Founded by Alibaba Cloud Core Team, the Tuya platform is already implemented in products from 10,000 companies in 200 countries

Chicago, Illinois, LIGHTFAIR Conference– May 8, 2018 – Tuya Smart–a global AI/IoT platform company based in China–is expanding its business with the opening of a U.S. sales and R&D office in Silicon Valley. The company is bringing its one-stop shop solution to device manufacturers so that any standard ‘dumb’ device can be transformed into a smart one, ready for production in less than two weeks. Currently working with more than 10,000 customers around the world, Tuya Smart is already providing smart modules, smartphone app templates, and access to the Tuya cloud, using Alibaba or Amazon AWS, to brands like Geeni, Energize, Feit Electric, Philips and TCL. 

“We are very excited to help U.S. companies build IoT solutions effortlessly using our cloud, app and WiFi module,” said Alex Yang, head of the U.S. office, Tuya Smart. “We have created technology that can produce any type of smart device: from power accessories, to lighting, to your household appliances like a heater or air conditioner, to your kitchen appliances. We understand the consumer demand for smart products, and our platform enables any manufacturer to make one effortlessly.”

The ease of development saves companies significant R&D costs and speeds the products to market to meet consumer demand. The Tuya Smart process is so fast that the controlling app can be built in a few minutes, the module developed and installed in one day, and production is ready in two weeks. The Tuya Smart IoT platform is the only one that connects Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple Homekit and Tmall on a global scale, and Tuya has the fastest response time to an app or Echo’s voice commands of any cloud platform.

The company has deep engineering roots with its founders being a part of the original Ali Cloud core team, including CEO Jerry Wang who was the first general manager of the Ali Cloud. Also part of the Tuya team (and coming from Ali Cloud) are co-founder Leo Chen, former operating director of Ali Cloud, as well as COO and head of the U.S. office, Alex Yang, who was an executive there. These founders worked on the projects that developed into Alipay, giving them extensive understanding of user experiences. 

Since its founding in 2014, Tuya Smart has developed its AIoT platform and is selling its technology in devices in more than 200 countries. Although the Silicon Valley office is new, Tuya already has a datacenter in Portland, Ore., joining Tuya’s other datacenters in China and Frankfurt. The company is also working with major American retailers including Costco and Walmart, providing them with a smart product library of thousands of products.  

Currently attending the LIGHTFAIR Conference in Chicago, Tuya Smart is already the AIoT platform for many traditional lighting companies, including the Massachusetts-based Atlantic Lighting. “Tuya Smart is transforming standard lights to AI-powered products with high efficiency, helping manufacturers reap the benefits without having to make their own investments in IoT R&D,” said Jerry Wang, CEO, Tuya Smart.

The smart lighting solutions running on the Tuya platform can work with a variety of networking modes including WiFi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Mesh, ZigBee and more.  At the Tuya booth at LIGHTFAIR (Booth 631) the company will showcase smart lights whose brightness, color and temperature can be adjusted and controlled by app or by voice.

“We are very excited to be showing our AI platform running a range of intelligent lighting solutions,” Mr. Wang continued. “With easy-to-adopt and cost-efficient smart business solutions, traditional lighting manufacturers can transform themselves into makers of smart home appliances. We look forward to working with more companies here in the U.S. to help create more smart appliances to make lives easier for consumers.”

About Tuya Smart

Tuya Smart is the global AIoT company with one-stop-shop solutions to transform standard household appliances and lights into smart devices in days – including a smartphone app, cloud, and internet-connected modules. The AIoT Tuya platform works with the Alibaba cloud and AWS, and the Tuya Smart cloud receives more than 20 billion daily device requests, with more than 6 million daily AI interactions. Founded in 2014, the Tuya Smart platform currently is working in home appliances in more than 200 countries and drives more than 10,000 products including the Ar4 smart AI monitor, the DoorCam wireless security camera, the Blink video doorbell, and the Lancey electric heater. For more information, visit https://en.tuya.com/.

