Many road warriors – of the business kind that is, not the clad in leather Mad Max variety – swear by Lotus Domino, and this week mobile e-mail provider Visto Corporation has announced a marketing and enablement relationship with IBM. This will leverage the IBM Lotus Notes Traveler and help enable delivery of Visto’s Mobile for IBM Lotus Domino.

“In an age of increasing mobile usage, providing flexibility and choice to customers is demanded to address the range of IT configurations that can be found in businesses of all sizes,” said Michael Rhodin, general manager, Lotus Software, IBM Software Group. “The combination of Lotus
Notes Traveler and Visto Mobile offers a compelling mobility solution for the millions of Lotus Notes users.”

This deal will mean that Big Blue and Visto will also collaborate on the marketing of Visto Mobile for Lotus Domino. It will also provide existing and new users with mobile access to e-mail, as well as calendar appointments, contacts and other data, which can then be pushed directly to the user’s mobile handset.

This could be a good solution for those who do a lot of traveling and need to stay connected to the home office, especially depending on what mobile devices are being used. Anything that allows one device to do more is always good in our book, provided it doesn’t mean redundancy or bog down the user experience with yet another layer of menus to navigate. However, Visto has always been good with seamless integration, so this could be just the right solution for weary road warriors – even of the leather clad variety.

Visto

Sprint’s chief executive Gary Forsee told a Goldman Sachs investor conference yesterday that Sprint is thinking about expanding the test area for an unlimited calling plan that doesn’t require customers to sign a contract. Customers pay a monthly fee for as long as the service is required or affordable. Rivals Leap Wireless and MetroPCS already offer commitment free unlimited calling plans.

People with poor credit are wary of signing contracts that lock them in to monthly payments for 12-24 months. Most unlimited calling plans require such a commitment. Sprint is hoping to add subscribers by enticing contract shy consumers with the bait of unlimited calling.

Plans offered by Rivals Leap and MetroPCS are limited to their coverage areas, which is in no way national in scope. Nextel has more national coverage in America and could make inroads into the less populated parts of the country, while competing in large markets. Mr. Forsee didn’t give any particularities about Sprint’s new venture, so you’ll have to keep reading MobileCrunch for updates.

Unlimited calling plans can be notorious for fees that consumers aren’t aware of because they don’t carefully read their contracts. This is also true with the unlimited plans offered by Rivals Leap Wireless and MetroPCS. For example, roaming minutes may be limited, which incur cost when calling outside the coverage area. Sprint can capitalize on the competition by pointing out its coverage is greater, reducing roaming costs.

Wireless providers like the accountable income stream that contracts provide. The largest providers may shun contract-less unlimited calling plans, keeping this as an enticement to commit to a long-term agreement. Since Sprint-Nextel is the #3 provider in the U.S., it is looking for divergent ways to increase its market share. No contract unlimited calling may be the gimmick that a cash strapped nation looks to for its mobile phone service in the future.

Sprint
Rivals Leap Wireless
MetroPCS

T-Mobile has tapped into Danger’s programming geniuses to provide an enhanced MySpace experience for the T-Mobile application Sidekick. Now, instead of using a Web browser to visit MySpace, customers can download the new MySpace application to enjoy a unique MySpace experience on Sidekick. This is being touted as the most powerful mobile MySpace service available. Users have complete real-time access to MySpace on their hand sets.

“Sidekick users are often the hub of their circle of friends, and MySpace is the No. 1 Web site our users visit on their device,” said Jeff Hopper, vice president of marketing at T-Mobile USA. “We’ve worked closely with MySpace and Danger to create a powerful MySpace Mobile experience that is uniquely tailored for the T-Mobile Sidekick. We think MySpace and Sidekick users are going to love having complete control over their MySpace universe right from the palm of their hand.”

Sidekick has been carefully crafted so that users can easily navigate all aspects of the MySpace Mobile content. The design is optimized to deliver data to each user easily, while preserving the features that MySpace visitors love on their PCs.

“Innovating on our mobile platform is one of the most important initiatives for us,” said Amit Kapur, vice president of business development for MySpace. “Given the high degree of MySpace and Sidekick usage overlap, we know our users will be thrilled to have this optimized experience.”

The relationship between T-Mobile and MySpace is more evidence to show that mobile devices are being mainstreamed into market strategies for businesses that started as PC based. The increased computing power of mobile phones creates new opportunities that successful companies are going to continue to tap into.

