Saudi Arabia Telecommunications

Saudi telecom industry has been a big deal these couple of years.  Telecom industry was introduced not long ago in Saudi Arabia.  It started with one company named “Etisalat” which later on changed their name to “STC”.  It pretty much dominated the industry; it was the monopoly of the telecom industry.  A couple of years ago a company from was introduced to the Saudi telecom industry.  “Mobily” was a newborn babe in Saudi Arabia, which came from Emirates.  After that a company named “Zain” was introduced to the Saudi telecom industry.  Now so far these three companies are the only three that are in the Saudi telecom industry.  As the web site totel said, GDP for the Saudi telecom industry is high because of the high population compared to other gulf countries.

            I think it was a great move from the Saudi government to allow other companies like “Mobily” and “Zain” to enter the telecom industry.  I personally remember When “STC” was the only company in that industry.  It was simply crazy.  The prices were so high nobody could say anything.  When “Mobily” came into action, it competed with “STC”.  The prices for “STC” went down because they didn’t want to loose their customers.  It was such a good idea for “Mobily” to come and challenge “STC” in that industry.  After that in a couple of years came the company “Zain”.  That just changed the industry totally.  People joke and say, “It is almost free to own a phone”.  This is because they are so use to the expense they use to pay when “STC” was the only company.  The more the competitors, the more better quality and better price a company will offer to its customers. 

http://www.totel.com.au/saudi-arabia-telecommunications-research.asp

 

Change in Industry Leads to Change in Leadership

Steve Burke, Comcast Corp.’s chief operating officer, will take the place of Jeff Zucker as chief executive of NBC Universal, announced Comcast and General Electric Co. on Sunday. Mr. Burke will begin his position as CEO once Comcast has officially acquired NBC Universal from General Electric. Television networks have been concerned with large shifts in audience viewing habits, so many changes in leadership are being made to facilitate new innovations within the company.

These shifts come at the beginning of a lackluster TV season, as more and more network TV executives are realizing that viewers are spending more time online and less time in their living room, leading to great industry-wide uncertainty about how subscription TV companies will earn a profit in this quickly changing market. The TV audience is becoming increasingly more fragmented, leading to an overall decline in broadcast audience during the first week of the new season compared to last year with the majority of viewers tuning in for established hits, such as Glee.

Mr. Burke has been deeply involved in Comcast’s ongoing efforts to reinvent its cable service to compete with the Internet. After Burke joined Comcast in 1998, he helped Comcast become the largest cable company, residential Internet service provider and third largest phone company in America. Also, he was able to launch the extremely popular video on-demand services, which directly competes with Internet viewing for convenience and variety. This shift represents how a change in consumer demand can directly influence who the executive leaders of a leading-industry company are.

Sources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704082104575516080170848138.html

http://www.portada-online.com/article.aspx?aid=6827

Telecom Innovator To Head Non Profit

Since the inception of the telecom industry we have had several of the corporate giants dominate the spectrum. What we often fail to recognize is that the faces behind these large corporations really are the driving force. According to an article published in today's Business Wire, former Verizon and AT&T employee Kelley Dunne was named CEO of the non profit One Economy. Dunne has been a key figure in implementing wireless 4G capabilities and also is credited for becoming a leading operator of WiMAX technology.

It's always nice to see someone so highly regarded with that background entering the non profit field. One Economy's chief mission is to find new ways to allow low income individuals to access technology, a task they have been extremely successful thus far. One highlight of theirs was the dispersement of 3,000 digital converter units when the switch to digital television occurred last year. They hope that by appointing Dunne as CEO he will take his knowhow from the private sector and further enhance their goals as a company in addition to reaching more of those in need.

