How will 4G rollout impact public WiFi usage?

Mobile operators are planning for wider deployment of 4G technology.

As the date for UK government auction of 4G spectrum draws closer, many partners operating  WiFi services are asking how the 4G roll out will impact their shopping centre or retail WiFi investments.

The telecom regulator OFCOM believes demand for mobile data could increase six fold over the coming 5 years.

If that happens it will put a tremendous strain on 4G networks.

To avoid the risk of significant performance degradation the UK government amongst others are already looking at alternative ways to provide extra capacity for the massive growth in mobile data.

A managed public WiFi within a license-free spectrum remains one of the most efficient ways to carry increased mobile data traffic.

That is why we expect high performance managed public WiFi in dense urban locations will be an important part of meeting the 4G demand.

Britezone Powers Dolphin Shopping Centre WiFi

Britezone WiFi is now powering Dolphin Shopping Centre WiFi at the centre for shopping in Poole.

The new service which went live on the 28th of February 2012 provides free WiFi across the entire shopping centre.

Simply connect to Dolphin Shopping WiFi signal from any part of the shopping centre for free internet access.

Dolphin Shopping Centre provides excellent high speed wireless internet access for shoppers.

Happy surfing.

A world without Jobs?

Apple stock fell 3.5% initially this week as markets were disappointed at the release of the new iPhone 4S.

Pundits were expecting a new killer iPhone 5. Instead we only got a faster iPhone 4 with Siri voice recognition software control.

And Tim Cook, Apples' new CEO for all his undoubted executive strengths, is not Steve Jobs.

So one could say the iPhone 4S launch was well, a bit flat.

But as the world mourns the sad loss of Steve Jobs today, can you imagine for one moment a smartphone world where there were no iPhones?

Steve Jobs raised the hype of expectation so high.

And most of the time, Apple delivered.

Briteyllow Director Dr Ann Limb announced SEMLEP Chair

SEMLEP South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership is pleased to announce that Dr. Ann Limb OBE DL has been appointed as Chair effective 30th September 2011.

Queens Birthday honour for Briteyellow Director

Dr Ann Limb OBE DL, Non Executive Director of Briteyellow Ltd and Chair of Milton Keynes Partnership from 2008 to 2011 has been honoured for her public service work and for services to education with the award of an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list.

Ann, who was born in Manchester, is a former Principal and Chief Executive of Milton Keynes College. Since 1986, when came to the city to take up that post, she has made her home in Milton Keynes and was recently commissioned by the Queen to serve as Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. Ann was appointed as a member of the Milton Keynes Partnership Committee when it was established in June 2004 and took over as independent Chair in April 2008.

‘I loved Milton Keynes from the moment I set eyes on the new city all those years ago’ said Ann, ‘and I try to champion our community’s vision, dynamism, partnership working and entrepreneurial spirit in all I do. That my passion and endeavours should be acknowledged by an honour is a wonderful way to mark twenty-five years here. I have hugely enjoyed my work as Chair of Milton Keynes Partnership and greatly valued the support given me by colleagues, the business community, Milton Keynes Council and the Homes and Communities Agency. Now that Milton Keynes Partnership’s role is fulfilled and we move into the next phase of city development and recognition, I am optimistic that the Council will take Milton Keynes forward in a positive and creative way.’

Commenting on Ann’s honour, Conservative Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Councillor Andrew Geary said ‘ I am delighted that Ann has been acknowledged in this way. She is an enthusiastic ambassador for our city and plays a key role in helping Milton Keynes receive the recognition we deserve nationally and internationally. She led both Milton Keynes Partnership and our World Cup football bid with integrity, transparency and commitment and we look forward her continuing involvement in the building of our community.’

Ann, who lives in Stony Stratford, is not planning to put her feet up! An avid supporter of MK Dons and the work of its Sports and Education Trust, she is a keen advocate that Milton Keynes should develop into a world-renowned international sporting city. With the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to celebrate next year, she hopes that 2012 in Milton Keynes will be a year that focuses on the city’s strengths in the related areas of sport, arts and health. Through her wide range of roles from Chair of Destination Milton Keynes, the city’s official tourism body, Chair of Milton Keynes IF2012, the city’s highly acclaimed international arts festival staged by the Stables, Chair of Milton Keynes Arts for Health, Chair of the Higher Education Board UCMK and first Patron of the Women & Work Group to her business activities as a Non Executive Director of successful Milton Keynes companies DRS plc, Skills2Learn and briteyellow, and the long established MK based National Energy Foundation, Ann will continue to champion Milton Keynes as one of the greenest, diverse, and culturally vibrant places in the UK to live, work, visit and invest.

Who dares upset the Apple cart?

Apple's decision to keep 30% of publishers digital subscription revenues from its iPad and smartphones apps store came as a shock to many.

Google's immediate response that it would only take 10% of subscription revenues from its apps store created a new chasm between the approach of two of the heavyweights in this new digital world.

This raised interesting questions about the relative merits and strategies of the giants in the digital apps race.

Still it is worth considering for a moment the value Apple has brought to the smartphone and apps party.

Apple has without question been the outstanding innovator in the world of small devices during the past 5 years or so.

Through a series of iconic devices from the iPod, to the iPhone and iPad the company led by Steve Jobs has pointed the way and provided global leadership in the form factor and user interface of communications and media products.

Despite the armies of clones waiting to copy its every innovation, somehow it has managed to keep a step ahead of all comers through its creativity.

And in the process it has earned handsome rewards that has propelled it to the top of the global technology league tables.

Indeed Apples's innovations have spawned hundreds of thousands of applications that has driven the growth of all kinds of new business and processes.

Not least amongst those new businesses include innovative wireless telecom and media companies that operate the growing numbers of large scale free Wi-Fi estates, supported by smart Wi-Fi advertising services few could have imagined just 5 years ago.

I recall a conversation with a top Marketing Executive from a leading legal firm who said to me when we were rolling out Britezone Wi-Fi for the Wireless Milton Keynes initiative that no one would want to surf the internet on their phones.

Nowadays without the incredible new user interface that Apple created together with the free Wi-Fi hand-off for smartphones, the millions of bandwidth hungry apps that wireless surfers depend on would not be practicable.

So in a world where risk and reward go hand in hand is it unreasonable that Apple should take the bigger share of revenue for inventing this market?

Goodbye Symbian. Hello Windows Phone

Nokia signalled the end of its Symbian smartphone operating system last week and moved to reassure investors over its new alliance with Microsoft.

The writing has been on the wall for Symbian for some time since the rapid advance of the Apple iPhone and Google Android systems.

As it gets into bed with Microsoft Windows Phone Nokia will hope to halt what had started to look like an inevitable descent into the abyss.

Windows Phone is undoubtedly an accomplished operating system with the capability to restore confidence.

But will the new alliance build any mass market momentum?

There is no doubt an opportunity to create a powerful third force in the smartphone marketplace behind Apple and Google.

It remains to be seen whether this is the right formula or simply a stay of execution.