Bitfone buy could spur run on MDM software.

"CA, IBM, Microsoft Corp., Sybase Inc. and BMC Software Inc. might want to pick up MDM technology, and their customers, rather than build the functionality themselves."

Hewlett-Packard to buy Bitfone.

"Hewlett-Packard Co. said Wednesday it agreed to buy Bitfone Corp., a privately held developer of software that help businesses manage mobile devices."

The top five applications for mobile user authentication + roaming.

"For now, we'll use this post to address the top five applications for mobile user authentication & roaming.
1. Seamless, Cross-Network User Experience
2. User-Provisioned Mobile Devices In The Enterprise
3. Fixed-Mobile Convergence
4. Behind-The-Firewall Connectivity
5. Wi-Fi-To-Cellular Interworking
...
The second application is distinguishing between 'business' and 'personal' uses. Using a combination of carrier services, enterprise policies and SIM-based applications; it's easy to envision a business world where a mobile telephone can have two telephone numbers (work and personal) with two different user accounts. The work account would be paid for by the company, and the personal account would be paid for by the individual user."

Rumormongers tire of iPhone, move on to Googlephone.

"The iPhone got announced today -- only it's a boring VoIP phone from Linksys, not the super-duper version from Apple. While the fanboys may be in a mild tizzy, the move highlights that any Apple 'iPhone' probably won't be called the iPhone, since Linksys and its parent Cisco control that trademark. Anyhow, the cutting-edge rumormongers left the Apple phone behind this weekend, preferring instead to speculate on the Googlephone, following a poorly sourced article from a UK paper saying that Google had held talks with the operator Orange about jointly creating a cobranded mobile phone, to be produced by Taiwanese contract manufacturer HTC."

Mobile enterprise market will grow 23% annually to $3.5B in 2010.

"Fueled by the explosive growth of cellular networks and handheld devices, the worldwide mobile enterprise application market will boom at double-digit rates, reaching $3.5 billion in 2010, according to a market study released Thursday."

The cloudy future of mobile Linux.

"Linux has been mentioned as a potentially leading platform for mobile devices for as long as there have been mobile devices. However, mobile Linux is still largely missing in action. The new crop of high-visibility smart phones such as the Samsung BlackJack, the Nokia E62 and the Treo 680 are based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile, the Symbian and the aging Palm OS platforms."

SMS over IP standard.

"... a new standard agreed by 3GPP a week or so ago. Called TS 24.341 this is basically an agreed standard for supporting receipt and transmission of SMS over an IP network - eg from a dual-mode phone connected in WiFi mode."

Visa invests in mFormation.

"Mobile payments continue to intrigue Visa International. In its latest move, the company is making a strategic investment in mFormation and has forged a strategic alliance with the mobile device management (MDM) solutions provider.

The companies plan to work together to advance over-the-air (OTA) solutions for mobile payments. Specifically, the duo plans to develop OTA delivery and management solutions for mobile payment applications.

Pilot trials to test these newly developed capabilities are expected as early as 2007, according to the companies."

Cameraphones disabled over the air by mFormation.

"A system which will enable network operators to disable the camera function inside mobile handsets has been installed by leading operators in both Europe and North America. The software is being supplied to both operators and leading telecoms integrators by software house, Mformation. Clients already include Telefonica, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Cingular and Rogers... The mobile network will sense the employee's location and then temporarily disable the camera's functionality via an OTA (Over-The-Air) message."

Pantech seeks bailout.

"Analysts say it does not matter whether Pantech deals with its insolvency through court receivership or in some other fashion. Even if creditors clear away debts, Pantech is not likely to be profitable because of challenges from global giants. 'Mid-sized manufacturers will not be able to compete with the powerhouses because the development of new phones costs too much,' an analyst said."

DIY cell phone.

"At the monthly meeting of the Silicon Valley Homebrew Mobile Phone Club, the talk focuses on how to build a new type of cell phone – one designed by the users, for the users, with free games, cheap music downloads, and ringtones for all."

New software helps police nab cellphone thieves.

"New software from Singapore, called Phone Bak, automatically sends an SMS notifying two pre-defined numbers when a phone is stolen and a different SIM card is inserted... SMS will show the number of the person using the phone and the location."

What’s your mobile strategy, stupid?

"Anyway, Microsoft and Boonty were only two examples of many companies I spoke to who lacked any kind of mobile strategy, though I think that they are beginning at long last to be aware that this might not be a good thing exactly. Many VCs are also culpable in this regard, though again, attitudes seem to be changing pretty fast."

The phone of the future.

"No doubt much of this speculation about the future of the phone will prove to be as misguided as AT&T's vision of the Picturephone back in 1964. Indeed, it may be that the whole idea of a telephone comes to be seen as an anachronism, as personal digital devices take on a bewildering range of new functions. Already, researchers at Motorola like to talk about 'the device formerly known as the cellphone'. What it will be called in the future, and what it will do, remain fascinating questions."