Recently in 4G Category

When I last discussed Tango Networks the company focusing on selling FMC solutions to carriers worldwide I mentioned they were focusing on integrating text messaging into corporate phone and email systems. I have written in the past that selling to carriers as a business model is one of the most challenging ways to make money as carriers can wait so long to make decisions.

This is still the case but it is changing as service providers are facing serious disruptive threats and the need to find new services on a continual basis to offset the slowdown in revenue associated with voice and data.

It has been a number of years since its inception and the company seems to be close to going public with a number of deployments. This is good news for Tango Networks but more importantly for carriers who have become more nimble. And I don't want to understate the complexity in deploying an effective FMC solution from a carrier perspective - there are lots of moving parts and challenges to get right. Still, the concept is not new and it seems like most of the kinks have been worked out meaning with a good provisioning system and solid billing, carriers should be able to get up and running quickly and in the process hopefully they can sell some seriously high-margin services which corporate decision-makers will credit with boosting productivity.

In addition to working the carrier angle, Tango is enlisting companies in a number of spaces to trial the technology - sort a push-pull strategy which will hopefully get wireless operators worldwide to realize they better hop on the FMC bandwagon soon.

Some areas of opportunity according to Tango are healthcare and automotive but I would imagine all knowledge workers could benefit from a strong fixed-mobile convergence solution.

One other thing worth mentioning is you should see some awards bestowed on the company for a number of varied achievements soon.

I was told the company will have a channel partner and presence at ITEXPO/4GWE September 1-3 in Los Angeles so if you want to meet with them or the partner at the show drop Al Leo a line at 214-801-2838 or alleo(at)tango-networks.com.

Here are some before and after FMC shots -- Which do you think is better?
 

On a recent trip to Dallas, Texas I spent time with Raymond Kim the General Manager of Sales and Stacy Rupert the Senior Marketing Manager for ZTE USA and we spoke about the company's ambitious expansion plans in the US. They recently moved to new office space, are expanding in Texas and opening new offices in Atlanta, Seattle and Kansas City in order to be closer to existing and potential customers.

As you might expect from a company providing wireless infrastructure products in emerging and other markets, business is good and the staff is increasing in size. North America is an increasingly important space for the company and in order to generate better results in the area, the company recently restructured. Before the reorganization, the US, Canada and South America were one division but now the US has been pulled out and is in a new "advanced" division with Europe. This makes sense as wireless data growth has absolutely been off the charts in the US thanks to the iPhone and other smartphones and soon netbooks.

With this move, the company has an easier time coordinating resources and can have a uniformed strategy for R&D. Kim explained that 4G presents a huge opportunity for the company and he says the ZTE's technology is as good as any other player in the space. They hope to gain a foothold in the US infrastructure and terminal markets as time goes on.

To that end I had a chance to learn about a new product the AD3700 (pictured) which has subsequently been released by Verizon Wireless. The $130 ($80 after rebate) wireless world modem allows customers to take advantage of EVDO Rev. A in the US and 3G outside the country. As BusinessWeek's Olga Kharif points out, this is the first time Verizon has offered a ZTE product.

Most of the company's technology is developed in China and they will soon have a staggering 30,000 engineers developing products. And ZTE should have little to no problems financing future growth with a staggering 41.9% jump in profits in Q2 over last year as its global marketshare doubled to 8%.

One thing is for certain, ZTE seems to be a major force in wireless networks and with a new Verizon Wireless relationship and the potential to continue expanding in China and other developing markets, they are well-positioned for the future of wireless network expansion into 4G.

To keep up on the 4G wireless market be sure to come to the 4G Wireless Evolution Conference (4GWE) Sept. 1-3 in Los Angeles, CA where you will be able to network with the most important players in the 4G market and hear from 50 of the most knowledgeable speakers in the space.

According to the video below the new Blackberry Storm 2 will perform head and shoulders above the original Storm and the iPhone. With a multitouch screen and Piezo electronics allowing a smoother and faster text inputting system we can expect the sleeker looking Storm 2 to pose a bigger challenge to Apple, Nokia, Microsoft, Google and others. Expect the device to run on the Verizon and AT&T networks and of course WiFi support has been added as well which should allow the smartphone to be a much more worthy adversary to virtually every other competitor on the market which already supports this wireless standard.




My insticts tell me this phone should cause Apple some concern and make it more difficult for Nokia, Google and others to take smartphone share. I am looking forward to using it myself and sharing thoughts and analysis.

See also Gizmodo, Engadget.

