Tag: partnership

Still Use BBM? You Can Now Book An Uber From BBM

BBM was all the rage back in the day when iOS and Android were just starting out. Although the BlackBerry OS appealed to the professionals more because of the security features but, BBM gained popularity thanks to its iMessaging-like exclusivity. This was also before WhatsApp and other IM services gained popularity.

However, over the past few years, BBM and BalckBerry OS are virtually dead in most of the western market. However, there are some parts of the world where people have clung on to BBM. Now run by Indonesian telco Emtek, BBM still maintains a decent following in Indonesia, other parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

In association with BBM, Uber will now users to book a ride from inside the chat app within the ‘discover’ menu. The feature will go live in selected countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

BBM will do a one-up over WhatsApp since it doesn’t have a feature like this to compete with BBM. However, with its ever-growing popularity, WhatsApp doesn’t appear to be competing with the dwindling by-gone messaging service BBM. This move is more to do with Uber targeting Indonesia than BBM coming up with a feature to resurrect itself in the world of instant messaging.

Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country and Uber will try to gain impetus in the Southeast Asian country. The ride-hailing business in Indonesia has grown to US $1.5 billion in 2017 and a higher growth is projected in the coming years.

The BBM partnership makes use of Uber’s web-based app, ‘m.uber’ which offers features you’d find in a regular app but comes suited to poor quality connections and lower-end devices.

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December 18, 2017
Google Paid Apple $1Billion in 2014 to Keep Search Engine on iOS

Its no secret that Google and Apple, two massive rivals, have an agreement in place which enables the search engine to be the default search provider on the iOS platform, but what is emerging right now are details of this deal born out of convenience, and the numbers involved here are staggering!

Google which makes 4 times more money from iOS users than it does from users of its own Android platform, holds the business from the Apple based devices very important to its core business, and as such it has gone to great extents to keep its search engine running on iOS devices worldwide.

According to details that have emerged in the midst of a high-profile Oracle vs Google battle in a San Fransico court, Google has paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 as part of its ongoing deal to be the default search provider on iOS devices. The deal allows Apple’s to get a percentage of the revenue that the Google search engine generates through Apple devices. The numbers quoted for the revenue shares stands at 34%.

This is not the first time rumors about how much Google pays Apple to be on the iPhone have surfaced on the Internet. For their part, the two companies have also never commented on it, and not to anyone’s surprise, Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, and Google spokesman Aaron Stein both declined to comment on the information disclosed in the court of law.

January 22, 2016
Flipkart Enters into a Partnership with Navigation Company MapmyIndia

Flipkart has entered into a partnership with the digital map data company, MapmyIndia. MaymyIndia (CE Info Systems Pvt. Ltd.) is known for its GPS navigation, tracking, location-based apps and GIS solutions.

The move is part of Flipkart’s efforts to improve the service chain with the help of technology. The company will use this business partnership to license map data and location technologies from MapmyIndia.

Binny Bansal, COO and Co-founder, Flipkart, commented on this, “With this strategic investment, we are taking another concrete step toward transforming the supply chain ecosystem in India, making technology and information the driver of our supply chain and logistics solutions. This partnership is a strategic fit that gives us a sustainable competitive advantage.”

Flipkart’s entry into a business partnership with MapmyIndia also means that the latter’s earlier investors, which include Nexus Venture Partners and Lightbox Ventures, will exit the company. Using Location intelligence capabilities across Flipkart’s logistics network is the primary aim of this partnership. It would also enable the company to introduce services like better Address Verification and real-time Shipment Tracking, among other things.

December 3, 2015
Check Out the OnePlus 2 at Your Closest Airtel Store

Bharti Airtel Limited (“Airtel”), a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has launched a new venture with OnePlus. OnePlus is a rapidly growing technology start-up which is now beginning to make its presence felt in over 35 countries. It’s new smartphone OnePlus 2 would now be available for retail in over 50 Airtel stores in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.

The new smartphone by OnePlus is an ‘online only’ gadget which makes it unavailable for sale in stores. This first-of-its-kind-partnership with Airtel therefore, would allow you to take a look at it, at a store near you.

Additionally, the customers who upgrade to 4G on their existing SIMs or get a new 4G connection would stand to get an invite to OnePlus 2 with which which they can buy this new smartphone.

