Mobile by entelechyasiaOct 16, 201312:55 pm

Mobile money deployment on the rise

GSMA The adoption of mobile money is increasing with 208 live deployments for unbanked services in 83 countries, compared to 178 in 74 countries as of January, asccording to GSMA’s 2013 Mobile Money Adoption Survey. Another 117 deployments are planned over the coming months.

The report underscores the critical role of mobile and mobile network operators (MNOs) in driving the adoption of convenient and affordable financial services among unbanked and under-banked individuals around the world.

“The impressive and encouraging results of the study demonstrate that mobile money services are increasingly reaching scale and are becoming even more essential in providing convenient and affordable financial services to the underserved,” said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Mobile for Development.

Mobile by entelechyasiaOct 15, 20139:36 pm

HTC One upsized

The HTC One has gotten a bigger brother — the 5.9-inch HTC One max. Just like the recently launched Apple iPhone 5S, the new smartphone has a fingerprint scan feature. Located on the back of the device, the fingerprint scanner allows users to lock or unlock the screen and quickly launch up to three favourite applications by assigning an individual finger to each.

With a larger and full HD1080p display, users can better enjoy photos, videos and movies. Driving the smartphone is the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor featuring a quad-core 1.7 GHz CPU.

The 16GB or 32GB onboard memory can be expanded with the microSD card slot, and with up to 65GB of Google Drive storage free for two years offered to HTC One max owners.

Mobile by entelechyasiaOct 15, 20138:51 pm

Innovation and brand equity key for China smartphone makers in global market

frost and sullivan China smartphone makers looking to take their domestic success globally need to carefully consider their expansion strategies, according to Frost & Sullivan.

While the China market has been driven by demand for cheap devices that offer a unique range of services such a virtual goods, messaging apps, and photo sharing, the more mature Western markets are very different, with carrier relationships, strong brand equity, and innovative features crucial to success.

Along with Huawei and ZTE, three interesting China companies have ambitions to take their smartphone businesses international: Lenovo, Yulong Coolpad and Xiaomi. The first and most successful China smartphone company is Lenovo, which has the largest smartphone market share of China companies, second only to Korean giant Samsung in China. Lenovo is also one of the most diversified China electronics companies, with a broad portfolio. The company has already achieved success on the global stage with its PC business, now the world’s largest after overtaking HP in 2012.

Enterprise by entelechyasiaOct 11, 20132:41 pm

GPU computing is more than just about gaming

Simon talking about the possibilities with GPU computing.

Visual computing is no longer just about gaming but has now permeated everyday lives, Dr Simon See, Director and Chief Solution Architect of NVIDIA, told a gathering of 450 start-ups, investors and R&D providers in digital media.

He pointed out that GPUs now help power the 3D web, location-based visualisation applications, creative content creation, computer vision, user interfaces, image recognition, HD video processing, and virtual worlds.

In his talk, Simon also discussed the vibrant ecosystem of developers that have adopted the CUDA GPU computing platform, how early stage companies can leverage the GPU for visual and other computing applications, and what global programmes NVIDIA offers to nurture and inspire innovation and business opportunities throughout these ecosystems.

Desktop by entelechyasiaOct 10, 20133:04 pm

APAC PC shipment down 11.2% in Q3

Gartner APAC PC shipment continued to head south with 28.1 million units in Q3, an 11.2 percent decline from Q3 of 2012, according to Gartner. Factors contributing to the drop were currency volatilities, especially in India and Indonesia, where currencies plunged to record lows. Vendors were careful in managing inventory, bearing in mind Windows 8.1 and new models based on Intel’s Bay Trail that will start shipping the following quarter.

Globally, PC shipment totaled 80.3 million units in Q3, an 8.6 percent decline from the same period last year. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of declining worldwide shipments.

“The third quarter is often referred to as the ‘back-to-school’ quarter for PC sales, and sales this quarter dropped to their lowest volume since 2008,” said Mikako Kitagawa, Principal Analyst of Gartner. “Consumers’ shift from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets. A greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets.”

Enterprise by entelechyasiaOct 9, 201312:26 pm

Gartner: Top 10 strategic technology trends for 2014

3D printing, personal cloud, the Internet of Everything — these buzzwords today are expected to be among the top 10 strategic technology trends next year, according to Gartner.

Gartner defines a strategic technology as one with the potential for significant impact on the enterprise in the next three years. Factors that denote significant impact include a high potential for disruption to IT or the business, the need for a major dollar investment, or the risk of being late to adopt.

A strategic technology may be an existing technology that has matured and/or become suitable for a wider range of uses. It may also be an emerging technology that offers an opportunity for strategic business advantage for early adopters or with potential for significant market disruption in the next five years. These technologies impact the organisation’s long-term plans, programs and initiatives.

e-commerce by entelechyasiaOct 9, 201311:39 am

hybris named as a B2B commerce leader by Forrester

hybris has been named alongside IBM, Oracle Commerce and Intershop as leading B2B commerce vendors in Forrester Research’s latest Wave report. Entitled “The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q4 2013”, the report examined seven vendors based […]

Enterprise by entelechyasiaOct 8, 20131:51 pm

Beginning of the Digital Industrial Economy

Gartner Worldwide IT spending is forecast to reach US$3.8 trillion in 2014, a 3.6 percent increase from 2013, but it’s the opportunities of a digital world that have IT leaders excited, according to Gartner.

