Telefonica grabs Jasper cloud to hook up British vending machines
Machine talking to machine on 2G cell networks
Posted in Mobile, 6th June 2012 08:38 GMT
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Telefonica has signed an exclusive deal with Jasper Wireless for use of its machine-to-machine cloud in the UK, hoping Jasper's kit will drive developers to a cellular solution.
Machine to machine is already an important market for network operators, but it's going to get much more important as embedded intelligence grows. With starter kits around €120, including three SIMs, Jasper Wireless facilitates quick prototyping and testing, as long as you're happy using O2's network.
O2 is the brand under which Telefonica runs its UK network, and this deal is exclusive so anyone developing in Jasper's APIs will be locked to the O2 network, but given the utility of that API it's not all bad news as long as you're happy to be dependent on cellular infrastructure for your connectivity.
We put it to O2 that, given an embedded module might be expected to operate for a decade or two, it might seem unwise to depend on the 2G infrastructure which is necessary for national coverage. O2 assured us that its 2G network would be running "for a long time to come" and that alternatives might not be so long lived.
We asked specifically about White Space, which is being promoted (notably by Neul) as the perfect solution for M2M applications, but Jasper (who only connect to cellular networks) points out that even if Neul's evolving Weightless specification gets deployed companies will want international solutions to gain from mass production, and that means GSM of some sort.
GSM is far from perfect for M2M, the signalling overhead is massive for low levels of data, consuming lots of power and requiring specialist processing modules which themselves drive up the cost of the embedded module. But cellular networks do exist, today, which is a significant plus.
The alternative is to use wi-fi or even a plug, and piggyback on the end-users' existing broadband connection, but that's fraught with enough complexity to push companies to use cellular for everything from vending machines to photocopiers.
The M2M market will be huge, big enough for multiple players, and different applications will have different requirements - O2 points out that few technologies can switch on a voice connection when required, which is of limited value in most M2M deployments, but essential in some - and Jasper's developer kit certainly offers a cheap and easy way to have a shot at M2M if only to work out which technology best fits the bill. ®
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Vodafone takes majority stake in Vouchercloud - Mobile Entertainment
Raises its shareholding from 21 per cent to 57 per cent.
Vouchercloud is active in the fast growing location-based m-commerce space. It uses GPS to alert users to discounts, codes and vouchers for daily shopping from shops, restaurants, travel and financial services companies.
Vouchers are downloaded with a single tap, then shown to the sales assistant in store to redeem the discount.
Since its UK launch in 2010, Vouchercloud has gathered 1.8 million registered users, with 700,000 of them active. The app has been downloaded more than 2.5 million times. Currently, more than 2,000 merchants are offering 8,000 discounts, vouchers and loyalty schemes.
The service is live in the UK and has launched in Ireland.
UK operators are moving into the location based commerce sector along with 'OTT' players like Google and Groupon, with O2 for example offering its own Proximity Moments service.
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Now Vodafone has consolidated its presence by taking control of Vouchercloud, and has the first option to increase its direct shareholding further in the future.
Tobin Ireland, Vodafone Group's commercial development director, said: “Mobile couponing is set to grow rapidly across Vodafone's businesses as cost-conscious consumers increasingly turn to their smartphones to hunt for bargains and collect loyalty points.
"We look forward to working more closely with Vouchercloud in future as m-commerce services become ever more central to consumers' daily lives."
Cocaine worth £224,000 posted from Nigeria to O2 worker in Northampton - Northampton Chronicle
A PARCEL containing £224,000 of cocaine was sent from Nigeria to a shop in Northampton town centre and signed for by a member of staff, a jury heard.
Christina Ubah, 26, is accused of plotting to smuggle the cocaine into the UK after it was delivered by an undercover officer to her work place in Abington Street, Northampton in November last year.
A jury at Northampton Crown Court heard today how the parcel was intercepted at Parcel Force’s Coventry depot having been posted in Nigeria and contained four bottles of cosmetics.
Kate Tompkins, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said the bottles were opened and inside officers found plastic bags containing 846 grams of cocaine with a 61 per cent purity.
She said: “This defendant came to the UK from Nigeria in 2004 in order to study and since 2009, she has been living in Northampton and working at the O2 shop in Abington Street.
“On Thursday, November 17 last year, at 1.55pm, a parcel declared as containing cosmetics arrived at Parcel Force’s hub in Coventry from Nigeria. It was addressed to the O2 shop where the defendant worked in Northampton and the sender was listed as Rose Ubah.
“It had been sent on November 9 and was opened by officers of the UK Border Agency.”
The jury heard the parcel held four bottles of body lotion but concealed within the bottles were clear plastic bags containing the cocaine which was mixed with cuttings agents.
