Get the latest announcements from MEF Members across the mobile ecosystem globally in this weekly review of member news…
Telenor identifies tech trends set to reshape lifestyle
After rapid year of tech world advancements, setbacks and successes, Telenor Group’s research arm, Telenor Research, has identified several tech trends to study up on for 2019.
In a press statement, it said, while there is no shortage of staggering high-tech feats identified for the year, the notion of ‘responsibility’ resonates through many of this year’s trends.
“The world of technology is constantly on the go. With exciting innovation – which we point to this year in greater scale than ever – comes the need for reflection, pragmatism and perspective.
We think that the tech pendulum is swinging in that direction in 2019. People are taking a step back and assessing ‘what do these deeper developments in technology and connectivity mean to me, to my family, my community?’” Telenor Research vice president Bjorn Hansen, said.
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Infobip Releases New eBook: Better Banking Through Better Communications
Infobip, a global communications platform for businesses, today announced the launch of its new eBook, Better Banking through Better Communications. The eBook addresses the challenges and opportunities for banks and other financial institutions striving to keep pace in an industry, and during a time rapidly transformed by technology.
In a mobile-first world, Infobip advises that banks must continue to evolve their existing customer engagement. Expanding into new methods of communication is instrumental to meet the growing demand from consumers desiring financial institutions to provide an always-on service.
A recent study from Viacom supports this, finding 73 percent of millennials expressed more interest in obtaining financial services from a tech company than a bank, and a third of them don’t expect to need a bank at all by 2020.
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Telefonica UK turns to Nokia’s Service Operations Centre model to lay the groundwork for 5G
Telefonica, O2’s parent company, has partnered with Nokia to shift to a Service Operations Centre (SOC) model in its bid to support what it calls ‘customer-centric operations’ across the network over the next 18 months and better prepare for the introduction of 5G.
With over 30 million UK-based customers, Telefonica hopes to provide customers with greater reliability, while also preparing its network for all the opportunities that 5G connectivity promises.
Speaking at a press conference this week, Tim Smith, head of software at Nokia said: “Most providers all have a NOC [Network Operations Centre] operator; they’re there to monitor the status and integrity of the network, track alarms and take immediate action when problems arise.
“The NOC is fine and it’s essential but customers don’t buy the network, customers buy the services that run over the top of the network, hence the SOC centre.”
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Orange set to enter home security surveillance fray in France
Orange is executing another page from its multiservice strategy playbook by getting into the home telesurveillance business.
Orange announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Groupama to create a jointly owned company, Protectline, which will enable Orange to become a player in the security sector in its home country of France.
As the name implies, telesurveillance is a system that uses cameras to monitor either private homes or business locations. Orange and Groupama signed a deal this month to create Protectline as a joint platform for the operation and management of home telesurveillance services. Orange holds a majority 51% stake in Protectline while Groupama has the remaining 49%.
“The upcoming launch of our home telesurveillance service is an important part of Orange’s multiservice operator strategy,” said Orange Chairman and CEO Stéphane Richard, in a prepared statement. “To deliver the best product possible, we have again chosen to work with Groupama to pool our skills and resources, following on from our Orange Bank partnership.”
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How UK facial verification firm iProov is working with US Homeland Security
London-based startup iProov has created technology that allows remote facial verification for everything from logging into an online bank account to crossing a major border. Founded in 2011, the company has already made waves in the global security sector – winning weighty contracts from the likes of the US Department of Homeland Security and major banks such as ING.
“The real heart of face verification is to determine whether the face you see is genuinely present or some sort of physical or digital copy,” says founder and CEO of the company, Andrew Bud. “That problem lies at the heart of trust in face-verified identities, and it’s a very hard problem.” He claims that that at present, iProov technology employs the only reliable face verification method out there.
