Win MEF Connects MWC13 tickets

MWC 2013 is just around the corner and as ever MEF is hosting the hottest ticket of the Congress - MEF Connects MWC 2013. Now in its 11th year, the legendary party has moved to an exciting new location; the Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA).
 
MEF Connects MWC is an exclusive bash for MEF members and their guests only, which means tickets can be hard to come by. So for 2013 MEF has teamed up with the Heroes of the Mobile Fringe to give away ten pairs of tickets in an exclusive prize draw, meaning not only could you get to rub shoulders with the cream of MWC attendees, you get to take a friend with you too!

To enter, just head over to their website and leave your details, and if all goes well, we'll see you in Barcelona!

If you would like a bit more certainty around party admission, why not become a sponsor and get your own personal guest list? Supporting the event will give you access to network with the industry decision-makers in attendance and will allow you to bring along your team and clients. There are still sponsorship opportunities available to suit various budgets and all include at least 10 tickets to the party - just contact us today, or leave your details on the MEF webpage.

Privacy in Mobile Apps Roundtable - MEF Podcast

A key event for MEF at MWC 2012 was the Privacy in Mobile Apps Roundtable where over 35 members and invited guests joined a lively debate on the critical issues surrounding privacy in mobile applications.

Speakers included Todd Daubert and Nick Graham of SNR Denton, Ilja Laurs, CEO Get Jar, Andreas Constanidou, MD Vision Mobile, Gary Schwartz CEO of Impact Mobile, MEF Global Chair Andrew Bud, Michelle Sklar VP Industry relations Poynt, Carl Uminski, COO of Somo and Mike Butcher, TechCrunch Europe Editor.

The roundtable was supported by SNR Denton in association with the Mobile Fringe and Media Partner, TechCrunch.

The recording of the entire session is now available in full - listen below, or you can download to listen offline.

Continue reading for a MEFTV interview with session moderator Todd Daubert and panelist Nick Graham of SNR Denton.

MEF Roundtable: Privacy in Mobile Apps at MWC 2012

In response to industry shortcomings around privacy recently highlighted in the media, MEF hosted a roundtable on Privacy in Mobile Applications. Supported by SNR Denton and in association with the Mobile Fringe and media partners TechCrunch, the packed roundtable session brought together over 35 members and invited guests for a lively debate on the critical issues surrounding privacy in mobile applications. The panel and audience represented the diverse mobile ecosystem including App Stores, Developers, Digital Agencies, Media Owners, Legal, Security and Payment service providers from the US and EMEA, as well as a selection of media outlets including Wireless Week who provided an excellent overview of the session.

Speakers included Todd Daubert and Nick Graham of SNR Denton, Ilja Laurs, CEO Get Jar, Andreas Constanidou, MD Vision Mobile, Gary Schwartz CEO of Impact Mobile, MEF Global Chair Andrew Bud, Michelle Sklar VP Industry relations Poynt, Carl Uminski, COO of Somo and Mike Butcher, TechCrunch Europe Editor.

The roundtable demonstrated MEF’s ability to rapidly respond to hot media topics and provide a platform for debate and action. The session was a precursor to MEF’s forthcoming initiative on Privacy which will address the issue of mobile privacy and trust in apps. The initiative will have the goal to create best practices for responsible collection and use of mobile data for the industry, while building consumer confidence in mobile applications.

If you missed it, don’t worry: stay tuned to MEF Blog for the full podcast available soon.

Newly elected MEF EMEA Board represents mobile ecosystem diversity and growth markets

MEF, the global community for mobile content and commerce, has announced the results of its 2012 EMEA board elections with Colin Yeh, Head of Group Product Development QTel Group (Qatar) elected as EMEA Chairman. Ben Carter, Head of Mobile Services Atos (UK) and Emma Kaye, Director, Mira Networks (South Africa) were also voted in by the membership as co-Vice Chairs.

The Elections took place at MWC 2012 directly after the EMEA AGM, where members received an update on all of MEF’s regional and global activities. The audience heard from outgoing chair Lee Epting, Vodafone and Vice Chair Colin Yeh of QTel Group who gave an overview of the significant achievements of the EMEA chapter over the last two years. Andrew Bud, MEF Global Board Chair outlined MEF’s vision and goals for 2012 while Rimma Perelmuter and Vildan Hasanbegovic, MEF Executive Director and Deputy Director, discussed the latest member benefits and provided an update on MEF’s Initiatives and Analytics programmes.