The post Tuya Smart AIoT Platform Company Launches U.S. Sales, R&D Office; Makes Household Devices Smart and Ready for Production in Days  appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

TORRANCE, Calif – June 20, 2017 – Pioneer Home Entertainment U.S.A today introduced Rayz Rally, the first Lightning-powered portable speaker that turns your iPhone into a conference speakerphone loud enough to fill the boardroom. Rally joins Pioneer’s new, innovative line of Rayz branded appcessories for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch that blend the intelligence of an iOS app with innovative Lightning accessories to deliver completely new experiences not possible through the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Rayz Rally uses Apple’s newest Lightning audio technology, powered by Avnera Corporation’s LightX platform and aims to provide simple and smart solutions for today’s mobile consumers.

Pocket-sized, but Loud
Today’s consumers require high-performance devices that work seamlessly between work and play. Rayz Rally is small enough to fit in your pocket, yet amplifies your call experience like never before. “Rayz Rally delivers a surprising level of audio volume and call clarity, a level typically experienced from larger conference phone systems, despite its small size,” said Munenori Otsuki, CEO Onkyo & Pioneer Corporation. “Rally gives consumers the ability to instantly create a conference call for one person or a whole team by simply plugging Rally into the Lightning port of your iPhone. This performance is made possible by Avnera’s patent-pending analog and acoustic audio technology.  In addition to great voice quality, Rally sounds great for music listening too.”

Plug and Play Simplicity
Rally is the world’s first Lightning-powered plug-and-play speaker. Unlike other portable conference speakers, Rally has no battery. It is powered by your iPhone and is always ready when you are. Avnera’s LightX platform enables Rally to minimize the power used from the iPhone. Simply plug Rally into the Lightning port, initiate calls from your device and your call is automatically transferred to Rally’s powerful speaker. Rally adapts to the needs of the consumer; its use can be extended to internet calling on iPad and iPod touch, and on Mac and PC via a standard Lightning to USB cable. Create a conference call wherever and whenever you need to. It’s a new kind of experience that works effortlessly.

Talk and Charge
Rally is also the first Lightning powered conference phone to enable talk and charge capability. Plug a standard Lightning cable into the Lightning port of Rally and enable pass-through charging for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Smart Features
Rally automatically knows what mode its being used in – for conference calling or listening to music.  Rally will optimize the audio for crystal clear phone calls or engaging music playback.  Rally’s single button is smart, and will mute/unmute calls or play/pause music depending on what you are doing. The iOS app also supports automatic software updates, keeping users current with new features and benefits over time.

“Pioneer is redefining mobile audio solutions with Rally,” said Munenori Otsuki, CEO Onkyo & Pioneer Corporation. “Between its powerful features and affordable price, this pocket-sized Lightning-powered conference speaker sets a new bar in performance.”

“We worked closely with Pioneer on Rally to address the needs of today’s mobile consumers without compromising battery life, product size or performance,” said Manpreet Khaira, CEO of Avnera Corporation. “This is made possible by the breakthrough innovations in audio, voice, speech and sensor circuits in Avnera’s new LightX Platform that is the basis of Apple’s second generation Lightning audio module technology.”

Rayz Rally Lightning powered conference speakers ($99.95) are now available at Apple.com and Apple stores worldwide.

For more information on the new line visit: www.Pioneerrayz.com

ABOUT PIONEER HOME ENTERTAINMENT U.S.A.:
Headquartered in Torrance, CA, Pioneer & Onkyo U.S.A. Corporation is a leader in home entertainment products under the Pioneer and Elite brands. With an established reputation for innovation and quality, the company’s products are embraced by high-end custom installers and general music lovers alike. Pioneer & Onkyo U.S.A. Corporation, DBA: Pioneer Home Entertainment U.S.A. is a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio and visual equipment for the home.

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~  New WAC5302D-S access point with world-leading design to enable exceptional guest Wi-Fi experience ~

New Delhi, January 17, 2017: Zyxel Communications, announced a new 802.11ac Wall-Plate Unified Access Point,WAC5302D-S, specifically tailored for hotels, campuses, townships and enterprises to deliver exceptional guest Wi-Fi experiences in multi-room, interference prone environments.

