GSMA, the association of mobile phone operators, has launched an ongoing programme to help the thousands of small and medium-sized companies developing innovative mobile products and services reach mobile operators and bring their innovations to end-users.
According to GSMA spokesperson, the Mobile Innovation Programme is also designed to stimulate and showcase innovation around mobile services and better align innovators with the needs of the mobile industry and its customers.
Ahead of a new Mobile Innovation Summit at the GSMA's Mobile Asia Congress in Macau in November, senior executives from mobile operators and venture capitalists will review submissions from innovators and identify the top 50 small companies targeting the mobile sector.
These companies will have the opportunity to meet operators and investors at the Summit where the leading companies in four categories will be recognised at a Mobile Innovation Awards ceremony. Senior executives from KTF, SingTel, Smart, Softbank and Telenor will be among the judges for this inaugural awards event.
The review and judging process will be repeated for a further Innovation Summit to be held at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona in February 2008 and again for standalone Summits to be held in other regions of the world later in that year.