Tag Archive for AT&T

RB | July 7, 2011
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To Late for Cisco to Take on Apple?

Compaq Portable IIIChronically under-performing Cisco is finally getting into the iPad tablet market. Cisco (CSCO) will be releasing Cius in July.  Technology Review reports that Cisco’s Cius, is bulkier than the iPad, and has a smaller screen (7-inches wide, compared to the iPad’s 9.7). But it packs a number of tricks designed to woo business users.

Cisco SystemsTested.com says the Cius can connect into a Cisco phone network to port calls from a desk number to the tablet to  makes a user’s desk number mobile, enabling a person to make and receive voice and video calls anywhere. The tablet features HD quality cameras front and back and can be used with a Bluetooth headset for more private calling.

Cisco CisuThe tablet can also be used as a desktop videoconferencing device when docked on a special desktop phone, and can smoothly switch between a WiFi a cellular network connection. The Cius can be docked to serve as a videoconferencing device. The dock supports a keyboard and mouse, so the Cius really can serve as a little computer,  “It can replace my desktop operating system,” says Tom Puorro, senior director for Cisco’s collaboration technologies told Technology Review. .

Google Android Tested.com says the tablet runs Google‘s (GOOG) Android 2.2 Froyo on an Intel (INTC) Z650 1.6GHz Atom chip and weighs 1.5 pounds despite its small 7” screen. Tested.com speculates that Cisco has heavily modified the open source  Android to support business-centric features like, multi-person videoconferencing and virtual desktop software.

Engadget has a video demo of the product here.

The fully skinned Android tablet seems like a relic of 2010 thanks to the arrival of Honeycomb, a version of Android actually built for tablets–which the Cius isn’t running. Tested.com says Cisco plans to upgrade the tablet to Android Ice Cream Sandwich eventually, but for now it’s slumming around with version 2.2 (Froyo). Cisco probably spent too much time developing its custom skin and software to upgrade to Android version 2.3  (Gingerbread) or version 3.0 (Honeycomb).

Cisco has also created its own app store, AppHQ, that has only apps deemed stable and secure by Cisco and  segregated it from the Android app market. This gives IT department greater control over what a Cius user can do. IT managers can shut down access to the Android app market to protect a company from malicious apps according to Technology Review. Companies can even create their own app store within AppHQ and limit employees to certain applications, or apps built in house.

Cisco has demonstrated a Cius virtual desktop that runs in the cloud, and makes use of a dedicated chip in the tablet that encrypt all its data says Technology Review

A WiFi only version of the tablet will be available worldwide from July 31 at an estimated price of $750. Cisco will sell it along with related services and infrastructure, so the cost to businesses will vary, and could be as low as $650. AT&T and Verizon will each offer versions for their 3G and 4G networks this fall.

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I wrote about the Cius here and don’t think it is an Apple Killer. Cisco will give its big partners a deal, but the Cius also depends on an existing Cisco telephony infrastructure. I don’t see the Cius fitting in the Cisco product line-up since they jettisoned the Flip and are reportedly shopping Linksys and WebEx. The built-in virtual desktop looks pretty cool, though.

What do you think?

Can the Cisco Cius knock off the Apple iPad?

Does the Cius make sense in the non-consumer Cisco?

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Category: Hardware, Mobile | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
RB | May 18, 2011
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Tech Regulatory Capture

Regulatory capture occurs when governmental bodies created to act in the public interest instead advances the commercial or special interests that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating. Regulatory capture is a form of government failure, as it can encourage large firms to exploit the public.

Sunlight: Congress’ Revolving Door to Telecom, Cable Firms

GreedAccording to a 2010 Washington Post article, broadband providers including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T and Verizon Communications have amassed armies of former government officials to lobby against net neutrality and other regulations at the Federal Communications Commission, according to a report by the Sunlight Foundation. The nonprofit public interest organization said those firms hired 276 former government officials, including 18 former members of Congress, to fight against rules that would require them to treat all Web sites and content equally on their networks.

AT&T (T) has hired Republican and Democrats from the US House and Senate to lobby for them including:

  • Jim Davis former Democratic congressman from Florida;
  • Trent Lott former Republican senator from Mississippi;
  • Vic Fazio former Democratic representative from California;
  • John Breaux former Republican senator from Louisiana;
  • J.C. Watts former Republican representative from Oklahoma;

Comcast (CMCSA) has also hired former politicians like:

Verizon (VZ) hired Republican representative Jack Fields from Texas.

