Sales: WiFi and the Dual-mode Phone

Dean Bubley submits: I see that one of my analyst peers has released a report on WiFi phone shipments. Always tricky to interpret actual data from a press release, as it never has the full set of definitions / assumptions, but I'm scratching my head about a couple of things.

"Samsung leads in dual-mode WiFi/cellular handset revenue market share, followed by Nokia (NOK)"

This seems unlikely, unless it specifically excludes smartphones from the definition of "handset." Nokia announced in its results last week that "The Eseries sold almost two million units since its introduction in the second quarter 2006." - presumably accounting for a fairly large chunk of the total €1bn sales of its Enterprise business unit.

The E60, E61 and E70 have WiFi, while the E50 and E62 don't - and it seems to be the E61 that's the winner at present, which I guess goes for around $300 ex-factory price.

Drop the cell contract

It's happened to millions, maybe you're one. You sign a two-year contract for a cell phone, then find you're getting spotty coverage. Or maybe you want a cheaper plan, but you're stuck. Now there's a whole new industry that has sprouted up to help unlock you from your cell phone contracts.

How marketers plan to invade your phone

Who's advertising on mobile phones? Mobile phone companies. And mobile game makers. And purveyors of ringtones and other applications for cell phones.

No duh, you say: Of course creators of content for mobile phones would want to market to mobile-device makers. But the flip side of that obvious fact is who isn't advertising there yet. For the cell phone to become the next great marketing medium - a platform akin to radio, television or the Internet - it will need to attract advertisers from outside the mobile industry.

Wonders of wandering wireless

If you're planning a spring trip overseas, one of your must-do tasks is to arrange how you're going to keep in touch with family, business associates and friends. Although you have a laundry list of options, carrying a wireless phone that works wherever you are is clearly the most convenient and practical way to ensure 24/7 communications in both directions. Here's how the current situation looks to me, for voice communication; I'll cover the Internet later.

Much of the world outside North America uses the GSM system for wireless calls, and phone services there use different frequency bands than GSM service in the United States and Canada. Thus, one way or another, in Europe and most other areas, you need a GSM phone that works on the 900 Mhz band, at a minimum, and better, both the 900 Mhz and 1800 Mhz.

Sotto's All-in-One Wireless Voice

Sotto Wireless, a Seattle-based startup with a pedigree, aims to be all things communications-wise to all small businesses. Sotto is currently market-testing a hosted solution that will offer SMBs a combination of VoIP in the office, including voice over Wi-Fi using dual-mode wireless phones, cellular service and wireless e-mail.

The objective, says CEO and co-founder Rod Nelson, a Microsoft and AT&T Wireless veteran, was to provide an all-in-one service that was easy to buy, easy to use and easy to maintain. That's what small businesses need, Nelson says, and that's what the Sotto Wireless service offers. "Voice over Wi-Fi allows us to do a really important part of that," he adds.

Nelson and partner Bob Johnson, the firm's chief technology officer, left AT&T about the time Cingular acquired the company.