling the account, I put them into the tutorial to show you a way of getting password info, and or passwords. The only necessity is the vista installation disk.
Alternativily you could get creative and Google it (please do your own research on the legalities of everything you do that you want to reference to this tutorial)
Price on Application
http://sofruitywebdesign.com/ – ‘Where Quality Website Design & Success Doesn’t Have to Cost the Earth.’ So Fruity Web Design is based in Bolton, Manchester. We offer a strategic fusion of graphic designers, techies & business success strategists.
http://www.RoadrunnerDomains.com presents another video from professional domainer Morgan Linton. In this video he explains domaining and what it takes to become a professional domain investor. Check out his book! It’s well worth the money! Remember RoadrunnerDomains.com has investors edge for the professional domain investor. Spot valuable and premium domains when they drop. Backorder domains for less than many other domain drop companies. Get a domain name appraisal and know the true value of your domain purchases.
This game is on Yahoo Auctions Japan for close to $900. And with that, I present an expert guide to some of the current premium Saturn discs in Japan (store prices not yahoo prices which are completely arbitrary)
Hello!
http://www.thesiteflipper.com