Agressive european serf lessons in the twiligth zone-fone??
(how many did I pixx off in the backseat??)
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Are we there yet? by by Vince Vittore
Telephony, Mar 26, 2001
If last week's CTIA Wireless 2001 show in Las Vegas proved
anything, it's that vendors and carriers aren't letting a down market, a
few missteps and still-undefined application needs stop the drive toward
the wireless Web.
If anything, the industry seems more willing than ever to propose mobile
services while some potentially major players redefine their strategies
and business plans.
One of the big questions facing the industry is whether the early success
of wireless data in Europe and Asia can be imported into the U.S. in the
current down market.
Probably the most aggressive deal to date was signed by Yahoo
Everywhere — the wireless arm of the Web portal — with Verizon
Wireless, which will integrate Yahoo content as well as Yahoo
Messenger into its service. The deal means Verizon Wireless Mobile
Web subscribers will be able to send and receive instant messages from
their handsets.
Yahoo also has developed a customized package of content for
wireless carriers, including local information, e-mail, financial news and
general news. According to Anurag Mendhekar, director of production
for Yahoo Everywhere, the company is taking lessons from the
European and Asian markets but trying to tailor them to the U.S.
“In Japan, there was this latent demand for Internet product that i-mode
satisfied quite well,” Mendhekar said (see exclusive video interview at
wwww.TelecomClick.com). “In the U.S., though, there is such a large
Internet penetration you can't just compare the situations.”
Mendhekar isn't deterred by recent stock market turmoil, which has hit
Yahoo particularly hard.
“The wireless Web is such an early space that fluctuations like that don't
really matter,” he said.
Such attitudes were pervasive at last week's show.
“While the sector overall has been hit, it hasn't really affected the way
we're approaching the market,” said Aaron Dobrinsky, chairman and
CEO of GoAmerica (see exclusive video interview at
www.TelecomClick.com).”
GoAmerica used Wireless 2001 to unveil general availability of
Go.Web version 6.0, which is similar to previous generations of the
product but adds the ability to track information securely.
Because the company is focused on vertical applications, Dobrinsky
sees some opportunity in the current turbulent market.
“You're going to see a huge consolidation in the ASP space,” he said.
Others see the lack of conformity in the U.S. handset market as a
potential breeding ground for new ASPs. MySkyWeb, for instance,
made its public debut last week with a software suite that lets carriers
format Internet content based on whatever handset or device the user
chooses. Combining a front-end browser with a suite of server-based
applications, MySkyWeb's SmartBrowser is based on adaptive
technology that learns users' preferences and changes the presentation
of information based on those habits.
“Our model is not to be a wireless ASP,” said MySkyWeb Chairman
Eugene Wong. Instead, the company is focused on providing software
through a number of channels, including portals. Like others, the San
Ramon, Calif.-based company is upbeat about the future of wireless
Internet, despite some industry fears that early carrier offerings have
spoiled the potential marketing of new services.
“The market is crying out for a new experience,” said Wong.
“Companies like Sprint are willing to experiment, and the downside of
that is sometimes you throw things out. But the fact that the penetration
[of wireless Internet service] is so low in the U.S. we think means
there's great opportunity.”
Pinpointing a specific application that will spur penetration rates is more
difficult. Based on the success of NTT DoCoMo in Japan, many
vendors are focusing on mobile commerce and the ability of carriers to
enable small transactions.
“Everybody is looking at DoCoMo, saying they want a piece of what
they've created,” said Scott Geddes, vice president of mobile
commerce for Brokat Technologies, which launched a new version of
its consumer banking software last week.
By the end of this year, all six major wireless carriers in the U.S. will
have mobile wallet capability, Geddes predicted.
“Everybody scoffs at little things like offering different ring tones and
things like that, but it works. The skeptics will be singing a different tune
in a year.”
See exclusive video interviews from Wireless 2001 at
www.telecomclick.com |