The cable industry trade group National Cable & Telecommunications Association, hired Chip Pickering, a former Republican congressman from Mississippi.

The US Telecom Association, the Broadband Association hired Al Wynn former Democratic representative from Maryland.

Revolution LLC.

Ron Klain is General Counsel of former AOL CEO Steve Case’s Revolution LLC. Prior to joining Mr. Case’s firm Mr. Klain has extensive public service, most recently as a senior White House aide to President Obama, and Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden. He has also served as Chief of Staff or Staff Director for Vice President Al Gore, Attorney General Janet Reno, the Senate Democratic Leadership Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mr. Klain was also Associate Counsel to President Clinton, and a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron White. He has served as a top debate preparation advisor to Presidents Obama and Clinton, and Democratic Presidential nominees Al Gore and John Kerry.

State Department’s Katie Stanton Moves to Twitter

TwitterTwitter has captured Katie Stanton, a special adviser at the State Department and former White House staffer. She is heading to Twitter to work on international business strategy according to the Washington Post.  Ms. Stanton tweeted her move to the social information platform’s San Francisco’s office. The Post says Ms. Stanton will be a vice president driving Twitter’s international business strategy and operations. Ms. Stanton previously worked at Google as a product manager for the search engine’s finance application.

She joined the White House as the director of citizen participation after working on new media strategies for President Obama’s election campaign. Stanton moved to the State Department last year, working with Alec Ross, senior adviser for innovation, on how to use social media tools and technology for diplomatic goals.

Facebook Hires White House Adviser as New VP

Facebook AppScout reported that Facebook has captured an economic adviser to President Obama to serve as its new vice president of global public policy.  Marne Levine is the special assistant to the president for economic policy and chief of staff for the National Economic Council at the White House.

“With over 70 percent of our users living outside the United States, her unique mix of government and Internet industry experience will be invaluable to help Facebook address some of the most interesting questions at the intersection of technology and public policy,” Elliot Schrage, vice president of global communications at Facebook, said in a statement.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Maria - Can I get into politics too?

Levine will work out of Facebook’s D.C. office where she will oversee and coordinate interactions with governments and non-governmental organizations, Facebook said. She will also help to build Facebook policy teams in Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

According to the article Ms, Levine helped launch an online peer-to-peer payment platform, and helped manage its privacy and compliance issues which is probably why Facebook hired her so she can lobby her former boss on privacy and banking issues.

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Category: Business, Politics | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
RB | March 2, 2011
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Meds Talk M2M

PfizerDon’t worry about Big Brother, its Big Pharma that gets the latest award for invading your space. Dailywireless.org reports that drug maker Pfizer (PFE) wants to boost the profitability of its cholesterol-lowering Lipitor by calling you to nag remind you to take your script. According to Dailywireless.org if every Lipitor pill prescribed were taken, Pfizer expects that to increase it sales of the cholesterol-lowering drug by an extra $7 billion a year. Pfizer intends to use Vitality GlowCaps to grow its Lipitor business to $17 billion a year.

Vitality GlowCapVitality GlowCaps, are a wireless, Internet-connected bottle cap, that uses light and sound to alert users and phones home if they forget to take their Lipitor. Vitality and automated communication company Varolii, developed the GlowCap which has an embedded computer chip that communicates via low-frequency RF with a cellular-connected nightlight. The nightlight sends information to Vitality via a GE864-QUAD chip from Telit, a leader in the machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, over AT&T’s (T) GSM/GPRS network.

If a user misses a dose, an alarm will sound that gradually escalates “from a three-note arpeggio to an 11-note arpeggio,” Vitality President Josh Wachman told MobiHealthNews.  The GlowCap can also flash a light, play a ringtone, send text messages or e-mails and even call the user’s mobile phone to remind them to take their drugs.  The Dailywireless.org says that if the GlowCap remains unopened long enough, a patient will receive an automated call that asks a series of questions on why they didn’t take their drugs. GlowCaps also include a button that starts a call between the user’s phone and their pharmacy when the medication needs to be refilled.

