“As the cyber threat landscape has evolved and grown over the years, consumers have taken notice of new risks,” the official announcement explains.

In a recent McAfee survey, 61% of respondents claimed they are more worried about cybersecurity today than they were five years ago, and 73% either own or plan to purchase antivirus software.

Unfortunately, only 19% currently own a personal virtual private network (VPN) solution to ensure their data stays secure while using a public or unsecured Wi-Fi connection, which underscores the need for companies to build security in from the start, to help keep consumers stay protected.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note8 will come pre-installed with anti-malware protection powered by McAfee VirusScan and Samsung Secure Wi-Fi service, for which McAfee provides the backend infrastructure.

“Last year McAfee announced that the Samsung Galaxy Note8 will come pre-installed with secure Wi-Fi in the U.S.,” the announcement concudes. “The offering is now being extended across Europe. Current Galaxy Note8 users can update their software through the operating system update to take advantage of new features. Samsung provides 250MB of monthly data volume at no cost, with the option for users to purchase unlimited bandwidth.”

The post McAfee Further Expands Collaboration With Samsung to Safeguard Smartphones appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Many smartphones in the world are manufactured with hardware capable of receiving free FM radio signals. Market leaders like Samsung are taking the step of unlocking the FM Chip, which will allow Samsung users to connect directly with the NextRadio app, listen to their favorite local stations, and use less battery and less data than streaming radio apps.

“Samsung should be lauded for taking this important step,” said Paul Brenner, President of NextRadio powered by TagStation. “They are providing their customers a more engaging, immersive radio experience and, as importantly, a means to connect with life-saving information in emergencies.”

When cellular coverage is congested or unavailable, the FM Chip will provide life-saving information from local radio stations. On the heels of widespread natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Houston and the Florida coast, calls have increased for all phone manufacturers to unlock the FM Chip in smartphones as a public safety necessity. Samsung joins LG, Motorola and Alcatel in taking this step to both meet consumer demand and to provide a lifeline in emergency situations.

The post First Look: Samsung Becomes Latest Phone Manufacturer to Unlock the FM Chip appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

We’re told that the offering is aimed at improving lone worker safety.

So how does it work?

The solution fully integrates SoloProtect’s innovative application with the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, providing employers a new way to deliver tangible safety benefits to lone workers who often work outside a traditional office, in the field or in remote or hazardous locations, and may be without close or direct supervision.

This innovative solution highlights the increased awareness among employers on the importance of protecting their workforce and the potential business impacts associated with unmitigated workplace risks. SoloProtect is collaborating with Samsung to provide a solution that is highly reliable, discreet and effective. The solution will be available for demonstration at Mobile World Congress Americas, taking place in San Francisco (September 11-14), in Samsung’s booth (North Hall #N642).

“We’re incredibly excited to introduce our collaboration with Samsung at Mobile World Congress Americas and showcase our industry-leading SoloProtect Watch,” said John Broady, Chief Executive Officer at SoloProtect. “We sought out a partner that could help deliver a high-quality wearable to make working alone safer for men and women in the field. Samsung shares our core values and has a proven track record of pairing its cutting-edge devices with the latest enterprise-ready platforms.”

To learn more about SoloProtect and its latest innovations, click here.

The post Wearables Now Watching Out for You at Work appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The companies announced this week that they are collaborating on 5G and 4G LTE wireless networks lab and field trials at various locations in the U.S.

The trials, which began this summer, will run through the end of the year, an emailed statement explains.

The 5G trial is evaluating fixed use cases using Samsung’s pre-commercial 28 GHz (mmWave) system and devices. The 4G trials are performed at 3.5 GHz (CBRS), utilizing Samsung’s combined 4G LTE small cell technology in an outdoor environment to evaluate mobile use cases.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Samsung on these trials, which provide Charter better insight into how our advanced, powered, high speed network—which currently passes 49 million homes and businesses—can be used to enable 5G services,” said Craig Cowden, Senior VP, Wireless Technology at Charter Communications. “In addition, as we move closer to the launch of a Spectrum wireless service in 2018, our work with Samsung on trials of 4G small cell technology will support our overall wireless strategy.”