While consumers now see fast, free Wi-Fi as the top amenity when choosing a hotel, hoteliers still face challenges implementing Wi-Fi solutions. A recent study suggests that 65% of consumers have had to rely on 3G/4G at some point due to poor Wi-Fi in their hotel. In most cases, poor Wi-Fi experience results from lesser number of wireless access points in suboptimal positions or unevenly distributed web traffic.

The Zyxel WAC5302D-S is equipped with a world leading hardware design which allows it to be installed anywhere for best Wi-Fi signal and in-room deco. It can be mounted directly on an outlet box, wall, desktop, or out of sight with no additional kits required. With the built-in Ethernet and PoE ports, it can also connect and supply power to other in-room services such as smart TV or IP phone.

It’s no surprise that even in hotels or schools where wireless APs are in every room, interference can cause Wi-Fi speeds to lag. With the WAC5302D-S, the smart antenna and beam-forming technology will dynamically customize signal direction for each individual device, creating the best path to deliver Wi-Fi signals while mitigating interference from neighboring APs.

“Today people expect 24/7 connectivity whether at work or travelling, and having seamless Wi-Fi has become the vital enabler for better user experiences,” commented Crowley Wu, Senior AVP of Zyxel Networking Business Unit.

“As the networking ally for businesses, Zyxel understands the struggles facing business owners. With the one-of-the-kind design of the WAC5302D-S, we wanted to help both guests and business owners solve their pain-points from installation to connectivity and help them to do more with better Wi-Fi.”

Zyxel has a comprehensive portfolio of 802.11ac wireless access points of stand-alone, unified, and unified pro to cloud managed to satisfy versatile application scenarios. Find out more here.

About Zyxel Communications:

Focused on innovation and customer-centricity, Zyxel Communications has been connecting people to the Internet for nearly 30 years. Our ability to adapt and innovate with networking technology places us at the forefront of creating connectivity for telcos and service providers, business and home users.

Zyxel is building the networks of tomorrow, unlocking potential, and meeting the needs of the modern workplace — powering people at work, life, and play. Zyxel, Your Networking Ally.

–           1,500 passionate associates worldwide

–           100 million devices creating global connections

–           700,000 businesses working smarter with Zyxel solutions

–           150 global markets served

For more information please visit: http://www.zyxel.com/in/en/ 

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Instant Switch can be placed on any wall in the home for versatile, hub-less control of connected products; debuting at the 2017 International CES, Sands Expo, Level 2, Halls A-D, Booth #41624

LAS VEGAS – Jan. 3, 2017 – iDevices^®, the preeminent brand in the connected home industry, introduces Instant Switch, a remote wireless, Bluetooth^® Smart wall switch that allows users to designate additional points of power control anywhere in the home, with no installation or wiring required. Instant Switch’s patent pending design secures flush to any wall like a traditional light switch and, through Bluetooth technology, pairs to any iDevices power and lighting smart home product to offer users unlimited flexibility and extended control of their home, with Android, Alexa-enabled and HomeKit-compatible functionality.

No longer limited to the light switches installed in a home, users can instead place Instant Switch anywhere, without the usual construction, wire-running, or electrical installation. Designed to mimic a permanently installed light switch, Instant Switch can be fitted over any standard two-screw wall plate and comes with an iDevices wall plate for added convenience. Stick-on, Command adhesive backing makes it possible to mount the Instant Switch with just a peel-and-stick to the wall.  A built-in ball level ensures perfect placement and the batteries have a two-year lifespan.

(Front, side and back of Instant Switch)

When Instant Switch is paired to a hard-wired iDevices Wall or Dimmer Switch, it creates an instant 3-way control configuration. Users can add an Instant Switch wherever they’ve always wanted to have a standard wall switch.  One by the bedside can control lights on the first floor or one can be added to a room with no switches at all.  The possibilities are endless and now anyone in a home can control connected products.

