is the future of healthcare devices wireless?

the future of wireless conference report

www.cambridge wireless.com


contents

Foreword

Ecosystem

Service development 12

2

1

Technology development 6

Emerging markets 4

Application development 10

18

Radio the next big thing

Glossary

15

Innovation 14


‘The chance to help develop thebiggest machine on earth’… thatis how a job in telecoms was soldto Sir David Brown when hestarted out 40 years ago, and nowthat vision is a reality.

Worldwide there are 4 billionsubscribers, purchasing mobilephones at eight times the birthrate with a 3:2 ratio of mobile tofixed connections.

Sir David believes that the industrycan be a driver for growth. “Ifinformation is economic power,then by facilitating the rapidtransfer of knowledge we have thecapacity to drive growth.”

“For countries where ruralpopulations have no possibility offixed connection, wireless bringsthe possibility of m-commerce ortrade enabled by the mobilephone.”

However, he cautions, at presentonly two thirds of the world’spopulation can participate.“Everyone knows how debilitatingit feels to have a mobile device inyour hand but still be out of touch.What we need is a seamlesstransition between the fixed andmobile worlds.”

He also points out that neverbefore has technology been metby such a demanding consumer:“Generation C is able to use thetechnology to generate its owncontent and wants the tools and

infrastructure to accommodatethis.”

While many agree with Sir Davidthat this is a ‘golden age’ ofcollaboration, others wonder if therequired new business models willevolve in time to exploit it.

The question remains ‘who willpay?’ as this generation alsobelieves that content, whether it istext, images, games or music,should be free or very cheap.

Industries built on royalties,subscriptions and advertisingrevenues must be the first to adaptto survive the wireless Internetrevolution.

This report explores these themesand captures the views andinterests of Cambridge Wireless, avibrant membership organisationthat has originated in Cambridge,UK, but offers an internationalperspective on the world ofwireless.

foreword1

“The chance to helpdevelop the biggestmachine on earth…”

Top right:

David Brown.

Centre:

David Brown

delivering

keynote speech.

Bottom:

Networking.

1


THE ECOSYSTEM IS NEWDEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT

David Cleevely is a veteran of theDotcom boom and bust, butdespite this remains remarkablyupbeat about the lack ofprofitable mobile business modelsseen so far.

“It occurs to me that ‘long tail’economics has not been seen inwireless before and we areentering an era where marketsthat were previously unprofitableare now opening up. Creating amore agnostic platform offerscreative power to millions ofpeople.”

Chris Anderson’s ‘The Long Tail’economic theory of the earlyInternet years challenged thetraditional ‘80/20 rule’ widelyaccepted in retailing, which statedthat 80 per cent of sales comesfrom the most popular 20 per centof products.

Anderson’s analysis of online musicsales suggested that, thanks to thecheapness, simplicity and globalaccessibility of searching forproducts online, retailers couldmake money from more obscureproducts because they wouldalways find an audience.

Amazon is a successful example ofLong Tail as one employeefamously said: “We sold morebooks today that didn’t sell at allyesterday than we sold today of allthe books that did sell yesterday.”

Christopher David of Sony Ericssonhas embraced this theory: “Social

networks have created a new typeof many-to-many distributionchannel. We see our role asfacilitating this creativity, enablingand empowering others toinnovate and build value. As aresult innovation life-cycles arebecoming shorter.”

Richard Traherne, CambridgeConsultants, agrees. “Apple’sbreakthrough with the iPhone wasthe development of the onlineAppStore which creates a shopwindow for smaller developers.The technology had been aroundfor years but Apple made itaccessible at street level.”

ecosystem2

“Apple’s breakthrough with the iPhone wasthe development of the online AppStore

which creates a shop window forsmaller developers....”

Left:

David Cleevely.

Right:

Richard

Traherne,

Cambridge

Consultants.

2


Cleevely reminded them thatApple’s success was also based onits iTunes revenue model that wasable to manage the transactions,“a profit model that is nowevaporating before our eyes.”

Traherne sees the recession as animportant driver for innovation.“It is now essential to rethink waysof offering services and productsand new models will evolve. Thereare five main strategies: reduce thecost point, create a premiumproduct, offer a new servicestrategy, reuse existing technologyin a new way, or develop anecosystem and share the cost ofdevelopment with partners.”

