Will miniature phones ring up bigger sales?

Article Abstract:

Cellular-telephone manufacturers, such as Motorola, Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson and Sony, are shrinking the size of their cellular telephones to expand the size of their market shares. The manufacturers hope that the status of owning a miniature telephone will persuade customers to pay the substantial prices the products now command, allowing the companies to reverse the trend of decreasing revenues and profits. In 1996 cellular telephone prices declined as a result, in part, of cellular-service companies' give-away programs. Motorola's StarTac miniature telephone is one of most popular of the new products. Motorola, which advertises the StarTac as the world's only wearable phone, has marketed the product as an elite status symbol. Under the pressure of competition, however, StarTac prices have slipped from $2000 to $1600. Competition will continue as combined cellular and data services become available.

Cellular Mobile Tel Equip, Cellular telephones, Wireless telephones, Forecasts and trends, Marketing, Market trend/market analysis, Cellular telephone equipment industry, Smart phone, Smart phones

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Mtel two-way paging service gets weak reception; ambitious launch fizzles as system problems plague SkyTel network

Article Abstract:

The two-way paging technology offered by Mobile Telecommunications Technologies' (Mtel) and its SkyTel subsidiary is not performing as well as was promised by the companies, casting industry doubt on the entire technology. Users of the SkyTel network are experiencing problems with undelivered or mis-delivered messages as well as system-memory difficulties, and company executives admit that the technology behind it is still immature. The SkyTel network presently has about 30,000 subscribers, just one-fifth of the number needed to pay the network's architectural costs. Despite accruing significant losses because of two-way paging, the network's largest technological and financial supporters still express confidence in SkyTel's ability to ultimately succeed.

Planning, Product development, Company services, Company technology development, Company business planning, Computer-linked pager, SkyTel Corp.

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Still one way: two-way paging was going to be the industry's next big thing. What happened?

Article Abstract:

The paging industry expected two-way paging to be a popular technology for wireless and phoneless communications, but it never caught on. One reason for this is Mobile Telecommunications Technologies' (Mtel) unsuccessful launch of its two-way paging network in 1995. Mtel introduced Skywriter, a dismal failure that resulted in companies such as AT&T selling their wireless chips to cellular phone companies instead of paging companies. One of the problems Mtel faced was the unability two provide two-way paging nation wide, as traditional paging services are able to do. The company has started building two-way paging networks in areas where customers have a need for the service.

Telegraph & other communications, Specialized Telecom Services, Wired Telecommunications Carriers, Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Internet services, Design and construction, Technology overview

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