Only Airtel stores in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai will offer this deal to begin with. But take heart if you’re located elsewhere for Airtel promises to make it available in its stores in other 4G enabled cities soon. For more details about this partnership as well as the list of stores offering these deals, log on to www.airtel.in/oneplus2.

OnePlus has had a reputation of customer satisfaction in the past, and Airtel has maintained a consistently stable position over the years. The partnership of these two names can thus be expected to take care of the expectations of the Indian market.

September 3, 2015
Truecaller Will Soon Come Pre-Installed on Cyanogen Handsets

Truecaller gained huge popularity when it first launched in 2009. This was due to the fact that the integrated caller ID service was among the first of its kind that displayed the name of the person calling from an unknown number and provided a call-blocking facility. This app has achieved 100 million downloads till now. Now, Truecaller has decided to raise up its stakes of removing spam phone calls by collaborating with Cyanogen and pre-installing its technology on Android handsets.

Truecaller recently announced their partnership with Cyanogen OS. The app aims at eliminating spam calls and improving the overall calling experience for Android device users. All future mobile devices will have Truecaller pre-installed and it will be made available to existing users by over-the-air update in the next few months.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Dave Herman” author_title=”VP of Product Development at Cyanogen Inc.”]

Truecaller shares our vision of enabling an open platform that gives users the ultimate choice in their core app experiences. The new integrated dialer experience is a seamless, frictionless way for users to screen calls and block unwanted spam without ever leaving the native dialer.

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Truecaller previously had signed up deals with Nokia/Microsoft, Lenovo, Airtel that let its users pre-load the app via a third party. With Cyanogen, it will be the first time the technology will be integrated with the operating system directly.

May 8, 2015
Samsung to Provide Chipset and Displays for Apple’s Upcoming Products

It looks like the world’s biggest rivals in the tech world will soon be announcing major collaborations. According to the grapevine, Samsung will be manufacturing Apple’s core chip for the next iPhone as well as displays for other Apple products. This unexpected alliance was formed when Apple Chief Executive agreed to tone down the battle of patent suits against Samsung, thereby leading to this association.

Samsung will be budgeting $14 billion dollars for setting up new plants and equipment for manufacturing Apple’s newest device parts. Samsung had used the latest SoC for their flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The chip uses 14nm technology whose standards are matched by Exynos 7420, Samsung’s home made processor. The 14Nm chip is more powerful than the 16Nm chips that are standardly used in the company’s handsets.

But from this partnership, Apple’s former partners like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Sandisk may get a significant blow. TSMC used to manufacture chips for all the previous models of the iPhone and SanDisk was given the responsibility of memory chips for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

There are no official confirmations from both the tech power houses, but if true, we may soon see something very different from this alliance. Although Samsung is manufacturing Apple’s new chipset, the Korean company will continue to make its own smartphones.

May 5, 2015
Yahoo Steps Into the Shoes of Google as Default Search Engine on Firefox

Of course, Google is the ultimate king of internet search engines and there is no doubt in it. With almost all the popular browsers using Google Search as their default search engine, the American internet giant enjoys a monopoly in the social-networking arena.

Well, Yahoo is trying to revive its lost glory and has taken a major step to challenge the supremacy of Google over internet search. Starting in December, Firefox will use Yahoo as its default search engine in the United States on mobile and desktop.

“I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve entered into a five-year partnership with Mozilla to make Yahoo the default search experience on Firefox across mobile and desktop,” Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer wrote in a Wednesday blog post. “This is the most significant partnership for Yahoo in five years.”

It is estimated that Google has been paying Mozilla around $100 million for the privilege of being the default search engine used in the Firefox browser. That deal, last renewed for a three-year period in 2011, has come to an end and will not be renewed as Yahoo has grabbed the contract for the next five years.

“Our teams worked closely with Mozilla to build a clean, modern, and immersive search experience that will launch first to Firefox’s U.S. users in December and then to all Yahoo users in early 2015. The interactive and integrated experience also better leverages our world-class content and personalization technologies.” Mayer wrote. She further talked about the company’s vision saying, “At Yahoo, we believe deeply in search – it’s an area of investment and opportunity for us.”