This goes to show that not everyone in business is about making pure profits. Surely Mr Dunne could have kept his current position or taken one at a similar company with a comparable or even higher salary. Instead, he chose to funnel his enthusiasm and dedication to the non profit sector where his work will benefit others more directly. The entire move was made possible by a 51.5 million dollar broadband initiative grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce. While many of these government programs tend to go astray, this looks as if real progress is quite possible.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100929006480/en/Telecom-Innovator-Entrepreneur-Named-CEO-Economy

Leaders of the Telecom Industry

The current leaders of the telecommunications industry specifically of the domestic sector are AT&T Inc. Verizon Communications Inc. Com and BCE, Inc. Common Stock . This three companies emerged in the telecom industry in the 80s and since then they have been rising as the industry was evolving.  Eventhough their market is focuse in the US, in their years of existance their names have been well known all around the world. This companies have also changed the landscape of telecom in many diferent ways; One of the reasons why they have become some big is that they have been buying out other companies for example Cellular One and Centennial Communications. Everytime one of  this acquisitions  take place they create different impacts on the industry’s stocks, products and prices in general.

Today everyone has a cellphone or/and broadband and to give support to the millions of costumers there are, there is a huge labor force needed. The telecom industry has a considerable amount of the overall number of jobs offered every year. AT&T, one of the biggest companies of the industry currently has around 200,000 employees, so it is clear that telecommunications factor that affects the whole economy. Thousands are hired each year to do this jobs in the different sections of the industry such as retailing, engeneering, call centers, IT, technicias, business sales, corporate support, etc. 

References: 

- http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/ll/844mkt.html

-http://www.att.jobs/career-area/home

Claudio Lacayo

AOL's Innovation

In an attempt to innovate their company and improve profits, AOL has purchased three different companies. According to the Wall Street Journal, AOL purchased the TechCrunch blog, a high-profile tech website, for around $30 million. TechCrunch brings in about $10 million every year. AOL also purchased 5min Media, an online video company, and web-based software company Thing Labs Inc. Thing Lab Inc. is the creator of Brizzly, an application that allows users to utilize Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. This purchase by such a large company as AOL just reinforces the popularity and lucrative possibilities of social networking. AOL is trying to move past it's old business practices as a seller of dial-up internet and related subscription products by taking steps towards becoming a hub of internet videos and articles. There is a lot of concern that this transition just won't be possible for the company. More than 40% of it's revenue still comes from it's dial-up internet and subscription products. The transition is a massive one.

Innovation is something that all companies have to do in order to survive, but AOL is changing their company in very big ways. In one of my earlier blog postings, I discussed the fact that Twitter is also making changes to their services in order to better compete with other social networking sites. Competition is ubiquitous in every industry and can have very negative or very positive results. The fact that competition forces companies to innovate to better serve their customers reflects a positive impact on the industry and benefits consumers very much. Competition also has the negative impact of putting companies out of business, but also, like AOL, forces companies to make very rash decisions and spend large amounts of money with no promise of improvements. These purchases by AOL may not end up benefiting the company because they are attempting for such a big transition, a transition that may not be realistic.

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Brand New Company Seeks Merge with Established Giant

Started in 2009, CenturyLink is a telecommunications company that describes themselves as “a leading provider of high-quality broadband, entertainment and voice services over its advanced communications networks to consumers and businesses in 33 states. CenturyLink, headquartered in Monroe, La., is an S&P 500 company and is included among the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations.” CenturyLink was created as the merger of CenturyTel and Embarq, and the new company is currently considering a merger with Qwest Communications, Inc.

CenturyLink has made a considerable impact in the industry, providing local, long distance, high-speed data and wireless services leading them to become the fourth largest local exchange carrier in the U.S. and the largest independent local provider. Due to this great success, CenturyLink now wants to acquire Qwest Communications, with the hope of expanding their services to include high-speed Internet, video entertainment, data hosting and managed services, according to an article from PR Newswire. Qwest is the nation’s third-largest phone company and the two would combine to reap the benefits of size in a continually declining business.

"As a national player with substantially increased scale and scope, the combined company will create an even more compelling choice for customers," said Edward A. Mueller, Qwest's chairman and chief executive officer. "Together, we will be a stronger competitor with greater financial flexibility and new opportunities to perfect the customer experience. We will continue to work closely with CenturyLink and the remaining regulatory agencies to bring the transaction to a timely close." The continued emergence of new companies, or mergers of old companies, in the telecommunications industry is vital to keeping the market innovative and competitive. These companies are so heavily compared side-to-side that they constantly have to be at the forefront of technological advances and maintain a reputation of reliability.

