Qualcomm vs. Nokia in mobile internet services stand-off

BREW has taken an increasingly strategic role within Qualcomm over the past few years, evolving from an operator friendly content delivery platform to increase the appeal of CDMA technology, to the basis of a wide ranging software roadmap that aims to reduce the chip company's dependence on CDMA, help it penetrate new markets like Europe, and diversify its revenue streams. Various important functions have been added, including the uiOne mobile user interface personalization system, acquired with Trigenix, which gained Qualcomm a breakthrough European cellco deal with O2.

Now the burden placed on the software platform's shoulders has gotten even heavier, as it becomes the foundation for Qualcomm's bid to grasp the mobile internet rudder and gain an influence akin to that of Nokia with Series 60, Ovi and WidSets; or Google with Android; or Yahoo Mobile. As with the acquisition of uiOne and other BREW enhancements, Qualcomm is focusing heavily on operator, rather than end user requirements, recognizing that it can be the carriers' friend, in a world where the cellcos' traditional ways are being challenged by open internet models and the shift of companies like Nokia towards direct-to-consumer services. Among the key operator requirements is personalization, and this also drove uiOne, and will now be a fundamental focus of Plaza.

Bob Briggs, general manager of BREW and VP at Qualcomm Internet Services, said the company is adopting a more open and flexible approach in order to drive growth throughout the mobile value chain - in software not just chips, and in data not just voice, for operators as well as Qualcomm itself. This message was driven home by CEO Paul Jacobs, in a strong, conscious or unconscious, echo of Nokia's own move to shift from hardware to being an internet services company.

Plaza is a mobile internet widget framework, geared to enabling operators to develop and deploy personalized access services and content rapidly across a variety of mobile platforms. The product also features an integrated advertising delivery mechanism, and is based on open APIs so that end users and third party developers can independently create their own widgets. Most importantly, Plaza aims to help operators personalize their subscribers' mobile internet experiences and so drive additional revenue, differentiation and customer retention.

Qualcomm said it was working with operators to streamline Plaza prior to commercialization. "Plaza will provide a widget ecosystem that leverages Qualcomm's expertise and success from the proven BREW ecosystem, giving publishers, developers and operators the ability to open up the mobile internet to subscribers and monetize it for operators and content providers alike," said Qualcomm Internet Services president Andrew Gilbert. "We believe that providing end users with an easy way to extend their online lives to their mobile devices will help drive the uptake of data services."

Gilbert argues that a strong catalog of personalized widgets will be important in enabling operators to create and enhance their brand, in an open internet, flat rate world where gaining brand recognition will be increasingly difficult, but also increasingly important to attract and keep customers.

Also vital to any mobile internet activity outside the Apple world these days is a partnership with Adobe Flash, and Qualcomm obliged, offering developers a BREW Mobile Platform upgrade with the technology embedded. It also provides a new set of APIs and enhancements to support access to device databases, connectivity support, touchscreen user interface development and other functions that will be important to cutting edge mobile web products, and Qualcomm is particularly focusing on driving advanced multimedia web features down the value chain into midmarket handsets rather than just high end smartphones. Verizon Wireless was the first US carrier to embrace Flash and is also the largest US customer for BREW.

Other BREW announcements:

• BREW user US Cellular said it would allow content company JumpTap access to its customers, allowing subscribers one-click access to the web and search results that will pull relevant results based on the carrier's data and usage patterns. The deal will also cover targeted advertising. Through the deal, US Cellular customers will gain access to news, sports, flight updates, white pages, chat services, maps and directions via JumpTap's categories. Local and national content publishers and advertisers will have the opportunity to bid on search queries to reach their targeted markets.
• Nuance Communications demonstrated its Mobile Speech Platform 2.5 at the conference, highlighting new developer tools. The application includes speech recognition, open ended dictation and text-to-speech features as well as pre-built components for local search, mobile navigation, content search and mobile web search.
• Ontela has introduced its cameraphone sharing service to the BREW platform through NTelos Holding of Virginia, the fourth carrier to launch an Ontela-based service. The company's PhotoCopter services will be brought to NTelos' Brew Consumer Portal. The service costs $3 a month for unlimited photo transfers.
• Qualcomm said Universal Music Group will use its BrandXtend technology, part of the BREW family, to offer content directly to consumers through its artist web and WAP sites, CD packaging and its GetMusic.com portal.
• Qualcomm also announced a 'Cryptographic Extension' for its BREW application download service. The company said the technology will provide enhanced security for Brew developers' wireless applications aimed at government users.