With Verizon’s announcement on November 27, 2007, a change will come to the wireless industry. For many years, wireless companies have used their purchasing power to do business for themselves and keep the open market out of reach for customers. If you wanted the latest cell phone, PDA, or Bluetooth device, you had to wait for your carrier to provide it, and the cost was often outrageous.
Wireless networks in basic terms mean the way electronic products can connect to phones, servers, and networks. With Verizon opening up its wireless network to all electronic devices that can pass its basic compatibility test, it means that the customer now has the power to drive the market forward. Businesses will also benefit from wireless news by being able to contact customers with news about their device or feature. The company must have it certified with Verizon, but can then market it to the public.
In one example, here’s the timeline involving Motorola’s SLVR L7C, a fancy phone that was released by Motorola and left customers waiting for its release by cell phone companies. Sprint did not make this phone available through its stores until November 2006, and in a review it was described as “finally released”. Then, in January of the following year, Verizon made the same phone available on its wireless network. This delay could have been avoided with Verizon’s new idea simply by incorporating compliance standards into the build process and reviewing it to ensure compatibility with the wireless network. Ultimately, the time has come for wireless network companies to market and work for the consumer.
If you search forums for news on wireless electronics and mobile phones, you’ll find many people waiting for the latest phones and devices, and compatibility discussions. A post on howardforums.com posted this about the aforementioned Motorola phone; “Will Verizon ever offer this phone (SLVR L7) for their carrier?”
While we as customers are familiar with cell phones and PDAs being traded in the advertising market, it mostly revolved around some products that were already approved and contracted by companies like Verizon.
This opening up of wireless networks should happen for some companies in mid-2008, and Verizon will happen sometime in late 2008.
For more information on this news, follow the link below;
Blog post on what the impact could be for businesses and consumers;
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/8647