Prosperous Company Faces Government Takeover

Most often when a new company emerges in an industry it is usually closely monitored with excitement by the press and competitors. In this example however, quite the opposite is occurring. It's no secret the Venezuelan government has been seeking to nationalize several industries over the past few years. According to an article published in the New York Times, this may be the end of an era and the start of state run telecommunications in a county swaying toward socialism.

The private company at hand Nacional Telefonos, known more commonly as Cantv, will soon vanish. The article states that the overall vision is to remove the company from the New York Stock Exchange. Chavez's administration was able to finalize the transaction only after striking a deal with congress regarding oil. Once Cantv is completely delisted from the NYSE it will have huge implications for not only the industry but also several citizens.

For years Venezuelans have been using Cantv's stock as a means of getting around currency exchange controls. The methodology was that you could buy local shares and convert them into american receipts that could be sold for dollars, all in an effort to bypass currency restrictions imposed. This will now be a thing of the past. As if that wasn't enough, there now will be only one provider of telecommunication services in the country, a move that certainly will draw criticism. As a result, we see a new company crop up in a unique and unconventional way since it will be government run. Nevertheless, its impact will be felt even more so than a traditional startup entering the industry because of the scope of its customer base and general nature of the situation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/technology/09iht-cantv.4.5641611.html

Twitter: Social Networking

In March 2006, Twitter was founded by Obvious Corp. It is now the fastest growing free micro-blogging software and also, undeniably popular, according to ezinearticles.com. Twitter was designed to answer the one question, "What are you doing?" in 140 characters. On Twitter, users "Tweet", which differentiates it from MySpace and Facebook. Twitter is a phenomena that is not only used for social networking, but also marketing. Many celebrities use Twitter to gain followers and, ultimately, boost their popularity. Twitter has more than 160 million customers, Facebook has more than 500 million.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Twitter has recently redesigned their website to attract more users and gain more advertisers over Facebook. Facebook encourages users to post videos, pictures, and interact with each other. Twitter is used more often to simply see other user's information, such as train delays, natural disasters, or political updates. This redesign allows users to watch videos directly on Twitter. Before, another browser tab would open. The company is also making an effort to attract advertisers and are considering ads that target users based on what they tweet. "Promoted Tweet" is a new initiative that allows advertisers to sponsor tweets that show up when a user searches certain keywords using Twitter's service. These changes will make Twitter more like Facebook, creating more competition and encouraging innovative changes in both companies and, eventually, the social networking circuit of the telecommunications industry.

As a Facebook user, I prefer Facebook service over Twitter. I think these redesigns by Twitter will be very beneficial to their company. If they add the increased competition to Facebook, Facebook will be forced to come up with innovative ways to keep their user's from switching to Twitter. Online social networking, over the past few years, has become very popular in the telecommunications industry. As leaders in this circuit of the industry, Facebook and Twitter have the ability to effect the industry with their innovations and choices.

The emergence of Apple in the telecom industry

In 2007 Apple Inc., a company that was focused on the IT industry, emerged into the telecommunication industry. They developed a phone called Iphone that gathered most of the features of the other phones available in the market in a single device. This new article of Apple also offered a new way of exploring the internet through a cell phone. In the same year they also developed Apple Tv, a system that synchronized Itunes, their media player, with any tv. This new system opened the door to a whole new way of watching television, and listening to music or podcasts.

It is not beyond common knowledge that the Iphone is one of the prefered objects in todays world. Modern society is each time trying to make things more handy and simple, making the Iphone a very  appealing device. Apple with their high competitive standards has clearly changed the landscape of the telecom industry. Everytime they launch a new generation of this phones the people make ridiculous lines to get them and many times they are sold out instantaniously. With the Apple Tv’s alternative way of viewing media they also created a considerable level of competition with brands as Blockbuster and cable-tv companies. Apple Inc.’s trend has been rising from this past five years so it not wrong to assume that their appearance in the industry have provoked huge impacts.

