Comments on: ITEXPO: Brad Garlinghouse http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/ A daily round table on the tech industry with experts and callers from all over the globe. Join us as we pick apart the news and get to the meat of what\'s happening out there. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:48:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Yahoo Messenger with Voice: Where’s the Beef? -- Alec Saunders .LOG http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/#comment-4367 Yahoo Messenger with Voice: Where’s the Beef? -- Alec Saunders .LOG Thu, 23 Mar 2006 03:37:42 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=1977#comment-4367 [...] Like Martin, what I really wonder about is the stuff that didn’t ship.  Brad Garlinghouse is a hugely effective advocate for Voice 2.0.  I saw him speak at ITExpo last year about Voice 2.0.  At PTC in January, he talked about Voice 2.0 again.  Brad really gets it.  So, where’s the beef?  I didn’t see Brad’s vision in this product. Instead, what Brad said was that what sets Yahoo’s service apart from competitors’ is "aggressive pricing," and the fact that the calling services are entwined in Messenger and the Yahoo network.  How very 1.0. [...] [...] Like Martin, what I really wonder about is the stuff that didn’t ship.  Brad Garlinghouse is a hugely effective advocate for Voice 2.0.  I saw him speak at ITExpo last year about Voice 2.0.  At PTC in January, he talked about Voice 2.0 again.  Brad really gets it.  So, where’s the beef?  I didn’t see Brad’s vision in this product. Instead, what Brad said was that what sets Yahoo’s service apart from competitors’ is "aggressive pricing," and the fact that the calling services are entwined in Messenger and the Yahoo network.  How very 1.0. [...]

]]> By: Vijay Anand http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/#comment-1664 Vijay Anand Sun, 06 Nov 2005 21:16:38 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=1977#comment-1664 I stand corrected Alec about the comment on small displays. I agree with you. My comment was more towards how new technology would find better acceptance if it is introduced as one with a familiar and well-known standard and once the critical mass of adoption is achieved, taken to the next level of evolution and advancement, whatever the case might be. I guess by now most people are used to the convenience of small displays on cellphones. Though I believe that there was a basic phone around before they came up with all these nifty services such as ringtones, ringback tones and all that. I think approximately half the world's population is still below the age of 25-30, so they can adapt to new technology. It's a good business case to think about the rest who are too grown up to wrap their minds around a new technology. I still see so many people who don't know how to use a cell phone and there was an article recently that I came across that mentioned how the average consumer is getting tired of constantly having to adapt to new technologies. The basic idea was to initiate a discussion on what differentiates a system that everybody adopts and is comfortable using so that the next wave of technology could be built upon, and a system that the early adopters love sizzling themselves with, and to which category the present VoIP technologies belong to. I stand corrected Alec about the comment on small displays. I agree with you. My comment was more towards how new technology would find better acceptance if it is introduced as one with a familiar and well-known standard and once the critical mass of adoption is achieved, taken to the next level of evolution and advancement, whatever the case might be.

I guess by now most people are used to the convenience of small displays on cellphones. Though I believe that there was a basic phone around before they came up with all these nifty services such as ringtones, ringback tones and all that.

I think approximately half the world’s population is still below the age of 25-30, so they can adapt to new technology. It’s a good business case to think about the rest who are too grown up to wrap their minds around a new technology. I still see so many people who don’t know how to use a cell phone and there was an article recently that I came across that mentioned how the average consumer is getting tired of constantly having to adapt to new technologies.

The basic idea was to initiate a discussion on what differentiates a system that everybody adopts and is comfortable using so that the next wave of technology could be built upon, and a system that the early adopters love sizzling themselves with, and to which category the present VoIP technologies belong to.

]]> By: Alec http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/#comment-1318 Alec Fri, 28 Oct 2005 05:02:10 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=1977#comment-1318 I have a very fundamental disagreement with you Vijay. My customers, Verizon's customers, Yahoo's customers aren't simpletons. They are simply customers. At every step of the way we should be working, as an industry, to amaze and delight those customers. Displays on terminals are simply a mechanism for enabling a whole new generation of services, applications, and features that will delight those customers. If the cellular phone industry had thought the way you do, we wouldn't have ringtones, ring back tones, MP3 players, or cameras in our phones. It's ridiculous to assert that the average consumer is too stupid to understand the potential of this technology. I have a very fundamental disagreement with you Vijay. My customers, Verizon’s customers, Yahoo’s customers aren’t simpletons. They are simply customers. At every step of the way we should be working, as an industry, to amaze and delight those customers. Displays on terminals are simply a mechanism for enabling a whole new generation of services, applications, and features that will delight those customers.

If the cellular phone industry had thought the way you do, we wouldn’t have ringtones, ring back tones, MP3 players, or cameras in our phones. It’s ridiculous to assert that the average consumer is too stupid to understand the potential of this technology.

]]> By: Vijay http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/#comment-1186 Vijay Wed, 26 Oct 2005 08:04:04 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=1977#comment-1186 That's an interesting thought. But, as It was mentioned in the speech itself, what we are working with at the moment is VoIP 1.0 (if you can call it that). We are still trying to form the platform, define some standards and formulate solutions to connect the past with the future. I think what is advertised as features, is the potential that VoIP holds. I am all for progress. But I think sometimes we fail to stop and think about the simpletons who form to be the majority of the userbase. If VoIP is supposed to be an elite standard for the very specific market segment, then it makes sense. But otherwise, we need end-terminals that are as simple as possible - atleast until the arrival of new features that will push towards a new design. The key to mass adoption is a device that is transparent that the users wouldn't even notice the change that has taken place. Just my thoughts. That’s an interesting thought. But, as It was mentioned in the speech itself, what we are working with at the moment is VoIP 1.0 (if you can call it that). We are still trying to form the platform, define some standards and formulate solutions to connect the past with the future. I think what is advertised as features, is the potential that VoIP holds.

I am all for progress. But I think sometimes we fail to stop and think about the simpletons who form to be the majority of the userbase. If VoIP is supposed to be an elite standard for the very specific market segment, then it makes sense. But otherwise, we need end-terminals that are as simple as possible - atleast until the arrival of new features that will push towards a new design.

The key to mass adoption is a device that is transparent that the users wouldn’t even notice the change that has taken place.

Just my thoughts.

]]> By: Alec http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/#comment-1138 Alec Tue, 25 Oct 2005 16:07:19 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=1977#comment-1138 I agree. I am shocked that there aren't more phones with displays out there --> even small displays. The phone UI is in need of a serious upgrade. I agree. I am shocked that there aren’t more phones with displays out there –> even small displays. The phone UI is in need of a serious upgrade.

]]> By: Aswath http://saunderslog.com/2005/10/24/itexpo-brad-garlinghouse/#comment-1137 Aswath Tue, 25 Oct 2005 13:28:37 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/?p=1977#comment-1137 Want to see an evolving dinosaur? Take a look at Verizon's iobi and the realted One Phone. VoIPers only talk about new features but offer only POTS. Shouldn't Vonage or somebody like that offer a phone with a screen and the associated controllable features? Want to see an evolving dinosaur? Take a look at Verizon’s iobi and the realted One Phone. VoIPers only talk about new features but offer only POTS. Shouldn’t Vonage or somebody like that offer a phone with a screen and the associated controllable features?

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