Ray Anderson of Bango also seesthe ecosystem strategy as viablefor mobile. He argues that to getinnovation you need to lift theconstraints. “Applicationdevelopments on the Nokia werelimited as the operators blockeduse of the Internet. What youneed is some silliness to becomeexperimental and push theboundaries. Twitter is silly andeBay is so silly that it has becomeplausible.” Cleevely believes that

removing concern over data is oneof the important constraints to bebroken. “All-you-can-eat data hasmade many applications possible.Take the ocarina app on theiPhone - it uses the screen as akeyboard, the microphone socketas a mouthpiece and you have aninstrument. The server collects anddistributes data so that you canhear in real time other musiciansacross the world. None of this wasdesigned to work like that, butplayfulness has led to innovation.”

Traherne cautions that the risk isthat people quickly get bored butcontextual relevance will makeapps more useful. He commentsthat people want life to besimpler. “If you could see in realtime the state of the traffic on theA14 and the queue at the doctorsyou would know when to leaveyour office. It is difficult buildingfor a global market. You have todevelop what makes sense locally.”

The BBC web site recently carried areport about the relevance ofradio traffic news. It concludedthat there is only a 15 per centchance that you will hear anythingrelevant and the chances are youwill be stuck in a traffic jam whileyou do. Could wireless technologydo it better?

Graham Maile of Plextek, thinksthat broadband mobile radio will.

“There is a lot of talk at presentabout Internet-enabled cars. Thecar can, for example, report itscondition – is it running well – andthe driver can get better trafficinformation and enhancedentertainment. We can see mobilecommunications and sat navconverging so that cars can talk toeach other, and automaticallyexchange road traffic informationas they pass.”

Christopher David agrees: “Localcontent is valuable. In Indiaconsumer publishing has createdregional entertainment. We areseeing a cycle of innovate, spread,experiment and consolidate. Lotsof industries are on the point ofgoing mobile.”

Anthony Rix, TTP,Short range wireless SIG

The culture is changing and we –the men in suits – are often notthe best judge of where these newservices are going to go.

Sixteen year olds these days don’teven have an email address!They have a phone and a textnumber, and an account onFacebook. They don’t even watchTV. Let’s throw away the history;let’s create new products andservices without limitations.There’s a world of opportunityout there.”

“All-you-can-eat data hasmade many applicationspossible......”

Left:

Christopher

David, Sony

Ericsson.

Centre:

Ray Anderson,

Bango.

Right:

Graham Maile

3


India To Open Its Mobile FrontiersMr Goyal CMAI

India is counting on wirelessbroadband to bring the Internet torural India and foster economicgrowth and opportunity for itspeople, according to Mr NK Goyal,President of the Communications& Manufacturing Association ofIndia (CMAI). Mr Goyal is lookingforward to exciting times aheadand a fruitful association withCambridge Wireless following thesigning of a Memorandum ofUnderstanding between the twoorganisations at the CambridgeWireless international conference.

Mr Goyal believes that growth inthe communications sector is stillhuge and that India offers majoropportunities.

“India offers a big market with anindustry-friendly environment thathas beaten all expectations. Wecurrently have 400 million telecomsubscribers in the country and are

targeted to cross over to 650million by 2012, with newsubscribers joining at the rate of10-15 million a month. In a timewhen other economies aresuffering, India is experiencinghigh growth rates with a GDP ofabout 6 per cent.

“To service this demand, six moreoperators are to start over thecoming months on an all- Indiabasis.”

The agreement with CambridgeWireless aims to maintain andpromote cooperation andunderstanding between themembers of the two organisations,leading to the further develop-ment of business and tradeopportunities.

Dr Soraya Jones, CEO ofCambridge Wireless, believes thatthe market potential of India andthe innovation offered bymembers of the CW communityprovide a powerful combination.

“The communications networkbeing developed and rolled-out inIndia is state-of-the-art, and assuch offers a unique opportunityto rethink the way thatcommunications technology isused. It creates a homogenousplatform for trialling innovativeapproaches to deploying newservices and billing for them.”

Mr Goyal agrees: “The beauty ofIndian telecom is it has the lowesttariff and the highest profitability.We are looking at using the mobilephone to support the economicdevelopment of the ruralcommunity – fishermen, farmersand remote villages where onephone is shared by all theinhabitants. We are the first tointroduce mobile banking and anoutsourced model for networkinfrastructure and also the first toprovide resources such as handsetcharging by bicycle. Such is thediversity of our country and theenormous potential it offers.”

Soraya Jones sees this agreementoffering matchmakingopportunities between membersof the two organisations, leadingto joint ventures and strategicalliances. It comes at a time whenIndia is about to launch its ownauction for 3G.“ India has theopportunity to learn from ourexperiences but also to improve onthem,” she comments. “The

emerging markets3

“The beauty of Indiantelecom is that it has the

lowest tariff and thehighest profitability.”