Claudio Lacayo

article: http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/apple-unveils-its-iphone/2007/01/10/1168105015225.html

France Telecom to Take Stake in Meditelecom

As written in wall street journal, a French company would like to invest in another company out side of the country.  France Telecom said they have agreed to buy forty percent   The company they are investing in is Meditelecom.  It is the second best telecommunication company in Morocco.  The French company “France telecom” is looking to make the revenue higher from outside of Europe.  A spokesman from had said to the wall street journal that the French company agreed with the Morocco’s company in 2011 the share will go to 54% and in 2015 the share will go to 59%. 

 

As noted in the wall street journal, the biggest reason for France Telecom to move out of France is for them to grow fast in markets.  Africa would be there best place.  Meditel has over ten million costumers and 37% is there market share.  By the end of the year, the stake buy is expected.  France telecom Chief Executive Stephane Richard said “The acquisition of this stake in Medi Telecom is the first concrete step in our new policy of expansion outside Europe, and contributes to our stated aim of doubling our revenue in Africa and the Middle East over the next five years” which I took from the wall street journal.

 

I personally think it is a great idea for France Telecom to go invest in Meditelecom.  From reading the article in the wall street journal, I understood that Meditelecom the Morocco’s Company is doing very well and is getting a lot of profit.  They also have a lot of subscribers.  I always think a company should always invest out side of there country.  Spread your apples in different baskets.  And not only the French company is investing out side the country, its also going out side of the continent.  As I read in the wall street journal, the French company is also thinking of investing in Middle East.  

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704129204575505733072743138.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews

Microsoft Struggles to Gain in Mobile Search

Microsoft wants to get a head of the game.  They are making a five year deal with Verizon Wireless cell phones for making its internet search and advertising services.  The problem is that they are going in the market and going to compete with Google inc., which is dominating the market.  It was very smart for Microsoft to start a deal with the biggest wireless carrier in the United States.  They struck the deal in early 2009.  The deal that Verizon got gave the right for them to use Google’s search engine on cell phones.  By far, Verizon has programmed seven out of eight Android phones use Google search.  Microsoft is pushing Verizon so hard so that Microsoft could get more out of the agreement.  They will make seven new Android phones this fall and the will have the Microsoft search engine, which they call “Bing”. 

A spokesman for Verizon made it clear that not all of the phones that they will offer will have Bing in the future.  Android devices will have Bing which is added from the company.  But the good part is costumers could switch to Google search engine.  Microsoft has made it clear that the deal they are making with Verizon had helped the mobile search that is Bing has been more than triple for the past year.  A company spokesman said it would help them in the long run.  CEO Steve Ballmer strongly pushed the deal for Microsoft.  Not like Apple Inc. and Google, Microsoft has yet to make an operating system that proves it works with smart phone consumers.

I think Microsoft will have a hard time fitting in.  They will  be competing with a company that is just dominating the industry in that field.  Since I was little I use to use Google.  And I think it’s very hard for me to change to any thing else.  It can happen that Bing could be better and used more than Google, but I don’t think it can happen in five years.  It will take a lot longer.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704621204575488063070212340.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews

Mobile Phones as Health-Care Tools

 Many states of the United States, for example San Fransisco, have been constantly worried about the radiation levels that are produced by mobile phones. Because of this a couple of mobile network companies such as AT&T and QUALCOMM are starting to turn cell phones into devices that may help the people to get healthy.  They are introducing a new software and accessories that are going to permit cell phones to permanently monitor the heart rate, remind people when to take pills and allow customers to be in closer contact with their doctors.

Getting involved in other industries is not a new thing for the mobile network. It is estimated that this companies are going to invest 600 millions on this new utilities; since health issues is something that naturally is always going to be popular, they may even get considerable profits with it. But this sudden decision to get deeply involved in the health industry, seems to be linked in many ways to the bad PR they were having about the radiation levels of the handsets. Some may think that this is not for the benefit of the customer or that they are not really concerned for the health of people but just their own. So the question is, is it ethical or not to try to hide harmful defects under things that will look appealing or necessary for the society.