T-Mobile
MySpace
Danger

Anyone who says that the mobile Web is following the same path as the World Wide Web clearly doesn’t remember the mid-1990s. The Web didn’t launch with massive retailers, interactive forums and powerful search engines. The whole reason for the new vernacular of terms such as “surfing,” was because this was generally uncharted territory filled with small, and often times personal Web pages.

The Web had been around for a while before Amazon.com, Yahoo! and CNN ever bothered to go online. Back in the early days most Web sites were made at the personal level. But today editing a Web site for the mobile platform isn’t quite so easy as downloading a simple Web editor, or learning a few basic HTML tags. Part of the problem is that the mobile Web means that you’re not just coding for the PC or Mac, you have to consider dozens of constantly changing display sizes and make the pages easy enough to read and navigate on a very small screen.

This is where Wirenode comes in. This company provides a free mobile page editor, which even allows for the uploading of pictures and customization of your pages. The service is currently in beta, but users can register for the service to get coding. While the tools are clearly intended with everyone in mind, some basic HTML understanding will help.

But we’re pleased that the mobile Web isn’t going to have to leave out the little guy. After all, it was the little guy who made the Web what it is today.

Wirenode

While every couple of years there is fresh competition in the electronic entertainment space in the living room, the real sleeping giant with video games is mobile handsets. Unlike even the Nintendo or Sony platforms, cellular phones, PDAs and other devices are purchased by people who aren’t otherwise “gamers.” Gaming is also one of the leading revenue streams for mobile developers.

At MobileCrunch we take the business of gaming seriously, hence our newly launched weekly MobileCrunchArcade round-up. But this week we’re getting word that Cotopia has launched its 2.0 version and is currently seeking beta testers. So rather than wait until next week to post, we’re bringing this news today.

What makes Cotopia interesting is that it is offering the kinds of games that those aforementioned non-gamers might most enjoy. Titles such as Chess, Reversi, Connect 4 and others. But the really interesting part is that Cotopia offers a free multiplayer experience, so you get in a quick game with a friend across the room or across the country. Considering that mobile handsets have that built in connectivity these functionality seems to be a no-brainer, yet many developers are only slowly testing the waters.

Look for more Cotopia news on MobileCrunchArcade. We’re likely going to be hearing a lot from them.

Cotopia

Each week MobileCrunchArcade compiles the biggest news from the world of mobile gaming.

This Week’s Headlines: Save the World With Heroes; Stewie’s Arsenal Set to Ambush; Skyzone Scoops Out the Action; Glu’s New Political Knockout; EA Hits the Board; Konami’s Contra Contest

(more…)

If you are a fan of comics and graphic novels, you may be excited to learn that PlayPhone now offers comics, ringtones and cell phone wall paper from Platinum Studios’ archive, the world’s largest collection of independent comic characters. Popular series such as Cowboys & Aliens, Hero By Night and KISS 4K will be available for download across all major wireless carriers. DrunkDuck, the Web comic community site owned by Platinum Studios, is also available on PlayPhone.

“Platinum Studios has long believed in the philosophy of ‘comics fueling media everywhere,’ and now we are able to deliver mobile versions of our comics directly to mobile consumers,” said Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Platinum Studios, Inc.

“Tapping into the fan base for these comics series and giving them a new way to express their appreciation for this art form on their mobile phones is a natural method of delivery for the extensive Platinum Studios comic library,” added Brian Altounian, Platinum Studios’ president and chief operating officer.

I’ve never been a fan of comics but I know some people follow their favorite series passionately. Mobile services like PlayPhone provides allows people to show the whole world their individuality and passions on a handheld device. Other such applications like graphics from museums or ringtones from popular musicians have found a market niche. There is no reason why comic generated content can’t prove to be both profitable and popular among the comic reading public.

PlayPhone
Platinum Studios
DrunkDuck

M:Metrics, a mobile media measurement firm, and Admob, the largest mobile advertising firm, released a study today on audience composition for mobile advertising. Research shows that mobile advertising reaches the lucrative and elusive media consumer ages 18-34. This age group makes up 65% of respondents on the AdMob publisher network. The research shows that AdMob’s mobile network delivers broad demographic reach with desirable demographic sub-segments.

Data for the study was collected last quarter from over 2000 mobile sites and shows the diversity of the mobile media audience, which visits a wide range of mobile sites. African-Americans, who make up 6% of the mobile population, visited certain sites in excess of 50% of the traffic. Similar numbers were found for other sub-segments, such as women, Hispanics and others. This indicates that advertising targeting particular populations are effective.