For the full details, hit the link below

MEF publishes 2nd Content & Commerce Survey defining the mobile value chain in the Middle East

Back in October, MEF invited companies active in the Middle East to share their insights on the region’s market performance in the previous quarter and outline their expectations for the future. Now the results have been published of this, the second dedicated Middle East mobile content and commerce surveys, conducted in partnership with the global firm of auditors & MEF member KPMG. The survey found that the overall level of confidence in the future of the Middle Eastern mobile market remains high, with growth opportunities in particular identified for games, apps and ad-funded mobile entertainment.

The full findings of the 2nd Middle East Content & Commerce Survey are now exclusively available to MEF members in English and Arabic, with an executive summary available for all.

To read more about the survey, hit the link below..

Member Event: Join Nielsen at MWC for an Uncommon Sense of the Consumer

MEF member Nielsen will be hosting a full day of panel sessions at this year's MWC in Barcelona, and you're invited. With a packed schedule on Tuesday 28th, attendees can expect powerful insights and networking firmly focused on today’s digital consumer and how best to seize the enormous opportunities.

Sign up now to get access to all of the sessions throughout the day.

Nielsen presents: An Uncommon Sense of the Consumer - Tuesday February 28th, FIRA Hall 2, Mezzanine Level, Theatre D

10:00-11:00 - The Mobile Media Revolution

13:00-14:00 - The Mobile Mynd: Nielsen NeuroFocus Live Demonstration Event
15:00-16:00 - When Mobile Meets Retail
17:00-18:00 - Strong Signals: Best Practices for Mobile Operators and Device Manufacturers

To sign up and leave any questions for the panels, hop over to the Nielsen website to log your details - of course you need to be registered for MWC..

Candidates announced for MEF EMEA Board Elections 2012 at MWC

MEF has announced the first round of candidates for the MEF EMEA Board Elections, to be held at the end of the month at MWC in Barcelona.

Full MEF members are eligible to vote and stand as a candidate, and will be instrumental in creating thought leadership, sharing knowledge and addressing the critical issues facing the mobile commerce and content industry today and in the future.

The current standing is as follows:

• Diane Alphonse, Head of Marketing, Communications & PR, Barwa Bank
• Ben Tatton-Brown, Co-Founder & Regional SVP, EMEA, Amobee
• Emma Kaye, Board Director, Mira Networks
• Volker Hirsch, Head of Business Development, Games, RIM
• Daryn Wobur, Managing Director, Global Business Development, Perform Group
• Daniel Prieskel, Co-Founder, Prieskel & Co.
 
Rimma Perelmuter, executive director MEF, said: “We are delighted to announce such an exciting line-up of candidates for the MEF EMEA board elections which reflects both the diversity of mobile content and commerce as well as MEF’s active regional breadth across Europe, Middle East and Africa.”

Board members for MEF EMEA have a crucial role in defining the mobile agenda for the Europe Africa and the Middle East, and help to shape & define the mobile content and commerce market. Meanwhile, the MEF EMEA AGM presents an opportunity for all members to hear the latest on MEF's activities and initiatives in the region and worldwide, contribute to planning and priority-setting while connecting with other members. 
 
You can check out the candidate biographies in full on the MEF Website

A final list of confirmed candidates will be announced prior to the AGM, and submitted profiles will be posted on the MEF website and distributed at the meeting. There are absentee/proxy ballots available for any full members who cannot attend in person - check the election rules for details.

MEF EMEA AGM and Board Elections: Monday, February 27, 2012 6pm

Museu Picasso
c/ Montcada, 15-23
08003 Barcelona
MAP

To register your attendance at the EMEA AGM & Board Elections - visit the MEF website and fill in a short form, or you can contact MEF Events Coordinator Georgia Aarons for further information on how to run.

Indonesian VAS Update – Join us in Jakarta, February 16th

MEF has announced a special one-day event co-hosted by Indosat on February 16th in Jakarta as a follow-up to on-going regulatory action to discuss the future of the Indonesian VAS market.

As you may recall, following concerns of widespread consumer harm in October last year all VAS subscription billing services were shut down on the direction of the Indonesian Ministry of Telecoms. As a global regulatory champion and independent intermediary, MEF has been proactively supporting collaboration between the local regulator BRTI and the industry ever since to actively resolve the situation and attempt to rebuild confidence in the VAS market. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest mobile markets with more than 250 million subscribers.

