Date: 12/09/2009

Myriad's homescreen widget solution for low cost mobile phones

Myriad has launched its dynamic homescreen that provides graphical web-based widgets for low cost mobile phones in the price range down to US$10 or US$15 in India, Africa and Latin America.

These widgets are small applications that display weather reports, horoscopes, sports scores and other information directly on the mobile phone's home screen, without requiring the user to scroll through menus or search for an application. These widgets can be updated through a range of data connections, including 3G, GPRS, SMS, and USSD - a basic data service that is compatible with all GSM phones. The ability to receive data via USSD and SMS means that entry-level data services can be delivered to users without data contracts or in regions with poor coverage.

Myriad says, that its Dynamic Homescreen is AJAX-based and uses technology, standards and developer tools common in the mobile industry. Myriad has already ported its new widget solution across multiple chipset vendors, including 16-bit RTOS and ARM7 100MHz designs. The software has an exceptionally low entry point for system resources, requiring less than 500Kb ROM and 500Kb RAM.

"It is clear that ultra-low cost handsets are the key to mobile services growth in emerging markets, but this segment poses significant challenges to handset manufacturers both in terms of cost and functionality," commented Richard Windsor, Global Technology Specialist, Nomura Securities. "The Myriad Dynamic Homescreen addresses both of these issues by providing a way for handset manufacturers to deliver new data services on the most basic mobile platforms." "The home screen is becoming a vital differentiator for low cost phones," added Simon Wilkinson, CEO of Myriad. "The simplicity of zero-click or one-click widgets is an important driver of both adoption and usage, creating real advantage for network operators seeking to drive data services growth."

For more details visit www.myriadgroup.com