08-30-2002, 10:28 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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Ericsson to re-evaluate Sony Ericsson venture
http://www.quicken.com/small_business/news/index-article.dcg?story=/news/stories/dj/20020830/on20020830000005.htm&department=0
According to this Quicken.com article, which in turn quotes a Wall Street Journal article, Ericsson warns that they are taking a hard look at the underperforming Sony Ericsson venture: "Kurt Hellstroem, chief executive of Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson, warned that he won't continue pouring money into a high-profile mobile-phone joint venture with Sony Corp. unless its products quickly catch on, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. ... Within the "next couple of quarters," he said in an interview, "we must see real acceptance" of the handsets that Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications is about to launch. Otherwise, he said, Ericsson won't "throw money" at the loss-making venture, formed just a year ago."
I have an idea that would make Kurt Hellstroem a happy fellow. Send the overview specs to the Asians. Let them build the hardware, make it smart with innovative Microsoft software and sex it up with your brand name. Reduced risks, no bound capital in warehouses, lower R&D costs and higher margins. If I just knew how to reach him...
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08-30-2002, 11:04 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 140
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I think that it would be a waste of time to go through thre rigmarole of joining Microsoft. Not because I don't like Microsoft. Not because I prefer Symbian. Rather, because more and more I see the fuiture of smartphones in the Java technology that is already being used to innovate and provide services.
The DOS type displays of many Midlet applications are becoming a thing of the past, we are beginning to see respectable applications and games which have top colour and 3D graphics. The first proper spreadsheet is now in a useable beta stage.
This technology already has web viewers, e-mail clients, document viewers, VNC terminals, Telnet clients, stock quotes, weather reports and much more.
With the vast majority of smartphone software being in this format, why would any manufacturer worry about whether it is Symbian, Microsoft or Palm that is behind it all running the show?
Now I accept that some platforms have an advantage in that they can download native software direct from the internet and install on the spot (Symbian's .SIS Setup format is very compact and very versatile for this kind of application distribution), but I think that while it's good to have software that takes advantage of a unit's hardware, most manufacturers will be looking to get an OS running on their phone for as little as possible, as long as it runs Midlets. For the common man (and if you want to sell mobile phones in bulk, it is the common man you are targetting), it just doesn't matter and Ericsson would be wasting its money chasing yet another OS.
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08-30-2002, 12:29 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Sounds like their P800 isn't doing so hot. What else do they even have? That is the only model I've seen.
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08-30-2002, 12:32 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 252
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Interesting but what have SE actually released. Their complete range of phones appear to be hangovers from the seperate companies. I would suprised if the T68 hasn't been successful for them as they seem to overtaken Nokia by a long way went it first arrived.
The P800 will be the first test and their certainly seems to be a big buzz about it.
As far as smartphone is concerned it isn't that different. If Ericsson are committed to the Symbian platform I don't see them jumping ship anytime soon. We'll just have to see how the P800 does.
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08-30-2002, 12:33 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 252
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Sounds like their P800 isn't doing so hot. What else do they even have? That is the only model I've seen.
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Well as it isn't shipping yet it would have problem selling it in numbers.
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08-30-2002, 12:46 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dochall
Well as it isn't shipping yet it would have problem selling it in numbers.
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Ok, I didn't know. I was told in March when I was playing with one it would ship in early-mid summer. Didn't know if it was in Europe yet or not. Seems they may have pulled that P800 in favor of an updated one with Memory Stick support and that may have delayed the launch.
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08-30-2002, 12:54 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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Wanna know more about Midlet? Don't visit midlet.org's site (http://midlet.org)!
"Sorry...
The page you have requested is currently unavailable.
If the problem persists, please contact us on [email protected]
Click here to go to the main page."
:lol:
Kidding aside. The race is on. It's Java vs Microsoft Windows and .NET.
My bet is on Microsoft. I like Microsoft and its products, especially the mobile ones! It's taken Microsoft the last few years to catch up from a mobile software architecture and devices point of view. Now, I believe it is just a matter of time before Microsoft increases pace and takes the lead.
And kidding aside, I don't believe you don't like Microsoft but that's ok with me! :-)
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08-30-2002, 01:34 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 262
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Seems like a pretty weird news message. As far as I know, the T68i is the only SonyEricsson mobile phone available to date. The T68i incorporates vast improvements over the T68 and is what you can call a flagship for SE. Now they'll release the P800 (to counteract the 7650 from Nokia) and then they'll start releasing phones for the public (no colour screens, no fancy stuff etc.) . Personally I don't think it would be smart for ericsson to drop out. Their latest phones weren't innovative and the T68 didn't make good use of its main selling point, color. So I don't believe that Ericsson can make a product on its own that can compete in the hard competitive mobile phone market today. Anywayz, if SE won't exist when I buy my next phone, it'll just be a normal Sony again.
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08-30-2002, 01:37 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by denivan
The T68i incorporates vast improvements over the T68 and is what you can call a flagship for SE.
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Besides MMS, what vast improvements does the T68i have over the T68?
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08-30-2002, 01:44 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 34
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I think Ericsson is worried about lossing even more money. Ericsson is a company running down at a fast pace and they do not want to spend more money on powerful toys that do not sell. They are clipping activities where they do not see clear returns (they have closed several facilities across Europe and fired thousand of people).
I am pretty sure no smart phone device (be it Symbian or PPC) would have at this time enough demand to balance the budget, but it is necessary to explore that market to have a suitable device in the future.
Is Ericsson giving away in investing on new technology ?
I think the matter now is how to convince the potential customer a smart phone device is valuable and why. Operating system may mark a difference here becaue an appeal for customers is how easily they can integrate it with their desktops, at the home and enterprise levels.
By now Java is a good approach to use on proprietary operating systems, as Nokia as shown, but as a matter of fact software bussiness on the mobile phone industry is still ridiculous.
Perhaps the only one market profitable at this time for smart phones would be Japan. But I am afraid Japan model cannot be ported to western countries.
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Linear Mode