The beginning of the Digital Industrial Economy will make every budget an IT budget; every company a technology company; every business a digital leader, and every person a technology company.

“The Digital Industrial Economy will be built on the foundations of the Nexus of Forces (which includes a confluence and integration of cloud, social collaboration, mobile and information) and the Internet of Everything by combining the physical world and the virtual,” said Peter Sondergaard, Senior Vice President of Gartner and Global Head of Research.

Mobile by entelechyasiaOct 8, 20131:06 pm

ANZ mobile phone market declines

IDC The ANZ mobile phone market has dropped by five percent quarter-over-quarter and over 20 percent year-over-year, according to IDC.

More than 2.6 million devices were shipped in Q2, a contraction that is mainly attributed to the declining feature phone segment in which shipments fell by over 45 percent compared to last year. What was shocking was the slight decline in smartphones shipments during the period.

Despite the quarter witnessing some notable product launches such as Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S4, smartphones shipments saw a marginal fall compared to the previous quarter.

Gadgets by entelechyasiaOct 4, 201311:16 am

Smart watches create big opportunity for flexible displays

Smart watches may well provide the biggest opportunity for flexible displays in the short term, according to ABI Research.

A number of new smart watch vendors have incorporated some form of flexible display technology to maximise the screen size of the small device. Most of the digital smart watches and other fitness and health wearable devices will incorporate a flexible display over the next 18 months due to the robust and rugged characteristics of the displays.

Furthermore, flexible displays or e-ink displays could be used as secondary displays on smartphones and media tablets. Phablets are predicted to be a key application for secondary displays — it is anticipated that more than six percent of annual phablet shipments could include the display type in 2015.

Enterprise by entelechyasiaOct 4, 201311:07 am

Wearables the new way to track and engage customers

Canalys Google Glass and Samsung Gear are two of the most talked about developments in wearable devices. And many more are set to follow in their footsteps.

Canalys believes that consumerisation of IT is paving the way for even bigger transitions that will rock the IT industry. Smaller app-enabled devices (‘appcessories’) enable customers and employees to do more on the move. Adoption of wearables, such as wristbands, eyewear and sensors in clothing, will lead to a new era in which location, movement, fitness, health and potentially visual focus and interest points are tracked. The data generated by these devices creates possibilities for brands to understand, segment, target and service customers. Through functional apps, buyers and sellers are also finding new ways to interact.

‘Apps have emerged as the accelerator of current industry transitions. In place of large code bases and years of development, we now have the possibility of turning out multi-platform apps in weeks, or even days,’ said Tim Shepherd, Senior Analyst of Canalys. ‘By focusing on user experience, app developers have revolutionized how new functionality is brought to market and how behavior and activity are measured. Enterprise customers have started to exploit this capability across several disciplines, including product design, marketing, customer services and operations, and buying points are changing as a result.’

Enterprise by entelechyasiaOct 3, 20139:22 am

Global 3D printer shipment to grow 49%

Gartner 3D printing is gaining traction with Gartner expecting worldwide shipments of 3D printers (3DPs) priced less than US$100,000 expected to grow 49 percent this year to reach a total of 56,507 units.

Rapid quality and performance innovations across all 3DP technologies will drive enterprise and consumer demand. Gartner said that shipments will increase further in 2014, growing 75 percent to 98,065 units, followed by a near doubling of unit shipments in 2015.

“The 3D printer market has reached its inflection point. While still a nascent market, with hype outpacing the technical realities, the speed of development and rise in buyer interest are pressing hardware, software and service providers to offer easier-to-use tools and materials that produce consistently high-quality results,” said Pete Basiliere, Research Director of Gartner.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 30, 201312:16 pm

Android-based tablets taking over the lead

A shift in leadership is now upon the tablet mobile computing market, observed ABI Research.

At the year’s mid-point, the market intelligence firm has identified a trio of events signalling Apple’s iPad family of products has passed the baton to the Android ecosystem. During Q2, the number of Android-powered tablets surpassed iOS-based slates for the first time, tablet-related hardware revenues reached parity, and perhaps most important, the average selling price (ASP) of iPad is rapidly approaching the market average.

Overall shipments in the quarter dropped 17 percent sequentially while growing 23 percent year-over-year for the same quarterly period. “Smaller 7-inch class tablets are finally the majority of shipments,” says Jeff Off, Senior Practice Director at ABI Research. “The 7.9-inch iPad mini represented about 60 percent of total iPad shipments and 49 percent of iPad-related device revenues in the quarter.”

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 30, 201310:49 am

ZTE announces two new 4G mobile routers for Japan

ZTE has introduced two new 4G mobile routers with data download speeds of 110 Megabits per second for users in Japan. The ZTE Pocket WiFi SoftBank 203Z and Pocket WiFi (GL09P) 4G routers, which are […]

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 30, 20139:30 am

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 “region locked”

Galaxy Note 3 pink After the first Samsung Galaxy Note 3 reached the hands of eager fans, one glaringky unwanted feature was spotted — the smartphone has region locked its SIM card.

