September 09 Round up

Members & Colleagues,

Welcome to the September edition of AIME's K&N News. Please find below a summary of our work in September, which included our Quarterly Members' General Meeting. High on the agenda was AIME's proposal for a Central Industry Database, a look forward to Payforit 3.0, and most importantly AIME's co-ordination of the Industry response to the Ofcom Consultation 'Wholesale Charges for Number Translation Services and Premium Rate Numbers' (which, if left to go through as proposed, could see wholesale changes to the future of premium rate!).

We're pleased to launch our 'new look' website - www.aimelink.org. Please take a look around the site where you will find details on AIME initiatives, Industry news and events, Industry consultations and responses, AIME Best Practice Guidelines and reports, Regulatory information and most importantly our members' directory highlighting the products and services they offer.

We hope to see you at our next Knowledge & Networking Seminar, 'Exploring the Mobile Widget Universe', sponsored by AIME member, Qualcomm - 29th Oct, 6.30pm, London. Hear from Industry experts Qualcomm, Vodafone and Mobile Interactive Group.

Toby Padgham
AIME General Secretary

Chairman's Brief

Dear Members & Colleagues

September was another busy month for AIME.

I was pleased with the attendance for the General Meeting which was held on 22nd September. We had useful updates from John Derham of E33, talking about some of the principles around a Central Industry Database and also from Rory McGuire on an update regarding PayForIt. Participation from the floor was good and I hope that the next GM will be even better attended. We were also joined by Tim Banks of infomob who are looking after AIME's PR. I would ask that any member who has good (or bad) news to please send to zoe@aimelink.org

We also held a board meeting on the 14th September and we welcomed Paul Lynch from ITV for the first time. I am also pleased to announce that Sally Weatherall has agreed to rejoin the board with immediate effect. Sally, of course, previously with WIN was chair of AIME and she is now consulting again within the industry and so this is good news. Sally obviously brings experience to the board as well as legal orientation which has been missing in recent months.

At the board meeting, we formed a new sub-committee of board and executive members to help produce AIME's 3-year plan which is due by the end of the year. AIME has a number of strategic options to consider and we will be talking to a number of members in the coming months to get views from across the board. By all means, please do contact me if you would like to discuss anything.

Our new quarterly meeting format with PhonepayPlus seems to be working well. This is an informal meeting which the vice-chair and I attend along with Paul Whiteing who has proven to be most responsive to working with industry in a collaborative way and our next meeting is on October 15th. We do not produce minutes at these meetings, but they do allow us to have more one-on-one discussion time outside the ILP which I am also pleased to report seems to be making some good progress under the chairmanship of Jacqui Brookes.

The newsletter goes into details of consultations and various other initiatives which your Trade Association is involved with and this shows the breadth of what we are across.

Finally, my thanks to the Executive who continue to do a fine job, often with scarce resource and far too much fire fighting on their plates.

Edward Boddington
AIME Chair

Showcase

AIME member Net Mobile to launch new iPhone apps, becomes acquisition target for NTT DoCoMo

A big shout of congratulations goes out to AIME member Net Mobile AG (formerly Minick) this month. The mobile content distribution company's great work in the European mobile market has caught the attention of Japan's No. 1 mobile operator NTT DoCoMo. The Japanese mobile operator unveiled its intentions late last month to play a much bigger role in the international mobile content delivery services market by announcing a planned takeover of the German value-added services specialist Net Mobile.

