Digit Wireless have announced that ZTE is licensing Fastap to facilitate the increased demand for a simple and intuitive mobile device interface by mobile operators that are trying to increase adoption and use of all wireless data services.
Fastap is an innovative keypad design technology, integrating raised and lowered keys into a single device platform combined with error-prevention software to deliver easy and convenient discovery, access and use of today's mobile applications. The keypad technology provides one keypad with two levels of functionality.
"As 3G services continue to proliferate, mobile operators are demanding simple-to-use handsets for their mobile customers in order to increase the adoption and use of wireless data services in a 3G environment," said He Shiyou, senior vice president of ZTE and general manager of ZTE's handset division. "We know that ZTE handsets enabled with Fastap keypad technology will usher in 3G mobile services to millions of mobile consumers worldwide. As ZTE continues its global handset expansion into key markets like the Americas, Fastap will be a key ingredient to our success."
Various implementations of Fastap as a keypad design technology include Alphanumeric which can take on a layout of alphabetical, qwerty, or modified qwerty and Press-To-Anything for access-control of convergence phones and direct access to mobile applications. Both implementations of the Fastap Keypad technology are designed to give the mobile consumer a simple and enjoyable user experience in a form factor they desire. The various implementations of Fastap demonstrate the flexibility of the keypad design technology empowering device manufacturers to adjust a device's function to its form factor. Most often this flexibility leads to the creation of a mainstream form factor phone (flip, bar, slider) by providing a simple and intuitive interface that's easy for mobile subscribers to use.
Alphanumeric implementations of Fastap-enabled flip phones have proven to push data ARPU 97 percent higher than that of similarly equipped 12-button numeric keypad phones. Fastap-enabled phones sell in high "mainstream" volumes allowing service providers to capitalize on their wireless data offerings across a large number of mobile users.
"Fastap is an innovative approach to keypad design that broadens the scope of what subscribers can do with their mobile phone," said Mark Connon, Chief Executive Officer, Digit Wireless. "As an example, Mobile subscribers of Fastap-enabled phones text message 116 percent more than their counterparts using 12 button phones because the keypad yields a tremendously positive user experience due to its intuitive nature and ease of use." Connon goes on to say, "Fastap has been gaining momentum around the world as mobile device designers and manufacturers try to achieve a balance between the stylish form and function of their mobile phones. Fastap empowers them to strike that exact balance. We are excited to have ZTE as a licensee of our Fastap keypad technology as it provides an intuitive interface that meets the increasing demand for 3G services among mobile subscribers while maintaining a sleek form factor."