“The whole point of a smart home is that it’s customized to your life and intended to make it easier,” said Chris Allen, CEO of iDevices. “Instant Switch gives users the ability to choose how they want to lay out control points in their home, regardless of where original outlets or switches are located. Our belief is you shouldn’t have to permanently modify your home to get the control you desire.”

Instant Switch will be available mid-2017 at www.iDevicesinc.com for $49.95.

Visit iDevices at The Consumer Electronic Show 2017

Instant Switch will be on display at the International CES, Sands Expo, Level 2, Halls A-D, Booth #41624.

About iDevices, LLC:

iDevices, the preeminent brand in the connected home industry, has developed a premium line of HomeKit-enabled products available at the largest retailers worldwide, while expanding to new platforms and Alexa-enabled accessories like Amazon Echo. Through the “Designed with iDevices” co-development program and its custom-built IoT Cloud Infrastructure, iDevices works with other highly recognized consumer brands to bring the power of connectivity to their customers. By designing and developing its technology in-house, the Company is able to seamlessly connect people to their worlds with thoughtfully simple products that enhance everyday life. For more information, visit iDevicesinc.com.

The post Add Wireless, Remote Smart Home Control Anywhere with the Intelligently-Designed iDevices® Instant Switch™  appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

 ~A smart patented enterprise solution that offers more than connection~

~Vouches for the New Rscan Smart Antenna Array Technology~

New Delhi, September 27, 2016: Axilspot, the Global Enterprise WLAN Solutions provider, announces its global expansion by launching operations in India. Addressing individual vertical market needs, Axilspot will introduce its entire range of smarter products in India.

Catering to the entire enterprise market including SMEs, Large Enterprises, Education, Hospitality, Smart Cities, Public Hotspots, City Wi-Fi Projects, Airports, Shopping Malls, Government and PSUs, Axilspot smarter wireless solutions come in four series: SMB Series, Enterprise Series, ISP Series and Security Series. With patented Rscan Smart Antenna Array Technology, Axilspot can deliver very high density of 800+ concurrent users with 5.3G capacity. The patented Rscan Smart Antenna Array Technology ensures Axilspot wireless solutions a consistent and high speed wireless coverage over the targeted area without being dropped off due to blind spots and interferences.

Bruce Zhou, CEO, Axilspot said, “Our commitment is based on “7S” principle, i.e., Stable, Secure, Smart, Simple, Scalable, Swift and Sensible. And, this underlying principle influences not only our products’ designing and engineering but also reflects during our technology alliances and partner alignments. This ultimately translates into creating satisfied customers.”

“India being one of the growing economies in the world, it needs solutions that are easy to install, easy to manage at the same time robust and scalable. Our solutions are not only built with robust and scalable architecture, but also designed to address the space and pricing concerns in order to be adaptive to the growing Indian enterprise needs in the SMEs, Government, PSUs and Large Enterprises”, he added. “We are excited to be in India and our commitment is certainly to sustain our operation by timely infusion of investment for having the right RMA and support service, channel development, best suitable channel strategy, partner training, products availability and building up end customer awareness etc.”

Further, Axilspot’s product portfolio addresses end to end requirements of customers for indoor and outdoor use, and comes in various series: Dolphin Series, Dorado Series and Seal Series. The portfolio also offers the controllers called Mobula, which are not only available as free apps in iOS and Android smart phones, but also available for PCs and as hardware appliances.

Features of Axilspot Rscan Technology:

• Multi-beam auto-selection smart antenna communication system.
• Trapezoid bandwidth singular frequency array technology.
• Directional narrow beam smart selection antenna system based on MIMO.
• 500+ concurrent users can easily access the network.
• 40+ patents obtained or under application including those in China mainland, USA and EU.
• Self-adaptive Interference Mitigation, upto 87% off Interference Elimination.
• Provides high level and more flexible security authorizations.
• Provides simplified Wi-Fi maintenance via Axilspot Mobula Controller System.

