Siemens, Scoreline first to trial mCam technology, bringing sports visuals to mobile phones

Communication solutions giant, Siemens Information and Communication Group, together with Scoreline, a leading South African live sports content provider, are to be the first, worldwide, to trial a new Java-based application, mCam, bringing graphics of sports highlights direct to mobile device users. The technology will be trialed from September this year through to early March next year.

mCam generates up-to-date images of sports highlights, along with near-real time text scores, which can be accessed via any GSM or GPRS compliant mobile device - cellphones, personal digital assistants, laptops and the like. The application currently requires WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)-enablement to run but a wireless Java version will also soon be available.

The quality of images generated will be dependent on the screen quality of the PDA or phone, and is expected to improve as larger screens and more sophisticated mobile devices enter the market.

Scoreline, a joint venture between listed company African Media Entertainment and privately owned Small World Digital, is a Cape Town-based company, whose core business lies in distilling or compressing up-to-date sports information, textually and visually for low bandwidth delivery into small Internet and mobile displays. Utilising Scoreline's technology, Small World Digital first drew worldwide attention in 1999 with its Cape Town Netcast of the first successful live birth over the Internet.

The joint trial pre-empts the start of a new mobile era where information on the move is a reality. For workers and others on the move, it will now be possible to view, on your mobile phone, static visuals - which are updated every few seconds - of, for example SA cricketers in action or golfing star, Ernie Els making the vital putt. Real-time sports scores will be reflected below the visuals in the form of text.

Siemens said preparations were already underway to launch an mCam information portal, http://www.info2go.co.za, along with similar services in a new worldwide market space. This site will be a joint venture with Small World Digital, and will function as the home base for the mCam service, providing users access in a Web/WAP/wireless Java space as well as up-to-date and informative content for users requiring assistance in, for example, configuring their phones, or finding out more about mCam.

Following the launch of mCam, Siemens said it plans to expand the trial to offer other types of information that a person might require while they are on the move, and not within the reach of a PC, TV or radio. Services will include news, sports highlights, weather, traffic and stock information, among others.

John Stokes, MD of Small World Digital, said the company is in the process of building a robust database, which is created only once and then delivered to many places on different platforms. "We have found that content specially developed for each channel is simply not cost-effective. Siemens' cutting-edge technology allows us to turn this approach into workable solutions in both the consumer and enterprise space," he said.

Business Development Manager at Siemens, Francois Nolte, summed up: "This initiative, to bring to the market live mobile sports visuals and scores, not only marks an industry first, but signals a strategic partnership with one of SA's top solution and content providers - Small World Digital. In addition, Siemens will be first to showcase to the rest of the world, the cutting-edge technology that will accelerate the move to the mobile information era. "

Web site: http://www.siemens.co.za or http://www.mobilebusiness.co.za