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Growth of GSM Improves Banking Services in Africa - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership

Where are the American banks?  We, Americans, use our mobile phone for mostly for communication and sometime for entertainment.

What are our banks waiting on?  Chase appears to be the only bank to embrace SMS in to their banking operations. 

Growth of GSM Improves Banking Services in Africa - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership.

By Rebecca Wanjiku May 30, 2008 -- IDG News Service -- 

Mobile services are expanding to meet improved demand for electronic banking in Kenya, though some obstacles remain, say users and vendors.

With more people accessing the Internet and mobile phones becoming affordable to everyone, banks have developed products to suit the market, said James Muchiri, director of technology and operations at NIC Bank.

NIC has developed services that allow customers to send a SMS (Short Message Service) from their phones to buy airtime, pay utilities or check balances. Another online service that the bank is implementing permits companies to clear their salaries and do normal transactions without going to a bank.

Banks are integrating their systems through technology provided by software vendors like Fintech, which serves financial institutions in 18 African countries.

Slower cellphone growth in USA could bring good deals - USATODAY.com

Within the next month, industry experts estimate that there will be more cell (mobile) phones outside of the US than here.  Developing countries in Africa along with India are hot markets.

We use them more for entertainment.  Mobile phones can not match cabled TV and a computer connected to the internet.

The US market will remain flat until business start developing applications that utilize them.  In Europe and even Africa, you can actually conduct business with your phone.  The mobile phones are being used like a credit card. 

In banking, Chase is the only bank to advertise a banking application for your mobile phone.  Most banks charge about $30 plus for each negative transactions.  Normally, it quickly accumulates to hundreds of dollars in fees.  Also, doctor offices in the UK send text messages to remind you of your scheduled appointments.  In these examples, the customer get improved service and its minimal cost to the provider.

So, the US cellular companies need to help entice our business community to get with it.  Business applications will drive the need for high-speed data services.

Slower cellphone growth in USA could bring good deals - USATODAY.com.

Mark Collins, an AT&T vice president, allows that it's tougher to recruit new subscribers. On the upside, he says, there are plenty of revenue opportunities. "That's why we've been investing like we have for the past three years" in high-speed wireless data and advanced video services.

And Sprint says its future is bright. "We believe the future of wireless is data, and that's our sweet spot," says spokeswoman Leigh Horner. Sprint has teamed with Google and other backers, including wireless visionary Craig McCaw, to build an advanced wireless data network across the USA.

Two Points just Confirmed

Within the last month, I switched my mobile phone carrier because the other did not offer 3G high-speed service.  Naturally, high-speed will support better collaboration including video- and web-conferencing.

The advanced features of my HTC P3600 was being wasted.

Intel Predicts a Ubiquitous Mobile Future - Ubiquitous Thoughts.

2. Carrying Broadband Internet With You. The coming year will see high-speed internet access move to the next level through mobile technologies such as WiMAX.

3. Technology: From Communication to Collaboration. Email, mobile phones and the internet were all about faster and easier communication. And they have had an amazing impact on our lives today. But we're heading into a new realm as technology now allows us to enjoy a realistic experience through advanced multimedia communication. The results are more immediacy and spontaneity in our communication - making for a much better relationship-building tool - whether you are using video- or web-conferencing, for private or business use.

Dear European friends: you are welcome in the US but leave your HTC Diamond at home.

Dear European friends, you are welcome in the US but leave your HTC Diamond at home.  Now that's dumb!  I can not build the shortsightedness of HTC.  They have just snubbed the GSM market in the US.

I guess HTC do not want to go head-to-head new iPhone.

Link:  HTC Diamond may not support 850MhZ band.

Anyways, Expansys is currently taking preorders for the device and confirms the information above - looks like the (european version of the) HTC Diamond does NOT support 850MhZ ...

No Video with AT&T's 3G

Sorry, there will be no video with HTC P3600 and AT&T's 3G network.