Benefits:

• 10X Clients Capacity

Commonly standard AP can only support 20-30 concurrent stations, with inconsistent user experience.  However, Rscan Smart Antenna Array provides a better solution, with patented ASICs algorithm. To help focus wireless signals towards each unique client, achieving improved signal strength and significantly reducing interference nearby. Axilspot products facilitate achieving incredible spectral efficiency. Axilspot products with Rscan Antenna Array Technology give high density connection, high speed and spotless area coverage.

• Auto Noise Mitigation 

In contrast to a standard AP, which receives signals from all directions, the Rscan Smart Antenna Array based AP operates with a narrow 15° beam array. This results in 87% effective noise mitigation, ignoring the majority of the area (and interference) during reception.

Furthermore specialized noise filters provide another 80% more background and near-channel noise mitigation.

• No Client is Too Weak

In order to cope with interference issues, a standard AP must lower its TxPower and Sensitivity to avoid local interference sources. In this case, it’ll also reduce the AP coverage and capacity. Due to this very fact, many weaker clients at the corner(s) would be deprived of the services.

Rscan Smart Antenna Array Technology, along with the unique narrow 15° Beam Array, and leveraging with an optimal TxPower & Sensitivity, contributes to the fastest speeds and most scalable wireless access solution ever, without sacrificing the coverage & capacity.

• 3D Position

Traditional APs’ client positioning is based on signal strength, which can hardly determine the accurate client location. Axilspot Rscan3D positioning technique adopts dynamic narrow beam patterns, and dramatically improves wireless positioning precision by 8 times, maximizing the business value of LBS.

About Axilspot:

Axilspot is a new force to reckon in the global Enterprise WLAN industry with the core intellectual property rights. Axilspot delivers Global Quality Products with superior innovative solutions to the most critical issues we are facing today in wireless networks: how to create affordable reliability and how to overcome dramatically increasing connected needs all over the world. Axilspot is dedicated to provide the most consistent and highest-speed wireless coverage and transmission solution(s) – anywhere, everywhere, all the time.

Axilspot is dedicated to provide the most consistent and highest-speed wireless coverage and transmission solutions. Their solutions are widely applied in SMEs, Large Corporate Enterprise, Government, Education, Hospitality, Transportation, Manufacture, Financial, Health etc. To know more please visit: http://www.axilspot.com/

The post Axilspot to Revolutionize Enterprise WLAN Market appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

~ GS1900 Series 8/16/24/24E/48 – port GbE Smart Managed Switch~

~Versatility and flexibility for different needs~

New Delhi, India, September 27, 2016: Zyxel Communications Corp. is a world-class networking company providing innovative and dependable Internet solutions, strengthening its product portfolio with Ethernet switches by providing Simple, Fast and Smart connectivity for Small Business.

Zyxel’s GS1900 series of 10/100/1000 Ethernet switches are 8-48 port Layer 2 managed switches are designed for small business connectivity. The Zyxel GS1900 Series of 8/16/24/24E/48-port GbE Smart Managed Switch(es) with Gigabit speed brings any business network a higher flexibility and uninterrupted connectivity. Zyxel GbE switches are enabled with power-saving functions, fanless design and full IPv6 support ensuring the network to be ready for future expansions. In addition, the PoE models GS1900 series Gigabit switch complies with the IEEE 802.3 at Power over Ethernet (PoE) Plus standard. The GS1900 Series has been designed for advance performances that empower the networks with higher speed and security and other useful features for any office environment.

Zyxel GS1900 Series has an essential portfolio of 8/16/24/24E/48-port compact desktop and rack mount size with GbE connectivity. All the models support, multiple deployment methods to cater to the diverse needs for small offices and meeting room environments. These Switches make the connectivity quick and effortless complementing the high-speed business network applications without any hitch. Additionally, the GS1900-8HP/10HP/24/24HP/48/48HP is equipped with 2 extra SFP slots to provide 100M and GbE speeds for long-distance deployments. 

