Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
What’s standing in the way of instant messaging?
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-Interoperability, difficult text entry and market awareness are today’s barriers inhibiting growth in the wireless instant messaging market, according to a report from industry analyst firm IDC. “Carriers still have a fair amount of work ahead of them if they want to expand the viability of wireless instant messaging,” said Callie Nelsen, senior analyst with IDC’s Wireless and Mobile Communications research program. “Interoperability will be key to its success. Limiting instant messaging to just one carrier’s subscribers will not likely be highly valuable to users and will not greatly increase loyalty. It would be much more valuable to the carriers to cooperate and offer universal instant messaging.” Even with increased awareness of instant messaging due to battles over interoperability in the wired market between Microsoft Corp. and America Online Inc., IDC said carriers still have to educate the market for wireless instant messaging. In recent IDC focus groups, participants struggled to think of instances when they would use wireless instant messaging, but once they realized it could be used in situations where talking was not appropriate, the appeal of wireless instant messaging instantly increased. … Read more
PCIA focuses on The Internet
The Personal Communications Industry Association made another move designed to evolve the association into one that serves the global mobile Internet market. PCIA last week announced the PCIA Global Initiative, a new PCIA division designed to provide consumer and market data for the mobile Internet and m-commerce markets. “What we recognized was many companies out there were somewhat new to this industry, but all are interdependent. It’s going to take all of them to create products and services to meet the demands of the customer,” said PCIA President Jay Kitchen. “This will enable companies to reduce the time to market, cut through the clutter of conflicting technical factions and move beyond the uncertainty of untested business models,” Details of the initiative are sketchy, however. PCIA said a new steering committee made up of Citigroup, Finnish operator Sonera Corp., TD Waterhouse Group Inc. and Visa International will meet sometime in September to discuss the group’s priorities. The steering board will make joint decisions with the PCIA board. Two other standing committees will work on marketing and technical issues associated with offering the wireless Internet. This means PCIA Global Initiative will collaborate with groups such as the WAP Forum and the GSM Association. … Read more
Mobile e-commerce — it’s gonna be big!
BOSTON-Two companies released reports that highlight the potential of wireless Internet access and mobile data communications and their possible effect on the electronic commerce market. “Mobile Electronic Commerce: The New Economy on the Move,” released by the Aberdeen Group, predicts one-third of all wireless subscribers, roughly 74 million users, will access the wireless Internet by 2004. The report noted that mobile e-commerce has emerged as the next generation of electronic business due to the combination of new wireless services and Internet-ready devices. “Users want portable, localized information and personalized services,” said Kelly Quinn, co-author of the report. “The demand for anytime, anywhere access to the Internet, declining wireless tariffs and new mobile applications is driving the m-commerce market.” The ARC Group’s “Wireless Internet: Applications, Technology & Market Strategies” report forecasts the number of mobile data users will total 1.2 billion worldwide by 2005, exceeding users of fixed Internet, which will grow to around 750 million during the same period. … Read more
Just tell your Sprint phone who to call
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-In a move to strengthen its telematics strategy, Sprint PCS introduced Sprint PCS Voice Command, a network-based voice-activated dialing and information service. Sprint PCS said it is the first carrier to provide each customer with a personal Web page to manage, organize and enter up to 2,500 numbers in an address book, eliminating the need to voice train each entry. Users can dial, look up numbers and modify their address book, all using their voice. The voice-command offering is available to consumers as an Advantage Agreement option that can be added to any Sprint PCS Free & Clear Plan. Customers who commit to Sprint PCS service for one year can select Sprint PCS Voice Command as one of their free options. … Read more
NTTDoCoMo introduces roaming
TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo submitted notification to Japan’s Minister of Posts and Telecommunications that it will begin an international roaming service using the world’s first PDC/IS-95 dual-mode phones with Korea’s SK Telecom. It is the first roaming service offered by DoCoMo. In conjunction with the start of the service, the companies will introduce a PDC/IS-95 dual-mode phone, the P601wk, in both Japan and South Korea. Subscribers of the service, set to begin Aug. 10, can use the same terminal in South Korea and Japan. … Read more
The web comes to wireless
The realm of wireless data is uncharted territory for most consumers, but carriers also are feeling their way through the darkness, searching for the best way to market data and Internet services to an audience with little or no knowledge of wireless outside voice. Everyone-from the manufacturer to the end user-started with a clean slate when wireless data applications came about several years ago. With no precedent to follow, Sprint PCS finally took the leap in September and became the first major carrier to launch a campaign to introduce the wireless Web to the general public. Other carriers soon followed, each trying to emphasize the added benefits-and revenues-wireless data applications could foster. “They’re (carriers) trying to focus on different services, services that they think will be appealing. One of the things they’re all still touting is speed, that speed is coming. They’re all selling futures on speed,” said Hunt Eggleston, president of Technology Trends Inc. in San Diego. Current data rates hover around 14.4 kilobits per second, with the possibility of 144 kbps just over the horizon. That puts carriers in the position of not only having to sell what they have but-because of wireless data’s novelty-promise an improved product in the future. According to The Yankee Group in Boston, out of Verizon Wireless’ 25 million customers, only about 2 million have Internet-enabled phones. … Read more
ePhones before iPhone
OWINGS MILLS, Md.-Wireless data products and services provider Aether Systems Inc. completed an $8 million strategic investment in ePhones, a wireless Internet products and services solutions provider. In addition to the investment, Aether will become a preferred provider of wireless data solutions for ePhones, allowing ePhones partners to offer Aether services through the ePhones Powered Network. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