Claudio Lacayo

article: http://bx.businessweek.com/mobile-industry/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.businessweek.com%2Fss%2F10%2F08%2F0823_mhealth%2Findex.htm

Political Issue Raises Moral Questions about Telecom Industry

The second half of July this summer was no doubt flooded with great debate over Arizona's controversial new immigration law, SB1070. In that same timeframe a list was circulated with over 1,500 names of illegal aliens along with very personal information including Social Security numbers and women's due dates, according to the Wall Street Journal. After the thorough investigation conducted by the State of Utah, it was determined that two state employees, employed by the Department of Workforce Services, were responsible for the list. Although overshadowed by the outcry over Arizona, this raises huge ethical issues that can easily be felt by anyone.

This should be alarming to all American's since this occurred in the public sector and is very different from this happening within a large private corporation. These government workers were hired to perform civil service and are paid with our tax money. If it were a private entity then the consumer would be able to freely chose whether or not to purchase or engage in their services, but in this case we have very little choice. We place an enormous amount of trust in these individuals and in the heat of the debate unfortunately we see a glimpse of when things turn south. The investigation uncovered these two individuals were responsible for overseeing food stamps as well as other social services used by many citizens today. Subsequently, they had access to extremely sensitive information and abused their power.

We can only hope that when shopping online, performing online banking, or simply sending an email, that our privacy is protected. Surely there have been countless safeguards enacted to protect our data that seem quite effective. The real issue, in my opinion, is when these safeguards do work but are trumped by the immoral behavior of an official put in a position of power. Each company handles the situation differently, and in this example because of the context of the situation it received significantly more press than it otherwise would have. In this digital era where even military service and unemployment records are stored online, how can we be sure peering eyes stay out of our personal information?

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/07/15/list-of-alleged-illegal-immigrants-spooking-some-utahans/

Google Takes Breach of Privacy Seriously

Engineer David Barksdale was fired this week for breaking Google Inc.’s strict internal privacy policies. Mr. Barksdale was an engineer in Google’s Seattle office who allegedly accessed information of several users who were minors. This breach occured while Google was already responding to probes in the U.S. and overseas for privacy matters, including inadvertently collecting personal data on unsecured WiFi Internet networks as well as a privacy flap in February over the release of a social networking site called Buzz. Earlier this month, Google had resolved a class-action lawsuit regarding how contact lists were displayed on Buzz.

There is very little done on the Internet today that does not involve divulging some personal information. This is especially true when one considers Google, holding giants such as Gmail and Google Earth. There is a great trust on behalf of consumers when they give away this information to online companies. In order for e-commerce and social networking to continue to be such successful online ventures, companies need to have privacy concerns as a top priority at all times. Not only is this the ethical thing to do, but there is no way any company could profit otherwise.

Google’s reaction proves to their consumer base, and to potential consumers, that they take the security of this private information extremely seriously. Although there have been concerns raised recently about whether Google’s amassing of personal data is ethical or not, the quick dismissal of this employee will undoubtedly help Google’s reputation regarding ethics and privacy considerations. However, Google is planning on launching a new social networking site, GoogleMe, and this venture will certainly test their ethics regarding security and privacy as they attempt to connect GoogleMe to Gmail, YouTube, and other information-sharing sites.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704285104575492440245394392.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_technology

Children's Stories Go Digital

Beginning on September 28th of this year, children will no longer have to read their favorite stories in a book, they will be able to view them digitally. Ruckus Media Group LLC will launch a line of children's books available on Apple's iPhone, iPad, and smartphones with Google's Android system. The "books" will incorporate the color, video, and touch screen capabilities of these products by presenting the reader with interactive activities. The company has made a deal with Rabbit Ears Entertainment LLC for the rights to a number of classic children's videos and reformatted the videos to fully take advantage of the systems' interactive capabilites. An example of the interactivity is a blackboard that can be written on using the touch screen.

Ruckus Media Group says that it is forging partnerships directly with the authors of these children's books, they currently have 75 titles under contract. The company will pay the costs of creating each app which is estimated between $12,000 and $30,000, but would not release the specific revenue split between themselves and the authors and illustrators. By year end, they expect to have available 26 titles.