Salient Features

• 10/100/1000 Mbps GbE ports
• Browser-based switch management
• Set up wizards
• Fan less
• Network error prevention dual images, SSL
• Green Ethernet IEEE 802.3az support and intelligent Zyxel green features
• PoE – (70 watts total, max 30 watts per port), IEEE 802.3at
• 16/20/32/48/52/100 Gbps switching capacity
• 11.9/14.88/23.8/35.7/39/74 Mpps forwarding rate
• VLANs – port-based, 802.1q, Guest VLAN, Voice VLAN
• LACP Link Aggregation
• STP, RSTP, MSTP, BPDU guard
• Security
• QoS
• IPv6

Pricing and Availability:

GS1900 Series 8/16/24/24E/48 – port GbE Smart Managed Switch. These products are backed with Lifetime warranty. These high performance port GbE Smart Managed Switch(es) are available with the authorized distributors of Zyxel in India.

To find a local Zyxel distributor or for more information about Zyxel’s products, kindly visit:

http://www.zyxel.com/in/en/where_to_buy/local_distributors.shtml

About Zyxel Communications:

Focused on innovation and customer-centricity, Zyxel Communications has been connecting people to the Internet for nearly 30 years. Our ability to adapt and innovate with networking technology places us at the forefront of creating connectivity for telcos and service providers, business and home users.

Zyxel is building the networks of tomorrow, unlocking potential, and meeting the needs of the modern workplace — powering people at work, life, and play. Zyxel, Your Networking Ally.

–           1,500 passionate associates worldwide

–           100 million devices creating global connections

–           700,000 businesses working smarter with Zyxel solutions

–           150 global markets served

For more information please visit: www.Zyxel.com

The post Simple, Fast and Smart Managed Switches for Small Business Connectivity appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

The company to showcase its comprehensive range of innovative products at world’s biggest congregation of mobile solution providers at MWC in Barcelona

Dubai, UAE – 21 February 2016: InnJoo, the fastest growing smartphone brand in Middle East, today announced its participation at Mobile World Congress 2016, that will be held in Barcelona, Spain from 22^nd February to 25^th February 2016.

Mobile World Congress is an annual gathering for the mobile and allied industries, organised by the GSMA, and is held in Barcelona, Spain. Last year’s edition of MWC attracted nearly 2,200 exhibitors and over 94,000 visitors from all across the globe.

Commenting on the participation at MWC 2016, Tim Chen, Co-founder and CEO at InnJoo said “Mobile World Congress is the ideal platform for us to showcase our products to the large global audience. This year we will showcase our broad range of products based on three key principals ‘Smart, Simple, Safe.’ We believe that the products needs to be smart, simple to use as well as should make life simple and easier. And with the effort we have put in technology innovation, we have come out with new smart devices that help ensure the safety of children and pets.”

InnJoo will display its entire range of smartphones including InnJoo 2, Fire Series, Max Series at the event. Besides, smartphones the company will also present its wide range of tablets that are designed to suit the needs of different people including its latest 11.6-inch tablet powered by Intel.

“This year the highlight for us would be our new innovative products especially Kidbit and Pet Tracker. Both the products have great potential for InnJoo to cooperate with mobile operators because both Kidbit and Pet Tracker have built-in SIM card slot,” said Chen. “ As, MWC represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting hundreds of operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, so we believe Kidbit and Pet Tracker can be of great interest to many of these operators worldwide.”

Designed in Italy, Kidbit is a lightweight, wearable location device, designed specifically for kids. Even if for a super-parent who has eyes in the back of head, children have minds of their own and can sometimes wander away. While it’s hard to imagine this happening, it is important for parents to have a plan in case they need to react quickly to find a missing child. Kidbit is born for this.

The waterproof smart device is made of safe material that allows parents to track the steps or distance of their children. The Geo Fence feature in the device creates a virtual fence around the child, which immediately sends an alert to the parents once the child steps out of designated area. Kitbit has a big LED display and is powered with long life rechargeable battery that can last for 5 days. The device has inbuilt SIM slot supporting 2G mobile network that allows making and answering the phone calls.

Pet Tracker is a smart gadget that allows a user to track its pet’s location, without ever to worry about losing one’s beloved pet anymore.