Left:

David Cleevely,

Soraya Jones and

Mr Goyal.

4


advent of 3G in India will open thedoors for equipment manufactur-ers, VAS and mobile applications.”

Mr Goyal is also optimistic aboutthe future:

“Synergy between Indianoperators and UK innovationcreates the opportunities todevelop new technologies in bothcountries, increasing trade andbusiness. There is also scope forenvironmentally friendly products.Opportunities are immense. Themarket is ripe.”

Developing marketsJohn Frieslaar, Huawei

China has vast rural areas that areunderserved by fixed telecoms.Mobile offers the potential fornew services based on the latestemerging technology.

However John Frieslaar of Huaweiadvises that to access this complexmarket, foreign companies willneed to work with partners.

“There are three big serviceproviders, China Mobile, ChinaTelecom and China Unicom andthree different technologyplatforms. PC usage is not high somobile offers a significant market.“Arguably the biggest potential isin applications that use cloudcomputing as the application does

not depend on the processingpower of the handset.”Applications include transport,medical, education, sustainabilityand climate change.

“Arguably the biggest potential is inapplications that use cloud computing asthe application does not depend on theprocessing power of the handset.”

Ten tips for exporters

Ray Anderson of Bango offers his ten lessons in growing businessesinternationally.

1. Exploit time differences: somewhere in the world you are toolate or too early.

2. Do your own research. Don’t rely on the media or analysts.

3. Do a little well. Entering three new countries is more than threetimes the effort of one new territory.

4. Use your own people to measure success. US salespeople are verybullish.

5. Don’t depend on mobile operators as they take a long time tomake decisions and are then apt to alter strategy suddenly.

6. Operators only understand their own organisations, theexperience isn’t transferable.

7. Translate just enough – the market innovators will accept Englishin the early stages.

8. Remember the power of numbers – you have access tomillions of users.

9. Exploit cross border interaction between new territories.

10. Feed success by going with the winners.

Right:

John Frieslaar,

Huawei.

5


Development ecosystemDavid Wood, Symbian

The challenge over the next fiveyears is how to manage opencollaboration, according to DavidWood of Symbian: “If all goes wellwe will have networks that areten times faster than today, on-board intelligence that will reducepower consumption and a newgeneration of devices that we willinteract with differently.

“To get there we need collabora-tion, not just at the edges but atthe core.”

Symbian believes – unlike Apple –that this can be achieved bytapping into the army of creativesoutside the company.

“Fragmentation is a risk and this isboth a strength and a weakness aswe have seen in mobile Linux. Butwe believe Symbian is more than aplatform – it is a community.Through the Eclipse Foundationwe are looking to mobilise andmanage the direction ofdevelopment through councils,with input from OEMs, siliconvendors, network operators, ISVand end users.”

Peter Hazlett, NokiaSoftware SIG

“Location-based services andapplications will becomeincreasingly important. At Nokiawe are adding location toeverything we already do. Addingthis context adds another

dimension to the information –everything from search toadvertising – but it is so muchmore than that. Location person-alises the experience for the user.”

technology development4

“Location-based services &applications will become

increasingly important... ”

Left:

Paul Williamson,

of Cambridge

Consultants, one

of the largest

independent

wireless

development

teams in the

world.

Top :

Conference

delegates.

6


The future is brightRakesh Murria

“I am well aware people are usingthe Orange network to watchtelevision and this is an inefficientuse of the spectrum. Rather thansee this as a problem for us it is abusiness opportunity,” saysRakesh Murria of Orange who ad-mits his addiction to Indian cricketinvolves using a Slingbox toenable him to watch it on themove.

Television is protected from therecession. People won’t give uptheir bit of luxury and if anythingit becomes more important whenother forms of entertainment arescarce.

“The viewing pattern could bedifferent for mobile,” Murriaexpands. “iPlayer and Tivointroduced the concept oftimeshifting where people canwatch pre-recorded programmes.The Slingbox allows linear TV to bewatched in real time which isexcellent for sport, but there isalso shortform (5/10 min video)and longform (TV programmes).

By facilitating mobile linear TV,Orange could segment its audienceand attract advertising revenue,perhaps from local organisations,and benefit from more efficientusage of its spectrum.

“Long tail theory suggests thatpeople would also be able to gain

access to minority interestprogramming and we would startgetting the Amazon stylerecommendation engines togenerate a play list.”

Murria believes that the way tomarket penetration is to make it aseasy as possible to accesstelevision, reaching a critical massquickly. He has a secret weapon –the dongle.