This brought about a flurry of media reports on why Samsung would do such a thing and how this was a backward move, similar to the region locking of DVDs. Concerned users began lamenting that if this was the case, then they cannot swap in a local SIM card when they are travelling to another region.

But, UK Mobile Review has managed to ease nerves by testing this feature of the Galaxy Note 3. After first using a UK SIM card with the handset, the online media was able to use a UAE SIM card later. Seems that the trick is to use a SIM card from the region from which the smartphone is first purchased to activate the phone and then it can be used with SIM cards issued anywhere else.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 27, 20133:52 pm

Myanmar’s devices market set for explosive growth

IDC Myanmar’s devices market is on target to take centre stage as the country hurtles towards becoming an ICT-driven nation, according to IDC.

Following the award of telecommunications licenses to Telenor and Ooredoo, SIM cards and service provision has dipped considerably towards levels even low-wage earners are able to afford. IDC expects this to drive a considerable uptake in demand for both mobile phones and tablets.

“The Myanmar government has set highly ambitious targets for mobile subscriber penetration over the next two years. At this point, they are on the right track, but there is still much work left to be done,” said Daniel Pang, ASEAN Research Manager for Client Devices at IDC Asia/Pacific.

People by entelechyasiaSep 26, 20139:33 pm

Huawei lab head first Chinese to receive AAAI fellowship

Huawei Dr Qiang Yang, Head of Huawei’s Noah’s Ark Lab, has been elected a fellow of AAAI (the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence).

AAAI Fellow is the highest honour in the artificial intelligence (AI) community, recognising a small group of AAAI members who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of artificial intelligence. This year, AAAI elected eight fellows from across the world.

Yang is the 1st AAAI Fellow in Greater China and first among Chinese Scientists worldwide. He was elected “for significant contributions to AI planning, data mining and case-based reasoning” in AI. Yang is already a fellow of the institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, International Association for Pattern Recognition, and The American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Gadgets by entelechyasiaSep 26, 20133:50 pm

ZTE launches Net Sphere home networking solution

ZTE has launched the Net Sphere home networking solution, which comprises multiple home networking terminals including a wireless router, portable APs and wireless PLC adapters to let users build high-quality home networks. The solution uses a wired […]

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 25, 20132:12 pm

1m out-of-school Filipinos to get access to mEducation

GSMA GSMA is collaborating with the Philippines government agencies and all mobile network operators across the K-12 spectrum to provide up to one million Filipino out-of-school youths (OSYs) with additional opportunities to access education, including technical vocational (tech-voc) education, via mobile media.

The ground-breaking cooperation on mEducation involves government partners including the Philippines Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and mobile operators Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. (DMPI), Globe Telecom and Smart Communications.

The operators are co-operating to complement the efforts of multiple government agencies by extending knowledge to OSYs, especially those in underserved areas and geographically isolated communities, with the support and reach of mobile technology. The National Statistics Office of the Philippines reports that in 2011, there were at least 6.24 million out-of-school youths in the country.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 25, 201311:55 am

China ships 110 million mobile phones in Q2

China’s mobile phone shipments reached 110 million in Q2, with smartphones accounting for 86 million units, according to IDC. “The smartphone market has maintained a two-digit quarter-on-quarter growth rate in Q2 due to two reasons. First, […]

Enterprise by entelechyasiaSep 24, 20134:23 pm

ZTE launches world’s largest capacity data centre switches

ZTE ZTE has released the BigMatrix 9900 series, the world’s largest-capacity data centre switches designed for large cloud computing and big data scenarios.

The new switches will helpscustomers achieve higher-density deployment in data centres. Each single slot can support up to 144 10G ports, 36 40G ports, or 12 100G ports. The Big Matrix 9900 series comprises four models, 9916, 9912, 9908, and 9904, with each unit supporting maximum switching capacity of 84.48T. Big Matrix 9900 meets the oriented service architecture (OSA) standards.

For big data systems, BigMatrix 9900 provides customers the capability to extract non-structurised and non-relevant data from existing databases. BigMatrix 9900 also adopts modular system design, and can be used to build a super-resilient non-blocking bi-directional forwarding platform with the switching capacity of 1.4P (1,440T) in Fat-Tree mode.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 24, 201310:53 am

Blackberry to change hands

Blackberry Q5 Blackberry has agreed to be sold to Fairfax Financial Holdings for US$4.7 billion.

Fairfax, which already owns around 10 percent of BlackBerry, will pay US$9 per share for Blackberry, and take the company private. However, the deal is not done yet as Fairfax can walk away any time under the terms of the agreement.

“Unless Fairfax plans to radically change or accelerate BlackBerry’s strategy, it’s unlikely to be able to turn the company around. And that means we’re likely seeing the beginning of the end for one of the most iconic brands in mobile technology,” said Jan Dawson, Chief Telecoms Analyst of Ovum.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 24, 201310:32 am

Microsoft introduces Surface 2 powered by NVIDIA Tegra 4

Surface 2 Microsoft has introduced Surface 2, the successor to the ill-fated Surface RT, for which the company booked a US$900 million loss. So, what’s the difference between the first iteration and this new version?

“Surface 2 is not subtle, but is a revamp. It is not the simple changes that everybody wants, but it’s the changes people need,” said Panos Panay, Surface Chief of Microsoft.

