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Tag Archives: Wifi
Could VoIP Break the Mobile Industry?
As the ink still sets on Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype, industry analysts are continuing to debate the wide-reaching implications of the deal. With a price tag of $8.5 billion, Microsoft is taking a huge gamble on Skype’s potential to turn a profit, something it hasn’t done in many years. Yet this gamble is more than just on Skype. Microsoft has used over a sixth of its cash reserve in the expectation that voice and video calls over IP will become the key communication tool for both business and personal users.
The long-held promise of voice and video calls over IP is still yet to reach maturity. Since its launch in 2003, Skype has experienced a difficult and at times slow development path. The much-publicised acquisition by eBay and the near collapse of the company in 2008 has seen its expansion delayed, especially into video conferencing and mobile applications. Additionally, the marketplace has become much fiercer. Google Voice, Apple’s FaceTime and T-Mobile’s Bobsled (currently enabling VoIP calls on Facebook) are just a few of the competing services challenging Skype’s dominance.
Could Data Caps Tame the WiFi Explosion?
After the initial frenzy of the iPad 2 launch, interesting figures on just how popular Apple’s new tablet is are starting to emerge. According to some sources, the iPad 2 sold over one million during its first weekend of release. I find this figure incredible. One million units in two days. Apparently sales continue to be brisk and one can only imagine what figures will be seen when the device reaches global availability.
Aside from sending Apple’s profits higher, I also wonder what impact these sales will have on the network. In only two days, we suddenly have one million more users consuming and distributing rich media (I appreciate that a number of these users will be upgrading from the original iPad). FaceTime, Skype, Netflix, Hulu. The wealth of media available on the iPad is staggering. Now, if these users are anything like me, they will spend most of their time accessing this media over their WiFi connection, especially considering current 3G data caps.
Could video kill the mobile web?
Video’s record for causing disruption and widespread panic in the technology and media industry is nothing new. In the 1980s, video was accused of killing the radio star (escaped jail on a technicality). In the 1990s, it was implicated in bringing down cinema (thrown out of court). Yet in 2010, video faces its toughest allegation yet: killing the mobile web.
Although this may appear a bold statement, the concern over video’s impact on mobile broadband is starting to take hold and is supported by a wealth of new research that highlights the dramatic growth in mobile data, driven by continued strong sales of smartphones and tablets. Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal that there’s been a 20-fold increase in mobile data in the past year, with over 31% of Internet users now connecting to the web via a mobile device. These figures will only increase as more tablets enter the marketplace and video-centric applications move from WiFi to cellular networks. In a recent post, I discussed the challenges posed by Skype and FaceTime as they prepare for mobile mass adoption.
A weekend in the cloud
Steve Jobs recent iTunes 10 announcement provided a number of clear signposts as to the future of Apple’s music and video services. As with many other multi-media content providers, this future is marked with one word: cloud. Since this announcement, I’ve been considering what the implications of this migration are and the impact it will have both from a professional and personal standpoint. In fact, I went a step further than considering and actually tried to live within the cloud for a weekend. I have to confess, living in this bubble proved harder than I thought.
From a work standpoint, the cloud is well established. There already exist a number of strong online tools that enable effective productivity. These include:
Is white space the key to greater broadband access?
As someone who spends considerable time travelling, the prospect of free citywide WiFi always sounds appealing. I’m not the only person to feel this way; I remember when Google announced the San Francisco WiFi blanket a number of my California-based colleagues entered a near ecstatic emotional state. I can’t describe their response when the plans were eventually shelved. Let’s just say it involved tears and lots of hugging.
However, recent announcements by the FCC have once again given hope to the prospect of WiFi blankets in both urban and rural environments. Although no commitment has been made and the FCC is continuing to investigate, it appears that the final barriers to using white space could soon be lifted. If successful, the impact on the country’s broadband access could be significant.
