Voice over wireless LANs (VoWLAN) is fast emerging as one of the most potentially significant converged technologies of the future, seamlessly combining WLANs with VoIP. Although it faces several challenges in its path to wide-scale adoption, consulting company Frost & Sullivan says developments such as the introduction of dual-mode handsets and the ratification of various 802.11 standards indicate a positive market outlook for the rest of this year. The company estimates that revenues for the European VoWLAN market will grow from �6.6 million in 2004 to �1.99 billion in 2010. The 14 mobile phone manufacturers and telcos that comprise the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) group have taken the initiative to allow 802.11-equipped handsets to make calls through their Wi-Fi hotspots. This, says Frost & Sullivan, is a major driver for the VoWLAN market. "It is no surprise, therefore, that the momentum behind UMA is upbeat within the mobile domain, especially from the carriers that stand to gain tremendously from such an initiative," said Luke Thomas, Research Analyst with Frost & Sullivan. "Fixed-line carriers could also use the UMA to provide mobility solutions to their customers, provided they have a Mobile Virtual Network Operator agreement."
The Open Banking business model has been advantageous for Third-Party Providers (TPPs), helping them to extend their offerings into other areas of financial services with new capabilities. Open Banking is also advantageous for traditional banking institutions, despite the perceived loss of custodianship over their data, by providing greater accessibility to more bank services. Furthermore, Open Banking can help serve Mobile Internet providers that are able to leverage it to create tailored services according to customers’ preferences and/or economic limitations. Open Banking Market Development Since traditional banking services are made more convenient by TPPs via greater data access, customers can proactively manage their finances and shape the development of new financial offerings. This is particularly noticeable in the realm of Digital Payments, where retail merchants and customers transact through eCommerce, which has the greatest number of use cases for Open Banking. These includ