From the Reuters article:
Airtouch expects that the new service will be attractive to the armies of "road warriors" who use laptops and connect to the Internet and corporate networks. That group is estimated at 20 million to 30 million.
This is exactly what I've been talking about.
The wireless data networks also are aimed at emerging Internet devices and appliances, including palm computers and personal desk assistants that can be connected to the Internet.
And I agree also that these new devices will continue to proliferate, looking for the right combination of features to become viable profitable products. Notice, though that the emphasis (by Airtouch at least) was on the army of laptop users. This won't change going forward, though the laptop may change as it gets smaller, lighter and lives longer on batteries.
And from the Wired article:
AirTouch is betting that business types will be the biggest users of its mobile Internet service. The company estimates that about a fifth of US workers spend a high percentage of their work week away from the office, creating a high demand for mobile applications. Emphasis mine.
What's more, the cell phone and Net surfing crowds overlap quite a bit, with the cell phone market actually growing at a faster pace than the market for Internet access services. And so-called wireless data applications have been the mantra of the mobile communications industry in recent months.
Again, notice that the thrust of the demand comes from business users, the same ones who pushed cell phones and PCs. Why? Because they're the ones who'll spend the money for the new technology early on, when it's more expensive. That's because they see the economic benefit and get more than they have to lay out. As the price gets cheaper more users of all types come flooding in, but the mix changes to one less dominated by businesses. To see who'll win early, or which products will win early, watch the ones that work best for business users.
I realize, of course, that you understood this or you wouldn't have posted them to me. I was just speaking in general. |
