Wednesday, July 23, 2003

The 'winner takes all' effect in the online world increases: Yahoo! starts competing with Google, Google with eBay and now Amazon.com with Google.

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Verizon Wireless reaffirmed its intentions to perform push-to-talk (PTT) trials late 2003. Nextel meanwhile is on track to have its Direct Connect service countrywide this year. Now there is an European first: Radiolinja will use fastmobile's fastchat to combine PTT with IM and MMS.

It remains to be seen if PTT will be succesful in Europe. It will not entice existing users because they would exchange the instantaneousness for loosing two-way functionality. Still, each new revenue stream must be cherished, as the sector is threatened form diverse angles (saturation, e-mail, technological issues, questionable demand for data services, possible entry of Wi-Fi, WiMAX, 4G, BFW etc.)

Monday, April 28, 2003

First KPN seemed to be in the market for acquisitions, namely O2 Germany. Now BT, according to an article in today's Telegraph, BT Group supposedly wants to add to its meager organic growth by beefing up Ignite.

No return to the bubble here. Valuations are down and will stay that way. O2 Netherlands was sold for a symbolic EUR 25m. KPN will not offer anything more substantial than this.

Tuesday, April 15, 2003

For those who want to come prepared to the IPO party of Google, read this article in the New York Times. No current plans, though.

Monday, April 07, 2003

As was rumored last week, T-Mobile, TEM and TIM will enter into a world wide Alliance. Sounds fine on paper but leaves much to guess at. Looks like a bunch of PTTs coming together against international operators, mainly Vodafone.

Implications for i-mode are unclear:
- will Telefonica abandon its planned introduction this quarter?
- covering France implies either Bouygues coming on board (which means another operator abandoning i-mode?), or Orange joining (SFR has a minority investment by Vodafone, does not use Vodafone's products, but carrying the Alliance's products seems a stretch too far).

How will the partners pull off the technical challenges?

How about the recently launched campaign for T-Mobile's 't-zones'? ("What will you start?")

Friday, April 04, 2003

CBS MarketWatch runs an interesting article on the rapidly evolving search business. Not just portals but ll sorts of niche sites tap this market to attract more valuable traffic.
Pushing DSL broadband comes in different flavors:
- cutting prices (BT, eircom)
- extending its reach form the Central Office (TeliaSonera)
- technological developments will expand economies of scale and lower trigger levels for selected but not activated Central Offices (BT, KPN)

Introducing Lite or Midband versions (United Online, EarthLink, BT to follow shortly) adds to the dial-up business!

Obviously these initiatives will add to costs and prolong payback periods, but in the long run broadband will add to NPV and revenues. These initiatives will enhance economies of scale. PTTs are taking the lead.