Google today unveiled Listen, an application which allows users of the company's Android devices to search for content in podcasts based on keywords in the headline and description of the content. To me the incredible thing about this application is that it doesn't work with the iPhone, Windows Mobile or Nokia devices. No, this app is Android only at the moment. And while we may seem "Listen" on other platforms soon, for now Google has the potential to use the app to push sales of Android devices.

Google needs to walk a fine line between developing applications which have the ability to be used by the largest potential audience possible while at the same time they need to ensure Android is differentiated in the market with unique applications. What I like about this app in particular is that it leverages something Google does well, search and extends it nicely while users are on the go. And as it so happens, finding interesting podcasts is something many users grapple with so it will be interesting to see if the app gets extended out to the Pre and other gadgets and if this move marks a new trend of Android specific apps for Google.

Here is a new page dedicated to most of the features, benefits and events at ITEXPO West 2009 which takes place in Los Angeles in 13 days. We will update the page as new things happen or are worth sharing. In addition here is the first show daily from the event which is an electronic newsletter designed to keep you posted on the show. Be sure to register ASAP to get these delivered to you via e-mail.

We have done our utmost to have ITEXPO be the most complete event it can be. There is literally enough information to keep you busy for all three days of the show (Sept 1-3) and you will likely need to bring others with you to keep up with all the opportunities once you are there. If you are trying to absorb it all you will likely want to follow this simple process.

Go to the conference home page at itexpo.com and click on the blue attendee link at the top of the page.

Click where the red arrow points

 

 

This is where much of the information you need is located. Be sure to register ASAP so you can get on the list for new events as they are added and of course the important show news and happenings. This conference promises to be one of our most exciting ever and I look forward to seeing you all there.

The goal of ITEXPO is not only to be the most complete educational experience in the communications and technology markets we also want to make the show fun and exciting. This is why we still give away a car after doing so for a decade at a variety of shows we have hosted. In addition, we will also be giving away the following gadgets at the keynote sessions.

• Sling Box
• Netbook
• iPhone 3Gs

Come to all of them in a few weeks in Los Angeles if you want a chance to win these shiny new toys.

Recently some media outlets reported incorrectly (links intentionally left out) that Truphone is not working on the iPhone due to a bug in Apple's OS. As it turns out this was a mistake which was caused by misreading  a reference to the bug in a Truphone newsletter. I did just test the application out on an iPhone and it is fine. Here is more if you are interested.

I started my day today with a cup of coffee and this article from Carl Ford about some areas of discussion at the upcoming 4GWE show in about two weeks in Los Angeles, California. White space, backhaul and machine to machine communications are just some of the areas he touches on and will be covered at the event. It should make for a crucial educational and networking experience and Carl and I look forward to seeing you at the show.

Years back I started to utilize the website ofoto to store my pictures. What a great service with its ability to share your photos immediately with others. Years later Kodak purchased the company and integrated it into its backend photo processing systems. I am still a loyal customer of what is now called Kodak Gallery but recently the company changed its policy, forcing users to order a certain dollar amount in order to keep from having their photos deleted. In my case the magic number was $20.

Interestingly I am a big fan of printing photos but haven't had time to print much lately.

I do understand Kodak needs to make a living and I also understand how hard it is for a company which was a virtual monopoly to reposition itself in the digital era.

But rather than rush to print more photos this experience made me pause a bit. After all I am not thrilled to have a company change its policy on me after it told me there would be no charge to store photos. This is not what you call a stellar CRM experience.

This is probably the reason I didn't act quicker and logged on today to find all my photos gone. Wiped. My kids being born... My wife as fiancé, my cousins, parents, sister, friends. All gone.

The shocking screen I saw today

I learned when I called the company at 1-800-360-9098 that my photos are actually not deleted but hidden. I suspected as much but I am still having seriously mixed emotions about the company. After all if they did delete my photos I would likely be on my way up to Rochester to have a frank talk with the CEO.

Its all fun and games until someone loses every photo they ever took

I was told my photos should come back in 24 hours or so but I will not receive an email when they are restored. The operator suggested I keep checking online for when they appear. (See my thoughts on free time above)

If this happens to you, don't worry. You see I was told 72 hours after the photos appear they will disappear and I have to make a purchase between the time the photos are there and aren't. I didn't ask how long they are kept hidden but I should have.

On a separate but related note, Kodak is looking for help from its community of fans to help it name its new pocket-sized video recorder. My first thought is the new Kodak - Better Late Than Never but I think this moniker may be a bit too long for a small device and not quite in line with the company's business practices. Instead I invite them to have it use the above online photo storage practices and proceed to call it the the new Kodak iHostage.