Smart Massager is a portable massager, small enough to be carried inside a purse and practical enough not to keep locked up in a closet. It is easy to use by just connecting the massager with a phone through bluetooth, a user can control the massager wirelessly using the app on the phone.

InnJoo will be displaying its Smart, Simple and Safe devices at Stand No. 7C05 in Hall 7, Fira Montjuic Exhibition Center, Barcelona, Spain

About InnJoo

InnJoo is a technical startup born with Internet DNA. Its Internet journey was started by joining hands with the largest e-commerce sites in the region. Based in Dubai, InnJoo became the fastest-growing company by providing smart devices as well as software services in the MEA region.

The post InnJoo to present Smart, Simple and Safe innovations at Mobile World Congress 2016 appeared first on Core Sector Communique.

20 May 2014

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– Momentum continues with an expanding ecosystem of partners, new market rollouts and portfolio options to customize and scale

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Mobile World Congress – Mozilla, the mission-based organization dedicated to keeping the power of the Web in people’s hands, demonstrated the breadth and growth of its Firefox OS open mobile ecosystem at a press event on the eve of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The event introduced seven new commercial Firefox OS devices  and highlighted advancements and partnerships that will enable the platform to scale up in 2014.

Growing support and availability
In the year since MWC 2013, Firefox OS devices have gone on sale in 15 markets with four global operators and handsets from three manufacturers. Firefox OS will be expanding into important new markets in 2014.  Telefonica will build on the list of countries where it’s selling Firefox OS phones, with eight more launching this year: Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.  Deutsche Telekom will also add four new markets: Croatia, the Czech Republic, Macedonia and Montenegro.

Operator support for Firefox OS also continues to expand, as Telkomsel and Indosat have joined the list of 21 key operators across the globe that support the open Web device initiative. That list also includes partners announced last year : America Movil, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Hutchison Three Group, KDDI, KT, MegaFon, Qtel, SingTel, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia Group, Telefonica, Telenor, Telstra, TMN and VimpelCom.

A new smartphone entry level
Spreadtrum has announced WCDMA and EDGE turnkey reference designs for Firefox OS as well as the industry’s first chipset for US$25 smartphones, the SC6821, that redefines the entry level for smartphones in key growth markets.  These solutions are already creating a stir, with global operators such as Telenor, Telkomsel and Indosat, and ecosystem partners such as Polytron, T2Mobile and Thundersoft expressing interest.

“In six short months, Firefox OS has more than established itself in the very markets it aimed to address,” said John Jackson, VP of Mobility Research, IDC.  “Today’s announcements underscore the platform’s rapid maturation and growing ecosystem benefits. New products, tools, categories, partners, features, and extraordinarily compelling price points will reinforce Firefox OS’s momentum into 2014. IDC expects year-on-year Firefox OS volumes will grow by a factor of six times in the smartphone category alone.”

Flexibility and customization
Firefox OS devices are the first devices built entirely to open Web standards, with every feature developed as an HTML5 application. Mozilla previewed the future of Firefox OS at its press event, demonstrating how its flexibility, scalability and powerful customization empower users, developers and industry partners to create the exact mobile experience they want. Carriers can easily and deeply customize the interface and develop localized services that match the unique needs of their customer base.

Deutsche Telekom is utilizing this customization to develop new Firefox OS features for the Future of Mobile Privacy project, a joint effort with Mozilla to bring data privacy closer to customers.  The organizations’ privacy offices have been collaborating over the past year to conceptualize and develop new privacy features that are currently being tested for consideration in future Firefox OS releases.

Firefox OS is also expanding to additional form factors, as partners and contributors work to optimize the software for TVs, tablets and other devices. In January, Panasonic announced a partnership with Mozilla to release next-generation smart TVs powered by Firefox OS.