“It would be too expensive for anoperator to develop for each ofthe platforms so we would look tooffer mobile TV via a dongle whichwould plug into the handset.”

Other delegates were intrigued toknow how this would be achieved.Peter Hazlett from NokiaCorporation saw major benefits inbeing able to watch sport whilewaiting for his wife to finishshopping but raised his eyebrows

at the thought of the ‘dongle’.“This is going to be veryinteresting”, he comments.

“iPlayer and Tivointroduced the conceptof timeshifting......”

Top right:

Peter Hazlett.

Bottom right :

Conference

delegates.

7


First life meets second lifeDave Burke, Google

Google is excited by the potentialof mobile, with many usersconsolidating into all-in-onemobile devices. It has seen usageof mobile Internet shoot up whereoperators have facilitated webaccess.Dave Burke of Google explainsthat small operators havepenetrated the market using moreimaginative business models.“Metro PCS is a tiny carrier but itoffered its subscribers free webaccess for the first month. As aresult half are still using the webregularly. Although the globalcarriers have ten times the traffic,Metro PCS has 2.5 times as manyInternet users.”

Better browsers and killer appsare driving the usage. “AlthoughiPhone and Android make up13 per cent of users they accountfor 50 per cent of the traffic.Most popular applications are

those such as Amazon andFacebook which are notdownloadable.”“We see the future as exploitingthe difference that mobileprovides, not in trying to replicatethe fixed world. Integrate thesenses to improve the experience.A phone has a touchscreen, amicrophone, speakers, it can bemade to recognise speech andrespond to shaking orlocation-based information.

“We are looking to provide speechrecognition based search whichwill open up hands free servicesfor drivers, the elderly, disabled orminority language groups.Location based services provideopportunities for local search, suchas the nearest restaurant.”

Google is planning to offer theseservices as platform independentusing web-based applicationsintegrated into the browser. Butthey would still need a goodrendering engine such as thoseoffered by Android, PalmPC oriPhone, and would exploit the newstandard HTML5.

“App cache will be essential tomaintain usability when the signalis lost or the device is operating onairplane mode. We would useW3C for the geolocation services.”

Driving traffic is important forthe Google advertising modeland Burke sees the future asoffering users a seamless transitionbetween the fixed and mobileworlds. Allowing traffic todrop on to the local networkwhere possible would relievepressure on bandwidth, andcloud computing could removethe need for device-basedprocessing.

“The web can evolve to be a bettermobile app platform. The future isbrowser-based applications thatare easy to use,” concludes Burke.

Time to innovatePeter Whale, Qualcomm

Much of the conference has beenabout the move away fromtechnology and productstowards services, and I’m veryencouraged to hear that.

technology development4

“We see the future as exploiting thedifference that mobile provides, not in

trying to replicate the fixed world.”

Left:

Peter Whale,

Qualcomm.

8


We need to invest in the infra-structure to support these services.

What does this mean in terms ofthe business models that allowinnovation to continue? Let’s beinnovative about business modelsas well as technology.

Software as a serviceChas Sims, TTP

Licensing models for softwarehave all been broken and theconcept of developing softwareand hardware and selling it hasbecome too risky when so muchopen source software is free. As aresult Chas Sims of TTP is champi-oning the development of embed-ded software within novel devices.

“We have got to think servicesnow,” he explains. “Services arethe new economy and softwareapplications based on noveldevices create a major opportunityto add value.”

Short-range wireless operateswithin 100 metres or less and thefalling cost is making it possible tocreate new services within thehome or work environment usingfemtocell and home broadbandnetworks.

Sims explains that a new era oftiny radio devices will scavengeenergy from the environment toextend battery life. They willconnect via Bluetooth or othershort range frequencies likezigbee.

“We are already seeing this in asmall way with the ability toconnect to the home broadbandover the phone using ‘logme-in’,to set TV recording remotely, andenergy consumption monitoring

using a network of sensors. Butthis is just the start.”

The Internet of thingsPaul Green, Vianet

Vianet supports the Internet ofthings, allowing business assetssuch as sensors and peripheralsto communicate with eachother.

Applications include the control offacilities within a large store orsupermarket – for example,temperature, humidity, lighting,ventilation and refuse collection.

User experienceAllan MacLean, Amdeo

I’ve been interested in thepersonalisation theme – how tomeet the needs of very complex,very large audiences with differentkinds of requirements. It’simportant to develop fromplatforms the ecosystems that canbe personalised in differentenvironments.

“tiny radio devices willscavenge energy fromthe environment..........”

Top right:

Paul Green,

Vianet.