Miss Tompkins added: “On Tuesday, November 22 that parcel, without the cocaine which had been removed, was delivered to the defendant at her work place by an undercover officer posing as a Parcel Force delivery man. The defendant identified herself and signed to accept the parcel.
“As she was walking to the back of the shop with the parcel in her hands, she was arrested.”
Once officers examined her bank account, they found £2,600 had been paid in via two instalments on November 14 and she had withdrawn it all and then paid it into different account.
Miss Tompkins said: “She was interviewed on the day of her arrest and denied any knowledge of drugs in the parcel. She told the police officers her family lived in Nigeria and some times she would receive letters and parcels from them.
“She said no one had told her anything would be sent to her and she said she had only accepted it because her name was on the parcel. The defendant denied being in debt and initially denied any large sums of money had been paid into her account.
“When told the police would examine her account, she stated £2,600 had been paid in by her boyfriend who had asked her to transfer it to his sister’s account.”
Ubah, of Wellington Street, Northampton denies knowing of the drugs’ consignment and has pleaded not guilty to fraudulent evasion of prohibition and conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
The trial continues.
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Print this pageVodafone drops on TelstraClear acquisition rumours - What Investment
Shares in Vodafone have fallen after the telecoms giant confirmed that it was in talks with Telstra to buy its New Zealand subsidiary, TelstraClear.
The firm claimed that its talks with Australian telecoms firm Telstra were ongoing and that there was no certainty an agreement would be reached.
It has been reported that the deal could be worth between £190 million and £255 million.
Vodafone’s shares fell after the announcement of the proposed acquisition and the stock is currently trading down 3.57 per cent at 167.45p at 9.00am.
TelstraClear, New Zealand’s second-largest telecoms company, was formed in 2001 by the merger of Telstra’s TelstraSaturn and Clear Communications.
For the six months to 31 December 2011, TelstraClear posted a pre-tax profit rise of 11 per cent to $69 million (£44.6 million), despite its revenue falling 4 per cent to $339 million (£219 million).
Vodafone also revealed that it is raising its stake in Invitation Digital, the parent company of Vouchercloud, to 57 per cent, up from the 21 per cent stake it took in May 2011.
Vouchercloud, a smartphone app that sends users offers, promotions and discount coupons for shops and restaurants, has just launched in Ireland. Vodafone intends to extend the scheme beyond the UK and Ireland over the next year.
Tobin Ireland, Vodafone’s commercial development director, commented, ‘Mobile couponing is set to grow rapidly across Vodafone's businesses as cost-conscious consumers increasingly turn to their smartphones to hunt for bargains and collect loyalty points.
‘We look forward to working more closely with Vouchercloud in future as m-commerce services become ever more central to consumers' daily lives.’
O2 launches Tablet Insurance - easier.com
O2 has launched Tablet Insurance from O2 Money - giving customers from any network the opportunity for extensive cover and the reassurance they will be up and running quickly and easily should their tablet be lost, stolen or damaged.
Millions of people regularly use their personal tablet away from home whilst at work, commuting or on holiday making them more vulnerable to damage or loss. Kantar Worldpanel reports that 43% of tablet owners use their devices while commuting, and 36% when outdoors.
Tablet Insurance from O2 Money is available in two tiers enabling the customer to select the level of cover they’d like. The first covers stolen or damaged tablets and costs £10/month; the second covers lost, stolen or damaged tablets for £15/month. There is no minimum or maximum contract term and worldwide cover is included as standard.
Tablet Insurance from O2 Money is currently available for iPad and Samsung Galaxy tablets; this will be extended to a wider range in the near future. Customers should apply for cover before their tablet is 90 days old.
Customers should report claims to O2 Customer Services. The majority of customers with an accepted claim will receive a replacement tablet – where possible, the same make and model as the one insured – the next business day. Should the customer be abroad at the time, the replacement device will be delivered to a UK address on their return.
James le Brocq, MD of O2 Money, commented, “We urge consumers to take a little time and ensure their valuable tablets are adequately insured. We’ve taken care to develop this policy to ensure it provides the cover our customers expect and gets them connected again as quickly as possible. We also provide unique O2 Guru support – see o2.co.uk/money/tabletinsurance - to help customers store and back-up their data and images effectively so they can be retrieved should their tablet need to be replaced.”
Enders Analysis recently reported 5 million UK tablet owners at end 2011 – a 4m increase from the end of 2010.
