NetVideoWorld 2001: New multimedia content key ingredient to future wireless services

Multimedia content will drive future in wireless technologies, an Internet video conference heard recently, as long as next-generation handsets are inexpensive, more powerful and easy on batteries. Participants at NetVideoWorld 2001 held in Ottawa April 29-May 1 heard from wireless industry executives that voice alone can’t sustain growth in the sector, and that new forms of content which take advantage of new multi-media capabilities on portable devices will drive future revenue streams. But, a number of technology hurdles must be overcome first. Killer apps forwireless devices:Gaming/entertainmentPersonal Location ServicesMultimedia MessagingAudio/Video StreamingMobile TradingVideo ConferencingVoice CommunicationsM-commerce/MicropaymentsAdvertisingPDS ComputingSource: Luc Lussier, Lumic ElectronicsNetVideoWorld, May 1, 2001Luc Lussier, president and CEO of Lumic Electronics, says wireless networks and handsets need to be improved before new types of applications can become widespread. He explained how the advent of next generation wireless networks will provide more reliable connections and faster data rates, both pre-requisites for delivering streaming video. With around 300 million multimedia-enabled handsets expected to be shipped by 2005, Lussier says the case is compelling to create wireless forms of content to produce value-added revenue streams for the carriers. More powerful and battery-efficient handsets are also needed, he added. The challenge for device manufacturers, though, is creating a cost-effective device that combines software programmability with low power consumption. Lumic is developing a multimedia processor that would be integrated directly into the handset making the reception and transmission of multimedia content a possibility. Content is key to making these types of applications cost-effective and profitable for the carriers and this will only come from strategic alliances between the carriers, the content providers and applications developers, says Jean-François Guay, associate director at Bell Mobility Investments. He notes, however, that technological improvements need to be made to handsets before applications such as streaming video become a reality. For example, he says, second processors will likely have to be added to phones and other portable devices to offload multimedia processing. One such power- and processing-intensive application is streaming video, which could potentially be one of the key value propositions of wireless, says PacketVideo VP business development Nick Karter. The U.S.-based company is exploring the potential market opportunities in high-end commercial applications such as security and surveillance, and traffic and telematics as well as entertainment-type applications such as video-on-demand. Symagery Microsystems, a Kanata ON company that is developing a camera-on-a-chip, indicates that the applications for this technology are limitless and that there will be significant demand for this functionality. While the company’s products are currently aimed at the auto identification market, bringing it down to the high-end consumer is the ultimate goal. Larry Lam, Symagery’s VP of product management, explains that the personal imaging market has a huge potential. It’s still unclear at this early stage which carriers would charge for such a service, but most agree that initial service rollout would be targeted at the commercial and high-end consumer markets. However, some are suggesting that both commercial and consumer users would be willing to pay US$10 to US$20 a month for access to rich media content.

NetVideoWorld 2001: New multimedia content key ingredient to future wireless services

News | 05/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

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