AT&T Mobility looks beyond handsets
Carrier appoints president of new division focused on non-traditional devices
October 15 2008 - 1:25 pm ET | Allie Winter | RCR Wireless News
Thanks to a new executive position, AT&T Mobility is attempting to expand the range of gadgets its network interacts with — and counter similar efforts by its rivals.
The carrier announced the appointment of Glen Lurie to president of AT&T’s newly created Emerging Devices, National Distribution and Resale operation. Lurie will lead the carrier’s initiative to move beyond handsets and integrate new devices and applications onto AT&T Mobility’s network — including personal computers, mobile Internet devices (or mini computers), in-car entertainment and navigation systems, cameras and machine-to-machine communications solutions.
Lurie was formerly the president of national distribution for AT&T Mobility.
Lurie’s appointment appears to be an effort to draw attention to the issue, since the technology is nothing new. AT&T Mobility representative Mark Siegel recently said the carrier already has 200 non-handset devices already running on its network, although many are not introduced to the mass market. Most devices are industrial in nature, Siegel said.
Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. have been talking up their attempts to open up their networks to a plethora of devices. Verizon Wireless last year announced a program designed for those looking to get their inventions and devices onto the carrier’s wireless network, while Sprint Nextel has long stated the goal of its mobile WiMAX push has been to host many different devices, not just handsets.AT&T Mobility said its re-organization is a key component of its business strategy to grow wireless penetration and develop new distribution models.
“High-speed wireless broadband service can enhance a huge variety of gadgets, including many consumer electronics such as personal computers and laptops, GPS systems and digital cameras,” Lurie said. “There is also a host of exciting new applications — from social networking to navigation to location-based solutions — being developed that will rely on wireless connectivity.”
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One of the most promising new Mobile Broadband market is the Fixed Mobile COnvergence market for the Enterprise which will require, and this is key, AT&T to begin offering customer access devices (CAD's) that will have dual mode capabilities including WiFi to allow for the hand off of cell calls to a WLAN (802.11n eventually) in the building via the firms PBX (or IPBX). I would also expect them to eventually need to address the new WiMAX radios as well.AT&T needs to control the Enterprise markets if it is to be successful in all its Broadband Markets.Watch for the success of FMC firms like Devitas and Agito Networks that will marry the Cell and PBX phones and allow users to leverage both the Cell and WLAN systems.Jim A.