A detailed response to the draft regulations governing the Indonesian VAS market has been prepared with input from MEF members, and will be used to frame a discussion with BRTI on how new regulation might better protect consumers while allowing responsible businesses to thrive.

To this end, MEF is also co-hosting a one-day event in Jakarta with Indosat to clarify the BRTI rules around VAS and to discuss with other affected members best practises in ensuring compliance.


Global Strategies for Content Compliance

Date:     Thursday 16th February, 2012
Time:     9.30am to 4.00pm
Venue:   Indosat Office Building 4th Floor,
              Jl.Medan Merdeka Barat no 21,
              Jakarta, 10110,
              Indonesia

All global members interested in participating in this important forum are invited to join us in Jakarta and take advantage of MEF’s valuable global perspective. It promises to be a significant step in securing the long term future of the VAS market in the SEA region.

You can see the details on the MEF website, to confirm your attendance contact MEF Asia GM Linda Ruck.

Quick Poll! The most significant advancement for mobile content & commerce in the last 10 years was...?

So this month MEF will be at MWC for our 10th amazing year, and we're asking the question, in that whole time, what was the most significant advancement for mobile content & commerce? It's a mighty long time in the mobile world, so we've boiled our favourites down to five suggestions (we didn't include the iPhone, sorry) - let us know what you think! And if you're coming along to Barcelona this year, be sure to sign up for the party!

MEF TV: Tom Daly, Coca Cola at MEF Americas 2011

Next up in our series of video interviews from MEF Americas 2011, Rob of UNTETHER .tv speaks to Tom Daly, Director of Mobile and Search, Global Connections for Coca Cola. In this short but sweet chat, Tom describes how mobile has essentially been a part of Coca Cola's philosophy since the 20's and how he sees it only becoming increasingly central in the near future. A fascinating perspective on how this super brand  is leveraging mobile to not only engage with customers but also within their own B2B value chain.

Let's watch..

MEF Connects MWC 2012 - Save the Date!

MEF has announced the return of its legendary party held annually at MWC in Barcelona - mark the date in your diary now; Monday the 27th February (8PM) for MEF's return to the Picasso Museum, in association with Timwe.

The exclusive MEF party, open only to MEF members and their invited guests, has in its time become the sought after ticket of the congress, and is in fact this year celebrating its 10th anniversary! So be sure to join us for an exciting night of cocktails, tapas, art, and of course, some seriously top-level networking. Although the tickets are still under lock and key for the moment, you can let everyone know where you will be on Monday night via the Linkedin Event page, and be sure to follow @MEF and @MEFblog on Twitter to stay abreast of the latest developments.. stay tuned for more announcements..!

MEF TV: Marco Argenti, Nokia at MEF Americas 2011

More fascinating insights from MEF Americas and MEF TV; in this video Marco Argenti, SVP of Developer and Marketplace for Nokia speaks to Rob Woodbridge of UNTETHER.tv. In it he expands on the topic of his keynote speech from MEF Americas 2011 "Creating Hyper Local App Economies" and discusses the opportunities for monetizing apps presented by leveraging the nuances of highly localised content.



Hit the jump for more from Marco and MEF TV at  MEF Americas 2011: Mobile Content and Commerce.

MEF Asia Webinar - What Crisis? Operators embrace the OTT Challenge

MEF Asia is kicking off 2012 with a fast-paced thought leadership webinar on the 30th January on the challenge to mobile operators of OTT content and services.

Date: Monday 30th January, 2012

Time: 4pm (Singapore)

Register for this FREE MEF Webinar now

With the advent of the Smartphone, Asia-Pacific mobile connections is set to reach 4.2 billion in 2016, while the region’s mobile voice revenues will start to decline by 2014, says Ovum research. Mobile Operators face major challenges from the so called “over-the-top” players competing with traditional business models. As Telcos attempt to defend their core revenues, the need to adapt, innovate and seek new revenue streams has become essential. Adapt or die, what is the future of Mobile Operators?

We've secured a truly stellar lineup for this free MEF Webinar:

• Mark Liversidge, Chief Marketing Officer, CSL Limited, Hong Kong
• Farid Maruf, Country Technology Manager, Grameen Foundation, Bangladesh
• Gio Bacareza, Head of Broadband and Internet Data Services, Smart Communications, Philippines
• Stephen Lee, Asst VP, StarHub Advanced Multimedia Services, Singapore
• Nathan Bell, Director, Products and Marketing, Telstra International, Australia
• Wing K. Lee, Chief Executive Officer, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

The Webinar will be moderated by Colin Miles, MEF Asia Chairman & EVP InternetQ South Asia Pte Ltd.

