2008-05-15T19:56:37Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6 Movable Type Copyright (c) 2008, Julie Ask 2008-05-15T19:56:37Z 2008-05-15T19:46:14Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9836 2008-05-15T19:46:14Z

MocoNews had a small write-up on this LG / Samsung initiative. VuNet had this piece. This was at the tail end of the story: A study commissioned by the National Association of Broadcasters suggested that the adoption of a single mobile digital TV standard would drive the sale of 130...

Julie Ask MocoNews had a small write-up on this LG / Samsung initiative. VuNet had this piece. This was at the tail end of the story: A study commissioned by the National Association of Broadcasters suggested that the adoption of a single mobile digital TV standard would drive the sale of 130 million mobile digital TV phones by the end of 2012. This piece was interesting to me for a couple of reasons. First, I do believe that local news whether in video format or otherwise will be interesting to consumers on cell phones. I don't believe that a single standard for broadcast TV is what is standing between the millions (single digit) that are using mobile TV today on cell phones and 130M others using it. I was surprised there wasn't more about planned handset capabilities such as storage, playback, etc. that would facilitate the time-shifting and place-shifting to which consumers have grown accustomed. Business model? Ads? Content selection? Technology doesn't tend to be the inhibitor or high on the list for consumers. A single standard may help to bring costs down, but that alone won't get us to 130M either. 2008-05-07T00:06:48Z 2008-05-06T23:02:13Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9802 2008-05-06T23:02:13Z

MocoNews reported this afternoon that the WSJ is reporting that Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are about to announce a new JV that includes a bunch of other partners - and their capital. So far, not a lot of surprises. There has been talk and reporting for months now that Sprint...

Julie Ask Wireless MocoNews reported this afternoon that the WSJ is reporting that Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are about to announce a new JV that includes a bunch of other partners - and their capital. So far, not a lot of surprises. There has been talk and reporting for months now that Sprint was seeking partners to share both the cost and the risk of deploying a nationwide WiMax network in the U.S. The announced partners (the ones I've seen so far) are logical. Clearwire - It's a scale business - makes sense for Clearwire to join in let alone that they can add some of the expertise they've developed over the past couple of years. Intel - already invested millions (if not more) to develop their WiMax chipsets and to move them into PC platforms. No network = no demand for their chipsets. Moreover, they practically built the Wi-Fi market by spending upwards of $350M (at least the public number, but could be higher) promoting Centrino/Wi-Fi and educating consumers. - Cable companies ... logical, but still challenges ahead. Some of them (if not all soon) just threw in the towel on Pivot Wireless - their answer to AT&T's and Verizon's bundled offerings. WiMax is meant to be a data network. Interest in broadband wireless connectivity outside the home is high. Demand is moderate, but willingness to pay is still low today. We expect it to grow over time. - Best Buy - could never figure this one out. Let's hope to not see the mistakes of past be repeated with non-telecom entities wanting to run wireless service operations or networks. (Search MVNO for all the blog postings I've written). Building networks and acquiring customers is really, really hard ... and then you have to collect money from them. - Google - They've been seeking more open access to a wireless broadband network for years. There was the Earthlink Muni Wi-Fi deal in San Francisco that fell through. There is the constant petitioning of the FCC. There was the original agreement struck with Clearwire and Sprint. What has characterized these deals, however, has been lack of control - at least Google's control over the execution. I'll wait to see the announcement to see how much money they are going to commit ($500M is a lot of money, but very affordable to Google - see the cash on their balance sheet) The question will be ... what can one buy for $500M? or a $1B investment? What control does one get? Intel needs people to buy chips in laptops and handhelds. Cable companies want triple/quad plays. For these partners, the investment looks to be more table stakes for their future strategies / return on investments to date to compete with AT&T and Verizon who are rolling out video offerings faster than the cable companies are rolling out wireless voice. Google makes money from advertising - so more inventory at higher rates serves them well. Higher rates are plausible - if you add context (e.g., location) to search terms, you can charge more. Leading someone into the nearby auto dealership to buy a car is worth more than driving web traffic to gm.com. How much inventory can benefit from context including location? That's an unknown, but likely a question Google can answer. It's a fair expectation in any case, that more "access" will be wireless going forward than wired in terms of new devices added. We also know that people do more browsing on larger devices (e.g., portable media players) that can benefit from broadband than cell phones. (see the Admob data in our report) And, the CTR's seem to be higher. A lot of this browsing is also done off carriers' networks on Wi-Fi. Someone asked me what this means for AT&T and Verizon? My first reaction is that I don't believe they'll feel threatened. The investments will certainly give Sprint a boost and make the liklihood of this network being built out higher. AT&T and Verizon are the market leaders in wireless as measured by number of subscribers - they are by definition less likely to take risks. Besides, they already have home (wired) + wireless plays. Verizon can be confident they'll benefit from the scale of LTE as it's the natural evolution of GSM - the mostly widely adopted standard worldwide. They also have a head start with quad-play offerings. Interesting, most consumers don't buy wireless (at least voice) based on their ability to bundle / save money - it's still about the network so WiMax won't likely provide that advantage. Ubiquitous, wireless broadband access with a single bill not tied to location or a single device is still anyone's territory to claim. Challenges that lie ahead ... scale - is there enough in WiMax with all the global deployments to make it cost competitive? Is there a business case that makes sense? Like Public Wi-Fi, it will likely require many sources/streams. Can WiMax avoid some of the early difficulties that Wi-Fi experienced - difficult set up, poor interoperability among vendor products, interference or slow speeds due to competing user needs - if it is truly a wide open network that doesn't moderate any one individual's use in order to benefit all on the network. How well aligned are the partners' interests? Will consumers pay for devices? Will they pay for WiMax when Wi-Fi is so ubiquitous and inexpensive? Will we see some free, ad-sponsored access at the lower tier speeds? That would compete head on with Sprint and the cable companies offerings to some extent. 2008-04-25T19:36:33Z 2008-04-25T19:20:29Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9762 2008-04-25T19:20:29Z