Bottom:

Chas Sims, TTP

9


10

application development5There is a business in mobile

Andrew Gilbert of Qualcomm seesa new era of applications formobile.

“Up until now the revenue earningapplications have been quitetrivial; ring tones, messaging,music downloads. The future isthe development of servicesthat exploit the features of thephone.”

He cites applications such asm-commerce which can enablerural communities to have accessto bank accounts and Internetbanking (“opening up a wholenew world for the unbanked”);healthcare and lifestyleapplications such as diabetesmonitoring; and the ‘Internet ofthings’ where devices other thanphones are Internet-enabled.

“There are many devices emergingthat exploit cloud computing andwe expect to see a mash-up ofapplications to meet the needs ofusers. These devices include smartphones, net books and eReaders.

“An interesting application is eCall– an alert service for theemergency services which usesradio devices in the car and loca-tion transmitters on the road. Thiscould be a lifesaver in remote ruralareas.”

To achieve these applications,technology advances are needed.Screen resolution needs improvingto allow viewing in strongsunlight, potentially using thepower of the sun to backlight thescreen. Battery life needsextending and a universal chargingfacility must be developed, plus

more intuitive search facilities forsmaller screens.

The biggest challenge is to createnew revenue models but Gilbertthinks an emerging example is thatof Amazon’s Kindle. The devicecosts $489 after which purchase ofthe content – a book – pays for theservice.

David Cleevely asked Gilbert if hesaw a future where largecorporates would offer wirelessenabled applications. Gilbertreplied that mechanisms areneeded for corporates to engagewith developers to hardenapplications into robustmainstream solutions butmaintained that operators alsohave a role.

“Operators are the access point forservices, they know the subscriberswell and are in a position to offerpersonalised services.”

Networks for Independent Living,David Cudby

“We need another special interestgroup which looks at the issuesrelated to business models andmarketing, because it seems to goback to this issue every time –how is someone going to pay forthis?”

“Up until now the revenueearning applications have

been quite trivial....”

Bottom:

David Cudby,

Networks for

Independent

Living


11

Intelligent devicesPravin Sood, Jaltex

“Small wireless devices are goingto be much more widely deployed.We make a sensor which is like themobile phone of the medicalworld – the patient wears it and ittells the doctor his ECG, pulse,temperature etc. This was recentlyused by runners in the LondonMarathon.

“Telematics uses similar devices totrack vehicles and also to see

what’s happening to them.For instance in fleet lorries, itcan monitor engine performanceand even tell the controlroom if someone is opening thetrailer.”

Enhancing wellbeingNick Hunn, mobile date association

Improving life expectancy addsyears to the end of your life – notthe middle – and on average thisalso adds nine months of illhealth.

The challenge, according to NickHunn of the Mobile DataAssociation, is how to managelong-term chronic conditions,which afflict one in three people,to keep people out of hospital andin good health.

This creates a major businessopportunity built on a homebroadband network with remotemonitoring.

“The phone offers a connection toother devices in the home. Thesecan be chemical sensors for fire,smoke and CO2,; motion sensorsattached to the TV remote, toiletflush, cooker and fridge; fallalarms; data loggers to measureheart rate and blood pressure oreven geotags to help early-stageAlzheimers suffers return safelyfrom the shops.

“We need compelling applicationsto ensure that the devices are usedand also designed to appeal to thepurchasers who may be children aspresents for elderly parents.”And the services? Hunn sees thembeing offered by the big brands.“Home security is a naturalextension to health insurance,which you can buy at Tesco. Whynot buy the sensors at the sametime?”

“We need compelling applications toensure that the devices are used and alsodesigned to appeal to the purchasers......”

Above:

Pravin Sood,

Jaltek Group.

Right:

Was Rahman, UK

Trade and

Investment.


12

service development6Emergency ServicesMark Adams NYCWiN

Everything you see in TV copsfilms is plausible but noteverything is possible, saysMark Adams of NorthropGrumman ruefully. He is the ChiefArchitect of the New York CityWireless Broadband Network(NYCWiN).

“The biggest hurdle we face isspectrum. Fortunately it wasrealised before it was too late thatwe need to keep some securespectrum available for nationalpublic safety. It was in theaftermath of 9/11 that theimportance of communicationbetween multiple agencies wasreally brought home.”

Adams explains that the solutioncouldn’t be left to the privatesector.

“Commercial pressures mean thatnetwork coverage is where it canbe exploited. For the emergencyservices we need a dedicatednetwork achieved through 400sites across the city to provide 95per cent coverage.

“We chose a licensed spectrum andUMTS technology as this supportsthe QMS services needed.”

