San Francisco, U.S.A. – 4G World 2012 Conference and Expo, the only conference and expo covering the entire ecosystem of next-generation 4G mobile broadband technologies, have opened the call for entries for its annual Best of 4G Awards program. The Best of 4G Awards will recognize those that are driving innovation and the adoption of 4G mobile broadband. Winners will be announced at the annual 4G World conference being held from October 29 to November 1, 2012 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The Best of 4G Awards program includes a wide range of categories and is open to all members of the mobile ecosystem (including those not attending, supporting or participating in the 4G World Conference and Expo). An independent panel of judges, comprised of the industry’s leading analysts and academics, will review all submissions and select finalists and winners.

Award categories for this year’s Best of 4G Awards include:

• Mobile Broadband Technology Innovation
• RAN and Small Cell Technology Product
• 4G Smartphone and Tablet Product Innovation
• 4G Deployment (2012) by an Operator
• 4G Innovation by an Operator
• User Experience and Policy Management Solution
• Mobile Cloud Enabler
• Mobile Backhaul and Core Network Innovation
• Impactful M2M Application or Solution
• Solution for Spectrum Optimization
• Best ‘Connected Life’ Application or Solution
• Mobile Innovation by a Start-up

A product, service or solution may be submitted in multiple categories, with one entry per applicable category. The submission fee for each award entry is US$195. For more information on the Best of 4G Awards program, including details on award categories and links to the online submission form, visit http://www.4gworld.com/chicago/events/best-of-4g.php.

The call for entries closes on September 7, 2012. Finalists will be announced on September 25, 2012. Winners will be announced at the 4G World 2012 Awards Reception being held at the 4G World Conference and Expo on Monday, October 29, 2012.

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Orlando, U.S.A. – AAA‘s newest app, AAA Mobile, bundles services for motorists, such as mapping and gas price comparison, as well as member-exclusive benefits including roadside assistance and discounts.

The new app available for iPhone and Android-compatible devices combines the AAA Discounts, TripTik Mobile and Roadside apps into one app creating the perfect companion for any motorist. AAA Mobile delivers a complete mobile experience for members; centering around help at the roadside, travel plans and getting the latest discount at your favorite store with AAA’s Show Your Card and Save program.

“AAA is dedicated to evolving with our members by providing them with the latest ways to stay informed and access all their AAA membership provides,” says Marshall L. Doney, AAA National Vice President, Automotive, Financial Services and e-Business. “We are very pleased to be able to provide this new app to our members and future members. The new AAA Mobile app will provide a convenient solution to those members looking to maximize their membership benefits on the go.”

Available now for free in iTunes and Google Play app stores, the AAA Mobile app features include:

• Road Service Request (app identifies location)
• AAA member discounts
• AAA Approved Auto Repair locator
• Gas station locations and updated gas price information
• Diamond Ratings for AAA Approved hotels and restaurants
• Hotel booking capability powered by Travelocity
• Listings for AAA Approved attractions and campgrounds
• AAA branch office locations
• TripTik® travel planning with interactive maps and directions
• Instant battery replacement quotes
• Electric vehicle charging station locations
• Join AAA

AAA Mobile is available to all mobile users; however some services and benefits are only available to AAA members such as roadside assistance and discounts. The app was launched as an update to the current AAA Discounts app in the iTunes and Google Play (formerly Android Market) app stores.  Any user who has the AAA Discounts app downloaded on their phone should have been notified that an update was available.

When updated, the AAA Mobile app will replace AAA Discounts on their phone.  The current AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile apps will soon be updated to display a message that these apps have been replaced with AAA Mobile, download the new app, and delete AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile apps.

Smartphones with mobile applications are valuable tools before a vehicle is in motion; however, they greatly increase motorist distractions when used while driving.  Distracted driving can have deadly consequences.  AAA urges motorists to minimize distractions behind the wheel by not using wireless devices, such as cell phones with mobile applications, while driving.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Members and non-members can visit AAA on the Internet at AAA.com.

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comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, on February 09, 2012 released the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report. This annual report examines how the prevailing trends in social media, search, online video, digital advertising, mobile and e-commerce are defining the current marketplace and what these trends mean for the year ahead.