Market leader Google accounts for 67% of searches from US desktop computers. That compares to about 20% for Microsoft and 10% for Yahoo, according to research firm comScore. Let’s see how much popularity this American multinational giant gains with this deal.

November 20, 2014
Huawei and Arsenal Announce Global Partnership

Huawei and Arsenal Football Club yesterday announced a new partnership, which will see the telecommunications specialist become the Official Smartphone Partner of the north London club on a global basis.

Huawei and Arsenal announced the global deal, which lasts until the end of season 2015/16 at the Arsenal Training Centre in Colney, Hertfordshire, with members of the first team including, Aaron Ramsey, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Özil along with manager Arsène Wenger. The partnership will be officially unveiled to supporters at the Emirates Stadium in London before the Premier League clash with Fulham Football Club on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

Tom Fox, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal Football Club, said: “We are delighted to welcome Huawei to Arsenal as an official partner. This is the first global deal we have signed with a Chinese brand, demonstrating our long-term commitment to the market through pre-season tours and sustained digital fan engagement. Huawei is a genuine leader in its field serving more than a third of the world’s population with its information and communications technology. We are delighted to be partnering with Huawei at such an exciting time in the development of its brand globally, and in particular in the UK and Europe.”

The partnership will see global collaboration between the two brands, with Arsenal FC’s officials and players taking part in Huawei’s communication and promotional activities both in the UK and overseas.

Mark Mitchinson, Executive Vice President at Huawei Technologies UK, said: “Huawei is delighted to partner with Arsenal, one of the world’s leading football clubs. We are a young, dynamic brand, as well as a technical leader in our field and this makes us a great brand match for a club with the global stature of Arsenal. We look forward to working with all the team at Emirates Stadium over the coming years.”

The partnership will also include exclusive offers, content and brand presence during Arsenal matches, as well as through the Club’s digital and social media platforms. In addition, Huawei will have access to the Club’s extensive marketing database and exclusive match day hospitality for competition winners at Emirates Stadium.

January 19, 2014
Opera Partners With 7 Mobile Makers in India

Opera announced that the company is focusing on further expanding its India business to drive growth in the South Asian region and has partnered with seven new handset makers, including Micromax, Spice and Wynncom as part of these efforts.

The companies include Micromax, Videocon, Spice, MoMagic Technologies, Wynncom, Lemon Mobiles and iBall, the original equipment manufacturer will preinstall Opera Mini browser as an exclusive, third-party mobile browser across their upcoming Android devices, the company said in a statement. Opera has also signed two similar OEM partnerships with Symphony Mobile in Bangladesh and Colors Mobile in Nepal.

India is home to the largest number of Opera Mini users in the world. Partnering with local OEMs in India and neighboring countries is part of our growth strategy to take Opera Mini’s user numbers in the region from strength to strength,” Sunil Kamath, Vice President – South Asia, Opera Software said.

He further said, since the beginning of this year, more than 100 Android devices with the browser preinstalled on them have been launched in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

September 20, 2013
Micromax Press Release Confirms BBM for Android

Micromax today confirmed availability of BBM for Android on its Canvas range of smartphones. The Blackberry Messenger service application is said to come pre-loaded on new Micromax smartphones from the first week of October.

Existing Canvas users will also be able to download the BBM app from the Play Store. Deepak Mehrotra, CEO, Micromax said:

We have built a strong mobile ecosystem for our users, which not only drives them to buy our products, but also builds a connection with the brand by massifying and democratizing technology in India. Bringing one of the most popular mobile messaging services with BBM on our smartphones is yet another effort to expand our bouquet of messaging services for our consumers to connect and communicate seamlessly with their loved ones.”

With the arrival of BBM on android, users will now have access to the BBM mobile social network around the world, including features like BBM chats and multi-person chats with BBM Groups, the press release also mentioned that the customers can connect with up to 30 BBM contacts at a time, along with the ability to share voice notes and photographs.

Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director for India at BlackBerry said:

BBM offers customers a highly engaging mobile messaging experience, with the assurance that your message has been delivered and read, and privacy controls that let you easily connect with people without forcing you to give out your phone number or email address. We are delighted to work with Micromax to bring BBM to their customers directly on Canvas smartphones across India”

As per the press release, BBM for Android will be available for download from the Google Play Store, free of cost.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]
New Delhi, September 19, 2013 – Micromax, India’s leading handset manufacturer, today announced availability of the popular BBM™ application on its Canvas range of smartphones. The popular mobile messaging service application will come pre-loaded on new Micromax smartphones from the first week of October. Existing Canvas users CAN download the BBM for Android™ app from the Google Play Store, adding to the current slew of third party messaging services available on the Micromax smartphones.

