Ed Vaizey, the UK’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries with representatives from the finalists in the Smart UK Project’s Most Innovative Mobile Company 2013.  Finalists included Made In Mind, OpenSignal, Paddle, RealVNC and Skin Analytics.  The winner was OpenSignal

OpenSignal CEO, Brendan Gill received the award on behalf of the company from Ed Vaizey, the UK’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

OpenSignal provision of accurate mobile coverage maps through crowdsourcing via an app won over the judges with its innovation and practical application.

The Android app checks mobile coverage wherever the user is to deliver an accurate picture of mobile network coverage. The company also provides a database of 100 million WiFi access points across 200 countries. With this data OpenSignal is able to accurately measure the true experience of network customers and then help them to locate a better mobile phone signal, find nearby free WiFi networks and monitor their data usage.

The competition, run in association with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), began its search for UK’s most innovative mobile company in November 2012, with 70 original entries. OpenSignal saw off strong competition during the final judging from the four other finalists: Made in Mind; Paddle; RealVNC and Skin Analytics.

All five finalists pitched before an expert judging panel consisting of Mike Short (Vice President of Telefonica Europe), Fred Lardieg (Principal at Octopus Ventures), Geoff McCormick (Director of TheAlloy), Ewan MacLeod (Mobile Industry Review), Tim Green (Founder of Mobile Money Revolution) and Neil Crockett (CEO, Connected Digital Economy Catapult).

Will 2013 be the year of the ‘phablet’? Will we beam images straight into the eye? And what impact will 4G have on our mobile habits and how will that affect the demand for screen size? Joining the debate are Energenie, On Device Research, Sensum, Truphone and Smart UK Project judge Geoff McCormick from TheAlloy.

Watch the BBC technology report here

As places are limited it is recommended that you register interest in attending any of the sessions prior to attending congress. Follow the session links for more information and to book your place.

Monday 25th February

Seminar 1 RF material, manufacturing and circuit innovation  10:30 to 12:30 (10:00 for networking)

This session examines how access to a broad range of new materials and combinations of these materials can yield useful performance gain and design flexibility for RF designers, and the related impact on mobile broadband user device performance.

Seminar 2 5G Innovation and the future of wireless technology  13:00 to 15:15 (12:30 for networking)

The need for 5G disruptive innovation and standards will need unprecedented levels of collaboration to achieve the continued growth of wireless technology adoption, spectrum usage and the next generation of applications and services enabled through 5G. This session will examine approaches to 5G innovation and opportunities to collaborate.

Seminar 3 The connected world. Enabling future eco-systems leveraging big data, IoT and M2M for open and secure new services and applications. 15:45 to 18:00 (15:15 for networking)

This session will examine Machine to Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT), systems and the challenges related to the sheer scale of connected objects and open data systems.

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Seminar 4 Cyber Security in the Mobile World  09:45 to 12:00 (09:15 for networking)

This session will discuss what is meant by ‘Cyber Security’ for mobile devices and networks. What the future holds in terms of threats, how real those threats are and what security could be put in place to secure technologies, businesses and customers.

Seminar 5 Smart UK’s most innovative mobile company finals 2013 13:00 to 15:15 (12:00 for networking)

Join the judging panel as the finalists of the Smart UK Project pitch head to head before just one is named the UK’s Most Innovative Mobile Company 2013.

Seminar 6 London 2012 publication launch seminar – ICT Solutions to cover major events, stadiums and high density coverage 15:45 to 18:00 (12:30 for networking)

The London Olympics and Paralympics demonstrated the strength of the UK Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and technology supply chain sectors to deliver the most digitally enabled Games ever. This seminar will explore lessons learned from the Games and examine how these can be taken forward to future major projects.

Wednesday 27th February

Seminar 7  Leveraging Mobile for health and fitness applications and services  09:45 to 12:00 (09:15 for networking)

This session will explore several aspects of Healthcare and Fitness solutions. The speakers assembled will present on the eco-system and will investigate the key enablers, technologies and potential new systems for the next generation of advance connected Health Platforms.

Seminar 8 The Future of Spectrum usage workshop 13:00 to 15:15 (12:00 for networking)

This seminar will examine innovative approaches and new technologies to use Spectrum more efficiently, to solve interference and co-existences in advance of spectrum re-farming.

