Brian White Mar 16, 2006 – Show original item
Filed under: WiFi, MAN – muni, Hardware, Business
We knew this was bound to happen – a specialized PC card with wireless VoIP capability has been launched by a mobile operator – this time it was 3, the mobile operator ran by Hutchinson in the UK. the starter pack from Skype comes with the PC card, a starter voucher, and even a headset. So, why do this you may ask? Isn’t cellular more lucrative? For now, it is. In the future, not so much possibly.
Customers will move towards cheaper and more flexible solutions whether mobiler operators like it or not. Those who offer a cutting-edge service now, even at a subscription level, are smart. One thing we see in the U.S. all too often is a sense of protectionism and inability to innovate due to several factors (protecting the "cash cow" short-term being one of them). Those who innovate can sweep the floor with the old guard sometimes. Google has done this (and continues to do it) as an example in the internet portal space, even though they claim to not want to be a "portal".