At ruckusmediagroup.com, samples of the videos to be released can be viewed. Although it is impossible for me to deny that these videos are very innovative and probably more interesting for many children than reading a book, I can't help but wonder, where could this lead? I believe that technology is an incredible asset in the world today, but also that there is a point where it becomes detrimental. By having books available digitally, costing only $3.99, it is not tough to figure out that many people will choose digital over hard copy. As we go further into the future, we, as people, are becoming increasingly dependent on technology, an occurence that, I believe, is negative. So I wonder, should this company have a moral obligation to impede our dependence? Or should they follow the trend of paperless books and simply make a profit?

Apple to End iPhone-Case Giveaway After Sept. 30

When Iphone 4 was released, there were lots of buyers all over the world.  When people bought the Iphone 4 they realized there is a problem in it.  People said when they call the call drops suddenly.  When the rumors had spread, and lots of people knew about it sales for the iphone 4 dropped.  The main and biggest problem was the signal.  The signal of course affects the call.  So the company Apple had to think of a way to fix this problem after finding what caused the problem.  So that the Iphone four would still sell.

 

Apple found what caused the problem for the signal to go down.  And it was the finger touching a part of the phone where a metal band is.  People have tried in the right hand were the part of the finger is touching a different part and there wasn’t any problem with the signal.  So apple said they will give out a case that will cover that metal part and there wouldn’t be any problems with the signal. 

 

When apple studied it carefully they found out that the problem wasn’t from the antenna, and this problem is bigger than what it disserves.  So they finally said the cover will be given to buyers who buy the Iphone 4 before September 30,2010.  After that they will not give free covers.  I personally have tried the Iphone 4 and don’t see any problems with it, and when I put the case on nothing changed.

 

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597204575484152233876296.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-4-problem-2010-6

Huawei Technologies Looks To Break Into U.S. Market

As a company that has been striving to really break into the U.S. consumer market, Huawei Technologies may have stumbled upon the perfect opportunity. Earlier this week it was reported that they were in talks with T-Mobile, the fourth largest cell phone provider in the States. Previously, Huawei Technologies has been known for providing advanced networking equipment for industrial use. Over the past few years they have been a strong force in this market and even passed up a deal to buy giant 3com just a few years ago.

The task of entering into and succeeding in the U.S. market seems daunting. One of the problems plaguing the company are numerous concerns raised by a U.S. security panel. These growing issues were a reason they decided not to acquire 3com in 2007, according to the article. In addition to these distractions, the landscape is already extremely crowded. With devices such as the iPhone, Blackberry, and Droid it makes a newcomer extremely unlikely to succeed and play a major role.

Despite all of this however, there is potential to alter the overall path of the industry. On the surface the device dubbed "The Ideos" may not seem anything special. It will tout Google's latest Android operating system much like other phones, and hardware wise will also mirror several already popular devices. The one spot where it shines is its price point. Rumors have it set to be priced as low as $50 which is a quarter of what an iPhone 4 would cost. This, teamed with the value orientated customers T-Mobile already attracts may lead to the device being successful or at least have some type of influence on competitors price points. Although the deal isn't set in stone, the next month should be very interesting as T-Mobile hopes the release of the device will be a success for everyone involved.

Intel Expands Beyond PCs

Paul Otellini, Chief Executive of Intel Corp., is looking to build Intel’s business outside of the PC market. Intel’s microprocessor chips dominate the PC industry, however there isn’t enough growth in that area to satisfy Intel and its shareholders so Mr. Otellini hopes to broaden business to include smartphones, consumer electronic devices, cars, and other products. To assist in this expansion, Intel has acquired Texas Instruments Inc.’s unit that sells cable-modem chips, Infineon Technologies AG’s wireless chip business, and McAfee Inc. as a specialist in security software. Intel is also supplying chips for Google Inc.’s Google TV venture.

This move is influential to the telecommunications industry because, in today’s society, advanced electronics are nothing without good performance. For example, many have criticized that the iPhone 4 isn’t noticeably different from the iPhone 3GS. The difference comes in performance, not in package or technology. Simply, the iPhone 4 is faster and more efficient. Intel’s expansion is going to make the Internet in all web-connected devices as fast as the Internet on our PCs. Software is no longer contained to the computer world, but consumers often find comfort in PCs because they are easier to use than much other technology.