“2012 promises to be an exciting year for the digital media industry as the explosion of available content and proliferation of web-enabled devices drive the evolution of the digital consumer, creating new opportunities and challenges for the entire digital ecosystem,” said Linda Abraham, comScore CMO and EVP of Global Product Development. “In order to be successful in this new paradigm, digital marketers must understand the key trends shaping the current marketplace and what that means for the future of their businesses.”

Key insights from the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus include:

Facebook-Led Social Media Market is Redefining Communication in the Digital and Physical Worlds

• Social Networking accounted for 16.6 percent of all online minutes at the end of 2011 and is on track to surpass Portals as the most engaging online activity in 2012. Facebook continues to lead as the driving force behind this shift in consumer behavior, accounting for the largest share of online minutes across the entire web in 2011.

Bing Gains Ground in Search

• Although Google maintains a strong lead in the U.S. search market, one of the most notable stories in search in 2011 was Bing’s positive growth trajectory. Bing closed out the year by surpassing Yahoo! for the #2 position among core search engines for the first time in its history, bolstered in part by its social search partnership with Facebook implemented in early 2011.

Online Video Boom Signals Sea Change in Video Ecosystem

• Online video viewing witnessed impressive gains across a variety of measures in 2011, signaling a behavioral shift in how Americans are consuming video content. More than 100 million Americans watched online video content on an average day to close out 2011, representing a 43-percent increase versus year ago.

Digital Advertising Enters Era of Increased Accountability as Brand Dollars Continue to Shift Online

• A staggering 4.8 trillion display ad impressions were delivered across the U.S. web in 2011 as brand advertisers continued to shift dollars to the digital medium. This shift in ad dollars has magnified the need for greater transparency and accountability in ad delivery across the digital advertising ecosystem.

Smartphone and Tablets Fuel the Rise of the Digital Omnivore

• The rise of smartphones and tablets has drastically altered consumers’ digital media consumption. In 2011, the majority of all mobile phone owners consumed mobile media on their device, marking an important milestone in the evolution of mobile from primarily a communication device to also a content consumption tool. At the end of the year, more than 8 percent of all digital traffic was consumed beyond the ‘classic web’ via devices such as smartphones and tablets.

E-Commerce is Back and Better Than Ever

• Despite the backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, 2011 was a strong year for retail e-commerce. Throughout the year, growth rates versus the prior year remained in double-digits to significantly outpace growth at brick-and-mortar retail. Total U.S. retail and travel-related e-commerce reached $256 billion in 2011, up 12 percent from 2010.

Webinar – 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus: Trends Every Marketer Needs to Know

Join Jeff Hackett, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix, and Eli Goodman, comScore Media Evangelist, on Wednesday February 22nd at 2 PM EST, as they share key insights from the 2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report and discuss what these trends mean for today’s marketers. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.comscore.com/2012_Future_in_Focus_Webinar

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Visiongain’s latest management research is the “Mobile Cloud Computing Industry Outlook Report: 2011-2016″ and examines the market and how the ecosystem players are leveraging mobile cloud solutions to enable their strategies and business models.

The mobile cloud computing market is just beginning to evolve in 2011. By 2016, the market will enter into a rapid growth stage. Interested market players need to formulate emergent strategies now to enjoy the early movers’ advantage. The research projects the total cloud market to be worth $240 billion by 2016, up from $77 billion in 2011.

To thrive in the cloud market, stakeholders must establish and solidify their positions as value-adding players, or else lose to new entrants who may then reap the greatest benefits. For operators to win in the cloud marketplace, they must determine where in this new ecosystem they can play most successfully.

Robust partner agreements are win-win for all entities in the cloud ecosystem. Visiongain believes that given the early days of Mobile cloud computing, there are opportunities for significant partnerships in this arena.

Visiongain projects that mobile cloud service revenues will reach $45 billion in 2016 at a CARG of 55.18% from 2011. The greatest mobile cloud revenue contributions will come from mobile cloud applications. This is primarily due to increasing smartphone penetration, growth of 3G network coverage across the globe, and deployment of LTE services.

By 2014, technology enhancements such as BONDI, OneAPI, and HTML5 will further encourage the development of cloud based mobile applications. Visiongain is of the opinion that open standards will make it easier for developers to build cloud based applications that can be used across a variety of smartphones.

Issues with mobile cloud security, privacy, feasibility, and accessibility remain a major concern for both the customers and the enterprises. However, with complex and secure products now available on the market, many enterprises are jumping into the mobile cloud bandwagon.

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