Editor’s note: RCR Wireless News is all about throwback Thursdays, tapping into our archives to resurrect the biggest headlines from the past. Turn on the time machine, put on those sepia shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Smartphones squeeze PDAs
STAMFORD, Conn.-Two new studies show that the market for personal digital assistants continues to shrink as more users are drawn to smartphones. “Through the end of 2004, smartphones will generally negatively impact the low-end PDA market, as many individual users will find the personal information and e-mail capabilities of smartphones acceptable,” said Todd Kort, chief analyst in Gartner’s Computing Platforms Worldwide group. “These users will tend to become less interested in the low-end PDAs that have provided these features.” According to new PDA data from Gartner, the number of device shipments worldwide decreased by 5.3% in 2003, reaching a total of 11.5 million units. Gartner said PalmOne Inc. retained the top spot, followed closely by Hewlett-Packard Co., Sony Corp. and Research In Motion Ltd. Similar numbers from rival research firm IDC back up Gartner’s assessment. … Read more
Voice to lead the use of wireless in 2004
NEW YORK-Deloitte Research predicts that the number of wireless subscribers will continue to grow during 2004, supported by continued use of traditional voice applications. Deloitte expects mobile subscriber penetration rates to continue to increase in 2004, with voice applications continuing to dominate mobile revenues and profits. The research firm also expects color and polyphonic sound to drive revenues. Meanwhile, the group expects mobile data growth to slow due to stagnant growth in consumer text messaging. Advances in third generation technologies will continue, but 3G will still not be adopted by the masses later this year. … Read more
Battle for broadband at home
CAMBRIDGE, UK wireless operators are expected to battle landline operators for a slice of the domestic broadband market, which could be worth more than $100 billion by 2008, according to an Analysys report. “While the largest share of the market will go to consumer electronics companies, content owners and packagers, broadband operators could generate up to $12.5 billion by providing home broadband services such as communications, entertainment, IT and services safety,” said Margaret Hopkins, author of the report. “These services could be delivered over fixed broadband internet, but many of them could also be delivered over television networks using mobile phones to provide interactivity.” The Analysys report looks at two scenarios. In one, broadband Internet service providers earn up to $38 a month in revenue per household, or a total of $12.5 billion in 2008. In another scenario, mobile operators and broadcasters take the most of this revenue, with mobile carriers adding up to $2.26 per month to consumer ARPUs, totaling $5 billion in 2008. … Read More
“RIM’s biggest competitor is ignorance,” says the CEO
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. faces a number of hurdles, both major and minor. But one challenge overshadows the rest, according to Mike Lazaridis, the company’s president and co-CEO. “RIM’s biggest competitor is ignorance,” Lazaridis said. “Our challenge continues to be and always has been to get someone to try it.” Because, says Lazaridis, once you try BlackBerry, there’s no going back. In fact, the device has earned the CrackBerry nickname from enthusiasts as legal, finance and telecommunications executives refuse to travel without it. BlackBerrys (and new color-screen versions dubbed BlueBerrys) are ubiquitous at high-tech conferences. They are a common adornment on the leadership of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, the trade organization for the wireless industry. Even the federal government has admitted its addiction, with members of Congress using BlackBerrys to stay in touch during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Dozens of companies compete in the struggling wireless enterprise market. Corporate spending remains weak. Profit margins are slim. But the key to sales, Lazaridis said, is as simple as getting a BlackBerry into the hands of a customer. RIM’s successes in recent months make Lazaridis’ valuation hard to reject. The company posted a record quarter in December with revenues exceeding $150 million, net income of more than $16 million and an improved outlook for the year. And Wall Street roared. Since the release of its quarterly report, RIM’s share price has nearly doubled. News of the leap made headlines in national affairs. RIM’s stock now looks like it may soon break the $100 per share barrier. … Read more
Huawei invests in the perspective of free space
HONGKONG-Huawei Technologies Inc. moved to strengthen its U.S. business and microwave offering by investing $2 million in LightPointe Communications Co., a free-space optics company. Huawei has joined other investors in a $17 million financing of the company. Last year, LightPointe entered into an OEM agreement with the Chinese company to supply FSO products to Huawei. … Read more
Sprint says it will end the telecom merger craze
NEW YORK-Sprint Corp. told industry analysts at an investor conference that the company intended to put aside the merger craze currently sweeping the wireless industry, noting that the company will instead focus its wireless operations on growing relationships with wholesale partners and on closer integration with Sprint’s landline operations. “We are very busy running this business ourselves,” said Len Lauer, president and chief operating officer of Sprint. Sprint Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee added that the company expects to take advantage of the customer uncertainty surrounding its competitors and … Read More
Sprint offers the Video Mail service
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Sprint is offering a new Video Mail phone to its customers nationwide. The VM4050 phone allows customers to capture and send video and audio directly to their mobile phone anywhere on Sprint’s PCS network. The PCS Vision video phone is manufactured by Toshiba and marketed by Audiovox Communications Corp. Sprint is offering the phone for $180 with a two-year contract. … Read more
Cameraphones get their conference
MELVILLE, NY-Pulver.com and Next Generation Ventures announced that they will launch their inaugural Cameraphone Summit: The Conference on Cameraphones and Convergent Mobile Media April 27-30 in Maui, Hawaii. Executives from Nokia Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. will deliver keynote speeches, and the summit will cover issues from applications to privacy to hardware. “Camera phones are definitely the next big thing for the global mobile phone market,” said Moses Ma, managing partner of Next Generation Ventures. “Industry analysts estimate that 125 million imaging-capable devices will be shipped worldwide in 2005… Read more
Check out RCR’s wireless news archives for more past stories.