Space is limited, reserve your place now!

Check the MEF website for more details or contact MEF Asia General Manager Linda Ruck for further information.

MEF reveals Top 10 Predictions for 2012

Welcome to 2012!

If there's one thing everybody loves come January, it's a top 10 list of predictions for the year ahead. MEF is no exception, and the mobile gurus have looked into their crystal ball apps to bring us foresight of the big things to come in 2012. MEF has a good track record with it's predictions for the mobile world - in 2011 among other things, it accurately forecasted that the proliferation of Smartphones would drive consumer engagement in mobile. Check out last year's predictions to see how well we did on the rest..

Of this year's list, Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director said: “2011 has been a stellar year for the industry. With competition continuing to intensify and the increasing prevalence of mobile as a new screen for content, commerce and consumer engagement, 2012 is shaping up to be another significant year for the sector. As the global community for the ever-expanding mobile ecosystem, representing the interests of members as diverse as Coca-Cola, Turner Broadcasting and Telefonica, MEF is well placed to help its members to capitalise on the ever-increasing opportunity which the channel presents.”

So without further ado, let's check out MEF's top 10 mobile trends for 2012 - hit the jump to see the list in full..

Season's Greetings from everyone at MEF!

MEF Americas 2011 in Pictures

We've talked a lot about MEF's annual mobile content and commerce gathering MEF Americas 2011 over recent months, and with good reason. Not only was it a hugely successful event with keynotes from the likes of Nokia, Sprint and Coca-Cola, and delegates representing both North America and LatAm from across the value chain - it was also set amid the fabulous Fontainebleau resort, Miami beach, which was definitely a canny choice of venue judging by these fantastic snaps.

Enjoy this year's MEF Americas photo gallery - and let us know if you were there in the comments!

MEF North America GM is one of Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Women to Watch in 2012

Congratulations to Marjorie DeHey Daleo, our North American General Manager, who has been featured in Mobile Marketer’s prestigious “Mobile Women to watch in 2012” list!

The leading mobile news outlet produces its list each year as a celebration of the talented women likely to make a major difference in mobile advertising, marketing, media and commerce in the year ahead.

In the article, Marjorie talks about her role at MEF and the challenges and priorities for next year;

"For 2012, my priorities are growing MEF’s mcommerce initiative and creating more content distribution opportunities for my clients. MEF’s mcommerce initiative is at the forefront of the industry as we have partnered with ASC X9, the U.S. technical group that develops financial industry standards, to develop privacy and security standards for mcommerce."

Many congratulations to Marjorie on this great achievement , and indeed all of the other execs shortlisted, many of whom hail from MEF member companies – you can read the entire feature on Mobile Marketer.

You can find out more about MEF North America and its initiatives on the MEF website.

Download your free copy of the Netsize Guide 2011

MEF is pleased to again be official partner for the Netsize Guide 2011.

Download your free copy now!

The Netsize Guide is the comprehensive work of reference on the state of mobile technology and its impact on business and society. This, the 10th edition, brings you 220 pages packed with thought leadership material, in-depth market analysis, interviews with industry leaders and case studies as well as a wealth of mobile telecommunications data. The guide also features an overview of the challenges facing M-commerce from MEF Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter who discusses how MEF is tackling these issues though its global initiatives.

This year’s edition explores three key themes that drive the future of mobile: Transaction, Transformation and Trust.

• Transaction - How we've come to rely on mobile devices for commerce from researching products to making purchases.
• Transformation - How mobile devices are increasingly driving content, communications and connectivity.
• Trust - How we now require simple, transparent services and devices we can trust.

The guide also features:

• 14 interviews with industry senior executives at leading companies including; ARM, Atlas Premium Brands, BNP Paribas, CMO Council, The Coca-Cola Company, Gameloft, GlobalPlatform, Informa Telecom & Media, Millennial Media, SingTel, Texas Instruments, Trusted Logic and Yahoo
• Mobile telecommunications market data, app and mobile device usage (including tablets and smartphones) and social media statistics covering 41 countries, from Informa Telecom & Media, comScore and SocialBakers.
• A wealth of companion links to online reports, research and market analysis.

