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May have jumped the gun on T-Mobile and Boingo: Its just software for now
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 05:42:34 -0500
------ Forwarded Message From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger () ibd com> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 16:49:08 +0900 To: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>, Dave Farber <dave () farber net> Subject: May have jumped the gun on T-Mobile and Boingo: Its just software for now
From Glenn Fleishman¹s excellent 802.11 BLOG:
T-Mobile Adopts Boingo Software http://80211b.weblogger.com/2003/03/18 Boingo, T-Mobile partner on software, not networks: Sky Dayton of Boingo and John Stanton of T-Mobile used the bully pulpit of the cell-industry trade group CTIA's New Orleans convention to announce a partnership in which T-Mobile would adopt Boingo's technology platform. On originally reading the press release, I thought this was a network deal, too, but it's clear that T-Mobile just wants (at this juncture) Boingo's authentication and roaming platform and client software. The press release points out that T-Mobile will continue to allow Web-based gateway access to their network, but that the Boingo software would allow superior single-account integration, along with sniffing and access for T-Mobile GPRS 2.5G network as the technology becomes available. (PCTEL is licensing the 2.5G integration software for laptops and PocketPC's to Boingo.) Boingo has an investment from Sprint PCS, so T-Mobile's partnership marks the first intersection of any cell operators' interests. Update: It turns out a lot of reporters got the story wrong or incomplete, as I did on first glance. I spoke in the afternoon to Christian Gunning, marketing director of Boingo, to confirm that the T-Mobile deal is platform (back-end and client software), not roaming. He also agreed with my statement that this agreement doesn't indicate the presence of nor does it preclude any future agreements with T-Mobile. A story from Reuters says the two companies will develop software and services to make it easier for T-Mobile customers to access Boingo's wireless broadband and data networks which is confusing enough on its own. A Dow Jones Newswires story was vague about implications, but mentioned the size of Boingo's network. CRN reported as if the software deal was a new network: Dayton didn't specify when the service would be available, how billing would work and how much the service would cost. Actually, it will overlay onto T-Mobile's current HotSpot network. It's about the customer-facing software, really, not about a different network. T-Mobile wants to make it easier for customers to sign on and manage their access. A single button sign-on is pretty slick, no matter how you cut it. Also, adopting the VPN software that Boingo offers allows T-Mobile to fix that last pesky security issue by giving its customers an entirely secure method. -- Robert J. Berger - Internet Bandwidth Development, LLC. In Tokyo as Glocom visiting research fellow through April 2003 Cell: +81 80-3121-6128 Work: +81 3-5411-6613 http://www.glocom.ac.jp eFax: +1-408-490-2868 rberger () glocom ac jp rberger () ibd com ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- May have jumped the gun on T-Mobile and Boingo: Its just software for now Dave Farber (Mar 19)