Read the full showcase article here

Representation

AIME Meetings

Mobile Operator Road Show - Meeting with Vodafone - 10th September
Board Meeting - 14th September
GM - 22nd September

Central Industry Database

Central Industry Database (CID) proposal presented to members at AIME GM
AIME Project Team for Merchant Promoter Registration has continued to develop the initiative
Focus on Industry & Regulatory co-operation building one central source of information for mobile and fixed line sectors
Applications include Merchant Registration, Customer Services, Network Due Diligence, PPP Number Checker, Mobile Operator Customer Care, MNO Short Code Ordering
Proposal initially with Mobile Operators
PPP updated on proposal and AIME to meet with PPP - 15th Oct

Interactive Broadcast Forum

AIME SMS working group 7th Oct to continue discussions on reintroducing SMS votes for high profile/volume shows
AIME analysing challenges facing the use of Voice Short Codes in Broadcast at working group meeting 7th Oct

Payforit

AIME Members updated on Payforit Version 3.0 & regulatory status at GM - 22nd Sept
AIME looking at VAT for Payforit on Web

Interactive Radio

AIME liaising with Radio Centre to consider ways of increasing premium interactive services in radio

AIME Mobile Operator Road Show

AIME Stakeholder meetings with UK Mobile Operators to ensure homogenous Industry regulation, representation & to link up efforts that will drive industry growth

Industry Consultations

Ofcom: Wholesale Charges for Number Translation Services and Premium Rate Services

AIME has been liaising with Ofcom over impact of increasing BT PRS Bad Debt Surcharge to 9.7% and wider impact of deregulation of retail telecoms market
Ofcom hope to complete consultation by end of year
31/12/09 BT will be permitted to increase surcharge giving 90 days notice to Industry
AIME response submitted 29th Sept
AIME to host round table on regulator strategy and how regulation change will shape future PRS industry

Ofcom: Future Regulation of Video on Demand

Response deadline 26th October
AIME to host members conference call to discuss response

PhonepayPlus 12th Code of Practice

PPP formal consultation due end of October
AIME to host members working group meeting when published

Ofcom Scope Review

Ofcom Statement due in October

Ofcom PTV2

Ofcom Research now complete
Consultation and impact assessment due to be published in October

Industry consultations & AIME responses can be found on the AIME website

Information

Gambling Commission Update
- Revised advice notice expected Nov 09 on Prize Competitions & Free Draws: Requirements of the Gambling Act 2005
- Summary of proposed changes - August 09
5 member news articles on AIME website in Sept 09
11 member email alerts sent out including:
- Consultation - Ofcom PRS Bad Debt - AIME response
- Consultation - Future Regulation of Video on Demand
- Phonepay Plus Board Recruitment

Member News

eBuddy Selects 4th Screen for UK Mobile Ad Partnership
4th Screen Advertising, the UK's leading mobile advertising agency today announced a partnership with eBuddy, the world's largest and fastest growing independent web and mobile instant messaging...
Text makes more for Macmillan TigerSpike and MX Telecom support Macmillan's World's Biggest Coffee Morning with new charity Short Code range
MX Telecom, the UK's leading mobile aggregator are delighted to provide Macmillan Cancer Support with the first Short Code in the newly commissioned charity range...
Mobile Interactive Group announces 74% revenue increase to £68m - significant financial growth year on year
29 September 2009: Mobile Interactive Group ( MIG ), the UK's leading integrated mobile and digital communications group continues to experience exceptional growth...

Networking

NEW Member - Strategic Brief
AIME Attendance at Industry Golf Day - 15th Sept
AIME Supporting Association at 4G World & Social TV Forum
Member Networking after AIME GM - 22nd Sept

Dates for your diary!

7th October - AIME SMS Voting & Voice Short Code Working Group Meeting
19th October - MediaGuardian Changing Advertising Forum - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
20-22nd October - Mobile Web & Applications - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
26th October - Deadline for Ofcom Consultation: Future Regulation of Video on Demand
27th October - PRS Industry Group Meeting
29th October - AIME K&N Seminar: Exploring the Mobile Widget Universe
5th November - mobileSQUARED Roadshow - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
17-18th November - Mobile User Experience - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
17-18th November - Digital TV World Summit - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
18-20th November - The Media Festival - AIME Supporting Association, member discount
23rd-25th November - Mobile Web 2.0 - AIME Supporting Association, member discount

If you would like further information on any of AIME's activities, inititiatives or benefits of membership please contact me on zoe@aimelink.org.

Kind Regards,
Zoe Patterson
General Manager

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