This one had me at a text messaged "hello." I'm zooming in on the mobile economy and the "anytime, anywhere" paradigm that we can expect to see more of as the infrastructure, technology and cool gadgets keep pouring out of the big hole in the earth's center they seem to come from. Of course, for all this to work, there has to be a commitment by the wireless carriers to actually improving the customer experience too.
That said, I spend a good deal of time talking about some of the amazing things that are going on in this industry. For example the incredible Blackberry Pearl that is beginning to create some serious buzz on the net. In fact, this is the first thing I think I'd call a "Blingberry." Look at all the Google references to it and take a look at the pix of it that are circulating. But there is so much more with carriers like Sprint leading the way with investments in 4G networks and mobile virtual networks.
All of that, as I point out rather directly is part of a move toward Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) that is part of the transformation to traveling ubiquity that's going on in the universe of business and customers - but all part of the customer ecosystem.
Being a bratty New Yorker, I point out that the miserable customer service and strange business configurations that the carriers have can be barriers to all of this too.
But, with all that and all these exciting things, the crown jewel is an interview with Senior Marketing Manager for Mobile CRM at Research in Motion, creator of the Blackberry, Paul Briggs, which sounds almost royal in title it's so long, but the interview is revealing as he identifies what he sees, as a long time industry observer, for mobile CRM and the "prosumer" kinds of customers who integrate business and personal lives into that thing called "existence."
Oh yeah, by the way, just so its written too, Someone at Verizon Wireless told me that they are going to eliminate their telemarketing operations nationally because of huge numbers of complaints and inadequately trained people. I want to make this public knowledge since I don't think it is. But if its true, and I'm holding them to it or I'll be mercilessly on their case, then its a big step toward confidence in a wireless carrier.
BTW, I use Sprint and dumped Cingular recently and didn't choose Verizon Wireless for my Palm Treo 700p. Find out why. Though I want one of those Blackberry Pearls, man, I really do.
The Music:
Opening & Closing: Cell Phone Warrior by Cowboy Squid
Intro to NY Five Minutes: On the Go by Robin James
Intro to Fixed Mobile Convergence Piece: Cell Phone Punk by The Kind
Margin Notes Theme: Piece of Mind by Sly (D) CAN
Play Episode #7 by clicking here. ANOTHER big file.
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