The system was tested in the UK atthe Lewes bonfire night festival – apotentially lethal combination offlaming barrels of tar rollingthrough the streets crowded withpeople. Applications includedbody worn video, real time licenceplate identification, facerecognition, and mapping withgeospatial sensors. Also simulatedwas a chase scenario with video

from the helicopter streamed tothe co-driver to provide an over-head view of obstacles.

The trial provided useful learningpoints which were incorporatedprior to roll-out.

NYCWiN provides an integratedand seamless user experienceand the infrastructure for futurepublic services. For exampleutilities are looking to exploit thecoverage and backbone for watermetering.

Innovating ServicesRichard Bobbett,Airwave Solutions

Mobile offers a uniqueopportunity to adjust workingpractices in the emergencyservices, says Richard Bobbett ofAirwave Solutions.

The UK has the largest publicservice network that is used by allemergency services, serving220,000 users over 300organisations. Users have a choice

Above:

Mark Adams,

Architect of the

New York City

Wireless

Broadband

Network,

(NYCWiN)

“It was in the aftermath of 9/11 that theimportance of communication between

multiple agencies was really brought home.”


13

of devices from differentmanufacturers but they must becompatible with the network.

This provides the opportunity tobuild value-added services on aconsistent platform. It has alsoenabled many of the emergencyservices to change the way theydeliver to the public.

“You might have noticed that firstresponder paramedics now arriveby motorbike or car. First aid atthe kerbside is not just an effective

way of saving lives – it also reducespressure on hospital A&E services.It relies on mobile communicationbetween the agencies and accessto effective location-based tools.”

Incidents are increasinglypredictable. Apparently the placeto avoid is Victoria Station at 9amon a Monday, as significantly morepeople have a heart attack then.For traffic black-spots the mostefficient way of dealing withaccidents is to have a paramedicpermanently at the location;

however, the idea of an expensiveparamedic twiddling his or herthumbs is difficult to justify.Bobbett has the solution.

“All medics need regular in-servicetraining. By offering access to on-line training manuals it is possiblefor paramedics to log into thecourse and complete ten minutestraining while waiting. This can belogged and at the end of the weekthe training manager will knowthat 80 per cent of her team havecompleted the module.”

“Likewise the public want to seepolice officers on the beat. Agood example is a neighbourhoodthat was being terrorised by yobbehaviour in a park. The forceplaced a ‘bobby’ on the parkbench in his fluorescent jacket.The trouble stopped, and while hewas sitting there the policemansolved a crime. Looking up theelectoral roll he managed toprove that a suspect was giving afalse identity and he arrested thebloke on the way back to thestation.”

Bobbett sees opportunities formore value-added services beingoffered on the infrastructure andpoints out that 40 per cent of thepolice officers are in the two yearprobationary period – a newgeneration adept at usingtechnology…..so long as you canoperate it wearing gloves!

“First aid at the kerbside is not just aneffective way of saving lives – it alsoreduces pressure on hospital A&E services..”

Above:

Networking.

Below right:

Conference

delegates.


14

innovation7Mobile transactionsNeil Garner, Proxama

Proxama is developing a mobiletransactional device that offers aconvergence between a mobiletechnology and a smart card. Itprovides near field communicationwith a handset. An applicationcould include a next generationOyster card that can be used forpayments.

“We are working backwards fromour vision of the future. The nextbig thing for mobiles will be totouch them to stuff and thingshappen instantly on your phone.This includes things like paymentterminals, so your phone becomesthe thing you can’t leave homewithout.

“RFID is the main catalyst, becauseit is already in use on Oyster cards,in banking systems etc and it issimple and easy.”

Pocket PlacesMark Oakden, Pocket Places Ltd.

The tourist guide that is instantlyaccessible, Pocket Places offers sixlocations and 39,000 users. Itsrevenue model is localisedadvertising based onrecommendations from the travelguide.

It is free and easy-to-use andallows the delivery of multimediacontent in the form of audio,video, text and images.

Test bedGraham Norgett, CELLMetric

A test bed for mobile applicationsto ensure they meet globalstandards. Clients include BBC,

Broadcom, Freeview, Nokia andthe US Government.

Image -based searchingChris Wade, Mobile Acuity

A novel way of searching usingimage recognition. Camera is usedfor image processing. The serverprovides recognition andprocessing.

“RFID is the main catalyst, because it isalready in use on Oyster cards, in

banking systems etc and it is simpleand easy.....”

Left:

Mark Oakden,

Pocket Places.

Below:

Neil Garner,

Proxama.


