A new company led by former AT&T Wireless Services Inc. executive Michael Buhrmann has developed a client-server operating platform designed to let wireless carriers segment their customer base by offering lower-cost specialized services.
“The new entrants that have come to market have been concerned about market share,” said Buhrmann, president and chief executive officer of Bellevue, Wash.-based Global Mobility Systems Inc. “I think most (marketing) has been on the basis of more of a pricing model. As that stabilizes, the carriers will find themselves in need of finding the niche in the marketplace … There are services available that if you can provide [customers] at a fairly low cost, a segmented base will adopt those.”
Global Mobility’s low cost client-server platform, Mobile Operating Environment (MOE), is based on a patent-pending architecture that enables application software to operate on wireless systems. Global Mobility said the MOE functionally links these wireless applications with enterprise networks and the Internet.
“We’re not replacing large services like what the carrier would put together,” said Buhrmann. “What we are interested in providing are those services that are on a custom basis addressing an issue … Infrastructure vendors would not see this as profitable enough.”
The 22-person company intends initially to focus on helping wireless carriers cater to business customers. The company is developing applications that extend an office’s private branch exchange functionality. The first product it plans to introduce is a number translation service application that offers virtual private networks and closed user groups to wireless business customers. The service replicates customers’ office dialing plans by allowing them to dial on their wireless handset the same four or five digits used on their office phone to reach coworkers. Global Mobility said the NTS application is in development and will be tested during the second quarter 1998.
Buhrmann said Global Mobility will cater its platform to Time Division Multiple Access carriers first, though it can be optimized for use with Global System for Mobile communications and Code Division Multiple Access carriers as well. In the United States, TDMA is the most mature digital technology available. Global Mobility sees a great market need for service functionality in that area, Buhrmann said. AT&T Wireless, the largest cellular carrier in the nation, is looking to expand its TDMA footprint by signing franchise, joint venture and operating agreements with personal communications services and cellular carriers.
Global Mobility said it is in the process of building direct relationships with carriers, equipment providers that may want to provide the company’s products and services directly to their customers through original equipment manufacturer partner agreements, information-technology and system integrators as well as third-party CTI software developers. MOE is an open application environment, which will allow carriers and third-party CTI software developers to build applications on the platform.
In June, Buhrmann left AT&T Wireless, where he served as vice president of wireless strategy responsible for service planning.
“There is a need for operators to differentiate themselves. With the advent of this technology in the industry, we think we can make a difference for those carriers,” he said.