Tablet Insurance from O2 Money is the latest addition to a well-established range of insurance products from O2. More than half a million customers already trust O2 to insure their mobile handsets and to get them back up and running quickly and efficiently. For over 80% of accepted claims, the customer receives a replacement device the next day. The O2 Money team also recently launched O2 Wallet - the new way to send and receive money, compare prices and shop via your mobile.
For more information, visit o2.co.uk/money/tabletinsurance.
Vodafone Buys Major Stake In Vouchercloud Parent; In Talks For Telstra's NZ Unit - RTT News
6/6/2012 4:58 AM ET
(RTTNews) - British telecom giant Vodafone Group Plc (VOD: News ,VOD.L: News ) on Wednesday said it had increased its shareholding in Invitation Digital Limited, the parent of mobile coupon provider Vouchercloud, to 57 percent. The company also announced the launch of Vouchercloud in Ireland.
In a separate statement, Vodafone said it has entered into talks with Australia's Telstra Corp. Ltd. (TLS.AX: News ,TLSYY.PK: News ) to explore a potential acquisition of Telstra's New Zealand subsidiary, TelstraClear.
Vodafone, which took a 21 percent stake in Invitation Digital in May 2011, said it currently has the first option to increase its direct shareholding in the future.
The company noted that it intends to work with Invitation Digital to extend Vouchercloud beyond the UK and Ireland over the coming months as part of its broader mobile commerce or m-commerce strategy.
The company will announce further country launches and details of Vouchercloud integration within Vodafone's other m-commerce activities in due course.
Vouchercloud, which was launched in UK in 2010, offers discounts, codes and vouchers for daily shopping from a wide range of High Street shops, restaurants and leisure providers as well as travel and financial services companies. It uses the smartphone's GPS system to locate discounting retailers, then guides the customer to the shop using the smartphone's digital mapping application.
Vodafone Group Commercial Development Director Tobin Ireland said, "Mobile couponing is set to grow rapidly across Vodafone's businesses as cost-conscious consumers increasingly turn to their smartphones to hunt for bargains and collect loyalty points."
Regarding its talks with Telstra, Vodafone said the discussions are continuing and there is no certainty as to whether an agreement will be reached.
On Monday, Telstra had noted that it was approached by, and is in discussions with, Vodafone New Zealand to explore the potential sale of TelstraClear.
In the UK, Vodafone shares are currently trading at 167.94 pence, down 5.65 pence or 3.25 percent.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
O2 should be granted longer opening hours' - oxfordtimes.co.uk
‘O2 should be granted longer opening hours'
7:00pm Wednesday 6th June 2012 in News By Andrew Ffrench
CONTROVERSIAL plans to extend the opening hours of a popular East Oxford music venue should be given the go-ahead, according to officials.
The O2 Academy, in Cowley Road, has applied to open an hour earlier every day except Sunday, from 6pm instead of 7pm, and to stay open an extra four hours until 4am on Bank Holiday Sundays.
The club, which stages 300 live music events a year, is already allowed to stay open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays and 2am Monday to Thursday.
The application will be considered by the west area planning committee next Wednesday.
More than 60 letters of objection were sent in about the plans. Copywriter Ed Chipperfield, 36, a spokesman for East Oxford Residents’ Association, lives in James Street with wife Anna, and their son Jasper, two.
He said: “There were 85 objections online when I last looked – people in the area have got quite upset about this.
“Residents don’t object to the gigs but they do object to the Fuzzy Ducks student night on Wednesday.
“People have a problem with hard-drinking club nights being put on at a gig venue in the middle of the week.
“The extension to opening hours the club is asking for is small, but residents don’t like the idea of it — some of them have children and they are getting woken up in the early hours by students cruising around when they leave the club.”
Mr Chipperfield added he had met the club’s on-site manager Joe Roberts, who is chairman of East Oxford Pub Watch, for an ‘informal chat’ about the opening hours issue.
Mr Chipperfield added: “A lot of students around here think Fuzzy Ducks is an embarrassment and won’t have anything to do with it.”
Planning officers are recommending that the application to extend opening hours should be approved.
The report to councillors says: “The variation would not significantly alter the existing operating hours of this venue with the Cowley Road district centre and, in the absence of any significant objection from Thames Valley Police and licensing officers, it would be difficult to demonstrate that it would have a significant impact upon neighbouring residential properties in terms of increased noise, disturbance, and antisocial behaviour.”
Academy spokesman Louise Kovacs was last night unavailable for comment, but said earlier that a younger audience would benefit from the additional hour of 6pm admission rather than 7pm, and that manager Mr Roberts attended monthly meetings to discuss any issues with the authorities.
She added Fuzzy Ducks was a long-standing club night with up to 20 security staff present when students left the club.
The club is also applying to stay open until 6am on May 1 for May Morning celebrations.
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