It’s powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 4, which should provide a major performance boost over the first-generation Surface RT tablet. The chip’s ARM Cortex-A15 quad-core CPU and 72 GeForce GPU cores should help the device fly across web browsing, zip through Office applications and deliver immersive DirectX gaming experiences.

Enterprise by entelechyasiaSep 23, 201312:28 pm

Promotions help drive ANZ inkjet market

IDC The ANZ inkjet printer market expanded in Q2, thanks largely to heavy price and bundling promotions particularly within the entry level segment, according to IDC. This augmentation was further supported by the growth of high-end machines that served as a replacement for colour laser printers.

Unit shipments increased 2 percent to about 443,000 although they dropped by 3 percent on a year-on-year basis

“The second quarter of 2013 saw aggressive promotions on various levels including price, bundling, cash back, catalogue promotions as well as TV commercials. Continued traction within the photographic printer segment and augmentation of A4 inkjet printers that could print A3 added to the positive development. However, with the close of financial year in March for certain vendors, this expansion was offset due to the limited in-take of new stock on the back of already existing stock in their channel,” said Arunachalam Muthiah , Market Analyst of Peripherals Research of IDC New Zealand.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 22, 20132:49 pm

Samsung rolls out Galaxy Tab 3 (10.1-inch) with LTE in Singapore

Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 with LTE Just when you thought that the Galaxy line-up was packed, Samsung has unleashed yet another model — the Galaxy Tab 3 (10.1-inch) with LTE in Singapore.

Offering an expanded range of options along with previously announced 7-inch and 8-inch versions, the Galaxy Tab 3 (10.1-inch) with LTE is packed with enhanced content and intuitive design for viewing or sharing content.

Stacked with a 1.6 GHz Dual Core processor, it features a comprehensive suite of video, music, and photo software, making it ideal for mobile entertainment.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 20, 20133:36 pm

Apple and Samsung clamouring for attention with new colours

Apple and Samsung are slugging it out for attention in Singapore and across Asia. Yesterday, Apple fans in Singapore queued to be among the first to lay their hands on the Apple iPhone 5s and […]

Gadgets by entelechyasiaSep 20, 201310:07 am

ViewSonic launches new projectors with dual pen interactivity and advanced connectivity

Auditorium hall with projection screen ViewSonic has introduced a new PJD8 series of projectors — PJD8653ws, PJD8333s and PJD8633ws — that features dual pen interactivity and advanced connectivity functionality.

“When it comes to ultra short throw projector solutions, it’s common that manufacturers will offer either reflective mirror technology or direct projection technology, but we feel it is important to offer our customers both. Paired with advanced interactive and connectivity features, our brand new PJD8 series delivers the opportunity of choice, not chance.,” said Roger Chien, Product Manager of ViewSonic

This new ultra short throw, networkable series allows the projector to be mounted right above a whiteboard or screen without creating hot spots, shadows or casting bright light in front of the presenter, making it perfect for smaller or difficult projection spaces like classrooms and meeting rooms.

e-commerce by entelechyasiaSep 20, 20139:54 am

kalahari.com accelerates market expansion with hybris

k hybris SAP alahari.com has selected hybris Commerce Suite to power its retail vision forward, strengthen its position as an innovative market leader, and fast-track market growth selling both digital and physical goods via its online stores and marketplaces.

As Africa’s leading online retailer of electronics, toys, appliances, games and books, kalahari.com will leverage hybris Commerce Suite to respond to growth opportunities and further extend its market share in the fast growing Southern African commerce market.

Providing a true omni-channel experience, the scalability of the hybris Commerce platform will enable kalahari.com to support its rapidly expanding online operations, which include consumer-to-consumer (C2C) and business-to-consumer (B2C) retail, and deliver a feature-rich experience to a growing number of mobile shoppers. This will include selling digital goods such as eBooks, via kalahari.com’s own e-reader device the Gobii, and a large expansion of its online catalogue of digital and physical goods.

Gadgets by entelechyasiaSep 19, 20131:54 pm

NVIDIA Tegra Note coming soon

Tegra Note At this year’s Computex, NVIDIA gave a preview of a tablet, tentatively called Tegra Tab, that leverages the NVIDIA DirectStylus technology, which significantly improves passive stylus performance.

That device is now called NVIDIA Tegra Note and will be available in the next few months. Designed by NVIDIA, it will be marketed by NVIDIA partners including Colorful, Shenzhen Homecare Technology, XOLO, and ZOTAC XOLO in Asia-Pacific.

The suggested retail price for the Android-based device is US$199, making it highly competitive in the growing tablet space.

Continue reading NVIDIA Tegra Note coming soon

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 18, 201312:11 pm

Local smartphone makers best Apple in China market

To most people around the world, Coolpad, Lenovo and Xiaomi don’t quite ring a bell when it comes to smartphones. But, in China, these three Chinese smartphone OEMs outsold Apple in Q2, according to ABI Research.

Only Samsung managed to hold its own but snaring a 17 percent market share. Lenovo was next with 13 percent, Coolpad with 10 percent and Xiaomi edged out Apple with 6.5 percent.

