A lot has been written about Apple lately. The new iTunes service is a hit. The iPod has become the killer gadget for MP3 enthusiasts. A lot of people are again touting the rebirth of Apple as a cool company. Apple has always been cool. But all of these product announcements make me question whether Apple has long-term aspirations about remaining a player in the desktop computing world.
Wi-Fi Billing Done Right
I was very excited to read that T-Mobile will finally go where no wireless carrier has been willing to go and offer both discounted Wi-Fi for existing customers and the simplicity of unified billing (for the entire article, see T-Mobile bundles Wi-Fi, cellular services | CNET News.com). As I mentioned in an earlier post, I consider myself a “power” consumer of technology, but even I am unwilling to pay broadband access prices for 802.11b speeds and coverage, especially if it means having to sign up with a new carrier.
Do Startups Change Consumer Behavior?
I had lunch with a very successful technology investor friend of mine and he made a very interesting comment. He pointed out that he no longer hears about startup companies trying to “change consumer behavior” anymore. Smart companies that he sees are instead trying to capitalize on changes in consumer behavior. I think that there is more here than meets the eye.
Cheer Up, Silicon Valley
I am hesitant to write this article as so many smart people have opined on this topic of the future of the IT industry. Larry Ellison raised quite a stir by his recent comments about “the end of Silicon Valley as we know it” and its implications for IT companies. The venerable New York Times Magazine has declared that IT is a “maturing” industry and even goes so far as to sugges that the IT industry might go the way of the railroad (click here for the full article). I don’t necessarily agree with the conclusions that the authors reach, but there are some good lessons to be learned here.
Why is Spam So Irritating?
I have been thinking about why people have such a strong, violent reaction to e-mail spam and a much more ho-hum reaction to postal-based direct marketing.
I have to admit that I was partially inspired to revive this post-in-progress after reading The State of Consumer Email: Consumers Deserve Better :: AO on Always-On.
The Isle of Wi-Fi — My Thoughts
I am not one to sit on the sidelines and wait for new technology to be handed to me, but I must admit that I am still sitting on the sidelines when it comes to signing up for a Wi-Fi subscription service. Should I sign up for T-Mobile HotSpot? Should I sign up for Boingo? Is Wayport the right answer? There have been lots of articles written about the need for new infrastructure (switching, routing, antenna technology, backhaul, etc.), but I think that less attention has been paid to some of the factors driving the “buy” decision for customers like me.
A Blogger on Blogging
I enjoyed reading the first portion of Tony Perkins’ article “About Google’s Eric Schmidt” on Always On earlier this morning. I have tried to hold off as long as I can about speculating about what the Google acquisition means for blogging in general, but I think that I finally have to let loose and say something. Let me start off by saying that I am a former Blogger user (I am now a MovableType devotee) and am not an investor in Google.
Why Consumers Want to Buy Software as a Service (Part II of II)
Now that I have given my spiel about why consumers (myself included) want to purchase software as a service and will pay good money to do so, I will throw out an example of one product that I would like to see someone build for me. The product that I want someone to build and offer to me as a service is bill presentment. I know that there are companies (most notably PayTrust and their PayMyBills service — I also hear that Wells Fargo has a newly-launched service) providing this service, but there are a few things that people haven’t grasped about the way in which this service should be marketed and packaged.
Read More “Why Consumers Want to Buy Software as a Service (Part II of II)”
Why Consumers Want to Buy Software as a Service (Part I of II)
In the past few weeks I have had a number of conversations with my friends in the venture capital community that have convinced me that consumers really want to purchase software as a service and not a shrink-wrapped CD offering. It turns out that the marketing gurus for ASPs were on to something — they just aimed their sights on the wrong market at that point in time.
Read More “Why Consumers Want to Buy Software as a Service (Part I of II)”
Will There be Another Browser War?
Wireless News: The Next Browser War
Now that I have seen a handful of articles written about the coming “browser war” that will take place on mobile devices, I feel compelled to comment. I am not convinced that we will ever see another browser war on par with Microsoft vs. Netscape — at best we will see several skirmishes as companies jockey for dominance on a handful of platforms.