Mr. Deepak Mehrotra, CEO, Micromax said, “We have built a strong mobile ecosystem for our users, which not only drives them to buy our products, but also builds a connection with the brand by massifying and democratizing technology in India. Bringing one of the most popular mobile messaging services with BBM on our smartphones is yet another effort to expand our bouquet of messaging services for our consumers to connect and communicate seamlessly with their loved ones.”

“We will continue to drive innovation ensuring that our customers have preferential access to the latest and most exciting applications such as the BBM in the future as well,” concluded Mehrotra.
With the arrival of BBM on the Canvas smartphones, Micromax customers will now have access to the BBM mobile social network around the world, including features such as BBM chats and multi-person chats with BBM Groups, which allow customers to connect with up to 30 BBM contacts at a time, as well as the ability to share voice notes and photographs.

“BBM offers customers a highly engaging mobile messaging experience, with the assurance that your message has been delivered and read, and privacy controls that let you easily connect with people without forcing you to give out your phone number or email address. We are delighted to work with Micromax to bring BBM to their customers directly on Canvas smartphones across India,” said Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director for India at BlackBerry.
BBM for Android will be available for download from the Google Play Store, free of cost.

For more information, please visit www.micromaxinfo.com or www.bbm.com
You can also connect with us at – f – Micromax or @Micromax_Mobile

About Micromax:
Micromax started as an IT software company in the year 2000 working on embedded platforms. In 2008, it entered mobile handset business and by 2010 it became one of the largest Indian domestic mobile handsets company by offering unique affordable innovations. Micromax currently holds 22 percent market share in the Indian smartphone market according to IDC Q2 report. The brand’s product portfolio embraces more than 60 models today, ranging from feature rich, dual – SIM phones, 3G Android smartphones, tablets, LED televisions and data cards. The company has many firsts to its credit when it comes to the mobile handset market including the 30-day battery backup, dual SIM phones, QWERTY keypads, universal remote control mobile phones etc. Micromax has presence in more than 560 districts through 125,000 retail outlets in India. The company has sales presence spread across Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.
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September 19, 2013
Sony And Panasonic Will Team Up To Create 300GB Optical Discs

The highest capacity optical disc on the consumer market today is Blu-ray. In standard form it can hold 25GB of data or 50GB if dual layer. There’s also been the recent roll out of the BDXL format, which increases that capacity to 128GB. But such levels of storage are fast becoming too small, and both Sony and Panasonic have realized this and decided to do something about it.

It has been announced today that both Sony and Panasonic are joining forces to create the next generation standard for optical discs. The objective with these discs is to expand their potential for long term data storage. Both companies hope to improve their development efficiency through technologies held by each company, their plan is to release optical discs touting a recording capability of at least 300GB by 2015. Sony and Panasonic will continue to hold discussions regarding the specifications related to the development of this new standard.

In a joint release, the companies said: “Optical discs have excellent properties to protect them against the environment… they also allow inter-generational compatibility between different formats, ensuring that data can continue to be read even as formats evolve.”

Much larger volumes of storage are expected to be required in the future both amongst broadcast and motion picture industries but also cloud data centers.

Of course a new optical disc capable of storing much larger amounts of data could ultimately make its way on to the consumer market, with 4K Ultra HD video the most obvious material, if indeed 4K ever gets a disc format.

July 29, 2013
Aston Martin, AMG Announce Technical Partnership

Reports from a little over 2 months ago spoke of talks between Daimler and Aston Martin, about “supply and technical-cooperation agreements.” Now, Aston Martin has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent which looks “towards a technical partnership” with Mercedes-AMG GmbH. The two companies aim to have definitive agreements done by year’s end.

The proposed deal will allow Aston Martin access to AMG’s resources for the development of bespoke V8 powertrains for the next generation of the British marque’s models. AMG, which is owned by Daimler, will also assist Aston Martin with electronic architectures. In return for the technical assistance, Daimler will get a non-voting stake of up to five percent of Aston Martin and will join existing shareholders including Investment DAR and Investindustrial.

