http://www.tomloverro.com/2009/08/10/google-voice-why-att-was-right/ The irreverent technology & entrepreneurship blog of Tom Loverro Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:40:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.tomloverro.com/2009/08/10/google-voice-why-att-was-right/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Tom Loverro Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:52:28 +0000 http://www.tomloverro.com/?p=345#comment-46 You make an interesting point about planning ahead. You're totally right--they should have seen this one coming two years ago and started planning for it. But they've clearly been procrastinating. I think it all comes back to the fact that AT&T still views themselves as a phone company which bills by the minute and wants to protect their "minutes". They need to get beyond that and realize they are an ISP and phone, VOIP, SMS, data etc are all just packets. You make an interesting point about planning ahead. You’re totally right–they should have seen this one coming two years ago and started planning for it. But they’ve clearly been procrastinating. I think it all comes back to the fact that AT&T still views themselves as a phone company which bills by the minute and wants to protect their “minutes”. They need to get beyond that and realize they are an ISP and phone, VOIP, SMS, data etc are all just packets.

]]> http://www.tomloverro.com/2009/08/10/google-voice-why-att-was-right/comment-page-1/#comment-42 captain Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:17:00 +0000 http://www.tomloverro.com/?p=345#comment-42 VOIP is endangering AT&T's revenue stream and yes the Board is responsible to their shareholders and they are not about to give up billions of dollars of margin. They're still a bunch of losers, though. Aren't businesses supposed to plan ahead and innovate to increase profits, just like Apple did with the iPhone? The portable music player market seems to be close to saturation and smarphones spell trouble for standalone devices anyway. With the iPhone the company wisely chose to cannibalize its own products to transition its existing installed base to the iPhone and expand it aggressively. All businesses have risks and it's better to innovate and lead the pack than to stick one's head in the sand. In comparison AT&T is in full ostrich mode: La-la-la I can't hear you and if I wish hard enough my dream may become a reality! "AT&T needs to come up with a solution." Indeed, they need it done by yesterday. In the meantime, people are quitting the iPhone platform. VOIP is endangering AT&T’s revenue stream and yes the Board is responsible to their shareholders and they are not about to give up billions of dollars of margin. They’re still a bunch of losers, though. Aren’t businesses supposed to plan ahead and innovate to increase profits, just like Apple did with the iPhone? The portable music player market seems to be close to saturation and smarphones spell trouble for standalone devices anyway. With the iPhone the company wisely chose to cannibalize its own products to transition its existing installed base to the iPhone and expand it aggressively. All businesses have risks and it’s better to innovate and lead the pack than to stick one’s head in the sand. In comparison AT&T is in full ostrich mode: La-la-la I can’t hear you and if I wish hard enough my dream may become a reality! “AT&T needs to come up with a solution.” Indeed, they need it done by yesterday. In the meantime, people are quitting the iPhone platform.

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