IP: A big nail in traditional paging's coffin

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: "Alan A. Reiter" <reiter () wirelessinternet com>
> To: <farber () cis upenn edu>
>
>
> Hi Dave,
>
> Yesterday Motorola announced that it is "refocusing" the strategy of its
> Wireless Messaging Division, which is part of the Personal Communications
> Sector (PCS).  Motorola said, "PCS will concentrate its development efforts
> on 2-way messaging products for use on cellular networks for GSM, GPRS and
> CDMA protocols This means that PCS will discontinue distributing ReFLEX
> protocol-based products such as the Talkabout(R) T900 and Timeport(TM) P935
> personal communicators, as well as its one-way paging products, in mid-2002.
> PCS will continue to provide technical support of the ReFLEX(R) protocol to
> the growing list of over twenty ReFLEX licensees."
>
> Motorola has been the world's leader in promoting ReFLEX for paging as a
> world standard, and they've done a good job over the years.  But the paging
> industry in the U.S. is in bad shape, as is paging in much of the rest of
> the world.  Motorola was counting on sexy two-way ReFLEX pagers to
> revitalize traditional paging.  Motorola's announcement will be a big blow
> to the U.S. paging industry.
>
> Paging will do better in other parts of the world, where a lower-cost device
> is critical.  Pagers are still being used by kids but, increasingly, as
> cellular phone prices fall, parents are giving phones to their kids --
> especially with prepaid cards so kids don't run up enormous bills.  The
> traditional paging operators in the U.S. haven't been able to stem the tide
> of cellular.
>
> Paging isn't dying.  Paging is being reborn on cellular.  Perhaps you could
> look at SMS as the first "new" paging network (traditional paging was never
> very popular in Europe).  Now, paging (or, to use the "preferred" term,
> "messaging") is now likely to see further growth over 2.5G networks using
> GSM GPRS and  CDMA 1xRTT.  RIM, of BlackBerry fame, already has a GPRS pager
> in the U.K.
>
>
> Alan
>
> ---------------------------------------
> Alan A. Reiter, president
> Wireless Internet & Mobile Computing
> **consulting, workshops, publications**
> E-Mail: reiter () wirelessinternet com
> Phone: 1-301-951-0385
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