Rick- I live in Jamaica currently, where they are currently implementing an island-wide system of voicemail. Now, I do not think that Portico or Wildfire are much like voicemail, but from an ignorant consumers standpoint, they are fairly much alike. That is, consumers will be informed of this new feature available on their phone systems, be they wireless or no, and then on how to use them. With this new addition, it is important for the telcom to get a maximum of new users, and USING users as fast and as long as possible. Since this is a new technology, and MOST consumers will be confused by as many options as Portico would give them at one time.
Wildfire is SIMPLE, EASY TO USE, and the network version can be bought outright, branded, and then upgraded and used internally. Also, Wildfire claims to be able to offer web-services such as email, stocks, etc in the near future (around 1 year). I think the ability to bring a consumer into your own branded service which is fairly simple to begin with, then upgrading it with more expensive and feature rich packages in the future would be ideal for a telco. I am not sure that Portico, Webley, or MCIWOrldcoms services can be made as simple and then packaged up as Wildfires claims to be able to do so in the future.
Though I agree, the biggest seller is the ability of a telco to buy the hardware outright and brand it themselves to do with as they will...
two more cents for the pot.
JC |