15

radio the next big thing8

Radio is next big thing

The world is on the brink of awireless technology breakthroughthat will have as much impact asthe Internet revolution of the1980s.

By 2050, wireless technologywill be unfettered by restrictionsin architecture or spectrum –and hundreds of low powerradio devices will connect andhelp to control every aspect of

our lives, predicts Dr DavidCleevely, telecoms expert andchairman of Cambridge Wireless.

‘The scene is set for radio devicesto become quite intelligent and tohave a different architecture. Thiswill enable us to do things cost-effectively that we simply cannotdo now. It will open up hugeopportunities,’ he says.

Cleevely describes how heanticipates a step change in

wireless technology that willunlock a range of applications notyet considered:

‘Just as we have become used tohaving microprocessor chips ineverything from the fridge to thedoor bell, so every individual willown hundreds of radios, allworking together to do fantasticthings.

‘We are on the edge of the samekind of transition that thetelecoms industry was facing in the1980s but it didn’t really know it,’he says.

He believes this change will resultfrom the further evolution andcombination of two existingtechnologies – namely, cognitiveradio (which will enable manydevices to efficiently co-exist, justlike they can do when attached tothe Internet), and mesh networks(which will enable devices toorganise themselves into networks,and transform the economics ofradio just as cellular systems didbefore).

‘Originally it was believed that tomake wireless transmissions weneeded high radio masts, tobroadcast at high power and usethe same spectrum all the way tothe end user. This limits theamount of traffic the system canaccommodate.

‘A breakthrough came with theidea of cells, each containing a fullrange of spectrum, so the smallerthe cells, the more mobile phoneconversations you could make.This has resulted in the situationwe have now – with thousands andthousands of people able to makecalls within a square kilometre.

‘We are on the edge of the same kind oftransition that the telecoms industry wasfacing in the 1980s...........”

Below:

David Cleevely.


16

radio the next big thing8‘Cognitive radio builds on thisbreakthrough by being bothintelligent and polite. It has asystem of simple rules to see whois doing what and how it caninteract with them. Introduce theconcept of cognitive radio and youstart to get a system which canreact continuously to the amountof activity, just as the Internet doestoday’ he explains.

Cognitive radio technology isalready being used to some extentin 3G and in defence applications,but its potential – to intelligentlyreact and adjust to optimise theavailable spectrum – has yet to befully realised.

‘The potential for cognitive radiois exciting,’ continues Cleevely. ‘Ifthe devices can intelligentlynegotiate with each other and also“hop” to other frequencies asrequired, then the currentproblems of compatibility andinterference will be largelyovercome.’

The other element of the equationis mesh networks. This is whereradio devices connect with eachother instead of via a base station,creating the opportunity forcomprehensive wireless networksto be created within homes,buildings, or on board a ship, forexample.

‘In a mesh network, every radioacts as a switch for every otherradio. They talk to each otherin sequence,’ says Cleevely.‘3G devices can already workout where others are, and ifyou have further developmentof cognitive systems, radioswill twitter together to selforganise into a network – and jobdone!

‘For an engineer this is a veryelegant solution as it doesn’trequire you to optimise just forone specific set of conditions,which is an enormous benefit. Atthe moment the position of base-stations needs to be carefullycalculated. All you need is for atree to grow between them andreduce the signal strength or anew building to act as a reflector,spoiling your carefully laid plans.These systems will simply work outhow to solve these problemsthemselves.’

The next step is the really excitingone. These little intelligent radiosonly require extremely low power.Vibration or light will besufficient to charge them and theycan be located wherever you wantthem. This is good news for thedevelopers of assisted living andhealthcare applications.

Cleevely explains that, althoughsimple, little radio devices couldpotentially achieve a great deal.‘Ants only have a few rules butthey can achieve sophisticatedoperations.

I think these radio devices willalso be capable of greatthings that have yet to beimagined.’

He believes there are, however,still a few obstacles along the way:‘The big challenge is – how do wemake it all work?’

“The scene is set for radio devices tobecome quite intelligent and to have a

different architecture.....”

Left:

David Cleevely

and David

Brown.


17

In the medium term the big issueis the interface between the radiodevice and the rest of the network,and David sees the need forinternational standards tofacilitate this.

One thing he does not foresee isanother 3G auction.‘It turns out that people aren’tactually prepared to pay even atenth of the price that was paid inthe 3G auctions,’ he comments.‘The value of spectrum is going togo down and down and down.And the reason is the architecture

that I’ve been talking about. Thereis no shortage of spectrum –shortage only exists because ofartificial constraints andrestrictions due to regulating whatspectrum can be used for.

