June 13, 2002

New Alliance Forms to Simplify Wireless Technology

NY Times: CHICAGO (Reuters) - High-technology industry giants from around the world are forming a new alliance to simplify how wireless telephones can be used on any network, whether to play games, share photos or trade instant messages.

Faced with maturing markets for traditional voice calling and slow uptake of newer Internet-ready mobile phones, almost 200 companies will unveil plans on Wednesday to form a new global organization to develop open standards for phones and other wireless devices to operate seamlessly together. (full story)

My spin: This is a HUGE thing! Currently wireless phone service providers are Islands of information - an AT&T phone, to the best of my understanding can not easily transmit data to a Verizon phone. This is a) bad for consumers as there's so much more that could be done with phone - like is done in Europe and Asia and b) bad for the wireless carriers as the value of cell phones is less when carriers isolate their networks. But enabling interoperability between phones - regardless of carriers - enables advanced features.

"The most important value to consumers is that no matter what device I have, no matter what service I'm going to get, no matter what carrier I'm using, I can get access to the information. The consumer will see no issues of access to content,'' Jon Prial, IBM's vice president of content, told Reuters."

"However, consumers should not expect things to change overnight, analysts said."

"The average person probably won't care for another two or three years when the things that this alliance develops start to show themselves on cell phones and mobile devices,'' said David Cooperstein, research director at technology research firm, Forrester Research."

I had mentioned this in my New York New Media Association Software Summit notes also

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