By Stevie Smith Nov 28, 2007, 10:53 GMT
In a move that could potentially crack open the traditionally tight usage borders attributed to the wireless phone carrier industry, American broadband and telecommunications titan Verizon Wireless has announced a bold open standard that will allow its network customers to enjoy a much wider range of phone handsets and software.
Verizon Wireless unveils 2008 plan to launch an open standard across its network so customers can connect via a host of devices while also enjoying much more software choice: Verizon.
Specifically, Verizon has this week revealed that its plan should come into effect by the close of 2008, which is likely to steal the jump on market competitors such as AT&T and Sprint Nextel, both of which have thus far made no noises regarding the implementation of open standards of their own.
Although rival carriers are remaining quiet on adopting open standards, analysts suggest that open standards are certainly the way forward, and that the nation’s mobile operators will likely adopt similar strategies at some point in the not so distant future.
"You either embrace it or you don’t," commented Linda Barrabee of market research specialist Yankee Group, before going on to say that those who choose not to follow will probably see a reduction in their customer base, while also lagging behind in the overall evolution of the wireless industry.
From the plus side, analyst reaction offers that those carriers that do deliver open standards will stand to benefit from a host of new revenue opportunities as customers become increasingly dependent on Internet access via their mobile handsets.
According to Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam, the company’s plan will help lower the "walled garden" resurrected by mobile operators to control compatible handsets and related software available to customers. By adopting an open standard, Verizon will enable its customers to enjoy more choice in selecting the device they wish to connect it to, while also allowing them to select the software it hosts – more like a personal computer than a packaged and restricted mobile phone.
Verizon’s plan arrives hot on the heels of Google Inc.’s ‘Android,’ a brand new mobile phone operating system that is currently in development and being built from the ground up by a wide-ranging technology alliance in an entirely open format.
"Over time the ‘walled garden’ will come down," said McAdam in a CNNMoney report. "We want to tap into those customers who want complete control over their devices."
In terms of customer base, Verizon Wireless is the second largest mobile operator in the U.S., sandwiched between AT&T in first and Sprint in third. T-Mobile USA and privately held Alltel Corp. round out the top five carriers.
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techNov 28th, 2007 - 15:34:06
Gaiacomm International has terahertz 4G technology better and cheaper than Verizon!
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