“Even though these OEMs are only selling into the Chinese market, the size of the market has allowed them to achieve shipment volumes that place these OEMs in the top 12 globally. It is not hard to imagine these OEMs as global competitors within the next two years,” said Michael Morgan, Senior Analyst of ABI Research.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 17, 20139:04 pm

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 available in HK on Sep 25

Galaxy Note 3 The much awaited Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be available in Hong Kong on September 25. Coming in black and white, the suggested retail price of the 3G and 4G LTE versions are HK$5,998 andHK$6,198 respectively.

The phablet packs innovative features where users can enjoy captivating viewing experience on the 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLDED screen that offers a stunning and divine viewing experience with a clear canvas for content creation. It also comes with an enhanced S Pen and multitasking features.

“Some people may often feel that the latest gadgets out there offer a contradicting feeling to our users because while you’re very engaged with your product, you tend to neglect the things around you. With the latest Galaxy Note 3, you will be able to enjoy a delightful mobile experience that brings passion to life,” said Yiyin Zhou, Director of Telecom Business, Samsung Electronics Hong Kong Limited.

People by entelechyasiaSep 17, 20132:09 pm

NVIDIA appoints new CFO

NVIDIA has named Colette Kress, a 24-year veteran of the tech industry, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The appointment takes effect later this month. Kress most recently served for three years as Senior […]

Telecommunications by entelechyasiaSep 16, 201312:47 pm

ZTE unveils world’s first flexible reconfigurable terabit router

ZTE ZTE has unveiled the world’s first flexible reconfigurable terabit router to enable customers to build the highest-performance broadband networks.

The terabit router supports the deployment of multiple line cards with processing capability of 10 gigabits per second to 1T, and modules that offer scalable throughput of 200G to 18T. To enable convenient installation in a wide variety of environments, the flexible interfaces and loose-coupled component design of the router allow customers to configure networks that are customised for their needs, promoting adaptability, consistency and continuity.

The superior performance of the terabit router is built on two proprietary ZTE technology solutions, cloud routing and intelligent system resource scheduling. Cloud routing builds system control plane based on distributed modular technology to ensure efficient network resource utilisation, offering network scalability and support for simultaneous deployment of multiple transmission protocols. Intelligent system resource scheduling enables physical and logic system resource sharing and flexible scheduling to ensure automatic matching of system load and resource allocation, driving superior power-consumption performance of 0.8W/Gbps.

Enterprise by entelechyasiaSep 16, 201312:42 pm

1 in 4 homes watching TV with Cisco

cisco Cisco has an innovative approach to pay TV that has enabled it to gain and maintain its industry leading position. With more than 300,000,000 homes around the world watching TV with Cisco, nearly a quarter of all global TV homes are now enjoying improved viewing experiences.

While 80 percent of the world’s homes have access to TV, fewer than half of them are benefiting from digital and the additional functionality that it can enable. At the other end of the spectrum, the amount of video traversing IP networks is set to reach a record 88 exabytes a month by 2017, with 914,100 minutes of video streamed or downloaded every second – all with less than 50 percent of the world’s population connected to the Internet.

Building on over 20 years of experience driving new services and profitable growth for pay-TV operators and the media and entertainment industry, Cisco can help the industry capture the huge opportunities being generated as every network attached device becomes video capable and consumers seek ubiquitous video access.

Enterprise by entelechyasiaSep 13, 201311:20 am

Philippines CRM outsourcing market still attractive

ovum The Philippines continues to be one of the most attractive destinations for outsourcing, fuelled largely by competitive price points and significant pools of labour with English language skills, according to Ovum.

New research focused on CRM suppliers in the Philippines found potential within the industry as a non-voice and non-English-speaking delivery center. Furthermore, as the country’s economy continues to expand, outsourcers will see greater opportunities to serve the increasingly sophisticated domestic market.

“Following our visit to the country and our on-the-ground research, it is clear to us that the Philippines will remain one of the powerhouses among offshore front-office outsourcing destinations,” said Margaret Goldberg, Associate Analyst, IT Services at Ovum and co-author of the report. “The combination of a significant cultural disposition towards customer service and affinity to Western cultures, strong English language capabilities and competitive price points will ensure that the outsourcing industry in the country will continue to see strong growth for years to come.”

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 12, 20132:22 pm

Tablets to outship PCs in Q4

IDC Tablets and smartphone shipment will continue to drive growth in 2013, according to IDC, which expects tablet shipment to surpass total PC shipment (desktop plus portable PCs) in Q4. The worldwide smart connected device market, comprising PCs, tablets, and smartphones, is forecast to grow 27.8 percent year over year in 2013, slightly lower than the 30.3 percent growth in 2012.

PCs shipment is still expected to be greater than tablet shipment for the full year, but IDC forecasts tablet shipments will surpass total PC shipments on an annual basis by the end of 2015. Smartphones will continue to ship in high volumes, surpassing 1.4 billion units in 2015 and accounting for 69 percent of all smart connected device shipments worldwide.