He adds: ‘It’s always a trade-off.Operators will choose betweendeploying more equipment orbuying more spectrum. Ifequipment is cheap, then it’s notworth paying much for extraspectrum. Equipment andtransmission are getting cheaper,and technology is becoming moresophisticated. Once regulators stopsaying what spectrum can and can-not be used for, there’s no reasonto pay a lot for a once in a lifetimeopportunity to offer a service. Ifsomeone wants too much for spec-trum, use what you have got moreefficiently by deploying more kit.The spectrum price will then fall.’

‘But there is a wrinkle in all this. Ifyou slice up the spectrum into toosmall chunks, they become moredifficult to use. You need big slicesavailable for this market to work.Problems are also generated byother things – for example the UKspectrum will be different fromthe US.

In the immediate term, Cleevelysees a thriving market for mobilephones.

‘There will always be a multiplicityof market segments and they will

all require handsets aligned totheir requirements,’ he says. ‘Thereare nearly 500 different kinds ofmobiles in the UK alone.‘Perhaps the best example of therange of possibilities is the AppleiPhone, something which canalmost supplant for a lot ofpurposes the PC or the laptop. Ithas a fantastic interface and it’sapplying some interesting businessmodels. But despite that theiPhone is not a perfect gadget – itsradio is nothing like as good as,say, a Nokia, which means thereare lots of places you can’t makeor receive calls.

‘In the long-term these newtechnology developments willopen up even more opportunitiesthan we’ve seen or can dream of.’

He regards his iPhone lovingly andthen concludes: ‘Engineering isabout making amazing things atthe lowest possible cost. We usethe results of engineering all thetime, but I don’t understand why,particularly in the UK, we don’treally appreciate how fantasticsome of this stuff is and whatengineering does for us. The sheergenius of what’s inside an iPhone –or any other mobile – is amazing.’

Stirling Essex,Future Wide Area Wireless SIG

“The SIG is looking at futuresystems and related activities likespectrum allocations and thestandards people apply, which arevery important. We are bridgingthe gap between policy, technol-ogy and the commercial reality –there needs to be a consensusfor us to move forward. Weneed a clear path with everyone’sbuy-in.”

“It turns out that people aren’t actuallyprepared to pay even a tenth of the pricethat was paid in the 3G auctions...”

Above:

Stirling Essex.


App Cache - an application canincrease performance by storing inmemory data that is accessedfrequently and that requiressignificant processing time tocreate.

Android - a software platform formobile devices, powered by theLinux kernel, initially developed byGoogle and later the OpenHandset Alliance.

Cloud computing - a style ofcomputing in which dynamicallyscalable and often virtualizedresources are provided as a serviceover the Internet.

Data rate - the average number ofbits, characters, or blocks per unittime passing between equipmentin a data transmission system. Thisis typically measured in multiplesof the units bit per second or byteper second. There was much talkabout ‘huge data rates’.

DTT – digital terrestrial television

DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting- Handheld) is one of threeprevalent mobile TV formats

Fathead applications – name of anew iPhone developer.

Femtocell - a small cellular basestation, typically designed for usein residential or small businessenvironments.

Flat data – this is made up ofnames and corresponding values(often called name-value pairs)with a series of variables eachbeing assigned a single value.Unlike structured data (such asXML) or relational data (like mostdatabases support).

Long Tail – a powerful neweconomic force in a world wherethe Internet allows access to al-most unlimited choice.

LTE - Long Term Evolution, the 4thgeneration mobile broadbandstandard, successor to UMTS (3G)

Mashup is a Web application thatcombines data or functionalityfrom two or more sources into asingle integrated application.

Time shifting – watching arecorded TV programme whichcould be short form – 5 to 10minute video, Long form – TVprogramme

Personalisation – data,applications and ‘desktop’

Slingbox - a TV streaming devicethat enables users to remotelyview their home's cable, satellite,or personal video recorder (PVR)programming from an Internet-enabled computer with abroadband Internet connection. Itis produced by Sling Media of SanMateo, California.

SDK – software development kit

Widget – web technology makes iteasier to develop applications

White-space devices - whitespaces refer to frequenciesallocated to a broadcasting servicebut not used locally. Devices thatdon’t interfere with assignedbroadcasts can use white spaces ina spectrum.

W3C - World Wide WebConsortium, the main interna-tional standards organization forthe World Wide Web

glossary9

18

Reporting and content: Holdsworth Associates, www.holdsworth-associates.co.uk Design: Richard Bowring, www.richardbowring.co.uk

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