So, I tried to switch service providers the other day. I really wanted to switch, but I couldn't figure out the math or get a deal that suited me. I wanted to get a voice plan (ca. 900 minutes) and a data plan. I also wanted to be able to...

Julie Ask Wireless So, I tried to switch service providers the other day. I really wanted to switch, but I couldn't figure out the math or get a deal that suited me. I wanted to get a voice plan (ca. 900 minutes) and a data plan. I also wanted to be able to use at least two phones. (Ok, yes, this story is about a GSM carrier.) Here are the problems I encountered: 1) The first thing I learned is that not all data plans (just data access) are equal. In my mind, a small screen phone with full browser vs. a medium-sized screen phone with limited browser (no email service) seemed comparable. Prices, however, were really different. Crazy. 2) They wanted me to pay them an activation fee for an account. I didn't want a subsidized phone. I was just a walk-in customer off the street who wanted a plan. They wanted me to pay them to become a customer. I asked them to waive the fee, but they wouldn't. I even waited around for a while (this works in the fruit markets in Morocco, and has been a successful tactic for me in the past at places such as Virgin Records, Best Buy, Good Guys, etc.) to see if they would change their minds. They didn't. I walked out. I have about five phones with service, and I'm not on contract (which I told them) so I had time. So, I went home and searched online. I looked at places like Amazon.com, WireFly, Wireless Toyz, etc. Did a Google search on "Free phones from [wireless service provider]" Got a lot of results. I even found a few cases on Amazon.com where they would pay ME money to sign up and be a customer. Then my brain shifted into overdrive. If I sign up on Amazon, they'll give me the handset and $25 or so. I could apply the $25 towards the activiation fee (if it isn't already covered) Perhaps I could then sell the cell phone for another $10 at least to cover the remaining portion of the activation fee. I'm not sure if I'd qualify for SuperSaver shipping since they are paying me to take the phone, but I'm paying for service. Wait, am I selling or buying a service plan? 2008-04-23T03:31:09Z 2008-04-23T03:24:26Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9746 2008-04-23T03:24:26Z

I admit, I've become addicted to text (SMS) alerts in a way comparable to my Outlook calendar. I no longer function without a 15 minute reminder that I have meeting approaching. The same is true of my reliance on SMS alerts to know what is happening in the Presidential campaign....

Julie Ask Wireless I admit, I've become addicted to text (SMS) alerts in a way comparable to my Outlook calendar. I no longer function without a 15 minute reminder that I have meeting approaching. The same is true of my reliance on SMS alerts to know what is happening in the Presidential campaign. Yesterday, Barack's campaign sent me an alert to let me know he'd be on The Daily Show. It was actually information I wanted. This evening, I received a text alert from Hillary's campaign letting me know she'd won PA about 10-15 minutes after her victory speech began - fairly timely. I was overseas during the Ohio primaries and I nearly went crazy trying to get results until the SMS finally arrived. 2008-04-23T03:23:38Z 2008-04-23T03:15:20Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9745 2008-04-23T03:15:20Z

I came across one of my favorite examples of well-executed mobile marketing last week in Switzerland. Coke was running a sweepstakes to win tickets to UEFA Euro2008. Tickets were being given away every 90 minutes thereby encouraging more purchases of Coke products. (A Coke in Switzerland, by the way, costs...

