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Google Voice adds useful mobile apps but bigger hurdles remain with carriers

July 22, 2009

Analysis of:Google Voice Apps For Android And Blackberry Are Here | www.techcrunch.com

 Google Voice apps partially solve one problem with these new apps but they are still a hack and raise other issues Google has to solve including number portability issues, working outside carrier plans, possibly supporting free calling in violation of your calling plans, and being a competitive threat to the carriers.

Verizon Wireless Pre announcement good (not great) for Palm and bad for Sprint

June 3, 2009

Analysis of:Verizon to Get Palm Pre, Android, BlackBerry Storm 2 | www.pcworld.com

- Bad for Sprint as this will stem customers switching from VZW for the Pre- Good for Palm to pick up the #1 US carrier which has the biggest concentration of prosumers- Not great for Palm since the VZW launch will be six months after Sprint and much of the buzz will have subsided

Google's plans are more meaningful in the long-term than immediately impactful

November 13, 2007

Analysis of:Google Teams Up With Cell Industry | www.washingtonpost.com

Google will change the industry by opening up to developers, changing the carrier model, and deriving revenue from new sources like ads.  This will have minor impact in the short term but major impact long term.

Palm was right to pull the Foleo but will future offerings in this area be right?

November 1, 2007

Analysis of:Palm Still Tracking The Foleo | www.wirelessweek.com

Palm had to pull the original Foleo because it was taking up a huge amount of resources on a product that was behind the time (not competitive) and didn't know its market.  However, this doesn't mean there isn't a market for a smartphone companion.  Will Palm get it right?

Palm finally took the hard step it should have years ago regarding Foleo and product focus

September 7, 2007

Analysis of:A Message to Palm Customers, Partners and Developers | blog.palm.com

Palm made the right decision to kill Foleo.  It was Hawkins baby and few internally believed in it.  The arrival of Elevation probably shifted the balance in the boardroom to allow Ed Colligan to support this.  The Treo product suffered with the shift in focus to Foleo over the past 3 years.  It took away many of the key product and engineering resources and caused others to leave.  The arrival of Elevation needs to find a revolutionary product but that will take time given hardware product cycles.

Google's open wireless principles are a mixed bag for the industry

July 23, 2007

Analysis of:Google Talks Principles, Moves To Disrupt Wireless Market | www.cellular-news.com

1) While Google's desire for open wireless networks is good for consumers their principles don't all live up to that standard 2) AT&T's position on Google's principles is the most balanced and might end up being what the FCC adopts 3) Verizon Wireless' position is disingenuous saying it is Google corporate welfare as they are as restrictive on consumer choice as any operator

The GC acquisition is as important because Google now can own your voice identity as it is for the voice services.

July 9, 2007

Analysis of:Google Buys Unified Services Startup | www.lightreading.com

This is most important because: 1) Google can now own your voice identity similar to how they own your online identity today 2) This is yet another move pecking away at Google offering voice services without having to be an operator.  They add the value on top of operator dumb pipes like they did to ISPs on the Internet 3) Google appears to be looking more at acquisitions and might be lacking from innovation internally that the depended on.

Apple's control of apps will limit innovation on the iPhone unless they open up

July 2, 2007

Analysis of:Applications May Be The iPhone's Shortcoming | www.informationweek.com

Apple's weak choice of "live" web apps will limit software innovation unless they open it up to developers and at least "certified" applications.  They have done this both to keep control, stability, and security but also possibly to keep control and be the ones to monetize the platform. This is short-sighted and if they do not open the platform to developers in some way they will stymie innovation and hurt the iPhone's future.  Apple has always been proprietary and continuing that here will hurt sales.

Palm's Long Term Could be Bleak if There is No Innovation

June 29, 2007

Analysis of:Palm Posts Drop In Quarterly Profit And Revenue | informationweek.com

Palm's earnings yesterday were as much about their PDA business --  dropping off faster then expected -- as it was about the Treo.  However, there are real issues with Palm's long term opportunities as lack of innovation and new competition makes the business more challenging.  Palm's lack of innovation is due to a serious organizational brain-drain and if the new product head does not replenish that team and have a new product the long term could be bleak.

Media coverage misses the fundamental differences between mobile music in '01 and handsets today

June 28, 2007

Analysis of:iPhone Watch: The Summer Blockbuster Goes on Sale Tomorrow | ce.seekingalpha.com

1) The fundamental difference between mobile music in '01 and cellphones in '07 are stark 2) Apple exploited a weak and nonexistent market to great success.  Mobile is much more complex and entrenched. 3) Gen 1 of iPhone is a niche product due to cost, iTunes lock-in, one carrier availability, lack of a keyboard for messaging, and inherent missing features. 4) Apple got a key concession from AT&T in controlling data apps but they are creating their own walled garden which will ultimately limit them.

iPhone is and will remain a niche product oriented toward media hungry users

June 25, 2007

Analysis of:TechGear: The coming war over iPhone | www.computerworld.com

1) iPhone is targeted at media hungry consumers which is not the primary use case of "professionals" and "prosumers."
2) The lack of a hard keyboard will limit the device for email/messaging making it less appealing to business users in any case.
3) The iPhone's target, price, and limitations will have it remain a niche product for the foreseeable future without enough critical mass in most organizations to make IT friendly to it.
4) IT already has policies in place to restrict the device on the local network as they had to deal with this for laptops and PDA/Smartphones in the past.

Google and the US Carriers are heading for a showdown, who will win and how?

May 4, 2007

Analysis of:Google Goes Wireless | www.businessweek.com

The walled gardens of the carriers in the US make the wireless data network operate significantly different than the open wired Internet.  This has caused conflict with Internet service and content providers who wish to extend their offerings via wireless.  There is good reason that the wireless carriers want to block this: they do not want to be rendered as dumb pipes like wired ISPs were years ago.

There is a big opportunity for the Internet players but the carriers won't give in easily

May 2, 2007

Analysis of:Big Money in Little Screens | www.nytimes.com

In defending the walled garden carriers will not readily cede:

1) Owning the customer
2) Controlling the revenue streams

Internet players trying to enter the mobile space are at odds with this.

Sprint's Pivot and WiMAx may not be that competitive due to segmentation and transition

April 30, 2007

Analysis of:Complement or Competition? | www.telecommagazine.com

Sprint is at a crossroads and still operating as a "big" carrier trying to be a player on par with Verizon Wireless and AT&T/Cingular while they need to transition to being a nimble third player focusing on a specific customer segment and packaged offerings.  The article covers many of the key points looking this but applies long-term strategy implications instead of where Sprint is at: in a transition trying to rationalize legacy offerings/spending while trying to figure out who they serve.

RIMM advantage over PALM has been entrenchment and execution, will that continue?

April 30, 2007

Analysis of:Research In Motion Has The Advantage Over Palm | ce.seekingalpha.com

In the mid to late 90's RIMM went with a focused and novel approach to gain an unrivaled position in the handset/wireless market and executed well on it.  PALM went through several management team's and strategies fortunately doing the Handspring acquisition and getting the founders back.  However, Palm's current and future customer is not their PDA customer but they have a solid product.  Will the rising tide of smartphones raise all ships including RIMM and PALM?

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