US-based telco solutions provider Tekelec has launched new equipment aimed at deterring handphone theft.
The product, the Eagler 5, includes a new feature which blocks the use of stolen handsets by their unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers.
Thieves typically reprogram handsets with legitimate subscriber information to allow the handsets to remain operable. However, with Tekelec’s solution, the IMEI numbers of stolen handsets can be blacklisted by mobile operators to prevent further usage.
Mobile phone theft has become a key factor in rising street crime, with an average 900,000 handsets are stolen each year in the United Kingdom alone, representing one in four robberies, said Lori Craven, vice president and general manager of Tekelec’s Network Systems Division.
“Solutions such as IMEI screening, along with jointly shared databases of stolen handset numbers, will effectively render a stolen handset useless across all networks,” said Craven.”Once the consumer reports the theft to the network operator, it can be cancelled much like a stolen credit card."
Tekelec said the incorporation of such features are fast becoming a regulatory requirement in Europe, with France setting a first quarter 2004 deadline for such an implementation. Some Asian countries like the Philippines have also implemented IMEI blocking.
Live video on MMS
An IT consultancy on Tuesday demonstrated that multi-media messaging (MMS), a service that allows for text, image and short video and audio clips to be sent to mobile devices, can also be modified to display live streaming audio.
LogicaCMG gave a demo of how TV content can be adapted for mobile phone handsets, using video from TV broadcast network CNN.
Using a variety of mobile handsets, users viewed live streaming of CNN International, as well as streamed or downloaded clips, such as breaking news headlines. Users also viewed a slide show with audio clip within an MMS message.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to really dramatise the true power of mobile multimedia," said Andy Tobin, head of New Ventures at LogicaCMG Wireless Networks. "This mobile video demonstration with CNN illustrates the feasibility of providing video as an integrated part of a mobile multimedia strategy."
LogicaCMG's mobile video demonstration was delivered on a variety of devices, including the Orange SPV Smartphone, Nokia 7650, and Ericsson P800.
Each had their WAP or HTML browsers configured in order to access a video content portal with CNN content.
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