In terms of shipment value, the worldwide smart connected device market will again exhibit double-digit year-over-year growth of 10.6 percent in 2013, but this growth will gradually slow to just 3.1 percent in 2017. The tapering revenue forecast reflects the increasing impact of low-cost smartphones and the white box tablet market.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 10, 201311:26 am

ZTE Grand Memo LTE to become first 4G device in China

ZTE’s Grand Memo LTE is poised to become the first 4G device available for sale in China, after it became the first to be awarded a TD-LTE handset permit by the Ministry of Industry and […]

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 6, 20131:07 pm

Global smartphone shipment to hit 1b in 2013

IDC One billion smartphones are expected to be shipped this year, helping the global mobile phone market to rebound from just 1.2 percent growth in 2012 to 7.3, percent in 2013, according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

The overall mobile phone market is growing faster than previously forecast thanks to a stronger-than-expected first half of the year driven by strong gains in emerging markets and the sub-US$200 smartphone segment. IDC previously projected 5.8 percent growth for the year. Vendors are now forecast to ship more than 1.8 billion mobile phones this year, growing to over 2.3 billion mobile phones in 2017.

Worldwide smartphone shipment is forecast to grow 40.0 percent year over year to more than one billion units this year. High smartphone growth is the result of a variety of factors, including steep device subsidies from carriers, especially in mature economic markets, as well as a growing array of sub-US$200 smartphones. Total smartphone shipment is forecast to reach 1.7 billion units in 2017.

Mobile by entelechyasiaSep 6, 20138:42 am

Xiaomi introduces world’s first NVIDIA Tegra 4-powered super phone

Xiaomi Mi3 China mobile device maker Xiaomi has announced the Xiaomi Mi3, the world’s first to be based on the NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor.

Delivering superb gaming and lightning-fast web browsing, the flagship phone represents the first collaboration between NVIDIA and Xiaomi. The Mi3 will launch on China Mobile, the world’s largest carrier, in October.

Based on the Tegra 4 – the world’s fastest mobile processor — the phone combines premium specs and features with all-day battery life. In addition to Tegra 4, it includes a 5-inch 1080p full HD display with 441ppi, 2GB RAM and up to 64GB of storage. The Tegra 4 processor offers record levels of performance and battery life with its 72-core NVIDIA GeForce GPU, quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 and fifth battery-saver CPU core, also based on Cortex-A15.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 30, 20132:39 pm

Android mobile app revenue to hit US$6.8b this year

Android’s smartphone mobile app revenues are projected to reach almost US$6.8 billion by the end of 2013, nearly doubling its revenues from the previous year, according to ABI Research.

The Android platform has some way to go before catching iOS’s smartphone revenues but the smartphone app market will be Android’s most fruitful hunting ground compared to other devices.

ABI Research estimates that Android smartphone app revenues will increase from 59.1 percent to 65.9 percent when compared to iOS smartphone app revenues over the next 12 months.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 29, 20135:03 pm

Mobile privacy concern could limit widespread adoption of mobile apps in Malaysia and Indonesia

GSMA Mobile users in Malaysia and Indonesia are concerned with mobile privacy, according to a new research by GSMA and local mobile operators.

The study of more than 1,500 Malaysian and Indonesian mobile users shows that increased transparency and choice in how their personal data is collected and shared could boost take-up of mobile apps in Indonesia. The mobile apps market globally is worth US$29 billion and growing at 36 per cent per annum. The research was presented at a Data Protection and Privacy Conference hosted by the GSMA, Celcom Axiata and DiGi in Kuala Lumpur.

“It is clear that mobile users are concerned about their privacy and are more likely to interact with apps and receive targeted promotions if they feel it is respected,” said Tom Phillips, Chief Government and Regulatory Affairs Officer of GSMA.

Gadgets by entelechyasiaAug 26, 20135:59 pm

ViewSonic introduces full HD 3D projector for office and home entertainment

PJD7820HD ViewSonic has announced the new Full HD 1080p 3D projector for office and home entertainment in Singapore. The ViewSonic PJD7820HD offers best in class price-performance Full HD 1080p 3D projector with 3,000 ANSI lumens and 15,000:1 contrast ratio.

It comes integrated with 3,000 lumens for a clear, bright image even in well lit rooms – perfect for watching sports or playing on games consoles during daylight. The 15,000:1 contrast ratio ensures black colours don’t appear grey while BrilliantColour technology delivers breathtaking colour reproduction.

“As more and more business applications run on high definition resolution, the demand for 1080p projectors in the business world has been on the rise,“ said Vincent Hung, Product Manager of ViewSonic. “Our new PJD7820HD offers best in class price-performance for a Full HD 1080p 3D projector on the market today, making it the ideal crossover model for SMBs, corporate and home office consumer use.”

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 26, 201310:40 am

Asian brands boost APAC smartphone shipment

Homegrown brands are gaining more market share in the Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) (APEJ) smartphone market. While Samsung continues to lead the smartphone pack, Apple fell out of the top five in the region for the first time. Chinese players — Lenovo, Coolpad, Huawei and ZTE — all outshipped Apple in the Q2, according to the IDC Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Aside from the top-tier international brands or Chinese brands that also ship globally such as Huawei and ZTE, there is also a rising segment of homegrown brands, which as a group have been steadily rising in shipments and prominence. This group of players comprised 38 percent of Q2 volume, up from 20 percent in the same quarter of 2012, and 7 percent in Q2 2011.

“There is clearly a market maturity story at play here, where the trends could not be more different between mature markets and emerging markets,” said Melissa Chau, Senior Research Manager with IDC AP’s Client Devices team. “Seasonally, second quarter usually shows an uptick in mature markets, but this round shipments dropped by 12 percent quarter-on-quarter, while emerging markets increased by 13 percent.