There is also the question of how Intel’s growth across other industries will impact Apple Inc. Google TV and Apple TV are going head to head, along with the iPad and various Intel-based tablets, especially Samsung’s Galaxy Tab – a direct competitor to the iPad. As Intel expands into fields that Apple has yet to touch, such as cars, many wonder if Apple is losing its edge and if it will be swallowed by its competition. It will be interesting to follow how Apple responds to Intel’s expansion into such diverse fields, especially as Apple previously used Intel chips but has since simplified.

Mobile Network Taking Over

The mobile network is becoming the most important thing in a person’s daily living- it is virtually replacing all the other sectors of the telecommunication industry.

  

AT&T is expanding its television service to iphones and smart phones. The customers are going to be able to link this service to their ipads, computers or other devices as soon as AT&T reaches content deals for each. This means that everyone would be capable of watching movies or tv shows through the mobile network instead of using satellite or cable tv.

The television sector (satellite and cable tv), with this new competitor, is going to face a major impact on its trend, because of this new alternate technology that has been recently introduced to the telecom market.  The mobile network sector, now with this new feature, has enormous possibilities of increasing its trend.

The mobile network has been presenting a rapid growth since a past few years. Now they offer even more utilities as they are expanding themselves to different sectors of the telecommunications. Today, people feel the need to be always connected, and cell phones are the ones that are fulfilling this need. So the possibilities of this sector's trend to fall are relatively low.

Claudio Lacayo

article: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-09/at-t-to-expand-tv-service-to-iphone-and-blackberry.html

Interactive Shopper

In store retail sales dropped up to 15% in one year due to the increased popularity of online shopping. The information, such as customer reviews and related products, available online about a particular item is immense and also very easy to access. This information was simiply not available in retail stores, until now. Interpublic Group of Cos. is testing new technology that offers information one could find online and more, in the store. Some of this technology includes interactive dressing-room mirrors, kiosks with virtual customer-service representatives, and shopping carts and digital scanners that offer personalized discounts.

J.C. Penney is one retailer testing out some basic technology. At select locations, consumers find a 52-inch touch screen that shows all of the retailers merchandise, allows the consumer to e-mail information about an item to themselves or to anyone they want and even get recommendations by scanning the bar code of a particular product. Stop & Shop Supermarket has handheld scanners that show customers personalized discounts based on shopping history and just-purchased items. Another device is a mirror that allows a shopper to scan a dress and have the dress project the clothing onto her body, change the colors, and even upload it directly to her Facebook page.

This new technology will bring telecommunication and retail services together in a way they have never been. It allows for the communication of a plethora of information from the retailer to the consumer in an interactive manner. This may not be a conventional use of telecommunications services, but it has the ability to add an aspect to the industry that is simply not there now.

Samsung Introduces Its iPad Rival

Samsung is creating a device that is similar to the ipad.  It will be seven inches, and could be used like a phone to call people.  Samsung is going to sell this devise between $200 to $300 dollars.  It first is looking for a carrier in most of the countries.  Samsung wants to make this devise not large, because they want it to be very portable.  It could fit in a jacket’s pockets.  A big advantage of the devise is that it supports adobe. 

This will defiantly raise the telecommunication industry in this world.  Especially when it is released which they are saying at October.  Ipad finally will not be monopoly and will actually have competition.  Samsun has some features that the ipad was missing.  One example is capable of calling with the Samsung devise.  Another example is using adobe; in the other hand Ipad you cant use adobe.  Also, Samsung device is a lot smaller than the Ipad.  So, both companies will compete on prices and this is how the telecommunication industry will work.  

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/09/02/samsung-introduces-its-ipad-rival/?KEYWORDS=telecommunications

Rapid Internet Growth Projected In Emerging Markets

A recent Boston Consulting Group report stated that the number of internet users is set to double by the year 2015, indicating not only the technological but also economic advances in society. The countries that show the most growth include China, India, Brazil, Russia, and Indonesia which will collectively have about double the users they had in 2009. That's quite a jump in a little over five years time. Although this trend may be obvious to some, there may be significant changes in business strategy that are worth looking out for.