Seminar 9The evolution of mobile content and applications 15:45 to 18:00 (15:15 for networking)

This session will examine the technology and business opportunities to provide the capability to deliver and manage evolving mobile content and applications. Each of the speakers will present case studies and the speaking sessions will be followed by a panel Q&A to explore further opportunities in the rapidly expanding market.

• Dress for the weather. Barcelona in February can be far warmer than the UK. Although it has rained heavily in the past. And make sure your shoes are well broken in; days are long, as are distances if you have meetings throughout the Fira.

• “Research and plan well in advance to make the most of your visit.”

• Be extremely careful of your possessions, especially bags and wallets. Security within MWC has improved greatly over the years, but the new Fira Gran Via location means personal security remains an issue.  Avoid using a backpack unless carried to your front, especially on the Metro. When sitting keep cases forward within your feet, not under your seat and where possible use a small padlock. Congress attendees are very easy to spot – do not to openly display your show pass when travelling to and from Congress. Attendees returning from after parties also make for easy targets for pickpockets. Las Ramblas is the prime area for this so beware and whenever possible opt for a taxi back to your hotel if it is late.

• Expect a long day, and making time for lunch is always a challenge with long queues and little seating. There’s no harm in visiting one of Barcelona’s many supermarkets and stocking up with some emergency supplies, or at least some water.

• “Be prepared. Have plenty of supplies of materials and have back-ups of back-ups. Everyone is very busy at the event so the more organised you are in advance, the better.”

• Have press materials ready on your booth in electronic form, preferably a USB stick. Journalists will often drop by a stand unannounced,  but sometimes only for a few minutes, so providing them with all the materials necessary to write their story will be appreciated – but not if they have to carry reams of paper.

• “Booking meetings for the event in advance is vital. But it is equally important to leave time to look around the exhibition.”

• Pace yourself. For first time attendees, MWC can be a culture shock. It can be both physically and mentally tiring, so embrace opportunities to rest.

• Print important materials to take out with you. Printing at MWC is not simple. Within the Congress queues for the print facility can quickly stretch to hours. There are printers in the city, but not on Congress doorstep, so make sure you plan ahead.

• “Plan what you want to see and try and be strict, the show is so huge it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose focus. Business is done everywhere, not just on the stand, don’t be afraid to say hello to the people in the queue for a coffee; they might just be your biggest new customer!”

• Plan and where possible book your evening meals. Barcelona has a vibrant restaurant and cafe culture, but the influx of over 60,000 visitors puts an enormous strain on these facilities. If you turn up on the night without a reservation at any of the better restaurants you may find yourself not being seated until 11pm or later! Make use of the Restaurant Booking Services kiosk located inside the North Entrance (Hall 8.0) or visit www.barcelonaturisme.cat/restaurants.Once your reservation has been confirmed, the restaurant will welcome you with a free glass of cava when you display your Mobile World Congress pass.

• Try to allocate some personal time, even if it is just an hour, to walk the congress floors. There will always be something to surprise or educate.

• “Don’t wait for people to come to you. Make sure you get out there and speak to the different companies exhibiting,” 

From seventy UK mobile companies with the potential to disrupt the mobile industry globally, the Smart UK Project has cross examined, reviewed, considered and we can reveal that this year’s finalists for the UK’s Most Innovative Mobile Company are:

• Made in Mind
• OpenSignal
• Paddle
• RealVNC
• Skin analytics

These five finalists must now face a panel of experts from the mobile industry: Vice President of Telefonica Europe, Mike Short; Octopus Ventures’ Frederic Lardieg; Mobile Money Revolution Founder Tim Green; CEO at Connected Digital Economy Catapult Neil Crockett; Mobile Industry Review’s Ewan Macleod; and Geoff McCormick, Director of TheAlloy, who will make the final tough decision.

The finalists have one last chance to present their innovation and respond to the judges questions before one is crowned the UK’s Most Innovative Mobile Company during Mobile World Congress 2013.

The pitching convenes on Tuesday 26th February 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30pm in Hall 8.1 (Hall 8 level 1) room 8.3.