The post Samsung, Charter Not Phoning It In On 5G appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

If you’re not familiar, the partnership kicked off at E3 2017 in June as attendees experienced, for the first time ever, “true, breathtaking 4K HDR gaming on Xbox One X and Samsung QLED TVs.”

Gamers will be able to experience the power of Xbox One X on QLED 4K TVs at various Xbox and Samsung marketing and retail activations throughout the US. Consumers will also see a custom Samsung TV spot showcasing Xbox One X and QLED together that will run nationally around the launch of Xbox One X this fall.

“The arrival of true 4K UHD gameplay on Xbox One X this Fall gives gamers the perfect reason to upgrade their television,” said Eddie Combs, Vice President of Marketing for Samsung Electronics America. “If gamers are looking for a TV that delivers premium 4K HDR picture quality with industry leading design and smart functionality, then the QLED TV and Xbox One X are an unbeatable 4K gaming combination.”

“Xbox One X will bring true 4K gaming to console players for the first time with 40 percent more power than any other console,” added Mike Nichols, Corporate Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Xbox. “Samsung’s QLED 4K TV is our favorite way to play Xbox One X, and we’re thrilled to join forces with Samsung in the U.S. to deliver immersive 4K gaming experiences to our fans.”

The post Samsung, Xbox Partner to Provide a Better 4K Gaming Experience appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

New to the line up are:

• Gear Sport, a sleek and versatile fitness-focused smartwatch that is water resistant;
• Gear Fit2 Pro, an upgraded GPS fitness band with smart features; and
• Gear IconX, a second generation of the company’s cord free earbuds.

We’re told that Samsung’s new Gear devices were designed to let consumers get the most out of their day, and help them live a healthier and well-balanced life.

The new Gear devices assist with a range of activities – from robust fitness tracking to nutrition and sleep monitoring, as well as motivational coaching as a lifestyle companion. By introducing new smart capabilities, easy-to-use features and by partnering with leading names in tech and fitness, Samsung is helping consumers go beyond fitness and accomplish big things.

“At Samsung, we celebrate the everyday athlete – whether you’re going for a light jog, or training for your next triathlon. We have a long history of embracing choice and innovation, and our wearables are designed to help consumers of varying fitness levels meet their goals and aspirations. We want to help remove the stigma that fit can only mean one thing and that fitness trackers are complex and for only the most intense of workouts,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “Our new Samsung wearables help consumers ‘go beyond fitness’ and enjoy an active, balanced and fulfilled life in a smart and seamless way.”

To review the complete line up of new devices, click here.

The post Samsung Shifts Into ‘Gear’ Before Q4 2017 appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The STEP program — or Samsung Team of Empowered Partners — helps partners “drive greater demand, increase sales and serve customers more effectively.”

All told, Samsung’s latest advancements for partners include an enhanced Training and Certification program, an expansion of its Marketing Concierge support, and a new channel program dedicated to accelerating mobile-first strategies.

“Our channel partners are a critical extension of Samsung’s sales force and we continually invest in their enablement to drive growth,” said Kevin Gilroy, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Samsung Electronics America. “Today’s advancements will raise our channel training, demand generation and mobility initiatives to a new level, providing partners with resources to gain deeper knowledge on Samsung solutions, and position themselves as go-to experts across vertical industries.”

The post Samsung Ramps Up Channel Program with Investments In Partner Training, Demand Generation appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The award-winning partners spotlighted at Samsung’s booth — BlueMetal (an Insight company), Confiz, Infusion, and Teknikos — are delivering next generation mobility solutions that fully integrate Samsung’s Galaxy devices with Microsoft Azure.

“Samsung and its partners take the complexity out of digital transformation, by providing businesses with solutions that tap the full potential of mobile-first strategies,” said Kevin Gilroy, Executive Vice President & General Manager for Samsung Electronics America. “We are honored to work with partners such as BlueMetal, Confiz, Infusion, and Teknikos, which cultivate new business models that improve customer-centric strategies through mobility. Using Samsung mobility and Microsoft’s cloud platform, these partners empower clients to transform businesses across a range of industries.”

We’re told that these four Samsung Alliance partners are system integrators (SIs) and digital agencies that accelerate innovation and scalable mobility – and don’t settle for a low-risk, low-reward approach to digital transformation. Supported by Samsung and Microsoft, these partners grow customer revenue and re-invigorate businesses across healthcare, retail, food services and hospitality.

