Top U.S. data, voice and video service provider Qwest has added OneFlex Hosted VoIP to the services it offers to small businesses U.S.-wide. With the aim of helping its small business customers to increase productivity and performance, Qwest has combined the simplicity and functionality of a your regular landline phone with the flexibility of the internet.

There are several reasons why you would want to get Qwest’s OneFlex Hosted VoIP for your business. For one, Qwest has been known for its expertise and high quality of service backed by high-quality connection, fast speed and up-to-date voice and messaging features and functions. The new hosted VoIP service frees the customers of the worries of installing both hardware and software at home. With OneFlex Hosted VoIP, Qwest hosts the voice server and messaging offsite but at the same time providing its customers with continous high speed internet connections.

Qwest’s OneFlex Hosted VoIP can be availed in two basic packages, the Office Package and the Enhanced Office Package. OneFlex Office Package has the following key features:

• unlimited local and 8xx outbound calling,
• unlimited on-net calling,
• personal online dashboard with call logs, contact manager, click-to-call, and click-for-voice mail,
• voice mail with e-features, indicator and one-push button,
• office administrator account profile,
• distinctive ring

and a many more features and functionalities.

The OneFlex Enhanced Office Package on the other hand, has all the features and functionalities of the Office Package plus additional features, Microsoft Outlook integration, unified messaging and remote calling.

Small businesses wanting to minimize its operational cost without sacrificing productivity and performance could benefit well with OneFlex Hosted VoIP. It’s a great service from Qwest which would integrate small business’ phone and internet system, give ease of hardward system needs and provide more control on the telecommunications systems of small businesses through an easy-to-use web interface.

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There’s no doubt iPhone is one of the coolest mobile phones every created in this universe. What many iPhone users don’t find cool is its outrageous bills for checking emails and net surfing while outside the U.S. In fact some owners were billed $3,000 just for these services.

To pacify these disgruntled customers, AT&T has announced 2 flat-rate international data plans applicable in 29 countries including Mexico, Canada, China, and selected areas in Europe and Asia.

The least expensive international data plan costs $25 per month, which allows users 20 MB of data monthly to check websites, emails, and other info in the countries included. If the country you’re visiting is not included in the list, the rate for data usage is $.0195/KB and excess usage is charged with $.005/KB.

For frequentl travelers, there’s another plan worth $60 per month, which is equivalent to 50 MB of data each month. If the country is not included, the data usage rate is $.010/KB while excess usage is charged with $.005/KB.

Unfortunately, AT&T has emphasized this option is not a standalone offer. Customers must have domestic voice and data plan for the iPhone. It also warns customers to check the options prior to travel, so customers won’t get any heart attack when the next phone bill arrives.

Still, the rates are not very competitive compared to other services. A better alternative is to buy a cheap or disposable phone to use in that country. Alas, you just can’t buy any SIM card because iPhone can’t be legally unlocked.

Via GigaOM

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Hop-on, a leading wireless phone developer which was known to have produced the first disposable cell phone is working on a new GSM model phone, the Hop1883. This new model promises to be a great addition to Hop-on’s line of cellular devices, extending its innovativeness further by including GPS capability.

With a full color screen, long battery life, gaming capabilities and a 2.0 megapixel camera, the Hop1883 is equipped with a SiRF StarIII chipset that makes the device a good tracking tool for both children and elderly adults. For instance, if your child is lost, you can easily send an SMS message that would ping your child’s Hop1883 and let you locate your child. You can also use the device when tracking your teenage children or elderly relatives. By pinging their phones, Hop 1883’s GPS technology will pinpoint their location to you.

Hop 1883 is a tri-band phone which will work on 900/1800/1900 MHz. Its lightweight candy bar design would be very appealing to children and teenage kids. Like with the other Hop-on mobile phones, the Hop1883 has the major features of a fully functional mobile phone. This feature includes:

• 2.0 megapixel camera
• 2.8” x 320” resolution QVGA LCD
• Predictive text input,
• SMS messaging,
• Vibration call alert,
• 250 phone entry book,
• Availability in languages, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or German

And in keeping up with today’s mobile phone standards, Hop1883 has a 262k color screen with touch screen capabilities that also recognizes handwriting. It would have been better if Hop-on will extend its feature further and include 3G capability and Wi-Fi for internet connectivity. But then, it wouldn’t be that affordable if Hop-on will those features to the Hop1883.

