To wit, Nokia remains the No. 1 handset manufacturer in the world, and most of its smart devices use the Symbian OS. Microsoft Corp. continues to chip away at the market with Windows Mobile 6.0, launched this time last year. That OS recently got a boost from the launch of Microsoft OCS, the unified communications software suite that integrates with Windows Mobile to offer fixed-mobile convergence applications and a mobile tie into desktop applications, attractive propositions to many business customers. There also is the Palm OS, the BlackBerry OS, and a range of open Linux-based OS choices on the market that have failed to create a vibrant developer community due to their limited install on devices. Of course, there is the Apple iPhone, which gets its very own open developer kit this month, and which soon will be 3G-enabled for better data service and Internet surfing. Knowing which device to offer for specific business needs continues to be an important differentiator for sales partners.
Which brings us to the fact that dealers' jobs are about to become even more complicated, as all signs point to open access winning out in wireless (see Page XX). It's not just Google Android and the opening of the iPhone to third-party applications, it's the major carriers, in an abrupt 180-degree turn from the walled-garden model, deciding to throw open their networks to any device and any application. Google has long been a supporter of open access, but with its foray into the 700MHz auction that will conclude next month, it has been lobbying in a high-profile way against the walled garden of late. It has managed to spearhead a movement that includes Sprint Nextel's declaration that its new WiMAX network will be purpose-built to take the Internet mobile, creating a world where any IP application and any WiMAX-enabled device can be turned on and used without carrier turnup, regardless of manufacturer or where it was sold. AT&T Inc. has been reminding people that its network is open to devices and applications, provided they are GSM-based – a result of the nature of that technology standard, on which AT&T's network is based. And, in perhaps the most notable event, Verizon Wireless, which has been a tireless critic of open access, said it would also open up its CDMA network. The publication of technical standards and a roadmap for the testing of devices for network compatibility should begin this month. Not only that, but Verizon also has embraced Google Android and says it's getting into 4G -- pervasive wireless broadband with speeds and capacities much faster than today's 3G networks – with a new network built on LTE technology, scheduled to trial this year and launch in late 2009 or 2010.
All in all, this year marks a new beginning where dealers will no longer be hampered on the device side by the carriers they represent. A much wider variety of handsets will now be available. And getting a hold on the complexity now will translate to a big value proposition in the future as the industry continues down the open-access path.
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