Aston Martin sources cutting-edge technology from key suppliers around the globe and the opportunity to include content from Mercedes-AMG GmbH in our next-generation sports cars is, clearly, good news. Working with Mercedes-AMG in this way while, of course, remaining independent and preserving the unique character and style of Aston Martin that has been the mainstay of the company throughout its 100-year history, points to a very bright future for the company as it starts its second century in business.

– Ian Minards, Director, Product Development, Aston Martin

Even though part of the deal ensures a supply agreement between AMG, Daimler and Aston Martin, the British automaker will continue to manufacture all of its sports cars at its Gaydon facility.

We are proud to work with Aston Martin and provide them with powertrain and electric/electronic components for their forthcoming sports cars. This is proof of AMG’s technological and performance expertise and a real win-win situation for both sides.

– Ola Källenius, CEO, AMG

July 26, 2013
Nokia, Microsoft Working Even Closer, Collaborative Effort Coming Soon

During a Lumia 925 briefing in the UK, Nokia revealed that they’ve tightened its ever-growing bond with Redmond-based Microsoft, makers of the Windows 8 (mobile and desktop) platform. Nokia UK’s Ray Haddow stated that the Finnish company has been “working even closer” with Microsoft and we can expect to see new collaborative efforts in the near future. Engadget reports that Nokia and Microsoft will work to raise Nokia’s profile.

Nokia and Microsoft first entered into a “broad strategic partnership” that made Windows Phone OS its “primary smartphone strategy,” but there have been rumours of Nokia coming to market with a tablet for years now.

The company went on to discuss marketing opportunities it’s seizing upon as a result of its Microsoft affiliation, so we very well might just be talking about plans for a new promotional blitz. What was less clear is if all that might be focused on a particular product (and we certainly expect the EOS to be a big win for both Nokia and Microsoft) or if it could be more broadly Lumia- or WP-focused in general.

Could this mean that Nokia might be ready to enter the Windows-powered tablet space? No telling what these two have in store but we should know in the next few weeks.

[Engadget]

June 12, 2013
Report : Apple, Yahoo Hold Talks For Deeper iOS Integration

In addition to powering iOS’s Weather and Stocks apps, Yahoo is reportedly in talks with Apple to play a more prominent role in the Cupertino company’s ecosystem. According to the Wall Street Journal, the two companies are discussing “new arrangements, including possible deals to get more content from Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News” and other properties.

While the report does not provide any true specifics regarding what an increased partnership could entail, the report notes that discussions have surrounded increased Yahoo integration into Siri.

Currently, Yahoo’s presence on iOS is limited to the Stocks app, the Weather app, a search option in mobile Safari and sports scores as accessed through Siri.

Yahoo was one of Apple’s initial partners with the iPhone and iOS. Google had a bigger foothold in key areas like Maps and as the default search engine in Safari, but Apple did away with the company’s mapping service as part of iOS 6 last year.

Data from Yahoo Finance and its weather site already come preloaded onto iPhones and Yahoo data like sports stats help power Apple’s voice-activated “assistant” Siri. But the companies continue to discuss new arrangements, including possible deals to get more content from Yahoo Sports and Yahoo News, among other Yahoo Web properties, preloaded onto Apple devices or available through an expanded partnership with Siri, one of these people said.

Yahoo does not have a rival operating system for mobile devices, unlike Google, which has soured the relationship between Apple and Google. That said, Google has been one of the most active major third-party developers on Apple’s iOS platform, bringing many of its services over in app form.

Yahoo’s motives are apparently to grow the company’s mobile presence, and a deeper partnership with Apple could certainly achieve that. The window of opportunity to rely less on Google seems to be opening for Apple, but whether the company will capitalize remains to be seen.

[Wall Street Journal]

April 10, 2013
Google working on several Nexus devices for Android 5.0, Tablet in tow

Looks like Google is planning to release a series of Nexus devices this year, including some tablets, on Google Android 5.0. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is planning to partner with a variety of OEMs (in order to have up to five Pure Google Nexus devices available at once. All of these devices will ship with Android 5.0 Jelly bean

This move is likely to be announced at the next Google I/O conference.

[WSJ]

May 16, 2012