Jan Wäreby, head of Ericsson's newly formed Business Unit Multimedia, believes that mobile devices will soon be widely used the way people use their PCs today to access and store pictures, music, videos, e-mail and more.

Wäreby says: "The importance of multimedia in 2007 is twofold. Consumer habits and how people use internet is crucial; the internet is everywhere today and consumers keep coming up with new ways of using it. Young people today are living proof of just how dynamic the internet is. Just as important is the availability of 3G, high-speed data, Full Service Broadband and the mobile terminals needed to enable mobile multimedia services. It is the combination of these two things that will make multimedia take off."

Telecom service providers see multimedia as a way to launch innovative, revenue-generating services that can differentiate their offerings in competitive markets. Wäreby identifies clear opportunities for operators.

"I think multimedia is a great opportunity for operators," he says. "Making the move to multimedia will mean additional revenue opportunities coming not just from voice. Ericsson is in a key position to help operators create this revenue.

"As a leader in the telecom space, Ericsson can really help operators move into multimedia; we can also help media players get into telecom and act as a matchmaker in this emerging market."

Ericsson has chosen five target areas for its work within multimedia: networked media and messaging, enterprise applications, service delivery platforms, revenue management and mobile platforms. These areas represent a solid platform on which to build a leadership position since they encompass Ericsson's innovative technology, consumer and business user applications, platforms and cutting-edge devices such as industry-leading Sony Ericsson phones.