The GSMA has launched an ongoing programme to help the thousands of small and medium-sized companies developing innovative mobile products and services reach mobile operators and bring their innovations to end-users. The Mobile Innovation Programme is also designed to stimulate and showcase innovation around mobile services and better align innovators with the needs of the mobile industry and its customers.
Ahead of a new Mobile Innovation Summit at the GSMA’s Mobile Asia Congress in Macau in November, senior executives from mobile operators and venture capitalists will review submissions from innovators and identify the top 50 small companies targeting the mobile sector. These companies will have the opportunity to meet operators and investors at the Summit where the leading companies in four categories will be recognized at a Mobile Innovation Awards ceremony. Senior executives from KTF, SingTel, Smart, Softbank and Telenor will be among the judges for this inaugural awards event.
The review and judging process will be repeated for a further Innovation Summit to be held at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona in February 2008 and again for stand-alone Summits to be held in other regions of the world later in that year.
"Technology advances and the mobile industry’s convergence with the Internet, entertainment sector, financial services and many other industries are enabling thousands of small companies to develop innovative applications, products and services for mobile users," said Bill Gajda, Chief Commercial Officer of the GSMA, the global trade association for mobile operators. "But it is a major challenge for these small companies to effectively market their innovations to the more than 700 mobile operators worldwide and cross the chasm separating promising ideas from commercial success."
The Mobile Innovation Programme, which will have a broad global membership of innovators, operators and investors, aims to foster innovation by facilitating the exchange of ideas and business relationships within a thriving community. The programme’s Web site (www.mobileinnovation.org) will develop into a portal, hosting discussion forums, networking tools and a directory of leading innovators compiled from the shortlists produced for each Innovation Summit.
"This programme offers VCs, private equity firms and other investors an unparalleled opportunity to work with the mobile operator community and innovators to accelerate the commercialization of exciting new products and services," said Myla Villanueva, chair of the Mobile Innovation Programme and Head of Technology Development Convergent Services for Smart of the Philippines. "Participating investors will also gain a valuable insight into the strategies of mobile operators and the future direction of this market."
|
