The Skweezer Blog

I recently wrote a post about the increasing pressure Microsoft is experiencing with their Windows Mobile OS from heavy-hitting players like Google and Apple. Looks like Microsoft is taking the threat seriously and has just launched the new Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. Microsoft expects partners to deliver more than 30 phones worldwide that use the new OS by the end of 2009.

Here are some feature highlights from the Microsoft Press site:

• A new enhanced Windows Live experience with What’s New feeds and improved Windows Live photo sharing across major social networking sites (such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Flickr)
• A best-in-class e-mail experience and the ability to manage multiple accounts right from their phone with Outlook Mobile and Exchange Server synchronization
• The ability to use PowerPoint and open and edit Word and Excel documents from their phone with Microsoft Office Mobile
• The power to sync files on the phone through Windows Live Media Manager and play media files seamlessly with Windows Media Player
• A redesigned Windows Internet Explorer mobile browser with Adobe Flash Lite2 that brings the mobile Web browsing experience closer to what people have come to expect from their PC

Android has also been in the news, as Google and Verizon have announced a partnership that will see Android increase its growing market share. As for Apple, iPhone OS 3.1 was just released in September, but Apple’s commitment to dominating the smartphone market is readily apparent. And Nokia’s Symbian and Research In Motion’s Blackberry seem firmly entrenched in the number one and two spots respectively.

Looks like Microsoft isn’t going to go down quietly though…

To read the Microsoft’s full press release, click here.

Posted by Mark Sieve

Mike Dano published an interesting story on Fierce Wireless today. The main gist of the story revolves around a recent report by research group CCS, which indicates that Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system is losing ground to Google’s Android. Some reasons to support this claim, according to Dano’s article, include:

• Motorola is betting the farm on Android, a decision notable in light of the company’s heavy reliance on Windows Mobile for its previous smartphone efforts (think the Moto Q). The message from Motorola’s leadership is clear: Windows Mobile can’t turn us around. (I realize that Motorola is still technically a Windows Mobile user, but based on the company’s massive Android push I think it’s safe to remove the company from the Windows Mobile column for the time being.)
• HTC–Microsoft’s first and largest Windows Mobile licensee–continues to pour energy into Android at the expense of Windows Mobile. “CCS Insight predicts that sales of HTC Android devices could outnumber those of its Windows Mobile products in 2010,” the firm said. “This is undoubtedly a worrying prospect for Microsoft given its current reliance on HTC as its biggest licensee.”
• Sony Ericsson’s latest smartphone, the Xperia X2, sports Windows Mobile, though the company also supports Symbian products and has stated its intent to build Android devices. CCS Insight predicts Sony Ericsson’s new management will abandon Windows Mobile in favor of platforms it has more control over, like Android. A Sony Ericsson spokesman however reiterated the company’s support for Windows Mobile, and declined to speculate about Sony Ericsson’s future platform plans.
• LG, the world’s third largest cell phone maker and a latecomer to the smartphone game, recently promised to produce 50 Windows Mobile phones. However, the company also recently announced its first Android device. “Microsoft may have offered LG preferential licensing terms in order to offset weakening commitment from HTC,” posited CCS Insight.
• As for Samsung, the world’s second largest handset maker, it remains a Windows Mobile licensee, though it too has worked with Android lately and has dabbled in Symbian as well.

Of course there are other major players vying for the mobile OS spotlight along with Microsoft and Google–most notably the open-source Symbian OS from Nokia and Research In Motion’s Blackberry platform. And of course there’s Apple’s ridiculously successful iPhone.

When we started Skweezer back in the day, potential investors and partners always asked us, “How does your business relate to Microsoft?” Now the question is usually, “How does your business relate to Google?” Looks like there may be a changing of the guard as Google steps in to replace a faltering Microsoft as the alpha-male at the head of the mobile operating system pack.

Still, as Dano notes in his article:

…as with anything Microsoft, it’s not over until the company says it’s over.

Posted by Mark Sieve

The Environmental Working Group has just come out with an interesting study about the amount of radiation emitted by cell phones that’s worth a read. There’s a list that ranks devices by radiation intensity that’s also worth looking at. I was dismayed to learn that my iPhone is one of the heavy emitters, though EWG is quick to point out that:

We at Environmental Working Group are still using our cell phones, but we also believe that until scientists know much more about cell phone radiation, it’s smart for consumers to buy phones with the lowest emissions.

Still, I might just get that Bluetooth headset at Costco I’ve had my eye on…

Posted by Mark Sieve

I just read that Twikini, a popular mobile Twitter client for Windows mobile devices, now features an option to launch links through Skweezer. Twikini is the latest of a number of mashups, apps, and services that take advantage of Skweezer’s free API to provide users with mobile-friendy Web browsing.