Enterprise by entelechyasiaAug 22, 20139:08 pm

Hong Kong to stay as key Asia Pacific data centre market

Limited land availability and high real estate prices are unlikely to make Hong Kong lose its status as a key data centre market in Asia Pacific, according to Frost & Sullivan.

The limitations are countered by the Hong Kong Government’s continuous support for the sector.

“Hong Kong’s strong political connection to Mainland China allows it to act as a gateway for global companies that seek to tap into opportunities in China’s market,” said Danni Xu, Research Analyst, ICT Practice, Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan. “Moreover, Hong Kong’s business-friendly and free-trade environment has drawn a number of multinational corporations (MNCs) to set up their regional headquarters in the country. This has brought in numerous investments and job opportunities, and created demand for data center services.”

Desktop by entelechyasiaAug 22, 20139:08 am

NVIDIA and Ubisoft team up for latest games

Splinter Cell Blacklist NVIDIA has formed an alliance with Ubisoft to offer PC gamers the best gaming experiences possible for Ubisoft’s biggest fall titles, including Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, Assassins Creed IV Black Flag and Watch Dogs.

NVIDIA’s developer technology team is working closely with Ubisoft’s development studios on incorporating graphics technology innovations to create game worlds that deliver new heights of realism and immersion. One example is NVIDIA® TXAA™ antialiasing, which provides Hollywood-levels of smooth animation, soft shadows, HBAO+ (horizon-based ambient occlusion) and advanced DX11 tessellation.

“PC gaming is stronger than ever and Ubisoft understands that PC gamers demand a truly elite experience — the best resolutions, the smoothest frame rates and the latest gaming breakthroughs,” said Tony Tamasi, Senior Vice President of Content and Technology at NVIDIA. “We’ve worked closely with Ubisoft’s incredibly talented creative team throughout the development process to incorporate our technologies and deliver the most immersive and visually spectacular game worlds imaginable.”

e-commerce by entelechyasiaAug 20, 201310:34 am

Tommy Bahama partners hybris to seize market opportunities

Tommy Bahama Singapore — Tommy Bahama’s outlet in Wisma Atria, Singapore.

Tommy Bahama, which has an outlet in Wisma Atria, Singapore, has selected hybris Commerce Suite to improve its omni-channel commerce capabilities and create a more agile response to expanding market opportunities.

A leading retailer of island-inspired apparel and home furnishings, the brand has achieved rapid growth in online commerce over the past few years. In addition to the web, Tommy Bahama offers in-store kiosks, a commerce channel that enables an “endless aisle” of products available through the e-commerce warehouse, allowing shoppers to access out-of-stock or online exclusive items directly in-store.

To ensure the brand’s continued global expansion and establish a foundation for market and channel growth, Tommy Bahama needed a robust commerce platform capable of integrating with its existing Adobe Experience Manager solution to deliver a world-class, end-to-end user experience across all channels. hybris not only complements the Adobe Experience Manager but enables it to further create and deliver a heavily optimised user experience.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 19, 20134:38 pm

Samsung tops ABI Research’s tablet competitive assessment

Korean giant Samsung has nudged aside all competition in ABI Research’s assessment of 19 top tablets.

The competitive assessment ranked companies on several criteria related to both product implementation and vendor innovation.

Samsung bested all other tablet vendors in the innovation category while scoring second overall in the implementation category. Clearly king of the hill when it comes to tablet shipment volumes, Apple trailed Samsung on tablet Innovation landing in second.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 15, 20133:19 pm

WeChat soars past 100m registered users milestone

WeChat has surpassed the 100 million registered user account milestone. That’s remarkable considering the strong competition it is up against.

In the last three months, it doubled its registered user account base reaching the 100 million milestone shortly after an independent survey found that the platform was the fifth most used smartphone app worldwide.

Since its international debut, WeChat has been well received in Asia, quickly becoming the most popular mobile social app in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia across multiple smartphone OS platforms, where the user base has recently gained tremendous growth.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 8, 201311:13 am

Low cost smartphone shipment to exceed 750m in 2018

Shipment of smartphones costing under US$200 are expected to grow from 238 million in 2013 to 758 million by 2018, driven by the low penetration of smartphones and large subscriber bases found in BRIC countries, according […]

Enterprise by entelechyasiaAug 7, 20133:12 pm

SAP and hybris to tap “customer engagement” market

Customer engagement — that’s what SAP and hybris hope to deliver as a new category of enterprise software. It’s about providing customers with a consistent unified experience. Leveraging the omnicommerce expertise of hybris and the enterprise […]

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 7, 201312:24 pm

Tablets fail to lift flat PC market in Q2

Tablet shipment’s growth 42.9 percent iwas not enough to lift a sluggish PC market in Q2. Desktop and notebook shipments fell 7.4 percent and 13.9 percent respectively, according to Canalys, which believes that tablets will outsell notebooks by Q4.

PC shipment in the Asia Pacific region declined 0.5 percent year-on-year to just over 40 million units. The region was badly affected by slow shipment in China, which accounted for almost 45 percent of the region’s shipment and declined by about six percent.