To keep tabs on Samsung and the innovation of its partners, click here.

The post Samsung Alliance Partners Chart New Roadmap for Mobile-First Business Transformation appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Designed to improve workforce management for hospitality, retail and transportation markets, the solution takes capabilities typically associated with smartphones, and brings them to the wearable world—enabling businesses to more easily deploy and manage wearables for enterprise use.

The Samsung and Hipaax solution delivers hands-free technology that lets businesses customize a wearable interface based on company needs and provide a gamified experience for employees.

Integration of the Samsung Gear S3 or Gear S2 smartwatch and the Hipaax task management platform ensures workers get important notifications via wearable, accelerating employee responses to workplace tasks and communications among teammates.

Samsung will be demonstrating the Hipaax TaskWatch solution at this year’s IoT World event in Orlando, Florida, May 16 – 18th, at the Samsung booth (#210).

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The following is an exclusive guest contributed post from James Ramey, CEO of DeviceBits.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 launched to its expected fanfare, and so far many of the reviews have been mostly positive about the device. It is sure to be a smartphone that pleases its usual raving fans, and perhaps gives the device maker a chance to win over a few new ones.

While the device itself and its features – both upgraded features and new ones – are going to be a major reason why people love the device, there is another component that will likely play a key role in the customer satisfaction and experience:

The ability to properly offer customer and tech support on the new device.

Customer Service Strategy Equally Important As Sales

Tech support is often viewed as a supporting role in a mobile device’s life. Historically, both consumers and manufacturers/carriers view tech and customer support only as something needed when something goes wrong.

But the approach manufacturers and carriers take with customer and tech support has been changing over the last few years, and we began to see the results of this shift with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Many brands, particularly in the mobile space, have started to look at tech and customer support as more of a proactive strategy rather than a reactive part of the overall customer experience. Machine learning, predictive analytics, online digital materials available in a self-service environment, and even chatbots are increasingly being used to help satisfy customer inquiries.

Machine Learning & Predictive Analytics

For the Samsung Galaxy S8, manufacturers and carriers leveraged machine learning and studied customer support launch trends from previous devices to better understand certain patterns that would help guide where certain customers and demographics would most seek support for the latest device – the S8.

As an example, younger demographics have been most likely to seek online support materials for help in more technical aspects of the device, such as customizing the device, configuration issues, and accessing/programming of the SIM card. Older generations have been more likely to have support needs in areas of device operation, such as making a call, setting up voicemail, and setting ringtones.

What We’ve Learned From Samsung S8 Launch

Many of these areas were expected to be a large part of customer support requests for the S8 launch, but the device also offered a bevy of new features that required a more predictive analytics approach to customer support trends.

New features like Bixby, the intelligent assistant; and a new iris scanner were expected to require a lot of support because of the hype surrounding these features.

However, because Bixby wasn’t going to be ready as a live feature at the time of launch, many carrier support agents were instead planning on areas such as device security to be a larger need of customer support – an area that has traditionally tracked high on customer support in the past. Agents were also planning on other traditional areas of customer support, such as phone set-up and operational troubleshooting.

In the first several days after the S8 was launched and made available to the masses, data from customer support materials downloaded suggest a different trend. Even though the Bixby intelligent assistant wasn’t immediately available as an operational feature, it represented the largest customer support request downloaded – more than 40% of downloads during the first weekend, according to number of downloads of the device’s digital support materials.

In fact, security, which agents had planned as the top customer support need expected, was actually third behind Bixby and general phone set-up and troubleshooting concerns.

Predictive Analytics For Future Launches

Machine learning, predictive analytics, and the ability to track customer support material downloads will play an increasing role in the overall customer support strategy, leading to a better customer experience for brands. The ability to engage with these resources means brands can do a better job planning launches more effectively, and evolving their omni-channel strategies beyond just sales to also include customer support.

This type of approach is key because the right customer support experience can help brands expand revenue opportunities in front of existing customers, and help with retention strategies down the road when future devices are launched by competing brands.

About The Author

James Ramey is CEO of DeviceBits, a software company that services clients through a predictive and personalized understanding of interactive tutorials, adaptive FAQs, Interactive Guides, and Videos designed to for self-serving consumers. For more info visit www.devicebits.com.

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