Hop1883 would be a good entry-level mobile phone that would answer today’s mobile phone needs of the younger consumers while at the same time, helping parents to better monitor the whereabouts of their children.

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Mobile technology is set to invade the online leasing industry with the new Apartment Availability Alert System developed by VaultWare, an online leasing solution provider.

It basically notifies interested renters via text messages or email when an apartment that meets their set criteria becomes available.

Most people looking for available apartments visit several websites to compare prices and check out the details. However, some are disappointed to see that their ideal apartment is already occupied. By opting in with the free Apartment Availability Alert System, prospects are automatically connected and updated about any changes in the occupancy.

Key Advantages:

While this service is exclusively available to VaultWare today, don’t be surprised to find out that this mobile marketing technology will be adopted by other competing companies. Furthermore, this can also prompt other segments in the real estate industry to consider this as an affordable alternative to get more customers.

Via Mobile Marketing Watch

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When it comes to mobile TV, Asian countries South Korea and Japan dominate the market.

According to analyst firm Berg Insight, these markets account for 78% of all mobile TV viewers around the globe or 38 million out of 49 million viewers. These markets are way ahead of North America and Europe.

On the other hand, the interest level of mobile users in the UK remains low. In a separate study conducted by Continental Research, only 1% use mobile TV in the last 12 months while 3% are willing to try this service next year.

As mentioned recently, some technical glitches are added problems to this industry. Aside from inadequate structures, current viewers encounter problems watching because of the mobile phone screen size is limited to the type of phone. This problem also constrains the content that must be included in this service.

The solution to this problem is really simple but very difficult to implement. Mobile carriers should offer this service free of charge. According to Tim Barber, author of this research:

To promote take-up of mobile TV, networks should consider advertiser-funded content to enable customers to access the service (at least initially) for no fee at all. This would encourage people to sign up to the service, and download the necessary software or settings to their handsets so that if paid-for services are subsequently introduced handsets will already be ready technically to use the service.

Naturally, service providers should target the teen and young adult markets, particularly males, because they are considered as the early adopters of this new technology.

Via cellular-news

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Internet video communications provider SightSpeed Inc. aims to add mobility and flexibility to video conferencing service with the help of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

More importantly, SightSpeed Business will enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to communicate and connect face-to-face with clients, customers, and colleagues without investing thousands of dollars on room-based vide conferencing hardware systems. Instead, business owners need to pay only $19.95 per month.

They must have a PC or laptop with speaker, webcam and broadband connection, giving them the flexibility and mobility to hold video conferences anytime, anywhere.

To date, more than 30,000 businesses are already using SightSpeed for video conferencing even before they created the business service.

Among its numerous advantages, here are the important ones:

Via mobility site

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AT & T and Samsung have just announced the availability of the ultrathin sliding phone, SGH-A737 to the American mobile market. The ultraslim Samsung phone will retail for $49.99 with two-year contract activation with AT&T. The SGH-A737 looks sleek and classic but before you decide to subscribe to the AT & T service to get a hold of the Samsung SGH-A737, you might want to know about some key features of this new Samsung mobile handset.

Despite the 1.3 megapixel camera with 2.6 x zoom, the Samsung SGH-A737 is packed with the best AT&T features and services. Highlighting these features is the Video Share which lets you share one-way live video while engaged in a voice call. Another feature of the SGH-A737 is the AT&T Mobile Music which lets you use Napster and over-the-air music downloads through eMusic Mobile.

You can also send messages to friends and families any way you choose with text messaging, mobile email, AOL, Yahoo and Windows Live Instant Messaging.

The SGH-A737’s is also 3G capable which will give you access to AT&T’s Broadband Connect network available in more than 170 major metropolitan areas across the U.S. If 3G network is not available, you can also access the internet via AT&T’s nationwide EDGE network.

The Samsung SGH-A737 also boost of other basic mobile phone features, such as an integrated MP3 music player, wireless internet and mobile email, backlit keypad and LCD screen, personal organizer and alarm, conference calling, speakerphone and games.

The Samsung SGH-A737 may not be big in the imaging department, but it is certainly heavy on useful mobile features that are worth the price that you will have to pay for an AT&T subscription plan for the mobile handset.