Julie Ask Wireless I came across one of my favorite examples of well-executed mobile marketing last week in Switzerland. Coke was running a sweepstakes to win tickets to UEFA Euro2008. Tickets were being given away every 90 minutes thereby encouraging more purchases of Coke products. (A Coke in Switzerland, by the way, costs more than a ticket to a soccer game in the US, but, hey the Euro 2008 is special - this is the best there is between World Cup's). And my favorite part, they know at what time of the day their products are being consumed because the codes are under the caps. The frequency of give-away's encourages consumers to text in immediately to enter. Well done on many fronts. Hard to see on the label, but it also explains the cost per message. Promotion on Coke Zero bottle in Switzerland 2008-04-23T03:11:38Z 2008-04-23T03:07:11Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9744 2008-04-23T03:07:11Z

I was down in Palo Alto a couple of months ago and saw this sign out on the sidewalk. The concept of ubiquitous broadband and how to convey the idea to consumers without tech-speak is a tough one. As consumers, how soon will we simply be connected without having to...

Julie Ask Wireless I was down in Palo Alto a couple of months ago and saw this sign out on the sidewalk. The concept of ubiquitous broadband and how to convey the idea to consumers without tech-speak is a tough one. As consumers, how soon will we simply be connected without having to choose a technology? Verizon Wireless Advertisement on University Ave. in Palo Alto 2008-03-17T16:01:33Z 2008-03-17T15:54:28Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9617 2008-03-17T15:54:28Z

This morning, Adobe made the following announcement: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today announced that Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite software, Adobe’s award-winning Flash Player runtime specifically designed for mobile devices, to enable web browsing of Flash content within the Internet Explorer Mobile browser in future versions of Windows...

Julie Ask Wireless This morning, Adobe made the following announcement: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) today announced that Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite software, Adobe’s award-winning Flash Player runtime specifically designed for mobile devices, to enable web browsing of Flash content within the Internet Explorer Mobile browser in future versions of Windows Mobile devices. Microsoft has also licensed Adobe Reader LE software for viewing Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) documents including email attachments and web content. Both Adobe products will be made available to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide, who license Microsoft Windows Mobile software. The deal with MS will help Adobe with distribution. They've just reached the half billion mark and sales have been accelerating over the past couple of years. Many - not all - MS devices have QWERTY keyboards and data plans (people get them for email + productivity applications) so together with adding Flash/Lite there is a confluence of factors that contribute towards consumers being more likely to use the browser and consume more content. Admob is already reporting that just under 20 percent of their ad requests come from smartphones – devices that do not represent 20 percent of the device market. These devices will be more attractive to both carriers and consumers - as well as developers. Many good things will come from better Internet experiences on portable devices: For media companies, there is a richer platform for content. Consumers with portable devices with rich browsers consume more content. More content consumption equals more page views and inventory to sell to advertisers. Cell phones already add time/space dimensions - device type, location, more time of day, behavior, etc. Rich media is another layer than will increase CPM's. For advertisers, rich media offers more opportunities for engaging with their customers. For carriers, more content consumption = more access subscriptions and share of a large ad revenue "pie" And consumers have shown that they are more likely to browse on devices with full and rich browsing experience than on those with mini- or scaled-down- browsers. Flash is one factor that contributes to a much richer browsing experience (and video) on mobile devices. Nearly one quarter of consumers surveyed by Jupiter Research say they'd be more likely to use web-based experiences on phones if the UI were better. We know that portable media players (e.g., Apple iPhone) and cell phones with full, rich browser experiences see more traffic per device than cell phones with mini-browsers. Apple is saying they are seeing 71 percent of smartphone page views. 2008-03-13T23:28:54Z 2008-03-13T23:23:42Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9610 2008-03-13T23:23:42Z

Here are a handful of places that I visited in Morocco that have better voice coverage on a GSM network than my home in San Francisco. You can argue that the cityscapes are flatter and waves may be better able to penetrate clay than the building materials used at home....

