Idea Cellular and Kodiak Networks have announced the introduction of Group Talk - a compilation of innovative group-oriented voice applications, for customers in the Maharashtra and Goa circles. Idea intends to make Group Talk available to the company's 7.3-million odd prepaid and postpaid wireless subscribers in subsequent months.
Kodiak's Real-Time Exchange (RTX) system has been deployed by Idea for enabling the voice services applications that use SIM cards as delivery mechanism. The applications are enabled through Kodiak SIMpower - a smart thin client providing premium voice service functionality on existing GSM handsets.
The Group Talk application suite includes the following voice services: Voice Bridge, an instant group conferencing application that offers quick setting-up of full-duplex and mobile-originated conference calls, accommodating up to ten participants; Instant Availability that is similar to instant messaging applications; Walkie-Talkie that is push-to-talk calling along with other Group Talk users; Group SMS that complements existing voice services, by enabling discreet text communications in the event of unavailability of recipients; Quick Groups; and Contact and Groups Management.
Vikram Mehmi, chief executive officer, Idea Cellular, said, "We selected Kodiak Networks because they could help us address the voice services requirements for group communication of the corporate and SME customers who are predominantly on postpaid, and the youth segment who are largely on prepaid. By utilizing the SIM and the Symbian Applet as the delivery mechanism for these enhanced voice services, we have obviated the need for custom handsets, thus enabling the entire customer base to avail of the services. With Group Talk, our customers can quickly and efficiently access the best group communications experience possible."
Kris Patel, executive vice president - products and customer support, and chief technology officer, Kodiak Networks, said, "Idea Cellular is leading the industry by offering these advanced voice services to their prepaid and postpaid customer base of over 7.3 million users. As these applications are group-oriented, they require that end users can easily create communities of friends, family, and colleagues at the touch of a button. Leveraging the SIM to deploy these applications should expedite service adoption and rapidly increase usage among customers."
Group Talk Magic
Google got US patent for a voice interface for search engines.
In a win-win for Google, co-founder Sergey Brin along with three other persons has been granted a US patent for a voice interface for search engines.
This essentially means if and when Google has a product to show for its patent, users will be able to phone an internet search query or say it aloud instead of typing it in - the way they do presently. Of course naysayers predict that not all patent applications necessarily translate into prospective product announcements for the company.
Alexander Franz and Brian Milch - authors of the patent application, had written about such an interface in their 2002 academic paper dubbed "Searching the Web by Voice". Brin and company filed the patent in 2001, post which Google did make the voice search feature available though briefly through Google Labs, its veritable hotbed for just-out-of-the-egg ideas.
The patent filing is reportedly worded, "there exists a need for a voice interface that is effective for search engines". The document suggests that Google will be utilizing the reams of its stored text and audio queries to enhance speech recognition and relevance.
Although analysts are betting upon the chances of search engines treating speech and speech-related issues as the hot new topic; for entities such as the US Department of Justice and others, this could well be reason for some more sleepless nights over concerns regarding individual privacy.
India Added 3.9 new GSM user
India, the world's fastest growing mobile phone market, added a record 3.9 million new GSM users in March, an industry body said on Saturday.
A statement from the Cellular Operators' Association of India, which represents the country's nine GSM carriers, said the past month's additions boosted the total GSM customer base to about 69.1 million.
Including subscribers on the rival CDMA technology, India added a total of 5.14 million mobile customers in March, taking the total number of mobile users to 90.54 million.
March CDMA figures were released earlier this week by the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India.
India, which is Asia's third largest economy, has among the world's lowest call rates at less than 2 U.S. cents a minute, charges that have been attracting subscribers in the millions.
Competition among providers is intense with demand for mobile services growing fast and carriers have been expanding networks in rural areas where two-thirds of India's billion-plus people live.
India's top telecoms firm by sales, unlisted state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., added nearly 1.1 million subscribers in March, raising its GSM user base to 17.2 million.
India's top mobile services firm, Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd., also added about 1.1 million new users, propelling its customer base to 19.6 million.
UK-based mobile giant Vodafone Group Plc owns a 10 percent stake in Bharti, which is also 30.84 percent owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel).
Hutchison Essar Telecom Ltd., the Indian wireless operation of Hong Kong's Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd., added more than 0.8 million new users in March. The firm's user base now stands at about 15.4 million customers.
Rival CDMA operators include Reliance Communications Ventures Ltd., which added 784,211 users in March taking its base to 15.4 million, while the salt-to-software Tata group's unlisted Tata Teleservices Ltd. saw its user base rise by 477,136 additions to nearly 4.9 million.
Reliance Communications also has GSM operations via Reliance Telecom Ltd. which added 103,905 users in March, raising its mobile base to over 1.9 million.
Sony Ericssons W608i anounced
Sony Ericsson widened its portfolio of 3G handsets with the launch of the K608i, a dual camera 3G Mobile Phones 
According to the company sources, the K608i with an aluminum feel has a user interface that is easy to use and navigate. The camera includes an active lens cover for swift activation and extra protection. It also offers video telephony. The large 1.8-inch, 262K TFT color screen with the direct video telephony button ensures video calls are crisp and clear.
The K608i is also a music player with high quality audio, coupled with an FM radio and the ability to download full music tracks directly to the phone. Personal creativity tools allow customers to personalize ringtones, wallpapers, still shots and video footage. In addition, the K608i features a suite of business applications that manages personal information and PC-synchronization via USB or Bluetooth, making it the ideal executive work tool, providing business efficiency with high-speed access. The phone comes pre-loaded with Vijay Singh Pro Golf 2005 in 3D from Gameloft.
The features that K608i packages with it are a 1.3 Megapixel camera, Digital Still Camera user interface, 176 x 220 pixel TFT display, 262K colour display, Video recording and fullscreen playback, SMS and MMS, Wireless village, Adobe picture PC software, VideoDJ Photo light 4X Digital zoom, Macromedia Flash Lite (trademark of Macromedia), Push e-mail, Entertainment Video Call, FM radio, Media player (MP3/AAC), 32MB User Memory, Pre-loaded games, 72 polyphonic ringtones, USB support, PC synchronization and Bluetooth.
K608i is priced at an MRP of RS.10,295 and is now available in all retail stores across the country.
