Comments on: Industry fumbles to find light in shadow of the iPhone http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone telecoms.com is the leading provider of global news, comment and analysis for the telecommunications industry Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:21:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Simon Buckingham http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone/comment-page-1#comment-6467 Simon Buckingham Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:36:07 +0000 http://www.telecoms.com/?p=16639#comment-6467 Great article- I agree that realization is a positive step. The twin advantages that operators have of location and billing need to be leveraged sooner rather than later if they are not going to change from being active "operators" to passive "carriers". The problem is priority from the top to get these changes to happen in a timely manner given the economy and given that services are still a rounding error on the P&L account compared to voice, churn etc. And everyday there are more GPS enabled devices and more consumers get comfortable using their credit card on their mobile device, just as they did on their PCs.... Great article- I agree that realization is a positive step. The twin advantages that operators have of location and billing need to be leveraged sooner rather than later if they are not going to change from being active “operators” to passive “carriers”. The problem is priority from the top to get these changes to happen in a timely manner given the economy and given that services are still a rounding error on the P&L account compared to voice, churn etc. And everyday there are more GPS enabled devices and more consumers get comfortable using their credit card on their mobile device, just as they did on their PCs….

]]> By: App Developer http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone/comment-page-1#comment-6466 App Developer Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:21:03 +0000 http://www.telecoms.com/?p=16639#comment-6466 Superb article Paul, thank you. Martin, I think you're making the same mistake as the operators and manufacturing incumbents - underestimating Apple and their ability to deliver an experience to the end user/ consumer that is beyond everything else on the market. I watch my 3 year old daughter seamlessly and naturally look at photos, play videos and play games on my iPhone without any help from an adult. There's no other UI that is that intuitive and satisfying. Perhaps, there's a good reason Apple isn't at the events... they're busy making great products while the rest of the industry talk partnerships! Ian, I think you're correct on the future for the operators... Superb article Paul, thank you.
Martin, I think you’re making the same mistake as the operators and manufacturing incumbents - underestimating Apple and their ability to deliver an experience to the end user/ consumer that is beyond everything else on the market.
I watch my 3 year old daughter seamlessly and naturally look at photos, play videos and play games on my iPhone without any help from an adult. There’s no other UI that is that intuitive and satisfying.
Perhaps, there’s a good reason Apple isn’t at the events… they’re busy making great products while the rest of the industry talk partnerships!
Ian, I think you’re correct on the future for the operators…

]]> By: Mike Lewis http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone/comment-page-1#comment-6315 Mike Lewis Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:48:06 +0000 http://www.telecoms.com/?p=16639#comment-6315 It seems the only way any of them are going to compete with the iPhone is with Android. No other OS even comes close. It seems the only way any of them are going to compete with the iPhone is with Android. No other OS even comes close.

]]> By: Ian James http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone/comment-page-1#comment-6115 Ian James Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:24:24 +0000 http://www.telecoms.com/?p=16639#comment-6115 I agree 100%. But Apple have simply done what NTT DoCoMo did in Japan in 1999: i.e. control the handset design, open up the interface to content and application developers and - critically - offer a generous revenue share. It worked 10 years ago just as it works now. Few GSM operators have ever managed to replicate this success (Vodafone Live being one possible exception) because they were/are a) too greedy and b) don't spend enough/any time on creating a compelling user experience. The smart-pipe concept, based on partnerships, might have worked 5 years ago, but today most of the operators' assets can be replicated in other ways (think: Google Maps positioning capability) and most of the content and applications people want now resides on the Internet, usually for free, or is transferred directly from phone to phone. Operators have missed the boat through arrogance and greed. It's time for them to bite the bullet and admit they have become utilities. They should slash their cost base and break it to their shareholders that it is no longer possible to continue to operate their business at margins of 40+ percent. I agree 100%. But Apple have simply done what NTT DoCoMo did in Japan in 1999: i.e. control the handset design, open up the interface to content and application developers and - critically - offer a generous revenue share. It worked 10 years ago just as it works now. Few GSM operators have ever managed to replicate this success (Vodafone Live being one possible exception) because they were/are a) too greedy and b) don’t spend enough/any time on creating a compelling user experience.

The smart-pipe concept, based on partnerships, might have worked 5 years ago, but today most of the operators’ assets can be replicated in other ways (think: Google Maps positioning capability) and most of the content and applications people want now resides on the Internet, usually for free, or is transferred directly from phone to phone.

Operators have missed the boat through arrogance and greed. It’s time for them to bite the bullet and admit they have become utilities. They should slash their cost base and break it to their shareholders that it is no longer possible to continue to operate their business at margins of 40+ percent.