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After its controversial iPhone price cut last September, Apple is stirring the smartphone segment once again. This time it is turning down all CASH payments for iPhone both in AT&T Wireless and Apple stores.

Apple has also limited the sale of iPhones to 2 per person. Just to be clear, this new limit is not based on a per transaction basis. Once you get 2 iPhones, you’re sort of banned from getting another handset.

In case you’re wondering if there’s any logic at all with these new policies, there is. According to Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris, this is an initiative to discourage mobile consumers to resell their highly valuable iPhones.

“Customer response to the iPhone has been off the charts, and limiting iPhone sales to two per customer helps us ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift. We’re requiring a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers.”

More importantly and ever so cruelly, this will hamper the rampant unlocking of iPhones much to the dismay of many non-AT&T subscribers hoping for an iPhone experience.

An estimated 250,000 iPhones sold in the market are intended for unlocking and reselling, according to Apple’s chief operating officer Tim Cook.

Then again, why is Apple so desperate to make iPhone an exclusive property of AT&T? Ubergizmo says “AT&T is paying Apple $18 monthly on average for each iPhone sold - that amounts up to $432 over a two-year contract.”

On the other hand, it is also possible that this strategy will backfire and repeat the mistake Apple had committed in the PC industry.

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Skype enters into the mobile market arena with the launch of its 3 Skypephone, a mobile phone which lets you make free Skype to Skype mobile calls and Instant Messaging with a touch of a button on the 3 Skypephone.

The Skype to mobile to PC call works the same way as making Skype calls on a PC, which is what Skype originally does. 3 Skypephone users must have an existing Skype account to make a mobile to PC calls or send instant messaging via the internet. If you don’t have an existing Skype account yet, you can create a new account directly from your mobile phone.

What use to be an internet telephony service being offered by Skype is being made available on mobile handsets via the 3 Skypephone. This mobile handset was developed by Skype in partnership with 3 Mobile Operator and Qualcomm. 3 Skypephone has the core handset features of mobile phones such as address book, messaging, 3G, 2 megapixel camera, mp3 player, mobile TV and internet. The mobile handset comes in black or white with blue or pink trim.

The 3 Skypephone allows Skype users to make free calls over the internet from a mobile phone. Michael van Swaaij, acting CEO at Skype said that the release of 3 Skypephone paved the way for Skype being a truly mobile service. “This new handset is incredibly easy to use and lets you make free mobile Skype calls when you are on the move to other Skype users all over the world no matter where they are,” says van Swaaij.

The 3 Skypephone is to be release in UK, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau and Sweden this year. While it will be available in the UK market from November 2.

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T-Mobile has announced what it has been touting as a people-centric built phone that would bridge the gap between being useful and getting connected easily, the Shadow for release on October 31.

Teaming up with HTC to manufacture the phone, T-Mobile’s Shadow promises uses a straight forward mobile phone unit that takes away the complexity of the current high-end multifunction phones in the market today, and brings back the mobile phone into what it should really be. A simple device for doing the basic mobile functions of call, text and staying connected all the time.

Before you head out to T-Mobile outlets to get hold of the Shadow, you might want to read on the following key features of the Shadow.

• Easy myFaves interface with unlimited nationwide calling – access the Shadow’s call, email, text or instant messaging feature with a push of a button right from the myFaves screen.

• One-click calendaring and alerts to stay closer to family and friends – with these nifty features of Shadow, you won’t have to miss a friends or family member’s birthday or even your own anniversary.

• Enhanced user-interface that is integrated with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Platform.

• Sleek, slider design and a spin navigation wheel that allows easy scrolling and accessing the core phone features of the Shadow which includes the myFaves icons.

• 2.0-megapixel digital camera with video capture – record and share special moments as captured by the Shadows 2.0 megapixel digital camera, or stolen moments as capture by the Shadow’s video recorder, enjoy watching it with the Shadow’s radiant

• Wi-Fi and EDGE enabled – for high-speed Internet access that makes your social networking experience a pleasant and productive one.

• T-Mobile Address Book – lets you import contact information from web mail such as Yahoo!, Gmail, and Microsoft Outlook among other web mail services. The Shadow also automatically backs up the phone’s address book while online.

To be released in copper and sage color, T-Mobile’s Shadows doesn’t seem to be a simple phone after all. With all those nifty features, it can give other high-end phones a good competition once it is released on Oct. 31, 2007.

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