Nokia and Sprint to Keynote MEF Americas 2011

Exciting news from MEF Americas 2011, Nokia and Sprint have been announced as keynotes for MEF Americas 2011: Mobile Content and Commerce in Miami!

Nokia is to kick things off on day 1 with a keynote examining the trend towards the creation of ‘Hyper Local App Economies’, with a focus on the shift from a global ecosystem model to one where millions of people make money by selling and exchanging apps and content at a deeply local level. The keynote will explore new distribution models that give everybody the opportunity to create a distribution business, and the emergent app economies being observed. The keynote will be delivered by Nokia's Marco Argenti, SVP Developer & Marketplace.

Meanwhile top billing for day 2 goes to Sprint - John Carney, SVP of Consumer Marketing will be exploring the challenges and opportunities surrounding m-commerce and alternative financial services for the under-banked. The unbanked, under served segment of the population is extremely large and growing and while the technology and ecosystems largely exist to take advantage of this opportunity, the carriers can’t do it alone. The keynote is set to educate attendees about this market, where the near and longer term opportunities exist, and what needs to happen to get results.

The Keynotes top an extensive list of panel sessions and speakers, checkout the website for the full lineup. The essential gathering for thought leaders & deal makers from across North & Latin America’s mobile content and commerce ecosystems is now less than two weeks away - time to start packing!

Indonesian Value Added Services Market in Crisis - MEF takes action



Colin Miles moderates a panel at Next Billion event in Jakarta



MEF is calling for its members affected by the recent regulatory upheaval in Indonesia to get in touch to collaborate on a project to clarify the compliance process for value added services (VAS) following a near complete shutdown of the industry in the region. If your business has been affected,  contact MEF to contribute to crucial activity underway to remedy the situation there, and help shape the future of the VAS market in the region.

As of midnight, October 18 2011, all VAS subscription billing services were switched off on the direction of the Indonesian Ministry of Telecoms. This Ministerial direction was driven by widespread concern about consumer harm following media portrayals of some services as "credit theft", enforced via their Regulatory Associations (primarily BRTI) and carried out by the Association of Mobile Network Operators (ASTI). A number of contributing factors had recently caused the number of complaints about such services to rise dramatically including instances of non-compliance in the promotion and content of some services and the relative ease and difficulty in unsubscribing from certain services, compounded by widespread public misunderstanding and misinformation about such services and a failure by some consumers to read t's&c's before accessing a service.

In line with the Ministerial direction, all consumers were immediately unsubscribed from services by Indonesia’s 11 Mobile Network Operators and interim rules have been put in place to control the re-subscription of customers via double-opt-in, and relating to the promotion of existing and new services. The outcome of this direction has had massive impact on the entire Indonesian VAS industry, from the Mobile Network Operators down through the value chain, effectively resetting the Indonesian VAS market to zero.

While MEF supports the Indonesian Ministry and Regulator’s primary objective to address and curtail consumer harm, there is now an essential need to work quickly, decisively and collaboratively to identify the exact cause of the recent consumer harm, eliminate bad practice and ensure that rogue activity cannot return to the market. Furthermore, all legitimate services need to be quickly reinstated and clear industry-wide guidance around service monitoring, auditing and regulatory enforcement need to be established to safeguard the future of the Indonesian VAS industry.

MEF’s global expertise in the area of regulation and its position as the global trade body for the mobile content and commerce industry representing the entire value chain, makes it ideally placed to effectively support collaboration and discussion between BRTI and the industry to actively address and resolve the current problems and work towards creating a viable framework for the delivery of compliant services.

Earlier this month, Miranda Roberts, MEF’s Policy and Initiatives Manager, travelled to Jakarta to attend The Next Billion Event and meet with MEF members affected by the situation. While there, the BRTI Commissioner invited Miranda to attend a meeting to discuss the problems, along with  MEF Asia Chairman and EVP & Co-Founder of i-POP, Colin Miles, in what proved to be a useful first step in knowledge sharing.

Following its meeting with BRTI, MEF has been invited to contribute to the compliance process and is now seeking to engage with members and wider industry to create collaborative industry working groups and review and clarify rules for the industry. The result of this activity will be the production of an Industry Best Practice Framework of Standards, covering the promotion of services, processes for sign-up, opting-in, subscribing, unsubscribing, billing and customer service, all in conjunction with the regulator.


To get involved in this crucial project, contact Miranda or MEF Asia General Manager Linda Ruck directly. Keep checking the MEF website for further updates.