Julie Ask Wireless Here are a handful of places that I visited in Morocco that have better voice coverage on a GSM network than my home in San Francisco. You can argue that the cityscapes are flatter and waves may be better able to penetrate clay than the building materials used at home. You could argue that in an area as flat as the Sahara desert, it’s not surprising that you get great coverage because there is little to nothing that can interfere with a signal. It was still astonishing to me how good the coverage was in those areas. The top criteria for consumers when selecting a carrier are quality of coverage at home and while traveling. Tannery in Fez Abdul on his cell phone in the High Atlas Mountains It’s hard to see, but there is a cell tower in this town in the distance. Sahara near M’Hamid Sand dunes near M’Hamid A Kasbah near Ouarzazate Habib’s camel sleeping after a long walk 2008-03-13T23:07:12Z 2008-03-13T23:04:44Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9609 2008-03-13T23:04:44Z

This is slightly off the topic of wireless, but not technology and services. One of the things that amazed me was the presence of satellite dishes. Apparently they cost just under $100 to get the equipment, and there is no service charge. We saw red clay hut homes in a...

Julie Ask Media This is slightly off the topic of wireless, but not technology and services. One of the things that amazed me was the presence of satellite dishes. Apparently they cost just under $100 to get the equipment, and there is no service charge. We saw red clay hut homes in a number of Kasbahs with electricity, but no running water (and very little furniture). The electricity in some places we visited had only been installed in the last ten years. They also had Internet access. It was simply astounding to see so many satellite dishes on homes made of clay and rock. Just down the hill from one village were women doing laundry in a river and drying their rugs on stones along the river banks. Satellite Dishes on Rooftops in Fez We visited a Kasbah near M’Hamid where electricity had just recently been added. They didn’t seem to be using it for lights or any appliances. There were no cars in the streets – only donkeys, camels and children on foot. The homes had no floors other than the clay or earth. There were minimal furnishings – some carpets, stools, and a few cooking utensils. We did, however find a satellite dish on the roof of a home. Kasbah near M’Hamid with Electricity Here is a few into a doorway in the village shown above where there are children watching a European soccer match. 2008-03-13T22:50:50Z 2008-03-13T22:32:50Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9608 2008-03-13T22:32:50Z

We had an 8 to 10 hour drive between Marrakesh to M'Hamid. Our guides - especially Habib and Abdul - were wonderful singers, but we couldn't do Arabic music for that long. The only non-Arabic cassette that they had was U2 Boy - which is a great album, but it...

Julie Ask Wireless We had an 8 to 10 hour drive between Marrakesh to M'Hamid. Our guides - especially Habib and Abdul - were wonderful singers, but we couldn't do Arabic music for that long. The only non-Arabic cassette that they had was U2 Boy - which is a great album, but it wasn't going to last for that long. Each of the three of us in our car had an iPod, and they had a hook up for the stereo so we were able to listen to some of our music. I showed Abdul and Rudouin the iPhone. The touch interface fascinated them - I think it was the first time they'd seen a device like this. Two things seemed to amaze them most - a) the amount of music on a single device and b) that it was actually a phone - they just couldn't seem to get their heads around the idea that it was a phone. Our guides had cell phones, but the more basic type with a black/white screen. They primarily used their phones for voice calls and not text messages. Rudouin and Abdul Checking Out the iPhone on the High Atlas 2008-03-13T22:16:26Z 2008-03-13T22:14:52Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9607 2008-03-13T22:14:52Z

I spent a lot of time in crowded souks on my trip. The Noka ring tone was more common than any other noise I heard. Each time I heard it, I reached for my backpack to check to see if it was my phone. It drove me crazy....

Julie Ask Wireless I spent a lot of time in crowded souks on my trip. The Noka ring tone was more common than any other noise I heard. Each time I heard it, I reached for my backpack to check to see if it was my phone. It drove me crazy. 2008-03-13T22:13:34Z 2008-03-13T22:00:08Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9606 2008-03-13T22:00:08Z

I just returned from 10 days in Morocco including a trip to the Sahara desert. I've got a series of posts that I'll put up today. My first Mobile Marketing encounter (or lack thereof) was in JFK when I landed from San Francisco enroute to catch my flight on Air...

Julie Ask Wireless I just returned from 10 days in Morocco including a trip to the Sahara desert. I've got a series of posts that I'll put up today. My first Mobile Marketing encounter (or lack thereof) was in JFK when I landed from San Francisco enroute to catch my flight on Air Maroc. There was a billboard in JFK airport suggesting that you text a code word to a short code to find out where their services are/will be. It was a Fortune 500 or 1000 company. The reply came back "" - and twice none the less. Seriously - thanks for letting me pay for no information twice. This is the first time this has happened to me. Totally lame - how do you not execute on the backend after paying for an expensive ad(s) on the walls of the gate lounges at JFK? Then in Morocco - I saw no mobile marketing promotions and relatively little telecom advertising. There was the normal "Maroc Telecom welcomes you to Morocco. For more information ...." However, that was it - I didn't see anything else. I'm not sure if it's an issue with the Arabic language, literacy (my guide from the desert had only been in school two years). It was an interesting contrast to so many other places I've been recently. 2008-02-26T21:46:50Z 2008-02-26T21:36:30Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9531 2008-02-26T21:36:30Z

My inbox is full of messages from Barack and Hillary. Barack sends 3-4 times as many as Hillary. I'd like to say it's too many, but the combination of things he's doing seems to be working. They typically both send text messages before events like the debate in Cleveland, OH...