For example, unlike the evolution of the PC market in the United States, much of this access will be available on mobile devices. This sheer fact will no doubt accelerate the need for more attention to be payed to this segment, an area that has only been a recent focus domestically. We can look to see many more enhancements in the way we connect to the internet simply because of the new demand for these products in emerging nations. Not only will this impact the hardware side of things but software will have to be adapted as well. For example, according to the article, the low literacy rate in these areas will make the transition to the web hard for many. This leaves a vast need for more accurate voice software so that demographic can enjoy the advancement as well.

Finally, not only does it leave the door open for the immediate necessities such as new software, but it also creates new niche markets for entrepreneurs. Studies put out by the company India Real Time indicate that the overall mindset of the people in these nations is quite different than those in developed nations. For example, rather than playing games or listening to music on the web, Indians are more likely to visit job search websites. It will be interesting to note if some of these particular quirks have any affect on the U.S. market or if they will remain confined to this new emerging segment. Above all, one thing is for certain, there will be new opportunities for companies to shift focus and capitalize on this new upcoming movement.

FaceTime Video Chat Applicaton for Iphone

Apple's recently introduced Iphone 4 includes FaceTime, an application that permits all of its users to have real time video conversations. This new technology is going to change the way people used to have live video chats, from being seated on a desktop to be walking while doing it. This service can be used anywhere as long as you are connected to the internet.

This release gives enormous possibilities to the telecommunication industry for rising its trend. Specifically the mobile network sector, that already offers the user the possibilities of browsing the web, checking the mail and now to have video conversations. This new generation of cell phones or smart-phones are slowly replacing laptops or computers in general, so it is not a wild guess to say that the telecommunication industry or the mobile network sector, at least, expects a highly prolific future.

Claudio Lacayo

article : http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2010/tc2010086_123630.htm

Open Data in India

All telecommunication service providers in Inidia are now required by the government to open their data so that it can be monitored to ensure that any security threats are discovered. Two of these service providers are Skype Technologies SA and Google Inc. In order for the information passed through these companies to be monitored by local Indian agencies, servers must be installed in the country. Skype and Google both need to have their data open for scrutinizing within two months.

This development is not quite new in countries such as India and Saudi Arabia. BlackBerry service provider RIM, Research in Motion, was influenced to offer technical solutions to get around their heavily encrypted service by the threat of a ban from the government. Companies such as RIM, Skype Technologies SA, and Google Inc. are likely to give in to the government because of India's imminent launch of broadband wireless Internet service, an opportunity potentially very lucrative for the aforementioned companies.

The topic of personal privacy is undoubtedly a concern for these companies. RIM officials believe their strong encryption is crucial to attract international business. It is predicted that the telecommunication service providers will raise a strong resistance against the government. The government must manage a balance between national security and privacy concerns, a balance that seems to be very difficult to obtain.

Web Merges with Television

Amazon.com, Netflix, Apple, Google, and Hulu are all competing to merge Internet based TV viewing and the traditional TV set. How will this affect cable and satellite TV subscription services and the price of TV shows on their own? Such a move could eventually make cable and satellite subscriptions obsolete and experts are concerned that this competition between web TV giants will lead to highly devalued television prices. As soon as Apple announced that many TV show rentals on iTunes would be reduced to 99 cents, Amazon.com responded by lowering the price to purchase many TV shows to 99 cents.


Many media companies are slow to put too much of their best content on the Internet for too little money. None want to be left behind as the Web merges with television, but they are also wary of encouraging a shift to Web-based viewing, which could lead consumers to cut off cable and satellite subscriptions. Especially with the addition of Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360, all of which make it easy to view Internet content on a traditional television set.


This greatly impacts the industry because many companies are trying to determine what is the most profitable path. Even cable and satellite giants are taking notice. Comcast Corp. is considering purchasing NBCUniversal, a company well-established in the online TV realm, to establish a foothold in the rapidly evolving industry of Web TV. Both traditional cable/satellite services and the newer Web companies are asking the same questions. Should they release all TV shows immediately and charge higher prices for those that are the most recent? Should they stay away from releasing new content and instead focus on providing a cheap venue for older shows? Will the TV show industry take the same path as the music industry, trying to compete with software that makes free and illegal downloads as easy as purchasing on iTunes?