]]> By: RantOn http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone/comment-page-1#comment-6088 RantOn Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:19:54 +0000 http://www.telecoms.com/?p=16639#comment-6088 It's all an absolute joke - On the consumer and most of all the 'operators' for being so misguided in their efforts to control and create new revenue streams to the detriment of the consumer! WAP... pfft. Check out Sony Erricssons P800 released in 2003/4. The blurb at the time stated it was the best they could achieve given technology at the time. It had a touch screen full internet, camera, video etc etc etc Nearly 7 years ago! How oh how has it taken this long for someone to emulate and improve on that!? It's their own fault, old timers should be removed from making decisions in this type of industry. A good example would be new touch screen phones including a slide qwerty keyboard... why bother!? pandering to technophobes will not secure future growth. It’s all an absolute joke - On the consumer and most of all the ‘operators’ for being so misguided in their efforts to control and create new revenue streams to the detriment of the consumer! WAP… pfft.

Check out Sony Erricssons P800 released in 2003/4. The blurb at the time stated it was the best they could achieve given technology at the time. It had a touch screen full internet, camera, video etc etc etc Nearly 7 years ago! How oh how has it taken this long for someone to emulate and improve on that!?

It’s their own fault, old timers should be removed from making decisions in this type of industry.

A good example would be new touch screen phones including a slide qwerty keyboard… why bother!? pandering to technophobes will not secure future growth.

]]> By: Martin Wilson http://www.telecoms.com/16639/industry-fumbles-to-find-light-in-shadow-of-the-iphone/comment-page-1#comment-6080 Martin Wilson Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:03:06 +0000 http://www.telecoms.com/?p=16639#comment-6080 Paul, Great article. Some two and a half years on I find the obsession towards the iPhone amazing. I also believe a component hindering progress is the fixation around control. I recently wrote a couple of posts that you may find of interest. Mobile strategy – iPhone should factor but certainly not dominate. Apple’s push into the mobile market has been interesting – some say a game change – they have certainly shaken the market up, but have they really delivered the results? If only they had sold as many devices as column inches that they have achieved. There seems to have been a global obsession with the iPhone. From the moment of first launch back in the summer of 2007 the iPhone has been headlining, the fixation still continues today. Apple has yet again demonstrated that it is a remarkable media machine. The iPhone receives a disproportionate amount of attention from the media, mobile industry and businesses alike........ http://www.indigo102.com/archives/824 Media: It is a control thing! Partnerships and Joint ventures have to be a way forward. The market opportunity in the new media world will be realised by the those that have grown up around the digital environment – the indigenous – as they are the ones that are most likely to get it and understand how the business models can and will work. These will be individuals that understand the operations of traditional media but are not held back by the need to re-think the traditional business models and operating principles. The traditional media owners still have a very important role to play — they know how to deliver revenue..... http://www.indigo102.com/archives/737 Understand why the iPhone has hit a cord with consumers (basically it does things well) and how a more open approach to partnerships will add value to the consumer offer, it is likely that the value chain players will move the industry on and see far greater riches all round. Regards, Martin Paul,

Great article.

Some two and a half years on I find the obsession towards the iPhone amazing. I also believe a component hindering progress is the fixation around control.

I recently wrote a couple of posts that you may find of interest.

Mobile strategy – iPhone should factor but certainly not dominate.

Apple’s push into the mobile market has been interesting – some say a game change – they have certainly shaken the market up, but have they really delivered the results? If only they had sold as many devices as column inches that they have achieved.

There seems to have been a global obsession with the iPhone. From the moment of first launch back in the summer of 2007 the iPhone has been headlining, the fixation still continues today. Apple has yet again demonstrated that it is a remarkable media machine. The iPhone receives a disproportionate amount of attention from the media, mobile industry and businesses alike…….. http://www.indigo102.com/archives/824

Media: It is a control thing!

Partnerships and Joint ventures have to be a way forward.

The market opportunity in the new media world will be realised by the those that have grown up around the digital environment – the indigenous – as they are the ones that are most likely to get it and understand how the business models can and will work. These will be individuals that understand the operations of traditional media but are not held back by the need to re-think the traditional business models and operating principles. The traditional media owners still have a very important role to play — they know how to deliver revenue….. http://www.indigo102.com/archives/737

Understand why the iPhone has hit a cord with consumers (basically it does things well) and how a more open approach to partnerships will add value to the consumer offer, it is likely that the value chain players will move the industry on and see far greater riches all round.

Regards,
Martin

]]>