Ericsson's Integration Ignorance
Unstrung
02.11.03
LM Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERICY - message board) added to the pre-3GSM Congress press release mountain today with a modest announcement of a “major new milestone achievement” -- its software platform for video telephony (see Ericsson Claims Video Ability).
Ploughing through all the usual guff about "end to end" this and "fully integrated dual-mode WCDMA/GSM" that, we wondered what the deal is for mobile operators that fancy some of this video telephony action. What integration process, involving which particular items of network equipment, do they have to address to get this millstone -- er, milestone up and running?
So we asked. But, mirabile dictu, the Ericsson folk didn't seem to know, nor did they particularly want to deviate from the press release line. "I don’t have any detailed information on how much integration is necessary, and anyway the software and the necessary network equipment is not the difficult thing here,” clarified spokesman Peter Olofson. Well, if it's so easy, why can't you answer our question?
“The challenge lies in handset compatibility and availability,” he adds. But that's not what we want to know.
Like every wireless firm within spitting range of an EU member, Ericsson will be showing off its milestone achievement in Cannes next week, so maybe we'll drop by and see if the folk on the stand have more of a clue.
— Justin Springham, Senior Editor, Europe, Unstrung
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