The P3600 is ready and capable. The AT&T's 3G is ready and capable for their phone only. The customer service rep (and his supervisor) could NOT choose the HTC P3600 from menu.

Sillyness! HTC and AT&T Wireless should get together.

Free Calls with Skype, AT&T 3G, and HTC

AT&T's 3G enables Skype for Pocket PC! It works! You are free to move around!

You can use Skype for Pocket PC version 2.1.0.65 to make FREE internet calls worldwide from your HTC P3600. $aves on long distance and international calling, SMS, conference calls, etc.

That's the power of HTC P3600, AT&T's 3G, and Skype. Cool Beans!

By the way, this posting is being while taking a break from shopping.

What Would Make You Use Your Windows Mobile Camera More?

What would make me use my Windows Mobile Camera on my HTC P3600?

I am going to use my still and video camera on my HTC P3600 (pocket pc) exclusively when I go to the Congo in about two months.  Why?

1.  Simplicity and Speed.  I spend about months on the road in Congo.  While in Congo, I have sent pictures with stories back to the folks here in the US.  I take hundreds of pictures and hours of video.  However, I have never sent a picture or video back while there.  Now, I plan to shoot video and take pictures and immediate send them back to my blogs (this one and the other www.EndingExtremePoverty.org). 

2.  Lighten my load.  I probably looked like Tim the Tool Man.  I remember one year, I carried around with me the following: GSM phone (with a Sprint phone in my suitcase), IPAQ pocketpc,  Sony video camera, and a digital camera.  I was not trying to impress my Congolese friends but it was all necessary.  Also, I have a notebook computer.  Last year, I was down to just my HTC P3600 world phone and pocket pc, my HP digital camera with sound video, and the notebook.  Pictured, you can see the digital camera on my right hip, the HTC P3600 on the left hip, and maybe the notebook in the backpack.  This year, I will use the HTC P3600 exclusively and once a week use the notebook. 

3.  Zack Legend.  I recently attended a BlogIN event.  Zack Legend, the unofficial Indianapolis Colts' Fan-Videographer, gave a seminar about his use of a phone camera and digital camera.  He stated people are less intimidated by a small camera which yielded him some GREAT interviews. 

Link: What Would Make You Use Your Windows Mobile Camera More?.

Would you be more inclined to snap pictures if sharing them on your Windows Mobile device was easier like the iPhone where you can just email the photos to a Flickr address to post? Or would you want a higher resolution, auto-focus camera with xenon flash? Both would be ideal, but having to choose, I may have to say the ability to share is the killer camera-phone application.

Switching to AT&T

T-Mobile slow implementation of a 3G network has caused me to switch to AT&T.

Using the HTC P3600 on a GPRS or EDGE network is like driving in the city with a high performance car.  The HTC P3600 is made for 3G speed!

It's about time, T-Mobile's 3G rollout

It is about time T-Mobile!  I am glad to see that T-Mobile USA OFFICIALLY announces 3G rollout.

I bought an unlocked HTC P3600 about 17 months ago.  In a gamble, I selected T-Mobile over AT&T.  Both carriers were rumored to be rolling out a 3G network soon.  AT&T has rolled out 3G in Indianapolis.  The clock is ticking!  T-Mobile is about to lose a customer very soon.

I read the some details that says, T-Mobile's 3G will use 1700 MHz for voice and data.  Ouch!  My HTC P3600 is Tri-band and operates at the 2100/850/1900.

Why has it taken the USA carriers so long to implement 3G?  It makes you realize that the USA is not the birthplace for cellular innovation. 

Link: T-Mobile USA officially announces 3G rollout | The Mobile Gadgeteer | ZDNet.com.

There were rumors of the T-Mobile 3G rollout last week in New York and this morning T-Mobile USA issued the below press release officially announcing that 3G is beginning. Unlike one of the rumors that made little sense, the 3G rollout is for both voice and data and begins in New York.

I look forward to seeing something like an HSDPA-capable T-Mobile Shadow as this device has become my default T-Mobile handset and faster data will be quite welcome.