• The World Bank's independent microfinance center, the CGAP, is partnering with the U.K. Department for International Development to expand mobile banking initiatives for the poor and unbanked. The U.K. is providing about $12 million dollars to the CGAP to increase access to basic financial services for the poor, especially over mobile phones.
• Mobile advertising company Jumptap has been awarded its fifth U.S. patent in nine months. Patent No. 7,676,394 covers an automated bid management system for dynamically managing bids for presentation of mobile content on a mobile communication facility. Jumptap currently has over 70 published patent applications and anticipates receiving additional patents over the coming quarters.
• Verizon Wireless has launched the water, dust and shock resistant CASIO G'zOne Brigade, which is targeted at business customers in industries such as construction, public safety and utilities. The device features a qwerty keyboard; an HTML browser; and Document Viewer for reviewing Microsoft Word documents; plus push-to-talk capabilities. The device is available for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Kineto Wireless has appointed Rick Applegate as vice president of global sales. Applegate has more than 25 years telecom industry experience and recently service as senior vice president of sales and marketing at RadioFrame Networks. He has also served in a variety of senior management positions at leading telecommunications companies, including AT&T and McCaw Cellular Communications.
• Interop Technologies has named Eddie DeCurtis to the newly created position of vice president of Asia-Pacific, where he will focus on new business developments in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining Interop, DeCurtis was vice president of International Technical Sales and Global Solutions for an international wireless services provider.