Julie Ask Wireless My inbox is full of messages from Barack and Hillary. Barack sends 3-4 times as many as Hillary. I'd like to say it's too many, but the combination of things he's doing seems to be working. They typically both send text messages before events like the debate in Cleveland, OH this evening. I think I received the messages late morning for the debate this evening ... a little late for programming my Tivo since it's not connected to the Internet. Here's what they each sent today. I think it's interesting that you can get a flavor of their strategy even in a very short message. Hillary's: "Cheer on Hillary in the debate tonight at 9PM EST. Watch on MSNBC or stream live from msnbc.com - Thanks!" Barack's (which arrived just seconds before Hillary's did) "Watch Barack debate tonight at 9pm EST on MSNBC or streamed at Cleveland.com. Remember to tell friends in OH, RI, TX & VT to vote Obama on March 4th. Please fwd." Hillary wants moral support. Barack wants to get the word out. Barack wants viral. Interesting. 2008-02-26T07:01:28Z 2008-02-26T06:55:02Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9525 2008-02-26T06:55:02Z

I was traveled on US Airways last week from San Francisco to Charlotte, NC. When they set my "Coke Light" (do they sell this in the US?) on my tray table, they also handed me a snack pack and a napkin (see photo below). They were offering to let passengers...

Julie Ask Wireless I was traveled on US Airways last week from San Francisco to Charlotte, NC. When they set my "Coke Light" (do they sell this in the US?) on my tray table, they also handed me a snack pack and a napkin (see photo below). They were offering to let passengers text in their name, email and zip code, and in exchange they would send back their Dividend Miles number. It's not clear if the miles would be automatically registered or if the passenger should present the number to an agent. What I also couldn't figure out was ... was I supposed to save the napkin rather than use it? Was I supposed to turn on my phone, but in "airplane mode"? The code was "TextUs" or "839887" - not so easy to associate with US Airways. What I did like about the napkin, was that they had a figure illustrating a person creating a text message. Could have used the information on my ticket stub - something easy to save and a piece of paper I wasn't tempted to use to wipe off salt off my hands. 2008-02-11T18:35:34Z 2008-02-11T16:12:29Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/ask/6.9494 2008-02-11T16:12:29Z

AT&T announced this morning together with Starbucks (but not T-Mobile) that they will offer a combination of free and paid Wi-Fi. It comes just a few days after Earthlink announced that they want to sell their Municipal Wi-Fi business. First, the AT&T/Starbucks announcement is exciting for a lot of reasons....

Julie Ask Wireless AT&T announced this morning together with Starbucks (but not T-Mobile) that they will offer a combination of free and paid Wi-Fi. It comes just a few days after Earthlink announced that they want to sell their Municipal Wi-Fi business. First, the AT&T/Starbucks announcement is exciting for a lot of reasons. One of the inhibitors to growing subscriptions (besides demand for access outside of the office - but this is growing) has been footprint. Free trials help convert users into paying subscribers. It provides reach/coverage at a time when the market is still maturing - makes economic sense for both parties. The Starbucks/Wayport/AT&T strategy is very different from the municipal one with which Earthlink has struggled and is now looking to sell. One one hand they look to provide a similar services - but whereas Earthlink was looking to build a cloud, AT&T/T-Mobile/Wayport built "spots" (okay, hotspots) that would be easy to find in well-known retail locations. Also, from the beginning (and give some credit to the guys at McDonald's who originally thought some of these ideas through) they had a number of revenue streams lined up to pay for the service. Earthlink was looking to do the same, but seemed to be running into more challenges with the cities and their commitment to use (and help pay for the network). Not in the release is the news that AT&T looks to be displacing T-Mobile. (A journalist told me this, but I haven't seen it in the release). This is also interesting, but a lot for one blog. The news comes just a few months after Apple announced free Wi-Fi service (at least for iTunes) for the iPhone. They included Starbucks in the announcement, but not T-Mobile. You have to wonder if open access for AT&T customers on their cell phones or portable media players with telephony capability (e.g., iPhone, Nokia 810) isn't soon going to be part of this. Too many details missing so far to know all of the implications - in any case, you don't have to own the network to use it or sell services on it.