Phones Need Simplicity Before Cool Stuff, CEOs Say

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Reply-To: <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 00:50:12 -0800
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Phones Need Simplicity Before Cool Stuff, CEOs Say

Phones Need Simplicity Before Cool Stuff, CEOs Say
  Wed Mar 16, 2005 05:54 PM ET
By Sinead Carew
<http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?
type=technologyNews&storyID=7925185&src=rss/technologyNews>

  NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Mobile telephone services need to be far less
confusing to consumers, the heads of top U.S. wireless operators said
on Wednesday, even as they talked up complex features such as Web
surfing or video on phones.

  "We need to be challenged to simplify this business," Stan Sigman,
chief executive of Cingular Wireless, the country's biggest mobile
service said during a panel discussion on the final day of the annual
CTIA wireless trade show here.

  "Every new idea we fall in love with," agreed Robert Dotson, head of
T-Mobile USA, the fourth biggest U.S. provider owned by Deutsche
Telekom AG (DTEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) . "We don't need more.
Do fewer and do it better."

  Some argue that rapid improvements in wireless technology have
outmoded phones as simple voice communications devices.

  Ed Zander, chief executive of mobile handset maker Motorola Inc.
(MOT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , joked earlier this week about the
device "formerly known as the cell phone ."

  But other leaders warned the industry not to attempt to squeeze
everything possible -- from cameras to TVs to music players and
business e-mail -- into every phone.

  "The limit is the customers' tolerance for multifunction keys," said
Dick Lynch, chief technology officer of Verizon Wireless, a venture
owned by Verizon Communications (VZ.N: Quote, Profile, Research)
Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L: Quote, Profile, Research) in an interview.

  Lynch was referring to limits on how much typing one can do on
numerical keypad and small screens found on most phones.

  Sigman said mobile rate plans tend to be confusing for customers who
need to chose from many price variations and remember what time calls
become more or less expensive each day. As new features are added the
confusion gets worse.

  But Cingular, a venture of SBC Communications Inc. (SBC.N: Quote,
Profile, Research) and BellSouth Corp._(BLS.N: Quote, Profile,
Research) , and its rivals are moving toward even more complicated
services as they build fast networks to deliver everything from music
to TV.

[snip]


Archives at: <http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net>
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>


------ End of Forwarded Message


-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/