Nokia's Skype-based end run around its operator partners(finance.yahoo.com)
finance.yahoo.com
Nokia's Skype-based end run around its operator partners
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Furious-UK-Operators-Want-paidcontent-14495285.html
4 comments
Ah Nokia, stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Nokia have tried several ways to own the customer over the years and operators have had to say no."
I really wish these guys would wake up and realise you dont ever "own" your customers. Customers aren't slaves, and alternatives spring up to what you do, sooner or later. But hey that's the arrogance of the operators - stifling innovation for the last however many years, so they could "own" the customer.
Good luck with that guys!
"Nokia have tried several ways to own the customer over the years and operators have had to say no."
I really wish these guys would wake up and realise you dont ever "own" your customers. Customers aren't slaves, and alternatives spring up to what you do, sooner or later. But hey that's the arrogance of the operators - stifling innovation for the last however many years, so they could "own" the customer.
Good luck with that guys!
I think you skipped a sentence:
Apparently, the operators are "venting their anger" at
high-level executive meetings with Nokia, whom they
believe are trying to wrest away control of their
customers and offering easy access to an app that could
potentially hurt call revenues.
No, my comments were aimed at the operators, not Nokia. Nokia is stuck in the hard place where they understand the need and want to innovate, but their biggest direct customers (the operators) really dont want them to.
Maybe they should just make their own network.
Anyway, if it's possible to install Skype on these phones, even if it doesn't come preinstalled it won't matter much, people will do it anyway.
Anyway, if it's possible to install Skype on these phones, even if it doesn't come preinstalled it won't matter much, people will do it anyway.
When VOIP is pervasive on phones, I think it will start to make the cell network the secondary choice to WiFi (already is for me). The only value the cell network for me is a phone connection. This is providers' moat.
I'd like to see a cell network embrace the fact they are a pipe. Pay line and connection fee (like the current internet). Forget data/voice plans. I imagine manufacturers and software developers for the Android, iPhone (after the 5 year AT&T deal) and Pre would go ape. More subscribers to your network because of new devices and beautiful software. The barrier of entry is much lower.
I kind of see it like the newspaper industry. Which company will gamble first and jettison the print medium? Which company will leave the old cell model behind? My guess is the weak ones...file for bankruptcy, change their model and re-emerge from the ashes. I'm crossing my fingers it is a phoenix.
I'd like to see a cell network embrace the fact they are a pipe. Pay line and connection fee (like the current internet). Forget data/voice plans. I imagine manufacturers and software developers for the Android, iPhone (after the 5 year AT&T deal) and Pre would go ape. More subscribers to your network because of new devices and beautiful software. The barrier of entry is much lower.
I kind of see it like the newspaper industry. Which company will gamble first and jettison the print medium? Which company will leave the old cell model behind? My guess is the weak ones...file for bankruptcy, change their model and re-emerge from the ashes. I'm crossing my fingers it is a phoenix.
the whole reason I bought an unlocked nokia e71 is to be free of expensive contracts and its great voip support, unlike the iPhone. if nokia stops doing it, I'm sure someone else will step up.
I bought one of those as well, however to my dismay any VOIP calls made through Skype still get charged to my normal call time with them not going through my data access.
Seems like Skype bowed down to the phone companies in this respect.
Seems like Skype bowed down to the phone companies in this respect.
And I can see Nokia execs answering: "Well, you betrayed us to first just to catch on the iPhone fad making it now our biggest threat. You forced us into this new era. Live with it."