Telephony

Guest post: The bright future of phones

This guest post is by John Stepp, President of Free Tech Consultants. It’s typed entirely on his Nexus One. Just kidding (but he could’ve).

I know that many are saying that the phone is dead, at least the desktop and landline phone.  If that is the case then why is the mobile world so utterly controlled by the phone?  First people were going crazy to get their hands on the iPhone 4, now many are incensed to find that it has a flaw.  Nobody seems to care much about the revelation that every single iPhone ever shipped has been exaggerating the signal strength of the carrier, AT&T.  No, it is all about the phone.  It is all about the user interface and the user experience.  I understand.  I feel the same way.

When my Nexus One was not perfect and needed to be repaired because of a hardware issue, I had the option of returning it.  Although having calls dropped and having slow data speed was frustrating, I finally decided to just get it fixed.  Just like the Apple iPhone users, I was too enamored with the phone to give it up.  Now that it has the Android 2.2 software on it, the phone is better.  Sure, there is still a dropped call from time to time, but the user interface is great and the data speeds are fast.  Even as the Nexus One is discontinued, CNET tests show that the Nexus One on T-Mobile has data speeds equal or superior to the newer phones.  Whoopi Goldberg was so disgusted with her iPhone 4, she ran over it with her car, but then she went and bought an Apple 3G instead of going to a competitor. The similarity between the Android and Apple infatuation is the great application suites that come with these phones.  From the stunning displays, to the audio/optical communications tools to the immediate access to information, there is much to like.

Gartner recently said that smartphone sales were up almost 50% year over year. And the latest information from ChangeWave Research shows that the next ninety days will have the most explosive growth in smart phones ever with Apple and HTC (Android) leading the way.  However, Research in Motion, the BlackBerry maker favored by most businesses will see its’ market share erode further.  Why are phones that businesses favor in a funk while consumer phones are in such demand that there are now four week backlogs for all the favorites?  The user interface, the phone itself is driving demand and driving change.  E-mail delivery and simple conversations are not enough anymore.  We want pictures, video, social media and immediate access to information.

Businesses will be adapting to this changing landscape on mobility and on the desktop.  Productivity in the workplace will accelerate when the devices employees use in business match that of the devices used in people’s personal lives.  The business telephone and video manufacturers are providing easy to use high value applications for their user interfaces be they computers, netbooks, display phones or video portals.  The future is bright for the companies that decide that the phone (user interface) is everything.  The businesses involved in bringing these “smart” business communications devices to market will grow quickly and sooner than many predict.  And the improved productivity will help businesses grow faster as well, just like the digital revolution did in the nineties.  The phone may morph into many different types of devices, but the future of the phone is as bright as the new displays on the smartphones.

All this crazy tablet nonsense (talking about you Avaya, RIM, and Cisco)

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but come on, this whole tablet craze has gone too far.

So Apple came out with the blockbuster iPad tablet, and now everyone and their dogs are making one. Yes, I’m talking about you, Avaya, RIM, and Cisco.

What I find funny is that the PC companies — namely Microsoft and HP — abandoned their tablet projects once the iPad was imminent and proved to be a huge success, but it’s the communications companies that have a hard time letting go.

I’m not saying that the iPad is the end-all of all tablet devices. No, let’s hope not. I do want to see competing devices from Microsoft and HP (especially using the recently acquired Palm webOS). These are the companies that have been in the computing business for decades and have a clue about these devices.

But for companies like Avaya, RIM, and Cisco to venture into the tablet alternate universe is not productive. In fact, I dare say that it’s more of a marketing ploy than anything else — generate buzz, ride the iPad’s coattails, show ‘em we’re hip. After all, it’s not too hard to make one these days: source the cheap hardware from China, slap on the OS (be in Android, Windows, or Blackberry), and announce it to the world.

But guess what? There won’t be companies lining up to buy one of these babies.

You should know better, guys. And I’m not talking about not challenging Apple because you are targeting business users. I’m talking about your denial that communications today is more about applications than about the device. Leave the device to the likes of Apple, Microsoft, HP, and IBM to design and make. You are supposed to be leaders in the communications biz, but why am I still carrying an iPhone and a Blackberry and still staring at my ugly desk phone? Now you also want me to carry your tablet?

We’re all accustomed to the fact that audio capabilities aren’t limited to phones anymore. A lot of the emphasis on these new tablets are about video capabilities, but this is 2010 and we also know that smartphones have the horsepower for video, too. So really, is there the need for a business tablet?

So here’s my advice: Abandon your tablet projects and hire more developers and UI experts to focus on applications. If you insist on a tablet, then OEM it from somebody who knows it better than you. Partner with the tablet makers to ensure your app is well-designed for their device. But for the sake of business please stop it with the tablet business.

An Avaya tablet?

Hmmm, what is Avaya up to with this tablet device going through FCC approval? Eric Krapf of No Jitter analyzes:

So one possibility is that Avaya really intends to compete toe-to-toe on end-to-end. That would explain Avaya recommitting to its data product line, instead of shedding it, as many people expected they would when they acquired it as part of Nortel Enterprise.

Frankly, that’s the only possibility that makes any sense. If Avaya is building a tablet that’s essentially a tablet version of its proprietary desk phones–an Avaya-specific device, optimized for the Avaya platform, if not restricted to that platform–well, that just wouldn’t seem to make any sense. Proprietary desk phones can be inflexible devices that hang off a proprietary platform, because they’re not going anywhere. Tablets are mobile devices that are supposed to connect to different, often public, networks. Unless Avaya is planning some kind of dual-mode tablet–Avaya-optimized for the office, more generic for the outside world.

Personally, I’m not so sure about Avaya (or any Big Telecom companies) getting into such a thing, especially in tablet computing. The communications business isn’t about hardware any more — it’s now about applications. Plus, building computers isn’t a competency for Avaya or its peers. Leave that stuff to HP, Dell, Apple, and Microsoft, especially if it’s about tablet computing. Instead of coming up with its own tablet, why not develop a kick-butt app for the iPad (or other mobile devices) instead? Does Avaya really think it can create a better tablet computing experience than Apple (or other computer companies)?

Besides, nobody wants desk phones any more. It’s about mobility and portability. People want to get calls on their mobile devices now, be it a smartphone or a tablet computer. A fancy desktop phone with a big multi-touch capable screen may look sexy, but come on, it’s 2010 so let’s please move away from the desk.

An iPhone app to ‘Dial Zero’

Zero — a caller’s best friend when encountering an IVR. Savvy customers in search of customer service over the phone now know to ignore the greetings and menus and hit that magic zero button. These customers have also learned, upon encountering a speech-enabled system, to say “agent” or “representative,” the vocal equivalent of pressing zero.

What could possibly further improve these customers’ ingenuity? Well, there’s an app for that (on the iPhone): Dial Zero.

The app has a list of customer service numbers of major companies, and tips on how to reach an agent after connecting the call.

And the screenshot the author includes in publicizing this app? You guessed it: United Airlines. Known for its guitar-breaking customer no-service…

Plantronics is all ears

You would know Plantronics if you’ve been in the contact center business for a while. The company makes several models of agent headsets (wired and wireless), Bluetooth headsets, and other headsets for the home and office.

The user interface Plantronics designers and engineers deal with is, well, the physical ear. Get ready for some creepy video of the Wall of Ears:



Which one is yours?