Demand for smartphones and tablets is increasing around the world. Faced by an industry in transition, channel partners are exercising caution when planning and placing orders.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 6, 201311:36 am

China’s top five vendors grab 20% of the world’s smartphone market

Canalys Samsung and Apple grew smartphone shipment by 55 percent and 20 percent respectively to maintain first and second place in Q2, according to Canalys.

However, both lost market share to Chinese vendors as the top 5 China vendors (Lenovo, Yulong, Huawei, ZTE, and Xiaomi) now account for 20 percent of the market, up from less than 15 percent a year ago.

Altogether, some 238.1 million units were shipped in Q2, an impressive 50 percent year-on-year gain.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 6, 201310:03 am

Samsung dominates almost every device price point

abi research Samsung has a device for every price point, giving it leadership in all, bar one category — the high end where it faces Apple.

According to ABI Research’s Device Portal sales channel analysis, the balance of power remains with Samsung/Android and Apple and looks set to remain so in the foreseeable future.

“This leaves little room for the other vendors to compete, especially the other Android vendors and those using uncompetitive operating system ecosystems. Despite some carrier’s efforts to create a more balanced smartphone device vendor industry with their use of subsidy, ultimately they are obliged to fulfill consumer demand and at the moment that means Samsung/Android and Apple,” said Nick Spencer, Senior Practice Director of ABI Research.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 5, 201312:07 pm

Samsung expands ATIV lineup

Samsung Ativ Series Samsung has boosted its ATIV lineup with four new Windows 8 devices — ATIV Book 9 Plus and ATIV Book 9 Lite notebooks, ATIV Tab 3 tablet and ATIV One 5 Style all-in-one desktop PC.

Also introduced is a new feature called HomeSync Lite, which transforms the PC’s hard drive into a personal cloud server. HomeSync Lite lets users to backup their personal files, photos and videos from portable devices to PCs and access them remotely via a mobile device anytime, anywhere.

The ATIV Book 9 Plus is the next generation of the ATIV Book 9, which is ultra thin and light. Its aluminium, uni-body design features several enhancements from the previous model, including a Windows 8 optimised touchscreen to give users a choice of inputs and a panel that flips 180 degrees so that users can change or share their perspective easily. The notebook will be available in mineral ash black from Q4 at major consumer electronics and IT stores and Samsung Experience Stores.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 2, 201312:05 pm

Android-based tablets outship iPads in Q2

Three in 10 PC shipped in Q2 were tablets. According to Canalys, more than 34 million tablets were shipped in Q2, a 43 percent year-on-year increase. Even more impressive is the fact that tablets now account for 31 percent of worldwide PC shipments.

The charge is led by Android-based tablets as Apple’s tablet shipments declined 14 percent in Q2 and saw its market share shaved to 43 percent. The chasing pack of Samsung, Amazon, Lenovo, and Acer each grew annually by over 200 percent, driven by increasing demand for small-screen tablets.

Canalys estimates that 68 percent of tablets shipped in Q2 had a screen size smaller than nine inches. “Consumers have been evaluating tablets and the results are now in,” said Tim Coulling, Senior Analyst at Canalys . “With touchscreens contributing to a high proportion of the build cost of a tablet, small-screen products can be priced very aggressively.”

Enterprise by entelechyasiaAug 2, 201310:28 am

SAP completes hybris acquisition

SAP is investing in the future of commerce and customer engagement with its acquisition of hybris. The two companies plan to combine the agile omni-channel commerce solutions of hybris with robust enterprise technology and industry leading in-memory, cloud and mobile innovations from SAP to help facilitate new levels of customer insight and engagement.

“SAP and hybris will deliver the next-generation customer experience for businesses and consumers in a world where digital and physical converge seamlessly,” said Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe, co-CEOs, SAP AG. “With the addition of the hybris commerce platform, we intend to help enterprises achieve unprecedented intimacy with customers in real time and across all devices, delivery channels and touchpoints.”

The rules of engagement have changed and customers are in control. Modern businesses need systems that can predict and adapt in real time to customers wherever and however they engage. hybris expands SAP solutions that address customer engagement comprehensively across marketing, sales, service and commerce. As part of SAP, hybris is expected to take advantage of mobile, cloud and big data innovations from the company while continuing to drive forward the most modern, agile commerce platform in the market today.

Mobile by entelechyasiaAug 1, 20134:23 pm

ZTE corners 5% of global smartphone market

ZTE has grabbed five percent of the global smartphone market, catapulting it into fourth worldwide, according to Strategy Analytics. The 11.5 million smartphones shipped in Q2 represented a 79 percent year-on-year increase. The China smartphone maker will […]

Gadgets by entelechyasiaJul 31, 20134:02 pm

Samsung debuts Galaxy Tab 3

Samsung has announced the new eight-inch GALAXY Tab 3 that sports a slim bezel that makes it easier to read and have a more engaging multimedia experience. The physical keys on the bezel at the bottom […]

Enterprise by entelechyasiaJul 30, 201311:34 am

NVIDIA acquires PGI

NVIDIA has made further inroads into high performance computing (HPC) with the acquisition of The Portland Group (PGI), a leading independent supplier of compilers and tools. Founded in 1989, PGI has a long history of innovation […]