IntoMobile » Telefonica

Telefonica Confirms Firefox OS Device Release In Q3 2013

Ian Kersey — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:15:01 +0000

Firefox OS device launch plans have been confirmed today by Telefonica, which will be bringing Alcatel and ZTE devices to Spain, Colombia and Venezuela in Q3 2013. Firefox OS handsets manufactured by LG, Huawei and Sony will be launched in Q4 2013. Carriers that have pledged support for the nascent smartphone OS are Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile), Etisalat, Smart, Sprint, Telefonica, America Movil, KDDI, Telecom Italia, Telenor, China Unicom, 3 Group, KT, MegaFon, Qtel, SingTel, TMN and VimpelCom.

The announcement came as part of Telefonica’s Q1 2013 financial results, which were published earlier today. The Firefox OS platform was announced at Mobile World Congress this year, and is based on HTML-5. The platform is designed to be released in emerging markets, and to grace handsets that are on the lower end of the scale. Firefox unveiled its new Firefox OS simulator recently, which gives developers a new tool to help grow the fledgling app ecosystem. Mozilla plans on releasing the OS in emerging markets before tackling the U.S. and other markets.

Time will tell how Firefox OS fares in the smartphone market, as it will be competing against heavy hitters such as Android and iOS.

[Via: Pocket-Lint]

Sony to make a Firefox phone, too

Dusan Belic — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:49:50 +0000

Alcatel and ZTE won’t be the only companies making a Firefox-based phone for so long. From a press release talking about co-operation between Sony Mobile and Telefónica, we learn that the Japanese company will join the trend and release its own device that runs Firefox mobile OS. The official word goes like this: the two parties will lay out a “joint technical collaboration to explore the development of a handset running Mozilla’s Firefox OS open source mobile platform.”

Bob Ishida, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Products Business Group, Sony Mobile Communications went one step further saying that Sony’s engineers are “now working with Firefox OS Mobile and HTML5, evolving technologies which show great potential.”

The result of these efforts should apparently be visible at some point next year, and in the meantime, we hope to catch a glimpse (i.e. in-the-wild photo) of the upcoming device when we’ll get back to you with new information…

Rest of the press release talks about how great partnership Telefónica and Sony have, and how they’re looking forward to launch the new Xperia Z. In other words, nothing too exciting.

Telefonica, Sprint team-up to offer mobile ads around the world

Dusan Belic — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:28:57 +0000

Two mobile giants, Telefonica and Sprint, have formed a mobile advertising alliance to provide a platform for brands to target the two operators’ 370 million mobile subscribers around the world. The deal is conducted between Telefonica Digital and Sprint’s Pinsight Media+, the companies’ digital / mobile ad arms.

The pair say they will “explore efficient ways of providing global advertisers and agencies with new and easier options to plan multi country mobile campaigns.”

Initially, they will target the US (via Sprint), and European and Latin American markets (Telefonica) with plans to grow “further in scale, particularly to include Asia.”

According to Vice president of Sprint’s New Ventures division Mike Cooley, through this alliance, the two giants are seeking to efficiently expand capabilities to deliver mobile marketing solutions for US-based advertisers into Europe and Latin America, while Telefonica Digital aims to do the same for their regional customers in the United States.

Sounds like a plan…

[Via: MobileWorldLive]