Wednesday, 13 February 2008

China Mobile Embarks on First Commercial Multimedia SIM deployment in Asia

China Mobile has selected digital security provider Gemalto for its multi-site deployment of Gemalto FullMultimedia SIM (subscriber identity module) cards.

The project is taking place in the Guangdong, Shanxi, Beijing, Jiangsu and Shanghai provinces and is said to be the “first large-scale multimedia SIM commercial deployment in Asia.”

Launched with four different Windows Mobile 6.0 handsets from leading Asian manufacturers, Gemalto was able to integrate multimedia SIM-based content and applications into high-functionality handsets with ease.

The FullMultimedia SIM will be distributed to CMCC’s premium subscribers and will feature a Multimedia phonebook and advanced SMS management which have long been identified as critical applications by China Mobile. The FullMultimedia SIM brought China Mobile SIM-based applications into the Multimedia era with a rich interface, providing a straightforward way to instantly port the service into new handsets.

The FullMultimedia SIM package will also help increase the average revenue per user (ARPU) generated by data services. Applications such as music, ring tones and movie clips can be saved directly onto the SIM, which removes the barrier created by the fear of losing personal data downloaded into the handset when changing phones. In addition, local services such as maps and directories will be pre-loaded on the FullMultimedia SIM by local China Mobile branches, illustrating the power of the SIM as a tool to distribute locally relevant content to every subscriber in China.

“This FullMultimedia SIM solution gives us an opportunity to target our high-end market segment with a real tool for portability and protection for user data, from phonebook numbers to downloaded content,” said the Director of Division of Service Card and Number Management, Department of Market Operations of China Mobile.

“The new multimedia capabilities of these SIM cards mean that we do not compromise on the quality of the presentation of our services, which is a strong expectation of this customer segment”.