Insights


CCgroup’s knowledge and understanding of the telecoms, mobile, consumer technology and consumer lifestyle markets is unrivalled in the world of PR and integrated communications.

 

We’ve worked in these markets for more than 20 years. Our expertise in both B2B and B2C enables us to bring a unique perspective to our strategic thinking and to your communications challenges.

 

It’s imperative to stay on top of developments in this space and we’d like to share with you some of the insights we have. Our daily news flash, Concise Comments, is updated with the most relevant stories of the day



White Papers

A selection of white papers exploring a variety of industry issues. Read more
Iran’s Web Spying Aided By Western Technology
Mon, 22/06/2009
The Iranian regime has developed, with the assistance of European telecommunications companies, one of the world’s most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet, allowing it to examine the content of individual online communications on a massive scale. Interviews with technology experts in Iran and outside the country say Iranian efforts at monitoring Internet information go well beyond blocking access to Web sites or severing Internet connections.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html#mod=rss_whats_news_techn...
Top 40 faces new digital shake-up
Mon, 22/06/2009
The Top 40 is facing a shake-up as chart bosses consider incorporating songs from music streaming sites. Offering free, legal access to millions of tunes, online jukebox services like We7 and Spotify have taken off in 2009. Users can listen to tracks without paying to own them, as they have had to with vinyl, tapes, CDs and downloads. The Official UK Charts Company said it was “bound to” include streaming and subscription services at some point, but not for at least another year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8109267.stm
Variable iTunes pricing a moneymaker for artists
Mon, 22/06/2009
In April, soon after Apple gave labels the ability to set different prices for their songs on iTunes, every track on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” was raised to $1.29. Some music fans complained about these price increases, and many technology executives and bloggers proclaimed that labels were making the wrong move. But while sales of individual tracks from “Dark Side of the Moon” dipped by 11%, album sales remained steady.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55K0DJ20090621
MasterCard finally brings MoneySend mobile payment to the US
Mon, 22/06/2009
MasterCard has launched its m-payment system, MoneySend, in the US. The service works via SMS, mobile Web or mobile application. It allows person-to-person money transfers over your mobile device, and has been available for quite some time now in 17 other countries. The only bank on-side for this service so far is The Bancorp Bank, though MasterCard claims that it’s in talks with several more issuers.
http://www.gomonews.com/mastercard-finally-brings-moneysend-mobile-payment-to-th...
As Events Unfold In Iran, Facebook And Google Translate Quickly Add Persian Versions
Fri, 19/06/2009
In response to the events surrounding the Iranian election last week, Google and Facebook have both added the Persian language Farsi to their capabilities. The Persian version of Facebook will be available starting tonight. The Facebook blog post announcing the new version is here. Facebook says the Persian version was already being developed but it decided to unveil it because of the sudden increase in activity with the Iranian elections and protests.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/18/as-events-unfold-in-iran-facebook-and-googl...