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Femto Forum shifts focus to applications with new SIG
Published: 24 June, 2009
Tags >> Applications
A clear sign that a technology is reaching market readiness is a shift in focus from hardware performance to applications, and this was highlighted at this week's Femtocell World Summit in London, where a special interest group was set up to develop and promote a wide range of apps to attract carriers and users to the tiny base stations.
The Femto Forum ran a showcase of apps to highlight the different business cases to which the devices can be applied, beyond indoor coverage - and especially examples that could motivate consumers to introduce another gadget into their homes (and even pay for it). It also announced the new SIG, tasked with developing a framework to simplify the development and deployment of femtocell apps.
Many of these depend on the femto alerting the user's phone when he or she gets home, and triggering automatic services such as a change of user interface, or instant homescreen access to home media files. Some of those apps being demonstrated in the software showcase included the synchronization of music and video files with the home PC, when a customer returns home; and 'virtual fridge notes' that deliver a message to a family member on entering the home.
In general, the SIG has various key objectives. These include the development of a common application environment that will span multiple vendor and operator platforms, to push that elusive 'write once run anywhere' goal with which the handset business is still struggling (wait for it, when will we see the inevitable 'femtocell app store'? Or even an Android femto, just for the headlines?) The SIG will also work with standards bodies to create key open APIs as required to write femto applications easily and cost effectively. A common femtocell API will allow developers to run their software across all supporting devices, maximizing the market opportunity. In addition, the SIG will be responsible for promoting the potential of femto apps and their business case to operators, vendors and developers, creating a "community of interest".
The fridge notes app was developed by ip.access, and pushes all the mobile hot buttons, notably 'iPhone' and 'Facebook'. CEO Stephen Mallinson explained: "Facebook is the ideal place to leave reminder messages for friends, who can use the iPhone's unique user interface to manage the important jobs they need to do at home." The app also uses a femtocell's home presence detection capability to update a user's Facebook status automatically.
Other key movers in the applications SIG, and the software showcase, included fellow femto vendors Airvana and Ubiquisys. "Femtozone applications greatly expand the value femtocells can deliver to both mobile operators and their subscribers beyond the already recognised improvements in indoor voice coverage and packet data user experience," said Dr Vedat Eyuboglu, CTO of Airvana. "This is why we are joining forces with ip.access and Ubiquisys in the advancement of femtozone applications through our involvement in the Femto Forum's Services SIG."
