Gabriel Giordano, IESE professor
Communication with applicants registered in audio or text format helps companies discern which ones have fudged on their résumés prior to having their face-to-face interview.

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Title: I Estudio de velocidad banda ancha móvil 3G
Source: ADSL Zone
Date: June 2008
Abstract: The testing done by this specialized portal shows that operators have yet to offer the speed promised to Spanish users of both third-generation (3G) broadband and HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) networks, also known as 3.5G.  “We are pretty far from what operators have promised in high-speed areas,” says the site. However, while they do not match the performance of 1 or 3 MB fixed-line ADSL connections, according to the study, in large cities the level “is quite good for surfing the Net and downloading email.” It also reveals a digital divide existing between major cities and less-populated areas. According to the authors, this is because the investments made by operators in areas further removed from city centers “are far lesser and thus the maximum speed users can see is inferior.” It also establishes that Seville, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia are the leading cities in Spain in terms of the speed of these networks, and that Vodafone’s is the fastest, followed by Movistar and Orange. Yoigo was not included “since it offers a speed of just 384 Kbps,” says the report. The analysis refers to HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), or the HSPA download mode.

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The search-engine giant is determined to win the battle for the Internet and thus continues to expand its already large catalog of online tools, having just added Knol and Chrome. The new online encyclopedia Knol will cite the names of the authors creating entries and promises possible revenues for the advertising that these generate. It remains to be seen whether these two lures will allow Knol to dispute the success of Wikipedia, which is based on the gift economy, the anonymity of the authors and the complete absence of advertising.
The browser known as Chrome, Google’s other recently launched product, represents yet another major challenge, in this case versus Microsoft’s overwhelmingly dominant Internet Explorer—which has 72% of the market share (which is, however, slipping)—while taking on the other Web browsers along the way.
Bárbara Celis, in the Spanish newspaper El País, highlights that Google, curiously enough, has just renewed its alliance with the open-source browser Firefox, which by doing so “will be a competitor, in addition to an ally.” Celis adds that for Google, the new browser has been built from scratch to combine the majority of Internet applications, particularly those using video.
Another Spanish newpaper, El Periódico, points out the simplicity of the interface and its embracing of privacy, since Chrome allows anonymous browsing. It also makes mention of its security functions: if a website “hangs up” the application, the other sites being viewed and displayed in simultaneously open tabs will not be affected. To discover in further detail Chrome’s strengths and weaknesses, there is a related analysis published in PC World magazine. The beta version of the open-source browser Chrome is initially available for Windows in 47 languages and will later be released for Linux and Mac OS. Google’s increasingly strong “bearhug” on the Internet is starting to become worrisome. Some analysts question whether Google’s search engine, which controls over 60% of the searches done around the world, will be able to maintain its neutrality or instead fall into the temptation of favoring its own projects. Will the history of Microsoft be repeated? One thing is certain, unlike some years ago, the freedom of choice of Web browsers is now guaranteed.

Articles in google.dirson.com (Spanish), El País (Spanish), El Periódico (Spanish), PCWorld (English), El País (Interview Spanish).

According to GSA (Global Mobile Suppliers Association), broadband mobile services based on HSPA technology (High-Speed Packet Access) in 2007 reached the threshold of 11 million subscribers worldwide and this year have brought in 50 million users. Commercial HSPA networks are currently operating in over 75 countries, with Western Europe leading the way (with 61 networks) and the Americas at the back with just 16. With regard to Spain, in March of this year, HSPA networks potentially covered 47% of the population. The relatively rapid adoption of HSPA technology is happening parallel to the increase in the user base of 3G networks, which according to the newspaper Cinco Días and data published by Telecoms and Media, in June surpassed the 100-million-subscriber mark in Europe. Commercial HSPA networks have progressively made substantial increases in their bit rates, which are now up to 7.2 megabits per second for downloads and 2 Mbps for uploads, (see ADSL Zone study in this Newsletter).
This speed is essential for applications that require high bandwidth, such as video-based mobile security tools or informational multimedia content. The other factor explaining this rise is that the rollout does not require particularly large investments, given that it constitutes a successful evolution of 3G networks. According to the consulting firm Analysys Mason, this demand will continue to increase until the year 2015, when it reaches 1.1 billion subscribers. Meanwhile, as one would expect, the industry is already preparing HSPA’s future successor: HSPA+.

Articles in Telecommunications Online (French), Analysys Mason (English), 01net.fr (French), Cinco Días (Spanish)