“Firefox OS is off to an amazing start. We launched our first smartphones in July, and have since expanded into fifteen markets,” said Jay Sullivan, chief operating officer of Mozilla. “People in Latin America and Eastern Europe have eagerly upgraded from their feature phones to Firefox OS smartphones and now have rich access to the Web and apps. Sales have far exceeded our targets. But 2013 was just the beginning. In 2014, we are differentiating our user experience and our partners are growing the portfolio of devices. We are also enabling a whole new category of smartphone, priced around $25, that will bring even more people around the world online.”

Streamlining the support process
Mozilla has received significant interest from mobile manufacturers looking to differentiate themselves by producing Firefox OS phones and tablets.  To help service this demand and facilitate the next wave of device growth, Mozilla launched a new self – service partner portal  to fast track manufacturers and streamline bringing devices to market. Manufacturers get all the resources and branding required to launch a Firefox OS device in one place.

In order to promote the success of this ecosystem, the Open Web Device Compliance Review Board (CRB) was formed by Mozilla and major global partners in late 2013. The CRB’s aim is to define and evolve the process of encouraging API compatibility and competitive performance for open Web devices.

Marieta Rivero, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Telefonica, said: “We started marketing Firefox OS less than eight months ago, commencing with Spain and expanding to several Latin American countries. In a number of these countries, Firefox OS has been a market leader in smartphone sales from the very start. We’re transforming the market, and will continue focusing our efforts on open environments that give clients more freedom, and prices that are better suited to their possibilities. 2014 will undoubtedly be a key year for all of this.”

“The continuing rollout across our European markets is tangible proof of our drive to push Firefox OS, together with Mozilla and bring an open operating system to all of our customers,” said Thomas Kiessling, Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Deutsche Telekom. “The introduction of an even more affordable handset on the one hand and a higher-end model on the other also show we are reaching more market segments.”

“Telenor and our operating businesses have seen great consumer satisfaction and a continued appetite in the market for quality, low-cost products based on Firefox OS,” said Holger Hussmann, VP Device and OS at Telenor. “We are supportive and welcoming of the efforts of enabling vendors and device partners focused on serving this great, underserved market opportunity.”

Alistair Johnston, Director of Marketing for Telkomsel, said: “Telkomsel will support Mozilla with its Spreadtrum turnkey solution and device partner as an attempt to bring the smartphone to the palm of every Indonesian and to perform Telkomsel strategy to speed up and enrich the DNA (Device — Network — Application) ecosystem in Indonesia.”

President Director & CEO of Indosat, Alexander Rusli, said: “Indosat as the leading communications provider in Indonesia is ready for Firefox OS smartphones based on the Spreadtrum solution. This is in line with our strategy in 2014 to provide the best experience to our customers and become the customer’s preferred choice for smartphones and smart device users.”

“Polytron is announcing the intention of supporting the manufacturing, distribution, and promotion of Firefox OS smartphones based on Spreadtrum’s latest solution,” said Mr. Hariono, CEO of Polytron, Indonesia’s leading mobile device brand. “T2Mobile specializes in offering our customers the ability to rapidly address the needs of its customers in every segment of the wireless ecosystem,” said Aaron Zhang, CEO, T2Mobile, a leading ODM specializing in Firefox OS-based mobile solutions. “The creation of new Firefox OS and open Web devices will be further accelerated by these solutions and we are pleased to support these new offerings.”

“We are excited by the new and highly affordable possibilities enabled by Firefox OS,” said Hongfei Zhao, CEO, Thundersoft, a leading global technology and solutions provider that helps OEMs’ accelerate high quality product development and achieve fast time to market.  “We have expanded our services in new areas including support for Firefox OS, enabling new and unique offerings in the mobile Internet device industry and ecosystem.”

About Mozilla  

Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate for the Web for more than 15 years. We create and promote open standards that enable innovation and advance the Web as a platform for all. Today, half a billion people worldwide use Mozilla Firefox to experience the Web on computers, tablets and mobile devices. With Firefox OS and Firefox Marketplace, Mozilla is driving a mobile ecosystem built entirely on open Web standards, freeing mobile providers, manufacturers, developers and consumers from the limitations and restrictions imposed by proprietary platforms. For more information, visit http://www.mozilla.org/

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