Vitality iPad AppVitality CEO David Rose told MobiHealthNews that the company was developing an iPad app for its pharma brand managers to help them track in real-time the success of their GlowCap programs. As part of the deal, Vitality gave away iPads to any GlowCap customer, which Mr. Rose said included pharmacos and insurers, that distributes more than 10,000 GlowCaps to its customers. “With the secure app, they can see adherence patters as they emerge, everyday, in realtime. For example they can see the total value higher adherence creates for the brand. The resulting cost-savings, in the case of insurers. Even how adherence varies by demographic slice or geography (media market),” Mr. Rose wrote.

The AT&T cellular-enabled GlowCaps which can be bought on Amazon.com for $99, comes with the night-light that connects wirelessly to AT&T’s cellular network, a bottle cap and a six-month subscription to the service. After six months, subscriptions cost $15 a month.

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Talk about convergence! Mobile-to-Mobile + Connected health-care +Data protection. Any wonder why we need IPv6?

According to RCR Wireless, “Connected Healthcare” is a term used to describe a model for healthcare delivery that uses technology to give healthcare remotely. Connected healthcare is a sub-set of all Machine to Machine (M2M) devices which are expected to increase by 36 percent this year. Utilities, healthcare and securities industries will lead the charge to a total of 2.1 billion “connected M2M devices” by 2020, according to research from Analsys Mason.

What do you think?

Does the idea of getting harassed by your own script sit well with you?

Are you comfortable with Pfizer data-mining your day-to-day health-care activities?

Category: Data protection, Security, Wireless | Tags: , , , ,
RB | February 12, 2011
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AT&T 3G Network Magically Upgraded to 4G

Now that the ITU has caved to the marketers at big telecom, miracles happen. AT&T (T), America’s second largest wireless carrier,  found that its 3G HSPA+ network had automagically evolved all by itself into a fourth generation (4G) wireless network. Proponents of 4G promise that 4G mobile internet speeds are considerably faster than current wireless networks providing faster download, super-fast video streaming and more billing opportunities.

ATTSince the ITU downgraded the definition of 4G to catch up with the marketers and declared, “4G …  may also be applied … to the initial third generation systems now deployed” there is no consensus of what exact speed is a 4G network, so companies are free to claim what they want and hopefully the market will sort it out.

AT&T is betting that its customers are too dumb to care. TechEYE cites a Reuters report that AT&T’s chief exec Ralph de la Vega believes that consumers won’t notice the difference between HSPA+ and the forthcoming LTE network stating that “The whole industry has come to equate more speed with 4G.” TechEYE points out that AT&T saw a similar miracle in September 2010 when the marketers found that its HSPA+ network became “the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network.”

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The Business Insider has proof consumers don’t care about 4G. They report on Nielsen on findings that  only 54%  really knew what it meant (super fast wireless). 27% of the people polled think it’s the latest version of the iPhone.   Only 29% of the people polled said they were planning on buying a 4G phone in the next year.

Category: Business, Wireless | Tags: , ,
RB | January 21, 2011
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Wireless Spends Big Bucks to Lobby Congress

Politicans CTIA, the Wireless Association, CTIA is the wireless industry’s largest trade group spent $2.4 million in the third quarter of 2010 to lobby federal officials. Bloomberg cites a quarterly disclosure report filed with the U.S House of Representatives.  This marks a new high in CTIA lobbying spending. CTIA spent $2 million spent in the second quarter and $1.3 million that it spent on lobbying in the third quarter of last year, reports Bloomberg.

CTIA Wireless AssocationBloomberg says the trade association lobbied Washington on:

  • More radio spectrum for wireless Internet services
  • The FCC’s recently adopted “network neutrality” rules, which prohibit broadband providers from interfering with Internet traffic traveling over their systems, as well as the
  • The FCC’s legal framework for regulating broadband
  • “Bill shock” rules, which would require wireless companies to alert subscribers before they run out of minutes, hit data usage or text messaging caps or start racking up international roaming charges.
  • The CTIA which represents wireless carriers, like AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile, says it now generates annual revenues of $155.8 billion.

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Not only is the wireless industry lobbying group, CTIA spending millions every year to the buy influence legislation, the wireless companies are the leaders in lobbying spending. I wrote about AT&T and Verizon (VZ) both spending over $3 million on lobbying in 2010 here. I wrote about AT&T’s (T) long tradition of spreading its money around to buy influence legislation here. The rational business use of this money says that these firms are getting more benefit by lobbying lawmakers then investing it in their networks, paying a dividend or putting the money in the bank, but are the best decisions for the rest of us?

Who do you think the politicians are really looking out for?

Category: Politics, Wireless | Tags: ,
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