Qualcomm expects at least three more European operators to adopt its Brew gaming and uiOne interface in H1 2007, after live services with Telecom Italia launched today.
The US company can't name names but it believes the elevated status of TIM - and its other Euro partner O2 - will encourage others to try its platforms. Andrew Gilbert, president of Qualcomm Europe, said: "It's a significant day. The single service mobile environment based on voice is moving to a multi-service environment based on media. TIM is a tier one operator in a tier one territory, so this is a great moment for Qualcomm."Initially, TIM will launch games from Gameloft and EA through the ‘BREW Gaming Signature Solution’ while uiOne will be used to offer subscribers live content feeds, downloadable skins and an idle screen function for receiving content updates.
These services will be available on two handsets. The Samsung Z630 will offer the 3D games and the Onda N5050 will offer the same services plus the uiOne functions. Apps can be purchased and downloaded over the air using Qualcomm's BREW solution. TIM estimates there will be between 10 and 20 enabled handsets by summer 2007.
The deal comes just two months after Qualcomm concluded a similar deal with O2 UK. TIM and O2 represent breakthroughs for Qualcomm, which historically failed to make significant inroads in Europe with BREW. The company now ‘modularises’ its offering, giving operators a choice of services – like uiOne and 3D gaming – without having to take the whole end-to-end BREW package.
TIM's roadmap for its BREW based services is ambitious: by May 2007 it plans to offer community and multiplayer gaming plus some location based services. By October it wants to create converged fixed/mobile community services and cross-platform games (that link console with mobile).
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