Kineto Launches Smart Comms RCS Application for Mobile Operators

MILPITAS, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

Kineto Wireless, a key innovator and leading supplier of telco-OTT solutions, today announced its Smart Comms application for mobile operators. Using standard Rich Communications Suite (RCS) technology, Smart Comms enables operators to enhance their current telephony and SMS/MMS services and introduce new IP-based communications capabilities, including chat, VoIP and video. Smart Comms is designed to help mobile operators compete against new over-the-top (OTT) service providers as the industry quickly moves toward IP-based communications.

"As OTT players continue to eat into traditional communications revenues, operators have a choice," noted Peter Jarich, VP of consumer and infrastructure research at Current Analysis (News - Alert). "They can ignore the threat or fight back. Yet, as many have already learned, fighting back isn't easy. Even though technologies like RCS provide a solid foundation, crafting a compelling user interface, building a brand around existing communications services and incorporating differentiating communications features are challenges that most operators simply haven't had to grapple with in the past."

"The impact of OTT VoIP on voice revenues is expected to be considerable, and it will accentuate the erosion caused by market and regulatory pressures," said Jeremy Green, a principal analyst in Ovum's (News - Alert) Telco Strategy Practice. "In 2020, we expect that OTT VoIP will have cost the global telecoms industry $479bn in lost revenues."

Kineto's Smart Comms application presents existing and new communications services within a single, powerful, user-friendly interface. With the application, mobile operators can generate brand recognition for existing telephony and messaging services, reach higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty with a suite of enriched services, and improve their ability to attract new users with value-added services that completely refresh the entire communications experience.

"OTT service providers are exploiting gaps in mobile operator service offers to build strong brand relationships with smartphone users," said Jeff Brown, president and CEO of Kineto Wireless. "As trusted suppliers of mainstream telephony and SMS services, mobile operators are in a strong position to respond to this threat, but must move quickly."

Several highlights of the Smart Comms application include:

		Creates a new look for telephony and SMS
		Smart Comms provides an operator brand-able user interface with a fresh look for telephony and SMS/MMS alongside new IP-based services. Putting people before services, Smart Comms enables users to view all their interactions with friends and colleagues in smart, conversational timelines.

		Expands voice and messaging beyond telephony and SMS
		Beyond enhancing the UI for telephony and SMS, Smart Comms adds one-to-one and group chat, IP voice and video calling, image and location sharing and more to turn casual conversations into extraordinary exchanges, all based on the industry standard Rich Communications Suite (RCS).

		Makes conversations easier, friendly and richer
		With features such as Invite to Call, Social Snapshot, and Location Share, Smart Comms goes well beyond just adding new ways to communicate, and makes connecting with friends, family and colleagues easier, friendlier and richer.

		Enables new business models
		The Smart Comms app enables operators to explore new ways to monetize their services. By supporting freemium pricing models, advertisement insertion and true OTT operation, it enables operators to pursue new approaches to grow the value of their communications services.

		Extends services beyond smartphones
		Smart Comms takes things further than just smartphones by enabling subscribers to join the conversation through tablets and PCs.

		Interoperable with owned and hosted RCS networks
		As it uses industry standard RCS technology, the Smart Comms app is interoperable with compliant infrastructure solutions from any other vendor. It supports both owned and hosted RCS network deployment models.

"NewPace is pleased to include Kineto in the growing list of partners for our RCS product line," comments Brent Newsome, president and CEO, NewPace Technology Development Inc. "By certifying Kineto's Smart Comms application with our infrastructure (rcsConnect), we are providing mobile network operators assurance that our platform works with the broadest array of vendors. This integration will ensure speed to market for their RCS customer solutions."

"If service providers want to truly differentiate themselves in the marketplace, they must take a multi-faceted approach to addressing the demand for rich communications and access to services anywhere," said Seamus Hourihan (News - Alert), senior vice president of corporate strategy, Acme Packet. "As a key contributor to RCS infrastructure, Acme Packet believes standards-based Telco-OTT solutions, such as Smart Comms, can help service providers meet this demand while reducing costs."

Kineto will be present at Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) in Barcelona Spain February 25-28, 2013. To schedule a meeting to discuss Smart Comms and how it may figure into RCS planning, please contact MWC2013@kineto.com.

About Telco-OTT

Telco-OTT (Over-The-Top) is a conceptual term that describes a scenario in which a telecommunications service provider delivers one or more of its services across all IP networks, predominantly the public Internet. Stimulated by the availability of high performance fixed and mobile broadband networks as well as the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablet computers, telco-OTT is viewed by a selection of industry analysts and media commentators as the mechanism that mobile network operators need to employ in order to compete with the vast and growing range of over-the-top (OTT) services provided by non-telco companies. For more information, please visit www.telco-ott.com and follow twitter.com/telco_OTT.

About Kineto

Kineto is a key innovator and leading supplier of telco-OTT solutions to the mobile industry. Deployed by mobile operators around the world, the company's solutions enhance and extend communications services out over IP-based network, such as the Internet. Kineto customers and partners include HTC, Huawei, LG Electronics, Motorola, Orange, RIM, Rogers Wireless, SFR (News - Alert), Samsung, T-Mobile and ZTE. For more information, please visit kineto.com and follow Kineto at twitter.com/kinetowireless.