It’s always interesting to see how different people and programmers use our technology–from Chinese dissidents using Skweezer for anonymous Web access to the folks at Twikini enhancing their Twitter app… it’s gratifying to see that so many people are finding a use for our technology.

If you’re a programmer, you can check out our API information sheet at http://company.skweezer.com/developers.

A little info on Twikini from their site:

“Twikini offers a powerful and efficient way to use Twitter on your phone. It conveniently updates your favorite feeds in the background, and leverages the camera, GPS, media, touch screen, keyboard, graphics and storage capabilities of your device.

Our goal is to make Twikini the best designed Twitter app for Windows devices in the world.”

Posted by Mark Sieve

Update: Posted this 5 minutes ago and was just sent an e-mail about another mobile Twitter client called TinyTwitter that’s also using Skweezer. Guess there are a lot of people building Twitter apps these days…

For the last year or so, I’ve been wondering how much of bubble the mobile content industry (apps, web, ads, etc) has been living in. I started my computing career in the early 90s, so I’ve lived through the original dot com bubble. I remember the days when doing simple HTML sites was considered “complex”. And companies like Shopping.com were paying US Web amounts like $100,000 just to do a 10 page HTML work-up of a site idea.

Of course, later in the bubble when web applications began to take hold, ecommerce became the “big thing”… and the emergence of a reinvented EDI model redirected the industry’s focus bit. It went from content and browser/server applications to platforms where servers could talk to other servers using web protocols. And leverage not only the dedicated function of uniform services, but take advantage of a common business model as well–reducing costs for everyone. Ultimately, when a new and disruptive concept comes at the end of a bubbly cycle, I believe it causes the bubble to burst. Of course 9-11 and a down-market cycle didn’t help either. But you get the idea.

So, today I was reading about Glu Mobile announcing lower-than-expected earnings for Q308. Unlike the Web 1.0 burst, there are a lot fewer public companies–thanks to Sarbox and other regulatory policies. (How ironic, given the talk lately about not enough regulation). However, a down-market combined with the credit crisis is creating a similar effect as it did in 2001. What does this mean for mobile content companies? Well, we’ve seen a similar content push in the genesis of this industry (making stuff), followed by a “buying of apps and ringtones” cycle (ecommerce), and now we’re seeing a platform-ish phase where mobile ad companies are inserting themselves into the mix to help these companies monetize on a standard set of ads and formats.

Sound familiar at all? If you agree with my premise and listen to what Glu had to say, then one can easily deduce the mobile content industry bubble is about to burst. The question now becomes, how many business will be fail because of this burst? Do you believe the analysts’ predictions when they say, “The Mobile Advertising Industry will be worth _____ billion dollars in 20__”? If there are no content companies around to serve ads… and less ad platforms to provide ads… and less consumer spending to buy things… and less businesses advertising to get consumers to buy things… then this burst seems inevitable.

Posted by Kevin Perkins

Skweezer wins in the Pocket PC: Web Compression Service category of this year’s Best Software Awards.

IRVINE, Calif., September 15, 2008—Skweezer, Inc. today announced that Skweezer was chosen as the winner in the “Pocket PC: Web Compression Service” category and was also a finalist in the “Smartphone: Web Browsing category” of this year’s Best Software Awards hosted by Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine.

The annual Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Best Software Awards helps users select software that best suits their Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone needs by honoring companies that produce outstanding software. Pocket PC and Smartphone experts from around the world help select the nominations and determine the award winners. The panel of over 100 judges included prominent Microsoft MVPs, support forum moderators, and Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine contributors.

“We have been doing this for 8 years, and the nominee’s list is the most comprehensive and accurate list yet,” said Smartphone & Pocket PC Executive Editor and Publisher, Hal Goldstein. “Congratulations to the winners and finalists, who are mostly from small independent companies who have worked so hard to deliver great software to Windows Mobile users.”

Skweezer is a free service that optimizes Web pages and searches for use on PDAs and cell phones. Mobile Internet users access Skweezer by visiting www.skweezer.com, then use the portal as a “wireless gateway” to browse and search the Web. Skweezer compresses and reformats content being downloaded, so that it loads faster, looks better, and is easier to navigate. Skweezer has introduced many mobile browsing innovations, including the first: pagination system that splits large Web pages up for viewing on cell phones, mobile Web page translation feature, “find in page” search, and portal-based mobile RSS reader. Skweezer is completely platform-independent and can be accessed from Pocket PC, iPhone, Palm, MS Smartphone, Blackberry, Symbian, PSP2, and WAP 2.0 compliant devices. Skweezer is also available as a “private label” solution for wireless carriers, search engines, and content providers.

About Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine:
Bi-monthly Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine is a print publication also available in Zinio Digital format, written for users of Windows Mobile PDA’s and Smartphone devices. Each issue includes hardware and software reviews, user profiles, practical tips, plus an “Enterprise Solutions” supplement. Its companion Web site, www.smartphonemag.com, is updated each day with news, hot downloads, Web sites, reviews, and tips; and also contains archives, a directory of the best Windows Mobile Web sites, and an Encyclopedia of over 5000 third-party software and accessories products. Subscriptions include the annual Buyers Guide and The Ultimate Smartphone and Pocket PC How-to Guide, plus free access to the subscriber VIP web site.

On the Net: Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine site: http://www.smartphonemag.com

About Skweezer, Inc.:
Skweezer, Inc. has been a key innovator of mobile content optimization technologies since 2001, creating award-winning solutions that have accelerated mobile Web adoption and consistently raised the bar in terms of users’ expectations and feature development. Skweezer Ads, launched in 2004, provides publishers and ad networks with desktop and mobile ads through a single ad feed and includes Skweezer’s optimization technology that automatically mobilizes site content for mobile visitors. Skweezer’s scalable, time-tested “carrier grade” content optimization and converged advertising products are relied upon by some of the largest wireless operators, search engines, ad networks, and enterprises in the world.

On the Net: Skweezer site: www.skweezer.com
Skweezer company site: company.skweezer.com
Skweezer blog: blog.skweezer.com
Skweezer RSS Feed: rss.skweezer.com

Posted by Monica Sato

Mobile search traffic on Skweezer has increased by half over the last five-month period.

IRVINE, Calif., September 9, 2008—Skweezer, Inc. today announced that Web searches on its Skweezer portal (www.skweezer.com), which optimizes Web content for mobile devices, has increased 52% since the beginning of Q2 2008.

The Skweezer portal allows visitors to enter either a Web address or search terms into the Skweezer Home page and then loads either the search results or the target Web page, which is reformatted for the mobile environment. While Web browsing traffic has grown consistently over the same period, users accessing Skweezer’s search platform has climbed dramatically since mid-April.

Skweezer’s search traffic comes from a diverse group of carriers, most of which are based in the United States. Customers from AT&T and Verizon generated the most mobile search requests from Q2 2008 to the present. Alltel and T-Mobile customers provided less search traffic than the top two referrers, however their search traffic on Skweezer grew that fastest over the same time period, up 45% and 39% respectively.

“Many carriers don’t offer a Web search feature that meets their customers’ needs, which creates a huge opportunity for companies like Skweezer,” said Skweezer, Inc. president Mark Sieve. “Skweezer monetizes its mobile search with sponsored listings and CPC ads, so we see this as a double-win in terms of increasing both revenue and customer base.”

A recent poll of Skweezer users focusing on mobile search found the following:

• 84% of users surveyed claimed to use mobile search on a daily basis
• 79% of the participants believed that being able to search the Web on a mobile device as “Very Important”
• 72% of users preferred to use Skweezer as their primary mobile search service because of the integrated content mobilization technology
• 69% of users surveyed complained that their “wireless carrier does not offer an adequate search platform”

Over 1,100 Skweezer users participated in the Mobile Search Survey, which was run between July 7th and July 31st, 2008.

Skweezer is a free service that optimizes Web pages and searches for use on PDAs and cell phones. Mobile Internet users access Skweezer by visiting www.skweezer.com, then use the portal as a “wireless gateway” to browse and search the Web. Skweezer compresses and reformats content being downloaded, so that it loads faster, looks better, and is easier to navigate.

Skweezer has introduced many mobile browsing innovations and has won several awards in 2007, including a Gold Star in the Mobile Star Awards and Best Web Compression Service in the Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Best Software Awards. Skweezer is completely platform-independent and can be accessed from Pocket PC, Palm, MS Smartphone, Blackberry, iPhone, Symbian, PSP2, and WAP 2.0 compliant devices. Skweezer is also available as a “private label” solution for wireless carriers, search engines, and content providers.

About Skweezer, Inc.:
Skweezer, Inc. has been a key innovator of mobile content optimization technologies since 2001, creating award-winning solutions that have accelerated mobile Web adoption and consistently raised the bar in terms of users’ expectations and feature development. Skweezer Ads, launched in 2004, provides publishers and ad networks with desktop and mobile ads through a single ad feed and includes Skweezer’s optimization technology that automatically mobilizes site content for mobile visitors. Skweezer’s scalable, time-tested “carrier grade” content optimization and converged advertising products are relied upon by some of the largest wireless operators, search engines, ad networks, and enterprises in the world.

On the Net: Skweezer site: www.skweezer.com
Skweezer company site: company.skweezer.com
Skweezer blog: blog.skweezer.com
Skweezer RSS Feed: rss.skweezer.com

Posted by Monica Sato