“Brand advertisers can now reach their target audience on mobile phones using sophisticated demographic targeting,” said Omar Hamoui, CEO, AdMob. “By working with M:Metrics and leveraging our vast network audience across the site, carrier and handset level, we now enable advertisers to target their buys in ways that they have come to expect with traditional web advertising. Most importantly, they can reach their audience on the mobile web with scale.”

“Today marks another milestone in the evolution of advertising,” observed Will Hodgman, CEO, M:Metrics. “Since its advent, advertising has sought to reach the individual in a context where she can act on the message. With M:Audit, we’ve moved from reaching eyeballs to grabbing the transacting hand of the individual in the marketplace.”

As advertising becomes more important for mobile service providers, reaching targeted audiences is paramount. If the mobile industry shows that various demographics can be effectively targeted, a larger population of advertisers will be willing to buy space on mobile devices. Similar studies should be conducted in the future to entice more advertising money for the mobile community.

AdMob
M:Metrics

Fashion commentator and actress Finola Hughes has kicked things up in the fashion world with the announcement of Style Kick with Finola Hughes, a new fashion application that will be offered exclusively on Verizon Wirless beginning in October.

The mobile magazine is being developed in conjunction with mobile software creator Emdigo Inc. And similar to a traditional magazine, Style Kick will offer an inside look at trends, as well as fashion tips and news. There will be four categories of content, and the magazine will be delivered via subscription on a bi-monthly basis.

“Fashion is everywhere and I’m happy to see that reflected in the ubiquity of the availability of Style Kick, “ said Finola Hughes. “Modern women are on the go but still want to keep up with the latest trends to look their best. With Style Kick by Emdigo, our subscribers will always have the most current fashion news at their fingertips, no matter where they are.”

The magazine will be available exclusively from Verizon Wireless, and subscription will be $3.99 a month, with direct billing from the carrier. The primary audience is girls and women age 14 and up.

As with other topics it might be hard to imagine how well fashion will translate to the smaller third screen of mobile handsets. But for those with an on-the-go lifestyle, as well as teen girls who want to share fashion tips, the handheld format might be ideal. Who knows maybe in the future those sitting next to the catwalk might not have a copy of Vogue, they might just have their handsets to read while waiting for the models to make it down the runway.

Emdigo

Myxer has been at this weeks TechCrunch conference (the flagship of all the Crunches) showing its wares, when it announced yesterday that Myxer has been hired by AmieStreet to create and distribute mobile ringtones. The Myxer platform simplifies the delivery of any professional or user-generated content (including ringtones, images, audio and video) to mobile devices, no matter which carrier or network the phone is on.

You may be thinking, “So what, there are millions of ringtone providers.” But AmieStreet has a unique pricing angle. While most commercial ringtones are sold at a set price, AmieStreet uses a sliding scale based on the popularity of the ringtones. The price starts at 0, and as a ringtone increases in popularity the price goes up, until it maxes out at $1.99. This creates word-of-mouth advertising for new releases, and bragging rights for the people who get a popular ringtone for free. In effect, the customers drive the discovery, promotion and pricing of music. The first ringtone is “Walk Wit A Limp” by hip hop master Romeo.

“Myxer is making the content world mobile, and by powering AmieStreet’s ringtone offering, we are able to show how quickly and easily that can be done,” said Myk Willis, founder and chief technology officer of Myxer. “Just as Myxer has democratized mobile content distribution, so has AmieStreet democratized digital music and ringtone pricing – allowing the consumers full access to and control over the value of music.”

“When we decided to offer community-priced, a la carte ringtones, Myxer was the logical choice because of its simplicity and established product,” said AmieStreet’s co-CEO Elias Roman. “We are now able to bring social music discovery to the exploding mobile market while staying focused on providing a music retail experience that is totally community-driven.”

This partnership should be good for artists who want to get their music out to a greater audience. All AmieStreet musicians will be able to sell ringtones from the artist store, where mp3s are also sold. Once an artist’s content is uploaded to AmieStreet, it is automatically available to the 2.5 million users who download mobile content from Myxertones.

There may be a million ringtone providers out there, but AmieStreet’s pricing structure could make a breach into a tough marketplace. It is similar to what professional musicians go though in a quest for platinum. You start out giving free concerts, and as you become more popular the band charges more money to perform at larger venues. By mimicking this evolution, AmieStreet has tapped into the competitive nature of listeners and performers.

Myxertones
AmieStreet