You can secure your place at the judging by registering in advance

Each company was given the chance to take to the podium, pitching their innovation in just sixty seconds.  And it showed why the UK remains a leading player in the global mobile ecosystems with an array of innovative products and services designed to improve the way individuals and businesses use mobile devices.

From reducing call costs, and improving reception, to monitoring cancer and getting the party going, the media and judges were provided with a fantastic choice.  The companies were questioned, recorded and filmed for the next two hours, some completing more than a dozen interviews in a session that more than one noted would have been impossible to achieve normally in less than a week of briefings, and would have been near impossible during the clamour of Mobile World Congress itself.

Now the challenge intensifies. The five finalists will convene in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress and the chance to be named Britain’s most innovative mobile company 2013.

You can secure your place at the judging by registering in advance

Frederic has a wealth of experience in identifying and supporting innovative mobile companies. Frederic previously worked for Vodafone Ventures, the venture capital arm of Vodafone, where he invested in Vouchercloud (mobile couponing) and LocalResponse (social advertising). Today, with Octopus Ventures, he works with fast growing companies including Zoopla, Graze, Secret Escape and Swiftkey in which the company has invested between £250k and £5m.

Visit Octopus Ventures

What  was  the  vision  behind  the  company  and  who was  involved  in  the  founding?

James Talbot, Damson’s CEO’s and founder, used to travel the globe on business. In transit he would use headphones to listen to music. These provided really rich acoustics and heavy bass. When James arrived at his hotel he wanted to listen to music without headphones but every portable speaker he bought only delivered tinny or booming sound – not the rich sound provided by the headphones. So James set about creating a small portable speaker that would do the job. Damson was born.

Where did the idea of the innovation itself come from?

The original idea came about accidentally, as many of these things can. On a business trip to China James discovered a “talking table” that was being used to transmit messages to the people sat at the table. Fascinated by how the sound was being transmitted as there was no apparent speaker James embarked on a journey to discover what was happening.

James then spent the next few months researching sound diffusion and discovered a little known technology that had been created by the US Navy to transmit sound via their submarine hulls. James developed the technology and created Incisor diffusion technology – this married the US Navy tech with “teeth” that acted as the speaker’s driver. By adding the shaft and base, the technology “diffused” the sound on almost any surface it is placed upon – from a table top, to a cardboard box, to a packet of crisps, even cars sound great! The result is a perfectly balanced sound throughout the audio frequency range of 50hz to 16khz.

Not settling on just one innovation, Damson has now created two further speakers that both boast potentially disruptive technology within this market sector. The first, Oyster, produces perfect clarity from 60hz to18khz and can produce over 100db of sound, in addition it is the first portable 3D speaker – true room filling sound in a small stunning industrial design.  Then there is wireless stereo: think of this as the old 1980’s style speakers in your living room with real left and right channel audio – but without the wires.

In  your  view,  please  describe  the  most  important  aspect(s)  of  your  innovation?

Headphones and home audio kits have had it all haven’t they? So why should consumers have to settle for tinny poor quality reproduction after you’ve been listening to great music through your headphones? The most important aspect is the full range capability of the audio reproduction. No more shouty, tinny sounds from a palm sized speaker – it’s possible to enjoy your music or audio exactly as the original producer intended. With the wireless stereo we wanted to recreate stereo sound on the move, without the need for wires, perfect for those with smartphones or tablets. It’s truly a stunning innovation, two tiny speakers produce room filling sound when you’re travelling.

Who  is  your  customer  and  why  should/do  they  buy/use  your  innovation?

Our customer is pretty much anybody who likes/enjoys music but wants to appreciate music in the quality that the producer intended, yet they don’t want to have to carry around large bulky speakers. It designed for consumers who want to stream their music wirelessly from their smartphone or tablet.

What  do  you  hope  to  achieve when  attending  Mobile  World  Congress  2013?

Damson doesn’t look like it’s a small bootstrap funded start up – that was intended – but it is. So MWC 2013 would give us the platform to demonstrate our products to a huge audience, it will allow us to network with key industry experts and hopefully develop strategies on how we can scale Damson quickly enough to bring these great products to market on a global scale. Perhaps a mobile operator would consider bundling our speakers (which have conference call features) with their mobile phones. Why should headphones get all the glory – after all, no one wants to listen to music through headphones all the time. 

Damson Audio